Lizz Wright, Dirty Dozen Brass, Dianne Reeves & 2018 GRAMMY® Winner Christian McBride to Perform at the JAS June Experience

Jazz Aspen Snowmass is pleased to announce the remainder of their summer season including line-ups for both the JAS June Experience and the JAS Café Summer Series.

The JAS June Experience will kick off on Thursday, June 21 at the JAS Café Upstairs in the Aspen Art Museum with widely acclaimed rising star, contemporary vocalist, and saxophone player Grace Kelly. On Friday, June 22 the Experience moves over to the Benedict Music Tent with an evening of "NEW VOICES" featuring acclaimed vocalist Lizz Wright and Hamilton Tony Award-winner Leslie Odom Jr. (the original Aaron Burr in the smash international hit). Odom Jr.'s debut solo album Leslie Odom, Jr. was released in June 2016 on S-Curve Records and quickly rose to number one on the Billboard and iTunes Jazz charts. He will be joined on-stage with special guests the Aspen Music Festival & School Student Musicians (AMFS).

Opening for Odom Jr. is Lizz Wright, returning to the JAS June main stage after her tour de force guest appearance last year as part of the "Ella at 100" tribute concert collaboration with AMFS & JAS. Through an inimitable voice that The New York Times touts as, "a smooth, dark alto possessed of qualities you might associate with barrel-aged bourbon or butter-soft leather," Wright sings with a soaring reflection of the cultural fabric of America.

Lyle Lovett will appear Saturday, June 23 for the first time in Aspen with His Large Band on the June JAS Benedict tent Main Stage. Lovett's live performances show not only the breadth of this Texas legend's deep talents, but also the diversity of his influences making him one of the most compelling and captivating musicians in popular music.

JAS plans to bring back the popular FREE Gospel Brunch on Sunday, June 24 featuring New Orleans natives Josh Kagler and Harmonistic Praise, a high energy outfit including a full band plus eight singers on stage. The performance will be free and open to the public both inside the Benedict Tent and on the lawn. A pre-concert brunch prepared by Chef Martin Oswald of Pyramid Bistro in Aspen will be provided in the JAS Patron Tent for just $40 per person.

Later that evening guitarist/vocalist Raul Midón will perform at the JAS Café Downstairs at the Cooking School of Aspen. The New York Times called Midón, "a one-man band who turns a guitar into an orchestra and his voice into a chorus."

The final show at Benedict Music Tent: "Georgia on My Mind, A Tribute to Ray Charles," will take place on Saturday, June 30. This collaboration between JAS and AMFS will feature 10-time GRAMMY® Award-winners and a cappella vocal wizards TAKE 6, with special guest vocalists Nnenna Freelon and Clint Holmes, plus GRAMMY® Award-winning saxophone player Kirk Whalum. The performance is all backed by the H2 Big Band in a brassy, swinging tribute to the iconic "Genius of Soul."

Tickets for the June Experience go on-sale Tuesday, February 20 at 9:00 am MST. For the June 22-24 shows tickets can be purchased at jazzaspensnowmass.org, 866-JAS-TIXX (527-8499) or at the Belly Up Box Office in Aspen. Tickets for the June 30 performance are available now through the AMFS box office, aspenmusicfestival.com or 970.925-9042. Patron (VIP) two-day passes (June 22-24) are available now at jasstore.org.

Jazz Aspen has also announced the line-up for their Summer JAS Café Series featuring performances at four venues: Upstairs at the Aspen Art Museum (AAM) and Downstairs at both the Cooking School of Aspen (CSA) and The Little Nell (TLN) and new this summer a special performance at The Temporary in Basalt.

The 2018 JAS Café Summer Series is dedicated to the late Bob Magoon. Bob and his wife Nancy have been "season underwriters" of the JAS Café's year-round series since its inception. "JAS is honored to dedicate its 2018 Summer JAS Café series to the memory of our dear friend Bob Magoon, who provided crucial support from the first note and encouraged many others to join he and Nancy in supporting the JAS Café year-round!" says JAS President Jim Horowitz.

The Café series will kick-off June 15-16 with a fun weekend of shows taking place over Food & Wine weekend with New Orleans' Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and a special dinner provided by Chef Michael Sichel from the famed New Orleans restaurant Galatoire's. Remaining summer shows include:

  

June 21 - Grace Kelly - Aspen Art Museum

Contemporary Saxophone/Vocals

"Jazz Innovator...Making jazz young." - Billboard

June 24 - Raul Midón - Cooking School of Aspen

Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist

"A one-man band... who is spiritually connected." - The New York Times

June 28-29 - Laila Biali - The Little Nell

Canadian Jazz/Pop Pianist & Vocalist

July 6-7 - The Hot Sardines - Cooking School of Aspen

Witty Retro-Swing, a la Francaise!

"One of the best jazz bands in NY today!" - Forbes

July 13 - Scott Tixier Quintet - Aspen Art Museum

French violinist/composer

"...the future of jazz violin." - DownBeat

July 14 - Igor Butman & Fantine - Aspen Art Museum

Internationally acclaimed Russian Saxophonist

w/ explosive Global R&B/Jazz Vocalist

July 21 - Django Festival All-Stars - The Temporary

Hot French Gypsy Jazz, smash hit band

returning for 4th JAS Café appearance

July 27-28 - Handful of Keys: Emmet Cohen Meets Christian Sands

- Cooking School of Aspen

Two brilliant young pianist face to face. Four hands,

two pianos, one Hammond B3 Organ.

Aug. 10 - Nicki Parrot Tribute to Peggy Lee - Aspen Art Museum

Sultry & Swingin' Bassist/Vocalist's

homage to an American vocal legend

Aug. 11 - Allan Harris with the H2 Big Band with

Special Guests Carolyn Leonhart & Shirazette Tinnin - Aspen Art Museum

Big Band Swing to Swaggering R&B & selections from Allan's

hit off Broadway show Cross That River

Aug. 12 - The Bronx Horns: Tribute to Dizzie's 100th - Aspen Art Museum

Explosive Latin Rhythms: Mambo, Rhumba, Salsa

Aug. 17 - Dianne Reeves - Aspen Art Museum

5-time GRAMMY® Award-winner & the pre-eminent jazz vocalist of her generation

Aug. 18 - Christian McBride, Benny Green & Russell Malone - Aspen Art Museum

Classic "Drumless" Jazz Trio. Three Masters Re-unite! 

Aug. 19 - JAS Academy Big Band

directed by Christian McBride - Aspen Art Museum

Tickets for the summer JAS Café series will be available starting on Monday, February 26 at 9:00 am. Visit jazzaspensnowmass.org for details.

In August JAS will be reviving the former JAS Academy Summer Sessions program for gifted college music students. The new format, JAS Academy Big Band Sessions, will be led by former Academy Artistic Director, world-renowned bassist Christian McBride. In 2018 McBride won the GRAMMY® Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble with his Big Band, making this format an even more incredible opportunity for participating students.

Up to twenty students will be selected from top music programs across the country, to work with McBride and other Jazz Masters (including Dianne Reeves, Benny Green and Russell Malone) on an interactive curriculum designed around the "Big Band." The week will conclude with a live performance at the JAS Café in which all students will perform as a Big Band under the direction of McBride.

Closing out the summer, the 2018 Labor Day Experience line-up announced earlier this year includes Zac Brown Band, Jack Johnson, Lionel Richie, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Fitz & the Tantrums, Gary Clark Jr., Bahamas, and The Record Company. Tickets for these shows are available now.

www.jazzaspensnowmass.org   

 

Bassist NOAM WIESENBERG Presents His Debut Album ROADS DIVERGE

More than ten years ago, bassist/composer Noam Wiesenberg left Tel-Aviv and descended upon Boston (graduating Berklee in 2010, Magna Cum Laude in Jazz Performance), and eventually New York City, with the aspiration of playing alongside the world's greatest musicians. After many years of doing just that (with the likes of Camila Meza, Kevin Hays, Antonio Sanchez, Gilad Hekselman, Ari Hoenig, Billy Hart, Seamus Blake, Shai Maestro, Will Vinson, Uri Caine, Lage Lund, Dave Liebman and many others), the time has come to release his debut album, and his premiere as a composer and bandleader, Roads Diverge.

They say, "timing is everything". Making choices without fear of consequence can be daunting. And, in Robert Frost's famous poem "The Road Not Taken" the author stresses the importance of choosing the road less traveled. All of these factors played a significant part in the conception, production and delivery of the album you hold in your hands, Roads Diverge. "I think I have been hiding in other people's projects and music a little bit, and it feels good to make this choice for myself. I've never gone down the path of releasing my music before, so this is definitely a 'road less traveled' for me, but it feels like the right time to do it!" The album, featuring Noam Wiesenberg (bass, compositions), Philip Dizack (trumpet & FX), Immanuel Wilkins (alto sax, clarinet), Shai Maestro (piano/Fender Rhodes), Kush Abadey (drums), and special guest Dayna Stephens (tenor sax), will be released this May 18, 2018 on Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records.

"It has taken me a long time to internalize that the choice itself is what is important, the act of choosing rather than which choice to make. It is often better to choose the 'wrong' path than to remain still and safe. By making a choice you are making progress, for better or for worse, and you are allowing yourself to grow," said the bassist. "Taking the road less traveled is the only way to discover new territories, which is so true in many aspects of life, and especially when it comes to a life in jazz and improvised music. I wanted to draw attention to not only the 'roads' in this music, but also to the point where they diverge. This album is about the power of choice, and the power of making choices. This is a strong idea for me, both conceptually and personally, and I am filled with pride and joy over this project."

More on Roads Diverge: The album opens with Prelude, with Wiesenberg offering us a "glimpse" of his wonderful sound, touch and phrasing, foreshadowing Shir Le'Shir. The warm, dreamy sound underneath Wiesenberg's bass is a synth pedal on the Fender Rhodes (played by Shai Maestro).

Resfeber is an untranslatable word in Swedish that means, "the restless race of the traveler's heart before the journey begins". "I love untranslatable words. They say something about a culture that has a word that no other culture/language has. If the Inuit have fifty different words for snow, does that mean they can differentiate types of snow better than others? I tried to captured the traveler's restlessness in this composition, which comes to a peak during the horns' soli in the middle of the track."

The exquisite folk song/lullaby-like melody of Shir Le'Shir is for Wiesenberg's niece, written for her when she was born."Shir Le'Shir" means "a song for Shir." "I wanted to write a melody that would sound like a song that has lyrics. A type of a chant for what I wish for her future," expressed Wiesenberg.

Where Do We Go From Here grew out of an exercise from a composition group Wiesenberg was part of. The exercise was to write a tune using only three chords, with an option to use a fourth chord, but only once. "This enabled me to explore and exploit the melodic possibilities on top of a minimal amount of chords," explained Wiesenberg. "I wrote it in one day, and its actually one of my favorite compositions that I've written so far."

The title track Roads Diverge is about one's journey. This was strongly influenced by Wayne Shorter, with a powerful counterpoint bass line that perhaps adds some danger to the melody. There are no chord changes - the composition is strictly about voice leading and counterpoint. "I had the honor to have the great Dayna Stephens to play tenor on this track. His solo here is one of the highlights of this record in my opinion," said Wiesenberg.

Capricorn Lady was written for the bassist's wife, a Capricorn (born on the last day of the year - December 31).

Davka is a funny, very Israeli word that means "specifically" or "exactly", and is usually said with an "in your face" attitude, though sometimes also used subtly. The music (in eleven) conveys the humorous paradox in its meaning.

Melody For Ido (featuring Shai Maestro on Fender Rhodes) was written eight years ago, and is dedicated to Wiesenberg's brother, Ido. "It was one of the compositions that just came to me naturally, and was finished in a day or two," said the artist.

Closing the album is The Tourist (by Radiohead), the only non-original on the album. "This song is part of the classic album - OK Computer which was a big part of my high-school soundtrack. When I heard it again a few weeks before going into the studio, I knew I wanted to do a solo version of that song. I ended up recording three-four layers of bass using arco and pizzicato," explained Wiesenberg.

More on Noam Wiesenberg: This extraordinary musician was born into a musical family, exposed to many different genres at an early age. After twelve years of playing the cello, Wiesenberg and the double bass found each other when he was twenty. The first of several musical crossroads, he chose to focus on jazz as he was mesmerized by the capabilities of jazz musicians. Following this transition, he quickly became an integral part of the Israeli Jazz scene. His classical background informs both his composition and arranging, and has lead to collaborations with some of the top symphony orchestras in Israel, including The Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, The Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon LeZion, The Haifa Symphony Orchestra, and the Israel Defense Force Education Unit Orchestra.

Wiesenberg studied composition and arranging at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, and Jazz Performance at the Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music. He moved to the USA in 2008 to further his formal studies, and in 2010 graduated Magna Cum Laude in Jazz Performance from The Berklee College of Music in Boston. He then realized a life-long dream and moved to New York City, joining many of his friends and mentors, and becoming a much in-demand collaborator with a who's who of this music. Wiesenberg has toured Africa, India, Europe and the U.S., performing at venues including Monterey Jazz Festival, Vittoria Jazz Festival, Langnau Jazz Night, The Kennedy Center, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Town Hall, Jazz Standard, Blue Note, Small's Jazz Club, Smoke Jazz Club, Le Poisson Rouge, Joe's Pub and many others.

As an arranger, his extensive international work includes an arrangement for the Metropole Orkest with Grammy award winning singer Lalah Hathaway, conducted by the multiple Grammy award winner Vince Mendoza. Additionally, Wiesenberg wrote string quartet arrangements for Chilean singer-guitarist Camila Meza's new project - Camila Meza & Nectar Orchestra, and was the arranger and musical director for a recent nonet project led by luminary drummer Ari Hoenig.

Following a decade-long career as an arranger and performer of the work of other musicians, Noam Wiesenberg will release his debut album, Roads Diverge, on May 18, 2018.

Iconic Bassist Buster Williams Marks New Chapter in His Career After Decade Long Studio Hiatus with Audacity

Audacity. It's a word that seems ideally suited to the bold and intrepid bassist Buster Williams. Whether supplying eminently tasteful but strong-as-steel backing for singers like Nancy Wilson and Sarah Vaughan, or venturing into uncharted new territory as a member of Herbie Hancock's groundbreaking Mwandishi band, Williams' playing has always evidenced that fearless willingness to leap without hesitation into the unknown.

With his new recording, Audacity, Williams marks another chapter in that ongoing history. Due out June 15 via Smoke Sessions Records, the album finds Williams stepping into the studio as a leader for the first time since 2004's Griot Liberte, leading his long-running all-star quartet Something More with saxophonist Steve Wilson, pianist George Colligan and drummer Lenny White. Conceived as the legendary bassist celebrated the milestone of his 75th birthday, Audacity is a mission statement for an artist turning a new corner with the experience of three-quarters of a century behind him.

"You've got to have audacity to do what we do," Williams says of the title. "You have to have audacity to even want to do what we do, to even imagine that it's all going to work. I was looking for a word that could encapsulate all of my feelings and concepts and, at this moment in time, Audacity is the description of my life."

Turning 75 compelled Williams to re-enter the recording studio after a decade-long hiatus caused in large part by the seismic shifts in the record industry since the dawn of the new millennium. He was also driven by the continuing evolution of his long-running band, which had developed a fiery and wide-ranging sound that Williams felt needed to be captured. The release of Audacity, he says, will launch him on a new trajectory.

"You could say it's a new beginning," he explains. "It's certainly a new dimension or a new phase of my existence. There's a new excitement about what I'm doing. I don't take one note for granted, so I have to really feel that I have something to say or something to offer. Put all that together and I thought that now was the right time."

In his liner notes, Colligan points to the versatility and artistry displayed by Something More. "We have the ability to play with maturity, with restraint when necessary. But we can also play with the abandon expected from musicians in their 20s. There is a wide variety of tempos, dynamics, moods, and textures in this music. This is not a soundbite. It's a sound journey... Regardless of whether we are swinging hard, or playing a waltz, or a sensitive ballad, or something with a Latin tinge, we sound like a band."

It's rare in this day and age that a band gets the opportunity to develop such a collective voice over the span of a decade and a half. Any observer who pays any degree of attention to the modern jazz landscape will recognize that all four members of Something More are in-demand players in a wide variety of settings. Besides leading his own ensemble Wilsonian's Grain, Wilson has toured and recorded in recent years with the likes of Chick Corea, the Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra, and drummer Lewis Nash. Colligan will be releasing his 28th album as a leader in 2018, on top of playing regularly with jazz greats like Jack DeJohnette, Ravi Coltrane and Cassandra Wilson. Renowned for his time with the pioneering fusion group Return To Forever, White has also served notable tenures with Stanley Clarke, Geri Allen and Larry Coryell.

The collaboration of Buster Williams and Lenny White is notable in its own right, having anchored not only each other's bands but groups led by Wallace Roney, Cyrus Chestnut, and a number of others. "It's been magical," Williams says of his partnership with the drummer. "When I play with Lenny, I have no real concerns. Whatever he does, the pulse, the beat, the time is always going to be there. It's 99% pure. I'm free to explore and to do different things that I may not be able to do with other people, and he's free to do the same. And bottom line, it just swings."

That interlocking swing and sense of endless possibilities is evident throughout Audacity, not least on the burly post-bop burner of a title tune, which spurs a sharp, probing solo from Colligan and a daring display of grooving elasticity from the leader. But it's also there straight out of the gate on the opener "Where Giants Dwell," which wastes no time tearing into Williams' monumental theme before Wilson launches into a ferocious saxophone run. The tune's title was inspired by a trip the quartet took through the Austrian Alps, where the grand, snow-capped vistas led Williams to reflect on the giants who have mentored and inspired him throughout his estimable career.

A gripping journey in and of itself, "Song of the Outcasts" is a nod to the Eastern European gypsies whose boundary-free, nomadic lifestyles and music have inspired Williams. Both the lullaby-like lilt of "Ariana Anai" and the tender "Briana" were written with Williams' granddaughters in mind, his adoration of the girls evident in the moving sentiment of the two pieces. The anthemic "Triumph" boasts the kind of quiet audacity necessary to win small victories over what Williams calls "the vicissitudes of daily living."

In addition to his own compositions, Williams urged each of his bandmates to contribute new tunes for the session. Wilson is represented by "Sisko," a muscular swinger that weaves his sinuous alto over a roiling, surging groove. Colligan's "Lost on 4th Avenue," with its declamatory opening bass solo, relates the feeling of wandering through a mysterious urban landscape in a raptly narrative fashion, while White's "Stumblin'" is a joyous romp that draws fleet, agile expression from all four players.

All together, Audacity could serve to define the word itself, thrilling in Williams' insistence on pushing boldly forward. "If I only do what I know," he says, "that's like holding a nickel tightly in my fist: I won't lose that nickel, but I'll never have a dime. I'm always looking for something beyond what I know, what I can comprehend and what I understand." 

"Audacity" was produced by Paul Stache and Damon Smith and recorded

live in Brooklyn, New York at Systems Two and mixed to ½" analog tape

using a Studer mastering deck. Available in audiophile HD format.

  

Buster Williams · Audacity

Smoke Sessions Records · Release Date: June 15, 2018

Flutist JAMIE BAUM Explores Links Between Sacred Music Traditions on BRIDGES

Hailed by DownBeat Magazine for her "remarkable artistic facility" and by The New York Times for her "remarkable balance of fluidity and restless creativity," New York-based flutist/composer and 2014 Guggenheim Fellow Jamie Baum is proud to announce the release of her sixth CD as a leader, Bridges, featuring The Jamie Baum Septet+. The highly anticipated follow-up to her 2013 recording In This Life, Bridges offers yet another recording of incredible depth, beauty, spirituality, undiluted zeal and is the culmination of Baum's search for common links between some of the world's great religious music traditions. While conducting research for her Guggenheim Fellowship Award, Baum explains, "I found there to be very deep connections going back centuries, between certain types of Jewish music (my earliest musical influences), and Muslim/Arabic and Hindu/South Asian music." Exploring these musical connections, and composing new music inspired by her findings, became the focus of Bridges.

Baum's advanced harmonic sensibility and sonic imagination, beautifully brought to life by the stellar members of her long-running ensemble, proves yet again the capacity of modern jazz to absorb and transform music of diverse traditions, without sacrificing the improvisatory element at the core of jazz's identity. In her album notes Baum cites Wikipedia's definition of the word "bridge," one that seems to sum up her artistic mission here: "a structure built to span physical obstacles without closing the way underneath." At the same time, Baum's musical wanderings highlight something even deeper: our shared humanity, and the common threads that run throughout our history.

With great respect for these varied traditions and their vast languages, Baum's goal was not to play or compose exactly in these styles, but to have her travels and playing experiences inspire new ways of writing and improvising. The diverse musicians who make up the Jamie Baum Septet+ are all first-call artists on the jazz scene, many of them accomplished leaders in their own right. Their presence gives Baum limitless compositional freedom and inspiration: "Having specific players to write for is a bandleader/composer's dream and offers an incredible opportunity for experimentation and growth," she says. We hear this borne out in the lyrical melodies, intricate contrapuntal passages and complex rhythmic ideas at the heart of Bridges, and in the textural warmth and surprise of Sam Sadigursky's alto sax and bass clarinet, Brad Shepik's guitar, Amir ElSaffar's trumpet and voice, John Escreet's dazzlingly virtuosic piano and of course Baum's compelling improvisations on flute and alto flute throughout the album.

  

Baum's fascination with world sacred music traditions stemmed from her love of South Asian music and in particular for Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Pakistan's late Qawwali vocal master. Her previous album In This Life was inspired by Khan's legacy, because she "found in him what I have found in those musicians who have touched me, like Coltrane, Miles and Pavarotti...a truly gifted, deeply spiritual and soulful artist," Baum writes in her album notes. Expanding her focus from Qawwali outward to other forms of religious music, Baum arrived at the focus of Bridges.

Khan's influence is also felt on "Joyful Lament," derived from a melody of Khan's called "Lament," Baum explains. This piece was arranged with Shepik's guitar in mind, and "his solo certainly exceeds anything I could have imagined," Baum enthuses.

In addition to her study of Khan, Baum's travels to India and especially Jazzmandu, the Kathmandu Jazz Festival, in 2003 and again in 2009, widened her musical horizons immeasurably. The three-movement "Honoring Nepal: The Shiva Suite," a centerpiece of Bridges, represents Baum's wish to give back to a community that has given her so much. The piece was commissioned by the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art in New York. "It was difficult to watch the pain and destruction the 2015 earthquake caused to the beautiful people and historic sites in Nepal, including musicians I knew and places I'd been," Baum writes. "I knew I wanted to highlight and pay tribute in some way to this event and found inspiration in a painting of Shiva ... a pan-Hindu deity revered widely by Hindus in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Shiva is the 'destroyer of evil and the transformer' within the Trimurti, the Hindu trinity that includes Brahma and Vishnu. Shiva is the Supreme Being who creates, protects and transforms the universe. Completely contradictory aspects of life have been built into the personality of Shiva.... A particular 'thank you' to my rhythm section [Escreet, bassist Zack Lober and drummer Jeff Hirshfield] for their drive, sensitivity and expertise in navigating and highlighting the changing colors, dynamics and intensity, giving so much meaning to the arc and intent of this suite!"

The Nepali influence emerges again on "Mantra," arranged by Baum with Nepali musician Navin Chettri, who plays tanpura and sings on the track. The tune is based on Mahamrityunjaya Mantra "meant for healing, rejuvenation and nurturance," Baum writes. "According to Shiva Purana when you have fear of any unknown event this chant helps you to overcome the fear. The Shiva Purana is the highest science of elevating human nature to the very peak of consciousness, expressed in the form of very beautiful stories."

"From the Well" opens the album with the sound of a scale "common to Maqam, Jewish and South Asian music," writes Baum. "Song Without Words," a tribute to Baum's late father, highlights the composer's Jewish influence - in particular the Kol Nidre prayer so central to the holiday of Yom Kippur. "There Are No Words," with its relaxed straight-eighth feel and beautiful chamber-like interplay within the ensemble, revisits the theme of loss as well. And the closing track, "Ucross Me," was written during Baum's residency at the UCross Artist Colony in Clearmont, Wyoming in March 2015. It's a piece "about crossing boundaries and connecting influences," Baum writes, encapsulating the theme of Bridges as a whole.

In addition to her Guggenheim Fellowship (an honor she shared the same year with Steve Coleman and Elliott Sharp), Baum was awarded the 2017 New Music USA Project Grant and selected as a 2014-15 Norman Stevens Fellow during her MacDowell Colony residency. Baum's exemplary career has been built on superlative performances in the studio and on stages around the world, alongside a long list of renowned jazz artists including Randy Brecker, Mick Goodrick, Tom Harrell, Dave Douglas, Fred Hersch, Uri Caine, Ralph Alessi, David Binney, Anthony Braxton, Wadada Leo Smith and many others. She has placed in the DownBeat Critics' Polls annually since 1998 and has been nominated by the Jazz Journalists Association as "Flutist of the Year" eight times; the Jamie Baum Septet+ was nominated in 2014 as "Best Midsize Ensemble of the Year" in the same category as the Wayne Shorter Quartet and Steve Coleman's Five Elements. She has received support from the National Endowment for the Arts, International Jazz Composers Alliance, Meet the Composer, Chamber Music America and the American Music Center. Her playing credits include tours as a State Dept./Kennedy Center Jazz Ambassador, in 1999 to South America and in 2002 to India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Thailand and Bangladesh. Baum has served on the faculty of the jazz department at Manhattan School of Music since 2007 and on the adjunct faculty roster at the New School University since 2004. Altus Flutes/KHS America has sponsored her innovative clinic "A Fear-Free Approach to Improvisation for the Classically Trained Musician"™ at colleges, conservatories, festivals, flute clubs and "music and art" schools worldwide since 1993.

Cyrille Aimée Releases "Live" Featuring Performance From New York's Le Poisson Rouge

The end of one chapter means the beginning of another. Like all the best cliffhangers, Cyrille Aimée Live leaves the audience wanting more...but also eager to discover what comes next. Recorded at a typically lively and engaging performance at New York City's (Le) Poisson Rouge in August 2017, the album finds the acclaimed vocalist bidding a fond adieu to her long-standing band and looking forward to a brand-new phase in her life and career. The August performance marked the band's final show together, saying goodbye to this configuration of Aimée's band while welcoming a new chapter of creative output.

As anyone who has followed her work over the last decade can hear, Aimée thrives on living in the moment. Nowhere is that more evident than on stage; throughout Cyrille Aimée Live (due out June 22 via Mack Avenue Records) she holds the audience in the palm of her hand. Rapt during quiet moments, raucous as the spirited band swings into high gear, roaring with laughter at Aimée's charming and quirky banter, or singing along with a Michael Jackson medley, the crowd is an essential part of the buoyant show.

The concert captured here marks the end of an era, but the tone is celebratory, not bittersweet. Aimée's tight-knit band -- guitarists Adrien Moignard and Michael Valeanu, bassist Dylan Shamat, and drummer Dani Danor -- share as warm and playful an energy as ever. This group of musicians is so close that they once missed a flight as they sat at the gate, so engaged in catching up after a mere two weeks apart that all five remained completely oblivious to the boarding process and departure!

But Aimée, restlessly creative and an inveterate improviser -- in her life as in her music -- is anxiously looking forward to new opportunities, new sounds, and even a new home. Born in France and long based in Brooklyn, the free-spirited singer recently relocated again, this time to New Orleans, an intriguing prospect not only for her all-embracing approach to music but for its cultural resonance with her French-Dominican heritage.

"I want to find new inspirations and a new energy," Aimée says. "I feel like you always have to search further, and that's what I constantly try to do."

  

That questing spirit has already led Aimée on a staggering variety of adventures in her life, promising countless surprises to come. She's ventured from singing on street corners in Europe to dazzling audiences at the world's most prestigious jazz festivals; from sneaking out to sing in gypsy encampments in her native France to acting on Broadway; from singing Sondheim alongside Bernadette Peters to sharing her story in a TEDx talk; from braving the notoriously tough audiences at New York's Apollo Theatre to being called a "rising star in the galaxy of jazz singers" by The New York Times.

Significantly, Thelonious Monk's "Well You Needn't," with its refrain of "It's over now," comes not at the end of Cyrille Aimée Live but somewhere around the midpoint, prompting her to assure the audience, "It's not over now. That's just how the song goes." It's a significant promise as she winds down her time with the band with which she's traveled the world and shared indelible experiences.

The set list for this special performance (one among a lifetime of special performances) captures the wide spectrum of Aimée's eclectic tastes and talents. It opens, appropriately enough, with Peggy Lee's "It's A Good Day," the title track from the singer's 2014 Mack Avenue debut. The band's utterly joyous rendition only amplifies the optimistic message of the song. Language barriers be damned, Aimée's "Nuit Blanche" remains enchanting even for those who don't understand a word of French. As she says when introducing Sidney Bechet's lovely "Si Tu Vois Ma Mère," "the rest is up to your imagination."

With "Live Alone and Like It," Aimée reprises her show-stealing performance from the 2013 Stephen Sondheim tribute concert she starred in with Bernadette Peters, backed by Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, at New York's City Center. Her rendition is just as winning complemented by only four musicians as it was with the powerhouse ensemble.

On Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," Aimée becomes her own backing band, looping vocal percussion, bass lines and harmonies (with an enthusiastic assist from the (Le) Poisson Rouge crowd on handclaps and "yeah, yeahs"). The band reenters for a beguiling take on Jackson's "Off The Wall," which brings the heat down to a captivating simmer. "Day By Day" exemplifies the band's finesse with gentle swing, while "Three Little Words" is taken at an unrelenting, breakneck pace that shows off why she originally wanted to call the band "Cyrille Aimée and the Guitar Heroes" (though Shamat and Danor turn in equally heroic feats).

"Each Day," co-written by Aimée and Valeanu, brings the date to a poignant close. As the vigorous cheers of the live audience fade away, listeners to Cyrille Aimée Live are left to ponder what the future holds. Given the myriad of directions and styles the singer has embraced, her spirit of freedom, adventure, and exploration, it's safe to say that anyone within earshot will be thrilled to follow wherever she leads.

Improvisation is not just a technique for vocalist Cyrille Aimée, it's a way of life -- one that has not only allowed her to share her engaging voice and sparkling creativity with the world, but has led her on an unexpected journey. Growing up in the town of Samois-sur-Seine in France, Aimée would sneak out of her bedroom window to join the gypsy caravans gathered for the annual Django Reinhardt Festival. Those experiences exposed Aimée not just to the joys of gypsy jazz but to the gypsies' spontaneous, nomadic, music-filled way of life, imbuing a spirit that has earned her accolades from the Montreux Jazz Festival Vocal Competition and the Sarah Vaughn International Jazz Vocal Competition. In 2014 Aimée made her major label debut with It's A Good Day (Mack Avenue), featuring an innovative two-guitar band that returned for 2016's highly acclaimed Let's Get Lost. She shares her story with audiences and students alike, having been invited to present a TEDx talk and to address the Conference on World Affairs, and teaching master classes for aspiring musicians.

  

Cyrille Aimée · Cyrille Aimée Live

Mack Avenue Records · Release Date: June 22, 2018

NEW RELEASES: PLAYING FOR CHANGE - LISTEN TO THE MUSIC; JOHN PROULX – SAY IT; HRISTO VITCHEV QUARTET - OF LIGHT AND SHADOWS

PLAYING FOR CHANGE - LISTEN TO THE MUSIC

Listen to the Music is the fourth star-studded ‘Songs Around the World’ album and video series from the world-renowned Playing for Change organization. It features audio recordings of hit rock and world-beat songs, along with a compelling series of performance videos in which PFC's unique recording process is documented to great effect. Each song is multi-track recorded and videotaped in multiple picturesque locations around the world by visionary producer and philanthropist Mark Johnson. The full 12 song project features more than 200 Artists an was recorded in 25 different countries. Featured Stars: The Doobie Brothers / Ellis Hall /Jack Johnson/ Dr. John / Warren Haynes / Cyril and Ivan Neville / John Cruz / Preservation Hall Jazz Band (New Orleans) / TP OK Jazz Band from Congo (Kinshasa) / John Densmore / Bombino / Buddy Guy / Waddy Wachtel / Roots Gospel Voices of Mississippi /James Gadson / Reggie McBride / Karl Denson / Roberto Carcasses / Mamadou Diabate / Lee Oskar / Anders Osborne / Pancho Amat

JOHN PROULX – SAY IT

Say It is the new CD on ArtistShare by pianist, vocalist, and composer John Proulx. This is his fourth CD as a leader. He recorded his previous three albums on the MAXJAZZ label, but after the owner of MAXJAZZ passed away, he decided it was time to expand his horizons and take his career along a new and exciting path. Say It is the first album he’s produced independently. Proulx has always been a sensitive pianist, which is why he’s often busy working as an accompanist for other vocalists, and he exhibits his facility with different styles throughout the CD. He can swing hard or he can play with a gentle subtlety that melds beautifully with his lyrical, tenor voice. The ten songs on this project are a mix of lesser-known jazz standards and jazz interpretations of pop songs by a diverse group of composers, plus an original he co-wrote with Melissa Manchester, who guests on the CD. Proulx chose these songs because they are beautifully constructed both melodically and lyrically, lending themselves to a fresh, new sound with updated, modern jazz arrangements. The result is a CD of great warmth, affection, and sophistication. 

HRISTO VITCHEV QUARTET - OF LIGHT AND SHADOWS

The highly anticipated new album by the Hristo Vitchev Quartet has been officially released worldwide! "Of Light and Shadows" marks Hristo's 9th album as a leader and catalogues the evolution and creative development of the internationally award wining quartet through its most adventurous and exploratory chapter yet. "Of Light and Shadows" combines Impressionistic Modern Jazz with elements of Romantic, Classical, and Progressive Rock. "This gifted guitarist and composer brings a new vitality and globally significant response to jazz! The most exploratory and creative work to date from the Hristo Vitchev Quartet and a major underline for the importance of Hristo Vitchev’s meteoric rise."- Amaxon.com; "Truly one of the best jazz compositions you’ll hear in 2018… total JOY!" - Dick Metcalf (Contemporary Fusion Reviews); "Vitchev's latest effort is another jewel in his growing catalog of widespread genres. Turn it up. There could be a new guitar hero in jazz town." - All About Jazz

The Pocket: Cameroonian Dance Rhythms Turn Jazz Grace to Pure Joy on Ajoyo’s eponymous debut

Yacine Boulares struck up a conversation with a fellow Francophone musician at a jazz club late one night. It changed his life.

The multi-reed player made what he jokingly calls “math music,” the intellectual jazz savored by the few, when not working as a sideman and session player for the likes of Placido Domingo and Tabou Combo. But after he met drummer Jojo Kuo, the avuncular, genial Cameroonian successor to Tony Allen in Fela Kuti’s band, Boulares found himself captivated by a new set of rules: Play for dancers, put the groove first, connect with the heart. Kuo took the Parisian transplant under his wing, inviting Boulares to jam at late-night sessions and then become a regular member of his band.

“There’s a pocket to this music, that is natural to Cameroonian players,” Boulares explains. “When you’re playing with them, it’s like sitting on the nose of a jet. There is drive that can push the whole band. That’s the magic. When they play, everyone locks.”

From the locking intersection of heart and head, of groove and crystalline structure, flowed Ajoyo (Ropeadope; release: April 21, 2015), a high-flying hybrid of jazz, traditional dance rhythms from Cameroon, and just a touch of Afrobeat. Inspired by the sounds of Kuo’s native land, Boulares crafted original pieces of thought-provoking party music. Then he recruited a diverse crew of African, Afro-diasporic, and cross-cultural crack musicians to find the pocket.

The ecstatic “Chocot” brings the Cameroonian bikutsi drive to bear, giving Boulares’s soprano sax free rein to rage. “Tashikere” shimmies, as vocalist Sarah Elizabeth Charles’s voice leaps joyfully over complex bursts of horns. “Benskin” effortlessly combines the polyrhythms and polyphony of the best African dance music with a serious penchant for jazz depth and reflection. It’s danceable philosophy, in the perfect pocket.

Boulares came late to jazz, but rapidly made up for lost time. With heritage in Tunisia, but raised in Paris, Boulares hails from a family without any particular musical inclination, though Boulares’s father often listened to Arabic classical music like Oum Khulthum.  He gave his son a sax as a graduation present, but Boulares didn’t pick up the saxophone before college years. While studying for his MA, Boulares went from exploring the philosophical concepts behind musical expression and experience at the Sorbonne to playing music himself.

At the same time, Boulares was coming to terms with his own identity, as a young Parisian who was utterly French, yet who stood out the moment he said his name. “It was a challenge for me to understand my Arabic heritage,” remembers Boulares. He spent summers in Tunisia, and his experiences spurred him to study Arabic and decolonize his heritage. Boulares’s roots and his connection to his own African identity runs through “Houb Ouna,” a piece that combines Tunisian rhythms with sub-Saharan elements, tracing the path of slaves and migrants from the south to the north.

Boulares’s love of jazz took him west on a Fulbright to New York, and to that fateful night at Fat Cat. After several years, now part of a growing circle of Cameroonian, Ivorian, and other Francophone African projects, Boulares began composing his own pieces based on West African rhythms, to give the bands he played with more material. Kuo encouraged him, and when the drummer left New York, he insisted Boulares continue the work.

He did, gathering a trusted crew of friends around him, blending Afro-diasporas (from Cameroonian bassist Fred Doumbe to New Orleans native Linton Smith on the trumpet +barbadian percussionist Foluso Mimy ) and savvy young cross-cultural players (Guilhem Flouzat on drums, Israeli-born Alon Albagli on guitar, and Turkish-German keys player Can Olgun). He tapped Sarah Elizabeth Charles for her spot-on velvet voice, and for her ability to help crystallize Boulares’s intensely felt lyrical ideas. Working with producer Jacques Schwarz-Bart, who has played sax with everyone from Roy Hargrove to D’Angelo, Boulares let the band loose, finding new spaces for the musicians to move and expand.

It was the last step away from the math music, a next step toward an increasingly nuanced (and funky) understanding of his own origins. It brought to the fore some advice Boulares recalls from one of his early mentors: “Music exists before you and after you. You’re a vector, a door, and you have to be the widest door you can. Let it go through you.” That wide open moment points straight to the pocket.

“Murals” the debut release by Juno Award winning bassist-composer Solon McDade

“Murals” the debut release by Juno Award winning bassist-composer Solon McDade features nine original modern jazz pieces infused with a love and respect for tradition as well as a passion for modernity and progress.

Bassist-composer Solon McDade grew up on stage and has developed into a versatile performer, equally able to unleash his "complex and literate bass playing" (Dirty Linen Magazine) in jazz clubs, blues bars, and at folk and bluegrass festivals. He has been a part of numerous tours in North America, Europe and China and his distinctive melodic and powerful bass playing provides the foundation on which the sound of many recordings are built. His group The McDades won a Juno Award their album “Bloom” and his entire recording catalog features over 20 nominations for various awards.

Murals features Solon McDade on bass as well as his brother Jeremiah McDade (Maria Schneider, Joshua Rager, Edmonton Jazz Orchestra) on tenor sax and Montrealers; alto saxophonist Donny Kennedy (Joe Sullivan Big Band, Christine Jensen Big Band, Kieran Overs, Kirk MacDonald and Andre White), Paul Shrofel (Nikky Yanofsky, Sophie Milman and Susie Arioli) Piano and Rich Irwin (Dave Liebman, Freddie Hubbard, Donny McCaslin, Dave Binney and Chucho Valdez) on drums. Together the band paint a vibrant aural image of Solon’s originals with an energetic swing in each beat.

The CD will be officially released on April 20th, and will be celebrated with a performance at The Yardbird Suite in Edmonton AB on Friday, April 20th at 8pm.  A second eastern Canadian release is planned for Montreal, QC at the Upstairs Jazz Bistro & Bar on July 21st.

You can check out the complete album on his website at https://www.solonmcdade.com/https://www.solonmcdade.com/

Mali + Tigray - Guitars = The Steady-Grooving African-Infused Jazz-Funk of Molly Tigre

Molly Tigre set out from Brooklyn to answer one tough question: What if the 70s vibes of the cult Ethiopiques series collided with Saharan desert rock and West African blues, but with no guitar to lead the melodic way?

Molly Tigre’s answer is audible in the quintet’s studio debut Molly Tigre (Very Special Recordings; digital and cassette release date: May 14, 2018). The sound is dark and slinky and mysteriously funky, brazenly open to the peculiar global sonic influences that wash over musicians on the streets of the outer boroughs. The premise sounds like some quirky and academic composition challenge, but the mashup has led to some seriously good music, tracks that explore and question without losing sight of the groove.

“I wanted to bring together some of the music and styles from Northern Mali and certain regions in Ethiopia, like Tigray,” the genesis of the band’s name, notes bassist and co-founder Ezra Gale. “I hear a lot of commonalities between them, like the pentatonic scales that are similar sounding. The fact that the rhythms they are using are based around groups of six. They subdivide that differently but there’s a thread that ties them together. When I started playing the music side by side, I thought it was fascinating and I wanted to mash them together.”

He tossed the idea around with sax player Mitch Marcus, longtime friend who has toured with the likes of Donovan and who was former bandmate in the West Coast Afrobeat/-pop group Aphrodesia. “We both realized we were big fans of that music, and not many musicians were doing anything with that at the time,” says Marcus. “That was what we wanted to try originally.”

Mixing two different sets of styles, timbres, and rhythms from opposite ends of a large continent wasn’t enough, however. Gale and Marcus wanted to shake up the approach to the instrumentation often found in many Afro-inspired, groove-oriented bands. “When we started thinking about these very different styles from two different regions, something else came up. I love the sound of no chords, when sax and bass are the only melody instruments,” Gale explains. “There’s a tradition of this in jazz, as people have done piano-less quartets. You get to imply harmonies without a guitar or piano spelling it out, which makes it open and free. It’s hard to do well and make it sound full.”

Molly Tigre went for it, nonetheless. Marcus and Gale recruited sax and flute player Chris Hiatt (Japonize Elephants), drummer Joey Abba (The Ramones), and percussionist Ibrahima Kolipe Camara (National Dance Company of Guinea, Kakande), with occasional blurts of Farfisa provided by a battered old organ one of their recording engineers dragged out of the trash. “We’ve had chordal players sit in with us live,” remarks Marcus, “but not having the chords spelled out adds this space to the songs that’s really nice.”

Instead of the guitar-guided sound common to both Mali and some Ethiopian groups, Gale and Marcus often look to percussion sounds and ideas for inspiration. “From the start, percussion was a really vital element in our writing,” muses Gale. “We’re not just writing a horn melody and a bass line and, okay, whatever the percussion wants to do over that is fine. I think of it as another line in the composition that’s integral to the performance and has a lot of the range of a piano or guitar.”

Percussion lines and rhythmic hooks sparked tracks like “Hello Bolly,” Marcus’s rollicking, rolling tribute to Bollywood soundtracks but with an Afro-diasporic twist. Gale was also moved by the groove to craft “Slush Fund,” a song he swore was a copycat of a Kenyan James Brown-esque track he would spin at a regular DJ gig. “When I went and listened again,” he laughs, “it was nothing like it, except it was in 6/8.”

Though the pieces on the album were inspired by a somewhat abstract premise, once they get down and dirty, it’s all about the music. The film-noir funk of “Lebanese Blond” pits two melodies against one another, leaving plenty of room for improvisation as they weave in and out. “Ethiofreaks” adds vibes to the mix, a tip of the hat to Ethiopian jazz master and vibe player Mulatu Astatke, for an original take on the Ethiopiques sound. Some tributes are even more direct: Astatke’s 70s gem “Yekermo Sew” keeps its serpentine, modal feel, but winds up with new harmonies. “We ended up accidently reharmonizing it,” says Marcus. “I handed out a chart to the band in a particular key; the alto and tenor sax are in different keys. Chris was playing the wrong thing, for lack of a better word, as he was supposed to transpose his line. But it sounded really good in fourths, so we ran with it.”

Running with that open space left where guitars might be, with that room to stretch out and improvise, means combining untold numbers of influences, the kind of thing New York musicians absorb just from walking down the block, past the bodega, the stoop or car stereo speakers, the singing neighbor, the subway violinist.

“Even if we wanted to make this a tribute to these styles, it would never come out that way. We live here, with so much swirling around,” says Gale. “We’re playing Africa-influenced music, but filtered through these lenses,” he adds, “and we love it because it’s original.”

“When you add improvisation into the mix,” Marcus adds, “you’re going to get something different out. “

NEW RELEASES: WVR BVBY; BENJAMIN JEPHTA - HOMECOMING; JAKOB BRO - RETURNINGS

WVR BVBY

Melbourne based 8-piece WVR BVBY unveil a meditational jazz odyssey on their debut self-titled album. WVR BVBY is the next link in the chain of Melbourne’s soulful sound that has been developing strongly over the past decade. They create cinematic sounds through roaring horns, synth arpeggiation and a rhythm section that sways from meditative grooves to dramatic, complex rhythmic interplay with tight precision. Recorded at Fitzroy's Plug Seven Studios, the eight track LP was inspired by a mixture of crate digging culture and 70s production techniques, recorded in one take sessions using direct to tape technology. The name WVR BVBY (pronounced WAR BABY) has a special connection to the leader of the 8-piece ensemble, Carl Lindeberg who plays bass. Lindeberg’ s parents first met and fell in love in the war torn Middle East during the Gulf War and the result of that union was Lindeberg himself. The album is the sophomore release of the independent label, Plug Seven Records, run by Plug Seven Records store and studio owner, Ari Roze.

BENJAMIN JEPHTA - HOMECOMING

A beautiful set of spiritual jazz from South Africa – recorded recently, but very much in the same soulful tradition of the best of that scene from the early 70s onward! The tracks are long, flowing, and open – set up in a fantastic way by the rich, round work of the bass of Benjamin Jephte – and given spacious warmth through the talents of Marcus Wyatt on trumpet, Kyle Shepherd on piano and Rhodes, Sisonke Xonti on tenor, and Sphelelo Mazibuko on drums – a really great lineup who resonate beautifully with each other! Spha Mdlalose provides these beautiful wordless vocal passages at times, and other members of the group vocalize briefly – but our favorite "voices" on the album may well be the tenor and piano parts. If you know some of Wyatt's excellent work for the Sheer Sound label years back, you'll know some of the energy of this set – and titles include "Hymn For Ada", "The Blessing", "Requiem For The Wandering", "Be Strong", "Still I Rise", and "One For The Plein". ~ Dusty Groove

JAKOB BRO - RETURNINGS

A moody little record that's cut in the best style of the ECM legacy – and one that definitely recalls the special place that label has for both trumpet and guitar! In this case the guitar is handled by leader Jakob Bro, and the trumpet by Palle Mikkelborg – the latter a longtime associate of the label, and graced with this spacious, open sound that hangs perfectly in the air of the production – balanced with the spider webs of sound coming from Bro's electric guitar, and given just a bit of gentle help from the bass of Thomas Morgan and drums of Jon Christensen. Titles include "Hamsun", "Lyskaster", "Song For Nicolai", "Oktober", and "Strands". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: JAZZTRONIK – BB1; ERNIE HAWK & THE SOUL INVESTIGATORS – SCORPIO MAN; LEON’S CREATION – THIS IS THE BEGINNING

JAZZTRONIK – BB1

The first music we've heard in quite awhile from Jazztronik – and a set that has them sounding even more funk-oriented than before! We've always loved the creations of leader Ryota Nozaki – even his mellower moments – but this time around, he really steps into new territory by working with a larger group that's heavy on horns, and which has some especially strong bass and drums – all to create a vibe that's more 70s funk than you might expect! But there's also some richer, more sophisticated currents too – that strong sense of arrangement that Nozaki has really developed over the years, worked out here in live horn charts that can be extremely beautiful. Some tracks feature soul-styled vocals by singers Eliana and Aisha, and some are instrumental – and tracks include "Dolphin Smile", "Spotlight", "Caprice", "Sanctuary", "Deja Vu", and "Meguru (2017 version)". ~ Dusty Groove

ERNIE HAWK & THE SOUL INVESTIGATORS – SCORPIO MAN

Ernie Hawks looks right out of the 70s on the cover – with his long hair, fringe jacket, and fiercely-held flute – which he mixes here with some great grooves from the Soul Investigators, in a vibe that's maybe even better than classic! The album's all instrumental, and has this fantastic sound that's way different than the usual contemporary funk set – nicely trippy at times, with echo and other effects applied to the instrumentation – and a strong ear for the overall sound, not just the power of each member of the group! Hawks is often out front, soloing with a funky flute sound – but he also handles vibes, pianoman, and trombone – in a very cool lineup that also has Martti Vesala on wah-wah trumpet, and Jimi Tenor on saxophone. All tunes are original, and they're really fantastic – each the kind that if you found on a rare soundtrack or lost jazz album, you'd be willing to pay plenty to own. Titles include "Still Trippin", "Bag Full Of Miracles", "Cold Turkey Time", "Scorpio Walk", "Windy City Blues", "Journey To The Bottom", and "Street Of Tears". ~ Dusty Groove

LEON’S CREATION – THIS IS THE BEGINNING 

A rare album of funky soul from the Bay Area scene at the start of the 70s – and a set that's every bit as righteous as you might expect from the cover! The group's the creation of singer/keyboardist/arranger Leon Pattillo – hence the name – and you might know Leon from his later famous work in the 70s – including a stint with Santana, and loads of great work with other soul artists. But here, he's a young genius working in the freest, funkiest style of the San Francisco generation – with a vibe that's maybe a more spiritual take on territory explored by Sly & The Family Stone – with an earthier, more indie vibe overall. The group has great interplay – tight instrumentation, but never slick, and with some nice long-haired currents – and vocals are by Leon and a female singer – on titles that include "Confusion", "If I Had The Power", "Sightless", "Back Roads", "This Is The Beginning", and "Mirage". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: LISA STANFIELD – DEEPER; CORTEX – AVANT-GARDE PARTY MUSIC; RENEE ROSNES – BELOVED OF THE SKY

LISA STANFIELD – DEEPER

It may be years since Lisa Stansfield last topped the charts – but the singer's lost none of her charm, and is still completely at the top of her game – as you'll discover in this wonderfully grooving set! At some level, it's as if nothing has changed at all – the rhythms are strong, the songs upbeat, and Stansfield's vocals have that surprisingly soulful quality that's always made us love her classic records! But there's also a depth here that comes with maturity and growth – and in some ways, Lisa's developed here a lot like Corinne Drewery has over the course of the later albums by Swing Out Sister – even more of a fully-fleshed soul singer, and well-deserving of classic status. Titles include "Desire", "Twisted", "Everything", "Hole In My Heart", "Deeper", "Butterflies", "Love Of My Life", "Billionaire", "Hercules", and "Never Ever" – plus a great remake of The Chimes' classic "Ghetto Heaven".  ~ Dusty Groove

CORTEX – AVANT-GARDE PARTY MUSIC

The title might be a bit goofy, but it's actually a pretty great way to sum up the spirit of this group – as the contemporary Cortex come from avant roots, but also have a vibrancy that makes their music sound more celebratory than confrontational! The quartet features endlessly creative rhythms from the duo of Olya Hoyer on bass and Gard Nilssen on drums – topped by beautiful interplay between the trumpet of Thomas Johansson and saxophonist Kristoffer Berre Alberts – both players who can sometimes be completely in step with each other, sometimes almost at odds, and individually really work to make the whole record soar when it's time for their solos. Titles include "Mac Davis", "Grinder", "Chaos", "Waltz", "Disturbance", "Obverse/Reverse", and "Off Course". ~ Dusty Groove

RENEE ROSNES – BELOVED OF THE SKY

Pianist Renee Rosnes blows us away once again – returning to work with in a very similar mode as the one she used on her last album for the Smoke Sessions label – which was a real revelation, and a set that had us falling in love with Renee's music all over again! If anything, the energy here is even sharper and more focused – as Rosnes' piano comes on full force amidst the vibes of Steve Nelson, and alto and flute of Chris Potter – driven on by fantastic work from Peter Washington on bass and Lewis Nash on drums – a rhythm duo who can be laidback when needed, then completely bold at all the right moments! Nelson's got some sharply chromatic elements in his vibes that offset some of the darker tones from Potter's saxophone – and Renee somehow finds a way to bridge the space of everyone with the warm of the chords on her piano. The songs are almost all originals, and are as painterly as the cover – yet still quite swinging too – and titles include "Elephant Dust", "Scorned As Timber Beloved Of The Sky", "Mirror Image", "Black Holes", "Let The Wild Rumpus Start", and "Rhythm Of The River" – plus a version of Bobby Hutcherson's "Rosie". ~ Dusty Groove