Cameron Graves – Planetary Prince: The Eternal Survival EP, feat. Stanley Clarke, Kamasi Washington, & Ronald Bruner, Jr.

Who is the Planetary Prince? According to keyboardist and composer Cameron Graves, it’s him. The title and concept go back long before the 35-year-old pianist struck his first piano key but in the past few years, Graves has surveyed a fair amount of the Earth as a member of the West Coast Get Down, a Los Angeles-based collective that also includes saxophonist Kamasi Washington, keyboardist Brandon Coleman and drummer Ronald Bruner, Jr.

Following on the heels of his 2017 critically-acclaimed debut album Planetary Prince, the fleet-fingered pianist is ready to continue the message with an EP entitled Planetary Prince: The Eternal Survival EP. This new collection of music features dynamic no-holds-barred live performances from Washington, Bruner, trombonist Ryan Porter, bassist Carlitos del Puerto, guitarist Matt Haze, and special guest Stanley Clarke, as well as two previously unreleased studio sessions.

Three of the five tracks were recorded in 2017 at Graves’ record release party held at the world-famous Troubadour nightclub in West Hollywood, CA - a room that has boasted more than 600 live albums from renowned artists, including Carole King, Elton John, The Eagles, Tim Buckley, Donny Hathaway and Merle Haggard. “The Troubadour was one of the first places that Return to Forever played,” says Graves. “Stanley was going to be performing with me. I had one of the guys there! It was just a legendary situation.”

Planetary Prince: The Eternal Survival EP Track Listing:

“Planetary Prince” (Live)

“Black Narcissus” (Live)

“The End of Corporatism” (Live)

“Titan”

“Kahuna”

The opening track features a rambunctious band engaging a rambunctious crowd for maximum energy. With a grand piano squeezed onto the tiny honky-tonk stage, Graves pounces on a riff that is more OzzFest than Monterey. Washington with his saxophone and trumpeter Philip Dizack pull the tune closer to a bullring, chomping with a matador’s confidence. Bruner keeps the procession tight from his drum kit going through stellar solos from Graves and Washington. “Ronald and I are telepathic,” says Graves. “I know where he’s going to go. He knows how I sound. I have a quirky sound. Ronald has a very precise sound. He compliments what I do.”

Joe Henderson’s “Black Narcissus” features Stanley Clarke on upright bass for a straight-ahead display of chops and melody. Clarke has been a mentor to many of the West Coast Get Down members, employing and collaborating with many of them including taking Graves on the road for the past four years. “The West Coast Get Down used to play a club in Hollywood called Piano Bar. That’s how we all got our sound. Everybody would come through the Piano Bar including Stanley Clarke’s son, Chris. It came up that Stanley was looking for someone to do keyboard stuff, and next thing I knew I was on tour.”

Clarke is responsible for Graves’ understanding of the tune, often calling it from the bandstand as an ode to the giants of jazz. “Cameron is an unusual kind of musician,” says Clarke. “It’s hard to put a label on him. You can’t say he’s a jazz musician, rock musician, classical musician. He’s well versed on all those genres of music. Very few piano players have a technique like he has.”

“I have a little bit of hip-hop in there and a little bit of Indian music, too, though,” clarifies Graves. “I played tablas for six years. I immersed myself into Indian music. Because I draw from all those styles, there is a certain quirkiness to my playing. It has this off-beat, on-beat, off-beat constant playing around with the rhythms. I’m in and out of every type of scale. I feel like everything works with everything in music. The dissonance and the consonance comes together to create that magic.”

That magic is on full display with “The End of Corporatism.” “It’s like a fast 7. I love to write in 7; 7 is just my favorite number. I love the feel of 7. It has a very advanced feel to it.” The advanced meter giddiness is propelled by a soulful band sound. The horns work in tandem while guitarist Matt Haze adds his own muscle. Washington offers a breathless solo imbued with melody and defiance. “I’m very much into the title of that song,” Graves says with a smile. “We’re ready.”

“Titan” is the first of two unreleased studio recordings featured on the EP. “I used to play that at Piano Bar all the time. It has a dark theme to it. I pulled that melody idea from the movie The Fifth Element. ‘Titan’ goes into the dark but it’s a journey into the light. It’s a wormhole.” The instrumental workout rumbles with angst, bassist Hadrien Feraud hums with electricity as Graves unravels an anxiety-inducing display of unparalleled technique. It is an authoritative display matched only by trombonist Ryan Porter’s carefully constructed retort.

“Kahuna is a Hawaiian belief. It’s almost like a Hawaiian religion,” says Graves. “It’s a spiritual practice. I put it together with The Urantia Book. You have to put it together to get a great spiritual grounding. When I was studying spirituality, I was getting way into the kahuna belief system and I got so inspired.” It is also the final track on this EP. Not quite imbued with an island vibe, the band still finds a deep pocket. Graves amazes with a mature pace but unwavering technical prowess. A solo by trumpeter Philip Dizack further highlights the inclusiveness.

The origin of the Planetary Prince comes from The Urantia Book, a 20th century philosophical manifesto. “It’s a spiritual book. It talks about the different Planetary Princes that rule each planet in this solar system and other solar systems. There is a consciousness of the planet.” The book has proven to have a considerable influence on Graves’ outlook on life and his music. “It compliments the music that I write. I like to write advanced music. I can write pop music but I’m very much into metal music -- death metal music. That’s a big influence on my writing. That dark element in there it’s just a cool compliment.”

A little over a year after releasing his recorded debut, Graves is here to show that he is not only surviving but thriving, blessing the solar system with the unmistakable sound of the Planetary Prince, bound for the stars.

The Rolling Stones 'The Studio Albums Vinyl Collection 1971-2016'

Whenever The Rolling Stones do anything, they do it with quality and gravitas. Having defined rock'n'roll in the '60s, The Rolling Stones entered their imperial phase in 1971 with Sticky Fingers. What followed is a run of albums that couldn't have happened at any other time, by any other band: the decadent excess of Exile On Main St, the Jamaican voodoo swamp of Goats Head Soup, the disco and punk-infused prowl of Some Girls. With each new decade, the Stones evolved while staying true to their roots, coming full circle in 2016 with Blue & Lonesome, a love letter to their first inspiration: the blues. Today, The Rolling Stones and UMe announce 'The Studio Albums Vinyl Collection 1971-2016,' a brand new limited edition vinyl box set collection, featuring 15 albums across 20 LPs released on June 15 2018.

'The Studio Albums Vinyl Collection 1971-2016' presents this monumental era in rock'n'roll history in a highly bespoke, lenticular mounted, limited edition box-set housing the 15 studio albums from Sticky Fingers through to Blue & Lonesome in faithful and intricate original packaging replications. Every album has been lovingly remastered and cut at revelatory half-speed at Abbey Road Studios, from vinyl specific original tape transfers designed to get the very best possibly sound from the format. Each album is pressed on heavyweight 180-gram black vinyl and includes a download card for HD digital redemption of the catalog and includes a numbered certificate of authentication.

Cut at half speed, these are among the highest quality vinyl pressings that these classic

Rolling Stones albums will have ever received. Half speed mastering and pressed to a very high standard ensures top notch sound quality for the listener. 

Special care has been taken to create packaging to the same high standards, with detailed artwork reproduction for each album including Some Girls, which comes housed in the replica design including 20 cut-outs on the cover, while the sleeve of Sticky Fingers is presented as Andy Warhol's original design, complete with a working zip with a hidden image underneath and Exile On Main St comes with a set of 12 original postcard inserts.

ABOUT THE PROCESS

Abbey Road Studios' engineers have been cutting grooves into discs since the studios first opened in 1931. In 2013, award-winning engineer Miles Showell joined their existing mastering team, bringing a wealth of disc-cutting experience with him.

One of the artisan techniques offered by Abbey Road Studios that results in the very highest quality sound reproduction is Half Speed Cutting. This process involves the master source being played back at precisely half its recorded speed while the cutting lathe is similarly turned at half the desired playback speed. This allows the cutting head twice the time to cut the intricate groove, allowing considerably more accuracy with important matters such as frequency extremes and micro-dynamic contrasts. The resulting cuts have excellent high frequency response (treble) and very solid and stable stereo images.

It's not quite as simple as running everything at half rate. There is an EQ curve applied to all vinyl records and by running the lathe at half speed, all the frequencies are wrong. However, the technical staff at Abbey Road Studios have had new custom-built filters installed which allow Miles to practice half speed cutting to the full on a modified Neumann VMS-80 lathe.

'The Studio Albums Vinyl Collection 1971-2016'

•Sticky Fingers (1971)

◦LP sleeve presented as Andy Warhol's original design complete with working zip and hidden image beneath

•Exile On Main St (1972) (2LP)

◦2LP in original style gatefold sleeve complete with inner-bags and set of 12 perforated postcards

•Goats Head Soup (1973)

◦LP in gatefold sleeve with two inserts

•It's Only Rock'n'Roll (1974)

◦LP with original heavyweight inner sleeve

•Black And Blue (1976)

◦LP in gatefold sleeve with original inner bag and lyric sheet

•Some Girls (1978)

◦LP housed in replica design including 20 cut-outs on the cover

•Emotional Rescue (1980)

◦LP with original sized poster

•Tattoo You (1981)

◦LP with original heavyweight inner sleeve

•Undercover (1983)

◦LP with original heavyweight inner sleeve and lyric sheet

•Dirty Work (1986)

◦LP with original heavyweight inner sleeve, red shrink wrapping and bespoke sticker

•Steel Wheels (1989)

◦LP complete with original inner sleeve and sales insert

•Voodoo Lounge (1994) (2LP)

◦2LP gatefold sleeve with original lyric inners

•Bridges To Babylon (1997) (2LP)

◦2LP with original lyric inners

•A Bigger Bang (2005) (2LP)

◦2LP gatefold sleeve with original lyric inners

•Blue & Lonesome (2016) (2LP)

◦2LP gatefold sleeve with original inners

THE ROLLING STONES 'THE STUDIO ALBUMS VINYL COLLECTION 1971-2016'

WILL BE RELEASED BY UMe ON JUNE 15 2018

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Tracklisting:

Sticky Fingers

Brown Sugar, Sway, Wild Horses, Can't You Hear Me Knocking, You Gotta Move, Bitch, I Got The Blues, Sister Morphine, Dead Flowers, Moonlight Mile

Exile On Main St

Rocks Off, Rip This Joint, Shake Your Hips, Casino Boogie, Tumbling Dice, Sweet Virginia, Torn And Frayed, Sweet Black Angel, Loving Cup, Happy, Turd On The Run, Ventilator Blues, I Just Want To See His Face, Let It Loose, All Down The Line, Stop Breaking Down, Shine A Light, Soul Survivor

Goats Head Soup

Dancing With Mr. D., 100 Years Ago, Coming Down Again, Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker), Angie, Silver Train, Hide Your Love, Winter, Can You Hear The Music, Star Star

It's Only Rock'n'Roll

If You Can't Rock Me, Ain't Too Proud To Beg, It's Only Rock'n'Roll (But I Like It), Till The Next Goodbye, Time Waits For No One, Luxury, Dance Little Sister, If You Really Want To Be My Friend, Short And Curlies, Fingerprint File

Black And Blue

Hot Stuff, Hand Of Fate, Cherry Oh Baby, Memory Motel, Hey Negrita, Melody, Fool To Cry, Crazy Mama

Some Girls

Miss You, When The Whip Comes Down, Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me), Some Girls, Lies, Far Away Eyes, Respectable, Before They Make Me Run, Beast Of Burden, Shattered

Emotional Rescue

Dance, Summer Romance, Send It To Me, Let Me Go, Indian Girl, Where The Boys Go, Down In The Hole, Emotional Rescue, She's So Cold, All About You

Tattoo You

Start Me Up, Hang Fire, Slave, Little T&A, Black Limousine, Neighbours, Worried About You, Tops, Heaven, Not Used To Crying, Waiting On A Friend

Undercover

Undercover Of The Night, She Was Hot, Tie You Up (The Pain Of Love), Wanna Hold You, Feel On Baby, Too Much Blood, Pretty Beat Up, Too Tough, All The Way Down, It Must Be Hell

Dirty Work

One Hit (To The Body), Fight, Harlem Shuffle, Hold Back, Too Rude, Winning Ugly, Back To Zero, Dirty Work, Had It With You, Sleep Tonight, Key To The Highway

Steel Wheels

Sad Sad Sad, Mixed Emotions, Terrifying, Hold On To Your Hat, Hearts For Sale, Blinded By Love, Rock And A Hard Place, Can't Be Seen, Almost Hear You Sigh, Continental Drift, Break The Spell, Slipping Away

Voodoo Lounge

Love Is Strong, You Got Me Rocking, Sparks Will Fly, The Worst, New Faces, Moon Is Up, Out Of Tears, I Go Wild, Brand New Car, Sweethearts Together, Suck On The Jugular, Blinded By Rainbows, Baby Break It Down, Thru And Thru

Bridges To Babylon

Flip The Switch, Anybody Seen My Baby?, Low Down, Already Over Me, Gunface, You Don't Have To Mean It, Out Of Control, Saint Of Me, Might As Well Get Juiced, Always Suffering, Too Tight, Thief In The Night, How Can I Stop

A Bigger Bang

Rough Justice, Let Me Down Slow, It Won't Take Long, Rain Fall Down, Streets Of Love, Back Of My Hand, She Saw Me Coming, Biggest Mistake, This Place Is Empty, Oh No Not You Again, Dangerous Beauty, Laugh I Nearly Died, Sweet Neo Can, Look What The Cat Dragged In, Driving Too Fast, Infamy

Blue & Lonesome

Just Your Fool, Commit A Crime, Blue And Lonesome, All Of Your Love, I Gotta Go, Everybody Knows About My Good Thing, Ride 'Em On Down, Hate To See You Go, Hoo Doo Blues, Little Rain, Just Like I Treat You, I Can't Quit You Baby

International Jazz Day 2018 Comes to a Close Following Celebratory Concerts in St. Petersburg and New Orleans

International Jazz Day 2018 came to a phenomenal close this evening in St. Petersburg, following an extraordinary All-Star Global Concert at the historic Mariinsky Theatre that capped off several days of educational outreach programs across the city. The concert, led by artistic co-directors Herbie Hancock (USA) and Igor Butman (Russia), was streamed live by the United Nations and UNESCO and on www.jazzday.com. It featured performances by an international roster of artists including Oleg Akkuratov (Russia), Till Brönner (Germany), Oleg Butman (Russia), Terri Lyne Carrington (USA), Joey DeFrancesco (USA), Fatoumata Diawara (Mali), Vadim Eilenkrig (Russia), Kurt Elling (USA), Antonio Faraò (Italy), James Genus (USA), Robert Glasper (USA), David Goloschekin (Russia), Hassan Hakmoun (Morocco), Gilad Hekselman (Israel), Horacio Hernandez (Cuba), Taku Hirano (Japan), Anatoly Kroll (Russia), Gaoyang Li (China), Rudresh Mahanthappa (USA), The Manhattan Transfer (USA), Branford Marsalis (USA), James Morrison (Australia), Moscow Jazz Orchestra (Russia), Makoto Ozone (Japan), Danilo Pérez (Panama), Dianne Reeves (USA), Lee Ritenour (USA), Luciana Souza (Brazil) and Ben Williams (USA). John Beasley (USA) served as musical director.

The All-Star Global Concert included special remarks from the International Jazz Day Co-Chairs: UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock. The evening showcased incomparable musicians from around the world and their unique interpretations of jazz. Inventive pairings included The Manhattan Transfer delivering an exhilarating version of "Birdland" with the Moscow Jazz Orchestra, and renowned saxophonist Branford Marsalis performing "As Long As You're Living" alongside acclaimed vocalist Kurt Elling, German trumpet sensation Till Brönner and Italian pianist Antonio Faraò. The stunning vocalist Dianne Reeves joined forces with Russian saxophonist Igor Butman, Japanese pianist Makoto Ozone, and American rising star bassist Ben Williams for a breathtaking performance of "In A Sentimental Mood." The concert concluded with the entire cast performing a heartfelt rendition of John Lennon's beloved peace anthem, "Imagine."

Leading up to the All-Start Global Concert, St. Petersburg hosted a wide array of programming including master classes and workshops with Oleg Butman and Lee Ritenour; panel discussions exploring Jazz and Peace, Women in Jazz and Jazz and Roots Music; and jam sessions with the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance Fellows.

Earlier in the week, the International Jazz Day festivities kicked off in New Orleans with an International Jazz Day Salute to New Orleans concert at the historic Orpheum Theater. Thousands attended this free concert commemorating the 300th anniversary of the founding of New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz. The show opened with an only-in-New Orleans second line fronted by the Preservation Hall All-Stars and featured performances by Herbie Hancock along with Patti Austin, Philip Bailey, Bilal, Terence Blanchard, Jon Cleary, Ledisi, Quiana Lynell, Herlin Riley and many others. The concert will stream on www.jazzday.com at 7pm et, following the broadcast of the All-Star Global Concert from St. Petersburg at 4pm et. In addition to the live concert, a series of engaging, in-school jazz education presentations were led by the Institute's teaching artists and educators at schools across New Orleans.

Celebrated around the globe each year on April 30, International Jazz Day highlights the power of jazz as a force for freedom and creativity, promotes intercultural dialogue through respect and understanding, and unites people from all corners of the globe.

International Jazz Day was adopted by the UNESCO Member Nations on the initiative of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock. Established in partnership with the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, the day is recognized on the official calendars of both UNESCO and the United Nations, and it is celebrated in more than 190 countries on all seven continents. Each year, schools, universities, libraries, jazz clubs, performing arts centers, artists and arts organizations of all disciplines around the world pay tribute to jazz through thousands of performances, education programs and community service initiatives.  

NEW RELEASES: JIM SNIDERO & JEREMY PELT - JUBILATION! CELEBRATING CANNONBALL ADDERLEY; GILSON PERANZZETTA – TRIBUTO A OSCAR PETERSON; PALM UNIT – HOMMAGE A JEF GILSON

JIM SNIDERO & JEREMY PELT - JUBILATION! CELEBRATING CANNONBALL ADDERLEY

2018 release. Cannonball Adderley is considered to be one of the all-time greatest jazz musicians; one whose playing projected depth and command. But, he also possessed the rare ability to connect and uplift the listener, shouting out "joy" in every phrase. For his 90th birthday, "Jubilation!" celebrates the genius of Cannonball Adderley. Beloved veterans Jim Snidero (Downbeat critics' poll) and Jeremy Pelt create a formidable front line while David Hazeltine, Nat Reeves and Billy Drummond form an incomparable rhythm section. It's an all-star lineup celebrating a true jazz giant.

GILSON PERANZZETTA – TRIBUTO A OSCAR PETERSON

A straight jazz album from Brazilian pianist Gilson Peranzzett, an artist who's played on countless sessions over the years, including a wealth of famous vocal records too – but who here pays tribute to the great Oscar Peterson, in a nicely stripped-down set of jazz piano trio tracks! Peranzzetta plays acoustic throughout, and has that magical soulful swing of Peterson – the fluid groove that made Oscar's work so revolutionary in the 50s, and which continues to be an inspiration all these many years later. At points, Gilson maybe brings in some darker touches of his own – especially on the intros to the tracks – and the group here features Paulo Russo on bass and Joao Cortez on drums. Titles include "I Feel Pretty", "Con Alma", "Days Of Wine & Roses", "Easy To Love", "I've Got You Under My Skin", and "Somewhere". ~ Dusty Groove

PALM UNIT – HOMMAGE A JEF GILSON

A beautiful tribute to pianist Jef Gilson – one of the hippest French jazz talents of the 60s and 70s – put together by a combo who take their name from his legendary Palm Records label! The group here are a quartet, and they work with wonderfully moody use of Hohner electric piano by Fred Escoffier, plus a bit of Farfisa and Hammond – of which are used spaciously, over rhythms that often move a lot more fiercely – with a third element created from the soulful tenor work of Lionel Martin – a saxophonist who really gets the spirit of the older Palm Records releases right! Actually, the whole group gets the spirit right – working here with a knowledge of the freer corners of jazz, but never going to that space – and instead hanging back in this spiritual blend of global currents, but all with a sensibility that's really unique. The mixture of tenor and harder electric piano lines is already great enough – but the loose rhythms at the core are what really send things home – on titles that include the Jef Gilson compositions "Mother Africa", "Chant Inca", "Chakan", "Mode De Fa", "Newport Bounce", and "Ouverture Jazz Pour San Remo" – plus a version of "The Creator Has A Master Plan". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: JANELLE MONAE – DIRTY COMPUTER; STIMULATOR JONES – EXOTIC WORLDS & MASTERFUL TREASURES; RUBY VELLE & THE SOULPHONICS – STAGE OF ALL THINGS

JANELLE MONAE – DIRTY COMPUTER

Janelle Monae knocks it out of the park here – sounding every bit as great as before, but also hitting this righteous mode that really takes the singer to incredible new territory! If you loved Janelle's previous records, don't worry – she's still as catchy and playful as ever – but there's also a depth and darkness that's inspired by recent political turns in America – which Monae also uses to address issues that go back much farther in her experience, woven together in songs that are maybe even more politically powerful because of the way that they'll also win over the mainstream! Stevie Wonder gets the very first thanks in the long notes at the end of the book – and the mix of soul and message here definitely hearkens back to Stevie in the 70s – is all Janelle's own. Heck, even guests like Zoe Kravitz, Brian Wilson, and Pharrell Williams can't get in the way – on titles that include "Screwed", "Django Jane", "I Got The Juice", "Stevie's Dream", "Don't Judge Me", "Crazy Classic Life", "Take A Byte", "Do Afraid", "Americans", "I Like That ", "Pynk", "Jane's Dream", and "Make Me Feel". And hey, you've gotta love a record that's inspired both by Vibranium and Stevie Wonder!  ~ Dusty Groove

STIMULATOR JONES – EXOTIC WORLDS & MASTERFUL TREASURES

Bass-heavy funk with a definite 80s influence – but served up here with a contemporary crispness that's the best calling card of Stimulator Jones! In a world where so many others find it easy to completely cop the sounds of the post-disco years, these guys take all the best elements and weave them into something that's completely their own – unabashedly bright and bubbly in their choice of melody, and crafting tunes that are way more than just a blend of beats, bass, and keyboards – even though the keyboards here are pretty darn great overall! Titles include "Need Your Body", "Water Slide", "Give My All", "Feel Your Arms Around Me", "Together", "Trippin On You", and "Suite Luv". ~ Dusty Groove

RUBY VELLE & THE SOULPHONICS – STAGE OF ALL THINGS

Ruby Velle's got one of those voices that will no doubt make her huge – soaring and powerful, right from the very first notes – with a capable confidence that could probably take on just about any style of music, but which is especially great here in the company of the Soulphonics combo! There's definitely an influence here from older soul music – particularly southern deep soul – but the presentation is much more contemporary, although manages to be that way without resorting to modern production or hip hop elements in the rhythms. Titles include "Love Less Blind", "Who Closed The Book", "Lost Lady USA", "I Tried", "Call Out My Name", "Used Me Again", "Broken Woman", and "State Of All Things".  ~ Dusty Groove

Toots and the Maytals Announce 2018 North American Summer Tour

Legendary reggae artist, Toots and the Maytals have announced a major 2018 summer tour throughout the U.S. and Canada. The tour hits major cities and festivals, most notably: New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, DC World Reggae Festival, LOCKN’ and Kaya Fest.

Toots Hibbert is one of the true and rightful architects of reggae music – so much so that “Do the Reggae,” a 1968 single by Toots and his group, The Maytals, is credited with giving the genre its name. Classic songs written and recorded by Toots and the Maytals have been covered by the likes of The Clash, Amy Winehouse, Sublime, Pitbull, and Jay-Z - and the group was featured in reggae’s greatest breakthrough event - “The Harder They Come,” the 1972 film that became an international sensation.

Toots’ highly-successful 2004 album, TRUE LOVE, featured all-star guests ranging from legends like Keith Richards, Eric Clapton and Bonnie Raitt to next generation stars including No Doubt, The Roots and Phish’s Trey Anastasio. The caliber of these collaborators revealed the impact that Toots had on generations of rockers and rappers, while appearances from reggae icons Bunny Wailer and Marcia Griffiths showed the respect granted to the man who might be music’s greatest living vocalist. And at the heart of it all is that voice – drenched in soul, rooted in gospel, and still breathtakingly powerful after almost four decades in the spotlight.

Toots recently signed with UTA for representation in all areas, with the agency playing an integral role in booking the tour.

Toots is currently hard at work on new music, having already recorded more than two albums worth of material. Expect to see something exciting very soon. 

See below list of all upcoming tour dates:

Apr 28: Kaya Fest - San Bernardino, CA

Apr 29: The Marquee - Tempe, AZ

May 1: Strauss Square at AT&T Performing Arts Center - Dallas, TX

May 2: Tobin Center for Performing Arts - San Antonio, TX

May 3: New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival - New Orleans, LA

May 5: SunFest - West Palm Beach, FL

Jul 6: Fremont Theatre - San Luis Obispo, CA

Jul 8: Harrahs SoCal - Valley Center, CA

Jul 11: The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA

Jul 12: Music in the Park - San Jose, CA

Jul 13: SOMO Village - Rohnert Park, CA

Jul 14: Reggae on the Mountain - Topanga, CA

Jul 18: At The Plaza Concert Series - Albany, NY

Jul 19: Finger Lakes Grassroots Fest - Trumansburg, NY

Jul 20: Capitol Theater - Port Chester, NY

Aug 1: Higher Ground – South Burlington, VT

Aug 3: Aura - Portland, ME

Aug 4: Brooklyn Bowl - Brooklyn, NY

Aug 5: Hartwood Acres Amphitheatre - Pittsburgh, PA

Aug 8: Thalia Hall - Chicago, IL

Aug 10: Danforth - Toronto, ON

Aug 11: Corona Theatre - Montreal, QC

Aug 13: Martha's Vineyard Concert Series - Martha's Vineyard, MA

Aug 14: The Chicken Box - Nantucket, MA

Aug 15: The Chicken Box - Nantucket, MA

Aug 17: Ocean Mist - Kingstown, RI

Aug 18: Reggae In The Park - Philadelphia, PA

Aug 19: DC World Reggae Festival - Washington, DC

Aug 22: College Street Music Hall - New Haven, CT

Aug 23: Paramount - Huntington, NY

Aug 24: LOCKN' - Arrington, VA

 

Rejoining Pangea: Seattle’s Duende Libre Uses Jazz Savvy to Knit Continents and Rhythmic Sensibilities from Cuba to Turkey

Once long ago, there were no continents, nothing to divide the great mass of land. Seattle-based trio Duende Libre’s tender, clever songs explore this notion, charting the imaginary folds and roads of Pangea, the ebb and flow of the world’s sounds.

Guided by founder and bandleader, pianist Alex Chadsey, Duende Libre prove that what drifted apart can drift back together, and that musical traditions are living things and therefore constantly in flux. The Puget Sound and the Bosphorus, Cuba and Jamaica overlap and inform one another in pieces that wed jazz concepts with pop pleasures on Drift (release June 15, 2018; release celebration: June 29, 2018), the group’s second album.

“We draw influences from many different cultures and countries and parts of the world, and the album’s title is a tribute and invocation of these influences,” explains Chadsey. “We explored using different rhythmic feels and styles as a way to meld those sensibilities. That’s what I was going for: a musical pangea where borders become less rigid, and where surprising new sounds emerge in the grey areas between traditions.”

Chadsey comes by his global influences honestly. Growing up with an ear for music from around the world, Chadsey developed a lifelong passion for Western classical and jazz, including pieces like Chick Corea’s “Spain,” covered artfully on the album by the trio joined by vocalist Chava Mirel. Chadsey applied his classical and jazz training to Latin music as a member of the GRAMMY-winning Quetzal and as a core player in roots reggae legend Clinton Fearon’s Boogie Brown Band. Chadsey drew on these experiences and a lifetime of curious listening as he embarked on his own project, tapping fellow open-eared Seattle musicians bassist Farko Dosumov and drummer Jeff “Bongo” Busch to create an original sound that Jazziz called “a strikingly authentic blend, one that has marked their city as an epicenter for musicians who share an appetite for bridging worlds.”

They take full advantage of Seattle’s wealth of global musical talents. “Choro,” a piece a few degrees removed from the Brazilian style, pays homage to Jovino Santos Neto, a master pianist and composer whose work guided Chadsey. The grooving “Kiki” tips the hat to the Cuban son of Cuban cuatro virtuoso Kiki Valera Alarcon and La Familia Valera Miranda, his family’s long-standing band. Valera invited Duende Libre to join him for a collaborative concert, part of a larger series he was curating. “We did one gig together and I was so inspired by that encounter,” recalls Chadsey. “I wrote the piece for him. We are drawing on clave, but trying to do something different. I wanted to know what would happen if I took traditional figures and chord progressions from Cuban son, which is usually in four, and experimented with changing meters. It creates a whole different feel and has been a fun challenge for us to play.”

Duende Libre’s debut album sparked an extensive round of touring, taking them from their hometown and as far afield as Alaska. They spent long hours on the road together between gigs. The downtime had a musical upside, as the group became more integrated and tighter. “It’s osmosis,” notes Chadsey. “You’re just hanging out together more than you’re actually playing. You’re sitting in the bus, hanging out with the people you meet. Time spent together on the road impacts the music in interesting and surprising ways.”

New directions coalesced for Duende Libre, and they took advantage of the momentum to jump into the studio, resulting in Drift. They invited friend and fellow Clinton Fearon bandmate, singer and songwriter Mirel to join them, adding her voice’s lilting strength to several tracks including the ethereal “Zephyr.” Busch and Chadsey put their heads together to shape the rhythmic push and pull of the title track, “Drift,” which contrasts various nuances of the pulse and the swing, the juxtaposition of triple and duple meter that is so integral to African diasporic musics. Dosumov also contributed a piece to the album, the bouncy, gritty “Subway.” “We are starting to have musical convos as a trio, or quartet when Chava joins us,” says Chadsey. “To do that spontaneously is one of the goals of any jazz artist, to be creating musical communion.”

This communion has grown out of productive tensions between Chadsey, who loves to engage with pop song forms and hooks, and the other members of the trio, in particular Busch, who wants to open things up and push the boundaries. In the end, Duende Libre strikes the balance between ear candy and experimentation.

“When I’m writing a tune, I intentionally try to strive for something as melodic as possible. But I’m not too attached to how the songs are arranged,” Chadsey says. “When I bring them into the band, they go through different iterations, experimenting with forms. Jeff has great arrangement ideas, in particular, and he and I often agree to disagree. That’s the beauty of any relationship, the opportunity to step out of your bubble. That’s where growth happens.”

By exploring new territory where heritage, influence, and style can meet, Duende Libre reenforce, in their own nuanced way within the jazz tradition, the ties that bind our world, sonic and otherwise. “Everyone in the project really understands and values music as a sacred way of connecting people across lines of difference,” states Chadsey. “The imperative to connect has never been more important than it is now, and music will keep us healthy and sane through these turbulent times.”

Kristo Rodzevski Releases The Rabbit and the Fallen Sycamore

The Rabbit and the Fallen Sycamore, the third album in a trilogy by singer-songwriter Kristo Rodzevski and his group of jazz progressives, will be released by Much Prefer Records on May 25, 2018.

Mixed by celebrated producer Bill Laswell, "The Rabbit..." represents the fulfillment of a musically adventurous idea: Assemble seven world-class improvisers in a studio, establish an environment for pure music-making, and capture all on tape. Such is the essence  - and beauty - of "The Rabbit..."

By partnering with core collaborators Mary Halvorson (guitar), Tomas Fujiwara (drums) and Michael Blanco (bass), then inviting contributions from Kris Davis (piano), Ingrid Laubrock (saxophone) and Brian Drye (trombone), Kristo fermented an intoxicating brew. The bubbling inventions are spontaneous performances without overdubs. 

Once the group selected the best material, Laswell was called in to shape all. In a great sense, Laswell's touch (and ears) provide the sonic and musical template for the album. He is celebrated as a lover of musical hybrids and cross-pollinations. His legendary work with Herbie Hancock, Iggy Pop, John Zorn and Motörhead, among others, attests to his wide-angle views.

"The Rabbit..." boasts a melding of seemingly disparate influences, all living together sweetly - Eastern European folk, free jazz, punk and song-form narrative. Heard, too, is Kristo's  affinity for the music of Tom Waits, Burt Bacharach and Jim O'Rourke. Critic Chris Brazier calls it "collision music."

Thematically, the album continues themes established in Kristo's earlier efforts, Batania (2015) and Bitter Almonds (2017). While those trilogy installments examined the deep feelings for his Macedonian grandmother and mother, "The Rabbit..." explores a transition - the fading significance of his past to his life in the USA.

Kristo's songs resonate in that gray area between nostalgia and expectation. There is passion here, tapping the most human of emotions, desire and suffering. The cover design by Ikue Mori (DNA) provides a visual analog to this provocative music.

Kristo Rodzevski is Macedonian-born vocalist, guitarist, and composer, based in New York City since 1999. He began as a street musician in Europe in the early 1990s. He was a founding member of an influential group of Macedonian musicians who would go on to form the bands Foltin and Ljubojna and perform at festivals throughout Europe.

Kristo's debut album, Batania, received positive reviews by the Wire, All About Jazz, Jazz Right Now, etc., and won plaudits as the best single of 2015, and was voted the  second best album of that year  by the Macedonian Kanal 103.

His second album, Bitter Almonds, features two songs soon to appear on Bikini Moon, a  feature film by Academy-Award-nominated (director, writer, and visual artist Milcho Manchevski). [Video Here.]

Kristo has appeared on other film soundtracks, including Shadows (by Milcho Manchevski), To the Hilt (by Academy Award nominated director Stole Popov) and The War is Over (by Mitko Panov, a Palme d 'Or winner at the Cannes Film Festival).

He has had solo performances at Joe's Pub and Merkin Hall, and has performed as soloist with the Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra, at the Macedonian Opera and Ballet, New York City's Carnegie Hall.

Kristo's  singing style has been described as "effortless," "velvety," and with "a masterful control of vocal micro-dynamics and access to emotional depth.

Vocalist Allan Harris Pays Heartfelt Tribute to Iconic Singer and Innovator of Vocalese with The Genius of Eddie Jefferson

With his gruff, gravelly voice, his penchant for hep cat diction, and the serpentine bebop turns of his vocalese creations, the late Eddie Jefferson might not seem the ideal match for a classic romantic crooner like Allan Harris. The Brooklyn-born singer has previously paid homage to the songs of Billy Strayhorn and Nat King Cole, repertoire that seems like a more ideal fit.

Until embarking on the project that became The Genius of Eddie Jefferson, Harris would have agreed wholeheartedly with that assessment. "In my wildest dreams I never imagined I'd tackle Eddie Jefferson's material," he admits. "But once I started to sit down with his material and delve into what he was singing, it blew all of my stereotypes and prejudices out the window. How wrong I had been over the years not to give this incredible genius credit."

Not only did Harris discover the depth of Jefferson's estimable talents and innovations, but he found his own way into Jefferson's idiosyncratic takes on the classic solos of jazz giants like Miles Davis, Dexter Gordon, Lester Young and Coleman Hawkins. The Genius of Eddie Jefferson, available now on Resilience Music Alliance, is an ideal blend of Harris' rich, beguiling baritone and Jefferson's bantering cool. The album follows Harris into adventurous new territory, at once embracing the challenge and making these bop classics as embracing and celebratory as his takes on jazz standards and swooning ballads.

Harris didn't take the plunge alone. Though he'd previously covered Jefferson's most famous piece, "Moody's Mood For Love," he needed to plunge deeply into the singer's catalogue and methodology. Harris worked closely with pianist Eric Reed (Wynton Marsalis, Christian McBride) and GRAMMY® Award-winning producer Brian Bacchus (Gregory Porter) to immerse himself in the tricky contours of Jefferson's work. "It was daunting," Harris says. "Sometimes it seemed like I was taking a master class at MIT. But I wanted to grow as a jazz vocalist -- I've done the American Songbook. No one has really tackled a full project of Eddie Jefferson's with the type of voice that I have, and I wanted to get it exact."

It helps to have a band that can provide the ebullient swing and fierce chops that can drive the tunes that Jefferson built his creations upon, and Reed assembled an ideal one: bassist George DeLancey (Houston Person, Tia Fuller), drummer Willie Jones III (Roy Hargrove, Arturo Sandoval), and tenor saxophonist Ralph Moore (Kevin Eubanks, Freddie Hubbard). The band is joined by special guest saxophonist Richie Cole, who worked closely with Jefferson in the singer's final years, up to the night of his tragic death outside Baker's Keyboard Lounge in Detroit.

"To have Richie Cole there was a blessing from above," says Harris. "His knowledge of what Eddie was doing was paramount because he was right there beside him. He not only gave me a pat on the back that was sorely needed, but he gave me a few pointers and a kind of permission to open things up a little bit to what I'm about."

In his liner notes, writer and musician Greg Tate compares Jefferson to such pioneering hip-hop lyricists as KRS One and Public Enemy's Chuck D, poets of the vernacular who could combine urban jargon and socially pointed messages. Harris agrees, saying, "Eddie Jefferson used the guise of his street language to create some really wonderful English literature on that stuff. Because his voice was so streetwise and rough, until you really listen to him in depth you don't understand that he was very erudite in his lyrical value. He didn't just rely on nursery rhyme rhythms and prose. He really dealt in some really hip street stuff."

He also celebrated the jazz musicians whose work he was repurposing, often painting musical portraits of these legends through his lyrics, as on the album's opening track, "So What." Following the lines of Davis' classic solo, he recounts a famous incident in which both the trumpeter and then-sideman John Coltrane left the stage mid-performance, deciding they needed a bit of extra rehearsal before resuming the show. Harris' rendition is soulful and warm, vividly capturing the vintage nightclub atmosphere.

For all his protestations, Harris has no problem with bringing the grit and funky edge to Horace Silver's "Sister Sadie" and "Filthy McNasty," or tearing his way through a blistering Lester Young solo on "Lester's Trip to the Moon." At the same time, he brings a heartbreaking tenderness to the classic "Body and Soul" and a down-home blues to "Memphis." He courses along with bop vitality on Dexter Gordon's lively "Dexter Digs In" and Charlie Parker's gymnastic runs on "Billy's Bounce." His romantic soul emerges on Duke Pearson's lament "Jeannine," while Cole's "Waltz for a Rainy Bebop Evening" is a wistful reflection on the music's rich legacy.

Despite his initial reluctance, taking on Jefferson's oeuvre has made an indelible mark on Harris as a singer. "This has tainted me," he says. "This feels so good, like reaching a high. Doing Eddie Jefferson's music has taken me out of the arena of being just the guy singing jazz standards in front of a smoking band, to feeling like a part of the band. It would be hard now for me to turn back." 

Upcoming Allan Harris U.S. Performances:

April 27 - 29 | Smoke Jazz Club (Album Release w/ Cyrus Chestnut Trio) | New York, NY

May 11 - 12 | The Jazz Forum (w/ Helen Sung Trio) | Tarrytown, NY

May 16 | Faena Theater | Miami, FL

May 19 | Arts Garage | Delray Beach, FL

May 22 | Blue Bamboo | Orlando, FL

May 24 | Good Times Jazz Bar | Savannah, GA

May 25 - 26 | The Jazz Corner | Hilton Head, SC

June 12 | DC Jazz Festival | Hamilton's

August 7 | Yoshi's | Oakland, CA

August 11 | JAS Cafe | Aspen, CO

August 17 - 18 | South Jazz Kitchen | Philadelphia, PA

Vocalist JOANNE TATHAM Releases “THE RINGS OF SATURN”

The Rings Of Saturn is Tatham’s fourth CD. It’s the follow-up to her critically acclaimed 2015 release Out of My Dreams, which debuted at #26 on the JazzWeek radio chart, solidifying her position as a top vocalist in the L.A. jazz scene and establishing her as an important jazz artist to watch.  Tatham continues the tradition -- laid down by the great vocalists of past generations -- of finding first-class material to sing and swing with a contemporary sensibility enhanced with hip, new arrangements. The songs Tatham selected for this project are not your usual fare. The CD comprises lesser-done jazz tunes as well as one original. From standards “Love Me or Leave Me” and “It Could Happen to You,” to re-imagined pop tunes like Todd Rundgren’s “Can We Still be Friends” and Phoebe Snow’s “Poetry Man,” to a musical theater classic like “Anyone Can Whistle” by Stephen Sondheim, THE RINGS OF SATURN is an eclectic project that showcases Tatham’s musicianship, beautiful voice and aptitude for lyric interpretation.  Tatham is a performer unafraid to take risks. Her nuanced readings combined with a flexible voice that is by turns gentle and inviting and then throaty and robust, demonstrates an artist in full control of her diverse material.

Joanne Tatham, vocals

Max Haymer, piano

Lyman Medeiros, bass

Dan Schnelle, drums

Marcel Camargo,  guitar (5, 7,10)

Larry Koonse, guitar (2)

Kevin Winard, percussion

Brian Swartz, trumpet

Bob Sheppard, sax

Arranged by Max Haymer, Eli Brueggemann (6),  Marcel Camargo & Joanne Tatham (10). Produced by Mark Winkler

TRACKS:

1. Love Me or Leave Me ( 3:45) 2. Summer in New York (5:23) 3. Catch Me If You Can (4:09) 4. Poetry Man (4:07) 5. The Rings of Saturn (5:05) 6. Can We Still Be Friends (4:35) 7. If You Never Come To Me (5:43) 8. Anyone Can Whistle (4:47) 9. Nice To Be Around (3:52) 10. Jazz ‘n’ Samba (Só Danço Samba) (2:11) 11. It Could Happen To You (3:56).

Johnny Mathis - Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head & Sings the Music of Bacharach & Kaempfert

Real Gone Music and Second Disc Records have kicked off a new series celebrating

the legendary Johnny Mathis’ classic albums of the 1970s and onward with the first-ever expanded CD edition (and standalone U.S. CD premiere!) of the artist’s very first LP of the 1970s. Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head was titled after Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s Academy Award-winning hit from the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. On Raindrops, Mathis reinterpreted the popular hits of the day in his signature velvety smooth style, aided and abetted by the lush orchestras of Ernie Freeman and Al Capps, and the production of Columbia Records veteran Jack Gold. In addition to Bacharach and David, also represented by Johnny’s hit “Odds and Ends” and “Alfie,” the original album features his renditions of songs by Jimmy Webb (“Honey Come Back”), George Harrison (“Something”), Paul Simon (“Bridge Over Troubled Water”), John Barry (“Midnight Cowboy”), and Rod McKuen (“Jean”)—a true “Who’s Who.” The expanded Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head has been bolstered with ve bonus non-LP singles from Mathis’ return to Columbia Records circa 1968-1970, including Bacharach and David’s “Whoever You Are, I Love You” from their Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Promises, Promises; Bert Kaempfert’s “Night Dreams;” and Gordon Lightfoot’s “Wherefore and Why,” arranged by Harry Nilsson’s frequent collaborator, Perry Botkin, Jr.! The blues they sent to meet you won’t defeat you with this newly-expanded edition of one of Johnny’s most beloved albums!

1. Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head

2. Honey Come Back

3. Watch What Happens

4. Something

5. Alfie

6. Midnight Cowboy

7. A Man and a Woman

8. Odds and Ends

9. Jean

10. Everybody's Talkin'

11. Bridge over Troubled Water

12. Night Dreams

13. Whoever You Are, I Love You

14. For All We Know

15. Wherefore and Why

16. The Last Time I Saw Her

  

In a career spanning over 60 years, Johnny Mathis has always had an unerring ear for a song...witness his new, 2017 album featuring his recordings of future standards by Adele, Bruno Mars, and Pharrell Williams. At the dawn of the 1970s, Mathis was celebrating the great songwriters of that day, too, with a double album entitled Johnny Mathis Sings the Music of Bacharach and Kaempfert. Real Gone Music and Second Disc Records are proud to inaugurate a series of Johnny’s greatest albums of the 1970s and beyond on CD with the first-ever expanded reissue of The Music of Bacharach and Kaempfert. Bert Kaempfert may not have achieved the same name recognition in the U.S. as Burt Bacharach, but Kaempfert’s contributions to the standards songbook are indelible, thanks to such songs as “Danke Schoen,” “Spanish Eyes,” “Strangers in the Night,” and “L-O-V-E,” all of which are sung in Johnny’s inimitably intimate style on this collection. Johnny was joined by German arranger-conductor Herbert Rehbein, a close collaborator of Kaempfert’s, for these very special sessions. Johnny’s relationship with Burt Bacharach dated to the late 1950s with classics including “Heavenly” and “Faithfully.” Soon, Bacharach’s style would de ne the sound of the 1960s, and Johnny was bringing his individual stamp to “This Guy’s in Love with You,” “I Say a Little Prayer,” and “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again.” All of these songs and more are featured on Mathis’ Bacharach salute. In true Real Gone/ Second Disc style, though, that’s not all! We’ve added ve rare bonus tracks to this already jam-packed double album: Bert Kaempfert’s “It Makes No Difference,” originally issued only in the U.K., and four hits by Burt Bacharach and Hal David including their very rst song with Johnny, “Warm and Tender,” and three more favorites from Johnny’s Global Records period! Mathis + 1 Burt + 1 Bert = Johnny Mathis Sings the Music of Bacharach and Kaempfert, or 26 tracks of musical bliss!

1. Wonderland by Night

2. Spanish Eyes

3. The Lady Smiles

4. Danke Schoen

5. The Times Will Change

6. Remember When (We Made These Memories)

7. Strangers in the Night

8. Don't Stay

9. If There's a Way

10. Lady

11. L-O-V-E

12. It Makes No Difference

13. Walk On By

14. The Look of Love

15. I Say a Little Prayer

16. Heavenly

17. This Guy's in Love with You

18. I'll Never Fall in Love Again

19. Alfie

20. Odds and Ends

21. Faithfully

22. Don't Go Breakin' My Heart

23. Warm and Tender

24. What the World Needs Now Is Love

25. Saturday Sunshine

26. (There's) Always Something There to Remind Me