Blue Note Jazz Fest Lineup: Chris Botti, Art Garfunkel, Gregory Porter Al Di Meola, Gordon Lightfoot, The Manhattan Transfer, Eddie Palmieri, Tab Benoit, Sergio Mendes, Robert Cray, Bilal, Southside Johnny & More

With over 100 events in five venues throughout New York City, the 2018 Sony presents Blue Note Jazz Festival will take place June 1-30, 2018. Sony Corporation is the Festival's Official Title Sponsor and INGLOT Cosmetics of Poland is the Presenting Sponsor. Ticket information and a current schedule of events are available on the festival's website, www.BlueNoteJazzFestival.com. Additional performances, venues, and events will be announced in the coming weeks.

Highlights for the eighth edition of the festival include GRAMMY® Award winning trumpeter Chris Botti at the newly opened Sony Hall in Times Square; an intimate evening with American music icon Art Garfunkel at The Town Hall; two-time GRAMMY® Award nominee jazz vocalist Gregory Porter (presented by City Parks Foundation at Central Park SummerStage in association with Blue Note Jazz Festival); jazz fusion guitar virtuoso Al Di Meola; renowned folk singer/songwriter Gordon Lightfoot; a very special 5-night residency with future funk collective Lettuce performing for the first time ever at the historic Blue Note Jazz Club; jazz vocal group The Manhattan Transfer; Latin jazz legend pianist Eddie Palmieri; three-time GRAMMY® Award nominee and revered blues guitarist Tab Benoit at Highline Ballroom; iconic Brazilian producer, composer, keyboardist and vocalist Sergio Mendes; celebrated blues guitarist Robert Cray; GRAMMY® Award winning multi-genre vocalist/musician Bilal performing with Victory (presented by founding festival partner Jill Newman Productions); New Jersey-based rocker Southside Johnny and many more!

This year's Blue Note Jazz Festival features the addition of several new key partnerships marking a new chapter in the festival's history.

Earlier this year, Sony and Blue Note announced a landmark sponsorship agreement resulting in the creation of a new Manhattan venue, Sony Hall, in addition to Sony's title sponsorship of the festival. Located in the heart of New York's Theatre District (235 W. 46th St at the Paramount Hotel), the space was previously known as the Diamond Horseshoe (est. 1938) and is the newest addition to Blue Note's New York City properties, joining this year's festival venue lineup for the first time, expanding its city-wide takeover. The 12,000 square-foot venue is a platform to showcase Sony's new and exciting audio and video technologies. The multi-dimensional audio technology installed in Sony Hall will provide audiences with a groundbreaking immersive music experience that is the first of its kind for a music venue anywhere in the world.

The festival also welcomes INGLOT Cosmetics of Poland for the inaugural year of their multi-year official presenting sponsorship of the event. In celebration of the partnership, Blue Note Entertainment Group and INGLOT will release a limited edition Blue Note-branded cosmetic collection, as well as special showcases of iconic Polish jazz musicians for the festival. Performances include esteemed Polish pianist Wlodek Pawlik and his trio with special guest Randy Brecker on Monday, May 28th as well as acclaimed jazz fusion band Walk Away on Saturday, June 23.

The festival will spread its international reach even further with the addition of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations as a supporting partner of the Blue Note Jazz Festival. The partnership will present the Blue Note Jazz Festival: European Sounds Series, a special collection of curated performances at Blue Note Jazz Club with the objective to showcase European culture and jazz within the United States. Participants include Cultural Services of the French Embassy, Consulate General of Luxembourg, Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Consulate General of Greece in New York and Onassis Foundation USA, Balassi Institute - Hungarian Cultural Center New York, Dutch Culture USA program by the Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York, Consulate General of Slovakia, and Consulate General of Spain New York, as well as performers representing each respective country (lineup to be announced soon). The partnership coincides with the European Year of Cultural Heritage, an initiative to encourage more people to discover and engage with Europe's cultural heritage, and to reinforce a sense of belonging to a common European space. For more information, visit europa.eu/cultural-heritage/

"2018 is a paramount year for the festival," says Steven Bensusan, President of Blue Note Entertainment Group, "Our new partnerships with Sony Corporation, INGLOT Cosmetics of Poland, the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations and its associated member states and organizations have allowed us to expand our global footprint and collaborate with different industries to produce an extra special event for fans and artists alike. We are extremely grateful for their contributions and are excited to work together to extend the festival outside of New York City and showcase some of the most talented musicians from all over the world. We are also excited to present some of the industry's biggest icons this year including Chris Botti, Art Garfunkel, Gregory Porter, Al Di Meola and many more."

Established in 2011, the Blue Note Jazz Festival was initially formed to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Greenwich Village's iconic Blue Note Jazz Club. Presented by Blue Note Entertainment Group - which owns and operates the diverse venue lineup of Blue Note, Sony Hall, and Highline Ballroom - the festival has quickly grown into an annual 30-day event, emerging as the city's largest jazz festival, with each venue offering its own unique cultural contribution to the New York City musical landscape. Additional venues and partners include The Town Hall, Central Park SummerStage, and Jill Newman Productions. Past festival headliners include Aretha Franklin, The Roots, Wyclef Jean, Natalie Cole, Brian Wilson, and more.

Bassist Jeff Denson's "Outside My Window" Features Reimagined Songs by Jeff Buckley, Peter Gabriel, Abbey Lincoln, and Chris Cornell

At first glance bassist Jeff Denson appears to reinvent himself on every album, and his 12th release as leader or co-leader, Outside My Window, might seem like his biggest departure yet. Possessing a huge, galvanizing sound and a lyrically-charged compositional vision, the supremely versatile Denson has earned recognition over the past 15 years as one of his generation's definitive bassists. Slated for release on his label Ridgeway Records on May 4, 2018, Outside My Window recalibrates his already expansive array of creative outlets by giving equal weight to his vocals. Working with a stellar international quartet, Denson delivers an emotionally taut program weaving together striking interpretations of iconic songs and deeply felt originals.

His mid-career emergence as a supple and engaging singer isn't coming from left field. On 2012's critically hailed Secret World, his first release under his own name, Denson included vocals on two original pieces and has continued in that fashion on most of his solo releases. On last year's Sgt. Pepper tribute May I Introduce to You with the collective San Francisco String Trio, his vocal interpretation of "Fixing a Hole" was one of the album's highlights. Denson's music covers a lot of stylistic territory, "but my voice is a thread running through each one, whether I'm singing or not," he says. "I was a singer before I was a bass player. Going into the jazz world I put my voice away for a long time. But this is a logical step for me, in that I'm using my voice more and more every year. This is the first time I'm singing throughout an entire album, and these songs are a direct continuation of the music I've been writing and arranging."

Denson's arrangements of four songs by other artists don't reimagine the pieces as much as filter them through his subtle sonic palette, starting with a gorgeous, lapidary version of "Grace," a piece inspired by the Negative Press Project album he produced last year for Ridgeway Records, Eternal Life: Jeff Buckley Songs and Sounds. He delivers a sparse, intensely poignant rendition of Abbey Lincoln's "Bird Alone," a re-harmonized 6/8 version of Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" and a riveting arrangement of "Fell On Black Days" by Chris Cornell, a piece that serves as a tribute to Soundgarden's vocalist, who's music served a high school soundtrack for Denson.

"In my mind, he's arguably the best voice of that rock/grunge generation," Denson says. "I wanted to pay tribute to him and his artistry. And Abbey is one of my favorite jazz vocalists. I've always loved the way she sings, how she pulls on the time like Billie Holiday. She sings with such a full, intense, large sound, and this song of hers always moved me. I wanted to see what I could do with it."

Denson's four original pieces stand up impressively next to his interpretations, from the Beatlesque optimism of "For A Brand New Day" to the clangy prepared-piano accompaniment of the anguished "Have We Really Gone This Far?" On a melancholic piece that feels like it beamed in from a universe neighboring Miles Davis's In a Silent Way, Denson contributes an atmospheric wordless vocal on "Through the Mist," a tune he's radically rearranged since the collective trio Minsarah introduced it in 2006. The closing title track is a wistful invitation into Denson's verdant musical world.

The album is built on some of his deepest musical relationships. Denson and Dayna Stephens met at Berklee and have played together in various contexts ever since. Israeli-born drummer Ronen Itzik is also a Berklee alum, and he and Denson bonded as part of the rhythm section for Joe Lovano's 21st Century Ensemble. They went on to get graduate degrees at Florida State University, where they played together daily and recorded three albums in two years with pianist Bill Peterson and one with vocalist Inga Swearingen. Kari Ikonen, one of Finland's most highly regarded jazz musicians, is a much more recent addition to Denson's musical world, but he's quickly become indispensable. In need of a pianist for a tour with legendary alto saxophonist Lee Konitz, he hired Ikonen and "it was joyously apparent to me that along with Ronen, this was my trio. It felt easy and inspiring and the next few tours I did with Lee Konitz were with them."

Konitz played a crucial role in encouraging the reemergence of Denson's vocals after hearing his singing on Secret World. Performing together at the Bimhaus in Amsterdam, the altoist made an impromptu announcement in the middle of a standard that "Jeff is going to sing," he recalls. "There wasn't even a microphone set up, but I started singing the melody. I booked a West Coast tour with him after that and we'd spontaneously sing together every night. It felt great, playing the standard jazz repertoire and being able to sing on stage with him. But at the same time, I knew that I wanted to do my own music and sing the way I sing, without having to filter anything."

Born on Dec. 20, 1976 in Arlington, Virginia, Denson grew up in the orbit of Washington, DC. After playing alto sax from third grade through junior high, he gave up the horn but was drawn back to music when friends in high school recruited him as a singer for rock bands. When one of those groups also needed a bass player, he took over the spot and before long found himself drawn to the jazz and funk electric bass pantheon, "Players like Jaco, Bootsy Collins, and Stanley Clarke served as the gateway," Denson recalls. "When I heard the virtuosic electric playing in fusion, that opened the door to jazz." Listening to Miles Davis led him to the double bass, but it was Mingus who inspired him to dedicate himself to it. "I heard 'Haitian Fight Song' where he plays that amazing intro, and that was the defining moment," Denson says. "I knew I'd never be able to make sounds like that on an electric bass."

While studying at Northern Virginia Community College Denson supported himself freelancing around DC, playing jazz, orchestral music, rock covers, and leading his own funk combo as a bassist and vocalist. Earning a scholarship to Berklee College of Music, he quickly fell in with German pianist Florian Weber and Israeli drummer Ziv Ravitz, fellow students with whom he formed Minsarah. The collective trio released its debut album in 2003 on Hubermusic, and followed up in 2006 with a critically hailed eponymous album on Enja Records. Despite touring internationally with the group Denson managed to maintain a rigorous academic career.

Recruited by Florida State University, he graduated Magna Cum Laude an MM in Jazz Studies on a full scholarship and discovered an affinity for teaching. A conversation with bass giant Mark Dresser, who had just been hired as a professor at UC San Diego, brought Denson to UCSD on another full scholarship, leading to a doctorate in contemporary music performance with an emphasis in composition. Throughout his San Diego sojourn, Denson continued to tour widely with Minsarah, and it was during a spate of 2006 concerts in Germany that Lee Konitz first heard the band, "the start of a great adventure," Denson says.

With Minsarah serving as his band, the critically hailed Lee Konitz New Quartet debuted on 2007's Deep Lee and followed up with 2009's Lee Konitz New Quartet: Live at the Village Vanguard, Jazzman Magazine's 2010 Album of the Year Award, and 2014's Standards Live: At the Village Vanguard (all on Enja). Denson made his debut as a bandleader with 2012's Secret World, and went on to demonstrate his versatility with simultaneous duo releases, radically reconceiving American hymns and spirituals with San Diego pianist Joshua White on I'll Fly Away and exploring freely improvised dialogues with Swiss clarinet virtuoso Claudio Puntin on Two.

Since relocating to the East Bay in 2011 to take on a full professorship at the California Jazz Conservatory, Denson has forged ties with some of the Bay Area's top players, including bassoonist Paul Hanson, clarinetist Ben Goldberg, guitarist Mimi Fox and violinist Mads Tolling (his partners in the San Francisco String Trio). A prolific composer and arranger, he's written music for an array of jazz settings, as well as for string ensembles, solo bass, and chamber opera.

He's brought his many pursuits under one umbrella with the recent unveiling of Ridgeway Arts, a non-profit designed to enhance and fortify the Bay Area scene, and to make a strong contribution to the national landscape of jazz and the arts in general, through a four-pronged plan of expression, education, presenting and documentation. He introduced the initiative with The Jeff Denson Trio + Lee Konitz, and followed up with Arctic by drummer Alan Hall's critically hailed electro-acoustic ensemble, Ratatet. The label has become an essential conduit to an international cast of musicians, and the portal to Denson's multifarious musical imagination.

"Artists are always dreaming up what we're doing," he says. "My goal has always been very clearly to create my own musical world."

www.jeffdenson.com

JEF STOTT PRESENTS ASLAN DUB SYSTEM VOL. 1

Bay Area producer, composer, multi-instrumentalist, documentary filmmaker, and music educator Jef Stott returns with his first album release in five years. Stott who has released three critically acclaimed albums on Six Degrees Records and over 10 albums in his long career is back in a major musical way with an exciting new project, Aslan Dub System, that focuses on bass music heavily mixed with electro cumbia, Jamaican dub, and Balkan brass all held together with Stott’s signature global fusion foundation. Aslan Dub System Vol. 1 is due out on June 8th on Stott’s new record label Embarka Records and distributed worldwide through Six Degrees.

Aslan Dub System is the fruition of Stott’s life changes and personal growth over the past decade, which included his new teaching job at SF JAZZ, the launch of his video travel series World is Sound (http://worldissound.tv), and marrying into his new Turkish family, as well as his original SF recording studio closing down. Stott’s describes what happened to his project studio “All of my previous work had been written and recorded in my studio in San Francisco and that building was demolished in the ongoing wave of gentrification in S.F. So, my studio of over 10 years was shut down. I embraced the change and took a job in the Education Dept of SFJAZZ and built up an audio production classroom there and became well known as an educator.”

While prospering at his new role as a music educator, Stott also launched the World is Sound project, a video travel series about music. The series presents rich sonic cultures through interviews and performances with musical artists from exciting and vibrant destinations around the globe. The series, that Stott hosts, shoots, edits and produces, provides an engaging look at how performers in major urban settings create their musical art forms. Think of it as Anthony Bourdain, but about music. Stott has already traveled to Japan, Istanbul, New Orleans and Cuba for the project interviewing and jamming with people all over the world. Watch the series and find out more at http://worldissound.tv.

Stott’s inspiration from traveling didn’t stop there. His recent marriage to his Turkish wife whose family is based in Istanbul and the Aegean Coast added to his sonic and personal journey. He passionately states, “I have travelled there several times, which was a huge influence not only culturally, but socially. Being surrounded by such a large loving family had a positive effect on the moody lone wolf artist. Through my travels and my new family overseas, I experienced first-hand how music is the fabric of life, weaving society together, music and community is life. So, I wanted to start creating something that added to that feeling, something collaborative, celebratory and communal.”

The result of these experiences are projected in Aslan Dub System Vol. 1. Stott describes, “I found a renewed passion to create more music with a positive outward looking sound. I am much more interested now in connecting with people globally thru music instead of looking more inward as a studio artist. The sound that is coming out of this new project is sunny, positive and inclusive. I feel more than ever that music is a key to understanding and compassion and we really need that in the world now. I am committed more than ever to bring a positive global vibe to my fans and new audiences.” The project is also debuting on Stott’s new imprint Embarka Records, which will release Stott’s music and the artists he collaborates through the World is Sound project all with an emphasis on global bass music from around the world.

The debut EP Aslan Dub System Vol. 1 is aptly titled as “Aslan” means “Lion” in Turkish and “dub system” is a nod to Jamaican sound system culture. On the five diverse bass music tracks on Aslan Dub System Vol 1.  Stott enlists a talented cast of musicians who join him including Will Magid on trumpet, best known for his work as Balkan Bump signed to Gramatik’s Lowtemp label, Morgan Nilsen on clarinet from La Misa Negra, Inspector Gadje, and Latin American percussionist Vincent de Jesus. Each track has its own unique style, whether it’s the Balkan bass tunes of “Balkan Beach” or “Jelem Cantina” to the old school drum & bass roller “Ready For This” to the electro cumbia dub of “Soñar (to dream)” or the Burning Man festival inspired opener “Yemaya.”

Stott concludes, “I’m excited and grateful to be releasing this music. I hope to continue growing as an artist through these collaborations, using my resources to help other artists release their work on the new Embarka Label and to continue traveling and connecting with people through the World is Sound video series and through more Aslan based musical projects and collaborations. We as artists and citizens need to keep seeking to come together, to find common ground and shared experiences. Pulling back into our safe zones of nationalism is not the way forward. Music is the unifier and the way forward.”

Bassist Stanley Clarke Releases "The Message" Featuring Guests Musicians

45 years after his album debut, four-time Grammy® Award-winning bassist Stanley Clarke shows he is still unapproachable on both the electric and acoustic, wielding a vision of fusion and funk, breakbeats and bass-interpreted cello suites with a little help from friends like rapper/beatboxer Doug E. Fresh and trumpeter Mark Isham. Backed by a young versatile band and a collection of tunes written in the midst of a tumultuous tour of Europe, The Message (available June 29 via Mack Avenue Records) swells with an abundance of strength, soul and astounding musicianship.

“I’m very excited about our work on this album. I wanted to include some of my band members’ contributions and the result is an album that is funky, melodic, musical, contemporary and fresh with a rich multi-genre influence,” Clarke commented. “The guys in this band are consummate young musicians with musical spirits that are very old.”

In 2015 Clarke brought a band through Europe consisting of keyboardists Cameron Graves and Beka Gochiashvili and drummer Mike Mitchell. When a terrorist attack in Tunisia prevented the band from continuing their tour (which was scheduled to go there next), they opted to hunker down in Paris and compose.

“We were in this great hotel and the owner was a fan,” remembers Clarke. “I said, ‘Can you put these three guys in a room where no one can hear them?’ He found a room and after two days, they wrote compositions that reflected their worldview and included their versatility in many different musical genres. A lot of this stuff I would have never written in a million years.”

A few days later the band entered ICP Studios in Belgium and recorded an abundance of material. Clarke returned to his home in Los Angeles with the tapes and began to tinker. “Once I got the raw material, I fleshed it out. My ability is to orchestrate and arrange. I’m very good with taking anything and turning it into something.”

Much of the material from their Paris adventure is collected on this album but the affair opens with a homegrown homage to several soulful great friends that Clarke has lost in the last few years including George Duke, Al Jarreau, Tom Petty, Leon “Ndugu” Chancler and Prince. Clarke slaps out a funky riff for “And Ya Know We’re Missing You” while renowned beatboxer Doug E. Fresh lays down an intrepid beat. A rare pairing that seems instinctual upon first listen.

“After the Cosmic Rain/Dance of the Planetary Prince” encompasses Clarke’s entire career and is the first on the album from those European sessions. The basis of the tune was written in the early ‘70s for his band Return to Forever, but this time the Planetary Prince is keyboardist Cameron Graves. The young keyboardist, a member of the West Coast Get Down phenomenon, has toured with Clarke for many years. His fleet-fingered tornado is the focal point of the performance. “Cameron played one of the most amazing synthesizer solos I heard in a long time. I had gotten blown out on synthesizer solos from all the fusion days in the ‘70s, but Cameron came up with a warm beautiful solo. One of the best synth solos I’ve heard in 10 or 15 years.” 

Amid the barrage of drums and basses on “The Rugged Truth” is Gochiashvili, a native of Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia, who has toured with Clarke for the past five years. His piano solos in this piece hold a breathless array of eclectic ideas and impeccable technique, integrating seamlessly with Graves’ battalion of keys.

Now 21-years-old, Beka Gochiashvili was an award-winning child jazz piano prodigy and has already performed with many of the jazz greats of our time. He was brought to the US in 2008 with the help of Condoleezza Rice, then Secretary of State and an accomplished pianist herself. Rice brought Gochiashvili to New York to participate in auditions at the Juilliard School and at the Manhattan School of Music. Not surprisingly, he was accepted in both schools. He has released two of his own albums, the most recent of which is Beck Logic Project: Chillin’ in Batums.

“Heavy, heavy heavy,” says Clarke with a smile speaking of Gochiashvili. “Beka is a tremendous solo pianist, who I predict one day will be as influential as Keith Jarrett. He is truly a hard worker and dedicated musician. I’m very impressed with him.”

The recognizable voice of Steve Blum narrates “Combat Continuum,” an 8-bit fusion fantasy that steps back beyond the galaxy and into a realm that burns with energy.

In a band full of powerhouses, young Texan drummer Mike Mitchell stands out as an incredible force. “He’s probably one of the most energetic drum geniuses that I have ever played with. I’ve never seen a guy that is so creative with drums. If he continues down this path, he could very easily be a Tony Williams or Elvin Jones,” says Clarke.

“The Message” and Bach’s “Cello Suites, No. 1” are two sides of the same coin for Clarke. He is as at home with the electric bass as he is with the upright. But they are still worlds apart. Here he ties them with an empathetic feel, virtuosic but controlled. “The Bach cello suite is like a serious thing to attempt. It’s a hard piece. I do it in the same key as the cello. I don’t change it to suit the bass or make it easier. I worked out the fingering and I’m just trying to make it sound pretty.”

The slow groove of “Lost In A World” is a laidback duet between vocalists Skeyler Kole and Trevor Wesley. Tight harmonies and Gochiashvili’s dreamy piano carry the tune on a cloud while “Alternative Facts” burns that same piano to the ground. The band is playful but centered. Gochiashvili shows off his acoustic chops with startling clarity and control.

“The Legend of Abbas and the Sacred Talisman” is a calming meditation from Clarke on upright bass and Gochiashvili’s piano. They dreamily float on the same wavelength, effortlessly drifting along as though they have played together for decades. The warmth and musicianship is undeniable as the ship points the way home to “Enzo’s Theme,” a track from the European session bolstered by the welcome additions of trumpeter Mark Isham and saxophonist Doug Webb.

The Message is unmistakably a Stanley Clarke record. Five decades of unapproachable bass mastery doesn’t come easy and Clarke has no interest in relinquishing his throne. Propelled by the youthfulness of his bandmates, Clarke reaches even deeper into his bag of tricks for an incredibly satisfying listen.

“Our message is simple. It is a message of love. There is nothing really profound about our message. It’s just love. A lot of artists have said it in their own way. This is ours.”

The Stanley Clarke Band · The Message

Mack Avenue Records · Release Date: June 29, 2018

MYSTIC BOWIE'S TALKING DREADS FEATURING REGGAE VERSIONS OF TALKING HEADS HITS AND MORE SET FOR RELEASE

MYSTIC BOWIE'S TALKING DREADS will release its debut single, "Once In A Lifetime," tomorrow -- Friday, May 4 -- on iTunes, Amazon, and all digital retailers. The release of the full length debut album titled MYSTIC BOWIE'S TALKING DREADS, will feature reggae spins on classic Talking Heads songs, due June 15. In conjunction with the album release, the group will hit the road with U.S. tour dates starting May 24 in Buffalo, New York through September 2 in Salisbury, MA (with additional dates to be announced).

  

The Talking Dreads album will feature a lineup of legendary reggae figures including singer Freddie McGregor; ska guitar master Ernest Ranglin (Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff and Monty Alexander); Soul Train Award nominated Tarrus Riley ("Start Anew," "Good Girl Gone Bad"); and saxophone great Dean Fraser. The album also includes drummer Kirk Bennett and Lincoln Thomas, McGregor's longtime guitarist. Cindy Wilson of the B-52s special guests on a duet with Mystic for "Heaven."

As a former member of the Tom Tom Club, a band that included former Talking Heads founders Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth, Mystic Bowie infuses fresh life into Talking Heads' classic catalog with his high octane mix of roots reggae, ska and lover's rock.

The album will include 11 Talking Heads songs with Mystic's own unique, Jamaica-fied spin; plus two additional tracks, including:  "Love Goes to Building On Fire," "Slippery People" (Feat. Tarrus Riley):  "Burning Down The House," "Houses In Motion," "This Must Be The Place," "Once In A Lifetime," "Pulled Up," "Life During Wartime" (Feat. Freddie McGregor); "Crosseyed And Painless;"  Grateful Dead's "Shakedown Street," "Psycho Killer," "Piece of My Heart," "Heaven" (Feat. Cindy Wilson). 

Says Salon of a recent Talking Dreads live performance:  "Talking Dreads covers Talking Heads songs as shimmering one-drop reggae jewels…swapping out urbanity for roots and sincerity."

Since introducing his musically revolutionary Talking Dreads project at the High Times Music Festival in Negril in 2015, the Jamaican-born singer has performed at more than 100 shows across North America – spinning the heads of initially skeptical Talking Heads fans, and getting everyone grooving along to the rhythms and jubilant spirit of his native island.

Mystic's close personal and professional relationship with Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth began when he joined the Tom Tom Club as a singer in 1996. He appeared on their 2000 album THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE FUNKY and performed with them for nearly 20 years.

MYSTIC BOWIE'S TALKING DREADS current U.S. tour dates are below:

5/24/18 / Buffalo Iron Works / Buffalo, NY

5/25/18 / Jackson Downtown Summer Concert Series / Jackson, MI

5/26/18 / Vegetable Buddies / South Bend, IN

5/27/18 / Dark Star Jubilee / Thornville, OH

6/1/18 / Ocean Mist / South Kingstown, RI

6/15/18 / The Warehouse at FTC / Fairfield, CT

6/20/18 / Brooklyn Bowl / Brooklyn, NY

6/22/18 / Milkboy / Philadelphia, PA

6/28/18 / Koru Beach Klub / Avon, NC

6/29/18 / Motorco Music Hall / Durham, NC

6/30/18 / Grey Eagle Tavern / Asheville, NC

7/6/18 / Flying Monkey / Plymouth, NH

7/7/18 / The Cabot / Beverly, MA

7/14/18 / Road Jam Music Fest / Gilford, NH

7/21/18 / Bearsville Theater / Woodstock, NY         

7/27/18 / Wonder Bar / Asbury Park, NJ

8/1/18 / Fountain Square / Cincinnati, OH

8/4/18 / Moon Dancer Winery Music Festival / Wrightsville, PA

8/7/18 / Cervantes / Denver, CO          

8/11/18 / Volcanic Theatre, Bend, OR        

8/17/18 / Elks Lodge, Grass Valley, CA               

8/18/18 / Michael David Winery Festival, Lodi, CA               

8/19/18 / Sweetwater Music Hall, Mill Valley, CA         

9/2/18 / Surfside Salisbury, Salisbury, MA

NEW RELEASES: RICHARD KOECHLI – PARCOURS; DENNY ZEITLIN – WISHING ON THE MOON; ROMAN FILIU - QUARTERIA

RICHARD KOECHLI & A BLUE ROOTS COMPANY - PARCOURS

New album from Award-winning Slideguitar player Richard Koechli. 79 minutes of finest Roots-Music; not just Blues, but footprints of Soul, Jazz, Pop, Folk & Rock. However, a seductive balance of rhythmic contrasts, melodiousness and relaxed unobtrusiveness holds everything together – in a way that reminds us of laid-back masters such as J. J. Cale. 16 new songs, a wonderfully dynamic band – and Koechli's voice, which has found its home somewhere between intimate Folk singing and soulful Blues power. What Guido Schmidt (Founder of Lucerne Blues Festival) says about Koechli: «Brilliantly delivered original compositions, deeply rooted in traditional blues, Richard Koechli bows before the legends and gets every bluesloving soul moving. If it weren't for the few songs written in Swissdialect, no one would ever come to the conclusion that this exceptional celebration of sounds from the motherland of the blues is being delivered by someone from along the Reuss River in Lucerne. Koechli impressively proves why he is considered to be one of Europe s leading blues and slide guitarists. From a musical point of view, it doesn't even matter what the name of the river in Lucerne is...»

DENNY ZEITLIN – WISHING ON THE MOON

Pianist Denny Zeitlin never fails to make us smile – and on an album like this, recorded many years after he first brought a new brightness to the world of jazz piano, we're still amazed at how he can unlock so many special moments with effortless ease! Zeitlin's always completely himself, but also never overstating his identity – just casually sliding into these note structures that are as appealing and optimistic as they are fresh – modernism, but from the brighter side of the sun – aided by the work of Buster Williams on bass and Matt Wilson on drums. Titles include the originals "There & Back", "Signs & Wonders", "Wishing On The Moon", and "Slickrock" – plus "All Of You" and "Put Your Little Foot Right Out". ~ Dusty Groove

ROMAN FILIU - QUARTERIA

An album of nervous rhythms and angular edges – and a set that seems to make the most of the tonal interplay between the alto of Roman Filiu, the tenor of Dayna Stephens, and trumpet of Ralph Alessi – all painted in these nicely dark colors by the piano of David Virelles! The album finds ways to swing that are quite unconventional – often building up the rhythms in blocks of sound that come as much from the horns as they do from the drums of Craig Weinrib, bass of Matt Brewer, and percussion of Yusnier Sanchez – on a set of Filiu compositions that include "Harina Con Arena", "Choiral", "Danza #5", "Fulcanelli", "Grass", "Imperator", and "For Horns & Bells". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: LOGAN RICHARDSON – BLUES PEOPLE; TOO SLOW TO DISCO BRASIL – COMPILED BY ED MOTTA; PETER BRONTZMANN & FRED LONBERG-HOLM - OUROBOROS

LOGAN RICHARDSON – BLUES PEOPLE

Logan Richardson's really on fire here – sounding a bit different than any of his previous records, but equally creative overall! The set's got an unusual format – two guitars and electric bass dominate the middle, with heavy drums from Ryan Lee, and these very openly-blown alto parts from Richardson – sometimes as textural waves of sound, sometimes sharp and pointed, and always up to the challenges of the shifting scapes of the styles! There's a fair bit of darkness in the mix – maybe similar to some of the brooding instrumental funk of Meshell N'Degeocello – and the heavy use of guitar might be seen as a nod to the blues roots hinted at by the title – but the overall sound is very different. Titles include "The Settlement", "With You", "Uraban Life", "Pure Change", "Class Wars", "Underground", "Country Boy", "Hunter Of Soul", and "80s Child". ~  Dusty Groove

TOO SLOW TO DISCO BRASIL – COMPILED BY ED MOTTA

This very hip series just got a whole lot hipper – thanks to the selection talents of Brazilian soul legend Ed Motta – who serves up a huge host of rare tracks from Brazil! Ed's always had a deep love of the AOR sound of the 70s – and he's not only a great soul singer on his own records, but also a hell of a record collector too – one whose knowledge of rare grooves goes way beyond most other folks we've ever met! This set opens up a huge amount of Brazilian soul we'd never heard before – music that takes off from the late 70s territory of Azimuth and Banda Black Rio, and soars with sweet jazzy grooves that are completely sublime – most from the 80s, and most by artists who've never gotten their due on the reissue market. Killer all the way through – with titles that include "Pra Voce" by Carlinhos & Soninha Querioz, "Acordes E Sementes" by Gelso Oliveira & Luiz Ewerling, "Joia Rara" by Brylho, "Rota Mar" by Zeca Do Trombone, "Clarear" by Roupa Nova, "Quero Pouco Quero Muito" by Filo Machado, "Guarde Minha Voz" by Sandra Sa, "Debora" by Altay Veloso, "Copacabana Suite" by Junior Mendes, "Renascendo En Mim"b y Don Beto, "Toda Manha Brilha O Sol" by Lucinha Turnbull, "Coisas Do Brasil" by Guilerhmes Arantes, "Mare" by Carlos Bivar, "Leao Ferido" by Biafra, "Mais Uma Chance" by Santa Cruz, "Rio Best Seller" by Cassiano, and "Se Eu Te Pego De Jeito" by Jane Duboc. (Includes download!)  ~ Dusty Groove

PETER BRONTZMANN & FRED LONBERG-HOLM - OUROBOROS

An album of beautiful tones and textures – and a set that has these two different improvisers really finding some great space together! The theme here isn't compromise, but exploration – as Brotzmann reminds us what again what a multi-faceted saxophonist he can be – finding ways to mix his reed work with the stringed instruments and electronics of Fred Lonberg-Holm – who himself is really ready to go into some of the bolder places that the saxophonist can explore! Perhaps most impressive is the way that the album can shift focus within a single improvisation, sometimes leaving us to wonder which sound is coming from which musician – on titles that include "The Circle", "The Figure Eight", "The Spiral", and "The Fusion Of Opposites". ~ Dusty Groove

Two-time Grammy–winning composer and saxophonist Ted Nash releases his first live recording in over 25 years

Two-time Grammy–winning composer and saxophonist Ted Nash releases his first live recording in over 25 years. Known for his highly-acclaimed works (Presidential Suite, Chakra, Portrait in Seven Shades) this much anticipated release provides an opportunity for Nash to share his improvisational side. His inspired solos are impassioned and interactive. On this album he finds new areas of expression that will excite and move you.

These three nights at Dizzy’s were electric for me. I think you’ll hear in it the combination of great players, with history letting loose on music that has grown with me over the course of my career. On this album we share not just a night of music but the history of collaboration.

It was a wonderful opportunity to make music again with many of my favorite musicians. I have known Rufus Reid since I was 24, when we recorded an album featuring my mother and father (which never was released). Rufus always plays with tremendous instinct and flexibility and brings decades of experience to the music. Rufus appeared on my Mancini Project album (Palmetto).

I first met Matt Wilson when I was 18 and he 14, when I came to Rock Island, Illinois to play with Louie Bellson’s quartet. Of course I had no idea the skinny teenager I met that night would become one of jazz’s greatest contributors, appearing on more than 250 recordings. Matt has played on several of my albums, including Sidewalk Meeting, Still Evolved, La Espada de la Noche, In the Loop, and The Mancini Project.

This is the second time Warren Wolf and I have played in a quintet at Dizzy’s together. He is one of the most consistently killing vibraphonists I have heard; at once fiery and cool. He is also one of the most melodic players – on any instrument. I have always had a connection with the vibes, as my jazz teacher was the great vibraphonist Charlie Shoemake, with whom I also played my first small band gigs, at the long-gone Donte’s in Los Angeles.

I have known Gary Versace for years, hearing him with many great ensembles, and have always wanted the chance to play in a small group with him. I got that chance, and the experience is something I will never forget. The moments he found on Emily, for example (which we played as a clarinet and piano duo) were rich, inspiring and truly original. I feel Gary is on the cusp of being acknowledged as one of piano’s superstars.

This performance was also a chance to revisit a couple original compositions in an entirely new context, and re-explore music by some of my favorite composers: Chick Corea, Thelonious Monk, Herbie Nichols, Johnny Mandel, and Henry Mancini.

Dave Damiani & The No Vacancy Orchestra make once-old things fresh and new on Bending the Standard

Dave Damiani is an American singer, songwriter, producer based out of Los Angeles, CA. Having started as a bartender at the famed CHARLIE O'S JAZZ CLUB in Valley Village, CA, Dave Damiani had the opportunity to work, learn and become friends with some of the best musicians on the planet. Legends like Earl Palmer, Marty Harris, Ross Tompkins, Sam Most, Teddy Edwards, John Heard, Roy McCurdy, Frank Capp, Ernie McDaniel, Dini Clarke, Danny Grissett, George Gaffney, Mark Murphy, and Richie Cole (just to name a few) took time to mentor Dave Damiani, share stories and chord changes.

Shortly after receiving his master's degree in Commercial Music from the California State University in Los Angeles, Dave began his pursuit to put together the perfect band with youth and style.  His debut album "Watch What Happens" has been receiving worldwide airplay. Brad "Martini" Chambers was the first to discover Dave Damiani's originality.  Brad has been playing him constantly on www.martiniinthemorning.com since 2013. Additionally, receiving airplay on over 300 radio stations and on Satellite Radio XM 71 (Siriusly Sinatra). In January Dave Damiani hosted his own hour on Sirius XM Siriuisly Sinatra #71, while hosting his good friend and New Jersey brother Joe Piscopo swung the studio say, “hi”!

Dave Damiani & The No Vacancy Orchestra have produced shows with Frank Sinatra Enterprises, The Grove, Citi, Capital One, American Airlines, Jack Daniels, George Benson, Molly Ringwald, Bobby Ridel, Landau Murphy Jr., Hailey Reinhart, Renee Olstead, Steve Tyrel, Larry King.

With the release of their captivatingly titled debut album Bending the Standard: The Anthology, Dave Damiani & The No Vacancy Orchestra make once-old things fresh and new, turn tradition into timelessness and transform the musical masterpieces of eras gone by into suddenly hip, relevant and vibrant expressions of our current American moment. Led by visionary Los Angeles based singer, songwriter, arranger, producer and bandleader Dave Damiani, the contemporary big band ensemble - known for years as "L.A.'s premiere event band" - offers an expansive, 18-track set of artfully re-imagined Songbook standards. Little covered pop rarities, colorful lyrical re-workings of Sinatra-associated treasures and a handful of Damiani originals that vibe seamlessly with the more familiar tunes.

The collection's lead single is a brisk, Latin-flavored stroll through "Come Fly With Me" that showcases the band's bright, brassy immediacy and the singer's slyly snappy phrasing. The track also features the pulsing foundation of legendary jazz drummer Peter Erskine.

As one of the city's premier jazz multi-talents, Damiani has worked with and produced a wide array of popular artists. One of the ways he enjoys Bending the Standard is inviting well known musical friends to the party.

Dave creates transcendent duets with contemporary jazz singer Spencer Day ("Please Be Kind"), "The Voice" alum and Postmodern Jukebox member Maiya Sykes ("Wives & Lovers") and America's Got Talent Season 6 winner Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr. ("East of the Sun - And West of the Moon").

Damiani takes the Quincy Jones arranger/producer role on "Bye Bye Blackbird" (featuring Renee Olstead on vocals) and "Come Home To West Virginia," a showcase for Murphy's extraordinary vocal talents. Dave Damiani & Alex Frank - penned a tribute to Murphy's home state was used to raise over $1.5 million to help regional flood victims in 2016.

In addition to putting his unique stamp on Sinatra affiliated songs like "Taking a Chance on Love," "(How Little It Matters) How Little We Know," "That's All" and "On the Sunny Side of the Street," Damiani & Frank cleverly and humorously refashions the lyrics to "The Tender Trap" ("The Tinder App") and "Come Fly With Me (LA Version)," which pays homage to the city's quirky personalities, sports teams, culinary delights and hangouts. This track is one of several on Bending the Standard to spotlight remarkable American locales.

"Manhattan" begins with the orchestra swinging on "New York, New York" before the singer romps through Rodgers and Hart's "We'll Take Manhattan," complete with a riff on the end that includes a "Hamilton" reference.

"It's Pure AC - Atlantic City" is an ode to the famed city and deep musical history, centered around the historic 500 club, where Martin & Lewis got their start and legends like Frank, Nat and Elvis once held court.

Of course, the first person we think of when we hear Damiani sing the soaring words of "Come Fly With Me" is Ol' Blue Eyes, but he's earned praise and endorsement of the Sinatra family precisely because he doesn't try to, as he says, "be Frank or imitate him in any way, but pay homage" by finding deeper historical and emotional reasons for recording songs indelibly connected to him.

Damiani's music, including tracks from his previous solo albums Watch What Happens (2013) and Midlife Crisis (2015), has been a staple these past years on Siriusly Sinatra, a pop standards-oriented channel (71) on Sirius XM Radio. He has both hosted the weekly segment "Playing Favorites" and was featured on the show with special guest, comedian Joe Piscopo.

Over the years, Damiani & The No Vacancy Orchestra have performed for CBS's hit show Vegas starring Michael Chiklis & Dennis Quaid, The Sinatra 100 Celebration with George Benson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Larry King (60th Anniversary in show business), Tommy Lasorda (90th Birthday party), Ryan Seacrest, Gene Simmons, David Spade, David Hasselhoff, Jack Klugman, CBS Television, Rupert Murdoch (engagement party at the Wynn Hotel), FOX Television, Wolfgang Puck, Oliver Stone, Ridley Scott, The Beverly Hills Hotel, The Four Seasons, The Ritz Carlton and many other celebrities and legendary entities.

Dave Damiani & the No Vacancy Orchestra will be touring in the Summer of 2018, kicking off July in Atlantic City. Their tour will include performances at Birdland in NYC, Bethesda Blues & Jazz (Bethesda, MD), The Blue Room at the Waldorf Astoria in New Orleans and the Hard Rock in Biloxi, MS.

Bass Legend Jeff Berlin To Release 30th Anniversary Edition 12-inch Vinyl “Joe Frazier - Round 3” Feat. Steve Vai & David Sancious

Joe Frazier - Round 3 smokes because the players are smoking. They took a wonderful piece of music and lit a fuse under it! - Jeff Berlin

Legendary bassist Jeff Berlin will be releasing on May 11th a 30th Anniversary Edition 12-inch vinyl of his signature song “Joe Frazier.” The EP “Joe Frazier - Round 3” will include a newly remastered version of the original song from his critically acclaimed 1987 album “Pump It!” and a completely re-imagined version, composed and performed by Jeff, Steve Vai (lead guitar), David Sancious (keys), Keith Carlock (drums) and Tom Hemby (rhythm guitar). This limited-edition EP will be available as signed audiophile vinyl, signed CD, or digital release, with collector's editions including an autographed chart of the new arrangement. Digital “mix minus” tracks of the single will also be offered so you can play along with these iconic musicians.

Says Jeff, “'Joe Frazier' is a song that has remained with me throughout my career. No matter where I am in the world, people ask to hear this song. 2017 marks the 30th anniversary of the rendition that I recorded on my second solo record, 'Pump It!' While chatting about the tune with producer John McCracken, we thought to come up with a new version, calling it 'Joe Frazier - Round 3.' For me, this new song is almost entirely different from the previous two renditions and, quite honestly, I think that this is one of the best tunes I ever wrote.”

Musicians:

Bass and Keyboards: Jeff Berlin

Guitar Solo: Steve Vai

Additional Keyboards: David Sancious

Drums: Keith Carlock

Rhythm Guitars: Tom Hemby

Shakers: Gabriela Sinagra

Says Jeff, “Steve Vai's guitar solo was searing. He showed why he is one of the greatest of the great guitarists in the world. David Sancious' keyboards put color and style into JF. The man is a legend and helped to put the 'orchestra' into 'Joe Frazier.' Keith Carlock’s drumming is like a train clicking down the tracks. He instantly grabbed the quarter note and never let it go for over seven minutes of musical percolating. Tom Hemby is one of Nashville's top studio guitarists. But on 'Joe Frazier,' he sounded like the guitarist for James Brown and AC/DC.”

Geoffrey Keezer Returns to Piano Trio with On My Way to You

Geoffrey Keezer’s peers and elders have considered him a master of the piano trio function since he burst on the scene as a 17-year-old wunderkind in 1988, when he made the first of 22 albums as a leader or co-leader. Surprisingly, Keezer has devoted few of those dates to the piano-bass-drums format, as he does on his latest, the self-released On My Way to You, serving as a major contribution to the idiom.

Throughout the dazzlingly intense proceedings, Keezer upholds a remark Christian McBride made in 2005 on the occasion of Keezer’s previous trio recording, Wildcrafted: Live At The Dakota: “Of all the pianists from our generation, Geoffrey is the one I always have to listen to twice,” McBride told DownBeat. “I’m not always sure it’s him, because he never repeats himself. Technically, I don’t believe there’s anything on the piano he can’t play. And in terms of interpretation, he comes up with the most brilliant ideas that you could ever think of.”

For On My Way to You, Keezer convened bassist Mike Pope, a member of his sparkling co-led quartet with vibraphone master Joe Locke, and drummer Lee Pearson, his bandmate in Chris Botti’s high-profile group for many years. They perform on nine selections, five of them with the individualistic, communicative singer Gillian Margot, whose last album, Black Butterfly, inspired the L.A. Jazz Weekly to remark that “her honey-toned voice delivers hints of a young Aretha Franklin.” That vibration comes through on the penultimate track, a Keezer-Margot duo on Ewan MacColl's “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” before Keezer concludes with solo ruminations on the Beatles’ “Across The Universe,” then summons the trio to join him on John Lennon’s “Give Peace A Chance.”

Throughout the proceedings, Keezer applies his formidable technique, harmonic knowledge, rhythmic ingenuity, abiding soulfulness, and rigorous logic to conjure fresh approaches to new and old standards and several originals. Stevie Wonder’s “These Three Words,” a gospel-influenced pop ballad written for the soundtrack of Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever, is addressed as a 3/4 waltz. Keezer drew on John Coltrane’s anthemic “Dear Lord” as inspiration for the double-time swing feel he superimposes on Jimi Hendrix’s psychedelic ballad, “May This Be Love,” from the 1967 album Are You Experienced?.

Keezer interpolates a plugged-in nod to Miles Davis’ early ‘70s funk-jazz hit “On The Corner” in the middle section of his quirky, irreverent arrangement of Thelonious Monk’s “Brilliant Corners,” and then, over a drum'n'bass beat, uncorks a turbulent, precise piano solo that never strays far from the melody. He slows the pace on a highly reharmonized, phantasmagoric treatment of the oft-played American Songbook chestnut “All The Things You Are,” gradually building a steamy groove that propels a transition into Earth, Wind and Fire’s “Serpentine Fire.”

On the collaborations with Margot, Keezer touches on elements of love, longing and desire. As an example, consider how Keezer’s nuanced touch complements Margot as they navigate the ascendant arc of “Red Leaf,” an elegiac, affirmative song on which he collaborated with author Michael Perry, a fellow Wisconsin native. Piano and voice achieve an uncanny mind-meld on the co-composed “You Stay With Me” — Margot projects her magnificent contralto to equally compelling effect both when conveying her tender, sensuous lyric and then improvising in dialogue with the piano during the latter section. They also co-wrote the percolating “Guanajuato” (named for the Central Mexican city where they performed a duo concert several years ago), on which the protagonists engage in a protracted, intuitive musical conversation.

“Writing music together with someone is relatively new for me,” Keezer says. “I’ve always been fiercely autonomous as a composer. But I’m at a place now where collaborating is highly productive and rejuvenating.”

Stream Tracks from On My Way to You

Keezer credits the “direct influence” of singer/pianist Shirley Horn on the way he and Margot — complemented by poignant strings — stretch out the tempo and find space between the beats on the title track (a 1988 song by composer Michel Legrand and lyricists Alan and Marilyn Bergman). He describes their duo on “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” as “another chance to explore how much space is possible in music.

“I feel this is my most mature album,” Keezer says. “At least one definition of what it might mean to be mature was to feel I didn’t have to fill up all the space. I learned that lesson playing with people like Jim Hall, who continually, night after night, would ask me to play less and less.”

In everything that he plays herein, Keezer refracts lessons gleaned during the first decade of his career on stints with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, and combos led by Art Farmer, Benny Golson and J.J. Johnson, and the end-of-the-‘90s Ray Brown Trio. On his own early recordings, Keezer convened modern masters like Steve Nelson, Bill Pierce, Donald Harrison, Joshua Redman, Charnett Moffett, Victor Lewis and Billy Higgins to navigate his challenging compositions.

“When I got to New York in the late ’80s, it was the clear mission of the pianists there to play strong and hard, to give it up a thousand percent every time,” Keezer says, summing up his animating principle. “Bands don’t play like that anymore. Music has to change and that’s fine. But even though I’ve lived in California for almost 20 years, I’m coming out of that late ’80s New York piano style for sure.

“I’m not trying to be anything other than just who I am as a musician. I’m comfortable with it. I don’t mean comfortable in the sense of resting on my laurels, or that I’m not interested in improving. I always want to get better. But this feels like the best piano playing I’ve done on record. I think it’s my best album to date.”



Upcoming Geoffrey Keezer Trio Performances:

June 17 / Sam First / Los Angeles, CA

June 27 / The Rex / Toronto, ON

June 28 / The Jazz Room / Waterloo, ON

June 29 & 30 / Rochester Jazz Festival / Rochester, NY

July 7 / The Side Door / Old Lyme, CT

July 8 / South / Philadelphia, PA

September 2 / The Dunsmore Room / Minneapolis, MN

September 5 / Jazz at Five / Madison, WI

October 4 & 5 / Drake University / Des Moines, IA

November 16 / California Jazz Conservatory / Berkeley, CA

November 17 / Sequoia Room / Fort Bragg, CA

Upcoming Geoffrey Keezer Duo Performances:

July 1 - 5 / Mezzrow / New York, NY

July 1: w/ Ingrid Jensen

July 2: w/ Steve Wilson

July 3: w/ Robin Eubanks

July 4: w/ Gillian Margot

July 5: w/ Donny McCaslin

Geoffrey Keezer · On My Way to You

Release Date: June 22, 2018

NEW RELEASES: JAMES BROWN - YOU'VE GOT THE POWER; LEON BRIDGES - GOOD THING; TIM WARFIELD - JAZZLAND

JAMES BROWN - YOU'VE GOT THE POWER

Through the gospel-impassioned fury of his vocals and the complex polyrhythms of his beats, the legendary James Brown became one of the most important figures in the transformation of rhythm & blues into SOUL music. This essential 3-CD collectors edition contains 75 remastered studio tracks, consisting of the fabulous early singles both A & B sides James Brown made for the Federal and King labels, between 1956 and 1962. This is the material upon which Browns kingdom was built. His early repertoire marks one of the most important building blocks of the soul and funk idioms. Highlights include Please, Please, Please, Think, Try Me, Shout and Shimmy, Night Train, I Want You So Bad, It Was You, and the instrumental numbers Cross Firing and the funky Hold It. Browns back-up singer Yvonne Fair is also featured belting out the original version of the worldwide smash I Got You (I Feel Good) titled I Found You. These recordings provide an opportunity to peek in on the still-growing Brown and hear him paying homage to his early influences. R&B balladry, doo wop, gospel and blues are all evident throughout this triple-set. In addition, this collection contains a bonus track from the same period, consisting of the over-looked (Do the) Mashed Potatoes. It was recorded by James Brown and his band in Miami in 1959 and released by the small label Dade Records as a two-part single in 1960. For contractual reasons the recording was credited to Nat Kendrick & The Swans. The foot-tapping rhythms, spine-tingling stylings and sentimental mood renderings so typical of James Browns early performances can all be heard here. All of these sensational sides are a good starting place to explore the constellation of The Godfather of Soul. I

LEON BRIDGES - GOOD THING

A soaring set from Leon Bridges – a full length second album that's every bit as classic as his debut, but in a completely different way! Where Coming Home was maybe Leon's answer to the generation of Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke, Good Thing is more of a nod to the era of Maxwell and D'Angelo – but, as before, coming across with a vibe that's completely Bridges' own – this ebullient, bubblingly soulful quality that's completely sublime – and which has Leon's voice fitting perfectly with the mellow grooving beats, keyboards, and guitar. The singer's voice is maybe even better than before – sure to win over an even new wave of ears – and titles include "If It Feels Good Then It Must Be", "Bet Ain't Worth The Hand", "Bad Bad News", "Shy", "Beyond", "Forgive You", "Lions", "You Don't Know", and "Georgia To Texas". ~ Dusty Groove

TIM WARFIELD - JAZZLAND

Over the course of 69 minutes, this group of mid-career modern masters led by saxophonist Tim Warfield, offers a state-of-the-art view of inspired 21st century groove-focused improvisation. 'Jazzland' is Tim Warfield's ninth Criss Cross album, and his third encounter on the label - following 2007's One For Shirley (Criss 1304) and 2010's Sentimental Journey (Criss 1324) - on which he frames his singular tenor and soprano saxophone sound with the magisterially funky and swinging rhythm section of Hammond B3 master Pat Bianchi, Philadelphian drum titan Byron "Wookie" Landham, augmented - as on Sentimental Journey - by Bronx-born percussion wizard Daniel Sadownick. Trumpet titan Terell Stafford, a frequent Warfield partner, shares the front line. Personnel: Tim Warfield (tenor and soprano saxophone), Terell Stafford (trumpet, flugelhorn), Pat Bianchi (Hammond B3 Organ), Byron Landham (drums), Daniel Sadownick (percussion).