Singer-Songwriter 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, was recently released by Much Prefer Records.

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.

TRACKS

01) Polyester Suit

02) Bucharest, 1913

03) Your Name

04) Madadayo

05) Octopus

06) Meet Me Online

07) Out Of Key

08) Wire

09) Varanasi

10) The Rabbit and the Fallen Sycamore

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.

 

Rogério Boccato Quarteto - No Old Rain Featuring Dan Blake, Nando Michelin & Jay Anderson

"Knowing the rhythmic skills of New York-based Brazilian percussionist Rogerio Boccato, it comes as no surprise that he has become one of the busiest sidemen on the scene. Recording/gigging with big names such as Maria Schneider, Kenny Garrett, John Patitucci, and Fred Hersch allowed him to mature as a musician and further develop his inspired pulses and rhythmic accents . . . For his debut record, No Old Rain, Boccato sought inspiration in the music of four indisputable Brazilian masters - Milton Nascimento, Toninho Horta, Egberto Gismonti, and Edu Lobo, infusing his personal touch with the help of virtuosic saxophonist Dan Blake, bright keyboardist Nando Michelin, and veteran bassist with a silky-tone, Jay Anderson . . . Boccato is a versed stylist of the rhythm, who generously works for the collective. The tunes on No Old Rain take a flow of their own, suggesting stories through the sonic canvas that mirror the quartet's extraordinary rapport and sensitivity, regardless the pace or dynamics. I hope this is the first of many records to come." - Filipe Freitas, JazzTrail.net

"In his elaborately scored soundtrack to his journey back home Mr. Boccato has not only chosen poignant and appropriate to accompany him but he has almost as magically put his re-imagined, almost minimalist impressions in the hands of musicians perfectly in tune with his own artistry and vision. A disc to die absolutely for..."

- Raul da Gama, JazzDaGama.com

  

When he moved from São Paulo to NYC in 2005, Brazilian percussionist Rogério Boccato could not have imagined he would end up on stage and on Grammy-winning recordings with some of his musical heroes: John Patitucci, Maria Schneider, Kenny Garrett, Fred Hersch, Danilo Perez, Billy Childs, Gil Goldstein, among others.

Now leading his own group, Rogério arrives at yet another milestone: the release of his debut recording as a leader, No Old Rain. With his quartet, Rogério breaks out of the traditional jazz mold, collectively weaving form and structure out of the disparate threads of each member's creative input, using motifs from each song as springboards for spontaneous group compositions. The result of this open- eared deconstruction is a reverent, impressionistic vision of each song. The album is a warmly-colored Brazilian Rorschach test viewed through a much-loved second-hand kaleidoscope.

No Old Rain focuses on gems of Brazilian music excavated from the source - written by four of the greatest composers of the post-Bossa Nova generation, who took Brazilian music into new directions: Toninho Horta, Milton Nascimento, Egberto Gismonti and Edu Lobo. Just as their music could have only come from Brazil in the late 20th century, No Old Rain is the seemingly inevitable result of Rogério Boccato's thirteen years in New York.

  

 

If You Choose to Accept It: Makrú, San Francisco’s Sonic Nomads, Want You to Find Tu Mission

Wayfaring musician Raúl Vargas got a tip from a fellow Spaniard he crossed paths with in Sydney, Australia: He had to go to San Francisco, and he had to check out the international hostel in the Mission District. Vargas, who spent years traveling after playing music and cooking professionally in Madrid, was game.

A few weeks later, he landed, got to the hostel, and knew it. He had found his place. That was where Vargas met bassist Vinicio Peñate which led to the birth of Makrú.

Sixteen years passed, and a lot has changed, but Vargas and the band he founded in 2008, Makrú, are still loud and proud and freethinking as ever. On Tu Mission, the five-strong group blends everything from reggae to rumba flamenca to ska in songs designed to spark change and connect listeners to the spirit of the place that inspired the project.

“Message is as important as the music on this album,” Vargas explains. “It doesn’t have to be openly political. In general when I write, a song’s message could be silly or really serious and important. I picked songs for this new album that create missions for people, ways they can hopefully help to improve their lives and surroundings, even in small ways. I decided to do fewer songs but have them be much stronger in this purpose.”

Songs beckon listeners to harken to nature’s beauty (the rolling, rainforest-inspired “Palabras”), to connect with their personal source of happiness and peace (“Cloud”), to call for open borders and free movement (the punchy brass-powered reggae ska anthem of “Nómadas Opción”).

As sonic nomads, Makrú lets songs take on whatever style or color they need to make their point. “I may write a rumba or a ska for one song, the next song will be likely something completely different,” Vargas reflects. “I don’t really have a niche that way, and we add new instruments or sounds or influences that fit the conscious message.”

Makrú grew out of a uniquely Bay Area creative endeavor, La Malamaña. Vargas settled in the Mission and got to know fellow Spanish-speakers from around the Latin world, including Peñate. The experience made him rethink his own roots, and he went from listening to mostly Anglophone rock to diving into music from Spain and Latin America.

“We were hanging around, all these Latino and Latina friends, eight people from seven countries. We want to start a project, but we don’t know what we’re doing,” Vargas recalls with a laugh. “The group had so much talent, with dancers, actors, and musicians. We decided to do three different arts combined into one project. It was unique every time, dancing on stilts and juggling fire.”

Along with the performance art came wild, upbeat music. “My fellow artists encouraged me to bring more Spanish flavor to the music, so I started writing music for it,” Vargas says. “We had this mix from Venezuela, Cuba, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Spain and Argentina, and I really loved playing around with it.” The mix of pan-Latin music and art was pretty unique for the Bay Area and eventually won the group gigs at major local venues.

Makrú spun off from La Malamaña, keeping its wide-ranging but Latin-centric heart. The group’s sound emerged gradually: “The music I was writing and that I keep writing, makes the most of all the places I’ve been and where I’m from,” says Vargas. “It’s also drawing on the diverse experience from the band members.” North American guitarist Bob Sanders, Colombian singer and vihuela player Jenny Rodriguez, and Turkish violinist and oud player Haluk Kecelioglu bring their own musical ideas to Makrú. The diversity in sonic and geographic origins has sparked a united sense of urgency and hope, as Peñate explains. “We put our own sources of inspiration and energy into our music,” he says. “Some of the lyrics in ‘Where you wanna be’ are like a mantra to me. ‘Embrace the world / And fight until you are gone.’ I want to live by that.”

Though calling for listeners to find their personal mission, big or small, many of the songs are wonderfully fanciful. The dreamy quality of “Cloud” Vargas decided to magnify with a floaty clarinet line. “Palabras” was written on a laidback day in the Costa Rican rainforest, when the sounds and sensations of nature overwhelmed Vargas, who started jotting down individual words to capture sweet and sour interaction between humans and nature.

Another feeling that guides Tu Mission is the band’s birthplace, the infamously bohemian neighborhood that has faced an onslaught of change and gentrification. Vargas chronicles the eviction woes of a long-term resident on “Tu Mission,” who looks around and sees the places he loved have disappeared. Though Vargas still lives in the Mission, “the place I wanted to stay sixteen years ago is very different now. The bohemian artist vibe is being pushed out by the tech community. Those two worlds have a tough time merging,” he notes. “San Francisco has always been changing, sometimes really dramatically, and I think by highlighting the stories and considering our roles in it, we can find new connections and a better way to be in our community.”

No matter where you are, however, “Our mission is to be aware and to get involved in what is happening around us,” muses Vargas. “We all need to prioritize our goals, dreams, and wellbeing as well as those of our community…We want listeners to reflect on what is important,” and to get moving, be it on the dancefloor or in their lives.

New Releases: Paolo Marini Latin Jazz Combo – Soul Of Tumbao; Michael Alan – Distant Worlds; Uziel Colon - Intersections

Paolo Marini Latin Jazz Combo – Soul Of Tumbao

A sweet little session of Latin jazz – one that begins with an instrumental cover of a great soul tune by Omar – then only gets better as things go on! Percussionist Paolo Marini is at the helm of the ensemble – but he almost always has a tight blend of trumpet and trombone in the lead, crafting these lines that are richly jazzy, and serve to bring lots of soulful currents to the music – maybe following a more contemporary take on classic meetings of Latin and jazz you might have heard on Verve Records in the 60s. Titles include "There's Nothing Like This", "Prince Of Peace", "Moanin", "Overjoyed", "Spain", "Good Morning World", and "At Sunset". ~ Dusty Groove

Michael Alan – Distant Worlds

Drawing from his diverse resume as a sound designer, mixing and mastering engineer, producer and gigging saxophonist in R&B, Rock, Jazz and Latin ensembles, Michael Alan’s debut Distant World’s is one of the most melodically compelling, stylistically eclectic Smooth Jazz albums of the year. While his tech skills translate to the dynamic use of synth, loops, keyboards and drum samples, Alan makes this a showcase for his alternately fiery and heartfelt sax playing, as well as his soulful, perfectly placed flute and EWI performances. Among the vibrant originals are a couple of irresistible covers and a sultry piece featuring Marie Veillard singing in French. You don’t have to travel to Distant World’s to enjoy the future of Smooth Jazz!  ~ smoothjazz.com

Uziel Colon - Intersections

Uziel Colon is a pianist and composer whose remarkable talent has earned him a name as a prominent musician in the Boston and Los Angeles area. His new album is out and the first single is called Intersections, which he describes: "Rhythms from South America meet the sounds of Classical Rondo form; where the Candombe and Samba styles of rhythm meet Mozart." His talent ranges from brilliant piano improvisations in Latin jazz to commercial pop, from contagious rhythms of salsa to the soulful sounds of gospel. Uziel has performed and recorded with the likes of Abraham Laboriel, Eguie Castrillo, Victor Mendoza, Marc Quiñones, Paoli Mejias, Oskar Cartaya, Greg Hopkins and Humberto Ramirez, among others. He has also performed at exceptional events and places such as The Heineken JazzFest in Puerto Rico, The Beantown Jazz Fest in Boston, MA, CJW in Beijing, China and the MadaJazzcar Festival in Madagascar, Africa.

GIG is the brainchild of a trio of legendary music-makers Randy Goodrum, Dave Innis and Bruce Gaitsch (hence GIG from their last names)

Singer-songwriter Randy Goodrum has written or co-written countless hits, including “You Needed Me” for Anne Murray, “Who's Holding Donna Now” for El DeBarge, “Oh Sherrie” for Steve Perry and “I'll Be Over You” for Toto, to name just a few. Goodrum is also half of the renowned quality pop duo JaR, along with ace producer, songwriter and guitar player Jay Graydon.

  

Bruce Gaitsch is an extraordinary songwriter, guitarist and top session player who has performed and/or recorded with dozen of major acts, including Chicago, Celine Dion, Elton John, Amy Grant and Peter Cetera. Gaitsch has also co-penned big hits like “La Isla Bonita” for Madonna and “Don't Mean Nothing” with his old friend Richard Marx. 

Dave Innis is one of the founding members of the successful country-pop group Restless Heart. He is also a successful songwriter and keyboard player, having penned and co-written hits for a number of world-class artists, including The Pointer Sisters, Peter Cetera, Lee Greenwood and Kenny Rogers, among others.

  

GIG is a special project that started out in 2013 and continued to 2015. The basic musical tracks were mostly co-written by Gaitsch and Innis. Eventually, Goodrum added his golden touch by writing smart lyrics and providing ear-candy melodies. The songs were recorded by Gaitsch on acoustic and electric guitars and Innis on keyboards. An all-star cast rounded out the productions, including fabulous drummers like Keith Carlock of Toto and Steely Dan fame, Dan Needham who backed up stars like Michael McDonald and Marc Broussard, Billy Ward who was a drummer for Bill Champlin and Marc Jordan, plus Suzanne Vega's player, Doug Yowell. The bass parts were handled by George Hawkins Jr., Kenny Loggins' legendary bassist, and Nashville's top session guy Tim Denbo. The very talented singer Janey Clewer (Bruce Gaitsch's wife), who has toured/recorded with the likes of Ray Charles, Harry Connick Jr., and David Foster, among others, sang the gorgeous harmonies with Goodrum, who delivers some killer lead vocals throughout the project.

  

GIG's Brave New World is destined to be a must-listen for the lovers of West Coast pop and soft-rock. The material included is a true master class, both in arrangement and execution

The opener, “Private O'Toole,” sets the atmosphere with a memorable melody, acoustic guitars and acoustic piano surrounding Goodrum's confident voice. A plus on Brave New World is the brilliant work on the lyrics which are nothing but unpredictable and always catch the listener's attention. A good example is “Hernando's Paradise”, a soft-rock gem with a Latin vibe and fantastic guitar work by Gaitsch. “The Box” follows, and this is one of the things to hear on Brave New World. The song's jazzy mood and memorable refrain are close to Goodrum's work with Graydon on JaR with top-notch performances by Innis on the acoustic piano and Gaitsch on guitars with beautiful harmony vocals by Clewer. “Peddler, Pete,” “Waiting” and “Ramblin' Dan” are three acoustic ballads that focus on great lyrical content. “Peddler, Pete” bears a country-pop influence, “Waiting” has a jazzy feel in its delicate arrangement, while “Ramblin' Dan” has strong echoes of Christopher Cross. “Little Flame” is a pop-rocker with an intense vocal by Goodrum, who's also on Hammond B3, and an ear-candy refrain fueled by some great work on the electric guitars by Gaitsch. After the evocative acoustic ballad “All There Is” comes another highlight, the Latin-tinged and gorgeous “Isle Of Pigs”. This song sports one of the album's most refined melodies with more outstanding work on acoustic guitar, piano and percussion. The title-track is very interesting, both lyrically and musically, as the arrangement harks back to some of The Beatles' legendary songs.

“All I'll Ever Need” is the song that closes Brave New World and is a special treat from Contante & Sonante to the lovers of West Coast pop. The song was written in the early nineties by composer and keyboardist Michael Haddad, who demoed it with lead vocals by the late, unforgettable Warren Wiebe. Those precious vocals were kindly granted by Haddad to Contante & Sonante that asked GIG to record a whole new backing track for the song. The result is a new recording of “All I'll Ever Need” that perfectly fits the soft-rock atmosphere of Brave New World. Once again, Contante & Sonante has made a great move to keep Wiebe's memory alive. Listening to his pristine vocal on “All I'll Ever Need” will bring a big smile to the faces of those who loved him and his unique gift of song.

This amazing record created by Goodrum, Innis and Gaitsch is clear evidence that great, inventive, emotional pop music is still alive and well.

Released in a limited edition of only 1000 copies.

NEW RELEASES: CATHY SEGAL-GARCIA – THE JAZZ CHAMBER; EMANATIVE - EARTH; LO GRECO BROS – DIFFERENT STANDARDS VOL. 2

CATHY SEGAL-GARCIA – THE JAZZ CHAMBER

On her 11th CD, The Jazz Chamber, Cathy Segal-Garcia expands her already wide-ranging musical vision with innovative arrangements performed with a jazz chamber orchestra. Segal-Garcia’s guiding principal for this project was quality musicianship. “I really embraced the idea of a chamber orchestra for this project because of how orchestral music affects the listener,” says Segal-Garcia. “A large group of musicians playing beautiful but complex charts creates a rich and encompassing experience.“ The Jazz Chamber was produced by Bevin Manson, top-notch pianist, composer, and arranger, and co-produced by Dennis Dreith, a film composer, arranger, and conductor, who lead his own eponymous jazz band.  Segal-Garcia chose songs of various provenance. They are not your usual fare. She’s joined by several guest vocalists, including Tierney Sutton, Kate McGarry, and Mon David. She’s also joined by her improvisational vocal group Fish To Birds on a moody, evocative tune enhanced by Bennie Maupin’s signature bass clarinet sound. The JazzChamber is a showcase not only for Segal-Garcia’s warm, dark sound and intimate performances, but also her expansive musical vision. With first-class arrangers and some of the best jazz musicians in the country, her newest project presents an artist not content to rest on her laurels.

EMANATIVE - EARTH

Maybe the best music so far from Emanative – a group who've been kicking around the London scene for the past decade or so, but who really seem to hit a new level with this album on Jazzman! The group's led by percussionist Nick Woodmansey, who often steps back to let all the other spiritual elements flow through the sound in a wonderful way – including excellent piano and organ from the great Jessica Lauren, plus reeds from Tamar Osborn and Ben Hadwen – both players who have a very cosmic approach – and haunting percussion from additional players, in addition to Nick's own work on drums, balafon, and other instruments. There's a very strong bassist in the lineup, too – Suman Joshi – and he directs the proceedings with great strength when everyone comes together – but also knows enough to step back when things are exploring different planes of global consciousness at a more personal level. Titles include "Spice Route Suite", "Egosystem", "New Day", "Heaven's Mirror", "Iyaami", "Raga Requiem", and "Minutes To Midnight For This Planet".  ~ Dusty Groove

LO GRECO BROS – DIFFERENT STANDARDS VOL. 2

Beautiful work here from the Lo Greco brothers – sounding even warmer and jazzier here than on their previous work for Schema Records! The duo of Gianno Lo Greco on drums and Enzo Lo Greco on bass have a really easygoing approach to rhythm – soulful, with all the right spaces between the notes – allowing the music to build slowly with a very organic vibe – as things are expanded by contributions on tenor, trumpet, piano, Fender Rhodes, and some great vocals from singers who include Alice Ricciardi, Doctor Feelix, and Julia St Louis! Almost all tracks have vocals, and the album's got plenty of slow-building modal numbers that really take us back to the greatness of the European jazz scene in the 70s. Titles include "Velvet", "Locked", "So She Does", "Paradise", "Feeling Good", "Moonlight", and "Naima". ~ Dusty Groove

Baritone Sax Aces Kjetil Møster and Mats Gustafsson Join Forces in the Band 'The End', the Powerhouse Collaboration Releases

When Norwegian baritone saxophonist Kjetil Møster joined forces in the studio with Swedish baritone sax burner Mats Gustafsson, Norwegian noise-jazz guitarist Anders Hana (MoHa!, Ultralyd, Noxagt), versatile, powerhouse drummer Greg Saunier (of the San Francisco-based avant-rock band Deerhoof, who participated in the album, but has now been replaced by Børge Fjordheim of Cloroform) and the extraordinary Ethiopian-born experimental singer Sofia Jernberg, the resulting sonic maelstrom was so fresh and ferocious, so daring and audacious, so darkly apocalyptic that The End seemed like the only name for this band of rebels.

Their uncompromising debut on RareNoise Svårmod Och Vemod Är Värdesinnen (a title whose approximate translation from Swedish into English could be stated as "Dark melancholy and sadness are senses to be valued"), is delivered with sledgehammer authority by the subversive crew.

 The two-baritone onslaught of Møster and Gustafsson with the addition of Hana's baritone guitar provides a low-end assault on Svårmod Och Vemod Är Värdesinnen that feels like a gut-punch to complacency. "The double baritone has lots of raw power, which is a big part of what this music is all about," says Møster, who has previously appeared on two RareNoiseRecords releases, Jü Meets Møster and Reflections In Cosmo. "We try to break through to the raw senses, the expressions of energy that wants to burst but never does."

"We have talked about such a collaboration for many years," adds Gustafsson, who previously appeared on RareNoise releases by Slobber Pup (Pole Axe) and in collaboration with Japanese noisemaker Merzbow (the Cuts series). "And when Giacomo of RareNoise offered us the chance we grabbed it immediately, of course. We just needed to really put together the most kickin' band ever."

With Jernberg, Hana, Saunier (now Fjordheim), they have put together a dream team on Svårmod Och Vemod Är Värdesinnen. "Now that we have The End as a working unit it feels extremely exciting to see where we can take the music together," says Gustafsson. "It's amazing for me to play alongside Mats' boundless energy," adds Møster. "He has revolutionized articulations of saxophone playing and has been one of my big influences ever since I heard The Thing's self titled album from 2001."

Add the potent contributions of Hana and Saunier to the mix and you have a combustible crew capable of nuanced ambient expression with Jernberg's ethereal vocals floating over the top and hellacious crescendos fueled by her intense banshee wailing.

"Anders is one of the most creative guitar players I have ever heard," says Gustafsson. "He stopped playing guitar seven years ago but Kjetil and me convinced him to pick it up again to join this group, which he happily agreed to. He ROCKS!" Møster adds "Anders and me have driven thousands of kilometres together all over Eastern and Western Europe in old tour vans playing numerous concerts with Ultralyd, which released five albums, most of them on Rune Grammofon. He's a very unique player."

Hana's chainsaw guitar work, reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix's noise guitar explorations on "EXP" from Axis: Bold As Love, fuels the dark opener Svårmod (Troubled Mind), which also introduces The End's muscular and imposing two-bari sound. Hana's repetitive guitar riff provides a catchy hook on the Captain Beefheart-like Vemod (Sad Mind), underscored by Saunier's polyrhythmic drummer and featuring Jernberg's freewheeling wordless vocals.

The epic Translated Slaughter, which sees Jernberg whispering/talking Gustafsson's lyrics at the ethereal opening, gradually builds to a frantic crescendo that has the singer wailing with cathartic abandon over the top. Jernberg repeats her riveting performance on Don't Wait in which she once again recites/sings Gustafsson's cryptic lyrics.

"Text, music, art...it should all be read and listened to in open ways and manners," says the composer. "It is not up to me to explain, really. It is up to the listener/reader to understand, or try to understand. Or at least to ask the questions to find out more. All creative art and music should point out new doors, not open them up. To open a door, you have to do it yourself. We can't do it for you. So the lyrics pretty much speak for themselves, especially in 'Don't Wait.' That message should be pretty obvious for anyone."

Møster's Both Sides Out has a particularly dark, almost requiem kind of feel to it, which he acknowledges. "Requiem is a good association," he says. "What I had in mind was actually some kind of mourning for the state of mind that the western world has entered post-Trump. In the lyrics I am Trump's psychoanalyst, letting him pour out his inner feelings so he can stop being so tense and hard."

With a discography numbering over 150 records, Gustafsson explains what his latest RareNoise release represents to him: "Just sheer joy of sharing ideas and music together. We had time to rehearse and to play three gigs before jumping into the studio - that was worth a lot for us because I feel that everything really fell into the right place for us in the studio. The music we recorded is really a wet dream of favorite influences to bring together for me. And I think me and Kjetil share the most essential sources and inspirational platforms here. We wanted elements of free jazz, noise, alt rock and more to blend and create something new. And it all led to a music that, at least me, I have never heard before."

"We are never into creating a special mood in the music," maintains Gustafsson, who is also member of bands The Thing, Fire! and Nu Ensemble. "That is up to the listener to create or hear. We don't entertain, we don't illustrate. We play music. New music. I don't wanna analyze it too much here. Everyone should listen freely and think and act freely upon hearing it all. It should all be open."

Regarding the translation of the The End's album title, Møster says: "To me it says something about appreciating difficulties, that we don't necessarily have to please each other all the time, that expressions that go against the grain and cause friction are valuable too."

Those renegade expressions are readily apparent on Svårmod Och Vemod Är Värdesinnen, The End's formidable RareNoise debut.

TRACKS

1.    Svårmod

2.    Vemod

3.    Translated Slaughter

4.    Don't Wait

5.    Rich And Poor

6.    Both Sides Out

The Jamie Saft Quartet Announces New Album

Jamie Saft continues his collaboration with eclectic UK-based label RareNoiseRecords in 2018. On a roll after releasing his first ever solo piano album in January, the aptly named 'Solo A Genova', the Upstate New York-based artist presents a further facet of his seemingly boundless talent for composition, performance, invention and in this case, for acting as master of ceremonies to a group of exciting and innovative musicians. His latest formation, the Jamie Saft Quartet sees repeated collaborators, celebrated saxophonists Bill McHenry and bassists Bradley Christopher Jones as well as in rising star of the drums Nasheet Waits.

Recorded in the Autumn of 2017 in Jamie Saft's Potterville International Sound studio Upstate New York, co-produced by Saft and Chris Castagno, mixed and mastered by Chris Castagno in Colombia, Blue Dream showcases nine new vibrant, spiritual and energetic compositions by Jamie Saft, as well as three mesmerizing standards. The album will be released on 29th June and will be available on CD, double vinyl and digital download. 

  

Plenty of connotations emerge in the album title, yet as soon as you start listening you will realize, that Blue Dream won't allow you to think about connotations. This is direct. The muscle is shown straight away in "Vessels," and not just in the playing but the tone: dark, with four musicians moving like ships in the night, a tenor sax echoing over the water between them. That's saxman Bill McHenry, and stirring the water beneath him is drummer Nasheet Waits, splashing into the basswaves of Brad Jones bellowing up, heavy and low. On the piano, Jamie Saft both holds it down and works in new melodies, like clouds in a rotation of sunlight and darkness. Blue Dream moves. "Equanimity" keeps it fast - punk jazz fast. The drums lead it off, and you get the feeling the other musicians aren't coming in until Waits lets them in. They know to hold off. The vibe into which Waits swings himself is a tunnel for one, only breaking daylight a minute and half into the song, when everybody explodes together at once in the record's biggest and brightest moment yet. But "Sword's Water" brings it back into the low light, opening with a hot flourish that swirls on for two minutes before Saft begins to follow the melody down one of his paths. Saft can slide effortlessly over the keys, to be sure, but it is when he lingers, teasing out perhaps the same several notes, that we get a sense of the restraint in place.

This sounds like a record of standards-yes, new standards-but there are only three oldies on here ... and they're goodies. Sinatra's "Violets For Your Furs" is the first, setting the second of this album's four sides alive with an interpretation that finds Saft digging into the melody as only its patent simplicity allows (there's that restraint again). Following that, Brad Jones finds room cleared out for him in the title track to pluck his heaviest path, accelerating through the heart of the record while Saft drifts overhead, clouds over boiling water. "Infinite Compassion"shoulders its way back into those big dark movements on the piano, both sustaining and running away past the margins wherever it is needed.

The second half of the album kicks off with Bill McHenry cooling it down, and he does it through "Sweet Lorraine," Cliff Burwell's 1928 standard recorded by the King Cole Trio in 1940, which is the version taught to Saft by the late Geri Allen. Some 90 years later it's a vehicle strong enough to summon a breeze into the whole second half of the album, carving out abundant room for "Walls." Building on the big air of "Sweet Lorraine," Saft goes off into outer space without a care in the world, and all of them ride out the vibe. Saft can flourish and arpeggiate with the best of them, but it's in his open spaces that he shows he can be sometimes shy, sometimes flirtatious, but always confident-quietly-and relaxed. That is the foundation on which the musicians around him can build, with Saft then almost pleading with them to follow him into uncharted territories.

Then there's the drums. Waits has both a shimmer and a modern architecture to his playing, the latter of which has him building a chess board in "Decamping,"where the band can check one another, trading on, trading off. Who's got the end game? We don't need to know. We only know they enjoy the field. The music nourishes the life beneath their feet. "Words And Deeds" feels like something by which each of them is living, expressing it through this music, right now, while "Mysterious Arrangements" furthers the language created by this quartet, bringing it into a new conversation that is obviously holding some tension in its palms.

You'll be relieved to know that tension all gets worked out in the end. Closing out the record is the 1937 Mack Gordon and Harry Revel classic "There's a Lull In My Life,"blissfully stretching out the last seven minutes of the album like a long holiday party full of old faces. Memories abound of the song's place in jazz history, and the voices that interpreted it in years past: Ella Fitzgerald, Chet Baker, Tony Bennett, Alice Faye, and Nat King Cole. The standard torch song, love ballad, classic, becomes buoyant in their hands. It does not wallow, but revels in its ache. Shouldn't we all?

TRACKS

1. Vessels

2. Equanimity

3. Sword's Water

4. Violets For Your Furs

5. Blue Dream

6. Infinite Compassion

7. Sweet Lorraine

8. Walls

9. Decamping

10. Words and Deeds

11. Mysterious Arrangements

12. There's a Lull In My Life

NEW RELEASES: KENNY LATTIMORE – NEVER TOO BUSY: THE ANTHOLOGY; TOM TALLITSCH - WHEELHOUSE; KAMAAL WILLIAMS – THE RETURN

KENNY LATTIMORE – NEVER TOO BUSY: THE ANTHOLOGY

A great overview of the work of soul singer Kenny Lattimore – a set that not only features the best tracks from his solo run of recordings, but also early work in the group Maniquin, and some duets with Chante Moore as well! Kenny's a singer who really helped give a new shape to the male voice in R&B in the second half of the 90s – a vocalist with a legacy that goes back to more spiritual sounds, but also able to work with a cracklingly contemporary vibe too – that moment when mainstream soul had already drunk deep of influences from hip hop, and was starting to really reform itself with a new sort of tightness for the next generation. Titles include "Funny Feeling" and "Now & Then" with Maniquin – plus "Come To Me", "Figure It Out", "Destiny", "If I Lose My Woman (MAW remix)", "Just What It Takes (human rhythm rmx)", "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "River", "Never Too Busy (quiet storm mix)", "For You", "Forgiveness", "Forever", "I'll Love You More Than You'll Ever Know", "If You Could See You", "Days Like This (Lattimaw soul house mix)", "Can't Get Enough", "If Love Is What You want", "Tonight (2 step)", "Weekend", "Heaven & Earth", "Make Believe", and "Just What It Takes".  ~ Dusty Groove

TOM TALLITSCH - WHEELHOUSE

Soaring, soulful work from Tom Tallitsch – a tenorist who just keeps grabbing our ears even more and more with each new release! Tom kicks it up strongly here right from the very first note – leading a tight quintet through some beautifully-written tunes of his own – the kind of numbers that sparkle with the punch of old Blue Note classics, but which have even more freshness in the hands of a contemporary creator! Tom's got his horn fused strongly with the trumpet of Josh Lawrence on the head arrangements – brilliantly carving out some soulful colors, before they both soar off on their solos – and the rhythm section's a real kicker, too – with Jon Davis on piano, Peter Brendler on bass, and Vinnie Sperazza on drums – players who can hit a modal groove when needed, but also move through the sort of complicated hardbop styles that artists like Lee Morgan or Hank Mobley were hitting in the late 60s. Titles include "River", "Paulus Hook", "Red Eye", "Outnumbered", "Schlep City", "Wheelhouse", and "One For Jonny".  ~ Dusty Groove

KAMAAL WILLIAMS – THE RETURN

The first solo project from Kamaal Williams – and a wonderfully spiritual set that has the keyboardist really blowing us away with his talents! Williams plays plenty of Fender Rhodes on the set, mostly in a trio setting, but one that's far from standard jazz – as the rhythms often reflect his roots in hip hop, although played live by drummer Joshua McKenzie and bassist Pete Martin – who also have the ability to send Williams soaring to the skies with this magnificent spiritual energy! Consider this set to maybe be a Lonnie Liston Smith album for the hip hop generation – and praise Allah for Kamaal's mighty talents on the keys, and the sharp production skills of Henry Wu. Titles include "Salaam", "The Return", "High Roller", "Situations", "Rhythm Commission", "Catch The Loop", "Medina", and "LDN Shuffle".  ~ Dusty Groove

RAMSEY LEWIS – FUNKY SERENITY / GOLDEN HITS / SOLAR WIND / SUN GODDESS

A quadruple-header from Ramsey Lewis – four albums from his great 70s electric period on Columbia Records! First up is Funky Serenity – sweet electric funk from Ramsey Lewis! The album's one of his best from the 70s – and it's got Ramsey on Fender Rhodes, electric harpsichord, and other keyboards, grooving away in an open-ended 70s mode that still retains all the heavy soul of his classic work for Chess. Morris Jennings adds in some very nice percussion with his drum work, and Cleveland Eaton's on funky bass, giving the set a strong bottom groove. Features the sublime sample cut "My Love For You", a great version of "Knights In White Satin" that's done with a weird spacey groove, plus the tracks "Kufany Mapenzi (Making Love)", "Serene Funk", "What It Is!", and "Dreams".

Golden Hits isn't a "best of", but instead has Ramsey and his funky mid 70s trio with Morris Jennings and Cleveland Eaton revisiting some of his best loved material from the Cadet years, but with the groovy Rhodes and wah wah sound that we dig so much about his CBS recordings. Unlike some of the other records from this period, the group's nice and stripped down, just the electric piano, bass and drums, so the groove's nice and wide open, Ramsey and company popping along with the sanctified soulful vibe of his 60s work, but updating their sound with some nice electric touches. 9 numbers in all: "Hang On Sloopy", "Blues For The Night Owl", "Hi-Heel Sneakers", "Carmen", "Delilah", "Wade In The Water", "Slippin' Into Darkness", "Somethin' You Got", and "The In Crowd".

Solar Wind was cut smack dab in the middle of Ramsey's glory days at Columbia Records – with great production help and work on bass from the mighty Cleveland Eaton! The style is nice and lean, with just some occasional fuller touches – and Ramsey plays plenty of Fender Rhodes, in addition to bits of Arp and moog too – in a setting that's mostly trio, with a few guest players stepping into the mix from track to track! There's a nice degree of fuzz at points, thanks to added help from Steve Cropper – and titles include a great funky version of "Summer Breeze", plus "Solar Wind", "Come Down In Time", "Love for A Day", "Hummingbird", "Jamaican Marketplace", and "Sweet & Tender You".

Sun Goddess is one of our favorite Ramsey Lewis albums ever – and a perfect summation of the genius that was brewing on the Chicago scene in the late 60s and early 70s! The album has Ramsey working strongly with Earth Wind & Fire – no surprise, given his close ties to Maurice White, who was the drummer in Ramsey's trio before starting his own group – and the shared relationship both artists had with producer Charles Stepney! The three were all key parts of the late 60s sound at Chess Records – but here, they've brought the same soulful energy to Columbia – working in a wider, more mature groove for the 70s – one that has Lewis' wicked Fender Rhodes lines stretching out strongly over tight, compressed, funky lines from EWF! The centerpiece of the set is the massive 7 minute "Sun Goddess", but there's lots of other nice ones like "Living For The City", "Gemini Rising", and "Jungle Strut". Funky, electric, and sublimely wonderful all the way through! ~ dustygroove.com

Lost studio album from John Coltrane to be released on Impulse

On March 6, 1963, John Coltrane and his Classic Quartet — McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones — recorded an entire studio album at the legendary Van Gelder Studios. This music, which features unheard originals, will finally be released 55 years later. This is, in short, the holy grail of jazz.

Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album will be released on June 29 on Impulse! Records, Coltrane's final and most creative label home.

  

The first week of March in 1963 was busy for John Coltrane. He was in the midst of a two-week run at Birdland and was gearing up to record the famed John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman album, which he did on March 7. But there was a session the day before that was the stuff of legend, until now.

On Wednesday, March 6, Coltrane and the quartet went to Van Gelder Studios in Englewood, NJ and cut a complete album's worth of material, including several original compositions that were never recorded elsewhere.  They spent the day committing these to tape, taking time with some, rehearsing them two, three times, playing them in different ways and in different configurations.

At the end of the day, Coltrane left Van Gelder Studios with a reference tape and brought it to the home in Queens that he shared with his wife, Naima. These tapes remained untouched for the next 54 years until Impulse! approached the family about finally releasing this lost album. Though the master tape was never found—Rudy Van Gelder wasn't one for clutter—the reference tape was discovered to be in excellent condition.

As the legendary saxophonist Sonny Rollins so rightly put it, "This is like finding a new room in the Great Pyramid." The musical implications of this album, the original compositions, the arrangements, the band, the year it was recorded, all amount to a rediscovery and re-contextualization of one of the most important musicians of our time.

Danny Bennett, President and CEO of the Verve Label Group and home of Impulse! records, says, "Jazz is more relevant today than ever. It's becoming the alternative music of the 21st century, and no one embodies the boundary-breaking essence of jazz more than John Coltrane. He was a visionary who changed the course of music, and this lost album is a once-in-a-lifetime discovery. It gives us insight into his creative process and connects us to his artistry. This album is a cultural moment and the release coincides perfectly with our relaunch of the iconic Impulse! label."

On this album, there are two completely unknown and never-before-heard originals. "Untitled Original 11383" and "Untitled Original 11386," both played on soprano sax. "11383" features an arco bass solo by Jimmy Garrison, a relative rarity, and "11386" marks a significant structural change for the quartet, in that they keep returning to the theme between solos, not typical in the quartet's repertoire.

In addition to the two unheard originals, "One Up, One Down" – released previously only on a bootleg recording from Birdland – is heard here as a studio recording for the first and only time. It contains a fascinating exchange between Elvin Jones and Coltrane.

"Impressions," one of Coltrane's most famous and oft-recorded compositions, is played here in a piano-less trio. In fact, McCoy Tyner lays out a number of times during this recording session. It's one of the more interesting aspects of this session and reflects the harmonic possibilities that Coltrane was known to be discussing regularly with Ornette Coleman around this time.

This studio session also yielded Coltrane's first recording of "Nature Boy," which he would record again in 1965, and the two versions differ greatly. The one we know is exploratory, meandering. This version is tight, solo-less and clocking in at just over three minutes. The other non-original composition on the album is "Vilia," from Franz Lehár's operetta "The Merry Widow". The soprano version on the Deluxe Edition is the only track from this session to have been previously released.

This incredible, once-in-a-lifetime discovery reveals a number of creative balances at work, like developing original melodies while rethinking familiar standards. Trying out some tunes first on tenor saxophone, then on soprano. Using older techniques like the arpeggio runs of his "sheets of sound" while experimenting with false fingerings and other newer sounds. This session was pivotal, though to call it such overlooks the fact Coltrane was ever on pivot, always pushing the pedal down while still calling on older, tested ideas and devices.

Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album is a major addition to the Coltrane catalogue and the most important jazz discovery in recent memory.

This historic session resulted in 14 tracks in total. On the standard edition, there are 7 takes, chosen by Ravi Coltrane. The rest of the takes exist on the second disc of the deluxe set. There will be a standard CD and LP and a deluxe CD and LP available on June 29 on Impulse! The deluxe edition will exist on all digital streaming platforms as well.

Standard Edition Track List:

Untitled Original 11383 (5:41)

Nature Boy (3:24)

Untitled Original 11386 (8:43)

Vilia (5:32)

Impressions (4:36)

Slow Blues (11:28)

One Up, One Down (8:01)

Deluxe Edition Track List:

CD1

Untitled Original 11383 (Take 1) (5:41)

Nature Boy (3:24)

Untitled Original 11386 (Take 1) (8:43)

Vilia (Take 3) (5:32)

Impressions (Take 3) (4:36)

Slow Blues (11:28)

One Up, One Down (Take 1) (8:01)

CD2

Vilia (Take 5) (4:37)

Impressions (Take 1) (4:06)

Impressions (Take 2) (4:37)

Impressions (Take 4) (3:40)

Untitled Original 11386 (Take 2) (8:41)

Untitled Original 11386 (Take 5) (8:23)

One Up, One Down (Take 6) (7:17)

Saxophonist Michael Paulo calls upon friends to celebrate “Beautiful Day”

From beginning to end, saxophonist Michael Paulo’s “Beautiful Day,” is a celebration of love, friendship and the Aloha spirit. Opening with the title track inspired by the joyous news that he was going to become a grandfather and closing with the timeless Carole King ode to friendship, “You’ve Got A Friend,” Paulo’s 11th solo disc dropped on the Apaulo Productions imprint. The collection is comprised of eight Paulo compositions and five modern classics produced by Paulo with two tracks helmed by two-time Grammy winner Paul Brown. The first single presently collecting radio spins and playlist adds spotlights guitarist Ray Parker Jr. on the aptly titled “Who You Gonna Call?” 

  

Inherent in Paulo’s soulful play emoted through tenor, soprano and alto saxes on “Beautiful Day” is an effervescent spirit, a hallmark that perhaps emanates from the DNA of his Hawaiian blood. A genuine sense of gratitude is another vital element present in his recordings. With that ethos, Paulo crafted a set list that enabled him to record with and feature some of his accomplished friends the likes of which include guitarists Parker Jr., Brown, Peter White and Paul Jackson Jr.; pianist David Benoit, keyboardist Brian Simpson, bassists Freddie Washington and Roberto Vally, percussionist Lenny Castro, and drummers Gorden Campbell and Michael White.

“I truly have the best friends in life that always are there to support me. ‘You've Got A Friend’ represents why I am able to do what I do. I hope this record will touch people emotionally. My approach to playing has always been about expressing feeling and emotion and drawing the listener in so that they forget all the stress in their lives. I hope it renews their spirit, so they can continue to be happy and express love. When I perform live, my biggest gratification is when I feel that I have uplifted people emotionally and they can go home feeling good about themselves and life in general. That’s our gift as musicians and I am so blessed to be able to do what I do,” said Paulo.

  

The album also showcases Paulo’s touring band - a trio of Hawaiians comprised of Kimo Cornwell (keyboards), David Inamine (bass) and Fred Schreuders (guitar) along with drummers Land Richards and Sergio Gonzalez – which will take the stage with Paulo at SoCal hotspot Spaghettini on July 21 to celebrate the release of “Beautiful Day.”

Paulo’s professional career spans more than forty years, and includes gigs playing alongside R&B, pop and jazz headliners Al Jarreau, James Ingram, Patti Austin, Jeffrey Osborne, Kenny Loggins, Johnny Mathis, Bobby Caldwell and Rick Braun. He debuted as a solo artist in 1977 with the Japan-only release of “Tat’s in the Rainbow,” an album that highlighted Herbie Hancock on keyboards. Paulo continues his dual career as a solo artist and as a first-call session player-sideman. He also produces concerts and jazz festivals in Hawaii and in the long-time California resident’s home state. These days, Paulo tours frequently with Peter White, who plies his signature delicate acoustic guitar nuances in addition to contributing to the arrangement for “Beautiful Day’s” profound version of Sting’s “Fragile.” The saxman’s longest touring association was with Jarreau, with whom he shared the stage throughout the late crossover crooner’s glory days.

  

“I recorded ‘Your Song’ as a tribute to Al, who gave me my big break when he hired me for his touring band in 1983. We toured the world together for eleven years and he featured me on his ‘Live in London’ album. I used his arrangement of ‘Your Song’ and David Benoit delivered a heartfelt piano performance. I miss Al.”             

Paulo’s “Beautiful Day” album contains the following songs:

“Beautiful Day” featuring Paul Brown

“Mr. Magic” featuring Paul Brown

“Europa”

“Back with the Funk” featuring Paul Jackson Jr.

“Your Song” featuring David Benoit

“Who You Gonna Call?”

“#FromtheHeart”

“Fragile”

“Keiko’s Groove”

“Galaxia”

“Mysterious”

“Fire Dance”

“You’ve Got A Friend”

www.MichaelPaulo.com