Bobbie Gentry 'The Girl From Chickasaw County - The Complete Capitol Masters' Deluxe Box Set Featuring Remastered Studio Albums And Rarities

In 1967, an enigmatic singer, songwriter and producer named Bobbie Gentry rose out of the Mississippi delta and enchanted audiences around the world with her beautiful, captivating voice and her "Ode To Billie Joe." An unconventional, beguiling song with simple acoustic guitar and sparse production, and notably without a discernible chorus, the song introduced Gentry and her style of storytelling that was very different to the confessional song writing of other emerging female singers. The song caused a lot of commotion as it shot to number one in America and knocked The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love" off the top spot. When the album Ode To Billie Joe was released the following month, it topped the charts and was the only record to displace Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band from its 15-week reign. Over the next several years, Gentry, whose birthday was this past Friday, July 27, released seven studio albums and broke ground in numerous ways as one of the first female musicians to write, produce and even publish her own music. She also produced her elaborate stage shows via her own production company and was the first female singer songwriter to be afforded her own BBC TV series in the UK where she was wildly popular. She became one of the most iconic and influential artists of the 1960s and 70s, and then in the early '80s she made her final appearance and disappeared from the public eye completely, never to return.

Capitol/UMe are proud to announce that on September 21, they will release the first major retrospective of this most groundbreaking artist with The Girl From Chickasaw County – The Complete Capitol Masters, an eight CD box set that includes all seven of Gentry's studio albums sensitively remastered from the original tapes, supplemented by over 75 previously unreleased recordings including her 'lost' jazz album, outtakes, demos, rarities and an eighth disc of live performances taken from her celebrated series for the BBC. The release has specially commissioned cover art by David Downton and includes an 84-page book with a comprehensive essay by boxset compiler Andrew Batt, rare and unseen photos, eight postcards and a facsimile of her original handwritten lyrics for "Ode To Billie Joe." 

  

Gentry's seven albums for Capitol Records featured some exceptional material. She was an artist who could turn her hand to fit country, folk, soul, pop, Americana, blues and jazz, and this box set brings all the magic together. Pick outs include the classic originals of "Ode To Billie Joe," swamp funk mover "Mississippi Delta" (complete with an alternative version), classy Glen Campbell duet "Mornin' Glory," her definitive cover of "Hushabye Mountain," pop-soul triumph "Fancy," and from her final album, the melancholy "Lookin' In."

In addition, there are superb previously unreleased recordings including originals like "I Didn't Know" and "Joanne" alongside essential covers of "Conspiracy Of Homer Jones," "God Bless The Child," and "Spinning Wheel." Also included are intimate acoustic performances of "The Seventh Son," "Feelin' Good," "Seasons Come, Seasons Go" and "Belinda." For the rarities and obscurities fan, making their appearance on CD/digital for the first time are "La Siepe," Bobbie's Italian-language entry to the 1968 San Remo song festival, UK number one single "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" sung in Spanish, and a little-known duet with Kelly Gordon; "Love Took My Heart And Mashed That Sucker Flat." Lastly there's disc eight featuring live recordings from her BBC TV series, including an inspired pairing of "Niki-Hoeky with Barefootin'," and dazzling takes of "Refractions," "Ode To Billie Joe," "He Made A Woman Out Of Me," and an extended "Your Number One Fan."

Gentry's career blazed brightly for a few short years, but only now is the full extent of her artistry coming into focus. When we think of empowered female stars we think of Beyoncé, Madonna, or even Dolly Parton, but before all of them there came the girl from Chickasaw County. When she emerged in the late 60's women were just starting to make their mark in the music industry, but female identity was polarized between the light entertainment star and the confessional singer-songwriter. Gentry developed her own unique persona, which was a hybrid of both; part creative songwriter, and part musical theatre performer. A storyteller at heart, Gentry created characters and situations that were often inspired by her Southern childhood, and the media and public alike were fascinated by the contrast between her glamorous appearance and the rural simplicity of her origins. Romanticized over time, these stories have coalesced into a classic version of the American dream; a rags-to-riches story that took Gentry from the Delta backwoods to the world's most glittering stages.

Her disappearance intrigues us quite as much as what was thrown from the Tallahatchie Bridge: Why did she disappear? What has she been doing? Where is she now? But 'Where is Bobbie Gentry?' is not the question we should be asking: Gentry was a trailblazer who was years ahead of her time; a successful writer, singer, musician, performer, producer, publisher, and businesswoman. What we should really be asking ourselves is 'Who was Bobbie Gentry?' - The Girl From Chickasaw County provides more answers to that question than ever before, definitively re-appraising the musical legacy of this influential and iconic artist.

THE GIRL FROM CHICKASAW COUNTRY – THE COMPLETE CAPITOL MASTERS

DISC 1 – ODE TO BILLIE JOE

1. Mississippi Delta                                                              

2. I Saw an Angel Die                                                                          

3. Chickasaw County Child                                                 

4. Sunday Best                                                                                      

5. Niki Hoeky                                                                                        

6. Papa, Woncha Let Me Go to Town With You?                           

7. Bugs                                                                                                   

8. Hurry, Tuesday Child                                                                      

9. Lazy Willie                                                                                         

10. Ode to Billie Joe                                                                                           

BONUS TRACKS                   

11. The Seventh Son [Demo]*          

12. I Saw an Angel Die [Demo]*                              

13. Niki Hoeky [Demo]*                     

14. Papa, Woncha Let Me Go to Town With You? [Demo]*        

15. Hurry, Tuesday Child [Demo]*                                                   

16. Mississippi Delta [Alternate version]*                                      

17. Sunday Best [Alternate take]*                                                   

18. Show-Off  [Stereo version]*                                      

19. La Siepe [Original 7"]                                                                   

20. La Citta E' Grande [Original 7"]                                                                 

DISC 2 – THE DELTA SWEETE

1. Okolona River Bottom Band                                                          

2. Big Boss Man                                                                                   

3. Reunion                                                                            

4. Parchman Farm                                                                               

5. Mornin' Glory                                                                                  

6. Sermon                                                                                              

7. Tobacco Road                                                                                  

8. Penduli Pendulum                                                                          

9. Jessye' Lisabeth                                                                               

10. Refractions                                                                                    

11. Louisiana Man                                                                                                

12. Courtyard                                                                                      

BONUS TRACKS                                   

13. The Seventh Son [Band version]*                                                              

14. Feelin' Good [Demo]*                                                                 

15. I Didn't Know [Demo]*                                                                

16. Morning to Midnight [Demo]*                                                    

17. Refractions [Demo]*                                                                   

18. Louisiana Man [Demo]*                                                              

19. Sermon [Demo]*                                                           

20. Morning Glory [Demo]*                                                                              

21. Jessye' Lisabeth [Demo]*                                                                           

22. Courtyard [Demo]*                                                                      

23. Louisiana Man ['The Tom Jones Show' 06/07/1968]*           

24. Ode to Billie Joe ['The Tom Jones Show' 06/07/1968]*      

DISC 3 – LOCAL GENTRY   

1. Sweete Peony                                                                                 

2. Casket Vignette                                                                               

3. Come Away Melinda                                                                       

4. The Fool on the Hill                                                                        

5. Papa's Medicine Show                                                                   

6. Ace Insurance Man                                                                         

7. Recollection                                                                                    

8. Sittin' Pretty                                                                                      

9. Eleanor Rigby                                                                                  

10. Peaceful                                                                                         

11. Here, There and Everywhere                                                     

BONUS TRACKS

12. Hushabye Mountain [Original 7"]

13. Skip A Long Sam [Ode to Bobbie Gentry]

14. Conspiracy of Homer Jones*                                                     

15. Sweet Peony [Alternate Version]*                                            

16. Cotton Candy Sandman [Demo]  *                                             

17. Hushabye Mountain [Demo]*                                                   

DISC 4 – BOBBIE GENTRY & GLEN CAMPBELL

1. Less of Me                                                                                    

2. Little Green Apples                                                                   

3. Gentle on My Mind                                                                    

4. Heart to Heart Talk                                                                    

5. My Elusive Dreams                                                                    

6. (It's Only Your) Imagination                                                   

7. Mornin' Glory                                                                                              

8. Terrible Tangled Web                                                                                

9. Sunday Mornin'                                                                          

10. Let It Be Me                                                                               

11. Scarborough Fair/Canticle                                                    

BONUS TRACKS

12. All I Have to Do Is Dream [Original 7"]

13. Walk Right Back [Original 7"]

14. Sunday Mornin' [Alternate version]*

15. Let It Be Me [Without strings]*

16. Scarborough Fair/Canticle [without strings]*

17. Love Took My Heart and Mashed That Sucker Flat [Duet with Kelly Gordon] [Defunked, 1969]

18. Fool on the Hill [Japanese language version] [Original 7"]

19. No me quiero enamorar [Spanish Language 'I'll Never Fall In Love Again'] [Original 7"]

20. En Todas Partes [Spanish Language 'Here There and Everywhere'] [Original 7"]

DISC 5 – TOUCH 'EM WITH LOVE

1. Touch 'Em with Love                                                                 

2. Greyhound Goin' Somewhere                                              

3. Natural to Be Gone                                                                   

4. Seasons Come, Seasons Go                                                   

5. Glory Hallelujah, How They'll Sing                                        

6. I Wouldn't Be Surprised                                                           

7. Son of a Preacher Man                                                                            

8. Where's the Playground, Johnny                                         

9. I'll Never Fall in Love Again                                                     

10. You've Made Me So Very Happy                                                                       

Bonus Tracks                      

11. More Today Than Yesterday*                                                            

12. Spinning Wheel*                                                                      

13. Touch 'Em with Love [Stereo version]*                                          

14. Glory Hallelujah, How They'll Sing [Alternate take]*

15. Seasons Come, Seasons Go [Demo]*                                             

16. Suppertime*                                                                                              

17. God Bless The Child*                                                                              

18. Since I Fell For You*                                                                 

19. Save Your Love For Me*                                                                       

20. Here's That Rainy Day*                                                                         

21. Stormy [Ode To Bobbie Gentry]

22. This Girls In Love With You                                                   

23. Windows of the World [The Best of Bobbie Gentry: The Capitol Years]

DISC 6 - FANCY

1. Fancy                                                                                                                

2. Delta Man                                                                                     

3. Something in the Way He Moves                                        

4. Find 'Em, Fool 'Em and Forget About 'Em                          

5. He Made a Woman Out of Me                                             

6. Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head                                   

7. If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody                            

8. Rainmaker                                                                                      

9. Wedding Bell Blues                                                                    

BONUS TRACKS                               

10. In the Ghetto [I'll Never Fall In Love Again (UK)]

11. Fancy [Mono radio edit]*                                                                     

12. Apartment 21 [Original 7"]

13. Away In A Manger [The Christmas Sound of Music, 1969]

14. Scarlett Ribbons [The Christmas Sound of Music, 1969]

15. Circle 'Round the Sun*

16. Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head [Alternate take]*

17. Wedding Bell Blues [Alternate take]*

18. Apartment 21 [Without strings]*

19. Scarlett Ribbons [Alternate version]*

20. If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody [Live on 'Top Of The Pops']

DISC 7 - PATCHWORK

1. Benjamin                                                                                       

2. Interlude 1                                                                                     

3. Marigolds and Tangerines                                                      

4. Interlude 2                                                                                    

5. Billy the Kid                                                                                    

6. Interlude 3                                                                                    

7. Beverly                                                                                                            

8. Interlude 4                                                                                    

9. Miss Clara/Azusa Sue                                                               

10. Interlude 5                                                                                   

11. But I Can't Get Back                                                                

12. Jeremiah                                                                                     

13. Interlude 6                                                                                  

14. Belinda                                                                                                         

15. Mean Stepmama Blues                                                                          

16. Your Number One Fan                                                                           

17. Interlude 7                                                                                  

18. Somebody Like Me                                                                 

19. Lookin' In                                                                                     

BONUS TRACKS               

20. Smoke [The Best Of The Capital Years, 2007]

21. Joanne*

22. Salome Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear*

23. Benjamin [Alternate take]*

24. Belinda [Alternate version]*                                                               

25. Smoke (Demo)*

26. The Girl from Cincinnati [Original 7"]

27. You and Me Together [Original 7"]

DISC 8 – LIVE AT THE BBC

1. Mississippi Delta [Live on 'Bobbie Gentry' 08/03/1968]*                           

2. Papa Won't You Let Me Go To Town With You [Live on 'Bobbie Gentry' 08/03/1968]*

3. I Saw An Angel Die [Live on 'Bobbie Gentry' 08/03/1968]*

4. My Dog Sargent [Live on 'Bobbie Gentry' 08/03/1968]*1.15    

5. Ode to Billie Joe [Live on 'Bobbie Gentry' 08/03/1968]*            

6. Mornin' Glory [Live on 'Bobbie Gentry' 07/27/1968]*3.15       

7. Sunday Best [Live on 'Bobbie Gentry' 07/27/1968]*                   

8. Hurry Tuesday Child [Live on 'Bobbie Gentry' 07/27/1968]*    

9. Nikki Hokey / Barefootin'  [Live on 'Bobbie Gentry' 08/10/1968]*

10. Penduli Pendulum [Live on 'Bobbie Gentry' 08/10/1968]*                    

11. Ace Insurance Man [Live on 'Bobbie Gentry' 08/10/1968]*   

12. Chickasaw County Child [Live on 'Bobbie Gentry' 08/10/1968]*          

13. Recollection [Live on 'Bobbie Gentry' 07/16/1969]*                  

14. Sweet Peony [Live on 'Bobbie Gentry' 07/16/1969]*               

15. Refractions [Live on 'Bobbie Gentry' 07/16/1969]*                   

16. Greyhound Goin' Somewhere [Live on 'Bobbie Gentry' 07/16/1969]*

17. Cotton Candy Sandman [Live on 'Bobbie Gentry' 07/16/1969]*          

18. Open Your Window [Live on 'Bobbie Gentry' 02/01/1971]*  

19. Mother Nature's son [Live on 'Bobbie Gentry' 02/01/1971]*

20. Mr. Bojangles [Live on 'Bobbie Gentry' 02/01/1971]*                               

21. Your Number One Fan [Live on 'Bobbie Gentry' 02/01/1971]*            

22. He Made A Woman Out of Me [Live on 'Bobbie Gentry' 03/08/1971]*            

23. Billy the Kid [Live on 'Bobbie Gentry' 03/08/1971]*  

24. Wailing Of The Willow [Live on 'Bobbie Gentry' 03/08/1971]*              

25. Belinda [Live on 'Bobbie Gentry' 03/08/1971]*                           

26. Circle 'Round The Sun [Live on 'Bobbie Gentry' 03/08/1971]*             

*Previously unreleased

Pianist Connie Han Brings Jazz into Neo-Noir Territory On Mack Avenue Records Debut CRIME ZONE

With her debut Mack Avenue Records album CRIME ZONE (available October 12), next generation Los Angeles pianist Connie Han has created an edgy blend of modern and traditional jazz. Han’s parents, both practicing classical musicians, instilled an appreciation for music and a strong work ethic in Han very early on, enrolling her in piano lessons at the age of five.

“Learning the piano as a child was a gift. By the time I became interested in jazz at the age of 14, I had great technical proficiency on my instrument allowing me to focus all of my energy on the more sophisticated elements of jazz music. More importantly, I was able to tackle the social equation of learning how to play with others. It takes a lot of time and patience to internalize the essence and heartbeat of jazz.”

The 22-year-old’s connection to jazz began at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts where she met and was mentored by drummer Bill Wysaske, who produced CRIME ZONE and has also become the musical director of her trio. Han shares her LACHSA alumni status with several major players in the entertainment industry such as Josh Groban, Jenna Elfman, Christina Milian and GRAMMY® Award-nominated jazz pianist and composer Gerald Clayton. After a three-week stint at UCLA, Han immediately began her professional piano career at 17-years-old; a step that Han believes gives her an overall edge against most players her age.

“Because I never received training from a formal jazz piano teacher, most of my musical perspective actually came from interacting with a professional drummer when I was just a youngling, trying to hang on for dear life. I think that experience has given me a unique edge which informs the heavily percussive elements of my playing.”

CRIME ZONE features Han’s in-the-groove working trio which includes Wysaske on drums and Edwin Livingston on bass. She’s also enlisted the considerable talents of guest players tenor-saxophonist Walter Smith III and trumpeter Brian Swartz for the album.

Recently signed to Mack Avenue Records after her independently produced 2015 album, The Richard Rodgers Songbook, Han has seized this opportunity: the pianist’s upcoming release highlights a powerful statement that is a mix of respect and knowledge of the past, combining an exciting and innovative vision for her musical future.

CRIME ZONE opens with “Another Kind of Right,” a tune Han wrote in tribute to the Freddie Hubbard tune, “One of Another Kind.” Han states, “the bridge is a very tough, swaggering Freddie Hubbard style of playing. Bill Wysaske arranged and curated a lot of what goes on there. It was his idea to transition from acoustic piano to Rhodes at my solo, giving the music a breath of fresh air. It’s definitely inspired by that post-bop, pre-fusion sound straight out of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.”

The expansive title track featuring the swinging sax accompaniment of Smith III, which winds to a stoop midway through before restarting with a lively interplay between Han, exemplifies much of the style and aesthetic thrust that the pianist wants her debut to embody.

“This record is really meant to be a statement about being rebellious but within the tradition,” Han explains. “It’s provocative and fresh in its own way, while still having one foot in the past and honoring the jazz tradition. The title, CRIME ZONE, reinforces how I hope to brand myself as an artist, which in the end is being a provocateur of creative music.”

The title track demonstrates the futuristic visual and aesthetic element that Han has brought to the zeitgeist surrounding CRIME ZONE, one that draws its inspiration from films like Blade Runner and the 1988 Japanese animated film, Akira. “Not only does jazz capture the rebellious spirit of cyberpunk culture,” says Han, “but also the forward-thinking essence of science fiction. These traits are important to my musical philosophy as well as my style as an artist and person.”

The up-tempo “Southern Rebellion” is a Han original in C minor that features the pianist's speed and stamina. It’s a tune she wrote which was focused on challenging herself to not think like a piano player. Han explains, “I had been listening to a lot of early '70s Elvin Jones with Dave Liebman and Steve Grossman, where the harmony is more free since there isn't any piano to dictate the harmony. That concept heavily guided my melodic inspiration for 'Southern Rebellion,' while my tough post-bop piano influences like Kenny Kirkland and McCoy Tyner informed it's rhythmic angularity and aggressiveness.”

One of the things that sets Han apart from most of her contemporaries is her skill on the always distinctive Fender Rhodes. As the title suggests, another Han original “Grüvy,” she playfully taps into that super tasty, laid back Rhodes flavor, one that recalls the playing of Bob James, but also nods again to Han’s musical education. “It’s an instrument that has always been a part of the consciousness of my piano heroes, like Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea. I wouldn’t say it has a pop vibe but it’s definitely more mainstream,” says Han.

She acknowledges the influence of another one of her heroes, Joe Henderson, by covering his “Shade of Jade” which was originally recorded on his Mode For Joe album. Han explains, "The concept for the entire arrangement is actually based on just four bars of Joe Chambers' polyrhythmic comping on the head of the original recording.”

On CRIME ZONE, Han has staked her claim as a fresh new voice on jazz piano, one whose sense of visual style might even draw audiences who normally wouldn’t listen to straight-ahead jazz. “Even though jazz is meant to be fearless in its creative limits, I strongly believe in preserving the musical foundation,” Han states. “As a new artist, I want to show that it is possible to create infinite fresh ideas without having to deconstruct the building blocks of the jazz language. To me, that language is universal.”

Connie Han · CRIME ZONE

Mack Avenue Records · Release Date: October 12, 2018

Contemporary jazz keyboardist Mark Etheredge turns to the crowd to help realize his vision for “Love Planet”

Taking his concept of connectivity one step further as a follow up to his first contemporary jazz instrumental album, “Connected,” keyboardist Mark Etheredge plans to enter the recording studio this fall to bring his optimistic vision for the world to life musically. Reteaming with two-time Grammy winning producer-guitarist Paul Brown, “Love Planet” is a thematic endeavor espousing kindness, respect, compassion, justice and the power of love. To help bring the project to fruition, one that is expected to include guest appearances by several luminaries along with an ensemble of first-call session players, Etheredge launched an Indiegogo campaign offering a bevy of enticing premiums.   

Like 2016’s “Connected,” which was powered by the title track that peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard chart, the pianist-keyboardist has composed an album worth of new material comprised exclusively of originals that he depicts as smooth, funky, jazzy and will even have a touch of gospel. Etheredge’s utopian world view spins on the axis of peace, where inclusion and hope reign.   

“Growing up, my parents would tell me that basically, everyone is born good. I heard opposing viewpoints on that message over time, but I still believe it’s true. And it’s totally inclusive: we are all part of the ‘Love Planet,’” said Etheredge about the inspiration behind the title track of the collection he plans to drop in February preceded by a radio single the month before.

Even in demo form, the set’s sophisticated groove with a nocturnal feel on the piano-piloted “Resonance” bodes to be a radio single. The San Francisco-based Etheredge explains, “Wikipedia states: ‘In physics, resonance is a phenomenon in which a vibrating system or external force drives another system to oscillate with greater amplitude at specific frequencies.’ I think as humans, we all have opportunities to resonate with each other - to be in tune and find peace with each other - if we want it enough.” 

“You&Me&Us” contemplates coexistence while addressing a number of “Love Planet’s” key motifs. Etheredge ponders, “How can we coexist peacefully with one another? Perhaps if ‘you and me’ think not just about one or the other’s wants or needs, but instead consider a third way - ‘us’ – that focuses on our shared interest in which we both benefit. Can we be kind? Can we be respectful of all the beings in the world? Can we practice compassion and justice? Can we be loving?”

  

He describes “Slow Train” by using a quote attributed to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that was based on an older writing from abolitionist minister Theodore Parker. “‘The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,’ said Dr. King. For me, it’s a strong message of hope - that together - we can get through challenging times.”

Scheduled to be recorded in Los Angeles, “Love Planet” is expected to consist of nine songs when complete. To get there, Etheredge’s newly-initiated crowdfunding campaign provides a variety of perks that allow supporters to contribute to the process and score unique keepsakes and collectibles. Opportunities include autographed CDs, digital wallpapers, a studio session photo book, a canvas print of the album cover art, t-shirts and pillows branded with the “Love Planet” logo, and the unforgettable experience of attending all the recording sessions. To view the offerings, please visit https://bit.ly/2uWxQLZ. 

  

The tentative track listing for “Love Planet” is:

“Groove City”

“Resonance”

“Love Planet”

“You&Me&Us”

“Untethered”

“Elated”

“Slow Train”

“On The Flip Side”

“We’ll Make It Through”

Guitarist Denny Jiosa explores the sensuality of Latin jazz fusion on new album “Mueve Tu Cuerpo”

Four-time Grammy nominee Denny Jiosa sees parallels between the curvaceous body of the guitar and the human body. Indulging his passion for “sexy” Latin music, the jazz guitar slinger uses his electric and nylon-string guitar bodies to get people to move their body as well as expressively stir emotions on his eighth album, “Mueve Tu Cuerpo,” which drops July 27 on the Sonic Canvas Records/BFD imprint. Radio is already getting a taste with the evocative first single, “Missing You,” one of eleven songs Jiosa penned and produced for the collection.

Jiosa endeavored to craft an upbeat Latin-influenced, jazz-rooted album that would get people to move and grab attention via an exciting blend of musical styles. But he also wanted to go deeper, “shy away from the norm” and touch people emotionally. Beneath the energizing layers of exotic Latin percussion that create lusty rhythms and sensual grooves emerge moving harmonies and rousing melodies that resonate. Whether he’s furiously strumming impassioned nylon-string guitar rhythms, precisely picking lyrical phrases and bending extended notes, or intensely issuing scorched earth electric guitar pyrotechnics, Jiosa’s deft fretwork establishes and maintains a commanding presence throughout the recording.

  

“‘Mueve Tu Cuerpo’ is about what music does to get people to move. I wanted this to be an exciting, compelling and expressive blend, tapping into my huge passion for Latin music. I love the sounds, rhythms and sexiness of Latin music, which I blended with jazz rhythms, lines and harmonies. My intention from the outset was to reach a broad scope of listeners with this album. Guitar is one of the most expressive and sexy instruments. Whether I’m playing nylon string to electric guitar with an edge, it’s about moving people emotionally. If you can move people emotionally with an instrumental, then you’ve accomplished something,” said the Nashville-based Jiosa.

More than just sultry enticements to body movement or coaxing emotional responses, “Mueve Tu Cuerpo” also transmits meaningful messages. “Missing You” ruminates on the absence of Jiosa’s loved ones who have passed, such as his desire for his parents to be here to see their grandkids and hear his music. Alluring and mystical, “Dance In Heaven” contains the gut string guitarwork of multiple Grammy nominee Phil Keaggy. The festive, gospel-funk cut “Selah, Love Each Other,” featuring drummer Chester Thompson (Genesis, Frank Zappa), pays tribute to Jiosa’s late bassist, Chris Kent. John Santos contributes lead vocals to “Freedom Tower,” a song about the historic Miami structure that still stands as a landmark for Cubans who fled to the US in the 1960s and were processed at that location. The atmospheric meditation “From The Fire” appeared in the Christian film “Believe: The Misfit Pawn” a couple years ago and addresses embracing “the fire” we face in our lives

Jiosa developed his brand of guitar play that borrows from jazz, rock, blues and R&B while living in Los Angeles where he studied under the tutelage of innovative guitarist Frank Gamble (Chick Corea). He dropped his solo debut, “Moving Pictures,” in 1995. Subsequent collections spawned a string of singles that proliferated the radio charts. Jiosa’s diverse body of work includes roles as a producer, engineer, mixer and/or guitarist for artists such as Yolanda Adams, Kirk Whalum, Take 6, Ben Tankard, Philip Bailey and Crystal Gayle. “Mueve Tu Cuerpo” is his first album in ten years. For more information, please visit http://jiosa.com.

Jiosa’s “Mueve Tu Cuerpo” contains the following songs:

“Fumarlo Bebe”

“Mueve Tu Cuerpo”

“Missing You”

“Dance In Heaven”

“Abre La Puerta”

“Selah, Love Each Other”

“The Gift”

“Freedom Tower”

“Backroads”

“From The Fire”

“Embracing The Fire” (remix)

The Three Sides of Damien Sneed: Classical, Jazz and Sanctified Soul

LeChateau Earl Records releases “The Three Sides of Damien Sneed: Classical, Jazz and Sanctified Soul.” The three-disc CD features 39 tracks with more than two hours of music. “The Three Sides of Damien Sneed” is available on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and all other digital retail outlets everywhere. This magnum opus showcases the broad musicality of Sneed, whose musical skills and performance credits encompass everything from jazz and show tunes to opera and R&B. The set includes original tunes composed by Sneed as well as his unique arrangements of known works.

“The Three Sides of Damien Sneed: Classical, Jazz and Sanctified Soul has been in the works for a very long time,” notes Sneed. “I’ve spent my entire life trying to create and develop my brand as a multi-genre artist, but it wasn’t until I met my publicist, Gwendolyn Quinn, who single-handedly helped me to bring my brand to a definitive point of culmination. I realized that my recorded body of work did not represent all of what I did, so I decided to record this multi-genre project.”

As the CD title indicates, the first disc is a collection of meaningful classical works by Bach, Mozart, Chopin, Strauss and several African American contemporary composers including Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Mark Fax, Hale Smith, and Sneed. Guest artists include vocalist Justin Michael Austin, who will debut in the 2018/2019 production of Puccini’s “La fanciulla del West” at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, Germany; and The Metropolitan Opera’s Brandie Sutton, who currently stars as Clara in Seattle Opera’s “Porgy and Bess.”

Disc 2 focuses on Sneed’s considerable chops as a jazz interpreter, composer, pianist, and vocalist. Included are jazz standards “Over The Rainbow,” “Nature Boy,” and “Pure Imagination,” as well as jazz and gospel favorites like “Moanin’,” “God Bless The Child,” and “Wade in the Water.” Sneed’s sidemen include Grammy Award winner Ben Williams (bass), Jonathan Barber (drums), and Julius Rodriguez (piano).

Disk 3 is an 11-track exploration of Sneed’s gospel roots, combining favorite spirituals from his churchgoing childhood, like “Take My Hand, Precious Lord,” “Over My Head,” and “You’ve Got To Move;” and a prayer from a work by Wynton Marsalis; and Sneed’s composition “He’s Right There By Your Side.” In addition to Sneed, vocalists include Anitra McKinney, Chenee Campbell, Quinn Brown, and Matia Washington. The disc includes audio clips of Sneed as an 8-year-old music student.

Recently City Parks Foundation’s SummerStage presented the inaugural concert version of “The Three Sides of Damien Sneed: Classical, Jazz and Sanctified Soul” in New York’s historic Central Park. The annual main stage concert event featured soprano Brandie Sutton and Grammy-nominated artists Stefon Harris and Keke Wyatt. 

Damien Sneed is a pianist, organist, conductor, composer, producer, arranger, vocal coach, and arts educator; Sneed has worked with jazz, classical, pop and R&B legends including Aretha Franklin, Wynton Marsalis, Jessye Norman, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Ashford & Simpson, Lawrence Brownlee and many others.  The multi-genre recording artist is a recipient of the prestigious Sphinx Medal of Excellence, which is presented annually to emerging Black and Latino leaders in classical music. A graduate of John S. Davidson Fine Arts School in his hometown of Augusta, Ga., he earned a Bachelor of Music – Piano Performance from Howard University and a Master of Music in Music Technology: Scoring for Film and Multimedia from New York University. Sneed will also graduate with his doctorate in Orchestral Conducting from USC in Fall 2018. He is the founder and artistic director of the international vocal ensemble Chorale Le Chateau, and the founder of LeChateau Earl Records.

In April 2018, Sneed and his longtime collaborator, classical artist Audrey DuBois Harris, presented a five-song EP, “God Bless America,” which he produced and released on LeChateau Earl Records.

www.damiensneed.com

Christian Sands New Studio Album Facing Dragons

Not yet 30, Christian Sands is currently one of the most in-demand pianists working in jazz. In the last few years he has toured around the world as a bandleader and recently appeared as a sideman on records by Christian McBride and Gregory Porter. After the one-two punch of Reach and Reach Further - EP, Sands' dynamic 2017 Mack Avenue debut and his live/unreleased studio tracks EP follow-up released earlier this year, Facing Dragons is Sands' return to the recording studio with an indestructible band and an unwavering allegiance to the groove.

"I like the freedom of the trio format," says Sands. "It's more dramatic to me. It's a smaller entity but with a big personality. I can fit it into different situations dynamically, compositionally." Opening track "Rebel Music" features Sands' wide-ranging scope at its most elegant, nimbly jetting through single unison lines and bright block chords. Here and throughout the record he is joined by bassist Yasushi Nakamura and drummer Jerome Jennings, the band that Sands has been relentlessly touring with. The two sensitive accompanists are locked in sync, joined occasionally by a powerhouse pair of horns, a sinewy guitarist and a fiery pair of percussionists.

Saxophonist Marcus Strickland strikes first on the hard swinging “Fight for Freedom,” unleashing a throaty cry over the churning band. “Marcus Strickland brings a certain fire to the band,” says Sands. “Especially on this track. He’s got a rich and deep tone, so it was perfect for the earthy theme of the song.” Trumpeter Keyon Harrold shares the frontline with Strickland, playing in effortless harmony on the melody before getting a little solo space near the tune’s close.



Harrold takes centerstage later on “Frankenstein,” a churning meditation reminiscent of Herbie Hancock’s seafaring journeys of the 1960s. Sands is spacious in support and patient on his solo, the tune an energetic workout for all involved.

Facing Dragons

“Rebel Music"

"Fight For Freedom"

"Yesterday"

"Sangueo Soul"

"Sunday Mornings"

"Frankenstein"

"Her Song"

"Samba Da Vela"

"Rhodes to Meditation"

Earlier this year Sands was named creative ambassador to The Erroll Garner Jazz Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to the legacy of the late great pianist Erroll Garner. After inheriting the position from the late Geri Allen – one of Sands’ mentors – he is a natural fit for the role. Sands has that same affable understanding of the audience as he recognizes their innate desire to be entertained as well as enlightened. He tackles the Beatles’ “Yesterday” with a soulful saunter. “Pop music is essential in jazz. It’s new melodies, it’s new stories, or same stories told in different ways. Jazz is about storytelling and pop music has a unique story to tell.”

Sands has yet to bring his band to Venezuela but when he gets there, he’ll be more than ready for the infectious polyrhythms found on the shores of Choroni Beach. On “Sangueo Soul,” Sands bounces above the churning South American rhythms, with Caio Afiune doubling the piano lines on guitar. It alternates between the two sounds, blending them at will, a sprightly dash of octaves on the piano cross paths with intergalactic vibrations. The tune is impossible to resist as a battery of rhythm pushes Sands’ piano into a righteous jaunt; clear the dancefloor. Percussionist Cristian Rivera appeared on Sands’ Mack Avenue Records debut, and the two formed a tight bond over a decade ago in Bobby Sanabria’s Afro Cuban Big Band. Percussionist Roberto Quintero, a native Venezuelan, brings the fire and authenticity to the party.

“Samba da Vela” appears later, continuing the South American travelogue with a trip to Brazil. Guitarist Caio Afiune first played with Sands’ brother Ryan, a drummer who studied at the New England Conservatory. Afiune has been playing with the pianist for over a year now, finding his voice in the tight-knit ensemble. His solo is an energetic but controlled centerpiece of the performance but becomes even more effervescent when he heads to church.

 “Church music is key in not just my sound but most jazz musicians I look up to. It’s a culture that most of us have gone through so it’s embedded in what we do,” says Sands. “Jazz can be a religious experience and for me my playing is my gift to God.” Sands began formal lessons at the age of four but picked up his sense of swing and soul at church well before that. “Sunday Mornings” is Sands tribute to the beginning of the week. He employs soulful clusters of chords and a lackadaisical slide off the beat, aided and embedded by an oscillating organ. The transition to a backyard reggae groove is hip, propelled by Afiune’s scratchy accents.

The lilting “Her Song” features bassist Nakamura. “Yasushi has a great bass sound, great facility and is always easy to work with, which is why he’s still in so many other bands today besides mine,” says Sands. Regardless of Nakamura’s schedule, he is fully committed to Sands’ vision of a rhythm section, a noble accent to the sound, unobtrusive but always present. Jennings is equally sensitive. “What I love about Romey” says Sands, “is the soulful intellect he brings to the instrument. There are layers to what he does and that comes from study and practice and also just being him – a true soul brother.”

The album closes with “Rhodes to Meditation” featuring an electrified Sands drifting into the ether. “The Fender Rhodes adds a different tone to my imagination. It makes me hear and play different.” Sands evokes a spectral world without borders, drifting off like a satellite towards the next adventure. “Like all of my albums, I want people to feel connected through a story that I’m telling. On this record, I want to remind people to always push forward and move in positivity.”

 

Christian Sands' Upcoming U.S. Performances:

August 2 / Coral Gables Congregational United Church / Coral Gables, FL

August 11 / Richmond Jazz Festival / Richmond, VA

September 3 / Detroit Jazz Festival / Detroit, MI

September 21 / Monterey Jazz Festival / Monterey, CA

September 29 / Hyde Park Jazz Festival / Chicago, IL

October 12 / Scullers Jazz Club / Boston, MA

October 19 / Kuumbwa Jazz Club / San Jose, CA

October 20 / SF Jazz Center / San Francisco, CA

October 22 / Dimitriou's Jazz Alley / Seattle, WA

October 25 - 28 / Jazz Standard / New York, NY

November 2 / Christina Cultural Arts Center / Wilmington, DE

November 3 / Montgomery County Community College / Blue Bell, PA

November 7 / Jazz Dock / Prague, Czech Republic

November 9 - 10 / Duc Des Lombards / Paris, France

November 11 / Blue Note Milan / Milan, Italy

November 12 / Opus Jazz Club / Budapest, Hungary

November 13 / Unterfahrt / Munich, Germany

November 15 / Club Bix / Stuttgart, Germany

November 16 / Pizza Express / London, United Kingdom

November 17 / Pizza Express / Maidstone, United Kingdom

2019 Dates:

January 23 / McAfee Concert Hall @ Belmont University / Nashville, TN

February 2 / Schambach Center - Wellin Hall / Clinton, NY

February 8 / Black Rock Center for the Arts / Germantown, MD

February 9 / Carnegie Hall / Lewisburg, WV

February 16 / Phillips Center for the Performing Arts / Gainesville, FL

April 25 / Frostburg State University - Manicur Ballroom / Frostburg, MD

Christian Sands · Facing Dragons

Mack Avenue Records · Release Date: September 21, 2018

Andrey Chmut Debut Album "Smoothability" featuring Bob James, U-Nam & Valeriy Stepanov

A delicious amalgam of mellow grooves and funky rhythms, the aptly titled “Smoothability” is the dynamite with which Ukrainian born, rising sax star Andrey Chmut is making what promises to be a truly explosive debut.

Typified by the upbeat title cut (and first radio single) which includes Wha Wha guitar from the unmistakable U-Nam, “Smoothability” is living proof that, in this joined up musical world, an effective social media presence can be the avenue to great success.  In fact it was Andrey’s work with Artem Lebedev that provided him with YouTube exposure, which he later built on through appearances with fellow Skytown label mate Valeriy Stepanov.

Andrey played sax on four of the tracks from Stepanov’s debut CD “New Beginnings” and now for “Smoothability” Stepanov has written three new songs to ensure the favor is well and truly reciprocated.   The first, the lusciously mellow “Those Sweet Nights”, proves to be right on the smooth jazz money and much the same can be said of “Don’t Loose the Faith” that remains sumptuously ‘in the pocket’ throughout.  Completing this glittering trio of original Stepanov compositions is “Night Ride” where Chmut’s playing is impeccable and although “Jazzed Up” delivers exactly what the title suggests it might it is with “K.S.U.” that Andrey confirms that here is a guy who really knows smooth jazz.

Chmut writes or co-writes six of the ten choice tunes yet in this oasis of new music the album’s only cover is Andrey’s fresh take on Kirk Franlin’s 2005 hit “Imagine Me”.  Elsewhere, a true standout in a collection full of them is “Moving Forward” which not only has a vibe that might well get in your head and not go away but also features the timeless Bob James on electric piano.  In fact on hearing of Andrey’s deal with Skytown Records to release “Smoothability” it was James who was first with a message of support.

"Congratulations on finding a new home for your music with Skytown Records. I hope it will lead to lots of success and it becomes a big #1 hit for you! "

More magic comes with another of Chmut’s own tunes, “Song for a Friend” for which U-Nam makes a welcome return on featured guitar while later the uplifting “I’ll Always Be There” benefits from carefully crafted vocal contributions from Artem Banar and Cleulia Daniel.

TRACK LISTING:

1. Smoothability 3:22

2. K.S.U 4:58

3. Jazzed Up 3:26

4. Those Sweet Nights feat. Valeriy Stepanov 4:45

5. Song for a Friend feat. U-Nam 3:48

6. Don’t Lose the Faith 4:27

7. I’ll always Be There 4:02

8. Moving Forward feat. Bob James 5:51

9. Night Ride 4:34

10. Imagine Me 4:55

Trumpeter John Bailey steps into the spotlight with debut album as a leader "In Real Time"

The opening trumpet fanfare of John Bailey's debut album In Real Time heralds the arrival of a major, fully formed talent. Yet Bailey is no newcomer to jazz: this is his first album as a leader after more than 30 years as one of the busiest sidemen in the business.  The album will be released on June 8, 2018 via Summit Records.

Why at age 52 is he now making his debut as a leader? His answer is simple yet profound: "It was just time."

Known as one of the most eclectic trumpet players in New York City, Bailey is an in-demand musician and teaching artist on call for everything from traditional jazz, to R&B and pop, to classical. He became a member of The Buddy Rich Band while still in college, and his career has included long-running gigs with Ray Charles, master conguero and bandleader Ray Barretto, Max Weinberg and Frank Sinatra, Jr. His work with Latin Jazz innovator Arturo O'Farrill won two Grammy awards for the albums The Offense of the Drum and Cuba - The Conversation Continues. He has played on more than 70 albums and, as a jazz educator, has taught at the University of Miami and Florida International University.

That immersive career informed and shaped Bailey's creative approach to his first recording. For In Real Time, he dug deep and came up with a variety of riches as a composer.

"My natural inclination has always been to draw from as many different sources as possible," he explains. As a child of the 1960s, he learned from Dizzy, Miles and Bird, and was mentored by the legendary multi-instrumentalist Ira Sullivan who wrote the liner notes for this album. He was also influenced by artists as diverse as Jethro Tull, The Beach Boys, classical trumpeter Maurice Andre, and the Chicago Symphony brass section. "Duke Ellington said it best," says Bailey. "There are only two kinds of music: good music and the other kind."

Bailey acknowledges deliberately ignoring the boundaries between genres. "As a composer and improviser, I make no lines in the sand, though I try to keep the music coherent." For In Real Time, Bailey enlisted a group of fellow seekers and jazz veterans including saxophonist Stacey Dillard, guitarist John Hart, bassist Cameron Brown, and drummer Victor Lewis. Through seven originals and two Brazilian covers (by Milton Nascimento and Gilberto Gil), the album shows unusual range. From the straight-ahead and boppish, to elegiac ballads and cerebral post-bop flights, his goal is to make the music deep and wide-ranging. In each tune, regardless of where the music takes him, Bailey's ebullient personality shines through.

A trumpet prodigy, Bailey's spectacular gifts began to be noticed as a high school musician in 1984 when DownBeat Magazine cited him in its annual Student Music Awards for outstanding performances in both the classical and jazz trumpet categories, noting "Shades of Wynton!" The same year, he was a finalist in the National Foundation for Advancements in the Arts (NFAA) Arts Recognition and Talent Search, along with Donny McCaslin and Bill Charlap. He also won the National Association of Jazz Educators' Youth Talent Contest. Later, as a senior at the Eastman School of Music, he won DownBeat's Best Instrumental Soloist award.

Looking back, he says, "It all started for me when I discovered Clifford Brown. Clifford was the centerpiece of the golden era of jazz trumpet, and a great place to begin my lifelong study of the instrument. He was influenced by everyone before him, and became an influence on everyone after."

Bailey, who continues to teach privately, believes that educating the next generation of musicians is essential for any artist. "In American culture, where the arts are often ignored or deemphasized in both schools and the mainstream media, it is up to us, the artists, to inspire an appreciation for great art," he says. "By keeping performance standards as high as possible and sharing our devotion with others, especially children, we enrich countless lives."

With the success of his debut recording as a leader, John Bailey has indeed set the standard very high and enriched our lives.

https://johnbailey.com/