Saxophonist Lucas Pino challenges jazz's hidebound traditions on thrilling third album with his No Net Nonet

Pino and No Net Nonet perform last Tuesday of every month at Smalls Jazz Club in NYC. There's an age-old debate in jazz that pits heart versus head, contrasting emotion and feeling against technical virtuosity and compositional complexity. On That's a Computer, the third release from saxophonist/composer Lucas Pino and his No Net Nonet, the argument is put to rest with a resounding "BOTH." The hairpin twists of the album's seven compositions, contributed by Pino, his bandmates, and an unsung, anonymous video game composer, draw ferociously swinging, pulse-racing performances from the gifted nine-piece ensemble that are as moving for the soul as they are daunting for the brain.

That's a Computer, due out October 19, 2018 via Outside In Music, takes its title from a comment made by one of Pino's professors at the Juilliard School. The teacher, himself a respected instrumentalist and revered jazz veteran, dismissed the work of one of Pino's idols with those three sneering words. At least it put the young saxophonist in good company - the same professor had derided Pino's own playing in similar terms, despite never sharing his wisdom with Pino directly.

"It's like they say, you never want to meet your heroes," Pino says. "I never even met this professor, but he would apparently hear me play at school concerts and always infer that I had a lot of brains but not a lot of heart. He never addressed me, never introduced himself, apparently had no interest in trying to help me with whatever deficiencies he thought I had, which has been a piece of sand in my clamshell for years. So I wanted to turn it around and make it a self-affirmation."

One listen to Alex LoRe's jubilant, soaring "Antiquity" or the tender, romantic "Film at 11" and there's no mistaking the music of That's a Computer for the work of some unfeeling automaton. The title thus becomes a winking challenge, a musical Turing test that dares listeners to stay unmoved by the impassioned playing even as the music veers into greater complexity. That even applies to the one piece that does trace its origins to a box of circuits, "Baseball Simulator 1000," the theme song for a vintage Nintendo game that wormed its way into Pino's ears during countless hours playing America's virtual pastime with a few of his roommates. It makes for a surprisingly spirited finale.

Almost a decade into its existence, the aptly-named, tightrope-walking No Net Nonet has become a rich and versatile vehicle for Pino's open-eared approach. With the exception of drummer Jimmy Macbride, who came aboard for 2017's The Answer Is No, the line-up remains intact from the Nonet's self-titled 2015 debut: alto saxophonist Alex LoRe, trumpeter Mat Jodrell, trombonist Nick Finzer, baritone saxophonist Andrew Gutauskas, guitarist Rafal Sarnecki, pianist Glenn Zaleski, and bassist Desmond White. Chilean-born singer-songwriter Camila Meza guests on two tracks, providing gorgeous wordless vocals to Pino's tense "Frustrations" and a scintillating interpretation of the words of poet Pablo Neruda on Sarnecki's "Sueno de Gatos."

The close ties that the band's members have forged since initially coming together in 2009 were honed by a continuous five-year monthly residency at Smalls Jazz Club and are exemplified by Pino's playful "Horse of a Different Color." Named for the shade-shifting Technicolor beast of burden from The Wizard of Oz, the piece is a portrait of the composer's bandmates in collage. Setting out to write a blues to showcase their talents, he contacted each of the soloists and asked their favorite keys to solo over. The end result cycles through their choices, shining the spotlight on each member in turn.

The heart-wrenching "Film at 11" suggests a tragedy played for ratings on the nightly news but in fact traces the progress of a date, delicately capturing the nervousness, anticipation and thrill of newfound romance. "Look Into My Eyes" is a love letter to the Arizona native's fellow New Yorkers, a plea for eye contact and human connection in a city better known for impersonal brusqueness and unflagging pace. "You can feel completely alone on a subway car packed with people," Pino says, "and there's something wrong with that. Looking somebody else in the eyes can be an invitation to interact, and New Yorkers often don't have the time or patience for that. That can create a caustic environment, and I think that every once in a while if we just acknowledged each other's humanity it would make living in the city a little bit easier."

Ultimately, if albums like That's a Computer are the result of a negative experience with a musical hero, perhaps the bad blood is worth it. Pino laughs at the experience now and admits to enjoying the drama, though he has learned a personal as well as a musical lesson from the ordeal.

"When you grow up listening to somebody and really appreciate their artistry it's disappointing to encounter them and have the experience to turn out nasty," Pino says. "I think being dismissive is probably harming the dismisser more than the dismissed. I never want to be callous or indifferent to new ideas, new people or new ways of playing. It's like improv comedy: the first rule is to always say 'Yes' and build from there. Don't be afraid; no fear." And no net.

New York City-based tenor saxophonist Lucas Pino has led the inventive No Net Nonet for the better part of a decade, maintaining a monthly residency at Smalls Jazz Club in NYC since March 2013. At the same time he's performed as a sideman for artists including Lea DeLaria, Gideon van Gelder, Takuya Kuroda, Richard Boukas, David Lopato, Lauren Desberg, Rafal Sarnecki, Nick Finzer, Jeremy Siskind, Dave Baron, Alex Wintz, Jorn Swart, Marike van Dijk, and Florian Hoefner. He also plays frequently with Bryan Carter & The Young Swangers, and the Steven Feifke Big Band. Pino has shared the stage with such legendary artists as Dave Brubeck, Curtis Fuller, Benny Golson, Jimmy Heath, Christian McBride, Carl Allen, Benny Green and David Sanborn. Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, Pino grew up singing hymns in church and in the choir at school. The first music he ever listened to was jazz, and he started playing saxophone at age 10. As a high school junior, he won the DownBeat Student Music Award for Best Instrumental Soloist in 2004, and went on to attend the Brubeck Institute, finishing his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Jazz Performance at The New School in 2009. He received a Masters of Music from Juilliard in 2011. Pino has since traveled the world, performing in Japan, Australia, Poland, Spain, Britain, The Netherlands, Brazil, and Costa Rica, as well as throughout the United States and Canada.

lucaspino.com

Top Entertainers Celebrate the Living Legends Foundation’s 2018 Honorees with Record-Setting Year at its Annual Awards Gala

On Friday, October 5, top entertainers came out to celebrate The Living Legends Foundation’s 2018 honorees at its 22nd Award Show and Dinner at Taglyan Cultural Complex in Hollywood, CA.

“This year’s awards ceremony was one of the best – if not the best – in the foundation’s 27-year history,” says David. C. Linton, Chairman of the Living Legends Foundation. “The attendance surpassed previous years and included people not only from radio and records but all areas of entertainment. It is a testament to the achievements of the honorees as well as the great work by the organization. I would like to thank all of our sponsors, board members, volunteers, and everyone who came out to make this event a record-setting year.”

Eddie Levert, Yo-Yo, Kenny Lattimore, and Lenny Williams were among the guests to pay tribute to this year’s distinguished honorees. Hosted by radio personality DeDe McGuire of the syndicated radio show “DeDe in the Morning,” the awards show honored Michael Mauldin, CEO of Mauldin Brand, Inc., with the Lifetime Achievement Award; Hurricane Dave Smith, Vice President of Programming and Operations of Radio One Atlanta, was presented with the Jerry Boulding Radio Executive Award; Cynthia Johnson, CEO of Aloro Marketing, received the Music Label Executive Award; Eddie Sims and Belinda Wilson, Partners of Moonridge Entertainment International, were recipients of the Entrepreneur Award; Denise Brown Henderson, Esq., Principal, was presented with the first-ever Mike Bernardo Executive Award, which is given to an outstanding female executive for demonstrating excellence in music and entertainment; Pat Shields, Partner of Black Dot LLC, was the recipient of the A.D. Washington Chairman’s Award; and Bruce W. Talamon, photographer and author, who recently released his critically acclaimed book “Bruce W. Talamon Soul, R&B and Funk Photographs 1972 – 1982,” was presented with a special Living Legends honor.

Sylvia Rhone, President of Epic Records, and Azim Rashid, Senior Vice President of Promotion of Roc Nation, were the Honorary Chairperson and the Event Chairperson, respectively. Kenny Lattimore, Grammy Award-nominated recording artist, performed a set of his signature hits. The LLF also presented a special live tribute to the late Aretha Franklin that included performances by Margo Thunder, recording artist and former lead singer of 9.9; Reggie Calloway, multiple award-winning recording artist and songwriter and executive of Sound Royalties; Lenny Williams, recording artist and former lead singer of Tower Of Power, Yo-Yo, recording artist; and Lattimore.

The L.A. City Council presented Certificates of Recognition to the Living Legends honorees, which was given by Dina Andrews, Sr. Field Deputy/CD 8 West. The LLF was chartered in Los Angeles in 1991. The program line-up also featured a presentation by LoLita Toney, Director of Development and Chief of Staff of the National Museum of African American Music, scheduled to open in 2019 in Nashville, TN.

The Living Legends Foundation’s 2018 sponsors included Platinum Sponsors Hitco Music, Sound Royalties and Warner Chappell Music; Gold Sponsor Epic Records; Entertainment Sponsor The Estate of Michael Jackson; Silver Sponsors All Access Music Group, City National Bank, Empire Distribution Group, and Money Making Conversations; Table Sponsors Anchor Promotions, Atlantic Records, Billboard Publications, BMG Music Group, Capitol Records, Cynthia Johnson, Def Jam Records, Motown Records, RCA Records, RocNation, and WU Music. Specialty Cocktails were presented by Revel Spirits. Media Partners included EURWEB.com, Moses Media, Music Industry Quarterly, Radio Facts, and The Urban Buzz.

The gifting sponsors for honorees and guests included Angelo Ellerbee, Bruce W. Talamon, Dr. DeForest Soaries, Dr. Frisby Hair Products, Demo, Empire Distribution, Hollywood Fit Body, Kenny Lattimore, Logan Westbrooks/Ascent Publishing, LA Dodgers, LA Lakers, Louis Carr/DLS Men’s Conference & Soul Train Music Awards, Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival, HBO, My Black Is Beautiful, OWN, Pedi-Licious Footwear, Revel Spirits, Rhino Records, SESAC, Shea Moisture, Sheri Riley, Sound Royalties, The REAL, Tracy Robinson, Under Amour, US Bank, and Warner Bros. Home Video.

The Living Legends Foundation continues its mission to honor the best and the brightest in the ever-changing and evolving music and entertainment industries. The foundation’s core mission is to honor pioneers and professionals who have broken new ground in the areas of broadcasting, recorded music, marketing, retail, publicity, publishing, digital, creative, and philanthropy.

The Living Legends Foundation Officers and Board Members include Chairman David Linton, President Varnell Johnson, Vice-President Jacqueline Rhinehart, Recording Secretary Pat Shields, founder and Treasurer C.C. Evans, and General Counsel Kendall Minter, Esq. Board Members include Vinny Brown, Sheila Eldridge, Marcus Grant, Tony Gray, Ken Johnson, Barbara Lewis, Miller London, Sidney Miller, Kathi Moore, Jon Platt, Gwendolyn Quinn, Sam Weaver, and Colleen Wilson.

The Living Legends Foundation Advisory Board includes a list of distinguished entertainment executives, including founder Ray Harris, Monica Alexander, Vivian Scott Chew, Don Cody, George Daniels, Brad Davidson, Michael Dawson, Esq., Skip Dillard, Kevin Fleming, Shannon Henderson, James Leach, Vicki Mack Lataillade, Gail Mitchell, Azim Rashid, Lionel Ridenour, Kevin Ross, A.J. Savage, T.C. Thompkins, Irene Ware, Tyrone Williams, Buzzy Willis, and Tony Winger.

For additional information on the Living Legends Foundation, please visit www.livinglegendsfoundation.com.

Vocalist Annie Chen's sophomore recording Secret Treetop heralds the arrival of an innovative, sophisticated composer with globe-spanning musical influences

Vocalist and composer Annie Chen, born in Beijing and based in New York, is both musically and geographically international. As a child she studied classical piano but also fell in love with jazz. As an adult she became interested in traditional music from around the world. All of those influences emulsify into a unique style of Chen's own on her second album, Secret Treetop, to be released November 2, 2018 through Shanghai Audio&Video Ltd. Co.

"When you are standing at the top of the tree, you can see a much wider world," says Chen in explaining Secret Treetop's title. "It's just like that when you're making music: You need to see farther and open your mind and heart. Everything must be open."

The album adds additional layers of global music influence by way of Chen's octet, which features Polish guitarist Rafal Sarnecki, Japanese violinist Tomoko Omura and Canadian trumpeter David Smith alongside American jazz musicians Glenn Zaleski (piano), Alex LoRe (alto saxophone/flute), Mat Muntz (bass) and Jerad Lippi (drums).

Secret Treetop is not the beginning of Chen's journey into the wider world she mentions. Her debut recording, 2014's Pisces the Dreamer, was painted with a similar palette of world music influences. The sophomore release refreshes that palette with new sounds, many of them brought to Chen by new collaborators.

"I like to listen to a lot of different countries' traditional music," Chen says. "I have a lot of Turkish friends, and I studied with a Turkish percussionist. My guitarist [Sarnecki], who is also an arranger, is from Poland, and I was influenced a lot by the Eastern European traditional music he played for me: Polish, Croatian, Bulgarian, Czech."  Chen was also charmed by the Balkan a cappella choirs she encountered at Brooklyn's Zlatne Uste Golden Festival. They shaped her approach to the album's title track, which otherwise wears its East Asian influence on its sleeve. "I wanted to create the feeling of singing out in the open," she explains. "I'm standing on top of the tree, and I sing to the mountain."

The Turkish influence is most apparent in the whirling dervish violin and mixed-meter polyrhythms of the album-opening "Ozledim Seni" ("Miss You"). The lyrical content of the song is also evocative. "I created a scene of going back a thousand years ago to the Ottoman Empire," Chen says. "I heard so many stories from my friends about Turkish history. It's also about my Turkish friends coming to visit me, and how much I would miss them after I took them back to the airport."

Chen's interest in traditional music includes repertoire from her childhood, which she explores in a pair of folk songs: "Ao Bao Xiang Hui" from Mongolia, and "Gan Lan Shu" from Taiwan. Both, she says, are songs that everyone who surrounded her in China would have known-especially "Ao Bao Xiang Hui," a love song that's hundreds of years old. "I'm from the north of China," she says. "We encounter Mongolian cultural aspects a lot. Being from Beijing, I have lots of thoughts about this music." Of course, the Taiwanese "Gan Lan Shu" suggests that Chen is acquainted with the culture of southern China as well. It has a great deal of personal resonance both for Chen and for her New York audiences. "The lyric is talking about people leaving the country and traveling far away to chase their dreams; I find that very touching," she says. "When I perform, all the Chinese people in New York who hear it, they tear up."

Japan bears a subtler influence; it comes not so much from the island nation's music as from its cultural artifacts. "Majo Kiki in 12 Days" was inspired by the title character of the Japanese anime film Kiki's Delivery Service, who impressed Chen with a bravery and independence that's opposite to most portrayals of Asian women. "Mr. Wind-Up Bird, Strange Yearning" is a response to Haruki Murakami's famous novel The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle - Chen's tune is wordless, intended not to reflect the novel itself, but how she felt after reading it.

World literature also forms the basis for "Leaving Sonnet," in this case the titular poetic form which originated in Italy. "They have a very strict rhyme," Chen notes. "I thought, maybe I could use this concept in my music. Not in the lyrics, but I wrote very strict phrasing structures, and the polyrhythms are very strict as well. It caused some problems for the musicians-it was really hard!" she laughs.

Chen hopes that her many influences have blended insolubly on two songs inspired by her relationship with her boyfriend, guitarist Marius Duboule. "Orange Tears Lullaby" was written to soothe him as he underwent knee problems; the antibiotics turned his tears orange. The spare "My Ocean is Blue in White" draws on more symbolic colors to illustrate Chen's thoughts about love: "At weddings, everything is white because white is pure. But  love is not pure-sometimes you're suffering or sad. There's always some blue color in the white."

A digital-only bonus track, Chen's rendition of Nirvana's "All Apologies" presents yet another musical world into which she was plugged. "Nirvana is one of my favorite rock bands, and they influenced me when I was a teenager a lot," she explains. As always, however, Chen reframes the tunes on her own terms, with a radical rearrangement by herself and Sarnecki that culminates in fierce counterpoint between Smith and LoRe.

Annie Chen was born in Beijing, China. She was only four years old when she began studying classical piano at Central Conservatory of Music-and at that tender age was already practicing five to six hours a day. "The education is so strict," Chen says. "In China education is focused on being the best at all costs: 'You need to win. You need to win.' So every year I had to go to a lot of piano competitions."

As she labored at Mozart and Beethoven her father, a business translator and jazz lover, would bring her jazz CDs from his business trips to the United States. When she heard Sarah Vaughan, the teenaged Chen decided that her real desire was to be a jazz singer.

With jazz education hard to come by in China, Chen continued with her classical studies, earning a bachelor's degree from the Central Conservatory of Music. She then began working as a decidedly non-classical singer: She was lead vocalist in the bands Blues Driver, Big John and Black Hot Pisces, as well as the leader of the Soul Decree Funk Big Band, the only funk large ensemble in China.

She worked at venues such as Blue Note Beijing, East Shore Jazz Club, DDC, JiangHu, Guangzhou Xinghai Concert Hall and JZ Club Shanghai and Hangzhou, where she led her quintet over a three-month residency. She performed at major festivals across the country-including the Solana Summertime Festival, Chaoyang Music Festival, Beijing Nine-Gates Jazz Festival, CD Jazz Week, and the Shanghai International Jazz Festival.

In 2010, Chen came to New York City on an eight-month student visa, studying privately at Manhattan School of Music with vocalist Nancy Marano and doing occasional vocal gigs with pianists. At the end of the year, she returned to China, where she continued performing. In 2012, however, she returned to New York to pursue a master's degree at Queens College. She took vocal lessons with Charenee Wade, piano with David Berkman, arrangement and composition with Michael Philip Mossman, and improvisation with Antonio Hart.

In 2014, she recorded her first album, Pisces the Dreamer, with a sextet comprising some of her Queens College classmates. The album combined the influences of jazz, gospel-drenched soul, pop-rock and bossa nova, as well as European classical, Chinese and Middle Eastern music in seven original compositions by Chen and two standards.

The following year, Chen formed her octet, and began performing with them around New York City. She also began what would ultimately be a three-year process of composing for them, the results of which have now come together with Secret Treetops. "I don't know what kinds of things I can write in the future, but for now I'm very proud of these compositions," she says. "This is my milestone so far."

www.anniechenjazz.com

Invisible Bird -- Supergroup Featuring Shane Endsley, Dave Devine, Scott Amendola -- Release Debut Album Flutter to Fuzz

Flutter to Fuzz is the debut album from Invisible Bird, a trio collectively led by three engaging and unique artists from the Bay Area and Colorado; Shane Endsley (trumpet/effects), Dave Devine (guitar/effects) and Scott Amendola (drums/effects). Known for their respective work with the Nels Cline Singers and Mike Patton (Amendola), Brian Blade Fellowship and the Czars (Devine), and Kneebody and Ani DiFranco (Endsley), each member of the trio serves as a distinct compositional voice, crafting original music that traverses an array of textures from rootsy backbeat grooves and pop melodies to swirling soundscapes and meditative song structures. The group broadly employs the use of electronics via their hefty collection of boutique stomp boxes, branching out from a traditional jazz trio sound.

The opening track “Colorado Reel” is a bluegrass tune for the 21st century; trumpet and guitar stand in for fiddle whilst Endsley and Devine take turns interweaving a bass groove over Amendola’s driving beats. Contrast that to the dirgelike chord progressions of “Everytime I Look Down I See You Up There,” featuring the ethereal vocals of Azure Ray’s Orenda Fink. The jazz pedigree of Invisible Bird shines on “The Swagger Of The Tail Wagger,” an acoustic piece recorded live in one room with no headphones, effects, or overdubs. The freely improvised jam “A Little Dizzy” spins out into experimental territory with the addition of folk artist Sam Amidon’s singsong spoken word and wandering fiddle. Flutter to Fuzz also includes the band’s reinventions of Nick Drake’s “Cello Song” and Joni Mitchell’s “Amelia.”

Tracklist:

1. Colorado Reel

2. Keep Digging

3. Bucketful Of Miracles

4. Low Voice

5. Cello Song (Nick Drake)

6. Everytime I Look Down I See You Up There – feat. Orenda Fink

7. Swagger Of The Tail Wagger

8. Amelia (Joni Mitchell)

9. A Little Dizzy – feat. Sam Amidon

10. Momentum & Backlash

11. Squirm, Sir Worm 

Invisible Bird Performances:

November 8 / Blue Whale / Los Angeles, CA

November 9 / The 4 Cats Cafe & Gallery / San Luis Obispo, CA

November 10 / Red Poppy Art House / San Francisco, CA

November 12 / Mississippi Studios / Portland, OR

November 13 / Royal Room / Seattle, WA

November 14 / Ivy Room / Albany, CA

New Releases: Paul Dozier - Brand New Day; Ben Tankard - Rise!; KR 604 - ElectroBluesSociety feat Michel Peters - Mojo Workin

Paul Dozier - Brand New Day

Guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Paul Dozier’s success as a solo artist these past 17 years has led him to open shows for the Smooth Jazz, Soul and Gospel elite, play with everyone from Paul Taylor and Brian Simpson and serve as musical director for Karen Briggs and Gail Jhonson. The optimistic title of his latest album BRAND NEW DAY lets us know that he’s looking forward to the future with tight, infectious melodies, fluid guitar licks and picture perfect urban pocket grooves. Dozier complements the electric guitar vibe with an acoustic neo soul tune featuring vocalist Jessica Lane and a deep electronica soul dive into a Sade classic. ~ smoothjazz.com    

Ben Tankard - Rise!

Your favorite Renaissance Man is Back!  Gold and Platinum selling Gospel/Jazz Pianist, bestselling author, reality TV star, private pilot and pastor, Ben Tankard has been thrilling us with his inspirational blend for many years and now his new album, RISE! is riding both the Billboard Jazz and Gospel charts again!  “I am super excited about this record because I was able to instrumentally remake three time-honored classics that have been true to my heart for years,” says Tankard.  Those classics include the 1980’s cult classic instrumental song RISE!  by 9X GRAMMY® Award-winning trumpeter Herb Alpert.  Tankard's rendition features Marion Meadows and is charting "most added" at Smooth Jazz radio. Other classics songs on the album include the Gospel hit “It's Working” featuring Kirk Whalum, and a favorite by The legendary Williams Brothers, “I’m Still Here."  Paul Jackson, Jr contributes on “More Rain." Tankard, a former NBA basketball player, affectionately known as The “godfather” of Gospel Jazz, was recently inducted into the Stellar Awards Honors Hall of Fame. RISE! is available now in all digital outlets and Walmart Stores and his 100+ Stop Rise! Tour runs through the end of 2019, sponsored by Shell Aviation Fuel. ~ smoothhjazz.com

KR 604 - ElectroBluesSociety feat Michel Peters - Mojo Workin

ElectroBluesSociety is formed by Jasper Mortier and Jan Mittendorp: two guys and a bunch of junk with a broad taste and an open mind mixing the old with the new. Modern technologies combined with 30+ years of live stage experience in the European blues / roots music scene. The musical input ranges from Alan Lomax to Roxy Music and from Charlie Parker to Led Zeppelin. On stage you will find computers, a double bass, foot pedals, vintage amps, midi controllers, an old drumkit and lots of cables. All of this handled by the two band members. This time they took a classic blues song and invited Michel Peters for the vocals.

Pianist Kenny Werner makes poetic, brilliant music in the moment on The Space, new solo recording

Pianist Kenny Werner has long been a major player on the world jazz scene. His long-term musical relationships with the likes of the legendary Toots Thielemans, saxophonist Joe Lovano, and the Mel Lewis Big Band, coupled with his recognition as composer and bandleader have propelled him to the forefront of the music. Quincy Jones proclaimed him to be "360 degrees of soul and science in one human being," and Nate Chinen of The New York Times marveled at "Ša pianist who tempers fearsome technique with a questing spiritualism."

Werner is also an acclaimed educator. The title of his new solo recording The Space comes from a chapter in Effortless Mastery, his book dealing with creativity and his approach to playing that has influenced a generation of jazz players. Werner calls The Space "Šthe most important title I've ever had for my music." It's about "Šbeing in the moment, content with what is."  The Space will be released November 2, 2018 on Pirouet (PIT3106).

This album is the fourth Werner has recorded for Pirouet. Engineer-artistic director Jason Seizer had actually wanted to do a solo recording with Kenny, but Werner persuaded Jason to record his trio first. After two Pirouet trio albums and one beautiful duo album with the great Brazilian singer Joyce, the time for The Space had come. Pirouet has recorded some of the premier pianists in jazz, including such artists as Marc Copland, Bill Carrothers, and Pablo Held. The new production with Werner continues that tradition.

The album's eight pieces consist of two memorable standards, a classic Keith Jarrett composition, two perceptive pieces by Seizer, and three Werner originals, including the spare, mysterious title piece. In Werner's hands they are transformed into intimate poems of self-discovery. Werner characterizes The Space as "the place where every note I play is the most beautiful sound I've ever heard." With his new album, Kenny Werner makes that space his home.

Kenny Werner has been a world-class pianist and composer for over forty years. His prolific output of compositions, recordings and publications continue to impact audiences around the world. In 1996 he wrote his landmark book Effortless Mastery, Liberating the Master Musician Within. Werner has since created videos, lectured worldwide and authored many articles on how musicians, artists or even business people can allow their "master creator" within to lift their performance to its highest level, showing us how to be spontaneous, fearless, joyful and disciplined in our work and in our life. He is currently the artistic director of The Effortless Mastery Institute at Berklee College Of Music.

Kenny was awarded the 2010 Guggenheim Fellowship Award for his seminal work, No Beginning No End, a musical journey exploring tragedy and loss, death and transition, and the path from one lifetime to the next. Utilizing over 70 musicians, Kenny's third album for Half Note Records is an expansive composition featuring Joe Lovano, Judy Silvano, wind ensemble, choir, and string quartet. Born in Brooklyn on November 19, 1951 and then growing up in Oceanside, Long Island, Kenny began playing and performing at a young age, first recording on television at the age of 11. Although he studied classical piano as a child, he enjoyed playing anything he heard on the radio. In high school and his first years of college he attended the Manhattan School of Music as a classical piano major. His natural instinct for improvisation led Kenny to the Berklee College of Music in 1970. There he sought tutelage of the renowned piano teacher Madame Chaloff. Her gracious wisdom and inspiration became a driving force in Kenny's conception: a music conscious its spiritual intent and essence. From Boston, Kenny traveled to Brazil with the saxophonist Victor Assis Brasil. There he met Victor's twin brother, Brazilian pianist Joao Assis Brasil. He studied with Joao, who provided another piece of the puzzle for Kenny's conception that would lead to Effortless Mastery. Kenny has performed and/or recorded with artists including Toots Thielemans, Charles Mingus, Gunther Schuller, Marian McPartland, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Elvin Jones, John Scofield, Bill Frisell, Lee Konitz, Pat Metheny, Randy Brecker, Joe Henderson, Archie Shepp, Dave Liebman, Bob brookmeyer, Kenny Wheeler, Dave Douglas, Chris Potter, Ambrose Akinmusire, Ron Carter, Eddi Gomez, Dave Holland, Rufus Reid, Jack DeJohnette, Billy Hart, Bobby McFerrin, Lou Rawls, and Betty Buckley.

Werner has composed for orchestras around the world, and taught at The New School, Berklee College of Music, the Banff Center, New York University, and other schools. He has received awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New Jersey Council of the Arts, and the Guggenheim Foundation, as well as a 2001 Grammy nomination.

http://kennywerner.com/

ETTA JONES A SOULFUL SUNDAY: LIVE AT THE LEFT BANK

Reel to Real Recordings is proud to announce the label's co- inaugural release, A Soulful Sunday: Live at the Left Bank, a previously unissued live recording of the under-appreciated songstress Etta Jones featuring the Cedar Walton Trio with bassist Sam Jones and drummer Billy Higgins recorded on February 27, 1972 at the Famous Ballroom in Baltimore, Maryland. There has been no recorded documentation of Etta Jones during this stretch between 1971 and 1974, so this never-before-heard recording fills in an important gap in Jones's discography and showcases her in fine form. 

In the Spring of 2016, producer Zev Feldman was in the midst of having a breakthrough year in the world of archival jazz recordings with the release of 6 major discoveries all within a few months of each other by jazz icons such as Bill Evans, Wes Montgomery, Stan Getz, Sarah Vaughan and the Thad

Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra for the Resonance Records label (of which he is co-president). He would go on to rack up no less than 26 producer credits by the year's end across various record labels. It was during this stretch that he met up with Canadian jazz impresario and saxophonist Cory Weeds for a series of shows at Frankie's jazz club in Vancouver centered around a series of historical releases on Resonance. Cory Weeds had just closed his popular long-running Cellar jazz club two years prior and was building momentum of his own across various fronts - from his record label Cellar Live to his work as programming manager with Coastal Jazz & Blues, and performing as a leader in his own groups. 

"There are so many truly important jazz recordings out there that need a home." says Zev Feldman. "It was clear from the first time I met with Cory that he's someone who shares my passion for this mission to preserve and release these little gems to the world the right way. When we came across this incredible recording of Etta Jones with the Cedar Walton Trio at the Left Bank, it just felt like a perfect fit. Etta is someone who tends to be overlooked in the pantheon of great jazz vocalists, and we wanted to give her the royal treatment on A Soulful Sunday." 

"When I heard the first tune from the original tape of Etta Jones with the Cedar Walton Trio, I literally jumped out of my seat with excitement," says Cory Weeds. "I phoned Zev and said simply, 'We have to put this out!'" 

"She's true to the lyrics she's singing; I believe her," says Catherine Russell. "She's telling her own story through the lyrics...She sang what she felt in the moment. It sounds to me like she could have written the tunes right as she sang them. It's a loose, familiar kind of a feel, so you really get to know her as you listen.   

Saxophonist Houston Person started performing with Etta Jones in the late 1960s and their close musical connection continued on until her death in 2001. In his interview with Zev Feldman, Person talked about what Jones was like on and off stage: "She was the same way all the time. Friendly, outgoing. I always called her my ambassador. She had a legion of followers who really loved her and loved the way she approached life. She was just easygoing. No ego, nothing like that. She was just straight, a straight person. She was great. But her persona off and on stage, that's what you got. Just a straightforward person. No phoniness. It was just wonderful."

The Left Bank Jazz Society was a vibrant, cross-cultural community of jazz lovers residing in Baltimore, Maryland who decided to formally organize as a non-profit foundation and present weekly jazz concerts at the "Famous Ballroom" as a way to get more people into the music and keep the jazz scene thriving. John Fowler  explained to Feldman in their interview, "Folks would bring picnic baskets, bottles of wine, or whatever they drank, and set it on the table...It became like a carnival in a way. Everybody came there for one reason: to have a good time listening to great music. We had a BYOB policy so that once you paid your admission, you didn't have to spend anything else."

"I like to think of what Reel to Real is doing with this launch is elevating the art of record making," says Feldman. "We're in a time now where streaming is king, and this label is going against the grain a bit to create deluxe packages such as this that really tell a rich story - not just about the music, but about all the people who were involved in making it and also those who were influenced by it. There's no substitute for it and I think there will always be a demand for these types of projects." 

TRACK LISTING:

Theme From "Love Story" (10:07)

Vernon Welsh Intro (0:34)

Sunday (4:34)

This Girl's In Love With You (6:30)

If You Could See Me Now (4:15)

For All We Know (4:41)

Exactly Like You (5:04)

You Better Go Now (3:16)

Blow Top Blues (5:22)

Love Nest (4:22)

Don't Go To Strangers (6:32)

Personnel:

Etta Jones - vocals

Cedar Walton - piano

Sam Jones - bass

Billy Higgins - drums

Recorded live at the Famous Ballroom in Baltimore, MD on February 27, 1972. Presented by the Left Bank Jazz Society.

 

New Releases: Olivia Foschi – Fleeting Windows; Gerey Johnson - You Didn't Know; Will Sessions & Amp Fiddler featuring Dames Brown - One

Olivia Foschi – Fleeting Windows

Fleeting Windows is Foschi’s sophomore album and features a remarkable line-up including multi-Grammy Award-winning arranger, composer, producer, pianist, and accordionist Gil Goldstein, as well as noted drummer and producer Ulysses Owens, Jr., and trumpeter/flugelhornist Alex Sipiagin. Also appearing are Yotam Silberstein, guitar; Billy Test, piano/Rhodes; Daniel Dickinson, bass clarinet, flute, tenor sax, and alto sax; Joseph Doubleday, vibraphone; and Marco Panascia, bass. This introspective recording was driven by the birth of her twin boys, and all of the songs were shaped by the myriad emotions she experienced over the past two years.

Gerey Johnson - You Didn't Know

Twenty years since he co-wrote the Smooth Jazz classic “When I Think of You” with Brian Culbertson for Steve Cole, electric guitarist Gerey Johnson continues as a busy sideman (Culbertson, Richard Elliot, Boney James, Rick Braun, Euge Groove), producer, record company executive and co-producer/music director of the Smooth Chicago concert series. With the release of his new track “Like We Used To,” Johnson finally rewards fans who have been waiting for his emergence as a solo artist. An easy-grooving, compelling and crackling, blues/gospel infused track featuring the inimitably soulful Richard Elliot on sax. “Like We Used To” is the lead single of Johnson’s highly anticipated upcoming full-length debut album YOU DIDN’T KNOW? Now you do!  ~ smoothjazz.com

Will Sessions & Amp Fiddler featuring Dames Brown - One

The funky Will Sessions groove gets some great electric help from Amp Fiddler – and this time around, there's also chorus vocals from the soulful Dames Brown trio! Fiddler handles most of the lead lyrics, and also plays plenty of keyboards – as you'll know from his own work – while Will Sessions holds down the rest of the instrumentation in a flurry of tight drums, riffing guitar, and mighty nice horns – plus lots more Fender Rhodes and other keys from group leader Sam Beaubein! The Dames seem to make Amp Fiddler's vocals really sound even richer than usual – almost as if they're egging him on to become the kind of soul singer we always heard in his promise. Titles include "What It Is", "Belle Isle Drive", "Rendezvous", "Seven Mile", "Reconcile", "Who I Am", "Lost Without You", and "Reminiscin". ~ Dusty Groove

"Family Feeling" Featuring TEMPLE UNIVERSITY JAZZ FACULTY

In June, six members of Temple University's noted jazz faculty gathered in Bunker Hill Studio in Brooklyn to record eight tracks of new music composed by Bruce Barth. Terell Stafford, director of Jazz Studies at Temple, lead the charge and the result, "Family Feeling," is a reflection on the warm camaraderie between Terell Stafford (trumpet); Dick Oatts (also/soprano saxophone); Bruce Barth (piano); Tim Warfield, Jr., (tenor/soprano saxophone); David Wong (bass); and Byron Landham (drums) that has been forged over many years of touring and teaching side by side. This is the first time they have recorded together as a group.     

Shaun Brady, who authored the liner notes, wrote that these six musicians,

"are a family - and one formed entirely by choice, through ties forged on the bandstand, on the road, and in the classroom." Brady rightfully observes them as father figures, "which these six gentlemen have become to a rising generation of aspiring jazz musicians, passing along knowledge gleaned through experience in the time-honored tradition of jazz's venerated oral history."

The Jazz Studies Program at Temple University, under the leadership of Terell Stafford, offers undergraduate and graduate degrees, along with a myriad of performance opportunities for students, including master classes with greats such as Wycliffe Gordon, Randy Brecker and John Clayton, as well as performances in The Appel Room and Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. Featured guest artists have included René Marie, Jimmy Heath, Jon Faddis and Warren Wolf. The Band has released five recordings on BCM&D Records, which stands for the Boyer College of Music and Dance (at Temple University). The label has also produced three Grammy nominated recordings by the Temple University Symphony Orchestra.

Terell Stafford has been hailed as "one of the great players of our time" by piano legend McCoy Tyner. He has played with Benny Golson, McCoy Tyner, Kenny Barron, Frank Wess, Jimmy Heath and Dizzy Gillespie. Mr. Stafford is a member of the Grammy winning Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. He can be heard on over 130 albums including his latest, Brotherlee Love, a tribute to the late Lee Morgan. He is the Managing and Artistic Director of the Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia. Mr. Stafford is the Laura H. Carnell Professor of Jazz, Director of Jazz Studies and Chair of Instrumental Studies at Temple University.

Dick Oatts was brought up in a musical family in Iowa, introduced to the saxophone by his father, respected jazz educator and saxophonist Jack Oatts. He has worked with countless greats, including Eddie Gomez, Joe Lovano, Fred Hersch, Lalo Schifrin, and the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. Mr. Oatts has accompanied vocalists Joe Williams, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald and Mel Tormé and recorded solos for Luther Vandross and Everything but the Girl. He has also recorded 10 solo and 5 co-led albums. Mr. Oatts is  Professor of Jazz at Temple University.

  

Bruce Barth has been sharing his music with listeners around the world for more than three decades. Deeply rooted in the jazz tradition, his music reflects both the depth and breadth of his life and musical experiences. Barth has performed on over 100 recordings and movie soundtracks, including 10 as a leader. He's toured Japan with Nat Adderley, was a member of Terence Blanchard's quintet and played on screen in Spike Lee's Malcolm X. Mr. Barth taught at Berklee College of Music, Long Island University and is on the Jazz Studies faculty at Temple University.

Tim Warfield is a veteran saxophonist known for his big, swaggering tenor tone. He has appeared on several Grammy nominated recordings and shared the stage with Donald Byrd, Dizzy Gillespie, Isaac Hayes, Peter Nero, Christian McBride, Joey DeFrancesco and Jimmy Smith. He has released 10 acclaimed recordings as a leader, most recently the Thelonious Monk tribute Spherical (2015). Mr. Warfield is on the Jazz Studies faculty at Temple University and is a member of the Terell Stafford Quintet.

David Wong grew up in New York and graduated from The Juilliard School. He is a member of Roy Haynes' Fountain of Youth Band, The Heath Brothers Quartet, The Benny Green Trio, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and has performed with Wynton Marsalis, Christian McBride and Paula West. He has recorded with Benny Green, Dan Nimmer, Jeb Patton, and Albert "Tootie" Heath and Sachal Vasandani. He was also the last bass player in Hank Jones' Great Jazz Trio and is on the Jazz Studies faculty at Temple University.

Byron Landham was born in Philadelphia, the youngest of six children including his saxophonist brother Robert. He began playing at age 7, studying classical percussion and jazz drumming at Settlement Music School. He was a first-call drummer on the Philly scene by the time he finished high school and over the decades has played with Betty Carter, George Coleman, Bobby Hutcherson, Joey DeFrancesco, Pat Martino, Cyrus Chestnut, Russell Malone and multi-Grammy Award winner David Sanborn. Mr. Landham is on the Jazz Studies faculty at Temple University.

New Releases: Stax 68 – A Memphis Story (5CD set); Moses Boyd - Displaced Diaspora; Jr. Thomas & The Volcanos - Rockstone

Stax 68 – A Memphis Story (5CD set)

1968 was the world of revolution around the world – and to our music-trained ears, one of the greatest revolutions occurred at the legendary Stax Records! Before that year, the label had been working with Atlantic Records – who totally screwed them, and took away all their catalog – leaving Stax to start completely from scratch, and reinvent themselves as an even more righteous company in the process! Make no mistake, Stax was already a pretty great company before – the leading light of the Memphis soul scene – but in 1968, the company went back to basics, and also embraced new waves of funk and blues, freed up to go into some very groovy territory. This 5CD set documents that amazing time – by bringing together all the singles released in 1968, both a-sides and b-sides – along with a big booklet of notes and photos that not only talk about the changes at the label, but also the city of Memphis in the tragic year of 1968 – which also saw the assassination of Dr Martin Luther King. The package is overflowing with as much history as it is soul music – and features over 120 songs by artists who include Booker T & The MGs, Linda Lynell, Judy Clay, Harvey Scales, Otis Redding, The Memphis Nomads, Shirley Walton, Bar-Kays, Ollie & The Nightingales, William Bell, The Goodees, Mable John, The Epsilons, The Soul Children, Mad Lads, Charmells, Lindell Hill, Jimmy Hughes, Delaney & Bonnie, Dino & Doc, Daaron Lee, Albert King, Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, Derek Martin, Johnnie Taylor, and many more!  ~ Dusty Groove

Moses Boyd - Displaced Diaspora

Totally wonderful work from drummer Moses Boyd – an artist you might know as half of the Binker & Moses combo – but who here really stretches out and completely finds his own voice! Boyd's a hell of a leader here – working with a large ensemble in modes that are spiritual, global, and really bursting to the heavens with new ideas – maybe almost making Moses the London scene's answer to Kamasi Washington, given the scope of his vision on the session! The group features tenor from Binker Golding, Alto from Nathaniel Facey and Sam Eagles, keyboards from Joe Armon Jones, trombone and arrangements from Nathaniel Cross (the second star of the set), and very unusual bassy lines on tuba from Theon Cross – plus some vocals from Zara McFarlane, Terri Walker, and Louis Vi – and even some added bata percussion from Kevin Haynes Grupo Elegua. The album explodes with inventive rhythms and phrasing – and titles include "Ancestors", "Marooned In SE6", "Axis Blue", "City Nocturne", "Drum Dance", "Rye Lane Shuffle", and "Rush Hour/Elegua". ~ Dusty Groove

Jr. Thomas & The Volcanos - Rockstone

A sweet second album from Jr Thomas & The Volcanos – a contemporary group, but one who get the sound of late 60s Kingston just right! These guys are to reggae and rocksteady what the Dap-Kings are to classic funk – younger modern artists who are completely devoted to finding the right style of performance and production to hit the sorts of great grooves that just about nobody makes anymore! The Colemine label has been a bastion of contemporary funk acts of top quality – and The Volcanos are a perfect fit with their sound too – vintage for the present, and more proof that some of the best sounds around can be found when you're willing to go back in time. Titles include "Mr Harriott", "What A Shame", "Chin Up", "Till You're Gone", "Rockstone", "Brian Wilson", "Cold Smiles, and "Forever". ~  Dusty Groove.

S T R E A M I N G Featuring Pianist/Composer RAN BLAKE & Vocalist CHRISTINE CORREA

Brooklyn-based Red Piano Records is proud to announce the release of STREAMING from pianist/composer Ran Blake and vocalist Christine Correa.  This recording is the latest yield from Blake and Correa's remarkable friendship and superlative musical collaboration that has thrived for over three decades.

Blake and Correa are a united force in presenting this material. There exists between these two singular and incomparable artists an uncanny, inventive rapport, an aura of inevitability that emboldens and challenges their audiences' sonic imaginations. Together they capture an intensity in their interpretation of "No More", "Don't Explain" and "Lonely Woman", lightness and frivolity in "Bebopper" and "Ah El Novio", and introspection as in the three solo piano versions of George Russell's "Stratusphunk", and the vocal solo on "Wende".

According to Larry Livingston from the Thornton School of Music in Los Angeles, Blake, "is in a category all his own. He plays from the inside out, owes no absolute allegiance to a particular style or approach, and makes an art of restraint." Mumbai-born and New York based Correa sings with her own singular style and timbre. Her voice has been described as, "controlled, confident, and jazz inflected...".    

 

The creative imprints of their long-enduring and endlessly fascinating musical journey are nowhere more evident than in their two remarkable tribute CD's celebrating the contributions to the jazz canon of the late Abbey Lincoln, and on their current recording, "Streaming".

The material on "Streaming" draws from diverse sources including selections from the American Songbook, classic jazz compositions, traditional Sephardic folk pieces, Brazilian songs and original compositions. What they have in common is that they all are part of the Third Stream repertoire and included in Blake's groundbreaking concept of a system of artistic development. For the past 50 years he has been sharing his ideas with young musicians at New England Conservatory and beyond. This wide-ranging repertoire has become a de facto lingua franca with these songs serving as portals for musical communication, interaction and self-discovery. The term streaming refers to a process; a way of finding one's own artistic path.

In his book, "Primacy of the Ear", Blake states, "the type of introspection we are concerned with encourages you to examine things that are already a part of you - the style that is already your own, your feeling of heritage or nationality, a passion for a certain historical time period or geographical region, an intellectual bent and/or an emotional need to express. It could be your sense of fashion, or a deep commitment to a social/political movement. It can be as specific as one color you like to wear, and as broad as your sense of reality or view of life. What the critic within each of us tells us about our playing and composition is important. It is a start. But if we are to break through to the inner fires of creation, it will be the ear that will lead us to greater heat and finer focus."

Kudos to Red Piano Records for documenting this important historical partnership.

  

More on Ran Blake and Christine Correa:

In a career that now spans five decades, pianist Ran Blake has created a unique niche in improvised music as an artist and educator. With a characteristic mix of spontaneous solos, modern classical tonalities, the great American blues and gospel traditions and themes from classic Film Noir, Blake's singular sound has earned him a dedicated following around the world. In the tradition of two of his idols, Ellington and Monk, Blake has incorporated and synthesized several otherwise divergent styles and influences into a single innovative and cohesive style of his own, ranking him among the geniuses of the genre. Ran Blake is a recipient of the MacArthur "Genius" grant. He was the founder and long-time chairperson of the Third Stream Department (currently called Contemporary Improvisation Department) at the New England Conservatory in Boston, MA.

Christine Correa, originally from Bombay, India, has been involved in a variety of improvisational contexts and is currently on the faculty of The Louis Armstrong Jazz Performance Program at Columbia University in New York City.  She has been widely recognized as a leading interpreter of the works of a range of modern American and European poets as set to music by some of today's most innovative jazz composers, such as Frank Carlberg, Nicholas Urie, Sam Sadigursky and Steve Grover, among others. Correa has also recorded and/or performed with artists such as Steve Lacy and John LaPorta and appeared at numerous festivals, concert halls and clubs in the US, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South America and India.  Correa is a long-time resident of Brooklyn, NY.

 

Jazz On A Summer's Day 60th Anniversary Edition - 1958 Newport Jazz Festival

Bert Stern's acclaimed film of the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival is newly restored for its 60th Anniversary.

“Jazz on a Summer's Day” is one of the greatest concert movies ever made, a timeless record of the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival, with some of the most stunning images of live music ever brought to the cinema screen.

Conceived by stills photographer Bert Stern (Vogue magazine, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn) and brilliantly filmed over three days in August 1958, “Jazz On A Summer's Day” provided the template for future concert documentaries such as Monterey and Woodstock.

Interspersing footage of the crowd and fashions of late Fifties America, the America's Cup yacht race with artists live on stage and largely devoid of dialogue, Stern's fluid form perfectly echoes the jazz vibe tempering a fly-on-the-wall documentary style with surreal, dreamlike flourishes.

Although the festival featured a glittering array of jazz giants such as Louis Armstrong, Thelonious Monk, Anita O'Day, Dinah Washington, George Shearing, and Gerry Mulligan, the event encompassed far more. Chuck Berry duck-walked his way to rock glory, Big Maybelle provided her powerhouse R&B and the magnificent Mahalia Jackson delivered gospel in a manner that demonstrated what true soul was all about.

In 1999, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

Bert Stern's acclaimed film of the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival is newly restored for its 60th Anniversary by Richard J Whittaker of FX with DVD authoring by Ray Shulman at I-Sonic while the soundtrack has been digitally remastered for CD by Peter Reynolds at Reynolds Mastering and for the first time ever, mastered at half-speed by Barry Grint at Alchemy Studios on two 33 1/3 rpm audiophile Vinyl LPs.

Released on Charly Records, the special edition comes housed in a lavish, blue-foil blocked fully-illustrated 40-page hardback book complete with new, definitive sleeve notes by Mojo's Fred Dellar, including artist and track-by-track details.

DVD extras include an interview with Bert Stern, an introduction to “Jazz on a Summer's Day,” artist biographies and photo gallery.

60TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

DVD | CD | VINYL | BOOK

• Complete film DVD + bonus

documentary + extras

• Newly-remastered soundtrack

on CD

• 2 x 10-inch LPs mastered

half-speed on audiophile vinyl

• 40-page lavishly illustrated

hardback book

• New liner notes by Fred Dellar

Release date: 26th October 2018

Official Release of Previously-Unissued Recordings: CANNONBALL ADDERLEY SWINGIN' IN SEATTLE: LIVE AT THE PENTHOUSE (1966-1967)

Reel to Real Recordings is proud to announce the label's co- inaugural release, Swingin' in Seattle: Live at the Penthouse (1966-1967), a scintillating set of previously unissued live recordings of the Cannonball Adderley Quintet featuring Cannonball's brother and cornetist Nat Adderley, pianist Joe Zawinul, bassist Victor Gaskin and drummer Roy McCurdy recorded over the course of 4 nights between 1966 and 1967 at the legendary Penthouse jazz club in Seattle, Washington. This is the very same band that recorded the classic Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! Live at "The Club" album on Capitol Records on October 20, 1966, and it captures the quintet in rare form at the height of their most powerful swingin'. 

Back in the spring of 2016, producer (and co-president of the acclaimed archival jazz label, Resonance Records) Zev Feldman met up with Canadian jazz impresario and saxophonist Cory Weeds for a series of shows at Frankie's jazz club in Vancouver centered around a series of historical releases on Resonance. It was during this time that the seed was planted of them starting a new label dedicated to finding and preserving important historical jazz recordings. Zev Feldman explains, "Cory was fascinated by the idea of unearthing previously unheard archival recordings by great jazz artists. There are so many great recordings out there that deserve to be heard and Cory wanted to offer up another home for them. When I mentioned to him in passing that I had come across some Cannonball Adderley tapes from the 1960s a while back, he was immediately interested in seeing how he could release them on what would become his new label venture, Reel to Real. To say he was excited by the prospect is a major understatement."

Cory Weeds says, "Cannonball Adderley's music has had a great impact on me as musician, not only as a saxophonist but as a frontman communicating with an audience. Swingin' in Seattle gives the listener a good idea of what it was like to be in the presence of this great musician at one of his shows. I'm so thrilled to have had the opportunity to work with Zev's team to give this release the deluxe treatment it so deserves." 

  

The deluxe double-LP and CD packages for Swingin' in Seattle are beautifully designed by longtime Resonance Records designer Burton Yount, and include extensive booklets containing rare photos by Lee Tanner, Tom Copi and others. Music journalist and veteran liner note writer Bill Kopp contributes the featured essay placing Cannonball's music in historical context. Seattle radio DJ and the original engineer of the Penthouse, Jim Wilke, is interviewed by Seattle-based saxophonist and jazz writer Steve Griggs about what the scene was like at the Penthouse in the 1960s and about Cannonball's relationship to the club over the years. And rounding out the packages are words form Cannonball's widow and head of the Julian Adderley estate, Olga Adderley Chandler, and acclaimed saxophonist Vincent Herring.

Jazz collectors may already be familiar with the name Jim Wilke from two other recent archival recordings on Resonance Records - Groovin' Hard by The Three Sounds feat. Gene Harris and Smokin' in Seattleby Wes Montgomery & The Wynton Kelly Trio. Wilke had a front-row seat for countless shows at the Penthouse he captured between 1962-1968 for his radio broadcasts on KING- FM. He describes the Penthouse broadcasts as, "really old-school radio - live broadcasts on location. People heard great music played right as they listened in their cars and they'd come to the club to catch the second set." Cannonball Adderley played the Penthouse 8 times during the club's 6- year run, and was one of its most popular acts. 

For a glimpse into the personal side of Cannonball, Zev Feldman interviewed his widow, Olga Adderley Chandler, a former actress who was married to him from 1962-1975. Chandler describes Cannonball as, "Very intelligent. He had eclectic taste. And he was very articulate and very witty. And very sweet to be with." Drummer Roy McCurdy adds, "He was very smart. Not just about music but lots of different things. He had a big personality. His stage banter came from being an educator. He wanted the audience to be informed. He wanted to involve them."

Cory Weeds interviewed fellow saxophonist Vincent Herring, who has recorded with Nat Adderley's quintet and the Cannonball Adderley Legacy Band, to shed light on what impact Cannonball has had the generations of saxophonists that came after him. Herring explains, "Cannonball could play something and it was so sophisticated for all of us jazz snobs, but at the same time, for the down-home folk, it felt just right."  

"A big part of my job is to find homes for important recordings such as these," says Zev Feldman at the close of his liner note essay. "Not everyone is up to the task of going through all the steps it takes, but I'm thankful to have found a passionate partner in Cory Weeds who shares my dedication and vision to do this important work the right way."