RAY CHARLES’ MODERN SOUNDS IN COUNTRY AND WESTERN MUSIC, VOLUMES 1 & 2 TO BE RELEASED BY CONCORD RECORDS

Ray Charles’s Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Volumes 1 & 2 are major landmarks in American culture. Charles demonstrated that great songs with signature performances work in all genres. “I Can’t Stop Loving You” was a standard in country, soul and R&B, as he proved. Modern Sounds also brought America together during the Sixties’ civil rights movement. Charles became one of the first recording artists to have ownership and complete control of the masters. Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music has been listed among the greatest slbums of all time, along with the Beatles, Dylan, Motown, Springsteen, Hendrix and the Beach Boys.

These groundbreaking albums, Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Vols. 1 & 2 are being reissued on digital and CD on February 22nd, 2019 via Concord Records, also becoming available for the first time on streaming platforms. Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Vol. 1 will be re-released on vinyl for the first time since 2012, with a deluxe edition version containing both Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 on high-fidelity, 180g vinyl.

This past fall, Ray was honored by the Grand Ole Opry with An Opry Salute to Ray Charles, with performances celebrating the iconic Modern Sounds tracks and his contributions to country music. In addition, Charles was inducted into both the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame, a program on which he performed multiple times, and the DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame.

“Ray Charles was one of the most important artists in the history of American popular music,” says Concord Records President John Burk, “and his Modern Sounds albums were some of his most impactful works. In addition to massive commercial success, these incredible recordings had a huge social and cultural impact, breaking down long established genre and racial barriers.”

“We are excited about this eventful release, an opportunity for longtime fans to enjoy this music and to introduce new generations,” says Valerie Ervin, President of the Ray Charles Foundation.

Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Vol.1 became an instant classic when it was first released in 1962. The album spawned four chart-topping singles: “Born to Lose,” “Careless Love,” “You Don’t Know Me,” and “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” the latter (and the album itself) being RIAA-certified Gold in only one month.

The success led to the recording of Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Vol. 2. Focusing more on balladry, one side featured performances by the Ray Charles Big Band with the Raelettes, and the other with a string section and the Jack Halloran Singers. Like its predecessor, it was released to both critical and commercial acclaim. In 1999, Vol. 1 was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame for “historical significance,” as was the lead single, “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” in 2001.

Many musicians possess elements of genius, but only one—the great Ray Charles—so completely embodied the term that it was bestowed upon him as a nickname. His staggering achievements over a 58-year career include 17 GRAMMY Awards, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a Lifetime Achievement and the President’s Merit Award, the Presidential Medal for the Arts, France’s Legion of Honor, the Kennedy Center Honors, a NAACP Image Awards’ “Hall of Fame Award,” and numerous other music Halls of Fame, including those for Jazz and Rhythm & Blues, a testament to his enormous influence.

Charles successfully mastered (and forever changed) the blues, jazz, gospel, rock, pop, and country music landscapes, continually airing his soulful heart. He teamed up with the best of the best in each stylistic genre, including B.B. King, Aretha Franklin, Lou Rawls, Hank Williams, Willie Nelson, Stevie Wonder, and countless others. As he describes. “I’m not a country singer. I’m a singer who sings country songs. I’m not a blues singer, but I can sing the blues. I’m not really a crooner, but I can sing love songs. I’m not a specialist, but I’m a pretty good utility man. I can play first base, second base, shortstop. I can catch and maybe even pitch a little.” “Genius” doesn’t begin to describe it.

Vocalist Cyrille Aimée Journeys Through the Songs of Broadway Legend Stephen Sondheim on Latest Album: Move On: A Sondheim Adventure

The genius of Stephen Sondheim stems from the revered composer’s ability to plumb universal human emotions even in the form of the most outré characters – be they cannibalistic barbers, presidential assassins, or fairy tale witches. The acclaimed vocalist Cyrille Aimée discovered that gift first-hand as she took a deep dive into the Sondheim songbook for her scintillating new album, Move On: A Sondheim Adventure. What began as a celebration of a legendary Broadway songwriter became a work of cathartic autobiography as one song after another captured her deepest personal feelings.

“I get goosebumps just thinking about it,” Aimée says. “At the moment that I was working on this album I was going through a lot of life changes. The more I listened to the songs, the more I realized they were really connected to what I was going through. At a very rough time, these songs were saving me.”

While its narrative arc is a self-contained story, Move On: A Sondheim Adventure (February 22 via Mack Avenue Records) is just the beginning of a new chapter in Aimée’s remarkable journey. It’s the French-born singer’s first release since disbanding the acclaimed band she’s led for the last several years, to which she bid a fond adieu on her last album, Cyrille Aimée Live. It’s also her first studio album since moving from Brooklyn to New Orleans, the latest music-rich city that she’s been able to call home.

That move ended up being accompanied by even more uncertainty than usual for such a major relocation, as a break-up meant that she unexpectedly had to make it alone. The course of that relationship provided the through line for the songs on Move On, which traces the course of a romance from dreaming together (“Take Me To The World”) through vulnerable commitment (“Marry Me A Little”) to heartbreaking assurances (“No One Is Alone”) and finally the uncertain future (“With So Little To Be Sure Of”).

Aimée’s Sondheim Adventure began in 2013, when she was invited to participate in a tribute concert for the Broadway legend at New York’s City Center, co-starring with Bernadette Peters and backed by Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Her show-stealing performance was widely praised, but the most memorable compliment came from the composer himself. “You made me cry,” Sondheim told Aimée backstage after opening night.

“That was pretty powerful,” Aimée recalls with a touch of understatement.

Aimée was almost completely unfamiliar with Sondheim’s work prior to that life-changing experience. Broadway musicals aren’t a prominent part of the culture in her native France, where she grew up introduced to a wealth of diverse music by her French father and Dominican mother: everything from Michael Jackson to French chanson, Flamenco to country-western. She famously spent her childhood sneaking out to sing in nearby gypsy encampments, then honed her talents singing on street corners in Europe and braving the notoriously tough audiences at New York’s Apollo Theatre.

That history is represented in the music on Move On as vibrantly as her more recent travails are recounted through Sondheim’s profound lyrics. An irrepressible original, Aimée would never have been able to restrict herself to the songs’ original settings, no matter how much respect she maintains for their composer. She approaches each piece on the album in a wholly novel and personal way reflecting her eclectic influences.

Opener “When I Get Famous” is performed a cappella, becoming her own ensemble through her deft ability to loop and harmonize vocals. The track is a sheer expression of Aimée as dreamer – a quality that shines through in her radiant interpretations as well as her audacious career (and life) path. The latest stop on her journey is represented by “Take Me To The World,” which bustles with a rollicking Crescent City rhythm, Aimée’s glowing voice at the front of the parade. The rush of new love is embodied in her shimmering, intimate take on “Love, I Hear,” accompanied by violin, upright bass and Rhodes.

“Loving You” is distilled to pure jazz, with Aimée backed by the French trio of pianist Thomas Enhco, bassist Jérémy Bruyère, and drummer Yoann Serra. Brazilian guitarist Diego Figueiredo, who pairs with the singer for “Marry Me A Little” and “With So Little To Be Sure Of” is a longtime collaborator, having recorded two duo albums with Aimée early in her career. Another old friend is keyboardist Assaf Gleizner, a classmate from SUNY Purchase who co-produced and co-arranged the album and appears throughout on piano and Rhodes.

A string quartet brings out the lush romanticism of “Being Alive” before the song erupts into a sweltering salsa, a gift to Aimée’s mother. (“She’s always telling me she wants me to do a CD where we can dance.”) Aimée revisits those gypsy campfires on the racing “So Many People,” featuring guitarist Adrien Moignard, while “Not While I’m Around” pulsates with an elastic bass groove. The singer pairs off with Bruyère for a flirtatious “I Believe In You,” while the tenderness of “No One Is Alone” takes on a bluesy tinge. “One More Kiss” is rendered in Aimée’s native tongue (in a Sondheim-approved translation by the singer) before “I Remember” is set against the alien atmospheres of Warren Walker’s electronics-enhanced saxophone. “Move On” renders the album’s titular mantra as a bold step into an uncertain future.

Aimée laughs at the idea that Sondheim claims to not know anything about jazz. “It’s insane,” she says. “His music is so rich in harmony and the melodies are so intricate. I don’t like putting names on music, but whatever jazz does, his music does it too.”

Cyrille Aimée · Move On: A Sondheim Adventure

Mack Avenue Records · Release Date: February 22, 2019
www.CyrilleMusic.com

Verve Records To Pay Tribute To Its Legendary Founder Norman Granz And His Centennial With Aptly-Titled All-Star Four-Disc Box Set 'The Founder'

In jazz circles, few names command more respect than Norman Granz. Although he wasn't a musician, Granz (1918-2001) was as responsible as any individual for popularizing jazz and promoting the careers of many of the genre's greatest artists. Granz's incredible half-century career first took off with his creation of the groundbreaking Jazz at the Philharmonic concert series. But Granz was equally influential for the series of record labels that he launched in the 1940s and 1950s: Clef, Norgran and Verve.

In honor of Norman Granz's centennial, Verve/UMe has assembled 'The Founder,' a four CD/digital box set celebrating the jazz impresario's remarkable life and career. Those companies became home to many of jazz's most important and influential artists. And, unlike many of his contemporaries, Granz combined his love for the music with a passion for social justice, championing African-American musicians at a time when those musicians were often exploited and disrespected.

Now, in honor of the hundredth anniversary of Norman Granz's birth, Verve/UMe has assembled The Founder, a four-CD/digital box set celebrating his remarkable life and career. The historic package—which will release on December 7—features a massive chronological assortment of music spanning Granz's remarkable career and featuring music by most of the great musicians he recorded. Pre-order The Founder now: https://lnk.to/TheFounderPR

The package also includes illuminating liner notes by jazz historian and Granz authority Tad Hershorn, author of the Granz biography Norman Granz: The Man Who Used Jazz for Justice. As Hershorn writes, "The underpinnings of Granz's lifelong devotion to jazz came when, as a near-impoverished but ambitious UCLA student, he began his trek to African-American nightclubs along Central Avenue, not far from where he was born the son of Ukrainian Jewish immigrants."

"Granz hit the clubs almost nightly when musicians began welcoming him behind the scenes to observe rehearsals, after-hours clubs, and house parties. He saw them as 'marvelous crucibles,' hearing the friendly, intense competition as musicians challenged their peers and developed their styles. His early experiences led to his preference for musical blow-by-blow competition and emphasizing the emotional over intellectual qualities in jazz. Granz took it a step further when he aligned the jam session with the democratic ideal, whereby you could either stand and deliver, or you couldn't. Skin color made no difference. 'As in genuine democracy, only performance counts,' Granz told the NAACP's magazine, The Crisis, in 1947. 'Jazz is truly the music of democratic America.'"

Granz's parallel passions for jazz and social justice was reflected in the ambitious artist lineups he assembled for his Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts, many of which are featured on The Founder. These shows were almost single-handedly responsible for moving jazz from smoky clubs to prestigious theaters and, in the process, introduced jazz improvisation to new and receptive audiences. The series also helped to break down many of the era's social barriers, showcasing a racially-mixed assortment of musicians and singers from a variety of musical backgrounds.

The four CDs that comprise The Founder encompass some of the most significant jazz music recorded in the 20th century, beginning with Granz's founding of the Clef label in 1942 and culminating in his retirement and departure from Verve Records (which he'd launched four years earlier) in 1960.

Disc 1 opens in 1942, during the early wild-west days of independent label recording, with historic performances by such rising players as Dexter Gordon, Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Parker and Lester Young, who were among the first musicians that Granz recorded. Disc 1 also captures a young Nat "King" Cole, accompanied by Illinois Jacquet and Les Paul, on the crowd-thrilling "Blues," which contrasts with the bouncy pop which would later make Cole a mainstream superstar.

Disc 2, which spans 1949-1954, finds Granz settled in at the top of the jazz world and recording a varied assortment of some of jazz's leading lights, including the great pianist Oscar Peterson, charismatic vocalists Anita O'Day and Fred Astaire, and innovative bandleaders Count Basie and Benny Carter.

Disc 3, recorded between 1954 and 1957, encompasses the early years of the Norgran and Verve labels, which Granz founded during that period, and features historic performances by such icons as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, Lester Young and Lionel Hampton.

Disc 4, which covers 1957-1960, shows Granz ending on a high note, culminating his career at Verve with history-making performances by Dizzy Gillespie, Blossom Dearie, Sonny Stitt, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, Ben Webster, Paul Desmond, Stuff Smith, Lee Konitz, Jimmy Giuffre and Mel Tormé.

It's hard to imagine a more appropriate tribute to Norman Granz's visionary genius than this incredible musical testament.

THE FOUNDER TRACK LISTING

Disc 1: Mercury/Clef, 1942-1948

I Blowed and Gone - Dexter Gordon

Blues - Nat "King" Cole, Illinois Jacquet & Les Paul

I Got Rhythm - Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Parker & Lester Young

Picasso - Coleman Hawkins

Sono - Harry Carney

The Bloos - George Handy & His Orchestra

Disc 2: Mercury/Clef, 1949-1954

Tenderly - Oscar Peterson Duo with Ray Brown

Vignette at Verney's - Ralph Burns Orchestra with Lee Konitz

Lullaby of the Leaves - Anita O'Day

The New Basie Blues - Count Basie and His Orchestra

Con Poco Coco - Andre's All Stars

Castle Rock - Johnny Hodges

Jeep's Blues - Johnny Hodges

(Ad Lib) Slow Dance - Fred Astaire

No Strings (I'm Fancy Free) - Fred Astaire

Flamingo - Benny Carter and His Orchestra

With the Wind and the Rain in Your Hair - Tal Farlow

Easy Living - Buddy DeFranco & Oscar Peterson Quartet

Blues for the Count - Count Basie and His Orchestra

They Can't Take That Away from Me - Buddy DeFranco & Oscar Peterson

Disc 3: Norgran/Verve, 1954-1957

I Thought About You - Billie Holiday

I Thought About You - Ella Fitzgerald

Like Someone in Love - Bud Powell

Pig Ears and Rice - Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra

Can't We Be Friends - Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong

Blue Room - Bing Crosby & Buddy Bregman

Taking a Chance on Love - Lester Young & Teddy Wilson

What A Little Moonlight Can Do - Billie Holiday

Falling in Love with Love - Oscar Peterson Trio

Yellow Rose of Brooklyn - Harry "Sweets" Edison & Buddy Rich

Time After Time - Lawrence Brown

Disc 4: Verve, 1957-1960

Day By Day - Coleman Hawkins Newport All-Stars feat. Pete Brown

On the Sunny Side of the Street - Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt & Sonny Rollins

It Never Entered My Mind - Stan Getz

I Know That You Know - Stuff Smith

D and E Blues - The Modern Jazz Quartet

Budd Johnson - Ben Webster

If I Were a Bell - Blossom Dearie

Chelsea Bridge - Gerry Mulligan & Ben Webster

Line for Lyons - Gerry Mulligan & Paul Desmond

Somp'm Outa' Nothin' - Lee Konitz & Jimmy Giuffre

Thank You Charlie Christian - Herb Ellis

Lonely Town - Mel Tormé & Marty Paich Orchestra
Evil Eyes - Terry Gibbs Big Band 

Willie Hutch's Soundtrack To 1974 Blaxploitation Classic 'Foxy Brown' Reissued On Vinyl Via Motown/UMe

Willie Hutch's soundtrack to the classic blaxploitation caper Foxy Brown, out of print for nearly two decades, is available once again via Motown/UMe. In celebration of its 45th anniversary, Foxy Brown [Original Soundtrack] is pressed on standard weight black vinyl in a faithful reproduction of the original packaging as released on Motown Records in 1973. 

Hutch was a Motown songwriter (the Jackson 5's "I'll Be There") and a behind-the-scenes producer (Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson) with two rare soul albums under his belt before delivering the powerful soundtrack to 1973's The Mack. His second soundtrack, for Foxy Brown, contains the quintessential sound of the genre; once the funky, soulful "Theme of Foxy Brown" sets the pace, Hutch settles into a sensual groove with highlights like "Give Me Some Of That Good Old Love" and "Foxy Lady."

The self-produced soundtrack featured prominent backing vocals from Carol Willis, Julia Tillman and Maxine Willard, all prodigious vocal talents in their own rights who'd go on to appear with U2, Santana, Cher and many more. Together, they keep the sex-and-violence plot of Foxy Brown humming along; their wildcat call-and-response with Hutch on "You Sure Know How To Love Your Man" is pure momentum.

The soundtrack powered every plot-twist and illicit tryst in Foxy Brown. The original film is a giddy yarn of conspiratorial intrigue and fatal attractions. Foxy Brown, played by Pam Grier, seeks blood for blood for her fallen secret-agent boyfriend and falls into a shadowy world of crime, prostitution and drug trading. From there, the darkly quirky moments keep piling up: secret infiltrations, sweet revenge and a climactic visit from the Black Panthers.

Nobody could deliver the musical backdrop like Hutch, whether he played it fast-paced and action-packed ("Chase") or dialed back the vibe for shadowy ballads ("Hospital Prelude of Love Theme.") And the hip-hop community was listening. Decades later, the latter song would be sampled by the likes of The Notorious B.I.G., Nipsey Hussle, Rick Ross feat. Cee-Lo Green, Mobb Deep and Masta Ace. "Theme of Foxy Brown" lent itself to tracks by Big K.R.I.T. and Cassius. "Overture of Foxy Brown" made its way into tracks by Z-Ro, Young Jeezy, Wiz Khalifa, Freeway feat. Scarface and Trae ft. Young Noble.

Whether for its 1970s soundtrack gold or its hip-hop afterlife, fans of blaxploitation cinema as well as classic soul, funk and R&B are well-advised to scoop this one up immediately.

Foxy Brown [Original Soundtrack] Track Listing

Side A

Chase

Theme Of Foxy Brown

Overture Of Foxy Brown

Hospital Prelude Of Love Theme

Give Me Some Of That Good Old Love

Out There

Side B

Foxy Lady

You Sure Know How To Love Your Man

Have You Ever Asked Yourself Why (All About Money Game)

Ain't That (Mellow, Mellow)
Whatever You Do (Do It Good)

Trombonist Steve Davis Debuts His Powerhouse New Sextet on Correlations, New Album Coming Soon

One of the most acclaimed trombonists of his generation, Steve Davis has been a member of some of jazz’s premiere ensembles: Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, Chick Corea’s Origins, the Jackie McLean Sextet, Benny Golson’s New Jazztet, the Christian McBride Big Band, and the all-star collective One For All. With Correlations, Davis introduces a powerhouse group all his own, a new multi-generational sextet that weaves together a thrilling new sound from myriad common threads.

Correlations, due out March 8 via Smoke Sessions Records, introduces the new band with a set of inspired new tunes and classic compositions from jazz masters who’ve pointed the way for Davis and his cohort to follow, galvanized by tradition but boldly pushing forward. That adventurousness is just one of the connections that binds these six artists together, one of many correlations that give the album and the sextet their name.

Such commonalities proved important, as the sextet as a whole had never worked together prior to the weekend at Smoke that preceded the recording. There was plenty of shared history between the individual members, however: Davis, trumpet and flugelhorn player Joshua Bruneau, saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, pianist Xavier Davis, bassist Dezron Douglas, and drummer Jonathan Barber.

One of the primary correlations that binds these stellar musicians together is the mentorship of the legendary saxophonist and educator Jackie McLean, via the jazz studies program he founded at the University of Hartford’s Hartt School of Music. Davis, Douglas, and Escoffery all studied directly under McLean; Bruneau and Barber both entered the program later, with all four benefiting from the tutelage of Davis, who joined the faculty in 1991.

“Jackie instilled in us all the value of playing with fire and conviction,” Davis says. “He stressed the importance of keeping one foot in the past and one foot in the future, balancing the tradition and history with looking to do something that sounds fresh and special. All the guys in the band certainly embody those principles when they play.”

Xavier Davis (no relation) is the odd man out when it comes to educational background, but he still shares strong bonds with several members of the band, not least its leader. The two have worked together extensively in David Weiss’ New Jazz Composers Octet as well as the Christian McBride Big Band, while the pianist has played alongside Escoffery in trumpeter Tom Harrell’s band for many years and with both Escoffery and Douglas as part of the collective Black Art Jazz Collective.

“There are all kinds of musical relationships over many years between all of us,” says Davis. “So, while this actual band had never played together, I knew because of all the common roots that the chemistry was going to be great. And we really hit the ground running.”

They were given more than a little extra propulsion thanks to Davis’ exhilarating new compositions for the group. Having penned countless tunes and arrangements for McLean’s revered sextet as well as One For All and his own ensembles, Davis eloquently speaks the language of the three-horn frontline, and was newly inspired by the incredible one he’d assembled for this date.

“I’ve always tried to approach any band I’ve had over the years as our band,” the trombonist stresses. “Anything I write leaves plenty of room for everyone involved to help shape it. The three horns share a very natural camaraderie and simpatico, and the rhythm section is just magic. My job is just to provide the format, focus it with repertoire, and get out of the way and let it happen.”

The album begins in spirited fashion with “Embarcadero,” named for the roadway that curves along the San Francisco waterfront. The tune’s carefree swing captures the feeling of driving a scenic route with the top down, as Davis had the opportunity to do while teaching for the first time at the Stanford Jazz Workshop in 2001 – an especially welcome change of pace for someone used to the hectic, claustrophobic environment of the metropolitan east coast.

The aptly-named “Subtlety” derives its pastel beauty from the rich harmonies of the piece, which coaxes moving, nimble solos from all three horn players. Percussion great Cyro Baptista brings his inimitable touch and vigorous rhythmic complexity to “Bautista’s Revenge” – the parallel in names being entirely coincidental. The title actually stems from Davis’ passion for baseball: Tony Bautista was an infielder for the Baltimore Orioles; during one game Davis witnessed a belligerent Sox fan taunting Bautista mercilessly, until he knocked out a grand slam home run and mocked his tormentor back with a “boo-hoo” gesture.

The tender “Song For My Love” is a romantic dedication to the leader’s wife, Abena Koomson-Davis, that coasts on the preternatural groove of Xavier Davis, Douglas and Barber. The family feeling continues with the sprightly “Newbie,” titled by Davis’ teenage daughter Angie as dad worked it out on the piano. The celebratory “Can't Complain” is a reflection on Davis’ life, a casual acceptance of a contented existence that includes a loving family, unparalleled collaborators, and a remarkable career spanning more than three decades. The final original, “Blues for Owen,” tips the hat to the late Owen McNally, a longtime journalist and jazz booster for the Hartford Courant.

Davis gorgeously voices the familiar melody of Horace Silver’s beloved “Peace,” a timeless composition with an all-too timely message for this divisive era. Xavier Davis’ thundering keys lead into George Cables’ surging “Think on Me,” while the pianist’s stark, delicate side emerges on Thad Jones’ crystalline “A Child Is Born,” which also features Barber’s lush brushwork and a lyrical, eloquent turn from Douglas. McCoy Tyner’s bold, stirring “Inner Glimpse” brings the album to a close with a show of the ensemble’s full force.

Whether you consider Correlations in terms of key mentors, mutual inspirations, shared experiences or sympathetic outlooks, what’s most important is not the source of these connections but the bonds they’ve forged. With this superb new sextet, Steve Davis has assembled a band whose ties can bind in endlessly creative and vibrant new music.

"Correlations" was produced by Paul Stache and Damon Smith and

recorded live in New York at Sear Sound's Studio C on a Sear-Avalon custom console

at 96KHz/24bit and mixed to ½" analog tape using a Studer mastering deck.

Available in audiophile HD format.

Steve Davis · Correlations

Smoke Sessions Records · Release Date: March 8, 2019

www.SteveDavisMusic.com

Vocalist Kurt Elling to Release Intimate Live Album, with Music from Critically Acclaimed Release, The Questions

With the release of his critically acclaimed album The Questions earlier this year, Kurt Elling responded to our tumultuous times with a wide-ranging set of music that explored some of humanity’s most timely and timeless struggles. Drawing upon material from jazz standards and American Songbook favorites to contemporary classics by influential songwriters like Bob Dylan and Paul Simon, Elling meditated on the political and the existential, the spiritual and the global.

The Questions, with its soulful melodicism, profound urgency and vigorous swing, earned Elling and his band widespread acclaim. Most importantly, it engaged audiences around the world in the most vital challenges of this staggering historical moment. Now, The Questions LIVE captures that experience through an intimate, compelling performance recorded during the band’s most recent European tour.

A special gift from Elling to his fans, The Questions LIVE arrives just in time for the holidays, a time for families and friends to gather together and celebrate the communal spirit of the season. That spirit comes vividly to life as Elling convenes an intimate London crowd for a short set featuring expanded versions of four songs from The Questions as well as a new piece based on Ben Webster’s bristling “Did You Call Her Today.”

“I’m hoping to not only address this moment of craziness in the world, but also to lift people up about it,” Elling explains. “I’m not a protest singer, though there’s a lot to protest. It’s tough for me to sing from anger, though there’s a lot to be angry about.”

The Questions LIVE opens, as did the original album, with Elling a cappella, reciting the stirring opening lines of Dylan’s “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall.” As he relates to the audience afterwards, the song’s litany of poetic horrors feels “as current as it was when it was written.” He goes on to introduce the “hard-won wisdom” of poet Franz Wright, whose words were set to music by pianist Stu Mindeman for the philosophical “A Happy Thought.”

“Politics, death… it’s going pretty good so far,” Elling jokes before turning his attention to that most ever-present of mysteries, love, on guitarist John McLean’s warm arrangement of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “I Have Dreamed.” From finding love to maintaining it, “Every Day You’re Away” adds some romantic advice gleaned from many years as a traveling musician to Webster’s “Did You Call Her Today.” It is, as Elling points out, “an everyday question,” but one that’s just as important to ponder as the big questions posed by this repertoire.

“Maybe the questions themselves are the answers,” Elling muses before concluding this moving set with “Endless Lawns,” which pairs Carla Bley’s music with Elling’s own lyrics, adapted from a poem by Sara Teasdale. It sends the audience, and now listeners around the world, home on an optimistic if wistful note, countering the darkness of the day’s headlines with a welcome dose of hope.

“In the face of this unfolding catastrophe in front of us,” Elling says, “I at least want it known that I’m on the side of compassion, grace and fellowship – not on the side of division, fascism and ignorance.”

That sentiment is amply expressed, certainly, in Elling’s lyrics and performance, which is heartfelt but full of humor, bristling with passion yet ultimately brimming with faith in humanity. But it’s there as well in the collective spirit of jazz, the inspired interactions between Elling and his bandmates: guitarist John McLean, bassist Clark Sommers, drummer Adonis Rose, and, joining the regular band for this European jaunt, pianist and organist Jim Watson. Each one of these gifted musicians are given plenty of space to explore these heady questions in their own voices live on stage.

In the current political climate, Elling says, “the approach of jazz itself is a form of protest. The collegiality, the mutual support, the democratic; everybody gets a say and if you take a single member out there’s an essential ingredient missing. It’s not a complete community until everybody’s in their right and mutually supportive place.”

For Elling, that place is on stage, finding that night’s answers in communion with fellow musicians and rapt audiences. “I’m trying to give the music and the audience the best that I can,” he says, “and be true to the example of the cats who came before me.”

A Good Thing - the debut release from Toronto based jazz duo Blue Standard, featuring Raoul Bhaneja and Jesse Whiteley

A Good Thing is the debut release from Toronto based jazz duo Blue Standard, which features award winning frontman and actor Raoul Bhaneja on vocals and a young pianist/arranger from the first family of Canadian roots music, Jesse Whiteley on piano. Bhaneja is known to audiences for his performances on stage and screen as well as twenty years of blues performances with his in demand outfit Raoul and The Big Time (2018 semi finalists in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis). He contacted Whiteley about an idea he had while in Los Angeles, passing Capitol Records almost daily on the freeway. Raoul wanted to explore his favourite standards, some familiar and some not so familiar, as performed by his greatest influences including the under appreciated Joe Williams, Nat King Cole, Chet Baker, Jimmy Scott and more. Whiteley agreed to come on board as pianist and arranger, bringing his experience of having played with legends such as Clark Terry, Cleo Laine, Jackie Richardson and Doc Severinsen. 

One day in September 2018, after a few months of live shows around Toronto, they recorded, live off the floor and with no overdubs, their exciting debut, A Good Thing. According to long time jazz broadcaster Jaymz Bee, “These two brilliant artists explore classic songs in a stripped down and intimate way… it impresses both open minded jazz aficionados and those who like their music classic and simple.”

They will be releasing the project internationally on Friday, January 18th 2019 with a release party in Toronto at the world renowned JAZZ BISTRO the night before on Thursday, January 17th, 2019 at 8:30pm with other dates to follow across Canada in the Spring of 2019. 

Filippo Dall'Asta releases debut album "Mediterasian"

Rising guitar star fuses two cultures with debut album

Filippo Dall’Asta is a musician on a mission. The Italian-born guitar virtuoso, a rising star on the international Gypsy Jazz scene, now wants to set the wider music world alight by fusing two distinct cultures on his debut album, Mediterasian.

After spending his formative years training with Gypsy Jazz masters in France and Holland, and beginning to make a name for himself on the jazz circuit, Dall’Asta travelled to India in search of broadening his musical horizons. What he discovered there was a love of the calming sounds of classical Indian music, which he has now fused with his jazz roots in an ambitious debut featuring over 20 musicians from around the world.

“I want it to impact people’s bodies and souls positively, with the healing of Indian music and the passion of Gypsy Jazz,” Dall’Asta explains. “It’s about helping people to heal their wounds so they can start moving forward with joy.”

Dall’Asta is releasing this album on the back of extensive touring experience throughout Europe, during which he has worked with world-renowned artists including Lollo Meier, Gypsy Dynamite, Tara Minton (Björk), Harp Bazaar, The Onironauts and many more. His notable appearances include the Royal Albert Hall, the Houses of Parliament, the Tower of London, and numerous festivals in France and his native Italy.

Dall’Asta has been widely praised by respected names throughout the guitar world. John Wheatcroft, of Guitar Techniques magazine, says, “Filippo has the magic balance of talent and drive, and both serve each other perfectly... I expect big things from him.”

With the release of Mediterasian, those “big things” are beginning to happen already. Mediterasian is available in all digital stores.

 

"RIPTIDE" (EP) by Rising Star Jazz Vocalist Lauren Henderson

Lauren Henderson - RiptideVocalist, composer, and arranger Lauren Henderson is having an exceptionally busy year. Besides a full touring schedule, which includes performances in several European countries, she’s releasing two CDs in 2018. Ármame, was released in March and received stellar reviews for both her vocal performance and her original compositions. Riptide, her second recording project of the year, is an EP comprising six of her original tunes that explore a complex and tumultuous relationship.  

She engaged some up-and-coming jazz stars from both New York and Miami to appear on this project. Riptide is Henderson’s fourth CD. Each of her projects stands as a chronicle of her growth as an artist. Her music is strongly inflected with jazz, Latin, soul, and fusion elements, and also reflects her multicultural background. Henderson’s voice is sultry and soulful. Whether she’s singing in English or Spanish, she has a sure sense of swing that doesn’t rely on melisma or pyrotechnics. Her music aims for your heart rather than your head. Lauren Henderson is a rising jazz star. She’s talented, smart, and driven to make interesting, multicultural, multi-textural music. She’s been growing her audiences in jazz clubs and up and down the East Coast and around Europe, and she’ll soon be breaking into the African music market with a tour in South Africa scheduled for early 2019.

featuring

LAUREN HENDERSON  vocals

CHRIS PATTISHALL   piano, Rhodes, Wurlitzer, synthesizer, Mellotron

ERIC ENGLAND  double bass, electric bass

JOE SAYLOR  drums, percussion

Music & Lyrics by Lauren Henderson

tracks

1. ÁMAME  3:21

2. RIPTIDE  3:01

3. SEPARATE  4:38

4. BAJITO  5:27

5. ENNUI  6:52

6. SLOW CONTROL  4:03

Jazz / Soul: Kenya + Grammy Nominated Gerald Albright "Favorite Things"

Nov 9th, Kenya released her holiday smooth jazz infused single, "Favorite Things" on streaming outlets everywhere. The single was produced by Stu Stapleton and features the jazz great, Gerald Albright. Kenya has opened up for greats like Lalah Hathaway, Alegbra, and Mint Condition. From her performances at the Essence Festival to teaching young musicians how to handle their business affairs, Kenya stays busy giving us this special surprise for the holiday season. Her sultry vocals accompany the sounds of Mr. Albright and is a crowd pleaser. The single will be found on her upcoming EP,  S.H.E. (2019 release).

One of my creative passions is rearranging music. I love to take familiar songs and add a new "twist" to bring a new perspective to the music. I teamed up with Nashville-based producer Stu Stapleton and together we were able to create a very contemporary version of the classic song.  Once we laid down all of the music and created a demo version, we agreed we really wanted to include a jazz saxophonist that would not only bring the song to another level, but someone whose sound compliments my style.  We agreed Gerald Albright would be a perfect fit!  - Kenya

Spotify Link

https://open.spotify.com/track/2N0vgvU4q7R7ir87TX8TN0?si=7RxR-I6iQkyejQgIY-sSvg

Keyboard Legend David Sancious Starts PledgeMusic Campaign For New Album “Eyes Wide Open”

Long regarded as one of the premier musicians in the world, David Sancious was an original member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, toured and recorded with Peter Gabriel, Sting, Seal, Eric Clapton, Jon Anderson and a long list of A-level musicians. He also created groundbreaking music with his band Tone.

David Sancious has begun a new PledgeMusic campaign for his forthcoming album “EyesWide Open”: www.pledgemusic.com/projects/davidsancious

After a long absence from recording, David has embarked on his 9th recording entitled “Eyes Wide Open,” an 8 song project featuring legendary names such as Vinnie Colaiuta (drums) and Prince alumni Michael Bland (drums) and Sonny T. (Thomson) (bass). A mix of instrumental and vocal music reminiscent of David's group Tone, “Eyes Wide Open” takes a contemporary stance by addressing today's issues head-on through David's signature sound.

All pledgers receive a digital download of the recording with their pledge (also available in high resolution 96K 24bit). The campaign will also be offering signed and unsigned audiophile 180-gram vinyl and CDs, remastered versions of landmark recordings “True Stories” and “Just as I Thought” (both remastered in 2000), rare photos and posters of David with Bruce Springsteen and Peter Gabriel, as well as behind the scenes videos, T-shirts, interactive updates, gear used by David on tour, and much, much more, all of which will only be available through PledgeMusic!!

Contact for David Sancious:

John McCracken: john@headstrongmediagroup.com

www.headstrongmediagroup.com

Phone: 615.457.1597

Links:

Pledge: www.pledgemusic.com/projects/davidsancious

You Tube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjJmrZu-lg0  (This is the Pledge Video just available on You Tube.)

Facebook: www.facebook.com/David-Sancious-588604108202763 

 

Resilience Music Alliance Announces Signing of Organ/Piano Prodigy Matthew Whitaker – Label Debut Coming Spring 2019

Resilience Music Alliance is proud to announce the addition of acclaimed 17-year-old pianist and organist Matthew Whitaker to the label’s growing eclectic roster. Having already appeared on the Today Show and The Ellen DeGeneres Show as well as receiving praise from Los Angeles Times and The New York Times, Whitaker is quite literally the inspiration that resilience can have on a person’s life. Born in 2001 at 23-weeks premature, Whitaker developed an eye condition during his 3 months in the hospital which caused his blindness due to the life saving oxygen that he required at birth.

Whitaker has created a truly remarkable album combining original compositions and covers of songs that have influenced him throughout his life. The album, titled Now Hear This…, is Whitaker’s label debut, produced by GRAMMY® Award-winning producer Brian Bacchus. Whitaker is joined by keyboardist Marc Cary, bassist Yunior Terry, guitarist Dave Stryker, drummer Ulysses Owens Jr., and percussionist Sammy Figueroa.

“Matthew Whitaker is a rarity. A shining light powered by incredible artistry, boundless energy and curiosity and above everything else humanity,” says Resilience Music Alliance President and co-founder Steven Ruchefsky. “In this time, and at anytime, this beacon shouts for our attention. We are humbled to be but a part of the amazing team that will spread that light. Matthew is Resilience.”

The signing of Matthew Whitaker reinforces the mission of Resilience Music Alliance, a label that transcends genre and focuses on empowering artists exploring our collective elemental condition of resilience while conceptualizing projects that resonate with the human spirit. "I'm so excited about my new recording,” says Whitaker. “It's about a celebration of joy, inspiration and hope! Resilience Music Alliance is the perfect partner to help me share my music and to carry its message around the world."

 

Marlena Shaw's long-lost soul-jazz album The Spice of Life, widely out of print since 1977, is available on vinyl

Marlena Shaw's long-lost soul-jazz album The Spice of Life, widely out of print since 1977, is available on vinyl once again via Verve/UMe ahead of the album's 50th anniversary in 2019. The Richard Evans and Charles Stepney-produced LP, featuring her enduring hit of the Ashford & Simpson classic "California Soul," is pressed on 150-gram black vinyl with a tip-on jacket with a faithful reproduction of the original artwork. Order The Spice of Life now: https://UMe.lnk.to/SpiceOfLifePR

The innovative, heartfelt The Spice of Life, originally issued on the Chess subsidiary Cadet Records in 1969, established Shaw as a fully-fledged artist; drop the needle on any track, and you're liable to hear psych-blues guitar runs ("I Wish I Knew (How It Would Feel To Be Free)"), firebrand sloganeering ("Liberation Conversation") and even traditional blues (her takes on "Stormy Monday" and Carole King and Gerry Goffin's "Go Away Little Boy"). With a supple alto register and a command of the American songbook, Shaw worked these various styles into an lively patchwork of messages and moods.

  

The Spice of Life is packed with memorable moments; the fuzz solos rattling around "Stormy Monday," the Northern Soul horns on "Looking Through The Eyes of Love," the kalimbas and windchimes sparkling through "Woman of the Ghetto." For all its innovations and explorations, however, The Spice of Life unfairly fell into obscurity for four decades. But it was only the beginning of an unlikely second life.

Her version of the Ashford & Simpson staple, "California Soul," was quickly seized upon by the rare-groove scene. It was prodigiously sampled in electronic music and hip-hop: DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist's "Brainfreeze (Side 2)," Gang Starr's "Check The Technique" and a remix from Diplo all used "California Soul" as a jumping-off point. It even made its way into the commercial sector; "Soul" has been used in commercials for Dockers, KFC and Dodge Ram Trucks, even finding a home on the soundtrack for Grand Theft Auto V.

Shaw's time on Chess Records would be short-lived. After she struggled to fit her eclectic approach into Chess' roster, she recorded for a myriad of labels, including Verve and Blue Note. She still performs in 2018, but her wildly eclectic second album still stands tall. Whether you're a lover of crate-digging classics or plain-and-simple soul power, The Spice of Life has something for everyone.

The Spice of Life Track Listing

Side A

Woman Of The Ghetto

Call It Stormy Monday

Where Can I Go

I'm Satisfied

I Wish I Knew (How It Would Feel To Be Free)

Side B

Liberation Conversation

California Soul

Go Away Little Boy

Looking Thru The Eyes Of Love

Anyone Can Move A Mountain

 

New Releases: Lionel Loueke - The Journey; Georgia Anne Muldrow - Overload; Fabio Mignola - Encantado

Lionel Loueke - The Journey

Lionel Loueke, standing nicely on the borders of his styles – playing jazzily, to be sure – but also opening up with plenty of global elements too – in a lineup that includes the musician on a bit of percussion, alongside other percussion from Cyro Baptista and Christi Joza Orisha - plus some other surprise guests too! Loueke also vocalizes a bit – in this wordless style that reminds us of the coolest modes that Nana Vasconcelos would use many years back – echoes of Brazilian jazz, but a more individual style overall. Titles include "Bawo", "Molika", "Bouriyan", "Gbe", "Hope", "Vivi", "Dark Lightning", "Guira", and "The Healing".  ~ Dusty Groove

Georgia Anne Muldrow - Overload

No overload here from Georgia Anne Muldrow – as the singer feels fresher and more vibrant than ever – maybe in part to the Brainfeeder setting of the album! More than a decade back, it seemed like Muldrow was giving us greatness at nearly every turn through the record racks – then she faltered a bit, and maybe disappeared a bit too – but she's definitely back, and maybe sounding even better than ever! For years, Georgia was something of an underground secret – then maybe too relegated to that space when she could have burst big – and it definitely feels as if she might finally do that here, as she approaches the greatness of her music with the confidence of a 21st Century soul giant – maybe partly to reclaim territory that others have wrongfully taken from her. The se features guest appearances by Shana Jenson and Dudley Perkins – the last of whom also produced, along with Aloe Blacc and Flying Lotus – on titles that include "Play It Up", "Aerosol", "You Can Always Count On Me", "These Are The Things I Really Like About You", "Bobbie's Dittie", "Ciao", "Vital Transformation", "Blam", and "Overload". ~ Dusty Groove

Fabio Mignola - Encantado 

A rich blend of smooth jazz with Brazilian flavours and rhythms is what we are presented with on this new album performed by soulful virtuoso guitarist Fabio Mignola. In 1999, Mignola released Chitarra ticinese, featuring solo guitar arrangements of folk songs.  Swiss Ticinonline praised, "Chitarra ticinese is one of those CDs that everybody should hold in his own recordings library . . . the musical essentialism given by the presence of a solo guitar raises the fourteen melodies to touching small musical jewels." Winning the praise of critics for his "virtuosistic arpeggio", Mignola release Flor de luna in 2000, a collection of solo recordings that celebrated the beauty of evergreens. The collaborations with famed Swiss songstress Nella Martinetti (CD Così il tempo va) and with the ukrainian singer Elena Martynova (album Turn to Your Soul / Povernys' Do Dushi) would further endear Mignola as a beloved international guitarist, arranger and producer. However, it was the 2003 contemporary jazz release of Flyin' Away that would tantalize American airwaves.  Smooth Jazz and More declared, "Mignola gives the listener a style much like Peter White and Acoustic Alchemy. It's very cheerful and at the same time, very relaxing." Entranced by Brazilian jazz, Mignola often performs as solo guitarist in a light mix of sambas and bossa nova stylings.  Celebrating the rich cultural heritage of his homeland with Neapolitan jazz, Mignola released Luna rossa in 2005 with tenor Mauro Bonomi.

New Christmas Music: CeCe Winans – Something’s Happening!; Nils – Christmas Everyday; Engelbert Humperdinck - Warmest Christmas Wishes

CeCe Winans – Something’s Happening!

Once again, CeCe Winans teams up with son Alvin Love III to present Something’s Happening! A Christmas Album. The mother-son team walked away with two Grammy awards for their 2017 collaboration on Let Them Fall In Love. Love is known for seamlessly meshing Motown, pop, and doo-wop to create a fresh retro musical experience and CeCe's pristine vocals are surrounded by lush orchestral arrangements on the five original and five standard songs. When asked what she would like the message of this project to be, CeCe says, “My desire is that when the world hears this project that they are reminded of the true reason and spirit of Christmas."

Nils – Christmas Everyday

Nils has gift wrapped 12 Christmas tunes that are sure to get you into the holiday spirit. Christmas Everyday features six original and six classic interpretations of seasonal hits ranging in musical styles from R&B, Pop and Jazz. The all-star lineup of musicians and featured vocalists that Nils has assembled for this holiday album is a who’s who of talent. Including Johnny Britt, Ken Stacey, Erin Stevenson, Harold Payne, Eddie Brown, Jeff Ryan, Clydene Jackson, Diana Tash, Daryl Williams, Kathryn Bostic, Tony Moore. Gordon Campbell and Dov.

Engelbert Humperdinck - Warmest Christmas Wishes

Iconic pop singer Engelbert Humperdinck is launching the next chapter of his illustrious career by surprising his fans with a brand-new Christmas album – his first in almost forty years. Coming hot on the heels of his first album of original material in over a decade, the acclaimed The Man I Want To Be, Engelbert is excited to bring yuletide gladness to families everywhere. Much like its predecessor, Warmest Christmas Wishes is a combination of classic, new and unexpected songs – including two brand new originals written for this album. Warmest Christmas Wishes truly has something for everyone this holiday season.