New Music Releases: Jim Berry – Smooth Sailin’; Luxury Soul 2019 (3CD set) – Various Artists; Duane Eubanks Quintet - Live At Smalls

Jim Berry – Smooth Sailin’

Jim is a smooth jazz singer with a soulful touch. He excels at singing standards, but loves doing them in his own contemporary style. He's also an accomplished lyricist who has written many original tunes. Born in Chicago, this long-time Miami resident is an avid dancer who brought Chicago-Style Steppin'..an urban ballroom dance..to South Florida. His latest project SMOOTH SAILIN' has a couple of tracks which fit that genre of dance, but it also reflects his appreciation of classic tunes from Jazz and R & B. Jim is used to using his voice. He is a long-time broadcast journalist at WFOR-TV in Miami.

Luxury Soul 2019 (3CD set) – Various Artists

A fantastic assortment of contemporary soul – put together by one of the labels who kept the underground soul groove going, long before the generation of Neo Soul! Expansion Records is a London-based imprint who started out recording American soul artists from the 70s who were still going strong, but who were ignored by US labels in the 80s – then, as the years progressed, the label continued to find newer artists to work with too – at a level that made them one of the first companies to really push the idea of contemporary soul at a level that was far from the charts – which resulted in the kind of legacy that makes this 3CD set such a treasure. Most of the cuts here are from recent Expansion projects, and the set also includes gems from other sources too – and some classic cuts from their older catalog – all wrapped together in a great package for the price. Titles include "Falling Back Into Love" by Marc Evans, "Pressure" by Maysa, "Hopping Skipping So In Love" by Victor Haynes, "I Want Your Love" by One Way, "My Baby" by Ronnie McNeir, "I Want You Back" by Boogie Back with Cheri Maree, "I'll Always Love You" by Rockie Robbins, "Stay Away From You" by Chris Ballin, "Drifting" by Kim Tibbs, "So Nobody Else Can Hear" by Jimmy Cobb, "Are You Using Me" by Inner Shade, "Much Love" by Euge Groove with Rahsaan Patterson, "Stronger" by Nickee B, "Don't Judge Me (mellow mix)" by Phillip Leo, "Special Day" by Natasha Watts, "No Explanation" by Christ Standring with Mica Paris, "Secret Lover" by Saskia, "I Want Your Lovin" by Zed Soul with Rose Vincent, "Last Song" by Darien Dean with Tiffany T'Zelle, "Free To Be Me" by Lindsey Weber with Norman Brown, "Dangerous Romance" by Steve Nichol with Ellene Masre, and "Standing Ovation" by Blu Mitchell. 35 tracks on 3CDs!  ~ Dusty Groove

Duane Eubanks Quintet - Live At Smalls

A wonderfully soulful set – not just because of the trumpet of Duane Eubanks, but also thanks to the trombone of Robin Eubanks – a perfect accompaniment for the leader's horn, as the pair balance together and push the record forth in waves of richly creative sound! Both musicians get plenty of space to solo – in that perfect Live At Smalls way – open, but never loose or unstructured – with superb recording quality that captures all the beautiful nuances in all the performances. The group also features piano by either Anthony Wonsey or James Hurt – depending on the track – plus Gerald Cannon on bass and Chris Beck on drums. Titles include "The Grewming", "Victory", "Brainfreeze", "After You've Gone", "Little G's Walk", and a great take on "Silver's Serenade". ~ Dusty Groove

Theo Croker Debuts “Subconscious Flirtations and Titillations” Lead Single Off Forthcoming Album Star People Nation

Trumpeter, producer, arranger, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist THEO CROKER today releases “Subconscious Flirtations and Titillations,” the lead offering from his upcoming album Star People Nation (Masterworks). Available everywhere now, “Subconscious Flirtations and Titillations” is a simmering track that ebbs and flows with sonic seduction. 

“’Subconscious Flirtations & Titillations’ is a sensual composition detailing the sapiosexual interplay between two lovers,” says Theo Croker. “The track has a particularly lush soundscape, with its smooth, soaring horn lines, ethereal drum and percussion grooves, euphoric synth pads and sumptuous piano fills, all of which are complimented by a warm, sensual solo trumpet that weaves in and out to mimic the flirtatious game of slap and tickle.”

With its syncopated drum beat, passionate piano and emotionally-pulsating trumpet, “Subconscious Flirtations and Titillations” illuminates the newly-broadened scope of sound explored throughout the entirety of Croker’s forthcoming Star People Nation. The new album finds Croker at the helm of production, songwriting and performance for the first time in his career, resulting in an intimate exploration of what he describes as, “the everyday rituals of blackness.” A translation of his personal, spiritual and creative experience, Star People Nation is a self-reflective collection of provocative, powerfully-passionate and boundary-busting compositions that speak to our greater, shared human existence.

2019 THEO CROKER – STAR PEOPLE NATION TOUR DATES

Fri, Jan 18 | Ludwigshafen, Germany | w/ China Moses &

Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen

Sat, Jan 19 | Ludwigshafen, Germany | w/ China Moses &

Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen

Tue, March 5 | Clermont-Ferrand, France | La Cooperative de Mai

Fri, March 8 | Faches-Thumesnil, France | Centre Musical Les Arcades

Sat, March 9 | Minden, Germany | Jazz Club Minden

Mon, March 11 | Berlin, Germany | Gretchen

Wed, March 13 | Vienna, Austria | Porgy & Bess

Thu, March 14 | Clermont-Ferrand, France | La Cooperative de Mai

Fri, March 15 | Friedrichshafen, Germany | Kulturufer Friedrichshafen

Sat, March 16 | Brno, Czech Republic | Jazz Fest Brno

Wed, March 20 | Paris, France | New Morning

Fri, March 22 | Caen, France | Théâtre

Sun, March 24 | St. Moritz, Switzerland | Festival De Jazz St. Moritz (Pre-Show)

Thu, May 9 | Norfolk, VA | Virginia Arts Festival

Fri, May 10 | Germantown, MD | BlackRock Center for the Arts

Sat, May 11 | Washington, D.C. | The Arc

Thu, June 13 | New York, NY | Jazz Standard

Fri, June 14 | New York, NY | Jazz Standard

Sat, June 15 | New York, NY | Jazz Standard

As the grandson of the late venerable trumpeter Doc Cheatham, and former student of legendary jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd, trumpeter, composer, bandleader and multi-instrumentalist Theo Croker naturally follows an internal need to compose. Learning to play the trumpet at age 11 after hearing Cheatham play in New York City, by his teens Croker was studying music formally at the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville followed by the Music Conservatory at Oberlin College. Launching his career with seven years spent in Shanghai, Croker first introduced his singular style in 2014 on the Dee Dee Bridgewater-assisted AfroPhysicist. His 2016 follow-up, Escape Velocity, marked a watershed moment for the artist, with the Wall Street Journal extolling the album as “timeless and of-the-moment.” Croker has also lent his talents to the world of hip hop, with rap superstar J. Cole’s platinum-certified No. 1 opus 4 Your Eyez Only, with Croker acting as trumpet arranger and performer on multiple tracks. GRAMMY® Award-winning rapper Common also sought out Croker for his critically-acclaimed album Black America Again.

FREDERICO7 ANNOUNCES DEBUT ALBUM EXOTICO AMERICANO IS OUT ON FEBRUARY 23, 2019

Austin TX based musician Frederico7 is proud to announce his debut solo album Exótico Americano, set for release on February 23, 2019. The album is an amalgamation of Frederico’s diverse background and experiences living in Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina before setting his roots in the "Live Music Capital of the World." Exotico Americano fuses Afro-Brazilian rhythms with American Funk, Soul, Dub and Psychedelia, coming together to form Frederico7’s cohesive 21st century vision of Pan-American Soul.

Exótico Americano is an apt title for Frederico7’s debut album and the title track. Frederico explains, “The inspiration is the American Continent and its people. The revelation in the record is that we are ALL ‘Exótico Americanos’ regardless of race, national background, etc.  I wrote the lyrics of the title track ‘Exótico Americano’ specifically to highlight that universality. It’s important to honor the indigenous keepers of the land and paying respect to the suffering source of the blues music. Also understanding that the riches we now enjoy were built upon the backs of millions and understanding we all have more in common than not.”

Frederico’s path began growing up in Brazil in a multi-cultural family during an economic crisis and the struggle to ‘fit into’ a socio-economic norm. From there, at the formative age of 16, his family moved to Mexico for a better economy. In Mexico, Frederico dove right in  to the ancient mysteries, cultural riches and the creative and psychedelic adventures with a rich tradition. He learned Spanish and English and met Alex Marrero (Brown Sabbath/Brownout) and Pablo Larios and started a Latin Fusion band called Ghandaia that hit success with performances at Austin City Limits Festival (2006) and the San Jose Jazz Festival. At their peak, life gave Frederico a beautiful surprise; that he was going to become a father, and left the band and put music on hold to focus on family life, knowing that he would return.

And return he did. In 2010, he settled back in Austin, TX and collaborated with world class musicians in three standout bands including Os Alquimistas with percussionist Michael Longoria, with the World Funk Psychedelic band Suns of Orpheus, and the Brazilian 70s funk orchestra Macaxiera Funk. In 2015, Frederico recorded five demos during his travels to Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia, which were originally intended for an Os Alquimistas EP, but after the project dismantled, Frederico kept recording new music, which would evolve into his debut album with the help of co-producer Greg Jones. The album came to fruition over the next few years starting in Frederico’s home studio Lion’s Lair and then in acclaimed ATX studios including Adrian Quesada’s (Black Pumas, Brownout) Electric Deluxe Studios, Beto Martinez’s (Grupo Fantasma, Brownout, Money Chicha) Lechehouse Music, and the Texas Recording Conservatory Academy with Greg Jones.

Although it took Frederico three years to finish, a great feat for a father of two and full-time educator, the results are well worth the wait. Across the diverse set of ten tracks (and one remix), Frederico sings in three languages (English, Spanish, Portuguese) and brings all his influences from previous projects and personal experiences into the mix. For example, the title track (“Exótico Americano”) is a journey through the American continent fusing its cultures and stories with Frederico’s personal stories sung in both English and Spanish. The song is an anthemic blues rock track oozing with LatinX soul. With “La Miranda del Halcon” Frederico moves into a dreamy psychedelic ballad produced by Adrian Quesada, and on “Nature of Love” Frederico dedicates an upbeat dance tune drenched in soulful horns and sung in English to his wife. “Vibran los Ancestros” is a cumbia reggae tune with a Brazilian backbeat perfect for those hazy relaxing days, and the album closes with a bonus remix from Adrian Quesada of “Perola Negra” aimed at the dancefloor with its psychedelic disco soul.

Exótico Americano is an album that speaks to the times. The project is Frederico’s personal story of resilience, of being an immigrant, and of an artist who has been learning and growing across many cultures in the American Continent. It’s about being “the other” and not quite fitting in here nor there, but embracing all of the differences to unify rather than divide. Frederico concludes, “Everyday I’m reminded that my story is really that of many. In my heart we are all Exotic Americans that bring unique flavors and journeys to this melting pot that is AMERICA and THAT’s what makes this CONTINENT great.”

ONLINE:

http://www.frederico7.com

https://www.facebook.com/frederico7music

https://www.instagram.com/frederico7music

https://twitter.com/frederico7musi

https://soundcloud.com/frederico7

Carlos Santana's New EP "In Search of Mona Lisa" Released by Concord Records

Legendary musician Carlos Santana will release a dramatic new EP, In Search of Mona Lisa, on January 25 via Concord Records. On three spellbinding and transportive new songs, the multiple GRAMMY-winning guitarist and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee takes listeners inside a magical and deeply personal experience he had when he visited the Louvre Museum for the first time and set his eyes on Leonardo da Vinci's beguiling masterpiece.

In all of the years that the guitar icon had visited Paris, he had never been to the Louvre, but on a recent day off while on tour, he decided to go to the museum with his wife, drummer Cindy Blackman Santana, and his family. All it took was one look into the implacable eyes of the Mona Lisa for Santana to feel as though something strange and powerful was taking place.

  

As he recalls, "I heard her say to me, 'Hi.' It was stunning, and I didn't know what to say back, so I just said, 'Hi.' And then she said, 'Do you remember me? When we were lovers in another time?' It was the most incredible occurrence, and in a way, it was kind of perfect that I had never been to the Louvre before, because this might not have happened at another time. I had to be who I am now, knowing that God is everywhere and that He was saying, 'I love you,' by sending me this message of inspiration and visualization."

The experience came flooding back to Santana months later, when he awoke from a dream with the lyrics to what would become the songs "In Search of Mona Lisa" and "Do You Remember Me" fully formed in his mind. "It was the first time that I ever woke up and lyrics were there in a tangible way," he reveals. "I could just grab them and write the songs."

Much in the same way that the Mona Lisa asked, "Do you remember me?" Santana begins the song of the same name with a striking guitar figure, an invitation to dance. Once the band kicks in with a graceful Afro-Cuban groove (courtesy of Cindy on drums, with Karl Perazzo on congas, timbales and percussion), Santana opens up on a full five minutes of some of his most gorgeous soloing yet – his lead lines are stinging, teasing, crying and sensuous – before singers Andy Vargas and Ray Greene take over.

Remarkably, the song was captured in a single take in which Santana and his band recorded with Rick Rubin at the renowned producer's Shangri-la Studio in Malibu. "Miles Davis and Bob Dylan always said that the first take is the best, and I have to agree," Santana says. "You can hear the innocence in the music. That's a nutrient that's missing on this planet right now."

The EP's title track sets an entirely different mood. Santana had shown his lyrics for "In Search of Mona Lisa" to multiple GRAMMY and Emmy-winning producer Narada Michael Walden (whose reputation as a powerhouse drummer began with a stint in the Mahavishu Orchestra), who suggested a Bo Diddley-esque rhythm. "I wasn't expecting that, but I immediately liked the idea," Santana says. With Walden rocking a rave-up drumbeat (he also overdubbed bass and keyboards), Santana lets loose with biting, wah-drenched call-and-response phrases with singer Cornell "CC" Carter before he takes flight on an impassioned extended guitar solo.

While "In Search of Mona Lisa" was being recorded, Cindy suggested doing something more symphonic and bringing in bass master Ron Carter. "That's all I needed to hear," Santana enthuses. "I was like, 'Oh, my God. Of course!" The resulting track, "Lovers From Another Time," unfolds much like the painting that inspired the music itself, with the dual drumming of Cindy and Walden mixing with Carter's elegant basslines to create a living and breathing canvas on which Santana splashes vibrant six-string colors and textures.

"You really can't go wrong when you have Ron Carter playing with you," the guitarist observes. "He's played with Herbie Hancock, Wes Montgomery and, of course, Miles. He should be in the Guinness World Records for excellence."

Of collaborating with Walden, Santana is no less effusive: "Working with Narada is always a pleasure. He's gentle and exciting at the same time, a truly brilliant genius. He's worked with Whitney Houston, Aretha, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, so he knows how to create great material. His musical knowledge is vast, and I appreciate all that he has to offer."

Producer and co-composer Narada Michael Walden said, "It was a great honor and delight to work on these new songs. The tracks were composed with Carlos under his direction of the experience he had while gazing at the beautiful Mona Lisa painting. I listened to Carlos' stories implicitly and ran with his inspiration and lyrics to make a new sound and a new frequency of music for his love story. I'm thrilled about the release and this new music for the world to dance to and be deeply moved by."

2019 marks the 20th anniversary of Carlos Santana's groundbreaking album Supernatural and the 50th anniversary of his legendary performance at Woodstock. Santana will celebrate these milestones with an energy-infused tour highlighting hits from Supernatural as well as many others from his long list of greatest hits.

For more than 50 years, Santana has sold over 100 million records and has performed for three generations of concert fans worldwide. To date, Santana has won 10 GRAMMY Awards and three Latin GRAMMYs. He won a record-tying nine GRAMMYs for a single project for 1999's Supernatural (including Album of the Year and Record of the Year for "Smooth") as well as three Latin GRAMMYs. He has also received the Billboard Century Award (1996), was ushered into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1998), received the Billboard Latin Music Awards' Lifetime Achievement honor (2009), and was the recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors Award (2013). Among many other honors, Carlos Santana has been cited by Rolling Stone as #15 on their list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time."

In the fall of 2014, Carlos Santana released his memoir The Universal Tone: Bringing My Story to Light. In 2018, Carlos Santana released his first MasterClass. In it he teaches the art, heart and soul of guitar, reaching deep into the spirituality and tonality of his playing to help students become more authentic and expressive artists. Santana is currently headlining a multi-year residency at House of Blues at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

Carlos Santana on the web:

Official Site: www.santana.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/carlossantana

Instagram: www.instagram.com/carlossantana

Twitter: www.twitter.com/santanacarlos

YouTube: www.youtube.com/santanaofficial

Alfredo Rodriguez & Pedrito Martinez Announce North American Tour Supporting Upcoming Duo Album, Duologue

Grammy® Award-nominated artists Alfredo Rodríguez and Pedrito Martinez first worked together on Alfredo’s 2012 release The Invasion Parade. Since that initial recording session, they have had the rare occasion to perform together as a duo, leaving audiences completely mesmerized by their fearless and virtuosic playing.

Each artist brings a different approach to the collaboration. A protégé of Quincy Jones, who took him under his wing when he defected to the US in 2009, Rodriguez was schooled in the rigorous classical conservatories of Havana. His riveting artistry is informed as much by Bach and Stravinsky as it is by his Afro Cuban and jazz roots. Martinez’ musical training came directly from the streets of the Cayo Hueso neighborhood of Old Havana in which he was raised and he has subsequently performed with artists such as Sting, Paul Simon, and Wynton Marsalis. Together, these two master musicians take listeners on a unique and exciting journey on Duologue.

Alfredo Rodriguez + Pedrito Martinez Tour Dates:

Feb. 2 / MCG Jazz / Pittsburgh, PA

Feb. 7 / LRW Hall (Kimball Ballroom) / Columbia, MO

Feb. 8 / Walton Arts Center / Fayetteville, AR

Feb. 15 / Jefferson Center / Roanoke, VA

Feb. 16 / KC Jazz Club (Kennedy Center) / Washington, DC

Feb. 17 / FlynnSpace / Burlington, VT

Feb. 22 - 23 / North Carolina State University / Raleigh, NC

Feb. 24 / Weisiger Theatre (Norton Center) / Danville, KY

Feb. 28 - March 3 / Jazz Standard / New York, NY

March 8 / Symphony Center / Chicago, IL

March 9 / Lakewood Cultural Center / Lakewood, CO

March 10 / Argyros Performing Arts Center / Ketchum, ID

March 13 / The Loft (UC San Diego) / La Jolla, CA

March 14 / Kuumbwa Jazz Center / Santa Cruz, CA

March 15 / Virginia G. Piper Theater (Scottsdale Center) / Scottsdale, AZ

March 16 / Jo Long Theatre / San Antonio, TX

May 4 / New Orleans Jazz Festival / New Orleans, LA

May 10 / Sanders Theatre / Cambridge, MA

May 11 / Stratus Vineyards / Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON

May 18 / Vermont Jazz Center / Brattleboro, VT

 

James Brown's Complete, Expanded 'Motherlode' Rarities Collection Makes Vinyl Debut With New 2LP Edition

James Brown's complete, expanded Motherlode rarities collection will make its vinyl release debut on March 8. The classic collection's new 2LP vinyl release (Polydor/UMe) also puts three vital tracks on wax for the first time ever: "I Got Ants In My Pants (And I Want To Dance) (Remix)," "You've Changed," and the epic 12-minute alternate mix of "Bodyheat." 

30 years into forging his unique groove in music, James Brown was inducted as a charter member of the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 1986. He was then enjoying a double renaissance: riding high on the charts with "Living In America," his biggest hit in a decade; while on the streets his back catalogue was being rediscovered, sampled and plundered by an international hotbed of DJs, rappers, hip-hoppers and new wave funksters. Honoring Brown's re-invigoration, Polydor released the collection In The Jungle Groove that year.

Two years later, with samples of Brown's released classics still thick in the air, came a blast of funk from deep in the vault: Motherlode, released in 1988 with 11 rare and previously unreleased tracks on CD and 10 tracks on a single vinyl LP. Two of the collection's track debuts were incendiary live cuts, "Say It Loud (Say It Live)," an outtake from the Sex Machine album recorded in Brown's hometown of Augusta, Georgia, and, leading off the LP, "There It Is," a knockout performance from a 1972 show that otherwise did not see the light of day for decades. "Since You Been Gone," a duet with Bobby Byrd, was an update of their cut "Just Won't Do Right" from 1956 featuring the young J.B.'s with Bootsy Collins. Two deep-funk instrumentals were also featured, one titled "Funk Bomb," and another so buried in the Godfather's vault it never received a title.

Three rarities on Motherlode's original CD release were new in their own way: "She's the One," a cover of an old Hank Ballard & the Midnighters single, had just been issued as a single in the U.K., where it cracked the British pop chart's Top 50; "People Get Up and Drive Your Funky Soul," originally issued in 1973 as a 3:40 LP cut on the soundtrack to Slaughter's Big Rip-Off, was remixed and extended to nine minutes; and "I Got Ants In My Pants," previously issued as a two-part single in 1972, was remixed and issued in full for the first time on the CD, but not included on Motherlode's original vinyl LP release.

Motherlode's complete, expanded 13-track edition first debuted on CD in 2003, adding  "You've Changed," recorded in Atlanta with the classic James Brown Orchestra in April 1969, and "Bodyheat (Alternate Mix)," with the latter-day J.B.'s in 1976.

Motherlode's liner notes are by the late Cliff White, the preeminent journalist internationally recognized for his coverage of the Godfather of Soul. His original notes have been updated for the new 2LP set.

James Brown: Motherlode (Expanded Edition) [2LP vinyl]

Side 1

1.There It Is (Live) 3:05

2.She's The One 2:52

3.Since You Been Gone (Duet w/Bobby Byrd) 5:33

4.Untitled Instrumental 3:22

5.Say It Loud (Say It Live) 4:50

Side 2

1.Can I Get Some Help 9:45

2.You Got To Have A Mother For Me 5:10

3.Funk Bomb (Instrumental) 4:12

Side 3

1.Baby Here I Come 4:27

2.People Get Up And Drive Your Funky Soul (Remix) 9:04

3.I Got Ants In My Pants (And I Want To Dance) (Remix) 7:27

Side 4

1.You've Changed 3:18

2.Bodyheat (Alternate Mix) 11:50

Original Sessions Produced By James Brown

Sides 1, 2 and 3 except "Ants" first issued on vinyl in 1988

All other tracks on vinyl for the first time

7-String Guitarist Ron Jackson Creates New Standards on First Trio Record in Seven Years, Standards and Other Songs

After two decades onstage and eight albums as a leader, jazz guitarist, composer and arranger Ron Jackson is set to explore the next chapter in his career by releasing Standards and Other Songs (March 8 via Roni Music), a wide-ranging collection that seeks to add his inspirational talent and imaginative vision to the emerging tradition of jazz artists who look at pop music in a fresh way, and are shaping a new relevance and legacy for artists like Bill Withers, Van Morrison and Drake in the jazz canon.

Jackson’s first trio record in seven years is a bold and eclectic re-imagining of the work of Great American Songbook legends like Cole Porter (“From This Moment On”) and jazz masters like Grant Green, with his version of (“Somewhere in The Night”), to adventurous interpretations of tunes by iconic rock figures as Van Morrison (“Moon Dance”) and a remarkable jazz update of “Passionfruit,” by hip-hop superstar Drake. The album also includes Jackson's personal adaptations of popular tunes by Bill Withers, Brian McKnight and Freddie Jackson.

“I want to attract folks who don’t listen to jazz but know these songs,” Jackson says. “The energy that my trio and I brought to this music uncovered amazing connections between jazz and popular songs. It’s a very special project.”   

Jackson and his trio, bassist Nathan Brown and drummer Darrell Green, break new ground on the album with a jazz cover of rapper Drake and his 2017 hit, “Passionfruit.” “Drake’s records have lots of great songs and when I heard ‘Passionfruit,’ I knew that it could be a great jazz standard,” says Jackson. “I changed a few of the rhythms to make it swing!”

On a version of “Blame It on My Youth,” a tune made famous by Nat King Cole, Jackson adds another dimension to his music by playing the seven-string guitar, a rare instrument in jazz that Jackson first picked up for a Flushing Town Hall concert in 2011 after studying with Bucky Pizzarelli, a devotee of the instrument.

“It’s a great instrument because of the low A string, it has a low bass note,” Jackson says. “Also you can play in the piano register, it really fills out the sound of a trio. Very few guitar players in jazz play it.”

“I wanted to make a record brimming with personal favorites, tunes I enjoy hearing, classic songs I feel have stood the test of time,” Jackson says of Standards and Other Songs. “Most are songs I’ve heard many times—either while driving, randomly streaming or crisscrossing radio stations, or just being out in the world, in the streets, the shops or at a show.  For me these songs have the power to transport you, to trigger memories and inspire happiness.”

Born in the Philippines but raised in Harvard, Massachusetts, west of Boston, Jackson was initially influenced by rock guitar greats like Jimmy Page before falling under the spell of jazz and following the style and career of jazz guitar luminaries like Pat Metheny and George Benson. After attending Berklee School of Music, studying jazz composition and arranging, he spent some of his formative years in the mid-1980s living and playing guitar with the lively expat jazz community in Paris, France. Jackson moved to New York City afterwards, where he remains an active participant in Gotham’s always vibrant jazz scene.

A master of the six, seven and twelve string guitars, he has appeared on over 40 albums by such artists as Hal Singer, Graeme Norris, Ron Blake, Gisele Jackson and T.K. Blue. In 2003, Jackson founded the independent record label Roni Music, which has since released eight of his albums as a leader including the 2014 acoustic guitar record Akustik InventYours, and his 2012 trio album Burning Gums.

Ron Jackson

Standards and Other Songs

Release Date: March 8, 2019

Tracklist:

1. "Moon Dance" (Van Morrison)

2. "The Best Thing for You Is Me (Irving Berlin)

3. "Anytime" (Brian McKnight, Brandon Barnes)

4. "Lovely Day" (Bill Withers, Skip Scarborough)

5. "Blame It on My Youth" (Oscar Levant, Edward Heyman)

6. "From This Moment On" (Cole Porter)

7. "You Are My Lady" (Barry J. Eastmond)

8. "Passionfruit" (Aubrey "Drake" Graham, Noah Shebib, Nana Rogues)

9. "Pensitiva" (Clare Fischer)

10. "Hard Times" (Paul F. Mitchell, David "Fathead" Newman)

11. "More Than You Know" (Vincent Youmans, Billy Rose, Edward Eliscu)

12. "Somewhere in The Night" (Josef Myrow, Mack Gordon)

Ron Jackson · Standards and Other Songs

Roni Music · Release Date: March 8, 2019

 

Eric Reed: Everybody Gets the Blues, Reimagining the Music of Cedar Walton, Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, John Coltrane and Freddie Hubbard

Whenever problems arise, it’s always helpful to remember that we’re not alone. On his new album, Everybody Gets the Blues, pianist Eric Reed draws strength from his mentors and heroes, the celebrated and the unsung, in order to face down struggles both personal and global. The album finds Reed reaching back into his roots in the church to find a singular way forward.

Due out April 12 via Smoke Sessions Records, Everybody Gets the Blues digs deep into personal emotions to expose universal truths, discovering a few unexpected connections along the way. Whether bridging the generations between Cedar Walton and Stevie Wonder or inventing a fresh take on such a familiar favorite as Freddie Hubbard’s “Up Jumped Spring,” Reed finds the inspiration to move forward by following the paths forged by those who’ve come before.

“I always look for answers in the past,” Reed says. “What is there in history that I can draw from? Who else has gone through what I’m going through? Who has felt what I’m feeling? That helps me to answer the questions that I have in life right now.”

For Reed, “the past” inevitably leads back to the church, and to gospel music. It was the sound that he first heard and first played, and was at the core of his earliest love of jazz. “When I first started playing jazz as a child, my fascination with the music of Horace Silver, Ramsey Lewis, or Dave Brubeck resonated with what I heard growing up in church, listening to piano players like James Cleveland and Herbert Pickard and Curtis Dublin. I said, ‘Wait a minute, this doesn't sound like the stuff I play in church, but it’s very closely connected. What’s going on here?’”

In recent years, however, Reed has found himself at a personal and professional crossroads, realizing that he’d deviated from those roots. On Everyone Gets the Blues, he reorients himself along the right path, rediscovering the gospel lifeblood that fuels his jazz passion.

A native of Philadelphia, Reed began playing piano in the storefront Baptist church where his father sang and preached. His parents encouraged his gift, signing him up for private piano lessons. After relocating to the Los Angeles suburbs with his family, Reed studied at the Community School of Performing Arts (now The Colburn School), where his talents were recognized by no less an authority than Wynton Marsalis, who later enlisted Reed for the piano chair in his Septet.

Beginning in 1990, Reed spent the better part of two decades in New York City, where he became a regular at the legendary club Bradley’s and had the opportunity to learn at the side of many of the music’s pioneering figures. At the same time, he was swept up in the tide of the Young Lions movement, garnering a reputation as a strict hard-bop traditionalist that became an increasingly uncomfortable fit.

“For too many years I ignored my own instincts,” the pianist says. “I started out playing different kinds of music with all different kinds of people, but I took a detour. This record is a turning point; it’s finally time to start doing what it is that I want to do.”

To realize that goal, Reed has assembled a stellar group of musicians who share his rejuvenated, wide-ranging vision, as well as his gospel bent. Both saxophonist Tim Green and drummer McClenty Hunter share his religious roots, while bassist Mike Gurrola has deep roots instilled by the inspiration of Ray Brown and his apprenticeship under John Clayton.

  

Everybody Gets the Blues opens with the title track, a deeply felt original that finds comfort in the fact that whatever we’re going through, others have faced a similar darkness before. Taken from a slightly different perspective, it also provides an invitation: if everybody “gets” the blues, here’s a warm example to welcome listeners into the communal emotions of the album.

The spirit of the late piano legend Cedar Walton looms large over the album, beginning with Reed’s tribute, “Cedar Waltzin’,” which finally bursts into the hopeful strains of Stevie Wonder’s classic “Don’t You Worry ‘bout a Thing.” Walton is also represented by his own composition, “Martha’s Prize,” as well as Reed’s new arrangement of “Up Jumped Spring,” which featured Walton on its first known recording, on Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers’ 1962 album 3 Blind Mice.

Freddie Hubbard was also a direct mentor, though Reed’s take on “Up Jumped Spring” was a personal challenge, a successful attempt to offer a fresh new take on a tune that’s become almost ubiquitous. “It’s become one of those songs, like ‘The Days of Wine and Roses’ or ‘Take the A Train’, that were great songs when they were first written and they’re great songs dozens of years later, but they’ve become kind of hackneyed.”

John Coltrane’s “Naima” finds Reed taking more risks, approaching the ballad on Fender Rhodes and reharmonizing the tune – an approach, he realizes, that purists might see as sacrilege. “It’s the kind of thing that I always felt oppressed by in my 20s,” he says.

Both “Naima” and “Martha’s Prize” pay homage to their composers’ then-wives, another aspect that Reed wanted to recognize: the under-sung support system provided by musicians’ families. “Naima essentially saved John Coltrane’s life. They got married young, Coltrane was struggling with substance abuse and was spiritually searching, and she gave him stability. I enjoy celebrating and honoring people who might be forgotten.”

Reed takes an elegant solo turn that begins with The Beatles’ “Yesterday,” then invites the rhythm section in as the song transforms into Jerome Kern and Otto Harbach’s standard “Yesterdays” – a connection that is far more emotionally profound than simple wordplay. On a pair of originals, Reed pays one more act of homage on the tender “Dear Bud,” then offers a ray of hope on “New Morning.” The album ends with a robust romp through James Williams’ “Road Life.”

Through a range of moods and styles, Eric Reed recognizes that Everybody Gets the Blues, offering a spirited act of communion for those wanting to commiserate and a vigorous set of swing for those who’ve come out the other side.

  

"Everybody Gets the Blues" 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.

Eric Reed · Everybody Gets the Blues

Smoke Sessions Records · Release Date: April 12, 2019

New Music Releases: Eric Dolphy - Musical Prophet: The Expanded 1963 New York Studio Sessions; Addi McDaniel – After The News; Lance Ferguson - Rare Groove Spectrum

Eric Dolphy - Musical Prophet: The Expanded 1963 New York Studio Sessions 

Musical Prophet: The Expanded 1963 New York Studio Sessions is the first official release of previously-unissued Eric Dolphy studio recordings in over 30 years, including nearly 85 minutes never-before-released. Containing the masterpiece albums Conversations and Iron Man recorded in New York City in July of 1963 and produced by Alan Douglas, the 3CD set features jazz greats such as saxophonist Sonny Simmons, trumpeter Woody Shaw, bassist Richard Davis and NEA Jazz Master vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson and includes a 100-page booklet with rare photos, essays and interviews with jazz greats such as Sonny Rollins, Henry Threadgill, David Murray, Nicole Mitchell and many others.

Addi McDaniel – After The News

On her captivating solo debut, After The News, Addi McDaniel searches inwards, channeling the pain of loss and regret into a transformative work of beauty and strength. Hailed as “a dynamo with a brass-plated voice” by the LA Times, McDaniel is both an extraordinary singer and a gifted interpreter of song, and she breathes vivid life into a raft of original songs and covers by Andrew Bird and Bruce Cockburn. Backed by an all-star cast of musicians including drummer/producer Marco Giovino (Robert Plant, Norah Jones), McDaniel blurs the lines between roots, blues, soul, and jazz.

Lance Ferguson - Rare Groove Spectrum

Lance Ferguson has given us plenty of great work over the years – from his work in The Bamboos, to all his many other projects – yet as much as we've liked all of those, this one might actually be one of his best – a fantastic reworking of rare groove tracks from the 70s, all with a nicely changed-up sense of instrumentation! The set's mostly instrumental, and Lance takes on tracks originally recorded by James Mason, Pleasure, Funk Inc, and other names who are big heavyweights 'round these parts – served up with very strong instrumentation by a combo that includes members of The Bamboos, Hiatus Kaiyote, and The Putbacks. Titles include "Sweet Power Your Embrace", "Goodbye So Long", "Joyous", "Egg Roll", "Brazilian Rhyme", "Am I Wrong", "A Love I Believe In", "Noches De Viaje", "The Panther", and "Smokey Joe's La La". ~ Dusty Groove

New Music Releases: Itiberê Orquestra Família - Pedra do Espia; Brandi Wells – Still Love Him Anyway; Darren Rahn - Moxified

Itiberê Orquestra Família - Pedra do Espia

Itiberê Zwarg is an award-winning Brazilian bassist and the longest-serving member of Hermeto Pascoal’s ground-breaking ensemble ‘O Grupo’. Since their first meeting in 1977, the two have been closely collaborating to create a unique musical language: a genre-defying polyharmonic, polyrhythmic music, now widely studied by musicians and musicologists alike, known as ‘Universal Music’. Presenting Itiberê Orquestra Família's Pedra do Espia: an orchestra of twenty-nine of Rio de Janeiro’s most exceptionally talented young musicians, led by the indomitable Itiberê. Originally released in Brazil as a 2xCD in 2001, we're bringing this phenomenal album to vinyl for the first time, alongside a 2xCD and digital release.

Brandi Wells – Still Love Him Anyway

The vaults of Society Hill Records has graced us with new mixes of two stellar tracks, “Still Love Him Anyway” and “I Love You”, from the gone too soon vocalist, Brandi Wells. Wells, a native of Chester, PA, sang with Fat Larry's Band, Breeze, and Slick before embarking on a solo career. Her debut platter, “Watch Out” was released in 1981 on Fantasy Records and climbed to #37 on the US Billboard R&B chart. Sadly, Brandi passed away from breast cancer in March 2003, at the age of 47.

Darren Rahn - Moxified

Moxified is a sneak peek from Darren’s upcoming album currently in production. Rahn puts his best foot forward on this outing following a string of smash radio hits including the #1 Billboard hit and 2016 Smooth Jazz Network “Song of the Year”, D-Luxe, from his 5th solo album Sonic Boom.  Pulling out all the stops, Moxified delivers great energy and mojo with a cast of world-class musicians.  Rahn is featured on alto sax this time around while a live rhythm section provides the foundation for this groove infected jam.  Live horn section and a collection of real analog synth sounds top it all off, tickling the ear with serious sonic goodness.  Derived from the word “moxie” (mäk-sē), which means to have energy, pep, savvy, courage, determination and know-how, Moxified is true to it’s namesake delivering upbeat vibes to it’s listeners.

SOLILOQUY by piano legend ALAN PASQUA

Alan Pasqua is a piano legend who has performed and recorded with many of the top names in both jazz and pop. Pasqua was a member of The New Tony Williams Lifetime and appeared on the albums Believe It and Million Dollar Legs. He also performed with Jack DeJohnette, Paul Motian, Dave Holland, Michael Brecker, Randy Becker, Joe Henderson, Stanley Clarke, Gary Burton, James Moody, Gary Peacock, Gary Bartz, Reggie Workman, The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, Sheila Jordan, and Joe Williams, to name just a few.  

In the pop world, Pasqua recorded two albums with Dylan (Bob Dylan at Budokan and Street-Legal), with John Fogerty on the album Eye of the Zombie, with Starship on the album No Protection, and with Allan Holdsworth on the album Sand. He was also the keyboardist for Carlos Santana on his albums Marathon, Zebop! and Havana Moon. 

Pasqua has also been the leader or co-leader on many critically acclaimed jazz recordings. In 2008, Pasqua joined forces with Peter Erskine and Dave Carpenter, arranging, co-producing and playing on the Grammy-nominated trio album Standards. His recent releases are Twin Bill, which features Pasqua playing the music of Bill Evans on two pianos, and Northern Lights features Pasqua’s original compositions exploring his roots in the classical, pop and jazz idioms.

Soliloquy, his newest project, was recorded in Pasqua’s Santa Monica studio on his Hamburg Steinway concert grand piano. The sound is exquisite and the performance invites the listener on an intimate personal journey. Included are nine of his favorite standards and one cover of a Bob Dylan song.

NYC Acoustic Duo Yagull's New Album “Yuna” - Marriage of Piano & Guitar - Cinematic, Lyrical, Truly Intimate Recording

Yagull represents an ethereal beauty that takes you on a transformative journey. Throughout the course of the band’s discography, Sasha Markovic and Kana Kamitsubo have smoothly blended the guitar and piano, respectively, to produce exquisite splendor in melody and mood. One feels the music of Yagull in a spiritual, emotional intensity that is rarely equaled. A metamorphosis occurs for the listener.

“Yuna,” the band's newest endeavor, was created and recorded over a period of two years. Apart from one track, Sasha and Kana are the only musicians on the album - a departure from previous efforts. It is a truly intimate recording for the couple, and this is immediately evident as the aural gorgeousness flows over the senses.

Says Sahash, “As a storyteller myself, I can attest that music is one of the great conduits for stories. Yagull has shared some personal tales within these compositions.”

“Muse” is especially meaningful for Yagull. The song grew out of Kana having to deal with the turbulent emotions associated with the experiences of two miscarriages over the period during which the album was recorded. Throughout this difficult time, Kana felt a presence of a spirit - a muse - inside of her. The plaintive, simple melodies on the track exhibit the sadness of what had happened, but they also morph into an optimistic strain of respect and honor for that muse.

The album's title song is closely related. “Yuna” would have been the name of the first - and then second - baby that the couple lost; hence, the muse's name is Yuna. This track is more joyful in its tribute to the muse, and the addition of a backing vocal elevates the music to a higher plane. To enhance the piece, Sasha and Kana decided to work with Ayumi Ueda, a member of Women of the World, after they heard her divine voice at a Carnegie Hall performance.

“101” is a bit of a departure for Yagull. While most of Kana's compositions are gentle and often jazzy, this one is more explosive. Kana admits that the song became a catharsis for her, as it evoked an image of herself as a young woman at a time when she underwent a traumatic event. If anything by Yagull on piano and acoustic guitar could be classified as “hard rock,” this might be it. It begins with surging piano arpeggios and then develops into aggressive rhythms when Sasha joins in. Dynamic stuff! The title came from Sasha, who often mischievously dubs Yagull's tunes with non sequiturs.

Finally, the band considers the song “Searching for the Moon” to be a gift, as the entire piece was composed within five minutes. They had been asked to “play something” during a photo shoot, and the tune was an improvisation. Bookending the album, the track offers a playful, yet mysterious melody that is simple in structure. It is perhaps the theme song for a dream.

“Yuna” is full of other sagas, both enigmatic and wonderful. Along with the inherent lyricism of Yagull's music, there is also the occasional bit of humor. If the band's rendition of Black Sabbath's “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” doesn't make you smile, nothing will.

So, sit back, open your ears and your mind, and allow the sinuous, endless beauty of Yagull to move you. It will be a profound journey, and you will come out on the other side… changed.

Saxophonist Isaac Edwards is inspired to “Begin Again”

Isaac Edwards finally reached a point in his life when he decided that he simply had to overcome past regrets in order pursue his dream. A newly married lawyer who litigated hundreds of cases by day during the four years he spent his nights and weekends writing, producing and recording his new album, the saxophonist will take a major step towards realizing his dream when “Begin Again” drops on February 22 on the Songs In My Pocket Music label. The disc mixed by hit saxman Darren Rahn will be preceded by the radio single, “Christina Christina,” an exotic Latin-singed seduction that goes for radio adds on January 14. 

Armed with a bachelor’s degree in saxophone and a master’s degree in jazz after studying alongside widely-accomplished saxophonists Eric Marienthal and Jeff Clayton, Edwards has flirted with being a jazz musician by releasing a couple of albums in the early 2000s. The gospel-jazz outing “Here” (2002) was nominated for a Vibe Award, the Canadian equivalent to the Dove Awards. Two years later, his sophomore release, “I’m On My Way,” featured a collaboration with Grammy-winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum. Neither sets were promoted at radio as Edwards’ focus was on holding down his high-stress law position. But the fire inside never dimmed and in 2014, he wrote, recorded and released the new album’s title track as a single, earning most added honors at Billboard when it was serviced to radio. The theme of the song began Edwards’ creative journey that will only be complete when the album drops.        

“This album is about starting over and second chances. Being a jazz artist is something I've dreamed about ever since I was a teenager. I've had some successes along the way and had some regrets as well. With this record, I'm finally putting those regrets in the rear-view mirror. My hope is that listeners will feel inspired to leave the past in the past and renew their hope for a brighter future. Just like the dawn of a new day, each moment in our lives is another chance to do that thing we've been dreaming of doing. The thing that keeps us up at night, that we spend our days dreaming about while we are at work. The fire that can't be quenched; the drive we have deep inside. I believe that is what we need to be pursuing. That's what this record is for me: it's evidence that it's never too late to start over, try something new or become more today than we were yesterday,” said the San Diego-based Edwards, who has opened for multiple Grammy-winning Christian pop icons Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith.    

“Begin Again” is an amalgam of sounds and contemporary styles. With jazz and pop instrumentals serving as the foundation of the ten tracker, Edwards’ palette offers vibrant shades of R&B, Latin, gospel and rock. The sessions were tracked with live drums, bass, guitar, piano, violin, trumpet, trombone, clarinet and flute. In addition to showcasing his lyrical sax work and gift for crafting infectious melodies, Edwards added keyboards, synth and drum programming. A ten-time Grammy winner as a member of Take 6, Joel Kibble graces the outing with his voice in a supporting role on “Love Will Find A Way” and as the lovestruck protagonist on the urban adult contemporary romancer “Just Like the First Time.” In the company of nine Edwards originals is an instrumental reading of Monica’s hit, “Angel Of Mine,” that bodes to be a chart-topper again in its new form. While most of the album is soulful midtempo grooves and energizing exercises, “Qui Vivra Verra” stands out in striking contrast for its stark beauty and poignant simplicity - a melancholy sax, piano and violin selection about the moment you realize a relationship has no future.

“This record is the most honest work I've created and recorded. I drew a lot from my own personal experiences. I wrote from what was within my heart. And I've long been acutely aware of the burning drive I've had to get this record out,” Edwards said.

https://isaacedwardsmusic.com