Terence Blanchard To Be Named A BMI Icon At The 35th Annual BMI Film, TV & Visual Media Awards

BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) has announced that film composer and celebrated jazz musician Terence Blanchard will be named a BMI Icon at the 35th annual BMI Film, TV & Visual Media Awards in recognition of his significant contributions to the cinematic community. The ceremony will also honor award-winning composer, arranger, orchestrator and conductor William Ross with the BMI Classic Contribution Award, and salute the top performing composers in film, TV and visual media of the past year. Hosted by BMI President and CEO Mike O'Neill and BMI Vice President Creative - Film, TV & Visual Media Doreen Ringer-Ross, the private event will be held on Wednesday, May 15 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA.

  

"As a composer, Terence Blanchard's music is steeped in jazz, but he's also an incredibly versatile artist whose works range from film to Broadway to opera and back again," said Ringer-Ross. "His emotionally compelling scores make sociological statements about sensitive cultural issues faced by many, both past and present. We're thrilled to name Terence a BMI Icon and celebrate the best in music for film, television and visual media."

Blanchard joins an elite group of previous BMI Icon recipients who have received this honor for their "unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers." Past honorees include Alan Silvestri, James Newton Howard, Alexandre Desplat, Rachel Portman, David Newman, Thomas Newman, Danny Elfman, Harry Gregson-Williams and John Williams, among many others.

In addition to honoring Blanchard, William Ross will receive BMI's Classic Contribution Award in recognition of his impeccable skills as an arranger, orchestrator, conductor and composer. He's also one of the most sought-after collaborators in the business. In receiving this award, Ross joins a prestigious list of previous recipients including Rick Baitz, Lucas Richman, Peter Golub, Mike Post, Chris Montan, David Newman and Terence Blanchard, who received this honor in recognition of his vital work as an educator and mentor to emerging composers in 2010.

Throughout the evening, composers of the previous year's top-grossing films, top-rated primetime network television series and highest-ranking cable and streamed media programs will also be recognized.

2018 USA Fellow and five-time Grammy-winning trumpeter/composer Terence Blanchard has been a consistent artistic force for making powerful musical statements concerning painful American tragedies – past and present.

From his expansive work composing the scores for Spike Lee films ranging from the documentary When the Levees Broke, about Blanchard's hometown of New Orleans during the devastation from Hurricane Katrina to the epic Malcolm X; Inside Man; 25th Hour (for which Blanchard received a Golden Globe Nomination) to the timely and Oscar-nominated Lee film, BlacKkKlansman, Blanchard has interwoven melodies that created strong backdrops to Lee's stories.

Blanchard is a world-renowned jazz trumpeter and film composer with more than 33 albums and 50 film scores to his credit. He's a five-time GRAMMY Award winner, a 2018 US Artists Fellow, and most recently, an Oscar nominee for his music in Spike Lee's blockbuster BlacKkKlansman, which the New York Times called "a soaring, seething, luxuriant score." As Lee's longtime collaborator, Blanchard has scored 17 of his films. Other film credits include Eve's Bayou, Talk to Me, Red Tails, Barbershop and The Comedian, to name a few.

Outside of his work in film and television, Blanchard is a celebrated bandleader and trumpeter with an unwavering dedication to jazz education - frequently holding master classes around the world. Blanchard also serves as the Artistic Director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra's jazz series and has teamed with Opera Theatre St. Louis to premiere his second opera on June 15, "Fire Shut Up in My Bones," based on a memoir by celebrated NY Times best-selling author, Charles Blow.

William Ross is an award-winning composer and arranger whose work has spanned feature films, the recording industry and television. Some of his most notable film projects include scoring The Tale of Despereaux, A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, Tuck Everlasting, Ladder 49 and My Dog Skip to name a few. He also adapted and conducted the score to Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets. His work in television is equally as impressive and includes the scores to Hallmark Hall of Fame's In My Dreams, Lifetime's Steel Magnolias, the critically acclaimed miniseries Me and My Shadows, Life With Judy Garland as well as the Emmy-winning music for the Tiny Toon Adventures' episode "Fields of Honey." As an arranger, Ross has worked with some of the top talent in the world including Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Michael Bublé, Quincy Jones, David Foster, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Barbara Streisand and the list goes on.

Throughout his career, Ross has received many accolades including four Emmy Awards, three BMI Film Music Awards and he was nominated for an Annie Award and two GRAMMY Awards.  He's served as the Music Director for the Academy Awards four times and received an Emmy Award for his work in 2007, and his arrangements have also been a part of several Super Bowl opening ceremonies as well as the opening and closing ceremonies for the Olympic Games in Calgary (1988), Atlanta (1996), Salt Lake City (2002), Torino (2006), Vancouver (2010) and Sochi (2014).

Keyboardist Marcos Silva Unveils First Recording in 30 Years On "Brasil From Head to Toe"

Keyboardist and composer Marcos Silva returns to the recording spotlight after 30 years with Brasil From Head to Toe, set for a May 3 release on his Goose Egg Productions imprint. The third album from the Brazilian-born, Bay Area-based musician and educator features an extensive cast of musicians, anchored by a core quartet with saxophonist Gary Meek, bassist Scott Thompson, and drummer Mauricio Zottarelli. It also includes 10 original compositions of invigorating Brazilian jazz fusion by the master himself.

Silva spent the three decades since recording his first two albums, 1987's Here We Go and 1989's White & Black, touring and recording with the likes of Flora Purim and Airto (for whom he also served a 24-year stint as music director), Paquito D'Rivera, and Jon Lucien, as well as keeping busy on the Bay Area's ascendant Brazilian jazz scene and teaching for more than two decades in the Brazilian Music department at Berkeley's California Jazz Conservatory (formerly The Jazzschool). With Brasil From Head to Toe, he summarizes everything he's done and learned in that long and accomplished career.

"It's a chance to learn where I'm coming from," Silva says. "This is who I am. All of my DNA is in there."

Not just Silva's DNA, but also his incomparable experiences as a musician living in Brazil and the United States and traveling the world. Tracks like "In 7 & 2," "Hathor," and "Dry Land" (among others) recall the electrified Brazilian fusion Silva played with Purim and Airto. "Dos Pés À Cabeça" gives traditional samba music a charge of slippery but bruising funk; "Escape" inclines toward progressive jazz (with the support of vibraphonist Dillon Vado); "Prediction" and "Spring" are slow samba-infused ballad offerings -- the last featuring a lush arrangement for 12-piece string ensemble.

"I don't think I wrote anything in here," Silva says of these pieces. "I'm the vehicle that translates the musical messages sent from above. I'm on the outside listening."

Silva's sumptuous but exacting compositions -- which have been recorded by such artists as Purim, Romero Lubambo, Bud Shank, and Herbie Mann -- call for interpretation by the highest caliber of musicians, and Silva's bandmates are more than up to the task. Zottarelli, a New York (by way of São Paulo)-based drummer and percussionist, is highly sought after in the jazz, Latin, and Brazilian music communities. Meek, who lives in Monterey, is a fellow longtime veteran of Flora Purim and Airto's working band (of whom Silva says, "after Michael Brecker, Gary is the saxophonist"). East Bay bassist Thompson is a protégé and colleague of Silva's at CJC's Brazilian Music department, and the son of woodwinds player Mary Fettig, with whom Silva worked on his first two albums.

Marcos Silva was born September 8, 1954 in Rio de Janeiro. He studied classical guitar, bass, and drums at the city's Museum of Image and Sound, becoming a mainstay on the music scene but ambitious to make his way into jazz. To that end, he arrived in New York City in March 1980, soon meeting famed vocalist Flora Purim and her percussionist husband Airto Moreira.

The connection redirected Silva's career, including his place of residence. He soon followed his new employers to their home base of Santa Barbara, California, relocating again three years later to the San Francisco Bay Area. He continued working with Purim and Airto, as well as joining guitarist Ricardo Peixoto's Voz do Samba and later collaborating with Claudio Amaral's Viva Brasil, and working with Brazil's elite composers such as guitarist Toninho Horta and Dori Caymmi. In 1987 he made his debut album, Here We Go, following it two years later with White & Black.

In the ensuing years, Silva became an active partner in the Bay Area jazz scene, helping to fuel a surge in its Brazilian jazz contingent and giving a boost to vocalists like Claudio Gomez, Claudia Villela, and Sandy Cressman. In the late 1990s he joined the faculty at The Jazzschool (now the California Jazz Conservatory) in Berkeley, helping to establish the new institution's Brazilian Music department. He has remained there ever since as department head while also continuing to compose and perform actively.

 

Markus Reuter: String Quartet No.1 ‘Heartland’

After years of preparation and planning, Solaire Records are proud and excited to present 'Heartland', Markus Reuter's first string quartet. The album sees Markus further explore his algorithmically- supported composing technique to create a sonic language that will surprise even long-standing supporters. After spending months listening to most of music history's major string quartets, Markus ultimately decided to break with tradition and approach things from an entirely unique angle. Working closely with Oval's Markus Popp, the tracks were built using a pool of self-referential musical fractals. By combining them into deeply layered structures, every single bar of music is related to what preceeds and follows it, even though there is not a single mechanical repetition in these pieces.

Performed by the prestigious Matangi Quartet and recorded by award-winning producer Dirk Fischer, Heartland is a journey to the borders of melody and harmony: Driving, sensual, serene and moving.

Markus Reuter earned his spurs in rock and electronica, but found his true calling as a composer. After working in influential band constellations for two decades, Reuter developed a process allowing for the creation of equally complex and accessible works in an expanded tonal environment.

Reuter’s studies started out with a classical education on the mandolin, guitar and piano and theoretical classes with composer Karlheinz Straetmanns. Visiting the school of legendary guitarist Robert Fripp marked an important change in direction. Through Fripp, Reuter developed ties to the individual members of avant-garde rock supergroup King Crimson, with whom he would perform in constantly changing projects and constellations.

The return to composition came in 2010 with the work “Modus Novus” for guitar quartet. An expansion of ideas pioneered by Messiaen, the underlaying concept allow for the creation of vast modal spaces outside of major/minor progressions and the tonality/dissonance polarity. The approach fully came to fruition with “Todmorden 513”, hailed by critic Gregory Applegate as “one of the most important orchestral works of our era.”

New work has since further raised his profile. Reuter appreciates the respect, although it remains his biggest wish to disappear completely behind the music: “In an ideal world there would be no need for my music to be interpreted. If I succeed as a composer, everything will be “on the page” and all the performer has to do is to play the music.”

New Bojaira [When Jazz Falls in Love with Flamenco] Zorongo Blu

On May 5, Jazz/Flamenco fusion group New Bojaira releases a new album, Zorongo Blu (New Bojaira). Featuring jazz legend Randy Brecker on the track titled "El Diablo Llama a Mi Puerta", New Bojaira’s debut release Zorongo Blu, is a collection of original compositions and jazz standards with the addition of the traditional Spanish folk song Zorongo which, when given a bluesy-jazz/flamenco treatment, becomes the vehicle for the band's unique virtuosity and is transformed into the album's title track. 

Each composition on the album has a distinct and original feel, from a flamenco framing of Thelonious Monk’s “Round Midnight” to Hernandez’s setting of two poems by Miguel de Cervantes. Jazz soloing is juxtaposed against the time-tested backdrop of flamenco rhythm.

True American jazz meets deeply rooted flamenco and the drama of flamenco vocals creates something special. With the joining of these two styles from two sides of the Atlantic this is a band that truly personifies the old adage “greater than the sum of its parts”. This is fresh and exciting music.

New Bojaira (Bō-hī-ra) bridges the musical traditions from both sides of the Atlantic delivering a sound that speaks to both Jazz and Flamenco fans. Pianist Jesús Hernández, singer/flautist Alfonso Cid, bassist Tim Ferguson and drummer Mark Holen generate the band’s uncommon energy, with flamenco rhythms and the harmonic depth of jazz, New Bojaira's music transcends both styles creating a new and wonderful synthesis.

Stream “El Diablo Llama a Mi Puerta” HERE

Zorongo Blu Track Listing: El Diablo Llama a Mi Puerta (Soleá Blues) * Jaleos del Celoso Extremeño La Africana (Guajira) Green Room Farruca de Argel Round Midnight Zorongo Blu (Zorongo por Seguiriya) Ese Meneo (Tanguillo) No Encuentro Tu Pasión (Rumba) Vente Pa’ Broadway (Bulería) * with Randy Brecker.

New Releases: Van Morrison - The Healing Game (Deluxe Edition); Bob Holz featuring Mike Stern & Randy Brecker – Silverthorne; UB40 - For The Many

Van Morrison - The Healing Game (Deluxe Edition)

This new deluxe edition of 'The Healing Game' includes the original album plus two additional discs of rare and unreleased material featuring B-sides, session outtakes and duets with John Lee Hooker, Carl Perkins and B.B. King. Also included is the first official release of a performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in the summer of 1997. Here, Morrison is in full control, eschewing his greatest hits for songs from 'The Healing Game,' deep cuts from his extensive back catalogue and covers of Ray Charles, Tony Bennett and Sly & The Family Stone. Disc 1 - The Original Album Plus... Disc 2 - Sessions & Collaborations Disc 3 - Live at Montreux 17 July 1997

Bob Holz featuring Mike Stern & Randy Brecker – Silverthorne

Jazz artist Bob Holz has released a new album, "Silverthorne" featuring Mike Stern and Randy Brecker on MVD Audio. Holz got his start playing nationally with guitar great Larry Coryell. Holz and Coryell recorded two albums together. Bob previously  recorded with Mike Stern and Randy Brecker on his first album, A Vision Forward in 2015. Holz recorded with bassist Stanley Clarke on his most recent release, Visions: Coast to Coast Connection. Other musicians joining Holz on Silverthorne are bassist Ralphe Armstrong (Mahavishnu Orchestra), Alex Acuna (Weather Report), Brandon Fields (The Rippingtons), Jamie Glaser (Jean Luc Ponty), Ada Rovatti, Billy Steinway, Alex Machacek and Andrew Ford. The album  features ten new originals by the Los Angeles based drummer and will be released on February 8, 2019. The release comes off a busy run for Holz which included a show in Los Angeles at Catalina Jazz Club with legendary fusion guitarist Dean Brown. Jazziz Magazine will feature a track off Silverthorne in the Winter edition due out in December. The album was recorded and mixed by Dennis Moody and produced by Rob Stathis. Silverthorne is Bob's fourth album for MVD Audio.

UB40 - For The Many

''For The Many'' is the Birmingham reggae veterans' nineteenth studio album - their first since 2013's Getting Over The Storm Features UB40's founding members Robin Campbell (co-vocals/Guitar), Brian Travers (saxophone/keyboards), Jimmy Brown (drums), Earl Falconer (bass/keyboards/vocals) and Norman Hassan (percussion/vocals), alongside long-time members Duncan Campbell (vocals), Martin Meredith (saxophone), Laurence Parry (trumpet) and Tony Mullings (keyboards). Includes guest appearances from Birmingham rapper Gilly G, who features on the video Moonlight Lover and Jamaican artist/producer Kabaka Pyramid on Broken Man. UB40 are reunited with reggae deejays/artists Pablo Rider on I'm Alright Jack and Slinger on Gravy Train, both of whom appeared on the band's 1985 album Baggariddim. The album's closing track All We Do Is Cry sees the band collaborate again with British Asian urban musician Hunterz, who previously co-wrote and sang on UB40's single 'Reasons' from the 2005 album Who You Fighting For. In the same year, Hunterz performed the single on stage with UB40 and The Dhol Blasters at the Live 8 concert held in Hyde Park. Formed in Birmingham in 1978, UB40 named themselves after the UK government's unemployment benefit form. Their debut album Signing Off was released in August 1980 and is considered by many to be one of the greatest reggae albums ever released by a British band. It was the start of a career that led to 100 million record sales worldwide and dozens of hits, including Red, Red Wine, I Got You Babe and (I Can't Help) Falling in Love with You which all topped the charts across the world. The band had a run of hit albums that have spent a combined period of eleven years in the UK's Top 75 album chart, establishing UB40 as one of Britain's most successful bands of all-time.

Verve, Impulse! Records and UMe Launch Vital Vinyl Series Featuring 180-Gram Vinyl Reissues of the Iconic Labels' Classic Albums

Verve and Impulse! Records, together with UMe, launched their new series Vital Vinyl, a celebration of essential jazz LPs from the iconic labels' enduring catalogs. Throughout the year, the labels are making some of their most beloved must-have albums from the '50s, '60s and '70s available once again as non-limited editions LPs, pressed on audiophile grade 180-gram black vinyl and showcased with their original cover artwork, track listings and liner notes. The records will be released in three batches with the first available today followed by the second on May 3 and the final installment on June 7. Almost all major jazz artists are included within this series, from the joyful vocals of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong to the Brazilian Jazz revolutions of Stan Getz, Charlie Byrd and Antonio Carlos Jobim, through to the powerful soloing of Charlie Parker, Bill Evans, Dizzy Gillespie, Coleman Hawkins, Jimmy Smith, Lester Young, Oscar Peterson, Ben Webster, Wes Montgomery and Gerry Mulligan. View the trailer to learn more about the series: https://Verve.lnk.to/VitalVinylBatch1PromoPR

  

The nine classic records available today include Billie Holiday's Songs For Distingué Lovers and Body and Soul, Coleman Hawkins & Ben Webster's Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster, Ella Fitzgerald's Mack The Knife: Ella In Berlin, Jimmy Smith's The Cat, Antonio Carlos Jobim's The Composer Of Desafinado Plays, Wes Montgomery's California Dreaming and Stan Getz's collaborations with Bill Evans and Charlie Byrd: Stan Getz & Bill Evans and Jazz Samba, respectively. All titles are available to order now: https://ume.lnk.to/VitalVinyl

May 3rd will see the release of Oscar Peterson's We Get Requests and his collaboration with Lester Young, The President Plays With The Oscar Peterson Trio, Benny Carter's Further Definitions, Gil Evans Orchestra's Out Of The Cool, Dizzy Gillespie's Swing Low, Sweet Cadillac, Roy Haynes' Out of The Afternoon and Oliver Nelson's The Blues and the Abstract Truth.

The series will conclude with the June 7th release of Sonny Rollins' On Impulse!, Archie Shepp's Fire Music, McCoy Tyner's Inception, Ella Fitzgerald's Sings The Cole Porter Songbook, Gerry Mulligan/Ben Webster's Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster, Charlie Parker/Dizzy Gillespie's Bird And Diz and a pair of Charles Mingus records: The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady and Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus.

In all, 40 titles comprise the Vital Vinyl series, making some of these albums available for the first time in years while others already in print will now be perennially available. Vital Vinyl is rounded out by 16 records already recently newly reissued including revered titles from Alice Coltrane, John Coltrane, Count Basie, Charlie Haden, Charlie Parker and Keith Jarrett, out now. More info about all releases is below.

Whether you're a serious collector looking to complete your collection or a music fan just getting into jazz who wants to pick up a few classics for your turntable, the Vital Vinyl series has you covered with high quality reissues of some of the best records from this exciting, prolific era in Verve and Impulse! Records history.

NOW AVAILABLE

Billie Holiday – Songs For Distingué Lovers: Norman Granz brings together Barney Kessel on guitar, Ben Webster on tenor sax and Harry 'Sweets' Edison on trumpet to back up Billie on this 1956 classic.

Billie Holiday – Body And Soul: A perfect companion piece to Songs For Distingué Lovers featuring classic versions of "They Can't Take That Away From Me" and "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off."

Coleman Hawkins & Ben Webster – Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster: Two titans of the tenor collaborate on this landmark 1957 album, perfectly distilling their differing styles to produce a bona fide jazz classic.

Ella Fitzgerald – Mack The Knife: Ella In Berlin: One of the great live jazz albums, this 1960 collection features the famous title track and a superb four-piece band including Jim Hall on guitar.

Jimmy Smith – The Cat: The Hammond Organ maestro's best-known album, featuring perennial favorites "Main Theme From The Carpetbaggers" and the killer title track.

Stan Getz & Bill Evans – Stan Getz & Bill Evans: Recorded in 1964 but not released until 1973, this classic double-header also features an all-star rhythm section of Ron Carter on bass and Elvin Jones on drums.

Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd – Jazz Samba: This famous 1962 collaboration sounds as fresh today as it did when it was released, an all-time classic album including evergreen versions of "Desafinado," "O Pato" and "One Note Samba."

Antonio Carlos Jobim – The Composer Of Desafinado Plays: This Claus Ogerman-arranged masterpiece was the debut album from the legendary Brazilian composer/pianist, featuring landmark performances of "The Girl From Ipanema," "Once I Loved" and "Corcovado."

Wes Montgomery – California Dreaming: A career highlight for the guitarist, recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's studio during September 1966, this Creed Taylor-produced album was an artistic and commercial smash, reaching #1 on the US Billboard Jazz chart.

AVAILABLE MAY 3

Oscar Peterson – We Get Requests: Nothing less than one of the great jazz piano trio albums of all time. First released in 1964, We Get Requests features all-time-classic versions of "The Girl From Ipanema," "Quiet Nights" and "The Days Of Wine And Roses."

Lester Young & Oscar Peterson – The President Plays With The Oscar Peterson Trio: A landmark collaboration between two jazz titans, this classic 1952 collection also features the stellar rhythm section of Barney Kessel on guitar, Ray Brown on bass and JC Heard on drums.

Benny Carter – Further Definitions: The alto sax pioneer takes his place in one of the heaviest horn frontlines in jazz history – alongside Phil Woods, Coleman Hawkins and Charlie Rouse – on this classic 1961 studio album, also featuring Coltrane bassist Jimmy Garrison and drummer Jo Jones.

Gil Evans Orchestra – Out Of The Cool: A classic big-band album and one of the first-ever releases on the Impulse! label, this 1961 recording features a superb line-up including Jimmy Knepper on trombone, Ron Carter on bass and a fiery Elvin Jones on drums.

Dizzy Gillespie – Swing Low, Sweet Cadillac: A perennially-popular 1967 live album from the bebop trumpet pioneer, an effervescent, electrifying quintet recording also featuring his great friend and fellow bebop legend James Moody on various saxophones and flute.

Roy Haynes – Out Of The Afternoon: Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio in May 1962, this classic quartet album features Roland Kirk on saxophones and several famous Haynes drum solos, most notably on his own composition "Snap Crackle."

Oliver Nelson – The Blues and the Abstract Truth: The saxist/composer/arranger offers up six unique takes on the blues for this 1961 classic, alongside one of the great pick-up bands in jazz history: Eric Dolphy, Freddie Hubbard, Bill Evans, Paul Chambers and Roy Haynes.

AVAILABLE JUNE 7

Sonny Rollins – On Impulse!: The tenor sax master attacks five standards and in the process produces some of his most intense performances on record. Taped at the Van Gelder Studio in one marathon session on July 8th 1965, this electrifying Impulse! Records debut also featured Ray Bryant on piano and Mickey Roker on drums.

Archie Shepp – Fire Music: The tenor firebrand and avant-garde hero's second Impulse! album, released in 1965, was an ensemble masterpiece featuring an original tune dedicated to Malcolm X ("Malcom, Malcolm Semper Malcolm") plus unique takes on Antonio Carlos Jobim ("The Girl From Ipanema") and Duke Ellington ("Prelude To A Kiss").

McCoy Tyner – Inception: The piano pioneer's 1962 debut solo album was a groundbreaking trio date featuring Art Davis on bass and his John Coltrane Quartet bandmate Elvin Jones on drums. Concentrating mainly on original compositions, Inception also featured inspired takes on "Speak Low" and "There Is No Greater Love."

Ella Fitzgerald – Sings The Cole Porter Songbook: Nothing less than one of the great vocal jazz albums, this Grammy-winning 1956 collection showcased a large orchestra arranged by Buddy Bregman and famous versions of "Miss Otis Regrets," "I Get A Kick Out Of You," "Every Time We Say Goodbye," "Night And Day," "Love For Sale" and "I've Got You Under My Skin."

Gerry Mulligan/Ben Webster – Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster: Recorded in two sessions during November and December 1959, this historic summit meeting between the baritone and tenor sax masters produced some classic Mulligan compositions ("The Cat Walk," "Tell Me When") and also unique takes on Billy Strayhorn's "Chelsea Bridge" and Jule Styne's "Sunday."

Charles Mingus – The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady: There's nothing else in jazz quite like this collection recorded – astonishingly – in just one session on 20th January 1963. With liner notes written by Mingus's psychotherapist, the album uses ornate ensemble orchestration to produce a sound somewhere between jazz and folk.

Charles Mingus – Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus: Mingus's second Impulse! album, released in 1963, was another large-ensemble masterpiece featuring two of the bassist/bandleader's greatest compositions – "Celia" and "Better Get Hit In Yo' Soul" - plus a famous version of Duke Ellington's "Mood Indigo."

Charlie Parker/Dizzy Gillespie – Bird And Diz: One of the bedrock albums of the bebop era, 1950's Bird And Diz saw producer Norman Granz bring together a formidable rhythm section – Thelonious Monk, Curley Russell and Buddy Rich – to bring Parker's effervescent compositions to life, producing a timeless jazz landmark.

VITAL VINYL TITLES ALREADY AVAILABLE

Alice Coltrane – Journey In Satchidananda

Bill Evans – Conversations With Myself

Charlie Haden – Liberation Music Orchestra

Charlie Parker – Charlie Parker With Strings

Count Basie - April In Paris

Duke Ellington & John Coltrane – Duke Ellington & John Coltrane

Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong – Ella & Louis

Keith Jarrett – Treasure Island

John Coltrane Quartet – Ballads

John Coltrane – Coltrane

John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman – John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman

John Coltrane Quartet – Crescent

John Coltrane – "Live" At The Village Vanguard

John Coltrane – A Love Supreme

Oscar Peterson Trio – Night Train

Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto – Getz/Gilberto

THE EMOTIONAL VAMPIRE SESSIONS WITH EJ HUGHES

EJ Hughes is back in the light with his riveting Blue Canoe Records release "The Emotional Vampire Sessions" a followup to his 2005 release on Blue Canoe "Something to Say". The Saxophonist has traveled extensively performing in many genres with a passion and deep-rooted training in Jazz, Classical, and Contemporary music.

Mr. Hughes has taught, performed, and recorded in New York, Georgia, Florida, New Hampshire, and Singapore as well as extensive cruise ship work traveling to over 20 countries. He has spent much of his life as an educator working with students from elementary school to high school to college and beyond. Mr. Hughes is a current instructor at Music and Arts and has helped Georgia State University’s RYJO high school jazz program. In the past, EJ was the instructor of jazz saxophone for Emory University and also taught Advanced Improvisation and Jazz applied saxophone for Georgia State University before returning to his hometown in New Hampshire to be the band director and general music instructor. Hughes has performed with the likes of Grammy award winner Joe Lovano, Grammy-nominated Sam Rivers and two time Grammy winning hip-hop collective Speech & Arrested Development. Says Sam Rivers, "EJ Hughes is a talented musician who understands the beauties and intricacies of the music, an artist destined to make a valuable contribution to this art form".

"The Emotional Vampire Sessions" (recorded and mixed by John Marshden) leads off with ghosts rather than Vampires with "Ghosts in the Machine". Kevin Bales (Wynton Marsalis, Sam Rivers, and Nat Adderley, Rene Marie) breaks the silence emphatically with the thematic piano groove and makes way for Mr. Hughes’s soaring saxophone and energetic melody. Hughes bounces around the theme with improvisational licks that are familiar yet unique. As drummer Marlon Patton (John Patitucci, Randy Brecker, Rufus Reid, Wycliffe Gordon) pulls and pushes playfully with the rhythm, Mr. Bales takes the helm mid-way through and shows improvisationally mature lead playing that slides away to a Billy Thornton (Dominick Farinacci, Christian Tamburr, Doug Carn) bass solo that continues to intertwine with Mr. Bales injections as the song builds and fades.

The album's title track opens with a sweet, touching piano intro that points the listener to an emotional ballad that one imagines an old crooner from the early 1950s will join. Just as the audience is ready for this sultry voice, Mr. Patton enters with a strong snare lead that explodes into rock-like keyboard interplay. Eventually, Mr. Hughes comes in and exploits the solid foundation that has been laid and the improvisational exploration is awe-inspiring. The vampires are emotional, indeed!

"The Emotional Vampire Sessions" by Atlanta sax-master EJ Hughes is a stunning sophomore release that brings something unique with each listen. The veteran players bring fresh and extraordinary perspective to these modern, straight-ahead jazz expressions. This release is not to be missed.

San Francisco’s Historic Keystone Korner Reborn in Baltimore, Legendary Jazz Club Set to Open April 30 on International Jazz Day

"The Eternal Jazz Messenger Art Blakey often said that 'My heart belongs to Keystone,' and that heart is still beating strong." — Todd Barkan, NEA Jazz Master

“Keystone Korner was the quintessential jazz club. With the down-home feeling of

your favorite watering hole and with the special spark of international artistic charisma that a knowledgeable jazz audience brings to any environment, the Keystone was a happy home to people of all persuasions.”   — Wynton Marsalis

“Keystone Korner was the Birdland of the Seventies.” — Mary Lou Williams

NEA Jazz Master Todd Barkan and Michelin-starred chef Robert Wiedmaier have joined forces to relaunch Keystone Korner, the legendary San Francisco (and later) Tokyo club that set the standard for jazz performance in the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ’90s.

The impresario, a NEA Jazz Master and the former programming director of Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the chef, proprietor of 11 restaurants in Washington, D.C., Virginia, Maryland, and New Jersey, will be bringing together world-class music and top-flight cuisine in Baltimore’s booming Harbor East.

The venture marks the first large-scale jazz club in the region since the demise of the beloved Ethel’s Place and Blues Alley Baltimore in the late ‘80s.

Keystone Korner Baltimore will officially open on April 30, to coincide with International Jazz Day, with three nights of performances by the Ron Carter Trio featuring Russell Malone and Donald Vega. The former Miles Davis bassist will be celebrating his 82nd birthday at the club.

Over the coming months, the venue will also host some of jazz’s most recognized and important artists, including Kenny Garrett, Duduka Da Fonseca, Joey DeFrancesco, The Cookers, Sean Jones, Kenny Barron, Steve Turre, Rene Marie, Gary Bartz, Monty Alexander, Christian McBride, and more. (Please see the complete and confirmed schedule, below).

Barkan is committed to providing the highest-quality sonic experience at the club. Last week he enlisted Baltimore-native Cyrus Chestnut to assist in selecting the perfect Steinway piano for the room. As well, Joey DeFrancesco’s Viscount Legend JD Signature Model organ will be housed on-site.

Barkan is equally committed to dynamic pricing for the room, which will hold upwards of 200 patrons. He said he hopes that keeping ticket prices low — and setting aside affordable seats at every performance for students — will make this art form he has committed his life to available to as many people as possible.

“Our mission at Keystone Korner in San Francisco from 1972 to 1983 was to provide the best music in the world for the most affordable prices in the most loving environment,” says Barkan, “and that is still our fundamental goal in 2019 at Keystone Korner Baltimore. Here, we have the added blessing of joining forces with chef Robert Wiedmaier and his talented team, which ensures that the food and libations will be as inspiring and reasonably-priced as the phenomenal music."

Wiedmaier and Barkan first met at the 2018 NEA Jazz Masters Awards Dinner, and soon after began talking about the idea of opening a space together. The club will take the place of Wiedmaier’s former Mussel Bar, located at 1350 Lancaster St in Harbor East.

Says Wiedmaier: “This is in so many ways a dream come true — to partner with a master like Todd Barkan and revive the legendary Keystone Korner and bring world-class jazz to a great city like Baltimore. And to be able to do it in this wonderful spot right on the water, in what we think will offer a new vision for the jazz club in this century, with a warm and lively vibe, a staff like family, great food, and the best musicians on the planet.“

That warmth and intimacy are of the utmost importance to Barkan, who says: “While Rahsaan Roland Kirk & The Vibration Society were making their iconic 1973 live recording Bright Moments for Atlantic Records at the Keystone Korner in San Francisco, Rahsaan happily noted that ‘it sure is nice to play in a place that feels like your living room.’"

Upcoming Performance Schedule

April 30 - May 2 | Ron Carter Trio w. Russell Malone and Donald Vega

May 3 - 5 | Kenny Garrett Sextet

May 6 & 7 | Samba Jazz & Tom Jobim — Duduka Da Fonseca-Maucha Adnet Quintet

w. Billy Drewes, Helio Alves, and Martin Wind

May 8 | Bill Charlap (solo)

May 9 | Bill Charlap & Jon Faddis

May 10 & 11 | Joey DeFrancesco Quartet

May 15 - 19 | The Cookers w. Billy Harper, Donald Harrison,

David Weiss, George Cables, Cecil McBee, and Billy Hart

May 21 | Matthew Whitaker

May 22 - 26 | Cyrus Chestnut w. Buster Williams and Lenny White

(special guest Antonio Hart from May 24 - 26 only)

May 28 & 29 | DOUBLE BILL: Raul Midón & Sean Jones "Dizzy Spellz"

May 30 - June 2 | Kenny Barron Quartet w. Regina Carter,

Kiyoshi Kitagawa, and Justin Faulkner

June 6 - 9 | Steve Turre Sextet w. James Carter, Vincent Herring,

Mike LeDonne, Buster Williams, and Darrell Green performing

"Bright Moments — The Music of Rahsaan Roland Kirk"

June 14 - 16 | John Pizzarelli — Centennially Yours, Celebrating Nat King Cole

June 20 - 23 | Freddy Cole Quartet w. Lionel Cole

June 27 - 30 | René Marie Quartet

PIANIST ED ROTH TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM JAZZLAND

His playing cuts across styles and genres as he masterfully executes jazz, rock, and pop sensibilities with a contemporary flavor. Ed Roth is truly a monster player and his talent shines bright on Jazzland, his debut album release for Funzalo Records out on February 22.

On Jazzland you will find Roth’s superlative take on Jazz classics like Charles Mingus’ “Nostalgia in Times Square,” John Coltrane’s “Big Nick,” Chick Corea’s “Crystal Silence,” and Miles Davis’ “Milestones,” Freddie the Freeloader” and “Blue in Green” among others. "Haunting melodies and some adult harmony really drew me to "Peace" (Horace Silver), "Blue and Green" (Bill Evans/Miles Davis), and "Zingaro" (Carlos Antonio Jobim). You have so much space in ballads like that, but every note you play has to mean something" Says Roth 

Get a taste here: https://youtu.be/GJ6DKQfthzs

 “Some songs and music are timeless. I tried to pick songs for this record that have that quality, and that moved me in some way. The different vamps and solo sections that I added to some of these may not be what you have heard before, but they are what came out naturally, without a lot of plotting and planning” – explains Roth

Roth worked alongside a total of nine Grammy winners. He’s performed and recorded with R&B artists the Brothers Johnson and Shuggie Otis to Pop stars Annie

Lennox and Sophie B Hawkins, Rock legends Ronnie Montrose, Robby Krieger, Keith Emerson, Deep Purple’s Glenn Hughes, Judas Priest’s Rob Halford and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, to Hip-Hop legend Coolio. He’s also a long time member of CTA (featuring Rock and Roll Hall of fame drummer Danny Seraphine and 2 time Grammy winner Bill Champlin), and recorded with critically acclaimed country acts Turnpike Troubadours and Cody Jinks, and the list goes on.

 “The artists I have most admired never stopped evolving and growing- crossing musical genres and ignoring boundaries, making each recording another step out from their last one” – says Roth

A sonic purist, Roth is adept at not only piano, but also Fender Rhodes, Hammond B3, Wurlitzer, clavinet and accordion, (as well as a Kawai artist grand piano), all of which he records at his own Glendale, CA, studio, The Keyboard Room.

https://edrothmusic.com

New Releases: Luther Vandross – My Body (Louis Vega Remix); Lee Fields & The Expressions – It Rains Love; Mark De Clive-Lowe - Heritage II

Luther Vandross – My Body (Louis Vega Remix)

April 13, 2019 Record Day sees new release “My Body” performed by none other than the Legend and King R&B, soul singer Luther Vandross and remixed by Louie Vega. This is a song that was never released and was recorded back in 1979 by Luther Vandross when he was working on the colossal album “Never Too Much”. Brought to Louie Vega by artist and renowned background singer to the greats Mr. Fonzi Thornton, Vega was able to work on the immaculate sounds of Vandross. As Vega recalls 'When I put up the tracks in my studio it sounded as if Luther were singing today, it made it so easy to come with the house grooves having such a perfect vocal performance and one of kind tone. Once I came with the music, I felt I needed to call his original background singer team, which Fonzi organized in a flash. He called upon the genius background singers Brenda White, Lisa Fischer, Cindy Mizelle, Tawatha Agee and Fonzi himself. We are talking the A-Team of background singers, a dream come true in my studio', Vega recalls.

Lee Fields & The Expressions – It Rains Love

We've loved the music of Lee Fields for many many years – but these days, he seems to be sounding even better than ever – taking all of his decades of experience in soul music, and blending his deep soul roots with an even more mature, open sort of style! And even though Lee's early work was great, we never would have imagined the greatness he can hit with a record like this – a set that draws on so many currents of classic soul, but finds a way to make a statement that's totally personal, totally original, and totally out of sight all the way through! Fields has a fantastic raspy vocal style, but he never just lets that stand as his calling card – because he's really bringing new inflections, new inspirations to the music – all while working with superb backing from Leon Michels and The Expressions. If you can imagine Hi Records mixed with James Brown mixed with New Jersey soul mixed with Daptone mixed with The Impressions – then you've only got part of the multi-faceted genius of this set. Titles include "Two Faces", "You're What's Needed In My Life", "Love Prisoner", "Will I Get Off Easy", "It Rains Love", "Love Is The Answer", "A Promise Is A Promise", and "Blessed With The Best". CD features the bonus track "Don't Give Up". ~ Dusty Groove

Mark De Clive-Lowe - Heritage II

A beautiful second volume in the Heritage series from keyboard genius Mark De Clive Lowe – and one that we like even more than the first! The music here has the strong spiritual currents of the previous set, but also brings in more of the cosmic, electronic modes that we knew in Mark's initial music – a great blend of jazz with inventive rhythms, wide-ranging keyboard sounds, and even some live electronics – recorded in concert, but with the complexity of a more dynamic studio production! Other players include Teodross Avery on tenor, Josh Johnson on alto, Carlos Nino on percussion, Brando Eugene Owens on bass, and Brandon Combs on drums – and titles include "Isan", "Ryugu Jo", "Bushido II", "Mizugaki", "Mirai No Rekishi", and "O Edo Nihonbashi".  ~ Dusty Groove

New Releases: Terkel Nørgaard With Ralph Alessi – We Jazz; George David Kieffer - Encounters with the Moon; Jimmy Layton and His All-American Not-Your-Daddy's-Jazz Band - Fortunes Of A Misspent Youth

Terkel Nørgaard With Ralph Alessi – We Jazz

Danish drummer Terkel Nørgaard presents his trio consisting of some of the key players in the Copenhagen scene and adding ECM-recording American star trumpeter Ralph Alessi on the lineup. Not merely a "feature", Alessi and the Danes form a coherent band unit capable of producing memorable and highly inspired contemporary jazz which links to the Nordic tradition of dynamic sound ranging from delicate minimalism to powerful avantgarde eruptions. ‘One’ and ‘Twelve’ are the first tracks shared from the upcoming album, a fitting introduction to a solid selection of seven compositions which place Nørgraard at the forefront of the current Nordic jazz scene. On the new album, the Danish trio plus Alessi achieve something that can always be regarded a remarkable feat. They deliver a highly inspired set of music which links the album onto the ever-evolving lineage of jazz music, and at the same time introduce a new band capable of stunning the listener in the here and now.

George David Kieffer - Encounters with the Moon

After studying piano as a boy, George began writing his own music in law school. While his impressive law and civic careers took center stage, he continued to hear music in his head and he would compose – whether he wanted to or not. It was a calling he kept largely to himself – an emotional respite and a creative outlet. However, his Memorial Day classic composition, Arlington, was discovered and debuted with the Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra in 2014. In 2015 he added lyrics and Arlington was released with vocals by the famed Los Angeles Master Chorale. His Fanfare for the Special Olympics played at the Opening Ceremonies in Los Angeles 2016. Which brings us to today – a debut album of simple, elegant and inspiring solo piano pieces – Encounters with the Moon. This collection features 9 original compositions.

Jimmy Layton and His All-American Not-Your-Daddy's-Jazz Band - Fortunes Of A Misspent Youth

With no sign of musical talent, Jimmy taught himself how to play keyboards as a teenager. Later, he studied classical piano and took theory classes at San Francisco City College. His interest in jazz started through listening to fusion (Return to Forever; Weather Report; Pat Metheny and others). His interest in composition arises from his admiration of Frank Zappa, Charles Mingus, and playing in original, jazzical-rock group, Dr. Duck. Jimmy headed up GRoK, a SF Bay Area original fusion band, which has opened for Allan Holdsworth, Zero and Roy Rogers. He has released 3 CDs of his own music which have included jazz, blues, progressive rock, electronic and new age pieces ~ the last release being with EmptyHand.

Carolyn Fitzhugh's Living in Peace features soul-infused jazz vocals + special guest Freddy Cole

Carolyn Fitzhugh Living in Peace Carolyn Fitzhugh's soul-infused jazz vocals attain new heights with her March 15 release of Living in Peace, for Lenny White's IYOUWE Records. Fitzhugh's second album also finds the Chicago native in esteemed company. Produced by Grammy nominee Mark Ruffin and given lush arrangements by state-of-the-art pianist and composer Amina Figarova, the recording features Figarova's working band -- a murderer's row of major jazz musicians that includes tenor saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, guitarist Rez Abbasi, and drummer Rudy Royston -- and, on one track, the legendary Freddy Cole.

"I can't tell you what a thrill that was for me," says Fitzhugh. "When Mark asked me would I like to sing with Freddy Cole, I couldn't believe it."

Elder and fellow Chicagoan Cole appears in a sly duet with Fitzhugh on Ivan Lins's "I'm Not Alone," one of eight "new standards" on Living in Peace. Brazilian singer and percussionist Nanny Assis joins her on another tune, his cowritten "Intimate Acquaintances" from the 2016 musical Rio Uphill. Among the other jazzed-up modern staples are a lively take on the Average White Band's "Queen of My Soul"; Gil Scott-Heron's startlingly tender "Combinations"; and "Strollin'," Prince's swinging George Benson pastiche. 

Alongside these scintillating interpretations, however, are four of Fitzhugh's own original compositions. "Mark said he was impressed with my writing and wanted to showcase it," she says. The selections include the fragile, wounded title track; the funky "Wish I Knew"; the upbeat charmer "Once Upon a Lover"; and "In the Autumn," a sweet bossa nova that also features a bravura bass solo by Yasushi Nakamura.

Fitzhugh's elevated technical accomplishment on Living in Peace is not incidental. While she received acclaim for her 2016 debut album, Simply Amazing, Ruffin felt that her voice needed further development before she recorded a follow-up. Fitzhugh accepted his constructive criticism gamely, even agreeing to work with vocal coaches to hone her instrument. (Among other things, the coaches helped Fitzhugh discover that she was not an alto, as she had long believed, but a mezzo-soprano.)

Her self-improvement efforts are evident on the new album, which shines not only with moments of grand virtuosity but with attention to the smallest of details: the precision, in short, that marks the truest and most dedicated of artists.

Carolyn Fitzhugh Born in Chicago on May 16, 1961, Carolyn Fitzhugh began taking classical piano lessons at the age of five. She became enchanted with all kinds of music through the songs she heard on the radio -- songs like Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly With His Song," which she started playing when she ventured into playing popular sheet music at about nine.

Fitzhugh sang in her high school chorus and played piano in a jazz combo, dreaming of becoming a professional musician. At her family's insistence she studied accounting at Chicago's Roosevelt University, but supplemented that education with evening vocal and piano courses at Bloom School of Jazz. Even after she embarked on a 30-year career as an accountant and analyst for the federal government, she continued nursing her dream, sitting in with musicians at various clubs and restaurants and singing for two years straight as part of the legendary Von Freeman's weekly jam session.

In 2011, with her children growing up, Fitzhugh made the decision to begin a six-year retirement plan from her accounting job and devote herself full-time to singing and songwriting. She retired in the summer of 2017. In 2014, she began recording her first album, Simply Amazing, in a sextet setting featuring guitarist Larry Brown Jr. and pianist Stu Mindeman. Upon its release in 2016, Fitzhugh was lauded as "an artist of the first order," with "that something extra that inspires you to keep an ear cocked in her direction."

That cocked ear finds its reward on Living in Peace.

Carolyn Fitzhugh will be performing at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago on Tuesday 8/13 and will be announcing other Chicago-area dates in the coming months.

Web Site: CarolynFitzhughMusic.com

Perpetual Optimism: Herlin Riley Examines a Positive Outlook on Life After Dealing with Loss of His Parents

Original Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra Drummer Reconvenes Fiery Young Ensemble Featuring Emmet Cohen, Godwin Louis, Bruce Harris and Russell Hall

“I want to live in a world where my glass is always half full!” That’s the inspiring maxim of veteran New Orleans drummer Herlin Riley. To help maintain such an upbeat outlook during the most trying of times, Riley counts on several important sources of strength: his faith in God; his wife of four decades and family of five children and ten grandchildren; and his lifelong home in New Orleans, where he remained in order to raise that family with the values and love of the music/culture that he grew up with. His roots in the church are also vital, shining through in the congregational claps that help establish the celebratory spirit that is showcased in the album opener “Rush Hour.”

Riley’s philosophy of Perpetual Optimism doesn’t mean turning a blind eye to the more distressing aspects of life. The drummer understands that as well as anyone; beyond the standard challenges faced in daily life and the tumultuous times in which we live, he was forced to deal with the loss of both of his parents over the two years since his previous album, New Direction, was released. This album was made against the backdrop of serving as caregiver and then saying farewell to two of the most important people in his life.

“The loss of a parent is always a challenging experience, and it’s something that no one ever wants to be confronted with,” Riley says. “We’re constantly faced with obstacles and challenges in life that can be depressing or diminishing to our intrinsic motivation. If we hold on to optimism, we can find the strength to overcome and move on to the next phase of our lives.”

Never-Before-Released Wes Montgomery Recordings from the mid- to late 1950s in Indianapolis, Indiana

Back on Indiana Avenue: The Carroll DeCamp Recordings is a collection of previously-unissued recordings from jazz guitar legend Wes Montgomery captured live and in studio in his hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana in the mid-to-late 1950s by renowned arranger/pianist Carroll DeCamp (Stan Kenton, Les Elgart), who played and hung out with Wes around that time. The deluxe 2CD set includes an extensive booklet with rare photos, essays by jazz scholar Lewis Porter and producer Zev Feldman, interviews with guitar icons George Benson and John Scofield, plus guitarist and Carroll DeCamp's nephew Royce Campbell and saxophonist /educator/publisher Jamey Aebersold. This is the sixth official Resonance release of previously-unissued Wes Montgomery recordings and fills in an important early piece of the jazz great's story. 

The limited-edition, hand-numbered 180-gram 2LP set was mastered by the legendary Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering Studios, pressed at Record Technology Inc. (RTI), and is available exclusively for Record Store Day and includes an 8-page LP insert.

WES MONTGOMERY - BACK ON INDIANA AVENUETRACK LISTING

DISC ONE

Four On Six (4:45)

Mr. Walker (3:45)

'Round Midnight (7:12)

So What (4:56)

The End of A Love

Affair (4:25)

Tune-Up (4:34)

West Coast Blues (3:14)

Jingles (8:19)

It's You Or No One (4:29)

Nothing Ever Changes

My Love For You (5:56)

Ecaroh (3:49)

Sandu (4:26)

Whisper Not (6:45)

DISC TWO

Stompin' at the Savoy (7:26)

It's You or No One (Alternate Take) (9:21)

Opus de Funk (6:52)

Summertime (9:38)

Between the Devil and the

Deep Blue Sea (4:51)

Easy Living (5:49)

Four (5:36)

I'll Remember April (5:23)

The Song Is You (8:48)