THEO CROKER ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM STAR PEOPLE NATION

Thus begins the ambitious manifesto behind Theo Croker’s newest album, issued as a preface to the trumpeter, producer, arranger, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist’s most personal project yet, due out May 17 from Sony Music Masterworks. Available now for preorder, Star People Nation finds Croker at the helm of production, songwriting and performance, resulting in an intimate exploration of “the everyday rituals of blackness.” A translation of Theo Croker’s 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.

Arriving alongside album preorder is a new track from the forthcoming album, “Understand Yourself,” a politically charged track featuring vocals from Jamaican musician Chronixx, who adds a distinctive Black, folkloric flair as the music merges African percussion, American horns, and Caribbean flavor. “Understand Yourself” is a culmination of much of the album’s themes, carrying a message of death and rebirth – a powerful missive to let your old self die so that you can move on to be your higher self. The song originally made its debut via AFROPUNK, who praise Croker’s “new cool approach,” describing his latest effort as a necessary “upheaval” that allows for the genre “to keep breathing” – read more here. 

“It’s taken me thirty years of analyzing my own identity as an artistic black man to finally fit all of this into my interpretation of Black American Music,” explains Theo Croker of his newest album. As the grandson of the late, venerable, GRAMMY® Award-winning trumpeter Doc Cheatham, former student of legendary jazz trumpeter/composer Donald Byrd and protégé of three-time GRAMMY® Award-winning singer Dee Dee Bridgewater, Croker is an artist steeped in the sociopolitical implications of his art. While deeply rooted in the historical cannon of jazz, Croker reached new levels of transcendence in preparing for Star People Nation.

“I’m embracing my own multicultural-ness within my blackness,” says Croker. “I’m embracing my instrument, my story, and who I am as a player and composer for the first time.” Through artful conversation with the past, both personal and universal, Star People Nation offers listeners a new interpretation of the future, with Croker joining the ranks of contemporary artists redefining the plurality of cultural identity.

Beginning his career with seven years spent in Shanghai, Croker first introduced his singular style in 2014 on the Dee Dee Bridgewater-assisted Afro Physicist. 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.” Returning to the studio in late 2016, he took the reins as sole producer. Playing not only trumpet, but keys, drums, synths, percussion and kalimba in addition to handling background vocals, Croker constructed the album narrative as its auteur, often sampling and re-sampling both live and in-studio performances. Enlisting GRAMMY® Award-winning, multi-platinum producer and engineer Bob Power [Erykah Badu, A Tribe Called Quest, D’Angelo] to mix & master the final product, the album is a seamless pairing of the earthly and celestial, a transcendence of sound rooted in its multifarious eclecticism.

It was during this time that he made his first foray into the world of hip-hop, exposing him to “an entirely different form of creation” in the process. Rap superstar J. Cole enlisted his talents on the platinum-certified No. 1 opus 4 Your Eyez Only, with Croker acting as producer, arranger and performer on multiple tracks. GRAMMY® Award-winning rapper Common also sought out Croker’s talents on his critically acclaimed album Black America Again, co-executive produced by Croker’s Afro Physicist collaborator and producer Karriem Riggins [Kanye West, Paul McCartney, J Dilla].

The eighteen months spent making Star People Nation also included a major shift in location for Croker, who relocated from his longtime home of New York to venture out west to Los Angeles. It’s a move few jazz artists make in their career, especially those as rooted in the New York scene as Croker. “There are situations that happen that allow us to gain knowledge about ourselves, steering us closer to our higher selves. The move was one of those for me,” he explains.

“I managed to foster a new community of creatives in my life since living here. To see how artists from other genres operated really inspired me not to put myself in any type of box,” says Croker. “I opened myself up to all sorts of opportunities. I began really understanding and coming to a higher purpose in music. It made me realize how much farther I can go. You can feel that boundlessness on Star People Nation. How everything and everyone affected me is in the new music.”

Star People Nation’s lead single, “Subconscious Flirtations & Titillations,” illuminates the newly broadened scope of sound. A syncopated drumbeat fuels a simmering groove punctuated by passionate piano. At the center, the trumpet emanates pulses of emotion. Its ebb and flow commutes a moment of sonic seduction, an approach that speaks to the album as a whole. “It’s a very sensual and sexual song,” he explains. “The sound and composition were completely electronic. I transferred it to a band, mixed those elements together, and placed my trumpet in the role of narrator.” Meanwhile, “The Messenger (feat. ELEW)” hinges on smoky blues piano over a rhythm that conjures the spirit of traditional swing, locking into the pocket to showcase “the power of swinging the quarter note.” It’s an authoritative statement from Croker, reminding listeners that this music’s essence remains in the swing, and that no amount of production, backbeat or harmonic sliding can replace the true authenticity of those able to master it.

In the end, Theo Croker creates a haven for creativity, spirituality, seduction and enlightenment throughout Star People Nation. “This is really supposed to inspire others to embrace themselves, their experiences and their community,” says Croker. “As world citizens, we can all be a part of Star People Nation.”



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.

  

THEO CROKER – STAR PEOPLE NATION

TRACKLISTING:

1. Have You Come to Stay  

2. Getaway Gold (Feat. Rose Gold)  

3. Subconscious Flirtations and Titillations  

4. Wide Open  

5. Portrait of William  

6. Just Let It Ride  

7. Crestfallen  

8. The Messenger (feat. ELEW)  

9. Alkebulan (feat. Eric Harland and Kassa Overall)  

10. Understand Yourself (feat. Chronixx)  

2019 THEO CROKER – STAR PEOPLE NATION TOUR DATES

April 17 | Portland, OR | Soul’d Out Festival

April 30 | Melbourne, AUS | Australia International Jazz Day

May 8 | New York, NY | Django (Big Brother Big Band)

May 9 | Norfolk, VA | Virginia Arts Festival

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

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

* May 18 | Dudelange, Luxembourg | International Jazz Festival Dudelange

May 22 - 26 | San Francisco, CA | Black Cat

June 13 - June 16 | New York, NY | Jazz Standard

July 20 | Bad Durkheim, Germany | Palatia Jazz Festival

August 24 | Bremen, Germany | Musikfest Bremen (Theo Croker & DVRK Funk feat. Mapei)

September 12 | Santa Cruz, CA | Kuumbwa

September 14 | Los Angeles, CA | Jazz Is Dead @ Lodge Room

September 16 | Springfield, MA | Scibelli Hall

September 20 - 21 | Ann Arbor, MI | Blue Llama Jazz Club

September 23 | New York, NY | Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola (Big Brother Big Band)

October 22 | Köln, Germany | Club Bahnhof Ehrenfeld

October 25 | Münster, Germany | Hot Jazz Club

October 26 | Hannover, Germany | Jazz-Club Hannover

October 27 | Essen, Germany | Grillo Theater

November 1 | La Jolla, CA | UC San Diego

** November 7 | Dortmund, Germany | Konzerthaus Dortmund

** November 8 | Baden-Baden, Germany | Festspielhaus Baden-Baden

** November 9 | Stuttgart, Germany | Theaterhaus Stuttgart

** November 11 | Frankfurt Am Main, Germany | Alte Oper

** November 12 | Lörrach, Germany | Burghof

** November 14 | Berlin, Germany | Admiralspalast

** November 16 | München, Germany | Prinzregententheater

April 25, 2020 | New York, NY | Carnegie Hall – Zankel Hall (Big Brother Big Band)

*Soweto Kinch Quartet Featuring Theo Croker & Greg Hutchinson

**JazzNights Tour 2019: The Jazz Animals – “It Must Schwing” Tribute to Alfred Lion & Francis Wolff

Freekbass, “the new spiritual warrior for the funk,” is ready to serve up his new album All The Way This. All The Way That

Freekbass, hailed by the legendary Bootsy Collins as “the new spiritual warrior for the funk,” is ready to serve up his new album All The Way This. All The Way That. on the exciting new Color Red imprint on May 31, 2019. The highly anticipated album embodies the past, present, and future of funk music from the creative minds of Freekbass and co-producers Itaal Shur and Color Red founder Eddie Roberts. The ten track album captures Freekbass’ sound and influences traversing funk from different locations and eras, but the result is 100% original Freekbass. All The Way This. All The Way That. has a warmth that hasn’t been captured until now. That’s because part of the record was recorded straight to a Tascam 388, an eight-track tape recorder with a cult following at Color Red studios, that showcases the infectious energy of a live Freekbass show.

Freekbass has cemented himself as a ground breaking bass player and funk guru. His innovative styling including his signature double thumb strumming technique has garnered critical acclaim and a cult fan following. With the new album, Freekbass has devoted his craft to push the funk forward by harnessing the Cincinnati sound and merging it with universal influences that bring the funk to the present with the spirit of the future. Freekbass enthusiastically adds, “this album could have been recorded in 1972 and some of it in 2072. The Funk is timeless to me, and that is what I always want to try to create, both live and in the studio. The combination of a producer like Eddie Roberts with his pedigree and Itaal Shur with his vision, makes for a very eclectic and hopefully, groundbreaking take on groove-based music.” And the Freekbass experience is rounded out by the powerful sounds of The Bump Assembly including all star players Rico Lewis on Drums (George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic), Sky White on Keys (Foxy Shazam), and Sammi Garett vocals (Turkuaz).

All The Way This. All The Way That. merges two sets and sides of a record, but together paint a complete picture of Freekbass. The All The Way That. side was recorded in Cincinnati, OH with GRAMMY award winning producer Itaal Shur (Santana, Maxwell, Jewel) and embodies the vibes and rich history of the Ohio funk sound both Freek and Shur grew up with. The All The Way This. side was recorded at the label’s Color Red Studios in Denver. It was a natural location, home base for co-producer Eddie Roberts, and it allowed the band to create, write, and play to maximum potential. Freekbass reflects, “recording half of the album in Cincinnati, OH and half of the album in Denver, CO was the perfect way to bridge the earth with the stars.”

The Color Red sessions really made an impact on the record as Freek explains, “A goal of mine has always been to capture the raw energy and soundwaves on how we produce live, while pushing the sonic boundaries in the studio. When we go to tape with a song, it would still have that organic excitement you have when playing, live,” Freekbass reflects, “For me, it represents all sides of me as both a bassist, songwriter and performer. I think we got great performances from new creative places, out of everyone involved in the making of this album.” With only a few rehearsal and writing sessions, the musician would lay down the tracks straight to tape in as few as three days. The end result captures the stunning warmth of analog production and a live feel with studio quality that will be released on vinyl with two distinct, yet cohesive sides.

All The Way This. All The Way That. is Freekbass’ seventh full length album and fans can expect a healthy dose of new content from him including ‘Freeky Friday’ track premieres, with a new song from the album dropping every Friday in May until release day. In the meantime, grab your pre-order here: https://www.color-red.co/product-page/all-the-way-this-all-the-way-that-freekbass-preorder.

Freekbass has graced the stage across the country and is a staple in the festival and touring circuit, including notable performances alongside Bernie Worrell, Umphrey’s McGee, Sammi Garett, Turkuaz, Dumpstaphunk, George Porter Jr., Buckethead, DJ Logic and Mike Gordon. Freekbass and The Bump Assembly will be touring nationally in support of the new album. Catch them at a city near you when full tour dates are announced.

Freekbass concludes, “I think folks who have never heard Freekbass before, as well as the folks who have known me for a long time, are going to be happily surprised with what we have come up with, here and the totality in sonics of the Funk!”

Pianist LARA DOWNES releases HOLES IN THE SKY

American pianist Lara Downes has released her new album, Holes in the Sky, on Portrait, an imprint of the Sony Music Masterworks label.

Holes in the Sky is a genre-fluid collection of music written and performed by today's leading female artists, celebrating the contributions of phenomenal women to the past, present, and future of American music.

The music of Holes in the Sky tells the story of what women and girls can contribute to the world when they are given a chance - their dreams can make holes in the sky. Lara collaborates with an extraordinary multi-generational group of female guest artists on this album, including the iconic singer / songwriter Judy Collins, boundary-breaking violinist Rachel Barton Pine, pianist Simone Dinnerstein, fast-rising cellist Ifetayo Ali-Landing, and the urban youth vocal ensemble Musicality.

The album is presented in direct support of PLAN International Because I Am A Girl, bolstering the rights and empowerment of girls and young women around the globe; Women's Empowerment in Sacramento, ending homelessness one woman - and one family - at a time; the Downtown Women's Center in Los Angeles, a permanent and supportive housing and healthcare provider for women; Girls on the Run in Spokane, teaching life skills through fun, engaging lessons that celebrate the joy of movement; and the Lower East Side Girls Club, breaking the cycle of poverty by training the next generation of ethical, entrepreneurial, and environmental leaders.

Reflections on Holes in the Sky from Lara Downes...

"Sometimes interviewers ask me about being a woman in music - where I find inspiration, and where I face challenges. And my answer, always, is that I'm guided and inspired by the women before me – the ones who were ahead of their time in the courage of their creativity, who paved the way for me to take my own musical journey ...

A few years ago, this quote from Georgia O'Keeffe got stuck in my head and my heart: "I want real things - live people to take hold of - to see - and talk to - music that makes holes in the sky - I want to love as hard as I can."

The world of women has always been my home. But the world of my music, of my piano teachers and the Great Pianists and Great Composers, with their stern, bearded portraits, their hundreds of sonatas and etudes that took up the hours of my days – that was a world of men and I felt not quite at home.

I went looking for the women ... I discovered the women who lived in the margins and footnotes of my music history books. They were so few, in comparison ... To rise up from the weight of petticoats and ladylike behavior, tyrannical fathers, overshadowing husbands, unchecked offspring – they were heroic, these women. They were giants ...

When I make music with other women, I feel a kinship, a common history that brought us here. We have freedoms beyond any of our ancestors – even the mothers who raised us. We have very little, in the scope of things, to hold us down. But still, I think, we feel the weight of the past. Still we rise ...

It feels like such a privilege to pay tribute to the women who preceded us, the pioneers ahead of their time. The ones who dared to want real things, to reach into the sky. Their courage is the ground we walk on. And it feels like a celebration of our own freedom - hard won, still gaining - to make beauty in the world, to take risks and move out ahead of our own time, with the courage that is our legacy - the courage to reach for real things, to dream as big as we can, and to share this music that makes holes in the sky."

Lara Downes is among the foremost American pianists of her generation, an iconoclast dedicated to expanding the resonance and relevance of live music for diverse audiences.A trailblazer on and off-stage, she follows a musical roadmap that seeks inspiration from the legacies of history, family, and collective memory.

Downes' playing has been called "ravishing" by Fanfare Magazine, "luscious, moody and dreamy" by The New York Times, and "addicting" by The Huffington Post. As a chart-topping recording artist, a powerfully charismatic performer, a curator and taste-maker, Downes is recognized as a cultural visionary on the national arts scene.

Lara's forays into the broad landscape of American music have created a series of acclaimed recordings, including America Again, selected by NPR as one of "10 Albums that Saved 2016", and hailed as "a balm for a country riven by disunion" by the Boston Globe. Her recent Sony Classical debut release For Lenny debuted in the Billboard Top 20 and was awarded the 2017 Classical Recording Foundation Award.

Double Bassist ANDRÉ CARVALHO Presents THE GARDEN OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS

Double Bassist and composer André Carvalho, originally from Lisbon, Portugal and residing in NYC since 2014, is proud to present his third recording as a leader, The Garden Of Earthly Delights, to be released on May 17, and featuring his band of internationally acclaimed musicians, saxophonists Jeremy Powell and Eitam Gofman, trumpeter Oskar Stenmark, guitarist André Matos and drummer Rodrigo Recabarren.

His first two albums, Hajime and Memória de Amiba showed Carvalho's highly personal perspective in music featuring an original blend of contemporary jazz with elements from Portuguese music. Both projects received rave reviews from Portuguese and International critics. Carvalho was awarded the "Carlos Paredes" prize in 2012, a prestigious honor that recognizes Portuguese music projects, as well as a "Best Group" recognition in the Bucharest International Jazz Competition.

Now, with The Garden Of Earthly Delights, the double bassist and composer presents an inspired aural universe, inspired by the enigmatic work of the artist Hieronymus Bosch, particularly one of his most famous paintings - "The Garden of Earthly Delights" (1490-1510, housed in the Museo del Prado in Madrid). Carvalho wrote a suite of music that serves as an invitation for a journey. Shifting between softness and harshness, simplicity and complexity, harmony and conflict, the music flows between soundscapes inspired by the triptych.

AllAboutJazz has asserted that Carvalho's compositions are, "impressively well-structured", and that, "his writing offers scope for different textures and layers of sound that often give the sensation of a much larger ensemble, but he's not afraid to give space to just one or two players at a time, creating some memorable performances as a result." Indeed, on The Garden Of Earthly Delights, Carvalho's "attractive compositional voice well founded in the modern trends of jazz" (JazzTrail), gives us a dark, brooding landscape, full orchestral textures with just a sextet, polyphony worthy of New Orleans, a dose of avant-garde and the drama of Fado; all of this on the first track, "Prelude".  

As to the genesis of the work, André said: "I always wanted to write a larger piece, with several movements, connected by a common concept. By mere chance, when revisiting Bosch's works, I was urged to express his singularity through music." The Suite wanders between antagonistic dichotomies such as improvised vs. composed music, between the influence of jazz and contemporary music. Unlike André Carvalho's previous works, The Garden Of Earthly Delights is an exploratory piece, leaning towards a different direction, showing the evolution of his creativity, imagination and prodigiousness with his composer's pen and his bass.

André Carvalho's credits are in abundance, his pedigree unassailable, having worked with Chris Cheek, Will Vinson, Ian Froman, Colin Stranahan, André Matos, Tommy Crane, Vinnie Sperrazza, Mário Laginha, Billy Mintz, Maria João, Gilberto Gil, European Movement Jazz Orchestra, among many others. The Fulbright grantee (with a Master of Music in jazz performance at the Manhattan School of Music) has also worked extensively outside the jazz world with the Ibero-American Orchestra (under Gustavo Dudamel), Anton Webern Orchestra (under Franz Welser-Most and Heinrich Schiff), Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra (under Michael Zilm), among others, as well as contemporary ensembles such as Octothorpe. His interest in Fado, Portugal's traditional music, led him to perform with important names of this genre, such as Carlos do Carmo and Cristina Branco.

In recent years, Carvalho has also been performing intensely around Europe, performing as a bandleader and sideman in Portugal, Spain, Austria, Germany, Finland, Switzerland, England, Croatia, Italy, Slovenia, Serbia, Romania, as well as in the U.S. and Egypt.

The Garden Of Earthly Delights - Track listing:

1. Prelude

2. The Fools of Venus

3. The Fountain

4. Dracaena Draco

5. Of Mermaids and Mermen

6. Cherries, Brambles and Strawberries

7. The Towers of Eden

8. Evil Parade

9. The Thinker in the Tavern

10. The Forlorn Mill

11. Phowa

The recording sessions for The Garden Of Earthly Delights took place in April 2018 at The Bunker Studio in Brooklyn, NY. The album was mixed by the amazing producer, engineer and pianist Pete Rende, and mastered by the musical polymath Nate Wood.

ANGÉLIQUE KIDJO EXPLORES THE AFRICAN ROOTS OF THE QUEEN OF SALSA, CELIA CRUZ, ON CELIA

FEATURES TONY ALLEN ON DRUMS, MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO ON BASS, SONS OF KEMET, GANGBÉ BRASS BAND

Angélique Kidjo has released Celia (Verve/Universal Music France), an album that honors Celia Cruz, widely known as "the Queen of Salsa" and the most popular Latin artist of the 20thcentury.  On Celia, Angélique explores the African roots of the Cuban-born Cruz and reimagines selections from Cruz's extraordinary career in surprising new ways, infused with an explosion of sounds and rhythms from Cuba, Africa, the Middle East, America and beyond.  The album includes performances by Tony Allen (Fela Kuti) on drums, Meshell Ndegeocello on bass, and British saxophonist Shabaka Hutchins plus his band Sons of Kemet.  

Says Kidjo: "As a child I saw Celia Cruz sing in Benin and her energy and joy changed my life. It was the first I was seeing a powerful woman performer on a stage. Her voice was percussive and her songs resonated in a mysterious way with me. Many years later, I learned she was singing the Yoruba songs that were carried out of Benin 400 years before. I felt she was a long lost sister from the other side of the world. Like me, she experienced exile from a dictatorship and she was always proud of her roots, of her African roots. In the same way I wanted to bring back Rock and Roll to Africa with my Talking Heads' Remain In Lightproject, I now want to pay homage to this incredible voice and those songs that reunite with their juju and Afrobeat roots."

Celia was recorded in New York and Paris, produced and arranged by David Donatien and mixed by Russell Elevado (D'Angelo, Kamasi Washington).  Angéliqueis joined by a host of musicians including Tony Allen and Meshell Ndegeocello, who appear on a number of songs, plus her longtime guitarist Dominic James, the GangbéBrass Band from Benin, British saxophonist Shabaka Hutchins as well as his Sons Of Kemet trio, and more.  

Over the course of 10 beloved songs from Cruz's extensive catalog but with special focus on her work from the 1950s,Angélique's voice soars in lockstep with a grand presentation of rhythmic touchstones that delve deep into the history of music from Africa and it's influence on the music of Cuba.  Each song celebrates this idea – from the tight afro-beat groove of "Baila Yemaja," the high octane take on "Quimbara," the frantic energy of "Bemba Colora" to "Oya Diosa," a lushly orchestrated ballad. 

Celia Cruz was born in Havana in 1925 and left Cuba for the U.S. when Fidel Castro took power in 1959.  She joined Tito Puente's orchestra in 1966, and her recordings for the Fania label helped to construct the legacy of salsa music.  Cruz released over 60 albums, 23 of which went gold.  Her image was featured on a commemorative U.S. postage stamp, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts, and won 6 Grammy Awards in addition to the GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Angélique Kidjo has been recognized as one of the world's 100 most influential women by The Guardianand dubbed as "Africa's Premiere Diva" by Timemagazine.  Her last release, 2018's radical reimagining of the Talking Heads album Remain In Lightwas deemed "transformative" by The New York Times, "visionary" by NPR Music and "one of the year's most vibrant albums" by The Washington Post.  It led to a performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, an interview with David Byrne on the New Yorker Radio Hour and more.  In November she performed at the World War I Armistice Centenary at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, in front of some 70 dignitaries and heads of state.  

Angélique will tour various projects through 2019 and she will open for Vampire Weekend at Madison Square Garden on September 6.

VOCALIST, GUITARIST AND COMPOSER CAMILA MEZA DEBUTS BREATHTAKING RENDITION OF NASCIMENTO'S "MILAGRE DOS PEIXES"

Ahead of the May 31st release of her forthcoming album Ámbar, multitalented vocalist, songwriter and instrumentalist Camila Meza debuts today, "Milagre dos Peixes," a breathtaking version of Milton Nascimento's early 1970s composition. Culled from Meza's Quartet repertoire and refashioned here for the Nectar Orchestra, Meza's rendition of "Milagre dos Peixes," or "Miracle of the Fishes," brilliantly captures the passion, beauty and wailing sense of urgency found in Nascimento's vocals. It is both momentous and affecting, with enthralling solo contributions from pianist Eden Ladin and drummer/percussionist Keita Ogawa. Originally making its debut via DownBeat Magazine, who said that Meza's version, "maintains some of the original's folk feel through the inclusion of the Nectar Orchestra's pair of violins, even as some dark electricity creates tension during the song's middle portion," (Dave Cantor) -  listen here.

"It felt very intuitive to bring 'Milagre dos Peixes' to this setting," explains Meza of the track. "There's something powerful and urgent about it. Nascimento was part of a movement in Brazil - they were writing songs with hidden political messages to avoid censorship from the dictatorship, but they still succeeded in boldly criticizing the regime. So there's a kind of surrealism to the imagery in Fernando Brant's lyrics, but with a devastating sense of reality. One of the messages I get from this song is that Nascimento is also singing about the imminent loss of the human connection to nature, and how a new generation is lured into worshipping the "new saints" that come in the form of TV, isolating them and diminishing their reverence for nature. The lyrics say, 'they no longer talk about the fishes and the sea, they don't see the flower blooming, the sun rising, and I'm just one more who talks about this pain, our pain.'"

Available now for preorder, Ámbar, the fifth studio album from Camila Meza, showcases the Chilean-born talent's ever-evolving artistic sensibility. Set for release May 31 via Sony Music Masterworks, Ámbar finds Meza reaching new virtuosic and expressive heights as a singer, a stirring guitar soloist, an ambitious songwriter and a producer. Accompanied by the Nectar Orchestra, a hybrid ensemble with string quartet, with string arrangements by bassist and frequent collaborator Noam Wiesenberg and features from pianist/keyboardist Eden Ladin, drummer/percussionist Keita Ogawa, violinists Tomoko Omura and Fung Chern Hwei, violist Benjamin von Gutzeit and cellist Brian Sanders, Ámbar is distinguished by its extraordinarily close attention to sonic detail. Steeped in metaphor, romance and complex emotion, Ámbar is Meza's boldest artistic statement to date, a breakthrough, rooted in the incredible agility and interplay of Meza's state-of-the-art jazz group.

"What's amazing about this project," says Meza, a native of Chile, "is the friendships I've developed with all of these musicians - I've been 10 years in New York, so at this point you can really say that colleagues of yours are also really good friends. In Noam, I'm collaborating with an incredible musician but also one of my very best friends. Ámbar is half his intention as well - he worked on it as much as I did."

The intimate, familial bond Meza speaks of is at the heart of the album's title track "Ámbar": it means "amber" in Spanish, a translation of her adored grandfather's last name, Bernstein. Meza lost him just months after moving to New York, and, unable to return to Chile at the time, was forced to grieve on her own.

"I had to mourn by myself," she recalls. "And I turned to music - it was the place I needed to go - and I wrote a song about connecting and reaching the spirit of a lost loved one. By singing, you can give a proper farewell, or even meet them whenever you want. We don't necessarily die."

Years passed and Meza encountered that word again, Ámbar, "a resin that becomes petrified," she says.

"It's a response of trees to injuries and wounds," she continues. "They cover the wounds with this resin, and I thought of how my song had become like amber for that moment, how it petrifies, and the song also remains forever. It all revolved around the idea of healing, which is important individually but also as a society. We are in that moment where we need to see ourselves, look at our wounds and try to heal them."

Following up Traces (2016), which won two Independent Music Awards for Best Adult Contemporary Album and Best Latin Song ("Para Volar") and established Meza as a Rising Star in both guitar and female vocal categories in the esteemed DownBeat Critics Poll, Ámbar continues to reflect Meza's immersion in jazz, American pop and Latin American music across eras and genres. On the album's lead offering, "All Your Colors," Meza begins calmly as keyboards and then strings surround her, easing into tempo with bright pizzicato figures. Wiesenberg's arrangements have strings providing warm legato and enveloping harmony but also percussive rhythm. Elsewhere "Kallfu" was inspired by a trip to Patagonia and the feeling of peace that Meza found there, reminding her of the "essential aspects of our lives that become clear when immersed in nature." Meaning "blue" in Mapudungun, the language of southern Chile's native Mapuche people, the track also pays homage to the Mapuche people, who continue to this day fighting for the protection of the land and their rights.

Along with her own vibrant and infectious originals, Camila covers material by Elliott Smith, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Chico Buarque, Milton Nascimento and Mexico's Tomás Méndez, along with a pointedly topical rendition of "This Is Not America" by Pat Metheny and David Bowie. Previously included in Meza's quartet repertoire, "Milagre dos Peixes," one of Nascimiento's most rapturous melodies, now features as one of the album's most powerful tracks in its new iteration with the Nectar Orchestra, an adaptation the musician reflects "felt very intuitive."

"This Is Not America," which Metheny and Bowie contributed to the 1985 film The Falcon and the Snowman, is set to a slow backbeat that grows to a sweeping crescendo in the ending rock-tinged vamp, with the lyrics becoming a kind of "catharsis," in Meza's words. Her rendition was inspired in part by a personal connection to Metheny, who enlisted her talents to perform and act as musical director for his 2018 NEA Jazz Masters induction ceremony at The Kennedy Center.

Equally prized as a vocalist, guitarist and composer, Meza has uplifted audiences worldwide with her assured and beautiful singing, highly advanced guitar (both self-accompaniment and blistering solo work), and vivid, melodic songwriting that reveals complex layers with every listen. She's been hailed by The New York Times as "a bright young singer and guitarist with an ear for music of both folkloric and pop intention." In 2019 she releases her fifth album, Ámbar, on Sony Music Masterworks, producing it herself and proudly unveiling the Nectar Orchestra, a collaboration with bassist and arranger Noam Wiesenberg. Meza moved from Chile to New York at 23, graduating in 2013 from The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, where she studied with Peter Bernstein, Vic Juris, Sam Yahel, Steve Cardenas and Gil Goldstein, among others. Bringing a sound full of warmth and clarity to the New York jazz scene ever since, she has distinguished herself as a member of Ryan Keberle's Catharsis and Fabian Almazan's Rhizome, and has also worked with Kenny Barron, Paquito D'Rivera, Aaron Goldberg, Sachal Vasandani and many more. She has appeared at festivals worldwide as well as NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series and WBGO's The Checkout, garnering praise from The Village Voice, The Wall St. Journal and many other outlets. In 2018, Pat Metheny enlisted her to perform and act as musical director for his NEA Jazz Masters induction ceremony at The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.

Swiss Minimalistic Jazz Ensemble Akku Quintet To Release Fourth Album “Depart” On Trey Gunn's 7dMedia Label

The Akku Quintet was founded by drummer and composer Manuel Pasquinelli. Says renown writer Sid Smith, “Best-known for his work in Swiss post-rock minimalist outfit, SONAR, Pasquinelli's writing contains an almost cinematic dimension that encompasses bittersweet moods and moments of unfolding drama.” The band is based in Switzerland, from where they dispense a minimalistic jazz groove to great effect.

Since their first concerts in 2011 the band gained more and more international attention (North-America tour in autumn 2018). Their debut album “Stages of Sleep” was released in May 2013 (Morpheus Records). The quintet then set the different phases of sleep to music. Following their acclaimed 2015 album “Molecules” Akku Quintet released their third record “Aeon” in 2017. In October 2018 the band toured Canada and USA.

Their fourth album “Depart” is the first to be released on Trey Gunn's (King Crimson, Security Project) 7d Media label on May 17th.

Says Manuel, “We have chosen 'Depart' as the album title because it describes very good the general feeling/spirit of the album. I'd say compared to our previous albums, 'Depart' is more driving and expressive. I think one can hear a forward-moving undertone on all the tracks. The title track 'Depart' comes along in a courageous and at the same time doubting and mysterious mood, performed with lots of playfulness. 'Depart' was the best word to describe the mood of this track and the album in general.”

“The group connect and lock together yet remain constantly in motion, maintaining a balletic poise and grace that skilfully builds and adds line upon line of long, sonorous notes. Though each one on its own might be gossamer-thin, when combined, they create something strong and enduring, something substantial and memorable.” - Sid Smith 

Akku Quintet's new album still has a minimalistic touch, but you'll hear more of the soloistic qualities of the group members. It's a colourful, powerful album of a well attuned band. Recorded live in the studio April 16-19, 2018, the compositions were written by Manuel Pasquinelli.

Says Manuel, “We recorded the album within 4 days. All the songs were performed live in the studio, playing all together as a band. We rehearsed/developed the music in a short but intense rehearsal phase. At the weekend before the studio we played one concert with the new material. In the studio we were well prepared but the songs were still new for us. The music was finally shaped while playing as a group in the studio. I've written the music over a period of several months. Some sketches I already had long before, but there are also parts or songs that I've written just one or two weeks before the studio session.”

Line Up:

Michael Gilsenan: Sax

Maja Nydegger: Keys

Markus Ischer: Guit

Andi Schnellmann: Bass

Manuel Pasquinelli: Drums

Manuel Pasquinelli is also known as drummer of the band Sonar which is currently collaborating with David Torn and Bill Laswell. Andi Schnellmann is regularly touring with Schnellertollermeier (Cuneiform Records). In support of the new release the Akku Quintet will have some album-release gigs in Europe in May and will be touring in Europe and Russia in autumn. The band also hopes to play North America again soon.

In closing Manuel has this to impart, “My goal is to impart a specific mood to the listener. Not a concrete story, but a mood and a progression with changing conditions/colors to dive in as a listener. And I hope one can listen a tune on the album several times and discover always new things in the song and look at it/listen to it with a different focus/perspective.”

New Music Releases: Layale Chaker & Sarafand - Inner Rhyme; Silvio Caroli - Flowing; Benjamin Deschamps – No Codes

Silvio Caroli - Flowing

Here’s a new album from 33-year old Italian pianist Silvio Caroli. In May 2016, Caroli won a prize in an italian music competition and the prize was a CD recording. This release, entitled Flowing, is a result of those sessions. There are six tracks in total: Into the Dark (8:03); Martha (4:45); Part of Your World (7:19); Beirut (4:11); And Sammy Walked In (3:12); and PorzGoret (5:26).

Layale Chaker & Sarafand  - Inner Rhyme

Violinist and composer Layale Chaker's debut album "Inner Rhyme" is woven as a suite that explores aesthetics of Arabic poetry. Composed between Beirut, Paris and London over the past two years and recorded in New York over the summer of 2018, the album unveils musical threads that are mapped through the rhythmical cycles of the twelve classical Arabic poetic meters, the fluidity of oral and free forms, the abstraction of language into the physical contour of verses and the percussive potential of words. Beyond expression, the composition process tries to capture the shape and essence of epic testimonials on life, death, war and love that make the heart of Arabic poetry. "Inner Rhyme" was awarded the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture 2018 Grant. 

Benjamin Deschamps – No Codes

Following the release of his last record Demi-Nuit in 2017, Benjamin – who was named Révélation Radio-Canada Jazz 2017-2018 – puts together the music collective No Codes. The quartet, made up of Deschamps (alto sax), Frank Lozano (tenor sax), Sébastien Pellerin (bass) and Louis-Vincent Hamel (drums), takes its inspiration freely from the standards of the great American song book to recreate new compositions. Borrowing from the rhythms and the colours from the Andes, Motown or even Free Jazz, No Codes offers a musical research inspired from the Jazz tradition without actually copying it in its form. The band, without any instrumental or harmonic support, bets on its interaction, its listening and its spontaneity. The record No Codes is the product of a collective work of research and a desire to explore and to push the boundaries of music.

 

Lisa Maxwell to release highly-anticipated project "Shiny!" Boasts all-star big band lineup, dedicated to trumpeter Lew Soloff

Celebrated within the jazz community as a multi-talented musician, Lisa Maxwell, finally releases a long-awaited album of her own material, dedicated to a special cohort. The lineup reads like a Who's Who of the music world. 

"My dear friend Lew Soloff and I talked about recording my arrangements many times over the years," she remembers. "Then he died suddenly and I realized I had to stop thinking about it and get it done!" She pulled together a group of New York's top jazz and studio players, all of whom had a connection with Lew. "Everybody wanted to be on board for this," says bassist Will Lee, "and the result is a gorgeous finished product!"

Shiny! establishes Maxwell's talents as a gifted composer and arranger, showcasing a versatility that reflects her broad musical knowledge and experience. She wrote all of the album's arrangements, and 4 of the tunes are original compositions. They range in styles from boogaloo to straight ahead, to shuffle, to funk, to swing. Shiny! offers something for everyone, including a bonus track remix by renowned electronica/club jazz artist Mocean Worker! 

"My writing is heavily influenced by the TV themes of the 1970's," she says. "They're basically the foundation of my cultural identity. Great composers like Lalo Shiffrin, Henry Mancini, Neal Hefti and Earle Hagen underscored my life when I was growing up. I still get a tear in my eye when I listen to themes like The Odd Couple and The Bob Newhart Show. Like those composers, I have very definite ideas, but I write with the soloists in mind and  give them freedom within the structure."

She also cites Wayne Shorter and Gil Evans and as being hugely important in her growth. "Getting to watch Gil's band every Monday night [at New York's Sweet Basil] was such a gift. And a lot of those guys are on this album!"

Maxwell connected to jazz at a young age. "I discovered bebop and that was it. I had found my people and my language at jam sessions in South Central L.A. and I'd sneak into as many jazz clubs as I could. I wanted to be like the great arrangers of Hollywood's Golden Age. Even though I often felt like I was the wrong sex, the wrong color, and born at the wrong time, I kept going for it."

She studied with renowned arranger Dick Grove in Studio City, and with Herb Pomeroy at Berklee. "I took a film scoring class at UCLA when I was 17 and was hooked after I heard my charts played. Dick Grove was really my main mentor; he got me going as a writer. Then I won a Quincy Jones Arranging scholarship to Berklee and wrote for the recording orchestra. I ended up getting some amazing gigs as a sax player (Guns 'n' Roses, Joni Mitchell Project, Spinal Tap), but my calling is as a writer and arranger." She went on to orchestrate music for Warner Bros. Histeria!, and the Animaniacs/Pinky and the Brain feature, Wakko's Wish. Maxwell's original music has been licensed for numerous TV series."

A breakdown of Shiny! showcases Maxwell's penchant for conceptual writing. Here are track-by-track comments:

The album's title track, "Shiny!," is a nod to the 1970's, replete with wah-wah guitar, bongos, Fender Rhodes, and clavinet. The rhythm section is driven by drummer Steven Wolf's solid, deep-pocket boogaloo, with Paul Shaffer on Fender Rhodes, Will Lee on bass, Pete Levin on clavinet, Oz Noy and Smokey Hormel on guitars. Hormel takes a cool Eric Gale approach to the first guitar solo, leading right into Noy's high-energy response. Brecker delivers a stellar signature wah-wah trumpet solo as only he can, followed by Taylor's free jazz expression over a steadily building background. Capped with a satisfying TV ending, "Shiny!" lives up to its name!

"Son of Creeper" was written by the late Hiram Bullock, original guitarist of the Letterman band. "Hiram was a close friend, and such an integral part of the music scene in New York," Lisa explains. "When he played, songs could take all kinds of weird and unexpected turns. I wanted to make the arrangement unique à la Hiram." Maxwell's version starts with Stern's guitar, which is joined by Shaffer on organ, Lee on bass (also on the original recording), and Wolf on drums. "All three of these guys played with Hiram for years, so the feel and the spirit are perfect," she says. The tune moves between a half-time shuffle and rock, fused together by Maxwell's tasty horn lines. Stern's emblematic solo leads into a New Orleans section, where various soloists trade 4's with Shaffer, and the band recaps the theme for the shout chorus as Foster's wailing SNL sax leads into the epic screaming trumpet ending.

"Ludie," an up-beat, original jazz waltz, begs to be heard underscoring a TV show. "I wanted to write something for Lew (nicknamed Ludie) that reflected his character. I kept thinking of the happy feel of Mannix and tried to emulate that." The rhythm section is topped by drummer Perowsky, whose crisp, clean playing enhances his rhythm mates, Lee, Staaf, and Noy. Brecker's Flugelhorn solo feels like a spring morning, and Staaf's nimble piano solo shows off her tasteful style against Maxwell's background lines. 

"We'll Be Together Again" highlights Maxwell's rich re-harmonization of the ballad. Rosenberg's bass clarinet under the woodwinds brings out the sexiness of the orchestrations. This unique arrangement features the velvety vocals of Kenya Hathaway (with Will Lee singing harmony) leading into a heartfelt tenor feature by Marini. With Gottlieb, Egan and Ezrin's dynamic interplay behind him, the tune builds into a lush, climactic ending, and may require a breather before listening on.

"Hello, Wayne?" is a straight-ahead tune, which echoes the sophisticated  harmonic changes Wayne Shorter is known for. Gottlieb and Egan's driving straight-eighths intro, interlude, and ending seamlessly connect the heavily-swinging chorus and solo sections. Solos by Marini and Rogers remind all what high-level players they are. Rogers' trumpet solo propels the song into the shout chorus that transitions into the initial bass ostinato, and Leni Stern's noodling guitar riffs lead us out, until all that's left is Gottlieb's fading cymbals.

Maxwell's arrangement of Wayne Shorter's "Beauty and the Beast" opens with double-forte trumpets holding high notes, then dives into a funky vamp over Lee's static bass line. Maxwell fleshes out Shorter's stirring melody with beautifully orchestrated woodwind and brass couplings over Gottlieb's responsive drumming, adding the rich texture of the full band to the Samba-ish bridges. "I like to create new horn sections by combining different instruments families, and I use the extremes of the instruments for coloristic effect. It creates a much richer pallet." Rovatti, with a beautiful tone and facility on soprano sax, is the first of three soloists, followed by a robust solo from Mann, and Leni Stern's lyrical guitar, peppered by the horns' funky background lines, ending the tune.

"Israel" is straight ahead jazz with a "Rat Pack" feel, and the only tune to include an upright bass, played by Finck. Perowsky's crisp drumming and Staaf's comping serve as a solid foundation upon which the band's many elements interact. Maxwell also added Gottlieb on vibes to increase the flavor. Masterful solos from Clark on french horn, Rosenberg on baritone, and Brecker on trumpet shine like jewels in the crown of Maxwell's well-crafted arrangement, and conjure up James Bond at its best.

With Feldman expertly leading the woodwind section on clarinet, Maxwell's original, "The Craw," is an homage to Ellington's early years. Demonstrating her stylistic proficiency, the voicings ring authentic and the arrangement flows from section to section, swinging all the way. Ezrin and Levine personalize the melody on piano and trombone, respectively, followed by solos from Daly and Mann.  

The album ends with "Shiny! Remix (MOWO 70's Emergency Mix)," Mocean Worker's (aka Adam Dorn) electronica take on the Maxwell's opening original. MOWO chops up the tune, and puts it back together as a funky dance groove with a Sly and the Family Stone feel over edits of Brecker's solo. "I wanted to keep it in today, and Mocean Worker has a fresh take on things," says Maxwell. She continues, "Music is always changing, and it's important to stay current so the word 'jazz' doesn't get stuck in yesterday's comfort zone. Miles (Davis) was the master of change. I think he would've dug the MOWO Remix!"    

http://www.lisamaxwellmusic.com

TRACKS

1.    Shiny! [9:37]

2.    Son of Creeper [6:41]

3.    Ludie [4:01]

4.    We'll be together again [5:28]

5.    Hellow, Wayne? [6:07]

6.    Beauty and the Beast [8:53]

7.    Israel [4:51]

8.    The Craw [4:38]

9.    Shiny! Remix [5:18]

New Music Releases: Aaron Neville - Love Letters: The Allen Toussaint Sessions; Love Unlimited Orchestra – The 20th Century Records Albums 1973 to 1979; Kendrick Scott Oracle- A Wall Becomes A Bridge

Aaron Neville - Love Letters: The Allen Toussaint Sessions

Aaron Neville's made many great records over the years – but to some of us, he never sounded better than on these early sides with legendary producer Allen Toussaint – a studio genius who really helped set Neville in just the right sort of space! Lots of these tracks are mellow, but have a nice undercurrent of funk – a solid punch at the bottom that works beautifully alongside the classic flow of Neville's singing – in ways that keep things from ever getting as soppy as in later years, and which really pushes that legendary vocal approach with just the right sort of vibe. The mix of music here runs from 60s soul to some great 70s numbers too – and titles include the classic break track "Hercules", plus "You Can Give But You Can't Take", "Been So Wrong", "She's On My Mind", "You Don't Love Me Anymore", "Speak To Me", "Struttin On Sunday", "Love Letters", "Cry Me A River", "Wild Flower", and "Tell It Like It Is". 20 tracks in all!  ~ Dusty Groove

Love Unlimited Orchestra – The 20th Century Records Albums 1973 to 1979 (7CD set)

The essential 70s run of classics by Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra – all their 20th Century Records LPs from 1973 to 1979 in a perfect little 7CD box set! The styles range from soaring soulful sounds that more than earn the usage of the word Orchestra, to funky instrumental soundtrack work, to string-laden soul that hardly ever sounded so funky – and some sweet, sly blends of it all, Classic all the way. Includes Rhapsody In White, the legendary Together Brothers soundtrack, White Gold, Music Maestro Please, My Sweet Summer Suite, My Musical Bouquet and Super Move Themes-Just A Little Bit Different – 7 classic albums on CDs in sleeves that serve is mini-replicas of the original LP sleeve – in a nice little box, too!  ~ Dusty Groove

Kendrick Scott Oracle- A Wall Becomes A Bridge

Kendrick Scott Oracle has released A Wall Becomes A Bridge, an inspiring new 12-song cycle about overcoming obstacles both personal and collective. JazzTimes raved “This album is blessed with the spirit of the dance. Every song glides, pulsates, and glows... Surely to be ranked among 2019’s best jazz recordings.” The album was produced by Derrick Hodge and find’s Scott augmenting his long-running quintet with the addition of turntablist Jahi Sundance who joins guitarist Mike Moreno, pianist Taylor Eigsti, reedist John Ellis, and bassist Joe Sanders to expand Oracle’s palette.

Featured artists for the 50th Anniversary Concord Jazz Festival are Dave Koz & Friends Summer Horns, Esperanza Spalding, Chick Corea Spanish Heart Band, Count Basie Orchestra featuring Patti Austin

Artists include Dave Koz & Friends Summer Horns, Esperanza Spalding, Chick Corea Spanish Heart Band, The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra with Patti Austin and special guests, Poncho Sanchez & His Latin Jazz Band, and many others

Concord Jazz and Live Nation are proud to present the 50th Anniversary Concord Jazz Festival, to be held on Saturday, August 3rd at the Concord Pavilion in Concord, California. 2019 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the festival, which began at a city park in 1969 and gave birth to the venerable Concord Jazz label. Concord Jazz continues its commitment to presenting the finest jazz and live music with this year’s line-up.

Featured artists for the 50th Anniversary Concord Jazz Festival will include Dave Koz & Friends Summer Horns, Esperanza Spalding, Chick Corea Spanish Heart Band, The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra featuring Patti Austin, Jamison Ross, Carmen Bradford and special guests in a special Celebrating Ella set, Poncho Sanchez & his Latin Jazz Band, and many more to be announced soon. Doors for the festival will open at 2pm with the main stage beginning at 4pm.

“The Concord Jazz Festival was a cornerstone of the Concord Pavilion concert season for years and we’re thrilled to bring this iconic event back for the 50th Anniversary celebration.” said Aaron Siuda, Senior Vice President of Live Nation Northern California. “In conjunction with Concord Jazz, we’ve put together a stellar lineup that showcases many of the great artists that Concord Jazz represents.”

"The creation of this festival by visionary Carl Jefferson in 1969 led directly to his formation of the Concord Jazz label just a few years later,” said Concord Records President John Burk. “Therefore, we at Concord Jazz owe a great debt to Jefferson and the City of Concord, and we are thrilled to partner with Live Nation in bringing the Festival back home for its 50th Anniversary."

Tickets for the 50th Anniversary Concord Jazz Festival range from $39.50 to $149.50 plus applicable charges, including a limited number of general admission 4 packs while supplies last. Tickets are on sale this Friday, April 19th at 10am and can be purchased online at www.Livenation.com or the Concord Pavilion Box Office.

An exclusive commemorative album of music by the featured artists will be included with every pair of tickets purchased for the 50th Anniversary Concord Jazz Festival.

  

Grammy-Nominated saxophonist Dave Koz scored the #1 Contemporary Jazz album in the country last year with his latest project Summer Horns II From A To Z. Released June 22nd, 2018 via Concord Records, the album is a stunning showcase of 11 reimagined classics, including “More Today Than Yesterday” from the Spiral Staircase, a medley of Earth, Wind & Fire’s 1976 smash “Getaway” and the KC and the Sunshine Band dance staple “That’s the Way I Like It,” and The Crusaders’ “Keep That Same Old Feeling.” Dave Koz & Friends Summer Horns features Gerald Albright (alto saxophone), Rick Braun (trumpet), R&B star Kenny Lattimore (vocals) and Aubrey Logan (trombone and vocals).

Esperanza Spalding’s “truly intoxicating” (The New York Times) 12 Little Spells will be released on vinyl and CD on May 10th, 2019 via Concord Records. A cutting-edge creator, the four-time Grammy-winning composer/bassist/lyricist released a song a day to her fans last October, which subsequently appeared on a number of Best of 2018 lists, including The New York Times, Rolling Stone and Billboard. The physical version of the album comes with an additional four new songs. 12 Little Spells was first penned by Spalding at a castle in Italy – inspired by the healing properties of art, how music and the body interact, and her interest in Reiki.

In 1976, Chick Corea released My Spanish Heart, one of his most successful recordings. A compositional and intellectual high-water mark, the album combined jazz fusion pieces with more traditional Latin music. On June 28th, 2019, over 50 years later, the 77-year-old keyboard virtuoso revisits this classic project with a long-waited follow-up, Spanish Heart Band – Antidote, featuring with an extraordinary new ensemble and some of his most inspired writing ever. The Chick Corea Spanish Heart Band includes bassist Carlitos Del Puerto and drummer Marcus Gilmore.

Directed by veteran trumpeter Scotty Barnhart, the 18-piece Legendary Count Basie Orchestra includes a peerless array of instrumentalists with combined credentials that have topped the upper echelons of the international jazz world for decades. From Billie Holiday to Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra to Nat King Cole, Sarah Vaughan to Ella Fitzgerald, the Legendary Count Basie Orchestra has provided the supremely distinctive sound and swing behind some of the greatest singers of the modern age. Coming off a Grammy Nomination for their 2018 album All About that Basie, the iconic big band will perform material from their newest recording Ella 100, a special tribute to Ella Fitzgerald, set for release on August 2nd, 2019 via Concord Jazz.

Performing with the Count Basie Orchestra will be Grammy Award-winning singer Patti Austin, Carmen Bradford, Jamison Ross and special guests. Austin has released more than two dozen albums during her career, and her record Avant Gershwin won the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album in 2008. She is featured on several tracks on the Basie Orchestra’s upcoming Ella Fitzgerald tribute recording, scheduled for release this year on Concord Jazz. Jamison Ross is the winner of the 2012 Thelonious Monk Competition. The multi-talented drummer and vocalist’s debut album Jamison garnered a GRAMMY nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album, and he was named Rising Star – Male Vocalist in the 2018 Downbeat Critics pole.

Given all the ups and downs the music industry has experienced in the past three decades, it’s remarkable to find anyone who still retains a sense of allegiance or loyalty. Master conguero, band leader and Latin jazz legend Poncho Sanchez is the exception. In 1982, his close friend, multi-instrumentalist jazz icon Cal Tjader recommended he sign with Carl Jefferson’s Concord Records. Tjader told him that Jefferson was looking for new talent and he highly recommended Sanchez. Jefferson gave Poncho a one record deal and the rest is Latin Jazz history. Poncho Sanchez & his Latin Jazz Band, whose next recording is scheduled for release on August 2nd, 2019 via Concord Jazz, celebrate the release of his 27th album and his own 37th anniversary with Concord Jazz, the longest of any artist on the label.

  

In addition to the main show, this year’s 50th Anniversary Concord Jazz Festival will feature performances of live music emerging jazz artists, an Art & Wine Expo, and an array of vendors on the grounds of the 12,500-seat Concord Pavilion, one of the premier outdoor music venues in Northern California.

Concord Jazz has a rich history since its beginning in 1973. Well established as one of the premier and most active jazz imprints in the world, the label continues its dedication to the art form and its artists, presenting such legendary acts as Chick Corea, Poncho Sanchez, one of the best-selling saxophonists of all time Dave Koz, a special tribute honoring both Basie and Ella, and much, much more to be announced.