Pablo Cruise, Michael Paulo & Patrice Rushen Headline Memorial Day Weekend for the 15th Annual Temecula Wine & Music Festival

Pablo Cruise and an all-star band led by Michael Paulo and Patrice Rushen headline the

May 25 event benefiting Boys & Girls Club of Southwest County  

For over forty years, saxophonist Michael Paulo has made a living making records and performing with some of the brightest stars in pop, R&B and jazz, but when he produces events like next month’s Temecula Wine & Music Festival, it’s personal. He’s not only a longtime Murrieta resident, but the festival’s beneficiary, Boys & Girls Club of Southwest County, directly impacts his own family. 

“A few years ago, my youngest daughter, Natasha, volunteered to help out the Club. She came home and said they don't even have supplies for the kids she was working with. We are close friends with one of the founding members who said that they needed help. This is the fifth year that the festival will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Southwest Riverside County,” said Paulo, whose Apaulo Productions produces the festival that will mark its 15th edition this Memorial Day Weekend.

Taking place on Saturday, May 25 from 12-6pm at Hawk Ranch, Paulo has assembled a diverse international musical lineup along with world-class winemakers. Topping the marquee is platinum-selling pop-rockers Pablo Cruise who are certain to include hits “Love Will Find A Way,” “What You Gonna Do” and “A Place in the Sun” in their set list. Paulo’s relationship with the group dates back many decades." 

Pablo Cruise toured the same circuit I was on during my stint with the Hawaiian rock band Kalapana in the 1970s and 80s,” said the Hawaii native who injects the generous and joyous aloha spirit into everything he does. 

Paulo will team with Grammy nominated jazz/R&B keyboardist-vocalist Patrice Rushen who returns to the festival for an all-star performance that will feature members of contemporary jazz band Hiroshima, Japanese sax man Kanzaki, and some of the finest sidemen in music including bassist Freddie Washington, drummer Michael White and guitarist Fred Schreuders. Paulo’s father, Rene Paulo, will sit in with the ensemble on piano. The first to take the stage will be regal jazz singer Barbara Morrison, who will be accompanied by Japanese guitarist Yu Ooka, keyboardist Kimo Cornwell, trumpeter Ron King, bassist JV Collier, percussionist Arno Lucas and drummer Land Richards. 

Festivalgoers will have the opportunity to partake in some of the region’s finest vintners such as Wilson Creek Winery, Falkner Winery, San Antonio Winery, 14 Hands Winery, Domaine Ste. Michelle, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Crest, BWSB, Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Drumheller and Murder Ridge.

  

This year’s festival is the second consecutive to take place at Hawk Ranch. “The venue sets the mood for the festival with its scenic park setting nestled among tress and a quaint pond,” said Paulo. 

  

Tickets are on sale now at Tix.com priced at $40 for general admission lawn seats, $55 gold reserved seats, $85 reserved table seating, $95 premium seating up front that provides entrance to an exclusive artist meet & greet reception. Sponsor seating is available for $250 that includes the reception along with complimentary wine and food. 

Paulo’s professional career spans more than forty years, and includes playing alongside Al Jarreau, James Ingram, Patti Austin, Jeffrey Osborne, Kenny Loggins, Johnny Mathis, Peter White, Bobby Caldwell and Rick Braun. Producing and performing at the Temecula Wine & Music Festival is a way he gives back to his community.

  

“Every year, with the help and support of our friends, family and the community, we are able to host our festival. After moving to the Temecula Valley 16 years ago, we are so fortunate to continue this wonderful community event now in its 15th year. Last year, we raised over $14,000 from the festival for the Boys & Girls Club. We are hoping to surpass that this year. We hope everyone will come out and support the festival.”  

For more information, please visit www.temeculawineandmusicfestival.com.

Jazz guitarist Chris Standring reimagines his best for new 'Remixed" album

Over twenty years and twelve albums into his career as a solo artist, chart-topping guitarist Chris Standring had no interest in putting out a typical “best of” album. After a gig, a fan approached him with a novel idea that did get his creative wheels spinning. 

“I had thought about releasing a 'best of' for a long time, but it didn't make a lot of sense because with streaming and downloadable songs, anyone can grab their favorite songs thus a compilation felt a little redundant. But then a fan brought me the idea to take my most popular songs and do something new with them. It's nice to breathe new life into some music that has been around a while,” said Standring who drops “Best of Chris Standring Remixed” on June 21 on the Ultimate Vibe Recordings label. 

The British guitarist remixed eleven songs from his catalogue of instrumental R&B, soul jazz and electronica, including the No. 1 Billboard Contemporary Jazz Track of the Year in 2010, “Bossa Blue,” and a 2014 Billboard No. 1 single, “Sneakin’ Out the Front Door.” According to Standring, the songs for “Best of Chris Standring Remixed” were selected based on two criteria.

  

“First and foremost, the popularity of each track. Most of these songs were heavily searched on the internet. Secondly, songs were chosen based on how each might lend itself to a remix,” said Standring, who will celebrate the album release by performing two shows at the Blue Note Napa in the heart of the Napa Valley on the record release date.

  

The only song not culled from a previous Standring solo album is the 1996 track “Stop It!” from an acid jazz band he was in called Solar System. One of his former bandmates and longtime songwriting partner, Rodney Lee, reconfigured that track along with four others – “Fast Train To Everywhere,” “Liquid Soul,” “Pandora’s Box” and “Sneakin’ Out The Front Door” – adding imaginative bursts of electronic ingenuity over chunky beats. British techno DJ Matt Cooper put a clubby trance vibe on three cuts - “Bossa Blue,” “Oliver’s Twist” and “Ready Steady Flow.” Standring’s only advance directive to Lee and Cooper was “‘Do your thing.’ I didn’t want them to be constrained in any way. And they certainly weren’t.” 

Standring remixed four tracks himself, taking two swings at “Kaleidoscope.” The Neptune Mix 2019 version will be released as a single, collecting playlist adds on July 22. 

Although placed in entirely fresh contexts, Standring’s guitar work throughout “Best of Chris Standring Remixed” – whether playing an electric jazz guitar or nylon-string instrument – remains at the fore, melodically embarking on lyrical runs, dexterous embellishments and impassioned finger-work forays. 

A consistent hitmaker, the classically-trained guitarist basked in the glow of his “Sunlight” album last summer when it went No. 1 on the SmoothJazz.com chart. Standring notched three No. 1 Billboard singles the previous year, including duets with trumpeter Cindy Bradley (“Category A”) and two-time Grammy-winning guitarist Paul Brown (“Piccadilly Circus”). He was a first-call session player when he first came to America, recording with Jody Watley and Bebe & Cece Winans among many others before touring extensively with trumpeter Rick Braun. 

In addition to playing spot dates such as a two-night Memorial Day Weekend stand (May 24 & 25) at Seal Beach’s Spaghettini, Standring will spend the year working on an album of all new music for release next year. In the meantime, he’s eager for people to hear his best material in an all-new way.     

      

“My hope is that everyone embraces the experimentation that took place and simply loves it.”

“Best of Chris Standring Remixed” contains the following songs:

“Stop It!” (Mercury Mix 2019)

“Fast Train To Everywhere” (Jupiter Mix 2019)

“Bossa Blue” (Outside Mix 2019)

“Kaleidoscope” (Neptune Mix 2019)

“Liquid Soul” (Venus Mix 2019)

“Pandora’s Box” (Saturn Mix 2019)

“Sneakin’ Out The Front Door” (Earth Mix 2019)

“Soul Express” (Love Mix 2018)

“Oliver’s Twist” (Outside Mix 2012)

“Constellation” (Galaxy Mix 2018)

"Ready Steady Flow” (Outside Mix 2019)

“Kaleidoscope” (Cake Mix 2019)

http://www.chrisstandring.com

MINDI ABAIR AND THE BONESHAKERS RELEASE THIRD STUDIO ALBUM "NO GOOD DEED"

Mindi Abair and the Boneshakers live, eat and breathe music as a collective — it’s their oxygen. Add to that a balanced mix of diverse musical backgrounds, big personalities and the bond of mutual respect coupled with friendship, and what transpires in the recording studio is sonic magic. It’s that kind of chemistry that the Los Angeles-based band has righteously captured and parlayed into their third studio album, No Good Deed, which is set for release on June 28, 2019 on Abair’s Pretty Good For A Girl Records.

Featuring an enthralling array of original material along with some cleverly reworked covers of songs from the Rascals, Etta James and others, No Good Deedis the band’s most multidimensional album to date and reflects the longtime camaraderie between the Boneshakers’ Randy Jacobs (guitar and vocals), Rodney Le e(keys), Ben White (bass, vocals) and Third Richardson (drums, vocals) and lead vocalist and award-winning saxophonist Mindi Abair. Not only does the album showcase the band members’ diverse talents and knack for creating music that is undeniably evocative and irrepressibly energetic; this time they’ve peeled back the layers to reveal more of their respective influences, unleashing unbridled infusions of punk, jazz and blues.

It took only five days to recordthe album, which was done at the legendary EastWest Studios in Hollywood. Acclaimed producer Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Joe Bonamassa), who had worked with the band on their first studio record, The EastWest Sessions, returned once again. Going into the studio, the band already knew what they wanted to do, didn’t overthink things, and let creative inspiration and adrenaline lead them — a methodology that’s not new to them.

“It’s really the way that we love to make records,” says Abair. “We’re all in the studio at the same time and we’re really cognizant of how we want to capture and keep that spirit, that energy, that chemistry — because sometimes you can lose it after playing through a song too many times — it's just not the same, because you're thinking about it too much.”

The original material featured onNo Good Deedtakes a journey along the mood and energy spectrum — defiance and decisiveness meet remorse and reflection for a seductive, energizing and intoxicating romp, all propelled by the work of phenomenal musicians: Jacobs’ amped up and versatile lead guitar, White’s pumping baselines, Lee’s jazz-inspired keyboard virtuosity, Richardson’s expansive command of the drums and cymbals and Abair’s gripping vocals and untouchable mastery of the saxophone.

“No Good Deed Goes Unpunished” is the second track on the record and was penned by Abair, Jacobs and Dave Yaden. With the explosive amped-up energy it radiates, it is sure to induce stadium-style foot stomping and hand clapping. The bluesy, richly textured “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul” was written by Abair and Tyrone Stevens and is a haunting dig through the wreckage of love lost and the attempt to reclaim inner strength. Abair’s imploring lament “I’ve got more life to live but I’m lost and alone, I’ll find my strength to get by, make it on my own” adds a stirring, soul-searching dimension to the song. On “Bad News” Richardson plays a cut crystal glass instead of a triangle to produce an alluring tingle. Coupled with Abair’s gritty sax riffs, it further enforces the song’s smoky, sultry vibe which transports the listener to a dark bar where it’s easy to hide until “the bad news has arrived, it’s closing time.” “Movin’ On” showcases the band’s affinity for quintessential, in-your-face rock as they deliver a headbanging, no-holds-barred anthem that gets a thunderous boost from Jacobs’ meaty guitar playing and Abair’s ‘hell yeah’ attitude as she declares she’s “movin’ on like a gypsy vagabond, let the past be the past — it’s dead, I’m gone.”

When choosing covers for the album, Abair says they opted for material from some of their favorite iconic R&B and rock artists. The album’s opening song is the old school sizzler “Seven Day Fool,” written by Billy Davis and made famous by Etta James. Richardson joins Abair on Ike and Tina Turner’s scorching hot rock duet “Baby Get It On” which closes out the album while the deceptively upbeat “Good Day for the Blues” dances in the middle.

Shirley threw his hat in the ring by sending Abair the original 1964 recording of the Young Rascals’ “You Better Run” (later made into a mega hit by Pat Benatar). “It’s an amazing song,” says Abair. “You can’t help but bob your head up and down and rock out! Kevin thought that with the power and muscle in this band — Randy on guitar — it could be just in your face fun to record.” 

Before she and the Boneshakers were a band, Mindi Abair had already made her mark as an award-winning sax player, with two Grammy nominations and eight records to her credit. Her edgy, contemporary style of playing was widely sought after by bands like Aerosmith and Duran Duran — both of whom she toured with extensively.

Abair first met Jacobs at a gig where she witnessed him do a back flip off the stage and into the audiences without missing a chord change. Jacobs, who played in Bonnie Raitt’s band and Was Not Was, became a regular player on her solo records, but it was later, when Abair sat in with the Boneshakers at the Newport Beach Jazz Festival in 2014, that the two musical forces became one. 

“We’ve got a lot of years together as a band,” says Abair. “And what you hear on No Good Deeddrips of me and the Boneshakers but also unveils variations of where the band can go. We pushed into other spaces that we’re really comfortable in — we just hadn’t showed them to the world yet.”

The band tapped renowned visual artist Nick Egan to design the album’s cover art (which they’re keeping under wraps until the album drops). Egan’s portfolio features a who’s who of talent, from the Sex Pistols to Oasis to INXS. “Great art just amplifies great music and it was incredible to work with my friend Nick,” says Abair. “He captured our spirit so completely with this album cover and art — It’s amazing.”

Tour dates:

• Thurs., April 4   BOSTON, MA City Winery
• Fri., April 5  WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NY   Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center
• Sat., April 6 ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY  The Madison Theatre at Molloy College
• Sun., April 7 PAWLING, NY  Daryl’s House
• Thurs., April 25THE WOODLANDS, TX   Dosey Doe
• Fri.-Sat., April 26-27 AUSTIN, TX  The One World Theatre
• Thurs., May 30  SARATOGA, CA  Montalvo Arts Center
• Thurs., June 6  ALEXANDRIA, VA The Birchmere
• Fri., June 7  ANNAPOLIS, MD Rams Head Tavern
• Sat., June 8    HAVRE DE GRACE, MD Havre de Grace Jazz & Blues Festival
• Fri., June 14  DENVER, CO  Soiled Dove
• Sat., June 15  SALT LAKE CITY, UT Utah Blues Festival
• Tues., June 18  GAS CITY, IN  Gas City Concerts In The Park
• Sat., Aug. 3   MAMMOTH LAKES, CA  Bluesapalooza Mammoth Festival of Beers
• Sat., Aug 10  LEXINGTON, KY. Kentucky Horse Park
• Thurs., Aug 15  VALPARAISO, IN Memorial Opera House
• Fri., Aug 16  CHICAGO, IL City Winery Chicago
• Sat., Aug 17  ANN ARBOR, MI  Ann Arbor Blues Fest
• Fri., Aug 30  FT WORTH, TX  Music Fest at South Fork Ranch
• Sat., Oct 19  AKRON, OH  Tangier - Cabaret Room
• Sat., Oct 26 to Nov 2  MEXICAN RIVIERA  Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise
• Fri.-Sun., Nov 15-17 PUNTA GORDA, FL Mindi Abair’s Punta Gorda Wine + Music Festival
• Sat., Nov 23  READING, PA  Reading Blues Festival

Mindi Abair and the Boneshakers on the web:

Website: https://www.mindiabair.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MindiAbair/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MindiAbair/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MindiAbair/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/officialmindiabair/

Jr Walker & The All Stars: Walk In The Night – The Motown 70s Studio Albums (3-CD Set)

New set includes the following albums: A Gasssss; Rainbow Funk; Moody Jr; Peace & Understanding; Jr Walker & The All Stars; and Hot Shot).

6 Motown albums from Jr Walker & The All Stars – all long overdue for reissue! First up is A Gasssss – a gas of a record from Jr Walker & The All Stars – a set that has the magical Johnny Bristol producing – giving the group this really warm, soaring sound that's totally great! Walker still serves up plenty of strong tenor solos, but there's also some vocal currents in the mix – strong leads at times, but also some nice backups too – all of which really helps to keep things soaring! Titles a nice mix of Motown covers and original material – and titles include "I Was Made To Love Her", "Do You See My Love", "And When I Die", "Honey Come Back", "Holly Holy", "Riding High On Love", "At A Saturday Matinee", and "Groove & Move". 

Next up is Rainbow Funk – a record that definitely has Jr Walker & The All Stars picking up a bit of funk – but in a groove that still mixes things with that warmly soulful glow the group had right from the start! The basslines are definitely up a bit from before – although not rumbling in Norman Whitfield territory – and the sax solos get a bit more space to stretch out and bite on the longer numbers, but often with a bit of backing vocals to warm things up around the edges! Jr is great all the way through – Motown's very strong answer to King Curtis – and titles include "Right On Brothers & Sisters", "Way Back Home", "Feeling Alright", "Psychedelic Shack", "Pieces Of A Man", and "Teach Them To Pray". 

Moody Jr is a sweet early 70s groover from Jr Walker & The All Stars – a set that reunites the group with producer Johnny Bristol, who always has a great way of helping them set fire to their sound! Walker and company may have shot from the gate with a mix of R&B tenor and Motown soul – but the sound here is much more in the latter, more matured mode of the label – with strong deep soul lyrics on a number of cuts, which are balanced out nicely by Bristol's fuller production. There's plenty of sax solos too, of course – and titles include "Way Back Home", "Bristol's Way", "Don't Blame The Children", "Me & My Family", "Still Water Medley", and "Groove Thang". 

Peace & Understanding is a record that has Jr Walker and the group stepping out with some of the righteous touches promised in the title – partly in the choice of songs on the set, which are all nicely tucked into that strong mix of deep soul vocals and saxophone lines that had become the Jr Walker groove! The set features work from a number of different arrangers – all the hipper side of Motown in the early 70s, as the list includes, Willie Hutch, Gene Page, and James Carmichael – and tunes include two great originals, one by Hutch, one by Leon Ware. Tracks include "It's Alright Do What You Gotta Do", "Soul Clappin'", "Gimme that Beat (parts 1 & 2)", "It's Too Late", and "Peace & Understanding Is Hard To Find". 

The self-titled Jr Walker & The All Stars album is maybe the rarest in the bunch – an obscure UK-only record from 1974, and one that has the group's usual approach warmed up by some more ambitious arrangements – a bit like the direction some of the vocal acts of the 70s were taking at the time! The production on most of the set is by Clarence Paul – and there's mostly a focus on the saxophone, not any vocals at all – which makes the set feel a bit like some of the Willis Jackson or Lou Donaldson work for Atlantic around the same time – or maybe even a bit like Hank Crawford on Kudu. Titles include "Boogie Down", "All In Love Is Fair", "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", "Break Down & Sing", and "Dancin Like They Do On Soul Train". 

Hot Shot is a mid-70s stormer from Jr Walker & The All Stars – a set that glides along on a fuller set of backdrops than before, with Holland-Dozier-Holland production from Brian Holland returning to Motown – but in a hip 70s style that has strings and funk dancing along in a great way beneath the strong sax solos in the lead! There's a bit of vocals on the record, but the real strength lies in the instrumentation – especially some of the weirder, fuzzier guitar lines and keyboards. Titles include "Why Can't We Be Lovers", "Hot Shot", "Probe Your Mind", "I Need You Right Now", and "You Ain't No Ordinary Woman". ~ Dusty Groove

New Music: Seed Ensemble - Driftglass; Billie Davies Trio - Perspectives II; Jamila Woods - Legacy Legacy

Seed Ensemble - Driftglass

A fantastic album by this up-and-coming spiritual group from London – an ensemble led by alto saxophonist Cassie Kinoshi, but definitely a unified group effort all the way through! Konishi composed all the music – and a few songs feature words by Langston Hughes – and the rises with a proud, vibrant spirit right from the start – full of bold modal rhythms, and risen to the heavens on a mix of two trumpets, tenor, trombone, and tuba – plus piano, Fender Rhodes, and some mighty nice bass and drums. All tracks are long, and very individual – not slavish spiritual jazz numbers trying to recapture the past – but instead a very bright vision for tomorrow. Titles include "Afronaut", "Wake (For Grenfell)", "Mirrors", "Interplanetary Migration", "The Dreamkeeper", and "The Darkies". ~ Dusty Groove

Billie Davies Trio - Perspectives II

This entirely improvised set was inspired by ‘the 7 perspectives of the musicians, the 7 words of the tunes’ titles and 7 chakra musical keys’ (this latter has a root A, rising in whole tones to G). As with Davies’ previous work, there is total commitment to musical improvisation and, as is also the case with so much of her work, the resulting sound has such unity of purpose that it feels as if all the players must be working from charts rather than spontaneously creating the pieces.  This is meant as a compliment to the way in which the pieces develop and work together so seamlessly. Given the melting pot that New Orleans continues to be for jazz, it is not surprising that Davies has based herself here, nor that the musicians she gathers around her are not easy to pigeon-hole into one style of jazz (or even one style of music in any wider sense).  This is another very successful experiment by Davies in mining the creative depths of improvised music making, producing a sound that cannot be simply labelled as jazz (even if it fully has the swing of jazz in all of the pieces brought by Davies and Watkinson in their dynamic partnership) and which really does respond to the cosmic dimensions of its inspiration.

Jamila Woods - Legacy Legacy

Jamila Woods already blew us away with her debut – but this second set has the singer ready to take on the world with a huge step forward in her style! Jamila caught us almost by surprise when she first emerged – a Chicago soul singer who wasn't on our radar, and who already had this fully-formed, completely unique style – but here, she embraces legacies of past musical and cultural inspirations, folding them into a instrumental settings created almost completely on her own, and which are topped by these shape-shifting lyrics that really live up to their references. The album shows a powerful, personal, and completely self-contained approach to the music – something that many of Jamila's contemporaries can hardly match – and titles include "Miles", "Baldwin", "Basquiat", "Eartha", "Giovanni", "Zora", "Betty", "Frida", "Sun Ra", and "Octavia". ~ Dusty Groove

Amsterdam-based quartet Tango Aliado releases Argentian Tango inspired "El Compás"

Tango Aliado is a unique Amsterdam-based quartet with a passion for Argentinian tango music: Françoise van Varsseveld (violin), Mariken Zandvliet (piano), Lucas Stam (cello) and Gert Wantenaar (bandoneon). The members of the quartet, all professional musicians, undertook a journey of discovery into the works of the renowned Astor Piazzolla and other past masters of the tango, including Carlos Gardel, Aníbal Troilo and Horacio Salgán. Tango Aliado’s repertoire includes many self-made arrangements of these breathtaking compositions.

The quartet’s musicians come from a variety of musical backgrounds, from classical to light music and world music. Their paths crossed at the conservatory and in the professional orchestral circuit, and the connection they found encouraged them to continue as a group. Tango Aliado performs with pleasure at various venues in The Netherlands and France where their music and performances are consistently met with overwhelming enthusiasm. This year they were already featured on Dutch national radio with a performance coming live from the Dutch Royal Concert Hall in Amsterdam.

El Compás, the title of the album, stands for rhythm and cadence, but also refers to a dance figure in the Argentine tango where one draws circles with the legs. Tango Aliado is fascinated by the power of rhythm in the tango. At the end of the 19th century, the towns on the Río de la Plata were a big melting pot of different cultures, each bringing their own kind of music. Rhythms from the habanera, milonga, candombe and tango waltzes flowed together in the versatile tango music.

New Music: Jamie Cullum – Taller; Chicago Afrobeat Project feat Tony Allen & Others - What Goes Up – Remixed; Joel Ross - KingMaker

Jamie Cullum – Taller

Jamie Cullum is back with his new album Taller out June 7. Five years since his last release—the jazz standards and covers album Interlude—Jamie says that in making Taller he felt “like a songwriter, first and foremost. I was really focusing on this is being an album of my songs. It was also a love letter to my wife. I wanted to put aside whether it was a jazz record, whether it was ticking this or that box. The songs would be king and they would be honest. I feel more proud of this than anything I’ve done and that’s a good feeling.” Hear the singles “Taller” and “Drink” now.

Chicago Afrobeat Project feat Tony Allen & Others - What Goes Up – Remixed

A great criss-crossing of sounds and styles – one that brings together African roots, contemporary funk, and a great array of dancefloor modes served up by the various producers on the project! The record reminds us a lot of some of our favorite French work in this mode from the start of the century – particularly the Africanism series – and as with some of those records, legendary drummer Tony Allen is on hand, lending his strong arm on the kit to the grooves of the Chicago Afrobeat Project! Most tracks are nice and long – which makes the album like getting a whole stack of 12" singles – and titles include "Cut The Infection (Sol Power all stars rmx)", "I No Know (Jose Marquez Afro-House no go die rmx)", "Afro Party (Ron Trent dub)", "No Bad News (Maga Bo rmx)", "Sunday Song (Afroqbano rmx)", "White Rhino (Sound Culture rmx)", and "Afro Party (Kevin Ford rmx)".

Joel Ross - KingMaker

Vibraphonist Joel Ross has released his debut album KingMaker, which Pitchfork called “a marvel,” while The New York Times wrote “Ross is already widely known as contemporary jazz’s top prospect,” adding that “Kingmaker shows that he has what it takes to build something vital.” Joel has been featured on recent acclaimed albums by Makaya McCraven, Marquis Hill, Walter Smith & James Francies, and now he adds his name to an illustrious Blue Note vibraphone legacy that extends from Milt Jackson to Bobby Hutcherson to Stefon Harris to Joel.

The Philippe Saisse Trio’s hit-filled “The Body and Soul Sessions” gets remastered by Grammy winner Colin Leonard

An acoustic jazz trio and a multiple Grammy-winning mastering engineer who has plied his deft touch to records by Alessia Cara, Jay-Z, Justin Bieber, Khalid and others totaling over 100 million in album sales may seem like strange bedfellows at first. But keyboardist Philippe Saisse has a history with Colin Leonard dating back a few years and now calls upon him to master all his recording projects. Leonard had been itching to get into a vinyl release after having recently acquired a lathe cutting machine that presses vinyl albums thus Saisse’s idea to revisit his trio’s 2006 release, “The Body and Soul Sessions,” instantly intrigued Leonard. The remastered album drops June 21 for the first time on vinyl and will also be available as a CD and in digital form on the Bandar-Log Music label.       

An eclectic collection of a dozen pop, R&B and jazz covers, “The Body and Soul Sessions” spawned four singles, including No. 1 hits “Do It Again” and “September.” With Saisse’s spirited and nimble piano, Fender Rhodes and keyboards, David Finck’s bouncy and probing acoustic bass, and Scooter Warner’s crackling drum and percussion rhythms, Saisse describes the swinging, buoyant Goh Hotoda-produced set as “a fun, party record that was a really successful album.” Revamping the mix of contemporary and straight-ahead jazz for release on vinyl required editing and sacrifice.

“A vinyl album can only contain twenty minutes of music per side and the original album was fifty minutes long. We had to remove one song (“The Dolphin”) and edit each track to get the album down to forty minutes. As it turned out, the limitations of the technology actually made it a better, more concise album,” said Saisse, who first tapped Leonard to master his trio’s 2017 album, “On The Level.”

All twelve songs appearing on the original version will be on the CD and digital release of “The Body and Soul Sessions Remastered.” Later this month, the disc’s groovy, 1960s retro “Constant Rain” will be serviced to radio and online outlets for playlist adds. 

Part of what inspired Saisse to reboot the album came from his desire to keep the good times going after working the past couple years with Grammy-winning guitar legend Nile Rodgers of Chic. Saisse wrote, produced and played keys on a song called “State of Mine” with Rodgers for the debut album by The Allen Carman Project, “Carmanology,” a project Saisse developed and produced with percussionist Gumbi Ortiz that was released last month. Rodgers liked the song so much that he included it on Chic’s 2018 album, “It’s About Time,” swapping out the original rhythm tracks for Chic’s rhythm section.

  

The French-born, Los Angeles-based Saisse was a Grammy nominee for his 2011’s contemporary jazz outing, “At World’s Edge.” His first recording date was 40 years ago with jazz fusion guitar giant Al Di Meola with whom he has continued to tour throughout the years. Saisse launched his solo recording career in 1988 with “Valerian.” The busy keyboardist-composer-producer has forged a unique and diverse career working with superstars David Bowie and The Rolling Stones, touring the globe in astute power trio PSP with Simon Phillips and Pino Palladino, and crafting tracks and albums for contemporary/smooth jazz royalty Dave Koz, Kirk Whalum, Peter White, Rick Braun, Marc Antoine, and BWB among many more. Known for his sweeping arrangements and cinematic compositions, Saisse pens music for film, video games, commercials and television such as “Madam Secretary” and the Jesse Owens biopic, “Race.”       

“The Body and Soul Sessions Remastered” contains the following songs:

“Do It Again”

“September”

“Lady Madonna”

“Harley Davidson”

“Lovely Day”

“Fire and Rain”

“Constant Rain”

“The Dolphin”

“Comment Te Dire Adieu”

“Body and Soul”

“We’re All Alone”
“If I Ever Lose This Heaven”

MARCOS VALLE ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM SEMPRE WITH LEAD SINGLE 'ALMA'

The original Rio beach boy returns in style, with a new record of unabashedly feel-good Brazilian party music. Featuring Azymuth bassist Alex Malheiros (responsible for some of Brazil’s all-time funkiest low-end licks), a horn section including Valle’s go-to high-trumpeter Jesse Sadoc, and percussion master Armando Marcal, Sempre has all the masterful composition, exceptional musicality, and forward-thinking ideas you’d expect from the Brazilian titan, and it’s fresher than a fruity caipirinha in the Copacabana sunshine.

Updating Marcos Valle’s seminal boogie-era sound, the album spans ecstatic disco, cosmic samba, and late-night jazz-funk, drawing obvious comparisons to some of Valle’s late-seventies and early-eighties output. ‘Estrelar’ (1983), for example, an ode to the joy of exercise, has become one of the biggest Brazilian disco hits of all time. But lyrically the new album is more closely reminiscent of Valle’s progressive early seventies’ releases. Heralding love, tolerance and living in the present, while satirising political corruption, the new release recalls a time in which Valle, together with his brother Paulo Sergio, was writing subtly subversive lyrics in order to bypass the censorship imposed by the military dictatorship, which ruled over Brazil between 1964 and 1985.

Translating as ‘Ever’, Sempre is a testament to the continual drive for development and reinvention that has defined Marcos Valle’s astounding six-decade career. Ever changing, ever moving forward, he began as one of the second-wave of early bossa nova composers in the sixties, writing the world famous bossa standard ‘Summer Samba (So Nice)’ for his sophomore album ‘Samba 68’. After a brief stint in the States, Valle returned to Brazil, and the early ’70s saw the release of four ground-breaking Valle albums which incorporated progressive rock, psychedelic influences, pop, jazz, soul and cinematic arrangements. These albums would see Valle work alongside a number of hugely influential Brazilian bands, including Milton Nascimento’s backing band Som Imaginaro, the prog-rock band O Terco and jazz-funk legends Azymuth. Returning back to the US in ‘75, Valle resided in LA, writing music for the likes of Eumir Deodato, Airto Moreira, Chicago, Sarah Vaughn and Leon Ware, before returning to Brazil once more, where after releasing a handful of hit pop records, he took a hiatus from recording.

Since the mid-nineties, Marcos Valle has been experiencing a renaissance with the Far Out recording label, where his approach to music has remained, as always; decidedly open to new influences, possibilities and technologies. Sempre is Valle’s fifth album for the label, following 2010’s critically acclaimed Estatica.

Just in time for summer, Sempre will be released on Vinyl LP, CD and digitally 28th June 2019.

Jazz guitarist Reza Khan’s “Next Train Home” arrives

Globetrotting guitarist Reza Khan dropped his fifth album, “Next Train Home,” on Friday. The twelve songs that he wrote and produced for the collection symbolize the discovery of his musical home, a multi-genre and multicultural mélange of straight-ahead and contemporary jazz enriched with world music and Brazilian jazz nuances. The album has already climbed into the top 100 on the Jazz Week chart based on radio spins from jazz radio stations while the smooth/contemporary jazz single, “Drop of Faith,” featuring guitarist Nils, has earned most added honors on the Billboard chart.

The Bangladesh-born Khan “daylights” as a program manager for the United Nations, playing a role in peace and conflict operations throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East. He composed the album during a six-week trek abroad, a trip that included a hospitalization and a forced recovery period after collapsing and suffering from severe dehydration. While traveling, Khan totes in his backpack a folding guitar, a primitive keyboard and a laptop that were used to write and record the material. When he returned to his New York City home, he fully fleshed out his concepts and ideas in the studio where he was joined by an array of first-call session players and prominent soloists. In addition to Nils, Khan called upon saxophonists Jeff Kashiwa and Andy Snitzer, keyboardist Philippe Saisse, pianist Matt King, bassist Mark Egan, horn man David Mann (sax and flute), percussionist Gumbi Ortiz, and drummers Mauricio Zottarelli and Graham Hawthorne to meticulously craft the lush tracks heard on “Next Train Home.” At the core is Khan’s deft nylon and electric guitars plucking lofty melodic statements and strumming harmonic passages with verve. When soloing, he astutely bends notes, indulging his imaginative wanderlust and impulse to riff evocative etchings.

While Khan gears up for an album release concert at the City Winery in New York City on May 9, he’s begun making the media rounds in support of “Next Train Home.” Recently he was interviewed on internet radio show Hybrid Jazz and for the summer issue of national jazz magazine Jazziz.

http://www.rezakhanmusic.com

Funky band BT ALC BIG BAND revolutionizes THE SEARCH FOR PEACE

BT ALC Big Band seeks to breathe new life into big bands and music education with the release of their fourth album, dropping May 17.

Reaching back to the past in order to move a musical artform forward, the BT ALC Big Band turns loose the might and muscle of a 13-piece horn section to huff and puff and blow down any previously held conceptions of what a big band could be. The mission of the 19-piece Boston big band’s forthcoming album, “The Search For Peace,” is part passion, part music education and anything but peaceful. The bombardment of funk and jazz, written by trombonist Brian Thomas and trumpeter Alex Lee-Clark and produced by Alan Evans (Soulive), drops May 17 on Ropeadope.

After researching big band recordings of the 1960s and 70s, Evans decided on an old-school approach to capture the high-volt energy of BT ALC Big Band’s live performance. He propped up one omnidirectional microphone in front of each of the three horn sections - five saxophonists, four trumpeters and four trombonists – in the same

studio as the rhythm and melody players, letting them rip through the seven compositions that comprise “The Search For Peace.” The result is an organic sound that jukes and jives, harnessing the vim and vigor of the powerful posse. The album encapsulates the group’s vintage brand of rhythms and grooves they call “big band funk,” an explosive mashup of Duke Ellington and Count Basie meets James Brown and Parliament Funkadelic. Listen closely and you’ll detect some African funk and reggae inflections on this set as well.

“In recent years, the music that most big bands play, either professional or student, falls into two categories: tributes to the music of the past or new art music meant for the concert hall. We want to play music that's new, accessible and culturally relevant; music that reflects the music we put on in the car when we're zooming around in our day-to-day lives. We want to take the great art form of the big band and breathe new life into it,” said Thomas.

But that’s only half the outfit’s mission. Lee-Clark explains, “Essential to this goal is updating the music we play when we're teaching young musicians. Most of us started out in a band like this in school, and it played a huge part in igniting our passion for music. We firmly believe that the best way we can keep igniting that passion is not just to teach them to play every standard big band chart with precision and good intonation, but to show how they themselves can create new music, how they can push the art forward. We want ‘The Search For Peace’ to be a springboard for us to help bring big band music and music education into the present day.”

BT ALC Big Band walks the walk by regularly engaging in clinics, workshops and performances with students throughout New England. They make their charts available for study and have had their compositions performed at college, university and high school jazz ensembles in the region. Now they are thinking nationally.

Priming the pump for “The Search For Peace,” BT ALC Big Band dropped two standalone singles earlier this month, covers that tip their caps to some of their influences. Evans mans the drumkit on a percussive-heavy excursion through The Meters’ “Africa.” On a superfly take on Fred Wesley & The J.B.’s “Damn Right I’m Somebody,” an incendiary tenor sax throwdown erupts between Mike Tucker and Tucker Antell.

“The Search For Peace” will be launched with an album release concert in Boston on the release date (May 17) at City Winery. After the record streets, BT ALC Big Band will play a residency at Sally O’Brien’s in nearby Somerville on May 20, June 27, July 25, August 29 and September 26.

BT ALC Big Band issued their debut album in 2013, “Superhero Dance Party.” Three years later, they dropped the two-volume “The Herd Sessions.” Thomas and Lee-Clark met while studying music at UMass Amherst and have been collaborating ever since.

https://btalc.com

Bassist Allen Carman and a masterful collective team to define their own brand of music they call “Carmanology”

Grammy-winning guitar legend Nile Rodgers ignites “State of Mine,” the explosive new single from The Allen Carman Project’s debut album dropping April 5.

It started out as just a few friends having fun making music together but grew into a recording project that to date has placed three singles on the Billboard chart with a fourth, “State of Mine,” certain to follow suit, in part due to the distinctive rhythmic riffing of Grammy-winning guitar legend Nile Rodgers. Bassist Allen Carman shelved his music aspirations twenty years ago only to rekindle them after reconnecting with percussionist Gumbi Ortiz and keyboardist Philippe Saisse a couple years ago. Joined by drummer Luis Alicea, the quartet became The Allen Carman Project, a band scrapbooking contemporary jazz, R&B, Latin, Afro Cuban, funk and fusion with a bolt of added star power from prominent soloists: Rodgers, saxophonist Andy Snitzer, trumpeter

Rick Braun and guitarist Marc Antoine. In the process, the “Carmanology” album, produced by Ortiz and Saisse and featuring eight original songs, introduces the sound of an exciting and creative collaborative that will drop their debut disc April 5 on the ACP Music label.

When Ortiz convinced Carman to work on some new tracks with him and Saisse, expectations were modest. Saisse penned the premiere single “Groove Salad,” a nourishing blend of contemporary jazz tossed with generous servings of Snitzer’s zesty sax. The title track dropped next, defining the outfit’s sound palette as an inventive mix of future meets familiar on a cut that portrays a vividly-realized fantasy where kinetic go-go beats and horn-powered funk coexist with vibrant jazz piano and sax theatrics. On the third single, Snitzer rampages through “Hearsay,” stirring a maelstrom amidst taunting bass, cascading rhythms and exuberant harmonies. Fourth up, Braun’s muted trumpet lends atmospheric elements to “Morning After” while Snitzer’s bellowing saxophone testifies in emphatic support of Carman’s elastic basslines and Saisse’s rapturous keyboard vocalizations. Other highlights on the “Carmanology” collection include the breezy Latin-jazz oeuvre “Carisma” on which Antoine’s nylon guitar leads the exotic exploration; a sprawling aural adventure through “El Fanfaron” boosted by Carman’s boundless bass, Ortiz’s exhilarating percussion attack and the combustive horns of Don Harris and Bill Harris; and just when you think you’ve got the band’s sonic trajectory figured out, they augment “Bodega” with Evan Garr’s mind-blowing electric violin.

“When Gumbi and I started talking about making a record, I was super excited. My only expectation was to make a great record with great musicians. This album has far exceeded those expectations. It has always been a dream of mine to make a record with top-quality musicians and good songs. I put that dream on hold many moons ago when I joined the ‘civilian’ world and became a lawyer. However, I always felt like a musician first and a lawyer second. I never gave up on my passion to play,” said Carman, a South Jersey native who first met Ortiz in the mid-80s on the Tampa music scene when they played in local bands.

Ortiz, Saisse and Alicea established their chemistry years ago while backing guitar great Al Di Meola. Garr was also part of that band. Before deciding to go to law school, Carman toured extensively, performing with an array of artists. He’s looking forward to touring with The Allen Carman Project during a spring trek in support of the record release.

“I can’t wait to get out on the road with these fabulous musicians and play for live audiences. It will be magical.”

https://theallencarmanproject.com

Bob Marley's Legend Turns 35: The World's Best-Selling Reggae Album Of All Time Is Anointed With A Special 35th Anniversary 2LP 180-Gram Vinyl Reissue

On June 14, The Marley Family, Island Records and UMe join collective forces to observe the 35th anniversary of Bob Marley & The Wailers' Legend with a double 180-gram vinyl reissue.  Initially released on May 8, 1984, Legend holds the distinction of being the world's best-selling reggae album of all time with over 15 million copies sold in the United States alone, and over 28 million worldwide. A greatest hits compilation for the ages, Legend is the soundtrack to the remarkable life and recording career of one of reggae music's most important and influential figures. This iconic collection not only serves as the perfect introduction to the music of Bob Marley, it has also become an essential element of every reggae fan's permanent collection.

This vinyl-only 35th anniversary reissue comprises the original "BMW1" version of Legend with the addition of two original U.K.-only cassette bonus tracks ("Easy Skanking" and "Punky Reggae Party"). Taken as a whole, the 16 songs that comprise Legend have literally defined a genre. Among the album's instantly recognizable tracks are "Get Up Stand Up," "One Love / People Get Ready," "I Shot The Sheriff," "Three Little Birds," "Jammin," and "Exodus." Other Legend anthems like "No Woman No Cry" and "Is This Love" feature backing vocals from The I Threes, an all-female trio comprised of Marley's wife Rita Marley, Judy Mowatt, and Marcia Griffiths. Mrs. Rita Marley's own career retrospective, quite aptly dubbed Lioness of Reggae, is being released on limited-edition vinyl by Tuff Gong Worldwide on May 3.

A new visual for "Satisfy My Soul" was recently shot by Pantera as directed by Brian Kazez and produced by Propaganda Films, serving as a conceptual interpretation of the song to show what it means to "feel alright" in Jamaica. This also happens to be the same directorial team that shot a new clip for "Easy Skanking," which was filmed in Kingston and garnered much acclaim earlier this year for the way it shared an authentic look at a day in the life of Jamaica and the indefatigable, uprising spirit of the people who live, love, and work there the whole year round.

To this day, Bob Marley remains one of popular culture's most important and influential entertainment icons. His lifestyle and music continue to inspire new generations around the world. Marley was the first Jamaican artist to give voice to the struggles of his people and introduce Rastafarian culture to the world at large, and his expansive music catalog has sold millions of albums all across the globe.

Bob Marley's legacy truly lives on in the artists and generations he has influenced. Today, the spiritual, political, and musical resonance of the man's work continues to be felt around the world, and Legend is the one true collection that cements his perpetual global legacy.

bobmarley.com

facebook.com/BobMarley

twitter.com/bobmarley

instagram.com/bobmarley

youtube.com/bobmarley

Bob Marley & The Wailers LEGEND [double 180g vinyl]

Side A

1. Is This Love

2. No Woman No Cry

3. Could You Be Loved

Side B

1. Three Little Birds

2. Buffalo Soldier

3. Get Up Stand Up

4. Stir It Up

5. Easy Skanking

Side C

1. One Love / People Get Ready

2. I Shot The Sheriff

3. Waiting In Vain

4. Redemption Song

Side D

1. Satisfy My Soul

2. Exodus

3. Jammin'

4. Punky Reggae Party

Bob Marley, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, is notable not only as the man who put reggae on the global map, but, as a statesman in his native Jamaica, he famously brought together the country's warring factions and simultaneously became a symbol of freedom and justice globally. Today, Bob Marley remains one of the 20th century's most important and influential entertainment icons. Marley's lifestyle and music continue to inspire new generations as his legacy lives on through his music. In the digital era, he has the second-highest social media following of any posthumous celebrity, with the official Bob Marley Facebook page drawing more than 71 million fans, ranking it among the Top 20 of all Facebook pages and Top 10 among celebrity pages. Marley's music catalog has sold millions of albums worldwide. His iconic collection LEGEND holds the distinction of being the longest-charting album in the history of Billboard magazine's Catalog Albums chart and remains the world's best-selling reggae album. Marley's accolades include inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1994) and ASCAP Songwriters Hall of Fame (2010), a GRAMMY® Lifetime Achievement Award (2001), multiple entries in the GRAMMY® Hall Of Fame, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (2001).  Marley was also awarded the UN Peace Medal of the Third World for his efforts in Jamaica. 

New Music Releases: Rahsaan Patterson – Heroes And Gods; Lasperanza - Seeds; Carlton Jumel Smith – 1634 Lexington

Rahsaan Patterson – Heroes And Gods

Singer, songwriter and actor Rahsaan Patterson’s career started at the age of 10 in the role of “the Kid” on the long-running TV show Kids Incorporated, along with other future stars Fergie, Martika, and Shanice. His critically acclaimed debut album on MCA sparked a passionate following over a series of excellent albums, Urban AC radio hits, touring and contributions to soundtracks such as Brown Sugarand Steve Harvey’s “Sign of Things to Come” compilation. Heroes & Godsis Rahsaan’s highly-anticipated new studio album; it marks a return to his classic “neo-soul” sound his fans crave. Standout tracks include infectious mid-tempo “Catch Me When I Fall,” the classic soul balladry of “Sent From Heaven” and the innovative title track.

Lasperanza - Seeds

Lasperanza is the brainchild of UK producer/musician Rico Garofalo. Since beginning his career as a sax player he has always dreamed of creating an album on which he would reimagine and reconfigure some of his favourite soul/jazz songs from the Seventies and Eighties. Seeds is the result. “I wanted to change the arrangements, either from a rhythmic or harmonic aspect, while always keeping a soul/jazz flavour. Give the songs a new lease of life rather than just a fresh lick of paint.” Lead single “It Should Have Been You”, featuring vocalist Izzy Chase, is a sultry mid-tempo reinvention of a Gwen Guthrie disco era tune. Influential US website soultracks.com enthuses: “Gwen Guthrie fans will likely appreciate such a refreshing and unexpected cover that is steeped in quality instrumentation, tasteful vocals, and overall musicality.” Other songs newly reimagined for 2019 include “Early Morning Love” (Lou Rawls), “Under The Moon And Over The Sky” (Angela Bofill), “Working Day and Night” (Michael Jackson), “Give Me The Night” (George Benson), “Kilimanjaro” (Letta Mbulu) and “In The Mood” (Tyrone Davis). Eight UK vocalists – and one American – are featured on the album, which is receiving strong advance airplay and very favourable critical reaction from Jazz FM, BBC RadioLondon, Mi-Soul, Solar Radio, Echoes magazine, Holland’s Sublime FM and Italy’s Radio Milano International.

Carlton Jumel Smith – 1634 Lexington

After hitting hard in the soul circles with his deep Timmion debut single “I Can’t Love You No More” and following it with “This Is What Love Looks Like”, Carlton Jumel Smith is back at it with an album full of contemporary soul gold. The material mined here is none other than the vintage groove troves of classic 1970’s r&b, something the Cold Diamond & Mink crew brews up effortlessly. The songwriting and expression by Carlton carry strong echoes of Curtom productions, Memphis soul and naturally Motown. We’re talking about musical traditions he’s incorporated into his expression since witnessing James Brown at the Apollo as an 8-year old. Opening up with the dance floor ready testimony “Woman You Made Me”, Carlton sets the mood up good, whereas “Remember Me” delivers a devastating Chi-Town-styled group harmony groover. Fans of Menahan Street Band will get a kick out of the moody “Help Me (Save Me From Myself)”, which is followed by the beautiful deep “Ain’t That Love”, carried by an intimate folk guitar lick. The album’s b-side sequences the otherworldly shuffler “You Gonna Need Me” with Carlton’s rehash of his mid-Millennium release “I’d Better”, swapping its programmed modern soul for a more organic form. On his album Carlton Jumel Smith explores different shades of the golden era of soul music, and it would be hard to find anyone doing it as fresh in 2019. You know those front to back soul album classics you treasure in your collection? This will stand up with the best of them.