PERRY SMITH QUARTET - LIVE IN BROOKLYN - Featuring Melissa Aldana, Matt Aronoff & Jay Sawyer

Guitarist, composer, and bandleader Perry Smith thrives in taking part of the building and sustaining of a community; a community of artists connected and united by swing, the blues, improvisation and the long legacy of this music. A vital element for a community of jazz artists is the jam session, as it has, for many years, been the place to meet and fraternize with colleagues and potential collaborators, to check out the "competition," to share, borrow and steal, to play!

Smith, recognizing the need for an all-inclusive, everyone-is-welcome "hang", began his weekly forums, originally called "The Soda Session" at The Soda Bar in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn in 2015, then becoming "The Nest Session," after moving to The Nest in Leffert's Gardens on December 6, 2017. 

Smith's new recording, his fourth, Live In Brooklyn, is the culmination of the four years he, and bassist Matt Aronoff, spent cultivating and growing this jam session, and also celebrates the guitarist's 10th year on the NYC scene. "Something that was important to me was booking a diverse collection of artists and being inclusive to women and artists of all backgrounds. It proved to help many of my colleagues feel welcome at our session, and I believe it influenced the booking culture at other sessions and helped promote diversity within the NYC jazz scene," explains Smith. "This model of jam session was not really happening back when I started curating this series, so it's good to see that this inclusive and open model still continues today at the Nest Session, now run by bassist Noah Garabedian. I'm really proud of the work we did. I think it was a great benefit to the overall scene and to my own artistic development. I want this CD to represent that legacy alongside the great playing showcased on this particular night, when I was so fortunate to have Melissa Aldana on tenor, Matt Aronoff on bass and Jay Sawyer on drums."

The Session also served to help others outside of the jazz scene as Smith organized a fundraiser (on 11/29/17) for the non-profit, RAINN.org. The band donated their weekly funding and together with special guests and patrons they raised over $1k in one night for the organization. A testament to the importance and value of these weekly congregations lies in the fact that they became grant funded in August 2016 through KeyedUp.org, a non-profit run by James Polsky who owns the Jazz Standard in NYC. 

 

On Live In Brooklyn Smith leads the Quartet through six tunes, played live, all first takes with an enthusiastic audience along for the ride. The repertoire is split evenly with three Smith originals/contra-facts, "Starlit Skies" (based on "I Hear A Rhapsody," in which one of the lyrics in the song is "Starlit Skies"), "Premonition" (Smith's take on "Milestones," which allows the band to improvise in more of a modal setting around the key of G minor), "Golden Days" (a contra-fact on the standard "Yesterdays," in which one of the lyrics is "Golden Days." "I really love the way it opens with just Aronoff and I playing duo. It's a nice moment that shows some of the great chemistry we created through four years of playing regularly together," says Smith); and three standards, "Don't Worry 'Bout Me" (an old standard that Sinatra made famous. "I love Melissa's cadenza at the end, it's one of my favorite parts of the record," says Smith), "Eternal Triangle" (a barn burner, and Smith elaborates, "I really love Jay Sawyer's drum solo on that track. He shows is unique combination of traditional language alongside modern phrasing, which is the very thing that I love about his playing."), & "All The Things You Are" (played here in a bouncy three feel. Smith comments that, "I really like how it starts with just Melissa Aldana and myself playing the melody. This track is so dynamic, with each solo very musical and interactive . . . it's the proverbial "icing on the cake!")

"A huge inspiration for this project comes from decades of listening to Wes Montgomery's landmark album Full House. That disc was recorded live in Berkeley (in 1962) which is close to where grew up in the SF Bay Area. Over the years I've always come back to it because the energy of the band is so joyful. The interactive playing is incredible and the scope of repertoire includes swinging tracks, straight grooves and beautiful ballads . . . a lifetime of inspiration," states Smith. "Ultimately I'm really proud of the playing on Live In Brooklyn. It's more straight-ahead than my previous recordings and it truly captures the essence and vibe of the session I ran with Aronoff for four years."

Guitarist Perry Smith combines the tradition of jazz with broad influences from contemporary music to create his signature style. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Smith is now based in Brooklyn where he leads his own groups and is a sideman for local and touring artists. Smith's extensive performance resume includes notable venues and festivals such as the Blue Note Jazz Club (NYC & Tokyo), Smalls Jazz Club (NYC), Dizzy's Club (NYC), Montreal Jazz Festival, Java Jazz Festival (Indonesia), Jazz a la Calle (Uruguay), Rochester Jazz Festival, Philippine International Jazz Festival, The Healdsburg Guitar Festival and SFJazz.

In 2018 Smith released his third album as a leader "New Angel" on his own label Smith Tone Records. The project features 10 original compositions for his quintet featuring Jon Irabagon (sax), Glenn Zaleski (piano), Matt Aronoff (bass) and Allan Mednard (drums). The music expands on the traditions of jazz with a fresh approach to modern composing and improvising.

Smith is an active player in the greater New York jazz scene and from 2014-2018 he hosted a weekly series in Brooklyn called "The Nest Session. Every Wednesday for four years he performed with a different group of NYC's finest jazz musicians. The Nest Session was generously supported by a grant from KeyedUp.org, in conjunction with the Jazz Foundation of America. Smith built the session from scratch along with bassist Matt Aronoff starting at a venue named Soda Bar. The session continues today at the Nest as a grant funded series providing opportunities to a wide array of jazz artists in New York City.

In addition to leading his own projects and working as a sideman, Smith is a founding member of the critically acclaimed New West Guitar Group. Based in Los Angeles featuring guitarists John Storie and Will Brahm, NWGG has been performing internationally for over ten years and they are recognized as one of the premier guitar ensembles in the country.

In 2005, Smith received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Flora L. Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California, where he studied guitar with jazz legend Joe Diorio. In 2011 he completed his Masters in Music at New York University studying with the great John Scofield. Smith was named the "Outstanding Graduate" for 2011 in the NYU Jazz Department.

Perry Smith On Tour

(All dates with his Quartet unless otherwise noted)

NYC CD Release Celebration! - October 10 @ Smalls Jazz Club

October 11 - Jimmy Can't Dance, Louisville, KY

October 12 - Rudy's Jazz Room, Nashville, TN

October 17 - Bar Next Door, NYC (w/Perry Smith Trio)

October 23 - Angel City Jazz Festival, LA, CA (w/New West Guitar Group)

October 25 - Laughing Planet, Reno, NV

November 6 - Twins Jazz, Washington, D.C.

November 8 - Nighttown, Cleveland, OH

November 19 - Halyards, Brooklyn, NY

New Music Releases: Out To Dinner; Michael Musillami / Rich Syracuse; Kid Millions & Sarah Bernstein

Out To Dinner – Different Flavors

Listeners everywhere are invited to join the fun with the Out To Dinner band and audition a variety of their Different Flavors. Our trusty producer Marc Free continues on an ambitious course of cooking up a visionary series of demand building releases. This latest project features a musical menu of inspired presentations from a curated group with unique instrumentation. It also prompts listeners to expand their sonic palettes to include this adventurous exploration of the jazz genre. This engagingly enjoyable album is a stellar quintet date featuring front line performances from vibraphonist Behn Gillece, trombonist Michael Dease and saxophonist Tim Green moving freely over the solid harmonic foundation of bassist Boris Kozlov and the explosive metrics of drummer Rudy Royston. With the menu full of Different Flavors, we are confident that the collaborative journey of Out To Dinner will bring delight to the ears of every jazz fan and hopefully encourage navigation steadily away from the known and familiar and towards the uncharted depths of modern collective improvisation.

Michael Musillami / Rich Syracuse - Dig

Playscape Recordings is proud to release Dig - music inspired by and dedicated to Bill Evans, a duo recording by veteran guitarist/composer Michael Musillami and master bassist and co-leader Rich Syracuse. This is the duo s third recording, following Of the Night - the music of Wayne Shorter, released in 2016 and Bird Calls - the music of Charles Mingus, released in 2017. After continually adding music composed or inspired by Bill Evans to their live performance repertoire, Musillami and Syracuse felt a strong desire to document an open and expansive vision of Evans often played pieces. The duo, manipulating harmonic content, time and color wanted to put their stamp on the music they had been listening to for 40+ years. In veteran pianist Peter Madsen s liner notes, composed for this release, he writes, For me the artistic expression of inner feelings through music reached a highpoint with the playing of this genius poet of the piano! Bill Evans presence in the jazz world through his improvisations and compositions has strongly affected not only pianists but also musicians on all instruments who strive to follow in his path of beauty, creativity and deep communication. The CD you are now holding is a perfect example demonstrating how his influence has motivated two great musicians of today to honor the great Bill Evans by using his compositions and pieces he has made famous as vehicles for their creative musical explorations! On this CD, brilliant guitarist Michael Musillami and creative double bassist Rich Syracuse dig deep into standards like Blue in Green, Nardis and All Blues as well as some not so famous masterpieces like 12 Tone Tune, Bill's Hit Tune and How My Heart Sings. The CD s second track, Twelve Tone Tune takes the listener on an open-ended avant-romp that tugs on the strings of convention, says Musillami. On Nardis, written by Miles Davis and one of my favorite pieces, we deconstructed the song form to suit the moment with unpredictable results

Kid Millions & Sarah Bernstein – Broken Fall

When Kid Millions and Sarah Bernstein conceptualized their new album, they decided to move away from well-trodden improvisational approaches and towards more transcendental, otherworldly sounds. Pulling inspiration from disparate influences such as early liturgical music, Ornette Coleman, Yoko Ono, masters of dub and drummer Milford Graves, they set out to create a cyclical form of spontaneous thematic music. The result is driving and expressive, with pieces of gem-like brevity placed alongside others of sustained evolving intensity. The duo started playing together regularly in 2014. Their early performances were surprising, suggesting new avenues of spontaneous composition. They gradually developed an approach that utilizes an extreme range of dynamics and note density, from pin-drop violin pizzicato and cymbal scraping to powerful electronics, wild vocalizations, and unrelenting drum textures. 'Broken Fall' is their second album with 577 Records. This recording is the first to include Sarah's poetry as lyrics. The text is barely decipherable, intertwined musically with her otherwise wordless vocal expression, yet the rhythm of the words and the meaning drives the temperament of the album. "Broken Fall" is a huge step forward for the duo; an album that fully captures their fluent musical relationship.

Notes From The Road: A Message From Chick Corea Live from the Tokyo Jazz Festival

Here's an update from Chick Corea from his current tour...

1 September 19 – from Tokyo, Japan

Hi all!

The Akoustic Band and the Elektric Band were back at it for a jam-packed, exhilarating three days of shows in Japan this past week!

Kicking things off in Osaka was The Akoustic Band at Billboard Live, a high-end entertainment club housing well-known acts from all over the world. The trio performed to two sold-out crowds and featured a rich setlist of songs, including "Humpty Dumpty," "In A Sentimental Mood," a Scarlatti sonata and, fittingly, "A Japanese Waltz." The night was a hit, and the responses from the two wonderfully appreciative Japanese audiences certainly reflected that. 

Next was the highly-anticipated Tokyo Jazz Festival. The setting for this festival was NHK Hall, an immaculate-sounding 3,500-seat auditorium owned and operated by the largest broadcasting network in Japan: NHK. A completely full house greeted the Akoustic Band with booming applause as they entered and kept it going throughout the night—from the opening "On Green Dolphin Street" through the encore of "Spain." Friends and fellow musicians backstage, by the likes of Avishai Cohen, Kamasi Washington, etc., also expressed how magical it was to see the trio do their thing that night.

Osaka, Japan // 28 August 2019

The following night, and the final night of Tokyo Jazz, was the Elektric Band—performing for the first time together in over a year. The group came out and absolutely "galvanized" the sold-out crowd with "Charged Particles" and continued on with favorites like "CTA", "Alan Corday", and finally, a smoking performance of "Got A Match?" (a snippet of which you can catch here). No one in the crowd wanted that night to end. One musician backstage said afterwards, of the experience of watching the Elektric Band play: "It was like watching 5 superheroes on stage, firing off laser beams the whole night."

Though it was a short stint in the Land of the Rising Sun, it was a wildly successful one, replete with high-flying musicianship and elated audiences. Chick will find himself back on the road at the beginning of October with Christian McBride and Brian Blade—stay tuned!

Regards,

Jordin & the Corea road crew

New Music Releases: Booker T. & The MG's; Rob Mazurek; Mats Eilertsen

Booker T. & The MG's - The Complete Stax Singles Vol. 1 (1962-1967)

First of all, as the house band of the hallowed Stax label and studio, The MG's pretty much invented the sound of Southern soul, playing on records by everybody from Otis Redding to Wilson Pickett to Carla Thomas. Second, on their own as Booker T & the MG's, they came up with some of the most indelible instrumental jams of all time, including but by no means limited to! "Green Onions." And, third, each member of the band was an absolute monster on their instrument, to this day revered and copied by untold numbers of musicians. Indeed, by the time the mid '60s rolled around, bands on both sides of the Atlantic wanted to sound like Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper, Al Jackson, Jr, and Lewie Steinberg (replaced about halfway through this collection by the great Donald "Duck" Dunn). And what was that sound? Well, a typical MG's tune started from the bottom-up, resting on the rock-solid drumbeat of Jackson and the in-thepocket bass work of Steinberg and, later, Dunn, over which keyboardist Jones and guitarist Cropper traded slinky and/or stinging licks. But these cats weren't just riffhappy groove masters; Jones basically codified the classic Hammond organ sound and Cropper's guitar tone remains the Holy Grail of anyone who's ever picked up a Fender Telecaster. Together, they recorded 49 single sides for Stax under the name of Booker T. & the MG's, and you'll find the first 29 (yes, 29!) of 'em right here, released on a single CD or double-LP pressed in blue vinyl and limited to 1000 copies. As for the music, it pretty much speaks for itself: 29 songs, 15 of which reached the charts, including, along with "Green Onions," such classics as "Boot-Leg," "Hip Hug-Her," and "My Sweet Potato." Get ready to get into the groove and stay there for a nice, long while!

Rob Mazurek - Desert Encrypts Vol 1

A really beautiful record from Rob Mazurek – and one of his most different recordings in years! The set's a quartet date, recorded live – and has especially strong input from Kris Davis, who plays both piano and prepared piano – using the acoustic instrument to inflect the music of Mazurek in a really different way! Also great is bassist Ingegbrigt Haker Flaten – always a great presence, but maybe more conventionally swinging at times here than usual, if that's possible. Although the bass may well be driven strongly by the drums of Chad Taylor – a longtime partner of Rob's, but also really showing the growth he's experienced since their more frequent projects from ten to twenty years back. Mazurek himself is almost understated, but in a way that lets the whole group work strongly as a whole – and Rob plays piccolo, trumpet, and modular synth! ~ Dusty Groove

Mats Eilertsen - Reveries And Revelations

"It is a sort of solo album, I guess, but not in the way I would normally do it", Mats Eilertsen says. "I wanted to do something that came out of the bass itself. Whereas normally I would record a lot of tracks and see what I had in the end, but more or less as they were played, this one is produced, cut, edited and layered from the beginning." Eilertsen is well-established as one of Norway's most internationally recognised jazz musicians, as well as one of Europe's leading double bass players. His new album is an unusually constructed self-build project whose contents were put together ("arranged and assembled" is the credit on the sleeve) by Eilertsen using contributions recorded separately by each of his chosen cast of collaborators. "It's me fooling around in a way I haven't done myself before, and also playing organ, some guitar and additional stuff. Then I imagined some musicians that I would like to have adding their own touch to it."'Reveries & Revelations' presents the listener with an immersive blend of sound and music that, like the experimental score for some yet to be realised film - part tense thriller, part Tarkovsy-like art movie, and, perhaps, part horror film - conjures up a wealth of richly allusive and atmospheric detail. The sonic events that make up the ten separate tracks of the album (although the whole sequence can function very successfully as a continuous suite). 

New Music Releases: Raphael Saadiq, Enrico Rava & Joe Lovano, Moonchild

Raphael Saadiq - Jimmy Lee

The deepest, most political album we've ever heard from Raphael Saadiq – a set named after his brother, Jimmy Lee – an addict who died an unfortunate early death! Saadiq takes all the pain from his brother's trauma, and works it into a series of songs that go farther than anything we've ever heard from the singer before – music that still carries that full, rich punch that's always made the mature Raphael far more of a soulful force than we ever would have expected in his youth – but in ways that are tremendously resonant today, and do a fantastic job of linking the personal and the political. Titles include "This World Is Drunk", "So Read", "Kings Fall", "Something Keeps Calling", "My Walk", "Belongs To God", "Glory To The Veins", "Rearview", and "Rikers Island Redux". ~ Dusty Groove

Enrico Rava & Joe Lovano - Roma

A beautiful pairing of two very distinct jazz talents – trumpeter Enrico Rava and tenorist Joe Lovano – each masters of phrasing, but in very different ways – working here together in a relaxed live setting that really lets them shine! The set was recorded in Rome, with open tracks that have a different feel than they would if ECM had captured the duo in the studio – and support is from a very thoughtful, sensitive trio that features Giovanni Guidi on piano, Dezron Douglas on bass, and Gerald Cleaver on drums – two rhythm players who keep things soulful, but in subtle ways – and a pianist who can punctuate the solos wonderfully, and really keep them moving along. Titles include "Secrets", "Interiors", "Divine Timing", "Spiritual", and "Drum Song". ~ Dusty Groove

Moonchild - Little Ghosts

We've been loving Moonchild over their past few records, but this set may well be their greatest moment so far – a really well-conceived set of 21st Century soul – put together with a style that's lean, but a sound that's rich and vibrant all the way through! The group are just a trio, with great lead vocals from Amber Navran – and although most tracks feature beats and keyboards, they've evolved the approach strongly past more familiar modes used a decade or two back in the neosoul underground – to a point where the style is completely fresh, and very well-suited to the vocals! Titles include "Wise Women", "The Other Side", "Get To Know It", "Nova", "Whistling", "Come Over", "What You're Doing", "Sweet Love", and "The Other Side". ~ Dusty Groove

New Music Releases: Dusty Springfield; Parker Louis; Wendy Kirkland

Dusty Springfield - Dusty in Memphis

Recorded at American Sound Studio in Memphis, Dusty in Memphis, is her greatest LP. Dusty worked with a stellar team of musicians and producers that included Jerry Wexler, Arif Mardin, Tom Dowd, conductor Gene Orloff, backing vocalists The Sweet Inspirations, bassist Tommy Cogbill, and guitarist Reggie Young. Initial reaction and sales were disappointing on release, but the album has since been rediscovered and critically lauded as one of the greatest records of all time. In 2001, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Features songs by the cream of 20th century songwriters – Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil, Goffin/King, Randy Newman & Burt Bacharach/Hal David. Includes Dusty’s classic takes on Son of a Preacher Man (a top-10 hit in the UK), Breakfast in Bed, Just One Smile, I Don’t Want to Hear About It Anymore, So Much Love and Just a Little Lovin’ – in all cases improving on the originals! This 50th anniversary edition has been remastered at half-speed at Abbey Road Studios, London. Includes download card.

Parker Louis - All Good Things

A definite good thing from Parker Louis – a soul singer with a great ear for a mellow groove, and a style that really wraps his vocals up with the wider glow of the overall production! The approach is a bit hard to describe – almost as if Parker's got an ear trained on the sound of 70s AOR, but wants to deliver things with a more homegrown quality that's nicely personal and never slick at all – and also a bit free from some of the cliches that some of of his contemporaries might hit, if they're not too careful to stray from their influences. The record's a very personal one – very warm and winning, with titles that include "Someone To Love", "Wide Open", "Only Fire", "Vibe", "No Love Lately", and "Waiting". ~ Dusty Groove

Wendy Kirkland – The Music’s On Me

'The Music's On Me' is the much anticipated new album by jazz pianist and vocalist Wendy Kirkland. Described as 'the unsung heroine of British Jazz' by The Jazz Mann and 'mellow and Stylish' by the Sunday Times, Kirkland continues to consolidate her status as a force on the international circuit, not least in the space occupied by Piano Divas the title of her debut album, described by The Observer as 'proper jazz piano, excellent band. A very classy debut.' Her new album, 'The Music s On Me', is a selection of original and lyricised pieces Kirkland having written her own words to songs by Michel Petrucciani ('September Second'), Russell Malone ('Playground'), Wes Montgomery ('West Coast Blues') and Don Grolnick ('Pools') alongside her own compositions. Joining her long term collaborators Pat Sprakes on guitar, Paul Jefferies on bass and Steve Wyndham on drums are guest musicians Tommaso Starace on sax and Roger Beaujolais on vibraphone. Wendy Kirkland's voice has been likened to Blossom Dearie with hints of Diana Krall, though insists on being called a pianist-singer rather than a singer-pianist having been classically trained from an early age, then developing a love for jazz through inspiration from her father, who played piano and organ in social clubs as backing for guest singers and musicians.

 

New Music Releases: Chloe Flower; David Garfield featuring Smokey Robinson, David Sandorn, Michael McDonald; Dan Pitt Trio

Chloe Flower - Get What U Get [Solo Piano Version]

Of the new version, Chloe says, ""One of best things about being an instrumentalist is that I can arrange almost any song into a peaceful piano song!  I'm so excited to explore a new dimension of ‘Get What U Get', this one being a completely different version, one that you can relax to!" Following her show-stealing performance alongside Cardi B at the 2019 Grammy Awards, Chloe Flower released her much-anticipated debut single "Get What U Get" on Sony Music Masterworks.  Upon release, the track debuted at the top of iTunes' Classical Chart, holding the No. 1 spot that same day.  Co-produced with Tommy Brown, Anthony "Tone" Jones and Chloe's longtime collaborator Babyface, "Get What U Get" includes nods to Chopin and Beethoven mixed with the style and flare of a hit pop record.   Following the track's debut, Chloe premiered her first-ever music video for the track, which also notched a top spot on iTunes' Classical music video chart and reached the top 10 on iTunes' overall music video charts upon its release.

David Garfield – One Like You featuring Smokey Robinson, David Sandorn, Michael McDonald

The brand new single from David Garfield’s “Outside The Box” series, “One Like You” is a romantic R&B, yet smooth groove leaning to the old-school vibe, definitely a song to be listened to on a candlelit Friday night in loving company. Co-written by the legendary Smokey Robinson, who has been called “America’s greatest poet” by Bob Dylan, the melodies and lyrics follow in the footsteps of the iconic Robinson’s classic songwriting stylings such as “My Girl”, “Tears of a Clown”, “I Second That Emotion” and “Ooo Baby, Baby”. Joining Smokey on the vocals is long-time Garfield collaborator Michael McDonald for a perfect Motown-style duet. Also featured on the track are David Sanborn (sax), Randy Jacobs & Tony Pulizzi (guitars), and “Ready” Freddie Washington (bass). This is a rare and dynamic collaboration between these great artists, together for the first to bring this magical track for your listening enjoyment. ~ smoothjazz.com

Dan Pitt Trio – Fundamentally Flawed

The Dan Pitt Trio is an exciting addition to Toronto’s jazz and creative music scene led by guitarist Dan Pitt.  The trio’s debut album “Fundamentally Flawed” is a unique collection of music with thrilling left turns and spontaneous moments of composition and  improvisation. Heavily influenced by the ECM records of Paul Motian, this music combines a variety of styles and influences over a strong jazz foundation. Completing this dynamic trio are two of the most creative musicians in Toronto, bassist Alex Fournier and drummer Nick Fraser who’s musician ship and creativity elevate this music to new heights. The CD will be officially released on October 18th, and will be celebrated with a performance at Burdock Music Hall in Toronto on Monday October 21st at 9pm.  The trio will also be doing a Canadian tour in November to help celebrate the release.

New Music Releases: Chairmen Of The Board, Erik Charlston Jazz Brasil, Avishai Cohen

Chairmen Of The Board - Gold (3CD set)

A great little set that offers up way more than just gold records from Chairmen Of The Board – as the 3CD set is overflowing with a great variety of music that shows why COTB were one of the most unique soul groups of their time! In addition to classics, there's some great overlooked album cuts, work from a time when the group featured Prince Harold in the lead, and excellent solo cuts by members Danny Woods, General Johnson, and Harrison Kennedy – who each got a chance to record a record on their own for the Invictus label! Throughout it all, that Holland Dozier Holland soul machine sound is firmly in force – on a set of 60 titles that include "Tricked & Trapped", "Let Me Down Easy", "Bittersweet", "Love At First Sight", "I Can't Find Myself", "What's The Use", "You've Got Me Dangling On A String", "Hanging On To A Memory", "Since The Days Of Pigtails & Fairytales", "Everybody Party All Night", "You've Got Extra Added Power In Your Love", "Live With Me Love With Me", "Didn't We", "Children Of Today", and "Try My Love On For Size" - plus solo tracks "Hypnotic Music" and "Sunday Morning People" by Harrison Kennedy, "Everybody's Talkin" and "Let Me Ride" by Danny Woods, and "I'm In Love Darling" and "Every Couple's Not A Pair" by General Johnson. ~ Dusty Groove

Erik Charlston Jazz Brasil - Hermeto – Voice & Wind

This isn't the first time that vibist Erik Charlston has paid tribute to the music of Hermeto Pascoal – but the set's definitely a cooker that lives up to the strong legacy of Brazilian music and jazz that we've always loved in Hermeto's creations! Songs are mostly by Pascoal, but the set also includes tunes by Egberto Gismonti and Lenine too – all transformed in the fresh, original arrangements by Erik – who plays vibes and marimba, and even sings a bit on one track – in a group that includes Ted Nash on saxes and flute, Mark Soskin on piano, Jay Anderson on bass, and Rogerio Boccato on drums and percussion. Titles include "Voz E Vento", "Loro", "Nem Um Talvez", "Alegria Do Vaquerio", "A Gandaia Das Ondas/Pedra E Areia", "Aquela Coisa", and "A Fala Da Paixao". ~ Dusty Groove

Avishai Cohen - Arvoles

Bassist Avishai Cohen never fails to delight our ears – he's always got ways of opening things up past the usual – keeping his instrument upfront, and in a very personal placement on a recording – while also encouraging the others to really bring their best ideas into play! Here, the core is a piano trio – with Elchi Shirinov on the keys and Noam David on drums – already working in these really fresh rhythmic combinations with Cohen, then exploding with color when augmented by the flute of Anders Hagberg and trombone of Bjorn Samuelsson! Most of the album's tunes are Cohen originals, filled with life and fire – and titles include "New York 90s", "Simonero", "Face Me", "Gesture #2", and "Childhood". ~ Dusty Groove

Jazz Musician and Pianist, David Rodgers, Set to Release "Doorways"

Genre-bending artist, David Rodgers has combined his classical training and jazz roots in his sophomore album, Doorways, which is set for release on Sept.1.

“‘Doorways’ is a symbolic project, representing the many ways we interact with change. A doorway can represent either coming towards or leaving an opportunity – often times it signifies both simultaneously,” commented Rodgers about the meaning behind the album. 

Rodgers invited nearly 50 Nashville-based musicians to contribute to the ten tracks that constitute the album, which is an honest reflection of Jazz and improvised instrumental music. All of Rodgers’ diverse inspirations, implications and truths are interwoven through the tracklisting. He hopes that people feel a connection to his music as they listen through the album. “Without trying to dictate a prescribed experience, I hope the diversity in the music reflects the truth of diversity in our environments,” explains Rodgers.

From songs that were influenced by Jazz in the 1950s and 1960s to others which were written while on tour, Rodgers has chosen pieces that compositionally reflect the musical environment of Jazz in Nashville and highlight the strengths the musicians he worked with on the project. One of the stand-out tracks from the album, “Diamond Dave,” is a homage to the most memorable year of his life on the road with Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’. “Every evening either Keb’ or Taj would introduce the band and come up with different little tidbits, stories, or jokes for each band member. One night Keb’ introduced me, ‘All the way from Pasadena, CA…’ to which Taj interrupted, roaring ‘Diamond Dave!’ Everyone on stage doubled over laughing, and the nickname stuck,” commented Rodgers.

Rodgers believes musicians are the music. His goal was to create landscapes or musical structures that would cater to the creative strengths of the musicians and allow for the greatest freedom of expression for the musicians on the record. Rodgers explains, “People usually think of Nashville as Country music central. But there’s an incredible depth of creativity that extends well-beyond the mainstream. ‘Doorways’ takes you behind the scenes and offers a glimpse at the unique, relevant music brewing just below the surface in Music City.”

Following the release of his debut album, Songs For a Generation, Rodgers has toured worldwide performing everywhere from the Hollywood Bowl in L.A, to the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. Time off the road gave Rodgers the time to pour into this new project. Consisting of all of his own original compositions and arrangements, it is music that blends the influences he discovered while on the road with the hip-hop generation he lives and creates within.

Since graduating from Vanderbilt Blair School of Music, Rodgers life has been a whirlwind of change. He began touring with Blues legends, Keb’ Mo’ & Taj Mahal as part of their 2017-2018 TajMo International Tour and has continued to tour with Keb’ Mo’s band as keyboardist and musical director. Due to his extensive resume, Rodgers sound is a culmination of many influences. Doorways provides the listener a glimpse into his constantly changing musical scenery.

California native and current Nashville resident, David Rodgers is one of the most exciting young talents on the Jazz scene today. Currently an active member of Keb’ Mo’s band as keyboardist and musical director, he has also toured or performed with musicians including Taj Mahal, Kirk Whalum, and Jeff Coffin worldwide at the Montreux Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, and the Playboy Jazz Festival, among many others. David is a graduate of Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music where he pursued both classical and jazz piano performance.

Combining his classical training with deep improvisational roots in both jazz and blues, David has won numerous competitions: the 2018 Belmont University Concerto Competition, in which he won with his very own composition, “Concerto For Jazz Piano & Orchestra;” the 2016 Vanderbilt University Concerto Competition; and the 2016 James Miltenberger International Jazz Piano Competition.

https://www.davidmrodgers.com/ 

Multi-faceted jazz vocalist La Tanya Hall presents her new album “Say Yes”

There’s something beautiful about an artist finally embracing and taking command of her own musical vision and deeper artistry after years of bringing vocal perfection to the music of legends. After enjoying accolades while singing, performing and touring with icons in numerous genres as a support artist, La Tanya Hall re-emerges as a multi-faceted jazz vocalist and interpreter extraordinaire with her new full length album, Say Yes, set for release November 8th, 2019.

Though her gorgeous, emotionally intuitive vocals take center stage, the expansive collection is, at heart, a collaborative effort with Unison, a newly formed NYC trio led by Hall’s husband Andy Milne on piano, featuring John Hebert on bass and Clarence Penn on drums. Say Yes was produced and arranged by Milne, a distinct and respected voice at the heart of NYC’s creative jazz scene for over 20 years.

While Say Yes is technically a follow-up to La Tanya’s 2009 recording, It’s About Time, she sees Say Yes as the first project that is a true reflection of her artistic spirit. Fans wondering why it took her so many years to return to the studio can look to her busy schedule touring these past seven years with Steely Dan – and her 10-year career as an instructor, passing along her experience and expertise to the next generation of singers as Associate Professor of Jazz Voice at Oberlin Conservatory and at The New School in NYC.

Over the years, La Tanya’s versatility in a multitude of genres has made her a first-call vocalist for some of music’s most celebrated artists, including Diana Ross, Bobby McFerrin, Harry Belafonte, Michael McDonald, Burt Bacharach, Quincy Jones, Aretha Franklin, Rob Thomas, Patti Labelle, Michael Feinstein and Steve Tyrell. Developing her solo artistry, she has performed in recent years at some of New York’s most renowned venues, including Jazz at Lincoln Center, Birdland, Symphony Space, Iridium, and Feinstein’s/54 Below. In addition, she has appeared as a soloist with the American Composer’s Orchestra, the Colorado Symphony, the Jefferson Symphony and the St. Louis Symphony.

“I have been busy singing with everybody else,” La Tanya says, “and even though my first album received critical acclaim, it featured arrangements that I couldn’t fully immerse myself in vocally and as an artist. So, with Say Yes, I was eager to present material that would support and showcase my disposition and broad range of musical tastes. Working so closely with my husband afforded me a trusting, collaborative dynamic that allowed me to sing as fully and as freely as I could.”

Besides her exquisite vocal tone and Milne’s elegant arrangements and piano work, the most remarkable aspect of Say Yes is La Tanya’s unique choices of material – a set list that truly reflects her deep musical curiosity, spanning generations and many genres. She reaches outside the jazz realm with lush re-imaginings of folk-rocker Jonatha Brookes’ “Because I Told You So” (which the singer calls “the most personal song on the album to me”) and Joni Mitchell’s “The Fiddle and the Drum” – a Vietnam era tune whose poetry resonates perfectly in response to today’s intense socio-political climate.

Another remarkable theme that La Tanya develops with this recording is the decision to re-interpret classic jazz pieces that originated as instrumentals before lyrics were added later. These include “All You Need To Say,” which first appeared as the instrumental “Never Say Yes” on Cannonball Adderley’s 1961 album with Nancy Wilson; Benny Golson’s “Whisper Not,” whose lyrics were added later by Leonard Feather; “Pannonica,” Thelonious Monk’s tribute to elusive “patron saint of jazz” Pannonica de Koenigswarter, with lyrics added later by Jon Hendricks; another Monk-Hendricks classic, “Well You Needn’t”; and Clare Fischer’s “Pensativa,” whose lyrics were later penned by Norma Winstone.

In addition, La Tanya reaches back to 1944 and revamps Cole Porter’s classic, “Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye,” incorporating a Pablo Neruda poem which adds new life to the already powerful lyrics, to 1942 for a fresh, bourbon-soaked spin on Fats Waller’s “Jitterbug Waltz,” and to 1916 for the Raymond Hubbell tune “Poor Butterfly,” – the latter of which is a part of La

New Music Releases: Ray Obiedo; Keely Smith; Evan Parker & Matthew Wright

Ray Obiedo - Carousel

The ninth release by Bay Area guitarist and composer Ray Obiedo, Carousel on Rhythmus Records, is another collection of original compositions fused with Contemporary Jazz, Latin and Brasilian-styled rhythms. His eclectic groove-oriented compositions never stray far from his love of R&B. The melodies are simply stated, and gracefully glide over jazz influenced chord structures. Obiedo enlisted some of the music industries top musicians and longtime cohorts for the project. Santana members David K. Mathews and Karl Perazzo contribute their expertise. Percussionist Peter Michael Escovedo, steal pan master Andy Narell and Tower of Power drummer Dave Garibaldi all make appearances. Harmonica master Toots Thielemans is featured on "Song for Jules". Yellowjacket's saxophonist Bob Mintzer appears on two tracks, "Jinx" and "Modern World". Carousel also features reed player Norbert Stachel, steel pan player Phil Hawkins, pianist Peter Horvath and trumpeter Mike Olmos. Obiedo has 5 previous releases the Windham Hill Jazz label. This is his third release on his own Oakland-based Rhythmus Records label. The music on "Carousel" is a highly energized and hypnotically rhythmic soundscape, revealing all the passion, flavor, color and style of the San Francisco Bay Area which conceived, nourished and inspired Obiedo's latest musical venture.

Keely Smith - You're Breaking My Heart

After the huge success of 1964's Sings the Lennon-McCartney Songbook in the UK, Keely went to London to record the sessions that became You're Breaking My Heart. Since it only came out in the U.K., it's easily the rarest of Keely's Reprise albums and a real gem, featuring renditions of Willie Nelson and Patsy Cline's "Crazy" and Neal Hefti's "Sunday Mornin.'" And for this Expanded Edition, we have excavated a genuine treasure, a demo version of Tony Hatch's classic song "Call Me!" Remastered from original tape sources by Mike Milchner at SonicVision, and featuring liner notes by Steve Hochman with vintage photos, this debut CD release of You're Breaking My Heart restores a key missing piece of the Keely Smith discography!

Evan Parker & Matthew Wright - Trance Map And Crepuscule In Nickelsdorf

A dream-like aura surrounds these recordings by Evan Parker and Mathew Wright - Trance Map+ from the Jazz Festival Nickelsdorf: Crepuscule in Nickelsdorf. "Filtered through the silicon of the hard drive, birds and insects often sound electronically generated and some of the synthesized sounds, designed in software, sound like birds and insects with wings of their own," writes American journalist Bill Shoemaker. The real seems virtual; the virtual seems real - it is the ambiguity essential to the power of dreams. Evan Parker and Matt Wright met in 2008 and out of their first studio sessions developed Trance Map - a project, that mixes field recordings, samples from cassettes, turntable scratching and the live processing of Evan Parkers's relentlessly evolving saxophone lines. Since that time Trance Map has developed to include live events across Europe. Evan Parker recommends playing Trance Map late at night at a low volume and letting the music point the way to and through sleep - beautiful dreams, that's what he wishes the listener. That may be possible with Crepuscule in Nickelsdorf, although the enthusiastic applause at the end of the performance confirms the audience remained wide awake throughout. A better send-off for the listener of this recording may well be to say Bon Voyage.

St. Paul Peterson’s new single “Something in the Water”

St. Paul Peterson’s new single “Something in the Water”, is a burning slice of greasy blues driven new funk. Take a big drink of the Minneapolis sound, kick back and let “Something in the Water” improve your funk stride no matter what city you hail from!  
 

Some songs celebrate the cultural legacies of cities like Chicago, Paris, New York, London, New Orleans, etc., “Something in the Water” celebrates the music of Minneapolis, MN, a city that has produced legends like Bob Dylan, Prince, The Replacements, Soul Asylum, Husker Du, Willie Murphy, Wee Willie Walker, and current stars like Lizzo and Atmosphere. One need only look at the performance and production bio of St. Paul Peterson to understand his fingerprints on 4 generations of popular music.

St. Paul Peterson’s new single “Something in the Water”, is a burning slice of greasy blues driven new funk. Take a big drink of the Minneapolis sound, kick back and let “Something in the Water” improve your funk stride no matter what city you hail from!   

Co-Produced and co-written by St. Paul Peterson and long-time collaborator Oliver Leiber (Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Paula Abdul, Beth Hart et al) at Ollywood Studios in LA and Creation Audio in Minneapolis. “Something in the Water” was inspired by a question often raised, “Why is Minneapolis so funky?”  St. Paul Peterson addresses this question in song form, explaining it must be “Something In the Water.”

“Oliver Leiber and I have been writing songs together going all the way back to 1986 and my first solo single, “Rich Man,” explains Peterson. “He understands what I want to say and is the ultimate collaborator. His clever lyrics and incredible guitar playing set the tone to explain why Minneapolis is so funky.”

“St. Paul Peterson, “Something in the Water” new single is a simmering synth-funk salute to the Minneapolis Sound, with shout-outs to Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Sonny T, Morris Day, André Cymone, Jellybean Johnson, Bobby Z, Willie Murphy and pretty much everyone but the Purple One, who so obviously influenced all this funkiness that he doesn’t need to be namechecked.” Jon Bream.

St. Paul Peterson came up in the 80s as the teenage keyboard player in the Purple Rain era line-up of The Time, appearing in the hit film and on the platinum selling album “Ice Cream Castle” (“The Bird”, “Jungle Love”). Subsequently enlisted by Prince to front The Family, who would release an eponymously titled album on Paisley Park featuring the singles “Screams of Passion”, “High Fashion” and the original recording of “Nothing Compares 2 U’. As a solo artist he scored Top 15 R&B and Top 40 Pop hits for MCA and Atlantic Records respectively. A multi-instrumentalist and platinum selling songwriter his resume includes names as varied as Mavis Staples. Paula Abdul, Brian Culbertson and Victor Wooten through to rockers Beth Hart, Peter Frampton, Kenny Loggins and Steve Miller Band. George Benson scored a Grammy nomination with the St. Paul Peterson penned ‘Song For My Brother’. In early 2019 St. Paul Peterson released his first new single in over two decades ‘You Got 2 Love’, which received a warm welcome back from BBC Radio, American Public Radio, and tens of thousands of streams from fans from around the world.

New Music Releases: The Brand New Heavies; Corey Christiansen; Bill O'Connell & The Afro Caribbean Ensemble

The Brand New Heavies - TBNH

Can it really be thirty years since The Brand New Heavies first sashayed into the public eye with a romantic's heart, a hedonist's spirit and a Superfly sensibility? A heady cocktail of Chic-style funk-pop, sunshine grooves and scorched soul balladry, the release of TBNH sees The Brand New Heavies writing a new chapter in what has been an illustrious journey whilst also marking a return to their spiritual home, Acid Jazz Records. Refined, reimagined and revisited, TBNH was recorded under the watchful eye of producer Sir Tristan Longworth, as Andrew elaborates; "as fathers of young kids, time was important, and we needed someone to crack the whip." Adding further with a grin; "he also makes these amazing gin and tonics with chilli's in. The pair also decided to feature various vocalists on these tracks, not only reuniting with Heavies alumni, N'Dea Davenport and Siedah Garret but collaborating with soul legends Beverley Knight and Angie Stone alongside current singer Angela Ricci and new boy on the block, label mate Laville - to present a gilt-edged collection of songs making arguably the best album of their career. Summed up by its cover artwork- shot in the suitably louche environs of ultra-hip nightspot Annabel's - Simon explains with a smile; "It's a bit clubby, a little bit sleazy, with a bit of luxury and a smidgen of street."

Corey Christiansen - La Proxima

With his collection of recordings over the last decade, guitarist Corey Christiansen reflected heavily on the great vistas of his Utah home, the West, and traditional melodies, while still fully imbuing his music with a modern jazz aesthetic. With that same penchant for exploring 'roots,' Christiansen's 6th Origin release borrows inspiration from the music that influenced him from Africa, through Cuba and into the States. While not an Afro-Cuban album per se, the more specifically explored rhythms & grooves that have always informed his playing, and that of his bandmates here - bassist David Belove, drummer Colin Douglas, and percussionist/co-producer Michael Spiro - add new layers of perspective, dance and feel.

Bill O'Connell & The Afro Caribbean Ensemble - Wind Off the Hudson

The art form commonly referred to as Latin Jazz is a musical expression of the heart and soul of New York, an exciting reflection of the rhythms and spirit of the city's merging of Latino and African-American cultures. The music of Bill O'Connell is a product of that environment. Since the 1970's, when he first joined Mongo Santamaria's band, O'Connell has continually proven himself not only as a highly skilled pianist, but as an outstanding composer-arranger as well. The Afro Caribbean Ensemble, ACE for short, makes their recording debut on this album and the star-studded roster perform O'Connell's tricky arrangements with virtuoso aplomb. O'Connell says, "I've been planning on this recording for the better part of the past decade." His dedication is evident in every bar. "Bill O'Connell's piano playing highlights his total command over the keys. Everything you could possibly look for in a pianist - taste, clarity of touch, technique, wit, erudition, harmonic depth, lyricism, rhythmic authority - is here for the taking."- Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz

 

Monkey House mixes up sophisticated R&B and contemporary jazz on “Friday”

It’s the quirkiest song on Monkey House’s new album, “Friday,” and the genre-blurring band pulled out a big gun to tell the story visually. The Academy Award-winning producer of “The Shape of Water,” J. Miles Dale, a huge Monkey House fan, directed the idiosyncratic “Shotgun” video. They’ll pull the trigger on the premiere this Friday on Vevo and YouTube (http://vevo.ly/tE969H).   

Most of “Friday” serves a cosmopolitan cocktail of sophisticated R&B, contemporary jazz progressions and funk-rock grooves penned with a nighttime vibe from an outsider’s perspective that Monkey House songwriter Don Breithaupt describes as someone “who is way down the rabbit hole.” But Breithaupt shifts gears on “Shotgun,” unadulteratedly indulging his fancy for pop and lightening the lyrical theme to someone crushing at first sight. The bouncy rhythm and vibrant hook offer a playful taste of fading summer, calling for a colorful video treatment. Getting Dale to direct the clip was an unexpected and very welcome circumstance. Monkey House coproducer and ALMA Records chief Peter Cardinali goes way back with Dale. Knowing that he’s a fan, Cardinali invited the Oscar winner into the studio as the band tracked horns for “Friday.” Dale hung out for hours and when he heard Cardinali express the desire to shoot a video for “Shotgun,” he offered to direct. 

“(Dale directing) is one of those wonderful things that falls into your lap. His fanship is genuine. He recently came to our debut live gig. Before we went on stage, he said to me, ‘If you forget the lyrics, look over at me. I’ll be singing right along,’” recalled Breithaupt, who produced the last two Monkey House albums with Cardinali.

The video was lensed in Toronto at Pinewood Studios, a world-class facility. “Miles called in his A team – lighting, cinematography, wardrobe, makeup, gaffers, etc. – that happened to be available. It was a massive crew. We had no idea the scale of what Miles was putting together until we showed up on the set. Initially, we thought the crew was there for a different shoot. Then we realized this big production was for us. That was kind of cool. But even then, the magic of what Miles captured on film is the spirit and energy of the song, which is pretty self-evident,” said Breithaupt.

Dale said, “The way this came together was fated. Unbeknownst to anyone, I was pretty much the #1 Monkey House fan out there. When I realized my old friend, Peter Cardinali, was producing their records, I asked to come into the studio to hang, listen, and meet Don (Breithaupt) and the band. When Peter told me he wanted to do a video for ‘Shotgun,’ I volunteered on the spot. Would not have missed the chance!”          

Monkey House’s fifth album, “Friday” debuted at No. 1 on the iTunes chart in Canada, Norway and several other territories, No. 4 in the United States and No. 5 on the pop charts in Germany when it dropped on July 26. The album also entered the Billboard chart at No. 11.

With Breithaupt handling piano, keyboards, organ, and lead and backing vocals, the core band that has been together for 25 years consists of guitarist Justin Abedin, drummer and percussionist Mark Kelso and bassist Pat Kilbride. Supplementing the sound is a horn section consisting of trumpeters William Sperandei and Tony Carlucci, alto saxophonist Vern Dorge, tenor saxophonist John Johnson and trombonist William Carn; along with percussionist Art Avalos and background vocalist Lucy Woodward. 

“We opted to use a small horn section on this album because I wanted it to feel more like a jazz gig, something more spare,” said Breithaupt. “After playing together for 25 years, now that I know my core band members so well, I can write things specific for each player. For instance, take the bassline on ‘10,000 Hours.’ Picturing Pat, I knew he’d be amazing on it. I tend to be very specific like that when I write. I then live with the bass, drum, guitar and keyboard tracks for a while before doing vocals and adding horns and percussion.”

Among the noteworthy guests on “Friday” is legendary Grammy winners Manhattan Transfer who ply their trademark voices to illumine “The Jazz Life.” Snarky Puppy guitarist Mark Lettieri shreds in the solo spotlight on the album opener, “10,000 Hours.” Drew Zingg (Boz Scaggs) delivers a timely guitar solo on “Nine O’clock Friday.” Michael Leonhart (Steely Dan) is featured blowing a regal muted trumpet throughout the amorous ode to New York City, adding warmth to “Island Off The Coast Of America.”