Ars Nova Workshop Unveils Lineup for 2019 October Revolution of Jazz & Contemporary Music October 1 - 31 | Philadelphia, PA

Ars Nova Workshop is excited to unveil the complete line-up for the 2019 October Revolution of Jazz & Contemporary Music. The festival’s third annual incarnation is its most ambitious and diverse to date, expanding from four days to an entire month of programming and featuring an eclectic mix of legendary artists and modern-day innovators. "We started this festival two years ago, hoping to bring a critical mass of the outstanding musicians that Ars Nova Workshop presents throughout the year together, in one place, around a single event that celebrates the spirit of improvisation, experimentation, and freedom, and provides an opportunity to settle in for deep listening that can cleanse our minds and refresh our souls,” states Mark Christman, Executive & Artistic Director of Ars Nova Workshop. The festival also marks the beginning of Ars Nova Workshop's 20th Anniversary Season, which is sure to include must-see performances throughout 2020.

The October Revolution, which The New York Times has called “a State of the Union for free improvisation and avant-garde composition,” has been committed to exploring the furthest edges of contemporary and experimental music in its myriad forms. The 2019 edition is no exception, with iconic figures who have helped shape the evolution of modern music for half a century alongside emerging stars altering its progression in distinctive new ways. The events will take place at venues across Philadelphia, with 13 ground-breaking performers and ensembles, more than half of them led by women, an indication of the festival’s (and the music’s) dedication to diversity and inclusion.

THE OCTOBER REVOLUTION 2019 FESTIVAL LINEUP:

The festival opens with a generation-bridging duo performance pairing NEA Jazz Master Roscoe Mitchell (founding member of the influential Art Ensemble of Chicago, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary) and Philly-based poet and musician Moor Mother (a member of the Art Ensemble’s latest manifestation). The month also includes the first Philly performance by Fred Frith (Henry Cow, Naked City) in three decades, leading a trio featuring a special surprise guest; Chicago drummer Makaya McCraven, a genre-blurring envelope-pusher whose ensemble will feature Tortoise guitarist Jeff Parker and Blue Note rising star Joel Ross on vibes; drone explorers Sarah Davachi, Matchess, Lea Bertucci and Angel Deradoorian (the latter a former key member of the Dirty Projectors); former Bad Plus pianist Ethan Iverson and his quartet with a rare Philly appearance by trumpeter Tom Harrell, celebrating their new ECM release; and an ultra-rare appearance by vocal legend Patty Waters in her first local concert in more than half a century.

The festival will also allow audiences to experience what may well be the landmark performance one of the city’s most beloved institutions, The Painted Bride Art Center: an awe-inspiring performance bringing together Adam Rudolph’s improvisatory Go: Organic Orchestra with the forward-looking Indian classical musicians of Brooklyn Raga Massive. Drummer Charlie Hall of indie-rock darlings The War on Drugs will assemble a special ensemble to pay tribute to the 50th anniversary of Miles Davis’s immortal album In a Silent Way. And the festival draws to a jaw-dropping close with the return of two long-dormant ensembles forged by vibraphone great Khan Jamal and now led by guitarist Monnette Sudler: Sounds of Liberation, which made a triumphant return to the stage earlier this year, this time with special guest saxophonist David Murray stepping in for the late, great Byard Lancaster; and the Creative Arts Ensemble featuring drummer Chuck Treece, recreating Jamal’s dizzying psych-jazz classic Drum Dance to the Motherland for the first time since its release in 1972.

Motown's 60th Anniversary Celebration Continues With Special, Limited Edition 'Motown In Mono' Vinyl Series

Five Classic Motown Albums Newly Remastered in Mono from Their Original Analog Master Tapes for 180-Gram Deluxe Vinyl Editions

Motown's 60th Anniversary celebration continues with today's announcement of a special, limited edition 'Motown In Mono' vinyl series, featuring The Four Tops' Reach Out (1967), The Marvelettes' Sophisticated Soul (1968), The Miracles' You've Really Got A Hold On Me (1963), Diana Ross & The Supremes' Reflections (1968), and The Temptations' The Temptations Sing Smokey (1965). To be released worldwide on November 8 by Motown/UMe, the albums are available now for preorder as a collectible five-LP set with a custom turntable slipmat, exclusively from The Sound of Vinyl's global online stores. All five albums are newly remastered from their original analog master tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, pressed on audiophile-quality 180-gram vinyl, and packaged in deluxe Stoughton tip-on jackets.

Motown’s 60th Anniversary celebration continues with today’s announcement of a special, limited edition ‘Motown In Mono’ vinyl series, featuring The Four Tops’ Reach Out (1967), The Marvelettes’ Sophisticated Soul (1968), The Miracles’ You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me (1963), Diana Ross & The Supremes’ Reflections (1968), and The Temptations’ The Temptations Sing Smokey (1965). To be released November 8 by Motown/UMe, the albums are available now for pre-order as a collectible five-LP set.

Sophisticated Soul has never before been commercially released in mono, and Reflections was issued in mono in the UK only. The mono LPs for You've Really Got A Hold On Me (also generally known, from the album's cover art, as The Fabulous Miracles), Reach Out, The Temptations Sing Smokey are long out-of-print and rare.

"There was a big reason why mono was a great thing for Motown -- the emphasis then was radio," explains remastering engineer Kevin Gray. "They did special mixes in mono, intended for radio, and those are the ones we grew up listening to."

"I'm approaching these Motown albums by trying to keep everything balanced within the same framework," Gray continues. "Within an album, I try to find a level that is representative of what the album was supposed to be, and then I match everything as closely as I can to that with EQ. I certainly don't find any need to add further compression. The tapes have held up well. I'm always pleased when that happens. It's been very rewarding to work on them, and they sounded very, very good."

Learn more about the 'Motown in Mono' vinyl series at http://mono.motown.com and preorder the limited edition five-LP set at https://soundofvinyl.lnk.to/MotownMonoSet.

Stream all of Motown's greatest hits: https://stream.lnk.to/Motown.

The Four Tops - Reach Out

SIDE 1

1. Reach Out I'll Be There

2. Walk Away Renee

3. 7–Rooms of Gloom

4. If I Were a Carpenter

5. Last Train to Clarksville

6. I'll Turn to Stone

SIDE 2

1. I'm a Believer

2. Standing in the Shadows of Love

3. Bernadette

4. Cherish

5. Wonderful Baby

6. What Else is There to Do (But Think About You)

The Marvelettes - Sophisticated Soul

SIDE 1

1. My Baby Must Be A Magician

2. Destination: Anywhere

3. I'm Gonna Hold On Long As I Can

4. Here I Am Baby

5. You're The One For Me Bobby

6. Reachin' For Something I Can't Have

SIDE 2

1. Your Love Can Save Me

2. You're The One

3. Don't Make Hurting Me A Habit

4. What's Easy For Two Is Hard For One

5. The Stranger

6. Someway, Somehow

The Miracles – You've Really Got A Hold On Me

SIDE 1

1. You've Really Got A Hold On Me (Wm. Robinson)

2. I've Been Good To You (Wm. Robinson)

3. Such Is Love, Such Is Life (Wm. Robinson)

4. I Can Take A Hint (Robinson, Bradford, Ossman, Rogers)

5. Won't You Take Me Back (Wm. Robinson)

SIDE 2

1. A Love She Can Count On (Wm. Robinson)

2. Whatever Makes You Happy (Wm. Robinson, R. White)

3. Heartbreak Road (Wm. Robinson, R. White)

4. Happy Landing (Wm. Robinson, R. White)

5. Your Love (Wm. Robinson)

Diana Ross & The Supremes – Reflections

SIDE 1

1. Reflections

2. I'm Gonna Make It (I Will Wait For You)

3. Forever Came Today

4. I Can't Make It Alone

5. In And Out Of Love

6. Bah-Bah-Bah

SIDE 2

1. What The World Needs Now Is Love

2. Up, Up And Away

3. Love (Makes Me Do Foolish Things)

4. Then

5. Misery Makes Its Home In My Heart

6. Ode To Billie Joe

The Temptations - The Temptations Sing Smokey

SIDE 1

1. My Girl

2. The Way You Do The Things You Do

3. What Love Has Joined Together

4. It's Growing

SIDE 2

1. Who's Lovin' You

2. You'll Lose A Precious Love

3. You've Really Got A Hold On Me

4. Baby, Baby I Need You

5. (You Can) Depend On Me

6. Way Over There

7. What's So Good About Goodbye

8. You Beat Me To The Punch

Singer and Songwriter CALVIN ARSENIA Unleashes What Critics Call "a Timeless Blend of Magic" with LA SESSIONS

LA Sessions- the new album by young ground-breaking singer and songwriter Calvin Arsenia is available now on CenterCut Records. The six-track record is a follow up to the harpist/multi-instrumentalist's critically acclaimed debut CANTALOUPE and features the achingly haunting single "Back To You" (LISTEN HERE).

Known for his magnetic voice and incandescent use of imagery and costumes, Calvin lets his soulful hypnotic vocal style rule while gathering around him some of music's most sought out musicians. His ability to seamlessly bend genres and fuse diverse musical styles shines through on multiple standout tracks, including "Falling Over," the playful "Poseidon," the gospel tinged "Dying," the jazzy R&B scorcher, "Smoke And Mirrors" and a smoldering version of Billie Holiday's treasured "Don't Explain." 

435 Magazine calls LA Sessions "…a timeless blend of soul, jazz and magic, bolstered by an all-star backing ensemble, and it showcases yet another side of Arsenia the chameleon."

Produced by Tony Braunagel, LA Sessions deftly showcases the eclectic young artist's incredible vocal gift and features Braunagel on percussion, Paul Brown on guitar, Mike Finnigan on keyboards, Freddie Washington on bass, and David Garfield on piano. Between them, the five musicians have worked with some of music's most iconic names, including Jimi Hendrix, George Benson, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Leonard Cohen, Bonnie Raitt, and more.

Arsenia's creative journey began when he moved to the Kansas City suburb of Olathe, teaching himself the guitar, and eventually the harp.  He learned his signature instrument at the age of 20, creating an irresistible alchemy of folk, rock, classical, rap and R&B, which has become his calling card in the Kansas City music scene and beyond.

Upon his national debut in 2018 he was named Kansas City's Best Musician (PitchKC/2018) while NPR said, " What may seem like genre-hopping in his latest album, Cantaloupe, is actually Arsenia looking past the boundaries of his gospel background and classical training to find the most direct line of expression to inform our common struggles…This is beautiful music with the capacity to create the shared immersive experience Arsenia reaches for. We are all the richer."

A US Tour kicks off September 27th at The Mint in Los Angeles, CA.

New Music Releases: Jason Palmer, Brendan Rothwell, Soulfusionseven

Jason Palmer - Rhyme & Reason

A really fantastic album from trumpeter Jason Palmer – one with a unique sort of group structure, which really brings out an edge in Palmer's playing! The lineup is piano-less – just Jason on trumpet, Mark Turner on tenor, Matt Brewer on bass, and Kendrick Scott on drums – working in these great blocky ways that have an inherent sense of rhythm, even though things are maybe looser and freer than usual too! Brewer's bass has this wonderfully rich tone, which deepens the record right from the get-go, and continues to hold strong – and Mark Turner's darker tones really bring out a different side of Palmer, especially in comparison to some of his "songbook" recordings. Kendrick Scott is always a delight on drums – and all tracks on the set are nice and long, with titles that include "The Hampton Inn", "Herbs In A Glass", "Kalispel Bay", "Waltz For Diana", "Sadhana", "Blue Grotto", and "Rhyme & Reason".  ~ Dusty Groove

Brendan Rothwell - Sentiment

Canadian bassist Brendan Rothwell traces his love of the instrument and its intense soul possibilities to hearing the legendary Marcus Miller play on Miles Davis’ 80’s classic TUTU. On the heels of a debut that charted both in the U.S and Canada, his latest album SENTIMENT, is an eclectic, deeply rhythmic sonic experience. He includes several picture perfect, frothy funk, Smooth Jazz tracks, but the collection’s deeper pleasures expand the emotional palette into neo-soul, jazz fusion and even ambient territory. Reminiscent of the most genre-transcendent works of Miller, Brian Bromberg and Stanley Clarke, these songs are meditative masterpieces, taking him to contemplative realms of expression rich with mood and immersive atmospheres. ~ smoothjazz.com  

Soulfusionseven – Acquital Of The Ego

Soulfusionseven are a collective of musicians originally founded by John Saltwell and Paul Baker to create a live act due to demand following the success of the single Summer Breeze written with singer Cheryl Aldridge. The song climbed to number 1 in the official UK soul chart in the summer of 2017 with the help of other band members Gary Richardson, Vicky Kaylor, Jude Linton and featuring the vocals of Amelia Melody. In early 2016 ‘Steppin’ up my love’ was remixed by a young Japanese producer called Yuki Tashahaki under the pseudonym ‘T Groove’ and it climbed to number 1 in Japan, number 1 in various other charts and number 6 in the official UK Soul Chart.They went to number 1 in the summer of 2017 in the Official UK Soul chart with their next release ‘Summer Breeze’ released on DSG records. 

New Music Releases: The Alex Levin Trio; Robyn Hayle; Susan Alcorn / Joe McPhee / Ken Vandermark

The Alex Levin Trio – A Sunday Kind Of Love

Alex Levin has been performing jazz in New York City and Philadelphia for more two decades. A native Philadelphian, he studied at The New School Jazz Program in the 90's before graduating from Brown University and moving to Berlin. His quartet, The Living Room, performed throughout Europe. Alex returned to New York City in 2001 and quickly established himself as an in-demand solo pianist and bandleader. Over the course of the last decade, Alex has released a series of critically acclaimed CD's, including Night and Distance, A Reason for Being Alone, New York Portraits, and, most recently, Refraction. With his trio in high demand in New York and the surrounding area, Alex continued to explore new sides of his musicianship. He established The Smoke Rings, a vintage-style swing band from Brooklyn, and The Lovesome, a swinging cool-jazz quartet. His trio is currently readying its fourth release, "A Sunday Kind of Love," for a 2019 release. On this new release, Alex’s piano is joined by Phil Rowan on bass and Ben Cliness on drums. Tracks include: “Sweets,” Cole Porter’s “What Is This Thing Called Love,” and “Blues for Wynton Kelly.”

Robyn Hayle - So Much

" It's always great to hear a new take on jazz vocalizing and this lady certainly does that! BUT YOU DO is my favorite cut but the others are great and so modern!" ~ Russ Davis/Voice of America. Montreal-born and Toronto-based, this jazz chanteuse has had a fascinatingly chameleonic career, and draws from a deep well of experience in creating her work. Hayle’s musical, vocal and lyrical maturity, so evident on her albums, is eloquent testimony to a lifelong commitment to the crafts of singing and song writing.

Susan Alcorn / Joe McPhee / Ken Vandermark - Invitation To A Dream

Amazing sounds from three great improvisers – two of whom we've known and loved for years, one of whom we're just beginning to discover! The trio features Ken Vandermark on tenor and clarinet, Joe McPhee on soprano sax and pocket trumpet, and Susan Alcorn on pedal steel guitar – the last of which is an instrument that's used in very different, very unconventional ways – more like a subtle sonic element, but still with some musical qualities – which then seems to create the same sort of balance in McPhee and Vandermark, both of whom are more fragile, more sensitive here than we've heard them in years! There's still a few more fully-blown passages, but the real beauty of the record lies in the more subtle sonic interplay, which is magical throughout. Titles include "Invitation To A Dream", "The Eyes Of Memory", "Rise & Rise", "Every Season Has Its Reason", and "I Am Because You Are".  ~ Dusty Groove

The Justus Brothers - Chinese Checkers

Brothers proudly do Justus to their Memphis roots as “Chinese Checkers” is poised to make bold moves up the singles chart ahead of the October 11 debut release.

The roots of The Justus Brothers date back forty years, in the birthplace of soul, blues and rock ‘n’ roll: Memphis. The musicians who comprise the band dropping the eponymous debut album on October 11 on the iconic Memphis International Records/Select-O-Hits labels met long ago in the sweaty blues and smoky jazz clubs on Beale Street. Together, they electrified Memphis churches with rousing musical sermons and tracked in fabled Memphis recording studios alongside an incomparable list of hall of famers, Grammy winners and chart-topping legends. Before they backed a galaxy of stars in sold-out arenas, the members of The Justus Brothers paid dues playing long hours, night after night, sharpening their chops and earning virtuosity while forming a brotherhood built upon rhythm and groove. 

Guitarist Niko Lyras and The Justus Brothers produced the ten songs on their self-titled set, a balance of original tunes and choice covers given the full Memphis makeover. Already garnering playlist adds is their soul-powered jam session workout “Chinese Checkers,” a revival originally recorded by Memphis’s Booker T. & the M.G.’s (https://youtu.be/ArzJIfJI8Zo). Several members of The Justus Brothers have ties to Booker T. & the M.G.’s, including drummer Steve Potts, who was a longtime member of the outfit.

    

The chemistry between the five “brothers” sizzles throughout the collection. Lyras, Potts and bassist Dave Smith have been playing together the longest. Thirty years ago, hornman Pat Register (tenor, alto and soprano sax and flute) and keyboardist Jason Clark completed the family.

“The Justus Brothers are direct descendants of the great Memphis soul fathers, having played with just about all of them, receiving their blessing and having the torch passed directly from them. For decades, we have been a not-so-well-kept secret ingredient on hundreds of R&B and blues-flavored records. Together, we finish each other’s musical phrases and know each other’s soul. We are brothers. Even with busy schedules, we have not stopped playing together live or in the studio through the years. And even though we’ve worked with many of the world’s best-known artists, we know that something magical happens organically whenever we interact with each other,” said Lyras.

The Justus Brothers stoke the fire by weaving Memphis history throughout the album. Opening with a Sting mashup of “Fragile” and “Fields of Gold,” Lyras explains, “From the time The Police pulled up at a small Memphis club with their amps in a station wagon, to the time they returned to play for 20,000 people, there has always been a Memphis connection. Sting sought out the raw soul sound of the Memphis Horns, who were longtime friends and collaborators of The Justus Brothers. In the early 90s, we were the opening act for Andy Summers’ Memphis shows. Combining two Sting classics into one seamless piece came naturally.”

Inspiration for the band’s crackling royal funk dance, “King Strut,” came during a Beale Street gig last summer after a power failure. Potts, who is widely considered the current king of the Memphis drum throne, kept the packed dancefloor filled all on his own in the dark for five minutes until the electricity was restored. “Steve never stopped grooving. As if we had rehearsed it, when the power came back, I went into an infectious funky riff and Dave jumped right into it on bass. Before long, Jason and Pat had made up a theme on top of that. The crowd responded to it instantly, as if they had known and danced to it for years.”

  

The mood downshifts to romance on “Miss L,” a shuffling, amorous jazz and blues song that Lyras wrote while playing a guitar serenade for his girl as the moon hovered over the Mississippi River. The tune is evident of The Justus Brothers’ commitment to melody and emotion, not just deep rhythmic pockets and all-night grooves. 

The Justus Brother take great pride in their Memphis lineage. Lyras said, “Memphis musicians have always stood out for boldly fusing several styles to form a new, unique brand. That couldn’t be truer in our case.”               

“The Justus Brothers” contains the following songs:

“Fragile Fields of Gold”

“Chinese Checkers”

“Sabroso”

“Miss L”

“Askin’ Ain’t Gettin’”

“Hip Pocket”

“King’s Strut”

“Garment District”

“I Keep Forgetting”

“Crazy” featuring Katrina Anderson

“Chinese Checkers” (radio remix)

Smuggler Brothers - MUSIONE

The story of Smuggler Brothers starts in Palermo, the principal town of Sicily, in late 2011. Founded by three friends, musicians active in the fertile underground music scene of the city, the band aims to experiment new artistic directions, combining a diverse set of influences ranging from Italian soundtracks and Library music from the ‘60s and ‘70s to African-American music, with groove as the core essence of the band. From the initial nucleus, the band evolved soon into a 8-piece combo.

Following an exciting period spent rehearsing and honing their sound, Smuggler Brothers started an intense live activity, gaining the enthusiastic support of the local scene. In 2015 the band felt it was time to record their music – their self-titled debut album was recorded at Zeit Studio in Palermo, 15-tracks that were pressed on limited edition vinyl and released via Tone Deaf Records. Shortly after their album tour, the band suffered a period of instability – the departure of some players slowly weakened the structure of the group, forcing the surviving band members to interrupt the live activity and reflect on the future of the project.

2017 sees the band coming back to life and entering a new phase – with a renewed 5-element structure and a clear plan, the group started to work on new music and perform on stage again.

At the end of the same year the Milan-based record label Schema Records decided to put Smuggler Brothers under a contract. The label interest and the artistic direction of Massimo Martellotta (Calibro 35) pushed the band forward: in October 2018 the Sicilian brothers eventually landed in Milan at Schema Records’ Blue Spirit Studio to record their second album, published by Schema Records on May 10th, 2019.

Nicola Conte / Gianluca Petrella – Free Your Mind (EP)

Pioneering Italian musician and producer Nicola Conte and esteemed trombonist Gianluca Petrella team up again for their new project’s third EP on Schema, ahead of their forthcoming full-length project due out later this year.

For those unaware, Conte and Petrella have been working together on and off since 2001’s “New Standards”. In addition to working together as musicians, the pair has fostered a close creative relationship, trading and discussing vintage gear and records in a bid to open each other up to as wide a range of influences as possible.

This most recent offering further explores the themes and sounds found on their previous collaborations, “Sun Song / Nigeria” and “African Spirits / New World Shuffle”, with its heavily West African influenced rhythms and cosmic-leaning musicality.

“Free Your Mind” is a straight-up party jam, complete with a powerful horn section, playful synth lines and powered by a rock solid Afrobeat rhythm section. “Imani River” sees the duo putting their spin on a spiraling 6/8 time signature, featuring otherworldly guest vocals from Bridgette Amofah, who also featured on the duo’s previous collaborative releases. The track offers a stark contrast to the feel good party vibes of “Free Your Mind”, taking on a somewhat spiritual demeanor, due as much to Petrella’s evocative trombone playing as to Amofah’s lofty vocals or the reeling nature of the percussion. Conte and Petrella bring the tempo up a notch or two with closing track “Infinity”, which lands somewhere between the dancefloor focused “Free Your Mind” and more headsy “Imani River”, allowing the listener to get equally as lost in the song’s driving groove as the intergalactic sound-palette that floats on top of it.

Grover Washington Jr: Sacred Kind Of Love – The Columbia Recordings, 5CD

British label SoulMusic Records is very proud to present “Sacred Kind Of Love: The Columbia Recordings,” a 5-disc deluxe box set of six stellar albums, spanning nine years (1987-1996) by legendary saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr., justifiably considered an influential pioneer in fusing jazz, soul, R&B and pop and bringing his distinctive sound to mainstream audiences globally.

After he signed with Columbia Records in 1986, Washington had already established himself as a leader in the genre known as ‘jazz/funk’ thanks to a series of ground breaking albums for Kudu Records (including “Mister Magic” and “Feels So Good”) in the mid-‘70s. The 1980 release of “Winelight,” Washington’s million-selling debut for Elektra Records (which contained the mega-hit ‘Just The Two Of Us’, featuring Bill Withers) marked a state change in the crossover appeal of what became known worldwide as ‘smooth jazz.’

Four of the six albums –STRAWBERRY MOON (1987), TIME OUT OF MIND (1989), NEXT EXIT (1992) and SOULFUL STRUT (1996), his final LP for Columbia – achieved success on the U.S. R&B, jazz and pop charts, while two albums, 1988’s THEN AND NOW (with guest players such as Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Grady Tate) and 1994’s ALL MY TOMORROWS (featuring Eddie Henderson, Bobby Watson, Hank Jones, Robin Eubanks and Billy Hart) were both critically acclaimed by audiences demonstrating Grover’s skill as a ‘straight ahead’ jazz musician of the first order.

Various special guest vocal performances by Jean Carne (‘The Look Of Love’, ‘Keep In Touch’), Phyllis Hyman (‘Sacred Kind Of Love’), B.B. King (‘Caught A Touch Of Your Love’), Nancy Wilson (‘Your Love’), Lalah Hathaway (‘Love Like This’) and The Four Tops’ Levi Stubbs (‘Till You Return To Me’) are among the many highlights of Grover’s tenure with Columbia Records along with bonus tracks, ‘Protect The Dream’ (originally released on the CD version of TIME OUT MIND); ‘Every Day A Little Death’, (from the 1995 Sony album, “Color And Light: Jazz Sketches On Sondheim”); ‘Heat Index’ and ‘The Night Fantastic’, both originally included on “Prime Cuts,” a Columbia Records’ compilation released in 1999, the year Grover passed away at the age of 56.

“Sacred Kind Of Love: The Columbia Recordings” includes detailed liner notes by renowned UK writer Charles Waring that include comments from Ramsey Lewis; a personal tribute to Washington by reissue producer and SoulMusic.com founder David Nathan; with first class mastering by Nick Robbins and superb artwork by Roger Williams.

Nigerian American Recording Artist, Nola Adé Releases New Single, ‘Good to You’ from her 2020 Forthcoming Album

Nigerian American recording artist and songwriter Nola Adé releases her new single, “Good to You,” from her forthcoming album, Asaro and Yams, scheduled for release in January 2020.

After three inspired years of writing, performing and refining her craft, Nola Adé returns with the single and video “Good to You,” a dreamy interstellar seduction song produced by Toronto’s Michael Sonier that is captivating listeners in a sexy trance. All about connecting spiritually and sensually, “Good to You” shines a starlight on transparency and vulnerability as vital components for the ultimate union of spirits. The video, directed by Varisse, is a sparkling collage of images showcasing Nola’s radiant beauty and grace, the camera lingering long on the mahogany elegance of her face framed by fireworks and the litheness of her cocoa frame draped in creme.

Nola’s 2016 debut project, The Love Dance EP, found her chasing a more Pop-oriented Soul direction kissed with a touch of Jazz. However, for her forthcoming album, Asaro and Yams, Nola is reveling in a musical vibe that weds African rhythms with intoxicating melodies and lyrical ruminations about the maddening quandaries of love and the fortifying mysteries of life – the resolutions of which make our journeys on Earth vibrant and unforgettable. She dubs her style “Afro Soul,” mixed with the broad range of artists that she came up listening to as a first-generation Nigerian American on the Southside of Chicago: Ella Fitzgerald, Mali Music, Chrisette Michele, Lauryn Hill, and Jazmine Sullivan, to name just a few.

In West Africa, Asaro is a popular culinary dish described as yam porridge while in America, the root of that dish is Yams or sweet potatoes, a Soul Food staple. Nola’s album title, Asaro and Yams deliciously describes the duality of the African and American sides of her life which are also on dynamic display throughout her eagerly awaited first full album.

Though music has always been a focal point of Nola Adé’s creative life, her proud Nigerian parents insisted she earns a Master’s Degree in any field she wished. Nola chose entertainment law with business as a backup, studying at John Marshall Law School in Chicago. She later became a legal intern at Rush Communications in New York City where she also performed music at night.

Before her solo career, Nola was a member of the St. Ailbe Choir and the University of Illinois Black Chorus, perfecting her rich alto instrument under the private training of renowned vocal coach, Lyndia Johnson. Nola studied piano when she was young but stopped when she went to college. Nola became a full-fledged performer, singing backup then later singing lead in an eclectic cover band that did material ranging from Aretha Franklin’s “Chain of Fools” to The Police’s “Roxanne” to Stevie Wonder and Bob Marley.

Then Nola’s writing muse began to bloom, which led to her becoming a solo artist, opening shows for internationally renowned artists such as Bilal, Avery*Sunshine, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, and Daley. Then in March 2016, she released her debut 7-song EP The Love Dance featuring “Bittersweet,” “Love” and “Love Dance.”

Nola Adé is now preparing to put the world under her Afro Soul spell with songs leading up to Asaro and Yams.

https://www.nolaade.com/

New Music: Nat Birchall, Vin Gordon, ALAIAS

Nat Birchall - Storyteller – A Musical Tribute To Yusef Lateef

A tremendous record from one of our favorite saxophonists of the past decade – the completely sublime, completely wonderful Nat Birchall – a musician who was way ahead of the curve towards spiritual jazz that others have hit in recent years, and one who still does it better than anyone else! The title gives away only part of the story – as Nat's definitely paying tribute to the great Yusef Lateef, particularly the mix of soulful jazz and exoticism in his earlier work – but the overall execution is very much in the best Birchall mode – long-building tracks, really informed by a strong tradition of spiritual energy, and not just in musical form – as the leader blows tenor, soprano, bass clarinet, and handles a range of instruments from around the globe – in the company of Michael Bardon on bass, Andy Hay on drums and percussion, and either Adam Fairhall or John Ellis on piano, depending on the track. A few of the tunes are classics from the vintage Lateef songbook, and Birchall has also seamlessly contributed a few numbers of his own – making for a fantastic double-length set, with titles that include "Tales Of Saba", "Ching Miau", "Salaam Brother Yusef", "Inward Flight", "Brother John", "Not Yet Ornette", "Ringo Oiwake", and "Mashariki" – plus a great version of "Love Theme From Spartacus", a tune that Lateef made his own back in the 60s, with a fantastic reading that's gone on to inspire many. ~ Dusty Groove

Vin Gordon - African Shores

Fantastic work from Vin Gordon – who may well be one of the greatest reggae trombonists since the legendary Rico – working here in a very classic style that features plenty of contributions from saxophonist Nat Birchall! Nat's very much in the space of his previous collaboration with Gordon – and also plays piano, bass, and percussion – alongside co-producer Al Breadwinner, who handles drums, guitar, organ, and piano too! Tracks are a mix of echoey, dubby numbers that still have straightforward solo work from Gordon – and others that have maybe a tighter tuneful vibe, but which still fit the strong spirit of the entire session. The quartet also features Stally on baritone and David Fullwood on trumpet – stepping out in all-instrumental splendor, on titles that include "Gusum Peck", "Shucumooku", "Sa La Vie", "African Shores", "Gold Coast Dub", "Styler Man", and "Spill Over". ~ Dusty Groove

ALAIAS - Music For An Imaginary Surf Film

Born from a love of both surfing and musical improvisation, Bristolian trio ALAIAS share their debut LP 'Music For An Imaginary Surf Film', splashed with salty synth melodies and ambient electronic rhythms. 
Incorporating groovy 60s rhythms and contemporary jazz orchestration, the album is a sun drenched audio adventure inspired by numerous surf movie soundtracks. From the woozy guitar riffs and fuzzy Moog bass of lead single 'Stranger Coasts', to the harmonic Hammond organ on 'Handy Cam', 'Music For An Imaginary Surf Film' is an underwater fantasy. With elements of post-rock, punk-jazz and ambient psychedelia, ALAIS's original scoring belongs to the sea, rippling languidly in the saltwater shallows. "We've all sat on a beach squinting at a pod of surfers performing seemingly effortless acrobatics. 'I wonder what that feels like' we think to ourselves. Listening to this music with your eyes closed might go some way to answering that question" the group recount. Brainchild of Dan Messore, the trio consists of Messore on guitar, organ and synth player Dan Moore and drummer Matt Brown. Meeting in Bristol, the collective quickly found common ground with a shared passion for jazz and electronic experimentation. Drawing inspiration from the rich rock traditions of Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell and John Fahey, the trio are constantly voyaging into new musical territory with their surprising compositions and thrillingly eclectic soundscapes. ‘Music For An Imaginary Surf Film’ was written as the name suggests - plunging the listener into the gentle currents of the glittering ocean tides.

Harold Mabern: Influential Jazz Pianist and Educator Passes Away at Age 83

Legendary jazz pianist Harold Mabern died suddenly on Tuesday, September 17, as a result of a heart attack. He was 83. His death was announced on Thursday by his record label, Smoke Sessions Records.

A product of the fertile Memphis music scene of the 1950s, Mabern enjoyed a career lasting more than six decades. He was renowned as a master of jazz and blues styles and worked with such masters as Miles Davis, Lee Morgan, Wes Montgomery, George Coleman, Freddie Hubbard, Stanley Turrentine and Hank Mobley. Mabern once said, “I think of myself as a blues pianist who understands jazz.” In his later years he passed that still-blazing torch onto a new generation, working extensively with such modern-day purveyors as Eric Alexander, Peter Bernstein and Christian McBride.

Born on March 20, 1936, Mabern came of age soaking up the music of Memphis masters, in particular the great Phineas Newborn Jr. He attended the city’s Manassas High School, whose music program also boasts such illustrious alumni as Frank Strozier, Charles Lloyd, Booker Little, Hank Crawford, Isaac Hayes, and tenor titan George Coleman. Mabern and Coleman would enjoy a lifetime friendship and collaboration, stretching from the pianist’s 1968 debut A Few Miles From Memphis to his final session, the saxophonist’s forthcoming release The Quartet.

Mabern moved to Chicago in 1954, where he made his name accompanying the city’s hard-blowing tenorman, including Johnny Griffin, Gene Ammons and Clifford Jordan. While there he and fellow Memphian Frank Strozier, joined drummer Walter Perkins’ MJT+3 quintet; in 1959 the group relocated en masse to New York. There Mabern’s career took off, landing him in leading groups like Lionel Hampton’s Big Band, Art Farmer and Benny Golson’s Jazztet, and a run at the San Francisco club the Black Hawk with Miles Davis in 1963 (reuniting him with Coleman).

The pianist signed to Prestige in 1968, launching his own recording career as a leader, which would continue to run in parallel with his prolific sideman work. He also was a member of two multiple-piano ensembles: the six-keys Piano Choir, led by Stanley Cowell; and the Contemporary Piano Ensemble, founded in tribute to Mabern’s idol, Newborn. He continued actively releasing albums as recently as 2018. His 2014 recording Right on Time was the inaugural release for his most recent record label Smoke Sessions Records. He subsequently released three more albums with the label before his passing: Afro Blue (2015), To Love and Be Loved (2017), and The Iron Man: Live at Smoke (2018). Before this, Mabern released more than 20 albums as a leader/co-leader on labels such as Prestige, High Note, and Columbia; and performed on nearly 100 releases as a sideman.

In 1981, Mabern began teaching at New Jersey’s William Paterson University, a position that would last for a remarkable 36 years. Students of the late venerable educator include Joe Farnsworth, Bill Stewart, Roxy Coss, Freddie Hendrix, Tyshawn Sorey, Mark Guiliana, and Eric Alexander. The connection he forged there with Alexander would lead to one of his most acclaimed collaborations, returning him to prominence in the 1990s and well into the 21st century. Both with and without the saxophonist, Mabern would record extensively with his newfound rhythm section of bassist John Webber and Joe Farnsworth on drums.

“Harold Mabern has lived through half of jazz history as a working pianist and has that history under his fingers,” hailed NPR in 2017. “[He] plays piano like he's in command and the keys are wired to his brain.”

Mabern is survived by his two children, Michael and Roxanne, and his granddaughter Maya. He was married to his wife, Beatrice, for nearly 40 years before her death in 2010. He was also preceded in death by his sister Nettie and his parents, Elnora and Harold Sr.

Mutlu’s '"Nothing In The Whole Wide World" Featuring John Oates

This past summer Philadelphia based singer-songwriter Mutlu has charmed audiences up and down the East Coast with his infectious soul-styled music and honeyed tenor vocals in support of his recent Good Trouble album release. Mutlu is now gearing up for the album’s second single, “Nothing in This Whole Wide World” featuring John Oates from the legendary duo Hall & Oates. The single will be available for radio streaming on September 20, 2019.

“Nothing in This Whole Wide World” is Oates and Mutlu’s homage to R&B singles of the past, and pays tribute to the city of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia with its classic soul sound. Mutlu sings deeply from the heart as he embraces love and connection, and with John’s retro backing vocals, and the track’s funky guitar groove, the new single delivers an authentically vintage feeling throughout. “We wanted to channel that 70’s Philly Soul sound for the listener when we wrote this” recalls Mutlu of the songwriting process with Oates.

Hall & Oates’ guitarist, Shane Theriot, co-produced the new single with Oates. The recording also features keyboardist Henry Hey, along with Hall & Oates band members Brian Dunne (drums) and Klyde Jones (bass).

Mutlu will reunite with Hall & Oates in North Little Rock, Arkansas as the opening act for the renowned band on September 26th at The Verizon Arena, and will then carry his ‘Good Trouble’ tour overseas to the famous Amsterdam music venue, Paradiso. He will also be performing at The Concert Across America to End Gun Violence at Trinity UMC in Ewing, NJ on October 5th, with a lineup of artists that includes rock legends Living Colour, and he will be performing at The Ardmore Music Hall in Ardmore, PA on December 15th with acclaimed rock/soul/blues artist Anders Osborne.

His latest album Good Trouble has received tremendous media praise for crossing the boundaries of R&B, soul, reggae, folk, and rock, while creating something completely organic. Relix Magazine is currently featuring Mutlu in their September issue along with their monthly Spotify playlist. Mutlu has also received coverage and praise for his “Good Trouble” EP release in Vents Magazine, Music Existence, Digital Journal, Philadelphia Inquirer, Ditty TV, and others.

 

New Music Releases: Wallace Roney, Duduka Da Fonseca & Helio Alves featuring Maucha Adnet , Red Kite

Wallace Roney - Blue Dawn – Blue Nights

Fantastic trumpet work from the great Wallace Roney – the kind of record that really lets the legend show his strengths in the best sort of way – with plenty of those trademark long-blown, well-inflected notes that have always graced his music! The set is definitely blue – blue in tone, blue in construction – and Roney blows in a core group with Emilio Modest on tenor and soprano, Oscar Williams II on piano, and Paul Cuffari on bass – with shifting drum work from Lenny White or Kojo Odu Roney, plus guitar from Quintin Zoto on a few tracks. Wallace has a strong sense of color throughout, very much living up to his legacy – and titles include "In A Dark Room", "Venus Rising", "Elliptical", "Why Should There Be Stars", "Wolfbane", and "New Breed".  ~ Dusty Groove

Duduka Da Fonseca & Helio Alves featuring Maucha Adnet -Samba Jazz & Tom Jobim

A set dedicated to the memory of Antonio Carlos Jobim, but one that's hardly just the usual variation on his classic numbers – as only a few tunes here are actually by the composer, and all of the music has that fresh sort of sparkle that we always love in the Brazilian jazz material from drummer Duduka Da Fonseca! The core pairing here is Duduka and pianist Helio Alves, who also plays Fender Rhodes on some numbers too – and the duo get help from singer Maucha Adnet on about half the record, a key part of this trio who've been working together for over twenty five years. The set also features bass from Hans Glawischnig, saxes and flute from Billy Drewes, and guitar from Romero Lubambo – on titles that include "Pato Preto", "Gemini Man", "Helium", "A Vontade Mesmo", "Polo Pony", "Pedro Bonita Da Gavea", "A Correnteza", and "Untitled".  ~ Dusty Groove

Red Kite - Red Kite

A heady slice of psych jazz from Norwegian combo Red Kite – a group with strong to ties to Norway's free jazz scene and a way of pairing that kind of adventurous experimentalism with heavy psych and prog influences! Kicking off their self-titled album with a heavy take on Alice Coltrane's "Ptah, The El Daoud" with rolling drums, spacey keys and fuzzy guitars that go heavy and cosmic, unlike the soaring and spiritual original – while the remaining all original numbers roll from lumberingly heavy to spaciously moody. The group is a quartet featuring Even Helte Hermansen on guitars, Tronde Frones on bass, Bernt Andre Moen on keys and Torstein Lofthus on drums, and titles include "13 Enemas For Good Luck", "Flew A Little Bullfinch Through The Window", "Focus On Insanity" and "You Don't Know, You Don't Know". ~ Dusty Groove

New Music Releases: Jason Palmer, Rich Perry, Dayme Arocena

Jason Palmer - Sweet Love: Jason Palmer Plays Anita Baker

Jason Palmer strikes an Anita Baker pose on the cover, and takes on her music as well – but all in a jazz-based style that's completely his own, and which follows up strongly on his tribute albums to Janell Monae and Minnie Riperton! The group is nice and lean – a quartet with Domi Degalle on piano, Max Ridley on bass, and Lee Fish on drums – and Palmer gets plenty of space to voice his own interpretations of tunes from the Baker songbook – numbers that have surprising depth when taken out into territory like this, especially on all the very long readings, most of which push towards the ten minute mark without losing any energy or imagination at all. Titles include "Sweet Love", "No One In The World", "Angel", "Same Ole Love", "Fairy Tales", and "Caught Up In The Rapture". ~ Dusty Groove

Rich Perry - Other Matters

Rich Perry has a great way of shaping his sounds here – sometimes rhythmically, sometimes more spatially – but all with a very distinct approach to his work on the tenor! The group is open and as fluid as the leader – Gary Versace on piano, Jay Anderson on bass, and John Riley on drums – all great players, but clearly driven with a sensitivity to the needs of the leader's tone, which is great – as Perry really commands a lot of attention, but without ever hitting us over the head. Part of the strength of the set is the material – all original compositions by Rich, which really suit his approach – titles that include "Other Matters", "Transparency", "Sono", "Neta", "Written Image", and "Mndfl".  ~ Dusty Groove

Dayme Arocena - Sonocardiogram

The best we've heard so far from Dayme Arocena – a Cuban singer who's got a great way of reaching out from Havana with a sound that can circle the globe! The music here has a blend of jazz, soul, and Cuban roots – but all delivered together in a style that's completely unique and without cliche – really showing a maturity in Dayme's vocals since the previous record, and in her overall conception of a song! Instrumentation is by her core quartet, recorded live and openly, in a really unfettered way that instantly matches the spirit of Dayme's vocals too. The whole thing is tremendous – a record that lives up to the truest promise of the Brownswood label – with titles that include "Nangareo", "Porque Tu No Estas", "Yemaya", "Plegaria A La Lupe", "Homenaje", "Para El Amor Cantar", and "As Feridas". ~ Dusty Groove

Rachid Taha leaves us Je Suis Africain

A posthumous record? “Nothing to declare!” as Rachid would have said, leaning on the bar counter, with messy hair, bright eyes, and a raspy voice. He’s there, you can’t miss him. He may be laid to rest in Algeria, but he hasn’t left us. He knew that those who are allegedly missing are well and alive: “Do you really know the others?” the master of rock-Chaâbi once asked, quoting the greats Johnny Cash, Oum Kalthoum, and Andy Warhol in a prophetic song titled Andy Waloo. He wrote this arabic-punk-electro piece with guitars, balafon, and mouth harp before succumbing to a heart attack on September 12, 2018. “I was there with you last night, you told me to come. Every week you tell me, I'm waiting for you in my slum, there's a Picasso exhibition, go see him. What a bastard, he had a nice mirror, I saw Jean Cocteau kissing Jean Marais,” he sings, ending with a big laugh. So nobody is gone, they live on in us.

With boundless energy, Taha wrote eleven songs together with Toma Feterman for his eleventh solo album, diving deep into his roots as usual. First, Algerian Chaâbi, so subtle, yet so complex. Then rock, which took the world by storm during the postwar period, and punk, its offshoot, in the style of The Clash. Finally, electronica, the musical revolution of the late twentieth century, as hypnotic as the Gnawas guembris or Sufi trance sounds. Rachid was influenced by all of it.

Youyous, flutes, women's choirs, metal riffs: the French-Algerian, however weakened by the paralyzing effects of Chiari malformation, which he suffered from, created whirlpools, deluges, torrents. He invited us to dance with Andy Waloo, and also with Like a Dervish, his “first song in English, I know I'm cheating, my English is not so rich.” His plays on words were irresistible: English, backich, dervish, merlich... The troublemaker of the “alternative Koran” also used to speak francarabe, a mix of French and Arabic, which he used to both celebrate and mock the Jewish masters (Lili Boniche, Reinette l’Oranaise, Line Monty…), humming their oriental boleros, such as Chérie je t’aime, chérie je t’adore and Bambino.

That’s why his new record, which he had been working on for two years before he was buried in the Sidi Benziane cemetery, had to be in mandoline-embellished French. One of the songs is called Minouche: “Minouche ma minouche, pourquoi tu te fâches, ne prends pas la mouche, ma jolie peau de vache… Minouche, donne-moi ta bouche” (Minouche, my little Minouche, why are you upset, don’t get into a huff, my pretty vixen... Minouche, let me kiss you). A popular dance tune for sure, with words sculpted by Jean Fauque, who worked closely with Bashung and Erwan Séguillon.

The rough voice and wild blend of styles don’t give an accurate description of this son of immigrants (born near Oran, Algeria, he was raised in eastern France and later settled down in Lyon). Rachid the rebel built bridges, “introducing beautiful people to the world” by singing Charles Trenet’s Douce France with his first band, Carte de séjour (French for “resident permit”), in 1986 to mock French integration while the Marche des Beurs (March of the French Arabs) was being broken up and François Mitterrand was celebrating the creation of SOS-Racisme (a movement of anti-racist NGOs founded in France in 1984). In 1998, he created a transgenerational hit with the album Diwân, which included a cover of Ya Rayah, the anthem of Algerian immigrants composed by the Chaâbi idol Dahmane El-Harrachi (1925-1980).

Throughout these years of experience—which also marked the rise of Oranian Rai music, which Rachid sang the traditional way, following in the footsteps of the great Cheikha Rimitti—he worked with Steve Hillage, whom he met in 1984. The former Gong guitarist was a lover of looped electronic rhythms, and starting in 1997, he infused his energy into the creation of Voilà, voilà, an anti–Front National, anti-xenophobic song that Rachid would never stop singing.

And ever since this sensory overload, Rachid continued to speak to us, and jostle us, in Arabic, French, Franglish, and even Spanish, through the limpid voice of the young Flèche Love (Amina Cadelli, born in Geneva of an Algerian mother), whom he discovered on YouTube after finally being introduced to the digital tablet. This extraordinary tattooed and esoteric artist accompanied him on Wahdi, a song with Gnawa rhythms, to which he added a Mexican trumpet, evoking Ennio Morricone.

The album was produced and co-written by Toma Feterman, a gifted multi-instrumentalist and founder of La Caravane Passe, a band that mixes rap, gypsy jazz, Balkan fanfare, alternative rock, and electro.

Toma and Rachid hung out at the same bars and clubs in the north of Paris (Bellevilloise, Cabaret Sauvage), following their friend Remy Kolpa Kopoul of Radio Nova (a French radio station created in 1981, which played non-mainstream and underground artists of various musical genres), whose death in 2015 left Rachid feeling orphaned.

Toma then asked him to sing Baba, a song that he had just written for Canis Carmina, his band’s next album. Over the course of one night, the two friends recorded a dozen tracks. “I used the recordings from this first session,” Toma said, “without needing to make him sing again, because there was nothing to change.” They improvised, and it was the beginning of a frenetic, productive adventure, of nights partying at Toma’s or Rachid’s, or spent in the studio. Hours of creation and surprises shared with his son Lyes, his friend Toufik, his mandolin player Hakim Hamadouche, and his former keyboard player Yves Fredj Aouizerate, who was also his last manager.

It was a club, a family, a community, a trip. The adventure even passed through studios in Bamako, because Rachid is African, having been born in Algeria, bordering Mali, the Mandingo musical empire. Je suis africain (I am African), the song that gives its name to the album, is an homage to the sounds of this great continent, that weaves together soukouss guitars, an Arab-Andalusian orchestra, Middle Eastern violins, balafon, and talking drums. “I am African, from Paris to Bamako, from New York to Congo”—the magnificent joker is having fun, playing with elegance. He takes the accent of a “fantastical” Africa and quotes Marley and Malcom X, Kateb Yacine, Franz Fanon, Patrice Lumumba, Angela Davis—all of them “African.”