New Music Releases: Joe McPhee / Graham Lambkin / Charlie McPhee / Oliver Lambkin, Javier Santiago, Yazz Ahmed

Joe McPhee / Graham Lambkin / Charlie McPhee / Oliver Lambkin - Live In The Batcave

The legendary Joe McPhee is back in his home turf of upstate New York – working in a mode that really goes back to his heritage in the avant scene – and at a level that's something of a family affair for all the members of the group! The music is a collaboration between Joe and his brother Charlie McPhee – and label owner/preservationist Graham Lambkin and his son Olivier Lambkin – recorded on the spot in Charlie's "Batcave", with a freewheeling sonic approach that takes us back to some of the earliest days of Joe's music. Instrumentation includes lots of odd reed moments – the notes don't list any specific details – but there's also vocalizations, offbeat percussion, and lots of elements from found objects and found sonic sources too – a real improvisatory party, in the best way possible. Titles include "High Above The Batcave", "IO Stand Accused", "Eulogy To The Paddock", and "Cable Flow".  ~ Dusty Groove

Javier Santiago - Phoenix B-Sides

We loved the Phoenix album by keyboardist Javier Santiago – and although this set bills itself as if it's a relation to that record, it's more of a completely different effort – but one that's equally fantastic as well! Santiago is a tremendous up-and-coming talent – a hell of a pianist, and also great on Fender Rhodes – working in that sense of rhythm that's been unlocked in the 21st Century by a few key figures in jazz – and which a new generation of players like Javier is taking in some wonderful directions of their own! The core group features really inventive rhythms from Corey Fanville on drums and Zach Brown on bass – and the work features an guest performances on a few tracks each from Dayna Stephens on tenor and soprano, Nir Felder on guitar, and Ben Flacks on soprano and tenor. Titles include "Change Is The Only Constant", "For Unity", "Cedar Avenue", "A Second Chance", "Aries' Peace", "A Day In The Life Of A Tree", "Beautiful Love", and "King Klave's Return".  ~ Dusty Groove

Yazz Ahmed - Polyhymnia

A spacious second set from British/Bahraini trumpeter Yazz Ahmed – a record that features dedications to feminist inspirations on every single track – but which has a soaring, righteous quality that marks Ahmed as an inspirational force of her own! The songs are long, and the music is rich in textural elements – strong trumpet solos from the leader, but also a globe's worth of contributions from other members of the contemporary London scene in which Ahmed's been making waves for the past few years – with a level of expression that maybe matches some of our favorite recent jazz releases on the Brownswood label! If you know the charms of the London scene in recent years, you'll have plenty to love here – and will find yourself adding Yazz to a list of artists to keep your ears on. And if you don't, this album's a great place to begin your musical discovery – on titles that include "Ruby Bridges", "Barbara", "Lahan Al-Mansour", "One Girl Among Many", and "Deeds Not Words". ~ Dusty Groove

The Nick Fraser / Kris Davis / Tony Malaby Trio release 'Zoning"

The Nick Fraser / Kris Davis / Tony Malaby Trio is a group featuring compositions by Nick Fraser and improvised pieces by the trio. They released their debut, Too Many Continents on the Portuguese Clean Feed Records label in 2015. 

"This album rewards repeated listenings. It’s wholly musical, well paced, and there’s not a wasted note within. There’s an undeniable bond between the three, and this kinship results in a totally organic, balanced session. Nick Fraser’s Too Many Continents is a grand slam. " ~ Peter Gough, freejazz.org

"Fraser allows his collaborators free rein in a program that combines three of his charts with four cooperative creations, the borders between the two modes remaining deliciously unclear. Malaby delights in blurring and obscuring his conceptual impulses with impetuous and unpredictable blowing. With her patented amalgam of minimalist gesture invoking the likes of Morton Feldman and the dash of Cecil Taylor, Davis brings a sense of structure to even the most off-the-wall settings. Fraser harnesses both these talents in a wonderfully edgy set packed with contrapuntal interplay." ~ John Sharpe, New York City Jazz Record

  

Nick Fraser (leader, drums, compositions) has been an active and engaging presence in the Toronto new jazz and improvised music community for over twenty years. He has performed with a veritable "who's who" of Canadian jazz and improvised music and with such international artists as Marilyn  Crispell, Anthony Braxton and David Binney. For ten years, he co-led the group Drumheller, who released four critically acclaimed recordings. "Fraser not so much plays the drums as hurls himself whole body and soul against skin and metal... truly talented." ~ Bill Stunt, CBC Radio

Pianist-composer Kris Davis has blossomed as one of the singular talents on the New York jazz scene, a deeply thoughtful, resolutely individual artist who offers “uncommon creative adventure,” according to JazzTimes. “Davis draws you in so effortlessly that the brilliance of what she’s doing doesn’t hit you until the piece has slipped" ~ Jazz Times 

Originally from Tucson, Arizona, Tony Malaby (saxophone) has been based in New York since 1995 and has been a member of many notable jazz groups including Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra, Paul Motian's Electric Bebop Band, Fred Hersch's quintet, and bands of his own. “One of New York City's most in-demand tenor saxophonists, Tony Malaby has become one of the most distinctive artists of his time." ~ Troy Collins, All About Jazz New York

Lina Allemano is a Canadian trumpeter, improviser, and composer based in Toronto ON since 1993. She has an active international career, performing and recording cutting-edge contemporary music primarily in free-jazz and improvised / experimental settings, but also working in a wide array of other genres. For the past several years, Lina has been splitting her time between Toronto and Berlin, with one foot in Berlin's flourishing and uncompromising art-music scene and the other foot in Toronto's vibrant but somewhat under-the-radar experimental-music scene. "(Trumpeter) Lina Allemano is one of the most exciting new voices of the last few years" [Brian Morton, Point of Departure, June 2013].

Originally from Germany, Ingrid Laubrock is a saxophonist/composer based in Brooklyn since 2009. Laubrock is interested in exploring the borders between musical realms and creating multi-layered, dense and often evocative sound worlds.She has worked with: Anthony Braxton, Muhal Richards Abrams, Dave Douglas, Kenny Wheeler, Jason Moran, Tim Berne, William Parker, Tom Rainey, Mary Halvorson, Kris Davis, Tyshawn Sorey, Craig Taborn, Luc Ex, Django Bates’ Human Chain, The Continuum Ensemble, Wet Ink and many others.

David Sanborn Presents the First Season of His New Show "Sanborn Sessions"

David Sanborn, veteran saxophonist and six time Grammy Award winner announced today that he will soon present the first episode of his new music show, Sanborn Sessions. The new series is hosted by Sanborn and features a diverse roster of accomplished artists from a variety of genres and generations. In its initial season Sanborn welcomes Kandace Springs, Terrace Martin, Michael McDonald, Brian Owens, Bob James, Jonatha Brooke, Charlie Hunter and Cyriille Aimee.

Bucking conventional presentation, the show lets viewers become voyeurs as world class musicians come together to discuss, explore and play music. "To me this show is not just about dialogue," Sanborn says. "It's absolutely essential that we keep this authentic. Because then they [the audience] get the real unfiltered stuff. This show comes out of humor and friendship and just trying to get on the same musical wavelength. It's intimate, fly-on-the-wall stuff."

While Sanborn Sessions is inventive in its lack of script, teleprompter, or studio audience, a good part of the impetus for recording the series came from Sanborn's celebrated NBC music show in the late 1980s. Called Night Music, the show paired Sanborn with such legends as Eric Clapton, Lou Reed, Dizzy Gillespie, and Miles Davis, to name a few.

Brian Owens, David Sanborn & Michael McDonald

With his new show, the holder of eight Gold albums and one Platinum continues to explore the essence of music through candid conversations and free-flowing studio sessions. Full episodes contain the deeper conversations, behind-the-scenes lead-ins to the music, and the performances themselves. Original song recordings that come from Sanborn Sessions will also be issued for individual consumption across digital audio platforms.

The series is co-produced and sponsored by music equipment juggernaut Sweetwater. "I've been a longtime fan and customer of Sweetwater," Sanborn says. "They are the ultimate destination for musicians and they have been the perfect partner for us in bringing this vision to life."

A true homegrown project, the show is executive produced by David's nephew, Noah, brother-in-law, Steve, and David himself. Episodes will be released starting on December 3rd, and can be viewed along with the trailer at sanbornsessions.com, as well as on the Sanborn Sessions YouTube channel.

ECHT! - instrumental, futuristic four-piece absorbed in jazz + electronic music

ECHT! – an instrumental, futuristic four-piece inspired by the concepts absorbed in electronic music and musical production. Having crystallized their innovative style and sound on the Brussels scene, this group of visionary music makers are pleased to announce the release of their debut EP ‘DOUF’, released 29th November via groove-heavy record label Sdban Ultra.

Recorded in an empty space in Colfontaine, Hainaut in just three days, ECHT! draw on influences including Electro, Hip-Hop, Psychedelic Groove, Footwork, Trap, Funk and Futuristic Jazz. Artists that excite them include Jonwayne, DJ Rashad, Deantoni Parks, J Dilla, Dorian Concept and Aphex Twin. Across 8 tracks consumed as one continuous 16-minute mix of swirling beats and edgy offbeat rhythms, ECHT! weave together a musical collage of sound - equal parts acoustic and electric.

"R2-D2 is the fruit of a night jam. We found that kind of sampled piano riff combined with space-full yet heavy hip-hop groove. We wanted to add some of our weirdest, most futuristic sounds (the name 'R2-D2' refers to one of those) and a robotic gimmick emerged. Then we alternated this part with a frenetic, condensed flow growing more and more to finally submerge you. This tune reflects our approach: we try to integrate the inhuman heritage of electronic music and "re-humanize" it in an instrumental performance".

ECHT!

Tracks like the sonic sound explosion of ‘Bonjour’, the scatter rhythms and busy hi-hats of ‘Tsht’ and the abstract beats and subby bass of ‘Mad Merckx’ are symptomatic of the ECHT! sound that is heavy in groove and deep in intrigue. ECHT! look to emulate the producer’s off-beats, the compressor’s swell, the repeating samples or the DJ’s transitions.

Echt means ‘vrai de vrai’ - ‘true’ or ‘real’ in brusseleir (Brabantian dialect of Brussels). It is a direct reference to the fact that their sound transmission is ‘real’, performed with conventional musical instruments as oppose to computer music which the production might suggest. It also relates to the fact that none of the members of the band are originally from Brussels – bassist Federico Pecoraro is from Italy, keyboardist Dorian Dumont is from France and drummer Martin Méreau and guitarist Florent Jeunieaux are both from Mons. 

Elsewhere, debut single ‘R2D2’ is a raw, gritty musical adventure while the skittish future funk of ‘Chicago Stuk’ and subtle vibrations of ‘So Zat’ offer further explorations into the world of ECHT! “’DOUF is our tribute to Teklife DJs such as DJ Rashad, DJ Earl, Taso and DJ Spinn”, says keyboardist Dorian Dumont. 

ECHT! are Martin Méreau: drums, Dorian Dumont: keys, Florent Jeunieaux: guitar, Federico Pecoraro: bass.

 

KELLEY JOHNSON, A TRUE JAZZ SINGER RELEASES HER 5TH CD -- SOMETHING GOOD

There are many vocalists with lovely voices who mine the Great American Songbook for material; however, very few have the depth and jazz chops of KELLEY JOHNSON. A vocalist and arranger, Johnson doesn’t rehash familiar standards. She understands the music from the inside out, and with her spot-on phrasing and silky, rich timbre, she is certainly one of the finest purveyors of sophisticated lyrics on the scene today. Johnson’s newest album, SOMETHING GOOD, is a program of 10 mostly familiar songs that she re-imagines with fresh and personal interpretations. Her voice is warm and sexy with an effortless sense of swing that never overwhelms the material with faux hipness. There is an ease to her delivery that makes it sound as effortless as breathing.

SOMETHING GOOD is Johnson’s fifth CD. Her previous projects include Home (2011), Live at Birdland (2004), which she taped in one special night at the historic New York City club, Music is the Magic (2003), which earned her First Place in the International JazzConnect Vocal Competition, and Make Someone Happy (1998), her debut CD that she recorded with renowned pianist Fred Hersch. Each of her recordings have garnered critical acclaim. The Seattle Weekly said, "With a strong, engaging voice that's winsome without being sweet, Johnson is the kind of singer you can lose yourself in for an evening.”

Johnson grew up in the Midwest, but has lived in Seattle for many years, where she performs regularly in and around the city. She participated on lengthy tours abroad in 2004 and 2008 for the U.S. State Department’s Jazz Ambassadors program. Begun in 1956, the program today is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in partnership with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The group performed in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Japan, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Russia, Suriname, and Central America. After one tour, Johnson received an email from an appreciative fan from Kyrgyzstan that read, "I felt your spirit through the meanings of your songs, the spirit of a revolutionary person who is for a true and fair world of people."

Indeed, Johnson chose the songs on SOMETHING GOOD not just because they’re great songs, but because they resonate with her on a deeper level. “These songs are about being an artist, being a partner, and being a daughter,” says Johnson. “Like most people, I’m trying to maintain meaningful relationships and continue pursuing love and music with all the glory and humility that we need to keep our balance in an ever-changing world. Whether a song is about art or love or spiritual pursuit, it’s really all the same path to acceptance.”

Johnson’s philosophical outlook grew from a tumultuous and very loving upbringing, surrounded by art and music. Her mother was a visual artist who bought and fixed up houses to subsidize her career. Home for Johnson was a transient thing. Her mother filled her art studio with the music of the 60s and 70s, and Johnson grew up listening to R&B, country, jazz, and especially the blues. When her mother was severely injured in an auto accident, her family took in boarders to make ends meet. Among their guests were singers, songwriters, actors, and comedians. The house was full of art and music and interesting, creative people. By the time the family moved to Milwaukee, Johnson was in love with jazz. She listened to Billie, Miles, Keith Jarrett and Betty Carter records and hung out in the city’s clubs, listening to local jazz musicians. She went on to pursue her own musical aspirations at The Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, from which she graduated Magna Cum Laude. She has also served as an

assistant professor at Cornish College of the Arts and Director of the Seattle Metropolitan Urban League’s Children’s Jazz Chorus, among countless other musical ventures.

The musicianship on SOMETHING GOOD is top-notch and features some of the best musicians from the Pacific Northwest, including her husband, pianist JOHN HANSEN. Johnson and Hansen have been married and performing together for over 20 years. Hansen is one of the most in-demand jazz pianists and finest jazz soloists in the Northwest. Renowned jazz host Jim Wilke said of Hansen, "Highly talented, unassuming, and offering his best effort in every musical situation, John Hansen is a versatile sideman, accompanist and soloist who's a valued part of several top recording and performing jazz groups.”

Also joining Johnson are bass player MICHAEL GLYNN, who has performed with jazz legends such as Bud Shank, Jon Hendricks, Bobby Shew, Dave Grusin, and Eric Alexander, to name just a few; Houston-raised, NY drummer KENDRICK SCOTT, who records as a leader on the Blue Note label; and the versatile multi-instrumentalist JAY THOMAS, one of Seattle’s storied legends who has performed with a Who’s Who of top jazz artists, and has recorded with Ray Brown and Elvin Jones, among many others.

Johnson opens SOMETHING GOOD with Stephen Sondheim’s “Anyone Can Whistle,” a song that posits that allowing oneself to experience love is as easy as learning to whistle. “Goodbye to Love” was originally a pop song composed by Richard Carpenter and John Bettis, and first performed by The Carpenters. But the arrangement by Johnson and Hansen turn the song into a straight-ahead jazz tune with solid scatting. Johnson adds a suggestive element to Cole Porter’s “You Do Something to Me” and demonstrates her creative phrasing on a subtly swinging version of “Lullaby of Birdland.” Johnson was attracted to the clever lyrics of “Let’s Do It,” and her swinging, sensual interpretation mines them perfectly. Her arrangement of Leonard Bernstein and Adolph Green’s “Some Other Time” takes the song into new territory with unexpected changes in meter. Johnson loves Carmen McRae’s version of “Tip Toe Gently,” but rather than emulate McRae, Johnson takes the song in a new direction. Johnson and Hansen made it new with a re-harmonization of “Unforgettable,” which features a seductive muted trumpet performance by Thomas. Johnson closes the CD with “You for Me,” an upbeat love song first performed by Blossom Dearie, and “Something Good” -- a perfect description of the music on this album, composed by Richard Rodgers (after Hammerstein’s death) for the film version of The Sound of Music.

Kelley Johnson is endlessly creative. She plays with time and melody like a horn player, while her voice has a luminous quality. She and Hansen are also inventive arrangers, and their takes on these classics make them sound completely fresh and new.

Third Coast Percussion - Fields

Cedille Records releases "Fields," the latest album from Third Coast Percussion, with music composed by Devonté Hynes (aka Blood Orange).The first album to feature Hynes' classical compositions, "Fields" includes three works written for and arranged by Third Coast Percussion

Over the past several years, Third Coast Percussion's albums for the dynamic Cedille Records have included 2018's "Paddle to the Sea," whose title track was collaboratively composed by all four members of the quartet; and 2016's "Third Coast Percussion | Steve Reich," the winner of the 2017 GRAMMY Award for Best Chamber Music Performance. This fall, TCP continues to expand the possibilities of the percussion repertoire with the release of "Fields," featuring the first-ever recordings of classical compositions by Devonté Hynes (aka Blood Orange).

Although he is best known as a performer and producer in the R&B and pop music spheres, classical music was the first music Dev knew, first as an observer at his older sister's piano lessons, and later as a young cellist. Even today, Dev still considers classical music the foundation of his musical background, citing Claude Debussy, Erik Satie, Giacomo Puccini, and Philip Glass as particular influences on his sense of melody and timbre.

Third Coast Percussion, though longtime fans of Dev's work as Blood Orange, first came to know him personally through the choreographer Emma Portner. TCP was at the time immersed in a collaborative project with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and Portner was one of the choreographers involved. She had worked with Dev on several of his music videos, and suggested him as a natural fit for this project, and for TCP's adventurous style.

Dev composed all the music for the project in a Digital Audio Workstation, and sent recordings and sheet music to Third Coast Percussion for them to orchestrate for their own instruments. Each of the four members of TCP worked on arranging and orchestrating a different section, offering feedback on each other's work, and eventually sending their versions back to Dev and the choreographers. Although this was TCP's first time working with a composer in this way, their naturally collaborative ethos made the process exhilarating and ultimately liberating.

"This was the first time I've written music that I've never played, and I love that," said Dev. "It's something I've always been striving to get to. Seeing what Third Coast Percussion had done with these pieces was magical."

The actual music is a blend of Dev's love of classical and minimalist music with many of the characteristic elements of his work as Blood Orange-lush and powerful synth pads, beautiful melodies, intricate, light, bubbly rhythmic structures. In "Perfectly Voiceless," a wall of Philip Glass-esque old school minimalism parts to reveal a catchy pop melody; "There was Nothing" blends epic synthesizer sounds with bowed mallet percussion instruments, and includes moments of meditative lyricism reminiscent of Lou Harrison; and the expressive harmonies buried in the hazy textures of "For All Its Fury" point to Dev's love of Debussy.

"We've always felt that the future of classical music depends on deepening the collaborative process and removing the strict barriers between composers and performers," TCP writes in the liner notes to the album. "Dev gave us a beautiful field to play in, and we think the music that resulted couldn't have been created any other way."

Producer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, songwriter, and vocalist Devonté Hynes is one of the most influential voices in music today. Raised in England, Hynes started out as a teenage punk in the UK band Test Icicles before releasing two orchestral acoustic pop records as Lightspeed Champion. In 2011, he released Coastal Grooves, the first of four solo albums under the moniker Blood Orange. His 2016 album, Freetown Sound, was released to critical acclaim and saw Hynes defined as one of the foremost musical voices of his time, receiving comparisons to the likes of Kendrick Lamar and D'Angelo for his own searing and soothing personal document of life as a black man in America. His 2018 album, Negro Swan, was released to equally rapturous response, exploring elements of black depression and identity. His most recent release, the 2019 mixtape Angel's Pulse, which Hynes describes as an epilogue to Negro Swan, further explores and builds upon those thematic elements. He has collaborated with Solange Knowles, fka twigs, A$AP Rocky, Puff Daddy, Janet Mock, Mariah Carey, and many more, and was recently one of four artists invited to the Kennedy Center to perform alongside Philip Glass. In addition to his production work, he scored the film Palo Alto, directed by Gia Coppola.

MILTON NASCIMENTO'S MARIA MARIA TO BE RELEASED ON VINYL FOR THE FIRST TIME

Far Out Recordings proudly presents Milton Nascimento’s Maria Maria. Recorded in 1976 and unreleased until almost thirty years later, the album was written as the soundtrack to a ballet which dealt with the legacy of slavery in Brazil. Raw, atmospheric and emotionally charged, Maria Maria reveals one of Brazil’s greatest ever songwriters at his creative peak. Featuring an all-star cast of fellow Brazilian legends including Nana Vasconcelos, Joao Donato, Paulinho Jobim, and members of Som Imaginario, Maria Maria holds what Milton considers to be the definitive versions of some of his classic songs, including ‘Os Escravos De Jó’ and ‘Maria Maria’. Originally released in 2003 as a double CD package, with Milton Nascimento's 1980 follow up ballet soundtrack Ultimo Trem, Maria Maria will be available on vinyl for the very first time from December 2019, with Ultimo Trem set for vinyl release early 2020.

Milton Nascimento possesses one of the most immediately recognizable voices in Brazilian music: high and sweet and as breathtakingly sublime as that of any soul singer. It was this voice that the legendary Brazilian singer Elis Regina fell in love with back in 1964, having heard Milton perform his song ‘Canção do Sal (Sultry Song)’ at a private party in Sao Paulo. Ellis went on to record the song in 1967 -giving Milton his first hit in Brazil and beginning a career that has spanned over 50 years.

Born in Rio on the 26th October 1942, Milton moved with his adoptive parents at the age of 18 months to Tres Pontas, a rural town in the state of Minas Gerais, 500 miles north of Rio. He began his musical career as a young teenager, singing in a crooner style he learnt from listening to Brazilian singers and US groups such as The Platters on the radio. Hungry for more opportunities to perform, Milton moved to Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais, at the age of twenty. By the beginning of the 60s Milton had made a name for himself both as an accomplished singer and guitarist.

Milton became part of a local network of musicians, film makers, dancers, theatre directors and writers that included the journalist and song writer Fernando Brant as well as lyricist Marcio Borges and his younger brother Lo Borges. Together these four wrote and produced what would become Milton’s milestone album, ‘Clube da Esquina (Club on the Corner)’. The originality of ‘Club da Esquina’ shaped the local scene, and it reflects the essence of ‘the Nascimento Sound’. Milton’s religious upbringing as an Afro-Brazilian Catholic saw him exposed to church choral music from an early age. His love of this genre of music is apparent in both his celestial falsetto and vocal choral arrangements. This collection also displays his early fascination with evocative, non-verbal, scat-style singing, spare, harmonic guitar work and local folk music, jazz and rock.

In 1976, Milton and Fernando Brant teamed up with a new contemporary dance company called Grupo Corpo, whose Argentinian choreographer Oscar Araiz, would become a collaborator with the two musicians. Together, they conceived a show based on the composite life story of the daughter of a black slave called Maria. Nascimento wrote music to Brant’s lyrics and “Maria Maria” was premiered in the main theatre of the Belo Horizonte Palacio das Artes that year. “Fernando wrote the lyrics for the ballet, but there were originally no lyrics for the theme song, “Maria Maria’”. Milton and Fernando worked on the lyrics together, basing them on folk stories about black women of the countryside. Adds Milton “These memories are mostly things that we witnessed – Fernando and I – rather than what we experienced ourselves.

Milton’s music is impressionistic, emotional and romantic. Relying on songs without lyrics as well as evocative vocalizing and choruses, Milton experimented heavily with Afro-Brazilian percussion and taped jungle sounds. His composing method for these recordings was highly unconventional: “I wrote the music for ‘Maria Maria’ in a tiny Rio apartment with friends and their kids running around and having fun! I love to be in noisy places, surrounded by people”, he says.

The music on ‘Maria Maria’ was performed by an impressive group of young musicians who are today household names in Brazilian music, including Naná Vasconcelos (percussion and effects), Toninho Horta (guitars) and Paulo Moura (sax). Several vocalist including Naná Caymmi, Fafá de Belém, Beto Guedes, and Milton himself, had hits in years to come with reworkings of these songs.

Milton says his compositions follow his visions “like a movie”, and he believes that reflects his long love affair with cinema. “I only began composing because of enjoying the movies so much,” he says. “I wrote my first song “Peace for the Coming Love” after seeing ‘Jules et Jim’ (the cult 60s French film directed by François Truffaut), with my friend Marcio Borges. We went early in the morning and watched it four or five times in a row, then went to Márcio’s home and wrote the song.”

The songs also include solo spoken passages set to music, clearly influenced by this style of French art cinema. On the title track, Maria’s story is narrated and translated to music through the use of African Percussion, drums and metal signifying the field slave tools of the day. ‘Trabalhos (Works)’ runs to work rhythms and whipcracks: no words, just pain. ‘Lília’ documents the beating of the slave woman. After ‘A Chamada (The call)’ and the triumphant ‘Era Rei e Sou Escravo (I was a king now I am a slave’ things begin to turn and Milton employs tropical jungle cries to symbolize freedom. ‘Santos Catholicos x Candomble (Catholic Saints vs Candomble)’ represents the battle between African and European religions through the music of both sides. Milton’s heavenly falsetto pours into ‘Francisco’ and ‘Pai Grande (Great Father)’ and the outstanding ‘Eu Sou Uma Preta Velha Aqui Sentada no Sol (I’m an old black lady, sitting under the sun)’ conjures images of an old woman sitting deep in the forest, her memories painted in drums, piano and voices.

Set for its first ever vinyl release, Maria Maria will be available on 2XLP from the 13th December 2019 via Far Out Recordings. 

GRAMMY-nominated Recording Artist Deborah Cox Hits an Emotional Core with the New R&B Single ‘Easy Way’

GRAMMY-nominated recording artist Deborah Cox hits an emotional core and the charts with the new R&B single, “Easy Way.” The triple-threat artist returns with an impressive debut at No. 2 on TIDAL’s streaming chart, and the single is catching fire among fans, digital and streaming sites including Apple, Spotify, and Pandora, among others. “Easy Way” is written by hit-maker Rico Love, and produced by Rico and DTown. Rico production credits include Usher, Beyoncé, Diddy, Chris Brown, Keri Hilson, Fergie, and Fantasia.

While working on her seventh album recording, scheduled for release in 2020, Cox is overwhelmed with the response she has received on the new single. “My purpose has always been to speak about commitment and unconditional love,” she explains. “My mission is not to define it but rather to help one understand that self-love is where the journey begins. I don’t think people consider that. I find that people fantasize about love but don’t understand that if you want something to work, you have to fight for it, and you have to fight for it daily. I believe that’s why ‘Easy Way’ resonates with so many people.”

Rico Love draws inspiration about working with Cox on his new single from a quote he references by prolific writer E.M. Forster, “To make us feel small in the right way is a function of art, people can only make us feel small in the wrong way,” which succinctly sums up his collaboration with Cox. “I experience feeling small in the most amazing way while working with my dear friend, Deborah Cox,” says Rico. “I am fortunate that another one of my dreams came true. To have her trust me to be the practitioner of this art has blessed me to my core.”



From R&B to Pop to Jazz, the “Nobody’s Supposed To Be Here” songstress has released six career albums, including her debut album, Deborah Cox, followed by One Wish, The Morning After, Remixed, Destination Moon, and The Promise. With an impressive career in entertainment, Deborah not only scaled the music charts with six top 20 Billboard magazine R&B singles and an impressive 13 No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Play chart, but she has also carved out her place within the worlds of Broadway, television, film, and fashion.

Last seen as Rachel Marron in the national sold-out tour, The Bodyguard: The Musical, Cox has continued her work on screen and stage in a number of key roles including the voice of Whitney Houston in Lifetime’s biopic Whitney, directed by Angela Bassett; and her starring role in the Asolo Repertory Theatre musical production Josephine, among others.

The Canadian-born star continues her longstanding commitment to various social issues in the LGBTQ community and has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors including the Out Music Pillar Award and the Harvey Milk Foundation recognized her at the Diversity Honors ceremony for her efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the LGBTQ community.

www.DeborahCox.com

Bowman Trio - Persistance

‘Persistence’ is a strong effort, showcasing the young trio's knack at creating dynamic, sparse and memorable music which carries well the term "loft jazz" occasionally attached to it. Here, drummer Sami Nummela, trumpeter Tomi Nikku and bassist Joonas Tuuri present 9 strong originals, 8 of which are penned by Nummela and one by Nikku.

On the course of the new album, Bowman Trio moves from the introspective, calm moments of 'Badwater', "Mac Elliot" and 'Mä en jaksa' to the full swing of 'The Chase' and the solid grind of 'Persistence'. The album closing track 'Sista sommardagen' ("The last day of summer" in Swedish) is a hauntingly beautiful, delicately breezy ballad. Two years in the making, the album is a testament to the album title and a fine example of a band taking time in developing their sound to perfection.

Bowman Trio debuted in 2016 with the group's first LP also being the first release on Helsinki's We Jazz Records, and since then their reputation has grown in Finland and beyond. The trio is known for making music which invites the listener in and takes it sweet time in unraveling its secrets. Their sound is somewhat dry, naturally relaxed and there's a lot of room for manoeuvre within it for all of the players.

That being said, each of the musicians in the trio know how to play for their team, and the compositions move forward constantly and effortlessly. Bowman Trio makes music which always feels close to you, like you're right there in the room with the band. That's "loft jazz”.

THE STAPLE SINGERS - COME GO WITH ME: THE STAX COLLECTION (DELUXE 7-LP BOX SET)

Craft Recordingsis thrilled to announce the release of a vinyl box set celebrating one of music’s greatest gospel and soul groups, The Staple Singers. Set for a December 6th release date, Come Go With Me: The Stax Collectionpresents all of the group’s studio albums released on the iconic Memphis label, spanning 1968–1974, and features the Staples’ biggest hits, including “I’ll Take You There,” “Respect Yourself” and “If You’re Ready (Come Go with Me).” The six studio albums were cut from the original analog masters by Jeff Powellat Take Out Vinyl. The final, seventh disc offers rarities, non-album singles and several live recordings from the legendary 1972 Wattstax music festival. The seven discs come in heavyweight 180-gram vinylpressed at Memphis Record Pressing. Housed in a slipcase, the collection also includes a deluxe booklet with archival photos and new liner notes from American music specialist and curatorLevon Williams(formerly of the Stax Museum and the National Museum of African American Music), and folklorist, ethnomusicologist and writerDr. Langston Wilkins. The complete collection will also be released digitally, and the six studio albums will be available in hi-res 24-bit/192 kHz and 24-bit/96 kHz formats for the first time.  By the time that the Staple Singers signed to Stax in 1968, the family quartet—helmed by patriarch Roebuck "Pops" Staples, with daughters Cleothaand Mavis, and son Pervis (later replaced by his sister Yvonne)—had long graduated from the gospel circuit. The Chicago group had become well known in the counterculture and folk scenes and were performing alongside major rock acts like Big Brother and the Holding Companyand the Grateful Dead. The Staples had also become formidable voices in the Civil Rights movement, and many of their songs preached a message of empowerment and racial equality.  In the fall of ’68, the group went into the studio to record their first album for Stax, Soul Folk in Action, working with producer Steve Cropperand songwriter Homer Banks. The sessions were set against a backdrop of social and political turmoil, which climaxed with the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.in Memphis. The Staple Singers were known for writing politically charged “message songs,” and the year’s events certainly inspired many of the tracks on this album, including “Long Walk to D.C.” and “The Ghetto.” In their liner notes, Levon Williams and Langston Wilkins write that both of these songs “Truly tapped into the experiences and emotions of Black America at the close of the ’60s. The former is a tribute to the 1963 March on Washington told from the perspective of a poor yet hopeful African American person willing to use their last dimes to make it to the rally … Conversely, the somber and haunting ‘The Ghetto’ takes listeners deep into the isolation and despair of inner-city life.” Also notable to this album are stunning covers of The Band’s “The Weight” and Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” recorded in tribute to the fallen Stax star, who died tragically just a year earlier in a plane crash. The Staple Singers returned to the studio with Cropper the following year to record We’ll Get Over(1970). Highlights include the standout message song “When Will We Be Paid,” as well as covers of tracks like Sly & the Family Stone’s “Everyday People” and Gladys Knight & the Pips’ “The End of the Road.”
 Though both Soul Folk in Actionand We’ll Get Overcarried powerful messages and tight-knit harmonies, neither had commercial success. And so, for the band’s third album, Stax co-president Al Bell(who signed the band) took the helm as producer. Williams and Wilkins note that “As a long-time DJ, Bell’s ear for what moves Black listeners, both literally and metaphorically, had been keenly crafted over several years. Bell hosted shows that had both sacred and secular followings and had amassed a wealth of experience from watching, noting and deeply understanding the impact music has on varied audiences. His ear was essentially priceless.”  With support from the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section(also known as “The Swampers”), the Staple Singers found a winning team with Bell, and the resulting album, 1971’s The Staple Swingers, would be their first charting record, peaking at No. 9 on Billboard’stop R&B albums. The LP offered a funkier sound from the group, with high-energy singles like “Heavy Makes You Happy (Sha-Na-Boom Boom)” and the Smokey Robinsoncover “You’ve Got to Earn It.”
 The group reunited with the Swampers and Bell for 1972’s Be Altitude: Respect Yourself, an album that transformed the Staple Singers into mainstream stars. Peaking at No. 19 on the Billboard200, the groove-filled album featured the Staples’ first No. 1 hit—the infectious “I’ll Take You There,” and “Respect Yourself,” a song which Williams and Wilkins declare “Encapsulates the Staple Singers’ entire career.” The powerful message song not only resonated with African Americans but also with many women across the country as they, too, fought for equal opportunity.
 The group’s 1973 follow-up, Be What You Are, featured the Top Ten hit “If You’re Ready (Come Go With Me),” popular single "Touch a Hand, Make a Friend” and the sweetly harmonized “Love Comes in All Colors,” while the Staple Singers’ final album with Stax—1974’s City in the Sky—includes such highlights as the politically charged “Washington We’re Watching You,” “Back Road into Town” and “Who Made the Man,” which marked a return to the group’s gospel roots.  The final disc in Come Go With Me: The Stax Collectionoffers a selection of live tracks from the Staple Singers’ energetic performance at Wattstax, as well as B-sides like “Stay With Us,” non-album singles like “Oh La De Da” and rarities that include “Walking in Water Over Our Head” and “Trippin’ on Your Love.”  Following their time at Stax, the Staple Singers continued to tour and record throughout the ’70s and early ’80s. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1999and received a GRAMMY® Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. In recent years, Mavis Staples has been back in the spotlight—headlining tours and reaching a new generation of fans with her solo records. In 2016, she was the subject of a documentary (Mavis!)and ended the year as a Kennedy Center Honoree.

CHET BAKER’S THE LEGENDARY RIVERSIDE ALBUMS RELEASED

Craft Recordings is pleased to announce the release of Chet Baker’s The Legendary Riverside Albums on November 15th.The deluxe five-LP box set presents the artist’s output as a leader for the renowned jazz label, recorded and released between 1958 and 1959: (Chet Baker Sings) It Could Happen To You,Chet Baker In New York, Chetand Chet Baker Plays The Best Of Lerner And Loewe. The recordings, which feature such icons as Bill Evans, Johnny Griffin and Kenny Burrell, have been cut from their original analog master tapes by Kevin Grayat Cohearent Audio and pressed on 180-gram vinylat RTI. Also included is a bonus disc of choice outtakes and alternates from Baker’s Riverside sessions, plus a collectible photo print and a 16-page booklet filled with photos and insightful new liner notes by jazz historian Doug Ramsey. The complete collection will also be released digitally, including in hi-res 192/24 and 96/24 formats.  

Few musicians have embodied the romantic—and ultimately tragic—jazz figure as totally as Chesney “Chet” Baker (1929–88). Unschooled yet eloquent in his music, and a fast-liver who survived for nearly six decades, the Baker mystique has only reinforced one of the most haunting trumpet styles and ingenious approaches to jazz singing. The Los Angeles–based musician rose to fame in the early ’50s, playing with established artists like Charlie Parker, Gerry Mulligan and pianist Russ Freeman—partnerships which would solidify his status as a major jazz star. By the end of the decade, when he signed a four-album deal with the New York–based label Riverside, Baker had become known for his trademark West Coast “cool jazz” style. However, these recordings—which pair the artist with some of the best East Coast players—demonstrate Baker’s versatility as a modern trumpeter who could play with even the hardest boppers.

Baker’s 1958 recording session debut for Riverside, which resulted in the album release (Chet Baker Sings) It Could Happen To You, offers a modern, hipper take on standards like “Old Devil Moon,” “You’re Driving Me Crazy,” and “How Long Has This Been Going On?” The only album in this collection not produced by the label’s co-founder, Orrin Keepnews (who initially objected to his Riverside partner Bill Grauer’s unilateral signing of Baker), Chet Baker Sings is unique in that the nimble artist sets aside his trumpet in several of the tracks, using only his vocals—and even scatting some of the improvised solos in a style that sounds very much like his lyrical trumpet playing.In his new liner notes, Doug Ramsey praises that the album contains “Baker’s most inventive and convincing vocal work.”While All Music calls the album “An essential title in Chet Baker's 30-plus-year canon.”

A month after his Chet Baker Sings sessions, the artist went back into the studio to record Chet Baker In New York with a stellar lineup of Philly Joe Jones on drums, tough-tenor Johnny Griffin, bebop veteran Al Haigon piano and bassist Paul Chambers. The song selection, which ranges from laid-back and serene to hard-driving bop, features top-notch performances and impressive solos from all musicians involved. Highlights include the Miles Davis–penned tune “Solar,” the ballad standard “Polka Dots and Moonbeams” and the effervescent “Hotel 49.” 

1959’s instrumental outing, Chet, focuses on ballads and features an all-star cast that includes pianist Bill Evans, guitarist Kenny Burrell, flutist Herbie Mann and Pepper Adams on the baritone saxophone. Baker shines in his languid and tuneful approach to tracks like “Alone Together,” “It Never Entered My Mind” and “September Song.” All About Jazz called the album “Asession that allows the trumpeter to take his introspective time, encouraged by Evans' spare accompaniment to transform these standards into vibrant, impressionistic etchings.” 

Baker’s final album for Riverside, 1959’s Chet Baker Plays The Best Of Lerner And Loewe, finds the trumpeter offering his renditions of tunes by lyricist Alan Jay Lerner and composer Frederick Loewe who, together, penned some of the most famous songs on Broadway. Baker, joined by an ensemble that once again included Bill Evans, Pepper Adams and Herbie Mann—along with the great Zoot Sims on tenor saxophone—covers material from My Fair Lady, Gigi, Brigadoon and Paint Your Wagon. 

In addition to the four LPs, The Legendary Riverside Albums also includes a fifth disc, featuring outtakes and alternate takes from Baker’s recording sessions with the label. Doug Ramsey points out several highlights, including “Chet’s playing into a Harmon mute on the new version of ‘The More I See You’ and the spaciousness of his open horn in the Matt Dennis–Tom Adair classic ‘Everything Happens To Me.’ There is also a rarity, ‘While My Lady Sleeps.’” Ramsey adds that Baker’s version of the song “Underlines pianist [Kenny] Drew’s finely honed ability to concentrate on his partner’s phrasing and harmonic turns, and supply perfect support.’”

Though Baker’s Riverside era preceded even more troubling times for the artist, these recordings find the artist in excellent form, joined by some of New York’s finest musicians, proving his brilliance as an inspired original, and as one of the great jazz musicians of the 20th century.

   

TRACK LISTING

DISC ONE

Chet Baker Sings: It Could Happen to You

Side 1

Do It The Hard Way

I’m Old Fashioned

You’re Driving Me Crazy

My Heart Stood Still

Side 2

The More I See You

Everything Happens To Me

Dancing On The Ceiling

How Long Has This Been Going On?

Old Devil Moon

DISC TWO

Chet Baker In New York

Side 1

Fair Weather

Polka Dots and Moonbeams

Hotel 49

Side 2

Solar

Blue Thoughts

When Lights Are Low

DISC THREE

Chet

Side 1

Alone Together

How High The Moon

It Never Entered My Mind

’Tis Autumn

Side 2

If You Could See Me Now

September Song

You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To

Time On My Hands

You And The Night And The Music

DISC FOUR

Chet Baker Plays The Best Of Lerner And Loewe

Side 1

I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face

I Could Have Danced All Night

The Heather On The Hill

On The Street Where You Live

Side 2

Almost Like Being In Love

Thank Heaven For Little Girls

I Talk To The Trees

Show Me

DISC FIVE

Bonus LP: Outtakes and Alternates

Side 1

While My Lady Sleeps (Take 10)

You Make Me Feel So Young (Take 5)

The More I See You (Take 8, Alternate)

Everything Happens To Me (Take 2, Alternate)

Side 2

Soft Winds

Early Morning Mood

 

NATALIE COLE’S BESTSELLING HOLIDAY ALBUM, HOLLY & IVY, SET FOR FIRST VINYL RELEASE

Craft Recordings is delighted to announce the debut vinyl release of Natalie Cole’s bestselling, 1994 holiday album, Holly & Ivy. Holly & Ivyhas been remastered by George Hornand Anne-Marie Suenramat Fantasy Studios and pressed on 180-gram vinylat RTI. A CD reissue will be released on the same day. This year marks the 25th anniversaryof the acclaimed album—which was the first of several holiday outings in Cole’s career.

Cole was inspired to record Holly & Ivy after a call from longtime friend and prolific songwriter Michael Masser. Collaborating with the legendary lyricist Gerry Goffin, Masser had written an original holiday song entitled "No More Blue Christmas’" with the singer in mind. From there, Cole decided to make an entire album of Christmas music, following in the footsteps of her father—singer Nat King Cole—whose LP, The Magic of Christmas, was the top-selling holiday title of the 1960s, and whose rendition of “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)” is one of the most famous yuletide recordings in history. 

Co-Produced by Tommy LiPuma, Holly & Ivy offers an R&B twist on holiday favorites and features several songs which Cole’s father had made popular decades before, including “Caroling, Caroling,” “The Little Boy that Santa Claus Forgot,” and, of course,“The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire).” Also of note is an exuberant, gospel rendition of “Joy to the World,” featuring the choir from the Los Angeles Friendly Baptist Church, as well as Cole’s take on the bluesy “Merry Christmas Baby.” Accompanying the singer are a host of talented players—jazz pianist Cedar Walton, drummer Harold Jones, and R&B artist Patrice Rushenon keyboards—among them.

  

In a 1994 interview with Jetmagazine, Cole called Holly & Ivy, “A non-traditional album,” and hoped that the collection would remind listeners about the true spirit of the holiday season. Upon its release, the soulful album was received warmly by fans and critics alike. Billboard called it the “rarest of Christmas albums: an elegant set with appeal that could outlast the season,” while Entertainment Weekly proclaimed it to be “brassy and bustling…As warm and toasty as a hot toddy.” Certified Gold by the RIAA, Holly & Ivy peaked at Number 36 on the Billboard Top 200. In 2013, it once again charted, landing at Number Six on Billboard’s Holiday Albums chart, nearly two decades after its release.

A nine-time GRAMMY Award-winner, Natalie Cole (1950–2015) grew up in a musical family—the daughter of trailblazing artist Nat King Cole and jazz singer Maria Hawkins Ellington. Cole, however, paved a distinctive path for herself and rose to fame in her own right. Her 1975 debut, Inseparable, spawned hit songs “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love),” and “Inseparable”—earning the singer two GRAMMYS, including Best New Artist, and establishing Cole as the first African-American recipient in that category. The singer would maintain a steady presence on the R&B and Pop charts throughout the ’70s, with hits like “I’ve Got Love on My Mind” and “Our Love.” In 1977, Cole became the first female artist to release two Platinum-certified albums in one year (for Unpredictable and Thankful).

Towards the end of the ’80s Cole made a triumphant return to the radio waves with hits like “Jump Start (My Heart),” “I Live for Your Love,” and a dance-pop cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Pink Cadillac.” But it was her 1991 tribute album to her father, Unforgettable…With Love, which put Natalie Cole back in the spotlight. The album, which went to Number One on the Billboard 200, earned the singer six GRAMMY Awards and, to-date, has sold over 14 million copies worldwide. Cole continued to find success performing American standards throughout the next two decades of her life, with albums like Stardust (1996) and Ask a Woman Who Knows (2002). In addition to her prolific work in the music industry, Cole also penned two memoirs and flourished as an actress—even playing herself in a dramatic, award-winning performance in Livin' for Love: The Natalie Cole Story, based on her first autobiography, Angel on My Shoulder. Over the course of her storied and inspiring forty-year career, Cole released a total of 23 studio albums, with over 30 million copies sold, worldwide.

VINYL TRACK LISTING

Side A

Jingle Bells

Caroling, Caroling

The First Noel

No More Blue Christmas

Christmas Medley: Jingle Bell Rock, Winter Wonderland, Little Drummer Boy, I’ll Be Home For Christmas

Merry Christmas Baby

Side B

Joy to the World

The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot

A Song for Christmas

Silent Night

The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)

The Holly and the Ivy

*The CD version mirrors the vinyl track list.