Special EFX and Chilu Minucci to release new album "All Stars"

Mainstay of the GRAMMY® nominated collective that is Special EFX, guitarist Chieli Minucci has spent a lot of time on the road the last few years with a revolving lineup of celebrated musicians who bring the band’s world jazz brand to life. When Minucci began writing the group’s 21st album that he produced, he came up with the idea of inviting each player from the rotating touring ensemble to perform on the album and even composed material with specific musicians in mind. The luminous result is “All Stars,” a title that is a nod to an accomplished supporting cast. The imaginative collage of contemporary jazz, world music and blues drops on February 14 on the Trippin ‘N’ Rhythm imprint. Radio will get its first sampling in the form of “Hanky Panky Boys,” a groovy, retro cool tune that finds Minucci’s guitar and organ getting into a heap of mischief with saxophonist Eric Marienthal. 

“It was the first tune that I wrote specifically for the album and it doesn’t really sound like Special EFX, whatever that might be! I wanted to write something a bit different that we could play at jazz festival jam sessions, a piece that kind of sounds like a standard. Writing it got me fired up and inspired to write other music for the project,” said Minucci, who co-founded Special EFX 35 years ago with the late percussionist George Jinda and has amassed a host of Billboard No. 1 singles. 

Minucci wrote thirteen songs for “All Stars” and scrapbooked the talented artists who brought his eclectic vision into focus along with his New York City-based core band members Jay Rowe (keyboards), Jerry Brooks (bass) and Joel Rosenblatt (drums). Among the dozens of guest stars on the album are violinist Regina Carter, saxophonist/flautist Nelson Rangell, trumpeter Lin Rountree, multi-horn player David Mann, Spyro Gyra drummer Lionel Cordew, bassist Gerald Veasley, keyboardist Lao Tizer, fretless bassist-vocalist Fernando Saunders, a longtime Special EFX family member who has a history with the outfit dating back to their formative years; and 2019 Soul Tracks Female Vocalist of the Year Maysa Leak, who soars mightily on a version of Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing.” 

“I grew up listening to Jimi Hendrix. During a show we did two years ago with Maysa, I asked if she’d like to try singing ‘Little Wing’ and I was totally blown away. I asked her about making a recording of it and when she agreed, I got serious about the arrangement. I wanted to pay homage to the rock aspect of Jimi Hendrix. I also wanted to do something that was modern R&B. I think it came out unusual and I’m curious to hear how people react to it. I don’t really do cover tunes too often so this was different,” said Minucci, who will lead a revolving Special EFX lineup on a busy touring schedule in support of “All Stars” beginning on the eve of the album release date at Yoshi’s Oakland. 

One song on “All Stars” is especially personal to Minucci. “‘Sweet Memories Of You’ is a solo guitar piece that has a deeper meaning for me because I wrote it around the time my mom was passing a few years ago. It’s one of the pieces I felt would be important to include on the record - not only to break up the mood and texture of the listen, but also to give people something a little more contemplative in the middle of the record.”     

As the listener gets deeper into the album, the depth and breadth of Minucci’s compositional and arranging skills are on full display. “Kampala” was written on a borrowed acoustic guitar in a Ugandan hotel room during a concert tour. Minucci calls the two-part “Great Escape” “a labor of love that was written in odd meter because that’s part of the style I grew up listening to and really love. ‘Flows Like Water’ is a bit jazzier than what I typically do with Special EFX. I wanted to let people hear something a little bit different. I like to give people who buy our records and come to our shows a variety of styles. ‘Flows Like Water’ is a really nice representation of how tight the band has become over the many years we’ve worked together.” 

“All Stars” concludes with “One Stick And A Stone” - the stick being Steve Adelson’s Chapman Stick that engages Minucci’s guitar intimately. “It’s a world groove piece reminiscent of what my late great partner, George Jinda, used to do on percussion. I wanted to end on a nostalgic note, something very true to the Special EFX sound.” 

In addition to crafting Special EFX records, Minucci has released nearly a dozen solo collections. A guitar player gifted with an extensive sonic palate and technical proficiency, he has recorded and performed with a galaxy of A-list pop, rock, R&B and jazz stars spanning Celine Dion, Lou Reed, Chaka Khan, Lionel Richie, Jennifer Lopez, Jewel, Mark Anthony, Michael Bolton, Kirk Whalum, Jeff Lorber, Norman Brown, Rick Braun, Marion Meadows and Mindi Abair. Nominated for ten Emmy Awards for the music he created for television shows such as “The Guiding Light,” “Dancing With The Stars,” “American Idol” and “Good Morning America” (theme), Minucci is a three-time Emmy winner. He has also composed music for film (“Bowfinger,” “Legally Blond” and “Panic”) as well as stage (“Peter Pan,” “Dora the Explorer” and “Thomas the Tank Engine”).

On the other side of the holidays, Minucci is eager to begin introducing the music from “All Stars” to listeners. “I think it’s a really interesting sounding record. All over the place stylistically as I always do, but I enjoy that aspect. It was really intensive making this record.”

Catch Special EFX featuring Chieli Minucci on tour on the following dates (partial list below):

January 24 & 25 / Bermuda Jazz Festival / Devonshire, Bermuda

February 13 / Yoshi’s Oakland / Oakland, CA

February 15 / Spaghettini / Seal Beach, CA

February 16 / Aliante Casino Hotel & Spa / N. Las Vegas, NV

February 18 / Blues Alley / Washington, DC

February 19 / Middle C Jazz / Charlotte, NC

February 20 / Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts / Winter Park, FL

February 21 & 22 / The Velvet Note / Alpharetta, GA

March 11 / Dakota Jazz Club / Minneapolis, MN

March 12 / Soiled Dove Underground / Denver, CO

March 13 / The Sofia / Sacramento, CA

March 14 / Tower Theatre / Fresno, CA

March 21 / Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts / Melbourne, FL

April 2-4 / Boscov’s Berks Jazz Festival / Reading, PA

April 11 / The Cutting Room / New York, NY

Joni Mitchell to Receive Les Paul Innovation Award at 35th Annual NAMM TEC Awards

Hailed as the most important and influential female recording artist of the late 20th century, inspired folk artist and pioneer Joni Mitchell will receive the prestigious Les Paul Innovation Award at the 35th Annual NAMM Technical Excellence & Creativity Awards (NAMM TEC Awards), being held Saturday, January 18, 2020 in Anaheim, California. The award is given on behalf of the Les Paul Foundation to honor individuals that have set the highest standards of excellence in creative application of artistry in the spirit of the famed audio pioneer, inventor and musician, Les Paul.

"We are excited that Joni will be the recipient of the prestigious Les Paul Innovation Award," says Michael Braunstein, Executive Director of The Les Paul Foundation. "Like Les, she has been a trailblazer and a true renaissance woman – a songwriter, musician, producer and influencer who made her mark with very influential songs in the 60s. She has pushed the boundaries of what it means to be a female singer-songwriter over the course of her four decade career, and like Les Paul, she's never been scared to take creative risks. We are thrilled that Joni Mitchell will join the list of extraordinary recipients that represent the spirit of the legendary Les Paul."

"Thank you for this honor," said Mitchell. "I'm grateful for being appreciated."

A consummate artist, Roberta Joan Anderson is an accomplished musician, songwriter, poet and painter. An only child, Joni's artistic talents blossomed early as she began drawing as a young child. Always a lover of music, it wasn't until high school in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan that Joni began performing. She bought a ukulele and soon began playing in the local club, The Louis Riel, in 1962.

Heading to art school in Calgary after graduation, Joni auditioned at a coffeehouse called The Depression and immediately landed a regular gig there. Weighing two viable career options - art or music - she decided to focus on the latter. In 1964, Joni moved to Toronto and immersed herself in the fledgling Yorkville folk scene - performing in coffeehouses along with other fellow unknowns Neil Young and Gordon Lightfoot. It was during this time that Joni's songwriting skills began to emerge.

Moving stateside in 1965, Joni worked the coffeehouse circuit for the next three years - playing as many as twenty sets a week. David Crosby caught her performance in a Florida club in 1967, was 'stunned' by her talent, and invited her to Los Angeles.

Soon thereafter Joni signed with Reprise Records. Her first record, Song to a Seagull, was released in 1968. A wholly original masterpiece buoyed by her unique songwriting and guitar style, this album still sounds fresh and timeless 50 years on.

Joni Mitchell went on to serve as producer for most of her subsequent albums.  She produced and recorded Blue (1971), a unique collection of songs, performed with an emotional honesty that resonated with a wide audience.  Blue is considered by many critics to be one of the best LPs of pop music ever created.

Joni's most commercially successful LP, Court and Spark (1974) was created with the jazz-fusion group The LA Express. The Hissing of Summer Lawns (1975) steered her away from traditional pop  forms into formats of complex lyrics and melodies, accompanied by a variety of jazz musicians. Her album Hejira (1976) shed much of the instrumentation creating a minimalist recording with an expansive ambience achieved with the help of her sound engineer, Henry Lewy, by overdubbing Joni's electric rhythm guitar.  In 1978 one of jazz's great geniuses, Charles Mingus approached Joni to propose a collaboration. The result was Mingus (1979), released shortly after Mingus's untimely death from ALS.

Dog Eat Dog (1985) featured Joni's exploration of sociopolitical themes set to complex synthesizer arrangements. In the 1990s her acoustic guitar playing came back to the forefront and produced the Grammy winning Turbulent Indigo (1994). She has also recorded an orchestral retrospective, Travelogue (2002), two live recordings, Miles of Aisles (1974) and Shadows and Light (1980), and an orchestrated collection of popular music standards, Both Sides Now (2000). In 2007 the Alberta Ballet Company staged the ballet "The Fiddle and the Drum," choreographed to a collection of Joni Mitchell's recordings. Her last recording of new material was 2007's Shine. 

Although Joni's sophisticated music rarely topped the pop charts ("Help Me" reached #7 in 1974), many of her songs have become classics. "River," "Big Yellow Taxi," and "A Case of You" are instantly recognizable. "Woodstock" has become the anthem of the 60's counter-culture movement and "Both Sides Now" has been recorded more than 1,250 times by other artists.

Three Junos, nine GRAMMYS® (plus their Lifetime Achievement Award), the Governor General's Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and Songwriter's Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and a Polar Music Prize are but a few of Joni's awards and accolades. With this award, Mitchell will join the likes of Peter Frampton, Jackson Browne, Joe Perry (Aerosmith), Don Was, Slash, Todd Rundgren, Pete Townshend, Steve Vai and others, as a Les Paul Innovation Award honoree.

Ken Burns American Heritage Prize to be awarded to Wynton Marsalis

American Prairie Reserve is proud to announce that Wynton Marsalis has been named the recipient of the 2020 Ken Burns American Heritage Prize. The award will be presented May 6, 2020, at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The evening's festivities will include remarks by Ken Burns, Wynton Marsalis, Rosanne Cash, Board Chair George E. Matelich, and American Prairie Reserve CEO Alison Fox.

Named in honor of America's most revered visual historian and filmmaker, the Ken Burns American Heritage Prize recognizes individuals whose achievements have advanced our collective understanding of America's heritage and the indomitable American spirit of our people. Nominees for the annual Prize consist of visionary artists, authors, educators, filmmakers, historians, and scientists. The candidates are chosen by a National Jury of distinguished leaders who represent communities across the country and share a common appreciation of America's heritage.

"It's a privilege to lend my name to a prize honoring individuals whose accomplishments reinforce the nation's understanding of all that is possible. And as one who has been irrevocably changed by the majesty of the American West, I am inspired by American Prairie Reserve's historic mission to return a vast swath of Montana to the spectacular natural beauty first enjoyed by Native Americans and later by Lewis and Clark. The Prize we will present together to Wynton acknowledges the historic role that the Great Plains played in helping to shape America's character. It's that same character, courage, and fortitude that Wynton's tremendous work elucidates. This indomitable American spirit is alive and well today, in Wynton and in the men and women in many arenas whose work reminds us that our lives serve a greater purpose." – Ken Burns

Wynton Marsalis is the Managing and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC), which he helped found. Marsalis grew up in a musical household in New Orleans and studied classical trumpet at The Julliard School in New York City, and pursued his love of jazz by joining Art Blakey's band. Aside from overseeing Jazz at Lincoln Center, Marsalis continues to perform, compose, and participate in educational workshops. Marsalis created the companion soundtrack recording to Ken Burns's documentary Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson and appeared in Burns's Jazz and Country Music documentaries. In addition to his musical talent, Marsalis has written six books.

"The momentum of folly leads us to embrace an intellectual and spiritual corrosion that confuses commerce with cultivation, remuneration with regeneration, and money with meaning. I love the term "rewilding" because it is at once innovation and conservation. American Prairie Reserve's rewilding of our nation's landscape reintroduces us to our natural instincts. Ken Burns's rewilding of our collective memory illuminates the hidden corners of our humanity. Jazz is a music that rewilds the soul with every listen. I am deeply appreciative to receive this prize from an institution I respect, bearing the name of a genius I admire and on behalf of a music that defines us at our best," said Mr. Marsalis upon being notified of his selection as the 2020 Prize recipient.

American Prairie Reserve, which created the Prize, is a modern-day embodiment of America's optimistic and boundless approach to accomplishing the unprecedented — in this case, by creating the largest nature reserve in the continental United States, located on the Great Plains of northeastern Montana.

Record Kicks releases “MOMENTUM”, the new album by Calibro 35, out worldwide on January 24th 2020

Italian cult combo Calibro 35 release their highly anticipated 7th studio album “Momentum” on January 24th 2020. “Momentum” follows “Decade”, their previous studio album released in 2018 that had marked 10 years of Calibro 35, and it stands out as a new starting point for the project. In the last 10 years Calibro 35 have dug the golden age of soundtracks and they have been to the future with “S.P.A.C.E.”. “Momentum”, as the band stated: "represents a look at nowadays and a reflection about making music right in the time that we’re living”.

Inspired by the work of artists such as Tortoise, Jagajazzist, Dj Shadow, Budos Band, Stelvio Cipriani, Ennio Morricone, Sandro Brugnolini, White Noise, Comet is Coming, JPEGMafia and DJ Signify, compared to the previous Calibro 35’s full lengths on the 10 tracks that make up the new album, band’s instruments and sounds have increased in number and complexity as well as reality. The music palette is further extended by incorporating even more synths and electronic sounds, but keeping everything true and 100% real, with all the instruments played live and with no presets or programming. The two featurings on the album serve the cause as well. On the first single “Stan Lee”, they collaborated with rapper, producer and songwriter Illa J, a former member of super group Slum Village and younger brother of the late legendary hip hop producer and rapper J Dilla. On “Black Moon”, the combo from Milan provided the groove for London-based artist MEI. "If 'Decade' was the sum of everything that the band had felt in the previous ten years", Calibro 35 says, 'Momentum' is the prequel of what you will hear in the next ten".

To mark the new beginning and come full circle, the recordings took place under the expert hands of usual suspect Tommaso Colliva, in the same studio where Calibro released their self titled debut album twelve years ago.

The band will be on tour, starting in February 2020. Down here the UK tour dates and further up the video teaser of the album, made by Sugo Design and Francesco Imperato and available on Youtube and on the band's social medias.

Oakland Drummer Dillon Vado Releases Blissonance, the Debut Album by His Quintet Never Weather

Oakland drummer and vibraphonist Dillon Vado didn’t necessarily set out to make a bold statement. As a young bandleader and composer, he wanted to forge a distinctive group sound with some of the most vividly inventive improvisers on the Bay Area scene. He achieved exactly that with his quintet Never Weather, but what makes Blissonance such an impressive debut album is the music’s combination of emotional and musical intelligence. The album is slated for release on January 17, 2020 on bassist Jeff Denson’s Ridgeway Records. 

Featuring trumpeter Josh Reed, alto saxophonist Aaron Wolf, guitarist Justin Rock, and bassist Tyler Harlow, Never Weather is more than the sum of its considerable players. Heady and intricate but never over-thought or busy, Vado’s music reflects the collective personality forged by musicians trained in the art of careful, responsive listening. “I don’t want a book,” says Vado, 28. “There’s a difference between a band and a book. I want to play with these guys and go deep into this music.” 

The album opens with the insistent, rebounding theme “Never Catch Up,” a kinetic, headlong blues form that turns into a vehicle for Reed’s expansive, conversational trumpet. “Mask” is a mysterious ballad, a rising-and-falling soundscape that summons the spirit of Paul Motian. The band’s gift for melodic invention is on full display with “There Is No Secret,” a rolling theme by Rock that features some particularly graceful rhythm section interplay and the composer’s sly guitar work.

The album’s centerpiece is the evocative title track, which wends through a variety of thoughtful moods as it builds slowly to a beautifully calibrated guitar passage. While not through-composed, the piece is less a launching pad for solos than a kinetically detailed portrait of a vexing emotional state. A recently coined word describing the pleasure of being in a special place and realizing your presence damages the location, “Blissonance” is an almost programmatic work that maps treacherous inner terrain. 

Part of what makes Never Weather’s performances so enthralling is the calm decision with which the group flows from passage to passage, no matter the tempo. Solos often serve as commentary on the passing scene, rather than as digressions. With “Medium” Vado constructed the narrative after the fact, editing and layering improvisations played independently by Rock and Wolf  to create an ethereal dialogue. But most of the action takes place in real time. No piece better captures the group’s poise and attention to detail than “Always Setting,” a spacious, attenuated melody connected by a mobile bass line. It’s an intricate chamber jazz piece that gradually gains gravity without density.

Vado’s sequencing adds to the album’s overarching feel of tension and release, as five brief tracks punctuate his full compositions. Sometimes it’s just a deep breath before a plunge, like the mid-conversation trumpet fanfare of “No Grasp.” And sometimes a brief track contains a world unto itself, like the lapidary closing version of Thelonious Monk’s rarely played “Introspection,” a piece referenced earlier in hard-to-identify fragments. 

“Some of the short tracks function as a buffer between two intense tunes,” Vado says. “The second day of recording I got about 8-10 minutes of improvised material from each player and I wanted to use those little bits. We also recorded ‘Introspection’ at a bunch of different tempos. When you arrive at the piece at the end of the album I want it to feel like you’ve heard it before.” 

Blissonance is the latest dispatch from an artist who has quickly moved to the front ranks of the Bay Area scene. While gigging steadily as a drummer he’s gained as much attention as a vibraphonist, winning 1st place in the 2014 Jazz Search West competition on the instrument. In 2017, he was chosen for the Buddy Montgomery Jazz Legacy Award through the California Jazz Conservatory, where he earned his undergraduate degree the same year. He’s an essential component in some of the region’s most acclaimed bands, playing vibes in drummer Alan Hall’s Ratatet and trumpeter Erik Jekabson’s String-tet, and drums in Jekabson’s Electric Squeezebox Orchestra. 

In addition to Never Weather, Vado wears his drum hat in Beyond Words: Jazz and Poetry, a project he co-leads with poet Amos White. He plays vibes and marimba in his group The Table Trio with bass master Jeff Denson and drummer Hamir Atwal. Over the past five years he’s also performed with makland Drummer/Composer Dillon Vado Unleashes Exquisite Brain Storms With Blissonance, the Debut Album by His Quintet Never Weather.                                                                                                                                                               

Growing up in San Jose, Vado was surrounded by music. He started playing drums at eight, studying with a family friend while playing in school band programs throughout middle and high school. He played snare drum with the Santa Clara Vanguard and studied music full time at West Valley College, where he turned his attention to the vibraphone. Transferring to the California Jazz Conservatory in Berkeley, he went on to earn his Bachelor’s degree in 2017. 

While he considers himself blessed with a thick network of creatively ambitious collaborators, Vado isn’t given to seeing divine messages in his music. He notes however that a sign from above greeted the first Never Weather formation. Playing outdoors with Rock and Harlow at Harlow’s church in 2018 “it was one of those magic gigs where everything lined up musically,” Vado recalls. “We were playing ‘Round Midnight,’ and as Tyler bows the last two notes two shooting stars went by right behind the audience.”

A different form of divine intervention led to him expanding the ensemble in the form of a voice mail message from pianist and jazz guru Art Lande. “He said that Josh Reed was moving to town, that he’s a great that you have to play with him. We did an Electric Squeezebox Orchestra gig and he ripped it up.” Calling Wolf, an old friend from San Jose, came in a moment of inspiration. They’d been out of touch for a while, when Vado reached out to him and the timing was perfect. The saxophonist was eager for a challenging new situation.

“I picked every member really carefully,” he says. “No one really knew each other. Aaron and Josh have tons of mutual friends and hit it off. Aaron did his master’s at the University of Nevada, Reno and Josh just took over Ralph Alessi’s gig there.” 

A snapshot of an evolving ensemble, Blissonance is the work of restless intelligence and bountiful heart. Vado wasn’t looking to make an album when he got the players together “but the group dynamic came together quickly and I realized that I needed to document this,” he says. The cover art, a shot by award-winning National Geographic photographer Tom Schifanella, is icing on the cake. Taken with image, Vado contacted him and quickly reached generous terms to use the photo. “A lot of stuff lined up for this album,” he says. “I’m really proud of the sound of the record and the tunes.”

Vance Gilbert's new album 'Good, Good Man' out Jan. 24, 2020

“If Joni Mitchell and Richie Havens had a love child, with Rodney Dangerfield as the midwife, the results might have been something close to the great Vance Gilbert.” As the above quote from Richmond magazine suggests, Vance Gilbert defies stereotypes. It’s little wonder then that he also exceeds expectations. In this case, those two qualities go hand in hand.

“I’m black, I sing, I play an acoustic guitar, and I don’t play the blues,” Gilbert insists. That may be a broad statement, but it rings with truth.

What he does do is make memorable music, as evidenced by the 13 albums he’s released so far, as well as the mark he’s made on the folk and acoustic music scenes in general. Over the course of a prolific career that extends back to the early ’90s, he’s recorded with his good friend Ellis Paul and shared stages worldwide with Aretha Franklin, Shawn Colvin, Arlo Guthrie, the Milk Carton Kids, George Carlin, Anita Baker, the Subdudes, Paul Reiser and any number of others.

He’s also made a prominent presence at some of the world’s most prestigious gatherings, among them the Newport, Winnipeg, Rocky Mountain, Calgary, Ottawa, and Falcon Ridge folk festivals, the Kate Wolf Music Festival, and Australia’s Woodford Folk Festival and Mullum Music Festival.

“There was also that one nude festival in Maryland,” Gilbert recalls. “I don’t recall the name of that one, but I have to admit that the name wasn’t the first thing I would remember.”

Naturally, Gilbert can be forgiven for that minor oversight, given the amount of praise he’s received from the pundits. His remarkable rapport with his audiences and his free spirited performances inspired one critic to hail him as “a folkie trapped in a vaudevillian body,” with “a voice that could have been on the opera stage, a wit that could have been on a comedy stage and a songwriting talent that’s thrust him on the folk stage for decades.”

Those descriptive phrases come to full fruition on Gilbert’s upcoming album, the appropriately named Good, Good Man, out January 24, 2020. Recorded with an A-list support cast that includes bluesman and singer/songwriter Chris Smither, Al Green’s organist Stacey Wade,  Tommy Malone of the Subdudes on guitars, Mike Posner on backing vocals, and Celtic harpist and vocalist Aine Minough it sums up the strengths that Gilbert’s always had at his command — that is, a gift for compelling melodies, insightful lyrics, a witty and whimsical point of view, and the ability to maintain an inherent humanity that translates to his connection with his audiences.

As always, the music is as varied as it is vibrant, from the philosophic musings of “Pie and Whiskey” and the rollicking R&B-flavored title track, to the swinging sound of “Zombie Pattycake,” the tender trappings of “Hitman” and the bare-bones remake of the 1972 hit “Wildflower,” a seminal song given Gilbert’s intimate and essential additives.

In short, it’s Gilbert at his very best, a set of songs that deserves to bring Gilbert the wider recognition that’s eluded him for far too long.

Then again, Gilbert’s unlikely trajectory isn’t what most folks might expect from such a talented troubadour. Raised in a Philadelphia row house, Gilbert was drawn to a variety of music early on, that is, the sounds of favorites that were always heard around the house, such as Dinah Washington, Brook Benton, Earl Bostic, David “Fathead” Newman, Wes Montgomery, as well as the pop and jazz that occupied his family’s beat-up turntables. Later there were the sounds he discovered on his own, including Motown, Stax, the Beatles, Bread, the Spinners, the Stylistics, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bonnie Raitt, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, and Steely Dan. It was an eclectic batch, not exactly the standard musical mash-up you’d hear in that particular part of town, but nevertheless, it did help inform Gilbert’s musical sensibilities in a real and emphatic way. It gave him the impetus to perform jazz and then folk, and execute all of it so adroitly.

Nevertheless, it wasn’t easy. His parents were alcoholics and mentally unstable, and naturally enough that made for an abusive environment. Gilbert spent four years homeless while still a teenager. Eventually he enrolled in Connecticut College, in the mid ’70s, which allowed him to further expand his musical vocabulary as he absorbed a steady infusion of influences in his new environs. In his sophomore year he began playing bass in jazz and funk bands on campus. Then, when his brother gave him a 12-string guitar strung with nylon strings and with the top six tuning pegs chopped off, he became smitten by the possibility of fusing folk music, jazz and songs that shared stories in a most emotive way. Kenny Rankin, Joni Mitchell, Greg Brown, and Patty Larkin, became early inspirations.

With a biology degree in hand, Gilbert made his way to Boston, an eternal mecca for folk music enthusiasts, and shared a flat with friends who shared his same sensibilities. “I wanted to be in a place where the music was accessible,” he reflects. To that end, he continued to pursue his musical interests, earning his living working in restaurants by day and performing in coffee houses and at open mics by night.

“I wanted to be Earl Klugh, Al Jarreau, Stevie Wonder, and Julie Andrews all at the same time,” he chuckles. “Or more precisely, the acoustic version of each. I wanted to play on the streets and get gigs ... that was my dream.”

It was a romantic notion, that idea of becoming an itinerant musician. Instead, he became a multicultural arts specialist in the Boston public school system and remained in that position for the next decade. Yet he never abandoned his dream of being a performer. One night, at the suggestion of a friend, he attended a concert at the Old Vienna Kaffeehause in Westboro, Massachusetts, a hangout he had frequented in the past. The performer that evening was Shawn Colvin, and from that point on, he knew what he wanted to do.

“I wanted to be a 5'5'' white woman,” he says, tongue lodged firmly in cheek. “She had it all — guitar, voice, solid time, stage chops, and the songs — those perfect little impressionistic masterpieces.”

He also determined that his goal would be to open for Colvin within a year - reaching it 3 months later when tapped by her to be support for Colvin’s “Fat City” tour in its entirety. “It’s that tour that marked my rise from absolute unknown to the ranks of the relatively obscure,” Gilbert jokes. Indeed, it earned him his first kudos, and it even inspired the Fort Worth Star-Telegram to describe him as having “the voice of an angel, the wit of a devil, and the guitar playing of a god.”

Naturally, Gilbert didn’t stop there. Over the course of his career, he’s carved out a singular niche with songs that have resonated with his fans and drawn in new listeners. His classic compositions — “Old White Men,” “Charlene” and “Unfamiliar Moon,” “Goodbye Pluto,” and “Waiting for Gilligan” — are emotive and profound, offering certain truths in ways that make a meaningful impact in the most enduring and evocative ways.

Indeed, Gilbert posses a wide palette and perspective, from a co-write with Grammy Award winner Lori McKenna, “House of Prayer,” to a song on a Grammy-nominated children’s record by the duo Trout Fishing in America. Likewise, after alt-rock star Mike Posner heard Gilbert perform on a podcast, he invited him to take part in co-writing sessions and subsequently to sing on his recent single, “Noah’s Ark.”  Posner reciprocated with a haunting background vocal on “Flyby,” a song featured on Gilbert’s forthcoming album.

“You take a broad idea and you infuse it for the most precise details,” Gilbert says when describing the essence of his approach. “That’s probably the hardest part of writing for any of us. Connecting the dots is very important. It’s not about the kitchen table. It’s about the placement and the fork on that placement and the food that was on that fork. It’s about creating detail after detail. It’s all about the detail.

“It’s about philosophy, humor, double meanings ... any of those things,” he allows. “The things that I see in my head are mini movies. I see the genesis of the idea and then it becomes my job to iron out the details. The hardest thing to do is to take that concept and surround it with those philosophical insights. I guess I’ve done that in my work from time to time. You start illuminating things that you didn’t realize when you first began the process. It’s is the day to day things that motivate me to start writing and I’m frequently surprised by the things that I come up with.”

Ultimately, it’s the impact that he has on his audiences that matters to him the most.

“People take away from these songs what they decide they’re going to take away,” he reflects. “I would hope they walk away thinking. If that’s the case, then I’ve done my job successfully.”

New Music Releases: Saskia Laroo, Lafayette Harris, Eri Yamamoto & Choral Chameleon

Saskia Laroo - Trumpets Around The World

"The Dutch Lady of Jazz" is what trumpeter Saskia Laroo has been affectionately called by the press and fans for years. On November 15, she released her highly anticipated eighth album “Trumpets Around The World”, with which she will also celebrate three milestones at the same time: the new release, 40 years on stage as of this year, 25 years leading the Saskia Laroo Band, and 25 years since the start-up of Laroo Records. On the protean “Trumpets Around The World”, Laroo skillfully combines her mastery of various instruments, namely, trumpet, bass, and saxophone with funky dance, hip hop, modern grooves, singing and rap. Here stands Laroo's repute for a candid improvisational style, inspired by influences and cultures from all over the world. ~ smoothjazz.com

Lafayette Harris - You Can't Lose With The Blues

Straight, strong, and soulful work from pianist Lafayette Harris – working here with a nicely understated trio that features Peter Washington on bass and Lewis Nash on drums – both musicians with more than enough sensitivity to make some subtle contributions, while still letting Harris dominate the lead and do his thing! The tracks are all relatively short – most in the four or five minute range – but like a piano pro of the old school, Harris really packs a lot into a little space – on titles that include "Bloomdido", "Love Me In A Special Way", "Things Ain't What They Used To Be", "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying", "He's My Guy", and "The Juicy Blues".  ~ Dusty Groove

Eri Yamamoto & Choral Chameleon – Goshu Ondo Suite

One of the most beautiful albums we've ever heard from pianist Eri Yamamoto – in large part because of the presence of the Choral Cameleon vocal group! The mix of piano and voice is wonderful – haunting and powerful, in a way that reminds us of some of the best Vince Guaraldi experiments of this type – but with a sharper edge, as you might guess from the piano of Yamamoto – and support from David Ambrosio on bass and Ikuo Takeuchi on drums! Sometimes the voices rise high and proud – as in a Max Roach jazz-with-voices album – other times they drift dreamily, providing more of a subtle ascendant current to the lines of the piano. Either way is great to our ears – a really wonderful record – and tracks feature the long "Goshu Ondo Suite", plus "Echo Of Echo". ~ Dusty Groove

New Music Releases: Spiritual Jazz 10 – Modal, Esoteric, & Deep Jazz From Prestige Records; Junius Paul, Free Soul TK

Spiritual Jazz 10 – Modal, Esoteric, & Deep Jazz From Prestige Records (Various Artists)

A really loving look at a sometimes-forgotten side of the Prestige Records label – a company that's famous for giving the world plenty of hardbop and soul jazz in the 50s and 60s, but which also helped lay the groundwork for American spiritual jazz to come! Long before Impulse, Strata East, MPS, and other labels were working with the music – and even long before Coltrane first started to soar into the cosmos – Prestige was letting its musicians really experiment with unusual rhythms, extended solos, and even some non-Western instrumentation – which resulted in a set of records that were years ahead of their time, and which still sound pretty darn mindblowing all these many years later! The package is a long-overdue entry in this hip series from Jazzman Records, and will also have you looking at your collection of older jazz in a completely new way – thanks to tracks that include "Summertime" by Ahmed Abul-Malik, "Love Theme From Spartacus" by Yusef Lateef, "Dorian" by Roy Haynes, "Rip A Dip" by The Latin Jazz Quintet, "Warm Canto" by Mal Waldron, "Organ Rounds" by Moondog, "Death & Taxes" by Walt Dickerson, "Song Of Delilah" by Ahmed Abul-Malik, and "Modette" by Roy Haynes – plus 70s tracks "I've Known Rivers" by Gary Bartz Ntu Troop and "Peace" by Idris Muhammad.  ~ Dusty Groove

Junius Paul - Ism

A fantastic record from the contemporary Chicago scene – one that both gives bassist Junius Paul his first showcase as a leader, and underscores the richly collaborative energy in which the musician works! The set was recorded at various points in the Windy City underground – with Paul at the help of a shifting lineup that includes Makaya McCraven on drums, Corey Wilkes on trumpet, Justin Dillard on piano and keyboards, Jim Baker on piano and Arp, Isaiah Spencer on drums, Marquis Hill on trumpet, and Tomeika Reid on cello – with most musicians also handling other instruments too, in a continuation of an AACM legacy – on a record that's then edited by Makaya McCraven, in the best International Anthem mode! The music is jazz, but of the most forward-thinking type – and titles include "Ma & Dad", "Fred Anderson & A Half", "Twelve Eighteen West", "Georgia", "Spocky Chainsey Has Re-Emerged", "The One Who Endures", "Baker's Dozen", "View From The Moon", "You Are Free To Choose", "Paris", "Collant Denier", and "Sprouts". ~ Dusty Groove

Free Soul TK (Various Artists)

A deep double-dip into the legendary TK Records catalog of Miami Soul – and one that offers up a very different version of the label than you might know from the hits! This 2CD set follows in the best tradition of the Free Soul series from Japan – which means that the collection is filled with unusual tracks that we might have missed otherwise, alongside other numbers that we do know, but which seem to have a really special vibe in this setting – an unpacking of the TK catalog from top to bottom, with a special focus on warmer, more unusual bits of funk and soul. Titles include "Jolie" by Lattimore, "Don't Waste My Time" by Jerry Washington, "Keep It Up" by Milton Wright, "You Knock Me Out" by Wildflower, "Cramp Your Style" by All The People, "I Can't Leave Your Love Alone" by Willie & Anthony, "Street Love" by Spats, "Concrete Jungle" by Little Beaver, "Good Good Lovin" by Charles Johnson, "90% Of Me Is You" by Vanessa Kendrick, "I Got Bills To Pay" by Johnny K, "You Can Be A Lady" by JP Robinson, "Love Is A Simple Thing" by Leon Ware, "Island Girl" by Lew Kirton, "Share Your Love" by Herman Kelly & Life, "Ain't Nothin Wrong" by KC & The Sunshine Band, "What Would Your Mama Say" by Facts Of Life, "Jazz Freak" by Paulette Reaves, "Let's Make A Baby" by Funky Brown, "The Love We Had Stays On My Mind" by Freddy Henry, and "How Long" by Brandye. ~ Dusty Groove

New Music Releases: Jack Ashford's Just Productions, Calibro 35, Jason McGuiness

Jack Ashford's Just Productions (Various Artists)

A huge legacy of Detroit soul – all from the masterful hands of onetime Motown maestro Jack Ashford and his Just Productions team! Ashford's had his hands in countless great records over the years – early work with Motown, key Detroit Pied Piper Productions material, and all these excellent cuts from later years – done by Jack in a mix of Northern Soul styles, and some even funkier modes for the 70s! Almost all these tracks only got released on tiny little labels, mostly as singles – and the set also includes a few never-heard tunes from the Ashford vaults – although overall, most of this music is still pretty darn obscure. Yet that never stops it from being great – as, similar to Detroit contemporary Dave Hamilton, Ashford was always working at a top level – and always found a way to bring his A-game to the table, even if he wasn't going for a hit. LP version features the vinyl debut of a few tracks – and titles include "Payback's A Drag" by The Smith Brothers, "I'll Fly To Your Open Arms" by The Family Brick, "Sweet Baby" by Al Gardner, "I'm Gone" by Eddie Parker, "The Story Of My Life" by Billy Sha-Rae, "There Can Be A Better Way" by The Smith Brothers, "Don't Leave Me Baby" by Ray Gant & The Arabian Knights, "Stay Here With Me" by Sandra Richardson, "I Need Your Love" by The Stylists, and "Let Me Take Care Of Your Heart" by Jack Ashford himself.  ~ Dusty Groove

Calibro 35 - High Tension Vol 35 – Calibro 35 Plays Lesiman

Maybe one of the coolest records we've ever heard from Calibro 35 – and certainly one of the funkiest – thanks in part to a selection of tracks that are pulled from the catalog of Italian sound library genius Lesiman! The music is very hip – unusual sonic touches alongside tight basslines, great drums, and riffing guitar – all recorded with a mode that seems more open, airy, and inventive than any other Calibro 35 record too! And oddly, even though the group are reaching for a more direct reference to a sound and style they've already been exploring, the whole thing is maybe their most individual album overall – and the group's greatest calling card to date. Titles include "Milano 7", "Play Car", "Players/Bagliori", "Moto Centripeto", "Macchine Nello Spazio", "Schegge", and "Ricognizione Sulle Macerie".  ~ Dusty Groove

Jason McGuiness - Empyrean Tones

Jason McGuiness handles the keyboards, but he's also got some great help on the session too – a strong lineup of guests that includes Kamasi Washington on tenor, Phil Ranelin on trombone, and Keyon Harrold on trumpet! Drums are by Te'Amir Sweeney, who's got this crackling touch that brings a tight acoustic core next to the freer flows that McGuiness brings on keyboards – balancing the album out nicely, and grounding some of the cosmic currents of the leader – in ways that nicely hold a space between an album of electric funk and spiritual jazz! Titles include "Titals", "Cosmos", "Discipline", "Empyrean Tones", and "Black Messiah Project".  ~ Dusty Groove

Bob Holz to Release New Album with Rolling Stones Bassist Darryl Jones

Jazz Fusion Legend Bob Holz to Release New Album Featuring Rolling Stones Bassist Darryl Jones, Dean Brown, Randy Brecker, Ric Fierabracci, Billy Steinway and Brandon Fields

Jazz Fusion legend Bob Holz will release his fifth album for MVD Audio in early 2020. The record is titled "Holz-Stathis Collaborative". Joining Bob Holz is Rolling Stones bassist Darryl Jones. Both Bob Holz and Darryl Jones have played with the late jazz fusion guitarist Larry Coryell.

Bob Holz is wrapping up a busy 2019 which included featured concerts at The Whiskey a Go Go and Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood,CA. Bassist Darryl Jones is joining Bob Holz in the recording studio fresh off the No Filter tour with The Rolling Stones. Darryl Jones has played bass for the Rolling Stones since 1993. He has also worked with Miles Davis and Sting.

The album features ten new original tunes penned by Holz, Billy Steinway and Dean Brown. The album is being recorded and mixed by multi platinum sound engineer  Dennis Moody.

Other musicians on the album include guitarist Dean Brown, trumpet legend Randy Brecker, saxophonist Brandon Fields, Blood, Sweat and Tears bassist Ric Fierabracci and pianist Billy Steinway.

Internationally renowned drummer and composer Bob Holz is signed to MVD Audio (a division of MVD Entertainment Group), managed by Eric Cohen of EC Music Agency and produced by Rob Stathis.In the past Bob Holz has worked extensively with Larry Coryell, Mike Stern, Stanley Clarke and Randy Brecker.

http://www.bobholzband.com

New Music Releases: Jazzz, Meem, A. Billi Free

Jazzz – Yummy Vibes

This is JazzZ, but with a triple Z and some additional juju magic: With influences like Sade Adu and Aaliyah, "Yummy Vibes" is a soulful and magical musical alchemy of afrobeats, R&B and reggae vibes.The lyrical themes include love ("Lover", "Juju Na Magic"), freedom of expression, not letting the fear of lack of acceptance hold you back from being yourself ("My Body"), relationship issues ("Gbim Gbim"), and sexual freedom ("Shine Your Love", "Wild Thing"). Inspired by her everlasting muse, the Yoruba Goddess Yemoja, protector of woman and children, this is the start of something big for Lagos-based vocalist JazzZ. Get onboard the Yummy Vibes train and let JazzZ take you on an afro-futuristic transcendental cosmic musical journey.

Meem – Monsters vs Music

Australia’s pioneer of beatmaking returns with one of his strongest releases to date. Forging new collaborations with vocalists worldwide (Manchester, London, New York, Jamaica, Toronto, Arizona), this new release is a rock-solid collection of conscious hip hop and future reggae vibes. Encompassing his own distinctive vision of music production, Meem’s 7th album ‘Monsters vs Music’ is a melting pot of throwback party funk, innovative hip hop, positive reggae and classic jazz-hop. Produced in Sydney with an international focus, this release is the culmination of the past few years of Meem’s collaborations with some of the worlds finest underground vocalists. Based in Sydney, Meem is an integral part of the Australian music scene. He is one of Sydney’s most in demand DJs, and host of Australia’s longest running funk music radio show ‘Back To Funk’ on 2ser 107.3 FM since 1980. His previous production work includes six critically acclaimed releases, numerous remixes, and countless edits that are played by DJs across the globe. But this one isn't just about the music, it's also about the monsters as you'll hear.

A. Billi Free – I Luma

In theme and style, A. Billi Free effortlessly slides between the present and the future and between earth and space on her debut album I Luma. Meaning "in front" in the Samoan language, I Luma centers A. Billi Free's sincere musings on discovery and adventure in her universe over soulful, uplifting, dance-ready jams. I Luma is backed by an electronic/pop/alternative R&B sensibility entirely composed and produced by Chicago production duo and Tokyo Dawn artists, Tensei. Interstellar jazz multi-instrumentalist Angel Bat Dawid on clarinet sets the tone for this enchanted musical journey on the track "Flourish". Recorded in New Mexico, Illinois, and Massachusetts, the resulting magic outweighs the challenges of this type of creation as the album’s sonics are strong and richly layered, providing a solid foundation for A. Billi Free's smooth tone and earnest message to transmit through the cosmos. Rooted in an eclectic blend of hip hop, soul and electronica, she has spent the last decade in the deserts of southern New Mexico and west Texas fusing elements of both the city and the border into her sound.

New Music Releases: Space Funk, The Jazz Defenders, Sonny Rollins

Space Funk – Afro Futurist Electro Funk In Space 1976 to 1984

Sun Ra was one of the first 20th Century artists to soar off in space, and George Clinton followed his lead with the Mothership in the 70s – and after that time, there was a surprisingly huge legacy of funk and soul artists who also headed for the cosmos – as you'll discover in this very unique set! The package is one of the deepest-digging soul collections we've ever heard from Soul Jazz – as most of the material here is pretty darn obscure – tracks that are from farther in the hinterlands of American soul at the end of the 70s and start of the 80s – and which are heavy on the sort of electrified touches it must have taken to send a funky spaceship out into the stratosphere! Many of these cuts have a sweet electro soul groove, which includes some nice keyboards and even a bit of vocoder work too – while others have a more old school funk approach, but still plenty of cosmic vibes in the mix. Titles include "Supersonic Space Lady" by Ernest Flippin II, "Make It Good To Me Baby" by Copperfield, "Break Out" by Rodney Stepp, "Computer Funk" by Ose, "Fly Guy & The Unemployed" by Ramsey 2C/3D, "Fee Fi Fo Fum" by Leo, "Bionic Funk" by Santiago, "Space Invaders" by Solaris, "Computer Power" by Jamie Jupitor, "Plastic" by Juju & The Space Rangers, and "Computer Games" by Frank Cornelius. CD features the bonus track "Electro-?" by Robotron 4.  ~ Dusty Groove

The Jazz Defenders - Scheming 

The Jazz Defenders produce music that is a modern soul-jazz slant on classic bebop and hard bop, effortlessly channeling the spirit of the golden Blue Note era of jazz. The band's debut album "Scheming" is released on Haggis Records, the label started by UK funk band The Haggis Horns. Jazz has always been a massive part of what The Haggis Horns are about so this marriage was the perfect fit. The Jazz Defenders were founded by George Cooper, one of the UK's most formidable jazz pianists, who at only 31 years of age has already amassed a comprehensive repertoire of working partnerships including Hans Zimmer, Nigel Kennedy, U2 and The Haggis Horns. In 2015 George set about choosing some of the finest musicians the UK has to offer to form a group that have since wowed audiences with their superb musicianship and virtuosity. For their debut album, The Jazz Defenders offer an original set of tunes written by Cooper and each member of the ensemble. Filled with as much playfulness and humor as it is of skilled mastery and musical prowess, "Scheming" is a delight for the ears. From the first to last track it's evident The Jazz Defenders thoroughly enjoyed making this album. There's a connective thread of irony throughout "Scheming", proving jazz doesn't have to take itself too seriously to be of the highest quality.

Sonny Rollins – Newport Jazz Festival 1973

Sonny Rollins is a true colossus. Championed by Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis as a young player, he quickly became one of jazz's leading voices on tenor saxophone. His tone, swing and almost superhuman creativity persisted from the mid 1950s for over 60 years. At the time of this concert, aged 43 and playing with a band of old friends and new talents, Sonny was at the height of his powers. This performance from the Newport Jazz Festival was captured by National Public Radio on June 30th 1973 and features the band responsible for Rollins' Horn Culture LP (1973). Fresh from a two year break in Jamaica and India where he studied yoga and eastern philosophy Sonny put together a band of old friends and new talents. Pianist Walter Davis Jr had known Rollins since his earliest days as a professional musician. A disciple of both Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk, Davis worked with Max Roach and other leading lights of be-bop in the 1950s before landing the piano seat with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. Bassist Bob Cranshaw first played with Rollins at the 1959 Playboy Jazz Festival and provided a solid core on his 1962 piano-less classic LP The Bridge. David Lee, a drummer from New Orleans was first spotted by Dizzy Gillespie who invited him to join his band in 1969. In 1971 he spent a year with vibist Roy Ayers before answering the call from Rollins. The youngest member of the quintet, guitarist Yoshiaki Masuo was given his break while still at university by Japan's foremost saxophonist Sado Watanabe. The music features Love Letters, a 1940s popular song by Victor Young and Edward Hayman; Sais, the centrepiece of the set and a rare example of Rollins on Soprano saxophone; he ballad There Is No Greater Love, first featured on Rollins' 1957 LP Way Out West and Alfie's Theme, originally written by Sonny for the famed Michael Caine film Alfie.