New Music Releases: Eliana Pittman; Zelia Duncan, Ana Costa, & Others; Lulu Fall

Eliana Pittman - Hoje, Ontem E Sempre

Brazilian singer Eliana Pittman's been giving great records for decades – and somehow, she still sounds completely fantastic – maybe even more expressive given the passage of time on her voice, which hasn't lost any of its power or sense of soul! As proof of that, the package balances a full new album with a full album's worth of bonus material recorded live in 1970 – sounds that span decades, but which still have the vocal charms of Pittman sounding completely amazing all the way through! Instrumentation on the new studio tracks is mostly lean, with a fair bit of acoustic guitar – on titles that include "Ex Amor", "Gamei", "O Morro Nao Tem Vez", "Tributo A Vaidade", and "Ate A Lua". The live set has relatively spare instrumentation too – but maybe a bit more muted, given the live recording – and titles include "O Pato", "Desafinado", "Big Spender", "Felicidade/Deixa Issao Pra La", and a nice take on "Ponteio". ~ Dusty Groove

Zelia Duncan, Ana Costa, & Others - Eu Sou Mulher Eu Sou Feliz

A spirited testament to the power of woman – put together by Brazilian singer and songwriters Ana Costa and Zelia Duncan – and done with help from a huge amount of guests who include Leila Pinheiro, Maira Freitas, Simone, Daniele Mercury, Alcione, Aurea Martins, Elbas Ramalho, Mart'Nalia, and many others! The mix of talents is pretty wide, and the combination of voices throughout the project certainly echoes that spirit too – ambitious, but never overdone – and handled by the leading duo with this care that somehow manages to make all the many parts come together, then sound a lot greater as a whole! ~ Dusty Groove

Lulu Fall - Between Two Worlds

Lulu Fall has a vocal style that's both urgent and effortlessly flowing – modes that are both underscored nicely by the jazzy instrumentation on the set – music by a core combo that really fits the spirit of the singer's energy, and does a great job of shifting to match her spirit throughout! The tunes often have a way of starting in one direction, then moving in another – and Lulu's clearly out to leave her own mark in contemporary soul, but all without ever pushing things too much or leaning into any simple stylistic gimmicks. Instead, the record's got a vibe that's very individual, and maybe a bit hard to describe – but well worth checking out. Titles include "Now", "She", "Runaway", "Where Are We Going", "Between Two Worlds", "Keep Your Head Up", and "Powerful". ~ Dusty Groove

Guitarist Ronny Smith's New Album "Raise the Roof"

The fact guitarist Ronny Smith grew up listening to Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, and George Benson does much to explain the tight melodic style that categorizes his playing.  It is a style that he began to develop while still in junior high school and the time he subsequently spent performing, first with various bands at university then later in the armed forces, expanded both his musical and geographic horizons. 

More importantly it led him to a career as a sought after backing musician. 

Collaborations with artists as diverse as The Marvellettes, Melba Moore and jazz drummer Bobby Durham all added to Smith’s reputation while as a solo artist he has been steadily building a significant body of work.  

This commenced in 2001 with “Long Time Comin” and continued with “Laid Back”, “Got Groove”, “Simply Stated”, “Just Groovin” and his highly acclaimed 2013 project “Can’t Stop Now”.  “Shake It Up” followed four years later and now, signed to the highly rated and Billboard Chart-Topping Skytown Records label; he is about to expand his discography yet further with “Raise the Roof” that will be released January 27, 2020.

By and large “Raise the Roof” is the “Ronny Smith Show” front back and center. Not only does he play guitar, keys and bass throughout he also arranges, produces and programs all ten tunes. Eight of these are original compositions cleverly complemented by the addition of two immaculately crafted covers. 

The first is an edgy interpretation of the Bill Withers classic “Use Me” with the second being a classy re-imagining of the Carpenters blockbuster “Superstar”.  Truth to tell he makes both sound brand new and when (for the only time) he calls upon the input of a supporting artist it is Scott Martin on sax that adds another dimension to the easy grooving “Cool Breeze”.

The first single to be serviced to radio is “Me Time” that demonstrates the innate feel Smith has for understated yet compelling smooth jazz.  Much the same can be said of the warmly inviting “On It” for which he certainly is and although “Brazilian Dancer” proves to be a supercharged Latin extravaganza Smith is able to channel that same energy into the foot tapping, in the pocket “Breaded Funk Well Done”.

Another number that really fizzes is the high-octane title cut.  The perfect vehicle for Smith’s virtuosity, it is in the good company of the moodily delicious “A Brighter Day” and a blues tinged rendition of “Say It Again” where Smith’s interlude on bass guitar is something to savor.

“Raise the Roof” is a fantastic way to become acquainted with Ronny Smith’s special vibe.  It is due out on January 27, 2020 and is not to be missed.

www.ronnysmith.com

Pianist Aaron Diehl Exudes Sophistication on "The Vagabond"

Aaron Diehl’s elegant pianism and musical sophistication take center stage once again on his third album for Mack Avenue Records, The Vagabond. His previous outings for the label—The Bespoke Man’s Narrative (2013), which reached No. 1 on the JazzWeek Jazz Chart; and Space, Time, Continuum (2015) featuring jazz masters Benny Golson and Joe Temperley—have already established him as one of the jazz world’s most vibrant stylists.

The Vagabond, featuring Paul Sikivie on double bass, and Gregory Hutchinson on drums, includes original tunes by Diehl, as well as music by past jazz greats, John Lewis and Sir Roland Hanna, along with Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev and American composer Philip Glass. That range of repertoire suggests a sort of musical double life, a state of affairs that helped give rise to the album’s title.

“I have always been fascinated in the piano’s range of tone and color,” says Diehl. “This is partly rooted in my earlier interest in classical piano literature. Regardless of genre, I try to maintain an awareness of sound and nuance. Having opportunities to work with Philip Glass or perform George Gershwin’s ‘Concert in F’ with the New York Philharmonic has encouraged me to broaden my approach to pianism. They have placed me in situations completely out of my comfort zone.”

As a 2007 graduate of the Juilliard School, he had studied with Russian virtuoso Oxana Yablonskaya. “She always reminds me about my tearing up when she played during our lessons,” he remembers, “with such a deep, rich sound. She knew that I had a sensitivity to certain musical qualities. I’d often think, ‘Wow, I wish I could do that.’”

As it turns out, he could. Yet, his focus at the time was necessarily on jazz performance, studying with Kenny Barron and Eric Reed (Diehl also worked closely with Fred Hersch in recent years). The invitation to interpret music by Glass, like the opportunity to perform with the Philharmonic—which was facilitated through its music director at the time, Alan Gilbert—came as a pleasant opportunity…and a real challenge. It has all paid off.

“It’s hard to imagine that Gershwin would not have been impressed,” wrote The New York Times of Diehl’s Gershwin performance. “The audience was: it gave Mr. Diehl an enthusiastic ovation.” And his rendering of Glass’s Etudes has been equally celebrated. “Diehl’s rendition of Etude No. 3… hit a delightful rhythmic groove and showed wonderful balance of the hands and voicing,” reported the Washington Classical Review. “Glass’s music often demands a sort of affectless sheen, which Diehl caught perfectly in Etude No. 4.”

“With Glass, I’m still finding how to maintain the integrity of that sound world, and also incorporate my own ideas into his language,” says the pianist. “On the other hand, as a musician also interested in incorporating African-American musical traditions, I’m discovering various approaches to playing as a soloist with orchestras in that context,” says Diehl, summing up the situation, “It’s a bit of an itinerant existence.” Hence, the album title, The Vagabond.

Yet, his roots run deep. He was the winner of the 2011 Cole Porter Fellowship from the American Pianists Association; the 2013 recipient of the Jazz Journalists Association Award for Up-And-Coming Artist; and the 2014 Monterey Jazz Festival Commission Artist, one of the youngest musicians to receive this honor, for which he composed “Three Streams of Expression,” dedicated to pianist and composer John Lewis. Earlier, in 2002, Diehl was awarded Outstanding Soloist at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington Competition, after which he was invited to tour Europe with the Wynton Marsalis Septet. More recently, Diehl served as the long-time musical director for GRAMMY® Award-winning vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant.

The individual tracks on The Vagabond reflect the influences and ideas that have shaped Diehl’s sound world, along with the musicians comprising his trio. They enjoyed the rare opportunity to tour together for several weeks before going into the studio. The repertoire is far reaching, touching on multiple aspects of the pianist’s life experience. For example, Sir Roland Hanna’s “A Story Often Told, Seldom Heard” represents the work of a musician who was classically trained, and, says Diehl, “had a similar approach to what I cherish.”

His own compositions include “Polaris,” “Lamia,” “Magnanimous Disguise,” “Park Slope,” “The Vagabond,” “Kaleidoscope Road,” and “Treasure’s Past.” They are joined by a host of standards from across the musical spectrum: “March from Ten Pieces for Piano, Op. 12” written by Russian great Sergei Prokofiev; “A Story Often Told, Seldom Heard” by Sir Roland Hanna; “Milano” by John Lewis, who led the Modern Jazz Quartet; and “Piano Etude No. 16” by Philip Glass.

Upcoming Aaron Diehl U.S. Performances:

January 18 - 19 | Cincinnati Music Hall | Cincinnati, OH

January 23 | Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center | Alexandria, VA

January 24 - 25 | Mezzrow Jazz Club | New York, NY

January 31 | 560 Music Center | St. Louis, MO

February 6 | Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre | Ann Arbor, MI

February 7 | Jordan Hall | Boston, MA

February 8 | The Bushnell | Hartford, CT

February 20 - 21 | Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts | Chicago, IL

February 23 | The Phillips Collection | Washington, DC

March 6 | Acadiana Center for the Arts | Lafayette, LA

March 10 | Thomasville Center for the Arts | Thomasville, GA

March 11 | Curtis M. Phillips Center for Performing Arts | Gainesville, FL

March 21 | Bob Carr Theater | Orlando, FL

April 18 | Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts | Katonah, NY

May 1 | Van Singel Fine Arts Center | Byron Center, MI

May 7 | La Jolla Music Society | San Diego, CA

May 15 | Severance Hall | Cleveland, OH

May 24 | The Hochstein School | Rochester, NY

Aaron Diehl · The Vagabond

Mack Avenue Records · Release Date: February 14, 2020

www.AaronDiehl.com

Ella Fitzgerald's Duets with Pianists Compiled for the First Time as 'The Complete Piano Duets'

Ella Fitzgerald was masterful in any musical format, but there was something especially luminous about her singing alone with a piano. This was clear when pianist Ellis Larkins was first asked to work with her for her 1950 album, Ella Sings Gershwin. "Larkins said he strongly believed that piano accompaniment alone would best serve the singer's extraordinary talents," NPR wrote in 2008. "She just loved singing with Ellis," producer Milt Gabler said in 1990. The result was a delicacy of 1950s vocal jazz, revealing that Fitzgerald—a three-octave dynamo—was just as brilliant without any bells and whistles. 

The Gershwin album did so well that Fitzgerald reunited with Larkins for a second voice-and-piano album in 1954, Songs In A Mellow Mood, which consisted of a variety of iconic Great American Songbook standards. Fitzgerald found massive success with her signature series of lush, orchestral Song Book releases, but throughout her long and illustrious career, she would occasionally return to the intimate format of just voice and piano. While she peppered 1956's Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Cole Porter Song Book and 1957's Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Duke Ellington Song Book with a couple piano duets, 1960's Ella Fitzgerald Sings Songs From Let No Man Write My Epitaph, featuring songs from the film she appeared in as a pianist-singer, was her third full album accompanied only by piano, this time played by Paul Smith. In 1964, she performed a ravishing rendition of "Somewhere In The Night" with pianist Tommy Flanagan live at the French Riviera which was later issued on the 1964 live album, Ella at Juan-Les-Pins. Fitzgerald's final major collaboration with a piano player was Ella and Oscar, a 1975 duet with the revered Oscar Peterson, who she had worked with on and off for more than two decades.

For the first time ever, all of Fitzgerald's captivating collaborations with pianists on the labels Decca, Verve, and Pablo, have been collected together as The Complete Piano Duets, which will be released March 13 as a 2CD and digital collection via Verve Records/UMe. The double album includes detailed liner notes by noted author and music critic Will Friedwald. 

The Complete Piano Duets sequences each track in the chronological order it was recorded in, forming a miniature crash course on Fitzgerald's various eras. You can drop in on her early sessions with Larkins ("Someone To Watch Over Me," "But Not For Me," "I've Got a Crush On You,") hear her and Paul Smith tackle Cole Porter ("Miss Otis Regrets") and music from the gritty 1960 crime drama Let No Man Write My Epitaph ("Black Coffee," "Angel Eyes," "I Cried For You"), drop in on her and Tommy Flanagan at a 1964 French gig ("Somewhere In The Night") and revisit inspired 1975 duets with Oscar Peterson from the third act of her career ("Mean to Me," "How Long Has This Been Going On?," "April In Paris").

As Friedwald writes in the liner notes, "Fitzgerald was so great at everything–especially scatting and swinging–that it tended to overshadow her ballad singing. Yet, as any one of the 43 tracks on this collection makes clear, Ella Fitzgerald was a nonpareil singer of love songs, a balladeer par excellence. Like her closest colleagues, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Billie Holiday, Fitzgerald could get deep into not just the words but the inner meaning of a song and bring out the profound truths that the lyricist had in mind all along."

Sometimes, as on Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Cole Porter Song Book and Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Duke Ellington Song Book, her sparer recordings were sandwiched between big band and orchestral work. Now, for the first time ever, all of Fitzgerald's exquisite piano duets have been assembled on one program. Whether you're a fan of vocal jazz, solo piano or American popular song in general, The Complete Piano Duets is a must-have document of a masterful interpreter—raw, intimate, vulnerable, and oftentimes at her very best.

Vibraphonist Warren Wolf Releases "Reincarnation"

Through his three prior Mack Avenue Music Group releases and his attention-grabbing work with the likes of Christian McBride, Bobby Watson, Karriem Riggins, Jeremy Pelt, and the SFJAZZ Collective, Warren Wolf has established himself as the foremost straight-ahead vibraphonist of his generation, a bop torchbearer well equipped to carry the mantle of forebears like Bobby Hutcherson and Milt Jackson.

On his latest album, however, Wolf reveals an entirely different side to his multi-faceted talents. As the title implies, Reincarnation (due out February 28 via Mack Avenue Records) represents a rebirth of sorts for the Baltimore vibesman. In part it frees Wolf to indulge his love for the R&B and soul hits that served as the soundtrack to his formative years in the 1990s. It’s also a celebration of a new lease on life, a happiness and contentment that he’s discovered through a new marriage and his five beloved children.

“I realized I was about to turn 40,” explained Wolf, who reached that milestone on November 10, 2019. “I was 21 when I first went out on the road as a pro. So, for almost half my life I’ve been playing straight-ahead jazz. But that’s not how my dad, who was my first teacher, raised me musically. Jazz was always a part of it, but he wanted me to play everything: classical, R&B, hip-hop, ragtime, pop – but those things eventually faded away. Looking toward the second part of my life, I realized I need to bring those aspects back to life.”

For Reincarnation, the vibist realized he’d need a band equally versed in the jazz tradition and the sultry feel of vintage R&B. His compositions touched on the R&B groups that blared from the radio in his high school and college days: D’Angelo, Mint Condition, Prince, even 2Pac.

He found the ideal chemistry through a mix of scene veterans and rising stars. Drummer Carroll “CV” Dashiell III is, like Wolf, a second-generation musician. Strongly rooted in the church, he’s a rising star on the Washington D.C. jazz scene whose confidence captured Wolf’s attention. Wolf discovered Brett Williams early in the Pittsburgh keyboardist’s career, then followed his progress through his collaboration with bassist Marcus Miller.

“I first heard him playing freely over the changes on a blues and thought he sounded really good, with a nice time feel,” Wolf recalled. “When I heard him with Marcus Miller, I noticed his strong sense of R&B and gospel. That was a great combination.”

Bassist Richie Goods apprenticed under piano giant Mulgrew Miller before touring the world with GRAMMY®-winning trumpeter Chris Botti. In that band he crossed paths with guitarist Mark Whitfield, a fellow Young Lion whose six-string wizardry graces two tracks on the album.

The final piece of the puzzle fell into place when Wolf discovered the gifted vocalist Imani-Grace Cooper while she was still a student at Howard University, singing with one of the school’s famed choirs. “Even on jazz standards I could truly hear the gospel influence in her singing,” Wolf said. “That’s a perfect blend for me. She’s the most unknown member of the group, but I think after this people will start to take notice.”

Wolf knew Marcellus “Bassman” Shepard, aka “The Man with the Voice,” through his role as a DJ on Baltimore’s WEAA 88.9. Shepard’s window-rattling baritone serves as emcee and Greek chorus throughout the album, providing a radio-style intro for the album on the opening track, “Smooth Intro,” and a summary farewell on the bookending “Smooth Outro.”

For all its notions of rebirth and transformation, Wolf insists that at its core, Reincarnation is an album about love in its many facets. It begins with the idea of maternal love on “For Ma,” a heartfelt dedication to the composer’s mother, Celeste Wolf, who passed away in 2015. After Celeste’s retirement, Wolf’s father began teaching her to play the piano, and the two would often duet on the Motown songs that she adored. Wolf’s homage is embellished with the lush soulfulness and beaming tambourine groove so associated with the label’s countless hits.

If “Vahybing” explores any form of love, it’s simply the love of locking into a groove with a gathering of talented and responsive bandmates. The song is essentially an opportunity for the soloists to stretch out over an infectious vamp, with a couple of winking allusions buried within: the chords under the piano solo bring to mind hits from the hip-hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, while another section recalls a piece that Wolf played with drummer Willie Jones III.

Bassman channels his inner Barry White on the sultry “In the Heat of the Night,” alternating with Cooper’s sensuous vocal, narrating her approach to a lover’s rendezvous. The titular heat is palpable through the slinky groove and impassioned interjections by Whitfield and Williams (on Rhodes). The more romantic side of love is represented by Wolf’s arrangement of The Isley Brothers’ “For the Love of You,” the album’s sole non-original and a favorite of the vibraphonist.

“The Struggle” introduces the notion of tragic heartbreak through the suffering faced by several of Wolf’s loved ones from a horrendous car accident affecting his ex-wife to the travails of the Baltimore streets, which has claimed the life of one family member and recreated another as a gang activist.

“Sebastian and Zoë” is a joyous tribute from an adoring father to his two youngest children – or, as Shepard purrs, his “Wolf babies.” The ¾ waltz “Come and Dance With Me” was penned for Wolf’s wife, a ballerina and teacher who he hopes will use the song in her classes – and perhaps join him on stage one day to show off her steps in time with the song.

The ebullient “Living the Good Life” provides a warm summation of the album’s theme and of Wolf’s current happiness. It also provides the album’s only instance of swing rhythm – just a brief detour for a single minute, to prove to longtime fans that Wolf hasn’t abandoned his straight-ahead chops.

“This is just an album about love and feel-good music,” Wolf summed up. “At this point in my career, I just wanted to show that I can be versatile in many different styles. I plan to continue to grow and play all the wonderful music that has shaped me as a musician today.”

Warren Wolf · Reincarnation

Mack Avenue Records · Release Date: February 28, 2020

Saxophonist Benjamin Boone Collaborates with Accra-Based Ghana Jazz Collective On New Album "Joy"

Saxophonist-composer Benjamin Boone's The Poetry of Jazz, a visionary collaboration with U.S. Poet Laureate Philip Levine, was praised in leading musical and literary publications, featured on NPR's All Things Considered, and voted the #3 Best Album of 2018 in DownBeat's 83rd annual Readers Poll. Boone documents an equally compelling collaboration, this time from his year as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar in Ghana, on his newest project Joy, set for a March 20th release on Origin Records. 

  

This album, the fifth under his own name, places Boone alongside an Accra-based cohort of Ghanaian jazz musicians known as the Ghana Jazz Collective. Tenor saxophonist Bernard Ayisa, pianist Victor Dey Jr., bassist Bright Osei, and drummer Frank Kissi join Boone (with further assistance on some tracks from vocalist Sandra Huson) on four of his originals, a reimagining of the classic "Maiden Voyage," and intriguing covers of two lesser-known jazz compositions.

  

Though created in a country some five thousand miles away, Joy is not out of the realm of a traditional jazz album. The polyrhythms that underpin the music are West African in origin, but nonetheless recognizable to fans of funk, R&B, and postmodern jazz. Nobody was more surprised than Boone, who had come to Ghana to study its musical traditions, when he was invited to sit in with the band at Accra's +233 Jazz Bar & Grill. "I was expecting to hear something like Ethiojazz or Hugh Masekela," he recalls, "but these guys know American jazz inside and out, and play the heck out of it -- but with a definite Ghanaian twist."

A school seen from the window of the Accra studio where "Joy" was recorded.

More to the point, all of the musicians speak the international language of groove. It's as potent on Boone's slithery head-bobber "The 233 Jazz Bar" as it is on his aggressive, shapeshifting "The Intricacies of Alice," or his Hiromi Uehara-inspired "Slam," or his punchy arrangement (with Dey) of Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage." Even the longing ballad "Without You," a feature for Huson, offers the entrancing and danceable beat of an R&B slow jam. "Music and dance are inseparable in Ghana," says Boone. "In traditional music, if you don't know the dance, it is almost impossible to play the music. The grooves are incredibly tight."

Nevertheless, distinctly African influences do make themselves known. For example, while the title track "Joy" was written by the late American saxophonist/flutist Gerry Niewood, Boone and Dey's arrangement addresses the melody with West African cadences and emphasizes the interlocking rhythms within its basic waltz pulse. With "Curtain of Light," the band reaches across the continent toward the Ethiopian musical context of composer Jonovan Cooper (who teaches jazz at Addis Ababa University, where Boone was also in residence). Based on an ancient Ethiopian mode, "Curtain of Light" reaches several almost religiously ecstatic climaxes.

Where the spirit of Ghana truly manifests, however, is in the camaraderie of its musicians and the palpable joy that fulfills the promise of the album's title. "In Ghana, music is participatory, egoless, and woven into the very fabric of existence," says Boone. "People live with joy and make music with joy."

Benjamin Boone Benjamin Boone has garnered 18 national/international awards and honors for his music, which appears on 28 albums and has been performed in 36 countries at venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. As a Professor at California State University Fresno, he has won the campus's highest awards for teaching, service, and creative activity. In addition to serving as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar to Ghana, Boone served as a U.S. Fulbright Senior Specialist to the Republic of Moldova in 2005.

The U.S. Fulbright program seeks to build bridges to peoples across the globe. Taking this role seriously, Boone instigated the "First Annual Ghana National Jazz Workshop Tour," where he and the Ghana Jazz Collective performed and led workshops on improvisation and how jazz is an embodiment of the historic link between the peoples of the U.S. and Ghana. "I saw firsthand the power of music as diplomacy," says Boone. "I hope Joy shines a positive light on Ghana, its historic connection to the U.S., and to the tremendous jazz musicians there. Ghanaians have a love of life, a love of peace, and a culture of welcoming. What a joyous way to live and to make music."

JONTAVIOUS WILLIS HONORED AS A THREE-TIME 2020 BLUES MUSIC AWARDS NOMINEE

Rising blues artist, Jontavious Willis has earned nominations in three categories at the 41st Blues Music Awards, including Best Emerging Artist Album and Traditional Blues Album for the project, Spectacular Class, as well as a nomination for Traditional Blues Male Artist. Spectacular Class has also recently been nominated for a GRAMMY® for Best Traditional Blues Album. The 41st Blues Music Awards will be held on May 7, 2020, at the Cannon Center of Performing Arts in Memphis, Tenn. 

What critics are saying about Spectacular Class: "There's something deeper and more intuitive in this 22-year-old, this new face of the acoustic blues. He's one of the few African American musicians of his generation to immerse himself in these traditions and make them his own." – WMOT Roots Radio

"With his natural talent, contagious enthusiasm, near encyclopedic knowledge of blues history and new album in hand, Willis is the new face of old blues... The blues ain’t going nowhere with Willis on the scene." - Creative Loafing

Willis revealed Spectacular Class to the world on April 5, 2019 via Kind of Blue Music. 2018 GRAMMY® award-winning artists Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ as the Executive Producer and Producer, respectively, were influential in the creation of the album. The timeless album features Willis’ original handwritten lyrics, his outstanding instrumental skills, and a variety of blues types.

An old soul at heart, a newspaper headline once called him a “70-year-old bluesman in a 20-year-old body.” His musical style digs deep and touches the very roots of country blues.

Hailing from Greenville, Georgia, Willis grew up singing Gospel music at the Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church with his grandfather. From an early age, he had the talent and passion for music and the ability to sharpen his skills fast.  At the age of 14, he came across a YouTube video of Muddy Waters playing “Hoochie Coochie Man” and was instantly hooked on the blues.

He got his much-needed break from the living legend Taj Mahal, who described him as the “Wonderboy” and “the Wunderkind.” In 2015, Mahal asked Willis to play on stage with him. That appearance resulted in a roaring response from the audience. It led Willis to bigger stages and broader opportunities, including an opening slot at select shows along the TajMo tour, featuring his musical mentors Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’.

R&B-jazz guitarist Adam Hawley prepares his “Escape”

The four years since dropping his debut album has been a bit of a rocket ride for award-winning R&B-jazz guitarist Adam Hawley. Six of his seven singles have gone to No. 1 nationally and he deftly avoided the sophomore slump when his second outing further established the artist as a centerstage solo artist. The stage is now being set for the February 28th arrival of “Escape,” his third album and first for his new record label, MBF Entertainment. Hawley produced and wrote eight of the record’s ten tunes featuring collaborations with a constellation of smooth/contemporary jazz luminaries including Rick Braun, Najee, Michael Lington, Jeff Ryan, Marcus Anderson and Greg Manning. 

Hawley’s albums adopt themes and as he composed the title cut for “Escape,” he felt transported. That feeling inspired the rest of the music he wrote for the collection.   

“When I wrote ‘Escape,’ it really took me away to another, special place. The groove, the vibe…it just transported me to a place of chill and Zen. That became the theme that runs through the entire record,” said Hawley, a Portland, Oregon native who has resided in the Los Angeles area ever since earning a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Southern California.  

Anchoring the beats and grooves throughout “Escape,” drummer Eric Valentine and bassists Nathaniel Kearney Jr. and Ian Martin are longtime and frequent Hawley co-conspirators. Percussionist Ramon Yslas adds nuance and Carnell Harrell supplements with vibrant harmonies via his keyboards, organ and synth.

Attacking his electric guitar with fervent tones amidst a shimmering jazz-pop backdrop reminiscent of  guitar legends Wes Montgomery and George Benson, Hawley showcases deft fretwork on album opener “Tokyo Groove.” The cut benefits from David Mann’s crisp and punchy horn arrangements performed by the horn section the saxophonist formed with trumpeter Trevor Neumann. “Escape” includes contributions from a number of noteworthy horn players and next up is Lington who cranks up the soul power on “99 and Counting.” “Saturday Morning” is a midtempo chill with sax accoutrements courtesy of Keith McKelley. Being serviced for playlist adds on February 10 as the first single, “To The Top” features the firepower of breakout saxophonist Ryan. The guitarist teams with vocalist Kat Hawley (aka Adam’s wife) for an intimate, Latin-tinged take on the sultry pop hit “Senorita.” Hawley makes a break in the company of veteran trumpeter Braun on the album’s title track. “Sunday Swing” bounces to a funky, go-go-influenced beat that finds Hawley’s electric jazz guitar in a loquacious mood. “Can’t Stop” opens with the chorus, a potent hook that connects with muscle added by sax player Anderson. Seminal urban-jazz icon Najee blesses “Thinking of You” with dreamy flute that meshes sublimely with Hawley’s amorous guitar riffs and runs on the song co-written and co-produced by keyboardist Manning. Closing with a cover, Hawley’s expressive steel-stringed acoustic guitar serenade on “Rain” casts a transcendent spell.       

Hawley’s debut album, “Just the Beginning,” sent three singles to the top of the Billboard chart and earned the guitarist Debut Artist of the Year honors from JazzTrax and Smooth Jazz News. Two years ago, “Double Vision” confirmed Hawley as a consistent hitmaker when he notched his fourth Billboard No. 1 single and collected No. 1 singles on the Mediabase and Smooth Jazz Network charts. Hawley will tour throughout the year in support of “Escape” as his place on concert marquees continues to grow. He’s performed at more than a dozen of the most popular jazz festivals and cruises around the globe as well as at Stateside clubs and theaters. Not long ago, Hawley accompanied and toured extensively with Jennifer Lopez, Dave Koz, Kirk Whalum, Brian Culbertson, Gerald Albright, Natalie Cole and “American Idol.” He passes his knowledge along to students at Musician’s Institute, Chaffey College and Saddleback College.

  

“Escape” includes the following songs:

“Tokyo Groove”

“99 and Counting” featuring Michael Lington

“Saturday Morning”

“To The Top” featuring Jeff Ryan

“Senorita” featuring Kat Hawley

“Escape” featuring Rick Braun

“Sunday Swing”

“Can’t Stop” featuring Marcus Anderson

“Thinking of You” featuring Najee

“Rain”

Hawley’s Escape Tour plays the following concert dates (additional shows will be added):

• February 1 / Spaghettini, Seal Beach, CA
• February 14 / Blu Jazz+, Akron, OH
• February 15 / Lin Rountree Valentine's Gala, Detroit, MI
• February 27 / Suite Food, Atlanta, GA
• February 28 / Tin Pan, Richmond, VA
• March 1 / Jerry Green and Friends, Louisville, KY
• March 27 / Earl Klugh’s Weekend of Jazz, Colorado Springs, CO
• March 28 / Uptown Music Fest, Tampa, FL
• May 9 / Smooth Chicago, Chicago, IL
• May 23 / Jazz-Funk Connection, Colorado Springs, CO
• May 24 / Mayor Jazz Fest, Las Cruces, NM
• May 29-June 5 / Dave Koz Cruise Voyage 1, Amsterdam and the British Isles
• June 5-June 12 / Dave Koz Cruise Voyage 2, Amsterdam and the British Isles
• August 24 / Norfolk Jazz Fest, Norfolk, VA
• September 13 / Oxnard Jazz Fest, Oxnard, CA
• October 10-11 / Barbados Jazz Excursion, Barbados
• November 6 / Florida Smooth Jazz Weekend, Daytona Beach, FL

A sweet and jazzy Valentine with love from Sophie Fatu

“Love is…” is no standard collection of standards. The six-song debut EP arrives Valentine’s Day from the seven-year-old jazz singer millions of television viewers fell in love with when Sophie Fatu became the youngest ever contestant on “America’s Got Talent” and sang on “Ellen” and the Steve Harvey-hosted “Little Big Shots.” Recorded at Capitol Studios where one of Fatu’s idols, Frank Sinatra, recorded and accompanied by a big band orchestra that includes musicians who backed Sinatra, “Love is…” showcases the pint-sized powerhouse belting out tunes from the Great American Songbook with the talent and pizazz of a seasoned veteran.   

  

Fatu is the daughter of two accomplished, classically trained musicians, pianist Victoria Fatu and violinist Cristian Fatu, thus was exposed to music at an early age. She developed an affinity for jazz, particularly the classics made famous by The Rat Pack, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Frankie Lymon and modern-day crooner Michael Bublé. She picked up on and emulated their vocal delivery as she learned (memorized) their songs swiftly, becoming enamored with the music and legends who have stood the test of time. 

“When I walked into Capitol Studios and saw all the pictures on the wall, I could not believe it. All the biggest stars - all my favorite artists - recorded there. I stood on the same spot where Sinatra recorded. And Dean Martin! And they recorded the same songs. That was crazy! I had the most amazing musicians working with me. They worked with Sinatra, Elvis, Ella and all the people I listened to when I fell in love with music,” said Fatu, who makes her feature film debut later this year when she costars in a major action thriller.  

Issued on the Extraordinary Records imprint, “Love is…” is a serious jazz record. Anchored by a noteworthy trio consisting of drummer Jeff Hamilton (Fitzgerald, Diana Krall, Count Basie Orchestra), double bassist Chuck Berghofer (Sinatra, Fitzgerald, Ray Charles) and pianist Tom Ranier (Barbra Streisand, Natalie Cole, Christina Aguilera), Greg Curtis and Victoria Fatu produced the tracks that were lavishly illustrated by a 13-piece horn section and a 14-piece string section (that included Cristian Fatu). In such prestigious company, Sophie Fatu shines with panache, exhibiting virtually perfect pitch and consummate control. The national television appearances and performance videos that have garnered over 150 million views reveal a genuinely gifted vocalist who has remarkable timing, phrasing, meter and rhythm that far belie her years. Fatu also has an innate ability for infusing her magnetic charisma, exuberance, verve and boundless joy into every song that she sings. 

“I’m so lucky to be singing jazz music. It’s so different from everything else. I can feel happy, excited, sad and angry - all at the same time when I sing it,” said the Los Angeles-based Fatu, an old soul with a passion and a purpose for Sinatra’s music.  

“Frank Sinatra was my favorite singer since I was four-years-old. The more songs I heard, the more I loved him and wanted to sing his songs. I want to make sure no one ever forgets him and his music.”

  

To celebrate the album release, Fatu will serve as guest host of “Playing Favorites” on SiriusXM’s Siriusly Sinatra on Valentine’s Day. Her playlist will include cuts from Sinatra, Fitzgerald, Bublé, Tony Bennett and three tunes from “Love is…”

“I can’t believe I now have my own CD with some of my favorite songs from Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Michael Bublé and Frankie Lymon. I am very proud I made this record and I hope the whole world will love it. I’m very happy and lucky to be able to sing and perform for everyone and see people smile and get happy when they hear me. I want to do this for my whole life.” 

“Love is…” contains the following songs:

“Ain’t That A Kick in the Head”

“Goody Goody”

“(Love is) The Tender Trap”

“All The Way”

“Feeling Good”

“High Hopes”

Theo Croker Premieres New Video and EP from GRAMMY® Award-Nominated Album Star People Nation

Life in the continuum is a communal thing. We all have a duty to honor those that preceded us, to acknowledge and add something new — something of value — to the history that anticipates our arrival in the now and do our part to extend the past into the future.

Instrumentalist and composer Theo Croker, whose latest album Star People Nation recently earned a nomination for "Best Contemporary Instrumental Album" at the 62nd GRAMMY® Awards, carries this deep understanding with him in both his life and music. If you listen carefully, you’ll hear it in the notes and tones, moving with the melodies and floating in the breaks. This transcendent, ever-evolving sense of self and community has manifest itself in an incredible constellation of artists who collectively embody the album’s guiding philosophies around oneness, ancestral reverence, and creative autonomy.

With “Understand Yourself,” the album’s closing track, Croker joins forces with Chronixx, a Jamaican singer whose wide-ranging approach to music and innovative sound (what he calls “black experimental music”) made him the perfect choice for the record. The song notably samples Jamaican-born political leader Marcus Garvey’s “Know Yourself” speech. Garvey’s iconic words become the raw material for Croker and Chronixx’s sonic explorations, remixing Garvey’s message of nation-building and taking it into uncharted musical territory. Croker and Chronixx were able to nurture and marry their unique collaborative voice and vision through a process of mutual exchange where ideas were shared for months before the two actually recorded the trumpet and vocals together in Los Angeles. This meaningful back-and-forth between artists speaks to the larger world building ethos that Croker intentionally cultivated throughout Star People Nation. For Croker, the album is not merely the result of his own personal artistry but represents a collective effort on the part of a “nation” of creative people from all across the globe whose contributions allowed the project to transcend even his original vision.

A host of creative luminaries, with various specialties and backgrounds, helped to transform “Understand Yourself” into a powerfully audacious film. The composer designated alternative musician Gita as his Artistic Director, also the artistic force behind the development and curation of the entirety of Star People Nation’s spirit and visual identity. Gita collaborated with Noirwave Pioneer and multi-disciplinary artist Rharha Nembhard, who was brought on board as an associate and creative producer. Both Gita and Rharha played a vital role as creative architects for this project, by birthing the visual aesthetics and initiating Kordae Jatafa Henry to be the film’s Director. In addition, Samantha Blake Goodman transmuted feelings into choreography; dancers Qwenga and Sasha Rivero married their individual styles with Goodman’s movements to give life to the film’s narrative; stylist El Lewis tapped designer Theophilio and jewelry designers Dynasty & Soull Ogun of L’enchantuer for the film’s wardrobe direction. Tanya Melendez acted as both the hair & MUA. Every single collaborator brought their skills and resources to the project and created an image of a future world where the healing power of nature is properly acknowledged and uplifted. In this world — a world liberated from modern technology, the natural environment is the catalyst for inner clarity, transcendental experiences, and higher states of consciousness

In an era where jazz music videos are a rare occurrence, “Understand Yourself” makes its own rules. And, in this way, it beautifully encapsulates Theo Croker's unique trajectory as an artist and creator. With Star People Nation, which he self-published, arranged, and financed, Croker is able to transcend personal limitations. The journey from Shanghai to Los Angeles to Kingston led to personal and musical breakthroughs that gave birth to new pathways of expression and greater self-understanding.

The three-track “Understand Yourself” EP also contains distinctly different takes of the song from the original album version and in addition to Chronixx, also features pianist Sullivan Fortner.

Theo Croker

Understand Yourself



Tracklist:

1. "Understand Yourself" (Acoustic Version) feat. Chronixx & Sullivan Fortner

2. "Understand Yourself" (Instrumental Duo Version) feat. Sullivan Fortner

3. "Understand Yourself" (Original Beat Demo)

New Music Releases: Gregory Porter; Charles Lloyd; Puss N Boots

Gregory Porter – All Rise

2-time GRAMMY-winning vocalist Gregory Porter is back with his 6^th studio album All Rise. For those of you who did not know this, Porter as a best-selling contemporary Jazz/Soul artist with over 3 million album sales.  This album marks a return to his beloved songwriting - heart-on-sleeve lyrics imbued with everyday philosophy, set to a stirring mix of jazz, soul, blues and gospel. All Rise represents his artistic revolution to something even more emphatic and intimate. It brims with songs about irrepressible love, plus a little protest, because the road to healing is bumpy. The album’s uplifting lead single “Revival” is out now. Following 2017's loving tribute album Nat King Cole & Me, ALL RISE marks a return to Porter's beloved original songwriting featuring heart-on-sleeve lyrics imbued with everyday philosophy and real-life detail, set to a stirring mix of jazz, soul, blues, gospel, and pop. All Rise is set for release on April 17.

Charles Lloyd 8 – Kindred Spirits (Live From The Lobero)

Saxophone legend Charles Lloyd celebrated his 80th birthday in 2018 at the Lobero Theatre with guitarist Julian Lage, pianist Gerald Clayton, bassist Reuben Rogers, and drummer Eric Harland, plus organist Booker T. Jones and bassist Don Was joining midway. 8: Kindred Spirits (Live from The Lobero) documents that extraordinary concert and comes in a limited-edition deluxe boxset with 3-LPs, 2-CDs, a DVD of the full performance, a 96-page hardcover book, and 2 photo prints that commemorate the first 8 decades of Lloyd’s remarkable journey. 8 will also be released in standard LP/DVD, CD/DVD, and digital versions that feature the concert’s first set. Watch video of “Requiem.”

Puss N Boots - Sister

Puss N Boots—the trio featuring Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson, and Catherine Popper—have announced a Feb. 14 release date for their 2nd album, Sister, a fetching collection of originals and covers of Tom Petty, Dolly Parton & more that is available to pre-order now on vinyl, CD, or download. The 1st single “It’s Not Easy” with a lead vocal by Jones is out now. The band will play 2 NYC album release shows—Feb. 14 at Rough Trade in Brooklyn and Feb. 15 at Bowery Ballroom in Manhattan—and appear at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival April 25.

James Hunter Six – Nick Of Time

Back in the spotlight with a sublime new rhythm and blues record, James Hunter follows up six critically acclaimed albums with his latest recording, Nick of Time, set for release on Brooklyn’s renowned soul label Daptone Records.

Nick of Time is a shining testament of how a master songsmith continually draws fresh water from a bottomless well. Recorded and produced by Bosco Mann, Nick of Time features one of today’s foremost soul singers at the top of his game performing with musicians who’ve backed some of the biggest contemporary music stars including Daptone artists Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley. Nick of Time will be internationally released on March 6, 2020.

For Nick of Time, Hunter and Daptone co-founder Bosco Mann hunkered down in the label’s Penrose Studios in Riverside, California for what certainly will be one of 2020’s standout soul recordings. Unmistakably another stunning James Hunter album, Nick of Time is a voyage between beautiful, mid-tempo rumba recalling early King/Federal releases, while lush arrangements summon lost tracks from early ’60s Burt Bacharach sessions. Nick of Time is steeped in an era when soul records were driven by earth-shattering vocal performances. James Hunter hands down ushers classic soul music into the 21st Century with a sense of timelessness that’s rare these days.

James Hunter is an everlasting writer of compelling narratives sung with true grit while backed by an ace band of New York City’s finest musicians. Nick of Time finds Hunter in the company of Victor Axelrod (piano), Adam Scone (organ), Rudy Petschauer (drums), Myles Weeks (bass), Michael Buckley (baritone saxophone), and Freddy DeBoe (tenor saxophone). On the road for an extensive U.S., U.K., and European tour in support of Nick of Time, Matt Slocum (keyboards) takes the reins on keys for a hearty James Hunter Six ensemble ready to electrify soul music fans as they hit venerable stages in a city near you in spring 2020.

New Music Releases: Roy Ayers Unreleased; Joe McPhee, Dave Rempis, Tomeka Reid, Brandon Lopez, & Paal Nilssen-Love

Roy Ayers - Virgin Ubiquity – Unreleased Recordings 1976 to 1981

It's like a dream come true – 13 previously unissued recordings by Roy Ayers, all from the height of his glory years on Polydor! Roy's work from this time is some of our favorite ever – a burning blend of jazz, soul, and funk – handled with impeccable charm, and a level of soul that few other artists of the time ever matched. Roy's genius was strongly documented at the time by a series of excellent Polydor albums – but there was also a heck of a lot of great material that never saw the light of day, and which is every bit as great as the classics that we've come to know and love over the years. Hearing this set is incredible – like upping our already-massive appreciation of Roy's talents, and like finding a lost corner of soul music history that nobody's ever heard before. The tunes are all amazing – a great blend of jazzy soul, mellow soul, and dancefloor groovers – and the package is only the tip of the iceberg, from what we've been told! The full album does a great job to not cross over too much with the 12" singles previously issued in this "Virgin" series – and titles include "What's The T", "I Really Love You", "Sugar", "Mystery Of Love", "Green & Gold", "Brand New Feeling", "I Did It In Seattle", "I Just Wanna Give It Up", "Together Forever", "Boogie Down", "I Am Your Mind", and a great alternate version of "Mystic Voyage"! ~ Dusty Groove

Roy Ayers - Virgin Ubiquity II – Unreleased Recordings 1976 to 1981

The genius of Roy Ayers knows no end – and as this set of unreleased work from the 70s proves, Roy was always working at top form back in the day – even above and beyond his classic albums from the time! The grooves here are tremendous – funky, soulful, jazzy, and every bit as wonderful as the work that Roy did for his classic albums on Polydor – and in a way, the whole set's even tighter and heavier than any of Roy's full LPs, because it's a distillation of his sound from the time, hand-picked from the vaults with an ear towards the kind of timeless grooves that have been a huge influence on many worlds of music for years! You've never heard any of these tunes before, but we can promise you'll love them every bit as much as Roy's tracks on albums like Coffy, Vibrations, Mystic Voyage, and other classics – and the quality of the set only further pushes our jaw-dropping respect for the man! Titles include "Holiday", "Kwajilori", "I Am Your Mind (part 2)", "Touch Of Class", "Third Time", "Come To Me", "Wide Open", "Funk In The Hole", "Liquid Love", "Tarzan", "Sunshine (demo)", and "I Like The Way You Do It To Me". ~ Dusty Groove

Joe McPhee, Dave Rempis, Tomeka Reid, Brandon Lopez, & Paal Nilssen-Love - Of Things Beyond Thule Vol 1 (180 gram vinyl)

The title's a reference to place once referenced by Edgar Allan Poe – but the music is very firmly grounded in reality, and comes from an improvised performance in Chicago by this very all-star ensemble! The album features one long track – "Quaanaq" – served up with really creative interplay between a quintet that features Joe McPhee on tenor and pocket trumpet, Dave Rempis on alto and baritone, Tomeka Reid on cello, Brandon Lopez on bass, and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums – all coming together in the best tradition of Windy City free jazz players working with key out of town talent! The blend of bass and cello at the heart of the music is really wonderful, and Paal makes sure to only step forward boldly when McPhee and Rempis are ready to let loose themselves – and the trio really balance the power of their expressions to make sure that Reid and Lopez get a chance to shape some more sensitive moments. ~ Dusty Groove

Hiromi Kanda, Japanese Vocalist Who Keeps Alive the Great American Songbook, to Release “Seven Elegant Ballads”

Singer’s third album, featuring classic compositions and original material, is out Feb. 1, 2020, on the MusicGate label.

It’s called “The Great American Songbook”—that vast body of 20th century popular standards composed by such giants as Cole Porter, George and Ira Gershwin, Richard Rodgers and many others—but its lure has always extended far beyond the shores of the United States of America. Singers and musicians in every corner of the world have long been drawn to these timeless classics, among them Japan’s Hiromi Kanda.

On her newest album, Seven Elegant Ballads—her followup to the well-received Hiromi in Love and Days of Yesterday—the vocalist recrafts five of the most beloved songs in American history in her own lushly orchestrated, dramatic style, and augments them with two original compositions that fit snugly alongside the perennials.

Seven Elegant Ballads will be released via MusicGate on Feb. 1, 2020.

Why Seven Elegant Ballads? “These songs take you into a romantic world,” says Hiromi, who recorded the album at Hollywood’s famed Capitol Studios, with her longtime producer Yusuke Hoguchi and the multi-Grammy-winning engineer Al Schmitt (Diana Krall, Ray Charles, Paul McCartney). The album features an orchestra composed of more than 50 musicians, plus three guest appearances by the late keyboard legend Joe Sample.

Hiromi deliberately chose to include seven tracks on the recording, as the number has great significance to her. “Seven is a mysterious number,” she says. “There are seven seas, the Seven Sisters, seven colors of the rainbow, the Seven Voyages of Sinbad and more. I put my spiritual emotions into my album.”

Seven Elegant Ballads opens with “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square,” written in 1939. Hiromi makes it her own in this expansive rendition, which, she says, was inspired by Marc Chagall’s painting “Lovers in the Red Sky.” Says Hiromi, “I love the brilliant world he creates in that painting, and the lyrics of ‘A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square’ remind me of it. Plus, it’s just fun to sing.”

“Moonlight in Vermont,” written in 1944, is “a very romantic love ballad that evokes the winter,” says Hiromi. “I love the image of the lines ‘Icy finger waves, ski trails on a mountainside, snow light in Vermont.’”

“Around the World” is the theme from the 1956 film Around the World in 80 Days. Once again, Kanda puts her own stamp on it, exploring the cinematic qualities of the tune with great flourish. “I sing this song as if I’m a traveler on a beautiful hot-air balloon,” she says.

The first of the album’s two originals, “Days of Yesterday,” is next in the sequence. Both it and “Twilight Tears,” which closes out the recording, were composed by Hiromi and Hoguchi, a famous Japanese composer, arranger, studio musician and lyricist, who is also Hiromi’s husband. Both songs appeared earlier on Hiromi’s Days of Yesterday album, and she felt the two sentimental love ballads deserved another go on the new project, in order to spotlight Hoguchi’s talents. “He is a marvelous composer and arranger, who knows and respects the Great American Songbook,” she says. “The original songs create a nice balance in the album. I believe it is important to keep this style fresh by creating new songs in that vein.”

Two other classics fill out the track list. “Smile,” with music by the great Charlie Chaplin, is “a very lovely song and it gives me courage,” Hiromi says. “Joe Sample’s piano playing on this track is just wonderful.”

Finally, there’s “Don’t Blame Me,” from 1933. “This is the first time I’ve sung the song,” she says. “I feel like it’s coming out of an old radio when I hear it.”

Hiromi says that the time spent in Hollywood recording Seven Elegant Ballads with such an illustrious cast of contributors was “thrilling, and I’m very proud of it. We had a dream that someday we would create wonderful music in the U.S. That dream has now come true several times over the years. I hope listeners enjoy entering my romantic music world in Seven Elegant Ballads.”