Verve Label Group/UMe Announces Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series Acoustic Sounds to Offer Definitive Audiophile Grade Versions of Classic Jazz Records

Seeking to offer definitive audiophile grade versions of some of the most historic and best jazz records ever recorded, Verve Label Group and UMe’s new audiophile vinyl reissue series Acoustic Sounds will launch July 31 with its inaugural releases – the sensational collaborations, Stan Getz and João Gilberto’s landmark Getz/Gilberto (1964) and the remarkable Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson (1959). Utilizing the skills of the top mastering engineers and the unsurpassed production craft of Quality Record Pressings, all titles will be mastered from the original analog tapes, pressed on 180-gram vinyl and packaged by Stoughton Printing Co. in high-quality tip-on gatefold jackets. The releases will be supervised by Chad Kassem, CEO of Acoustic Sounds, the world’s largest source for audiophile recordings.

The Acoustic Sounds series will feature two releases a month highlighting a different storied label spanning Verve/UMe’s extraordinarily rich archive. To begin with, the series will largely focus on some of the most popular albums from the ‘50s and ‘60s in their unmatched catalog. The July releases will celebrate two of Verve’s most beloved albums, the aforementioned Getz/Gilberto and Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson, and will be followed in August by John Coltrane’s immortal Impulse! records, A Love Supreme (1964) and Ballads (1963). Two of Nina Simone’s legendary Philips albums I Put A Spell On You (1965) and Pastel Blues (1965) will come in September which will be succeeded in October by two from the EmArcy Records vault: Sarah Vaughan’s self-titled 1954 album, the vocal great’s sole collaboration with influential trumpeter Clifford Brown, who is also represented alongside pioneering drummer Max Roach on the hard bop classic, Study In Brown (1955). November will spotlight Decca Records with the iconic Peggy Lee’s first album, Black Coffee (1956), and composer George Russell’s important New York, N.Y. (1959) performed by an all-star orchestra that includes Bill Evans, John Coltrane, Art Farmer and Milt Hinton, among others. All titles and exact release dates are listed below. Additional titles will be announced as the series progresses.

“We are excited to launch our Acoustic Sounds series,” said Bruce Resnikoff, President & CEO of UMe. “Verve and UMe have one of the richest jazz catalogs ever recorded and our goal is to give vinyl and jazz lovers the best possible versions of classic albums. The Acoustic Sounds series is designed to appeal to today's most discriminating fans, looking for the very finest in both artistic content and audio quality.”

"We're very honored to have Verve and UMe partnering with us to create what we believe will be the highest quality reissues of some of the world's greatest jazz albums,” said Chad Kassem, CEO of Acoustic Sounds. “Each step in our production process – from title selection to mastering, pressing and packaging – is designed to meet the highest standards, and we want everyone who hears these albums to feel the love and hard work we put into everything we do. We've long had a great relationship with UMe, pressing classic titles at our Quality Record Pressings from many of their highest-profile artists. We look forward to strengthening that partnership even further with these reissues from Verve, home of the world's largest jazz catalog."

Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson is a brilliant undertaking in which Verve’s legendary “house pianist” encountered one of jazz’s most revered giants. A significant part of Peterson’s genius was his ability to be an exceptional pianist and leader, while also being a perfect accompanist when the circumstance demands… and in a situation like this, to be both. Armstrong is not only recognized as one of the most innovative, singular, fascinating and beloved artists of the 20th century, but also one of the most generous in the way he embraced and stimulated his collaborators. Backed by the Oscar Peterson Trio – bassist Ray Brown and guitarist Herb Ellis, and augmented by frequent fourth member Louis Bellson on drums – these peerless heavyweights created an album that is utterly compelling, radiantly jubilant and consummate in artistry. The musicians provided the setting for the jewel that is Pops, with Peterson perfectly embellishing every phrase Armstrong sings or plays. The focus here is primarily upon his totally personal and thoroughly captivating vocal style, with his occasional trumpet solos limited in all but one case to a single chorus. Essentially culled from the Great American Song Book – Cole Porter, the Gershwins and Harold Arlen among the songwriters – the pieces range from poignant ballads and blues to effusive easy-grooved swing. Each song is an exquisitely crafted gem that will warm the heart and enrich the soul.

Getz/Gilberto is not only a marvelous album, but one which had a profound influence upon the face of jazz and American popular music. This stunning 1964 collaboration between Stan Getz, one of the most popular and respected tenor saxophonists of the era, and the remarkable Brazilian guitarist João Gilberto, launched the bossa nova craze and the career of João’s wife Astrud Gilberto with the hugely popular and iconic hit song, “The Girl from Ipanema (Garota de Ipanema).” Even more impactful, it introduced the famed Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim to the English-speaking musical world. In addition to playing piano on the album, Jobim also composed six of the eight compositions, including two of his most popular masterpieces, “Desafinado” and “Corcovado,” along with the aforementioned “Garota de Ipanema.”

While Getz had embraced the music of Brazil prior to this with two outstanding Verve albums – Jazz Samba and Big Band Bossa Nova – Getz/Gilberto, with multiple Grammy Awards and a permanent place on various Best Albums of All-time lists is the album that launched a revolution. Regardless of that, the collaborative blending of Getz’s fluid, muscular virtuosity and João’s impeccable acoustic guitar stylings and captivating vocals, Astrud’s enchanting almost-whispered singing on two tracks, all backed by Jobim’s minimalist subtlety on piano and the flawless support of Sebãstio Neto and Milton Banana on bass and drums, make this an utterly momentous musical experience regardless of its lofty place in musical history.

Now these albums and many more will be heard better than ever in the exciting new audiophile Acoustic Sounds series.

Acoustic Sounds Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series:

July 31 / Verve Records

Stan Getz and João Gilberto – Getz/Gilberto (1964)

Louis Armstrong and Oscar Peterson – Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson (1959)

August 28 / Impulse! Records

John Coltrane – Ballads (1963)

John Coltrane – A Love Supreme (1964)

September 25 / Philips Records

Nina Simone – I Put A Spell On You (1965)

Nina Simone – Pastel Blues (1965)

October 30 / EmArcy Records

Sarah Vaughan – Sarah Vaughan (with Clifford Brown) (1954)

Clifford Brown and Max Roach – Study In Brown (1955)

November 27 / Decca Records

Peggy Lee – Black Coffee (1956)

George Russell – New York, N.Y. (1959)

Thelonious Monk: Palo Alto

In the fall of 1968, a sixteen-year old high school student named Danny Scher had a dream to invite legendary jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk and his all-star quartet to perform a concert at his local high school in Palo Alto, CA. In a series of twists and turns, against a backdrop of racial tension and political volatility, that concert happened and was recorded by the school's janitor. Palo Alto is set for release on July 31, 2020 on legendary jazz label Impulse! Records – marking Thelonious Monk's posthumous debut on John Coltrane's label home.

"That performance is the one of the best live recordings I've ever heard by Thelonious," says T.S. Monk, son of the pianist/composer maestro, drummer and founder of the Thelonious Monk Institute. "I wasn't even aware of my dad playing a high school gig, but he and the band were on it. When I first heard the tape, from the first measure, I knew my father was feeling really good."

The vibrant 47-minute album spotlights Monk's steady touring band (tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse, bassist Larry Gales, drummer Ben Riley) and features his touring repertoire, which were his finest compositions. 

1968 was a tumultuous year in America, marked by the shocking  shocking assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, unsettling revelations about the Vietnam War, and protests and unrest throughout the country. Palo Alto and the primarily African-American neighboring neighboring town of East Palo Alto were no different. This was the stage for young high school student Danny Scher, a jazzhead with an idealistic bent and knack for concert promotion (who later on became a well-known promoter who worked with legendary San Francisco rock promoter Bill Graham.) 

Scher says, "I always looked at music as a way to put issues on hold or up to a mirror, whether they be political or social. On October 27, 1968, there was a truce between Palo Alto and East Palo Alto. And that is what music does."

In 1968, Thelonious Monk was in many ways at the pinnacle of his career – his quartet was at its best musically, and he was still riding high in the public eye after he appeared on the cover of TIME Magazine a couple years prior.  However, behind the scenes finances were rough and his health was in bad shape. When he got a call in the middle of his threethree-week run at the Jazz Workshop in San Francisco, he listened to the teen on the other end of the receiver. Perhaps he was moved by the young promoter's gumption.  

On October 27, 1968, Thelonious Monk and his quartet – Charlie Rouse (tenor sax), Larry Gales (bass), and Ben Riley (drums) – climbed out of the Scher  family van, walking past a rainy parking lot full of surprised Palo Alto and East Palo Alto residents, into Palo Alto High School's auditorium and delivered a stellar, energetic and historic 47-minute set.

Included in the mix is Monk's lyrical love song "Ruby, My Dear" (Rouse boldly blowing the melody with Monk comping in his unique oblique way then taking the lead with a dazzling solo);  the dynamic and spirited "Well, You Needn't" taken for a 13-minute ride with solos by all members; the pianist's captivating solo reading of "Don't Blame Me" by Jimmy McHugh; an epic dance through "Blue Monk"; and a playful charge through "Epistrophy." The show ends with a truncated encore of Monk slowly striding through the 1925 Tin Pan Alley hit tune by Rudy Vallee, "I Love You Sweetheart of All My Dreams" and after a standing ovation saying his goodbye because they had to leave to make their San Francisco date that evening.

The concert was quite impressively recorded by Palo Alto High School's janitor, and the tape sat in the attic of Scher's family home for years. When he contacted T.S. Monk to release it, they chose legendary label Impulse! Records, the label home of John Coltrane, known as "the house that Trane built." The relationship between Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane is well documented and historic, so it is particularly appropriate that almost forty years after his death, Monk finally makes his Impulse! debut with Palo Alto.

Palo Alto is the first of multiple planned joint releases over the next five years from Impulse! Records in conjunction with the Monk estate's Rhythm-A-Ning Entertainment led by T.S. Monk.

The Legendary Jimmy Heath - Love Letter

Verve Records announces the release of Love Letter, a parting masterpiece and the first all-ballads album from magisterial tenor saxophonist-composer Jimmy Heath. The first single from the collection "Con Alma" is out now. Love Letter will be available worldwide on July 17 and is available by pre-order now. 

In addition to original material, Love Letter is the jazz ambassador's beautiful take on seminal ballads, including songs written by Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie, and Kenny Dorham.  Recorded in New York during the 48 hours preceding Jimmy's 93rd birthday, and two more a month later in Atlanta, Jimmy presided over a brilliant cast of colleagues and friends.  Propelling the album forward is a multi-generational all-star unit, including NEA Jazz Master pianist Kenny Barron, poll-winning guitarist Russell Malone, soulful vibraphone veteran Monte Croft, New York first-call bassist David Wong, and all-world drummer Lewis Nash. Augmenting the group on separate tracks are 21st century vocal superstars Gregory Porter and Cécile McLorin Salvant, and trumpet icon Wynton Marsalis.

The collection includes Heath's elegant arrangements of three less traveled originals culled from his vast body of work. He distinctively interprets "Con Alma," an essential jazz standard by Dizzy Gillespie, his lodestar from the moment they met in 1946. Joining him and Kenny Barron in erudite, tender dialogue on trumpeter Dorham's "La Mesha" is Marsalis. On "Don't Explain," the Dorham gem and Arthur Herzog-Billie Holiday collaboration, Heath's soulful, trenchant, urbane solo flights evoke his poetic spirit with old master concision and the authoritative chops of a musician half his age.

A highlight in a program of highlights is Cécile McLorin Salvant's poignant tour de force portrayal of unrequited love that is at the core of Billie Holiday's lyric on the blue ballad "Left Alone," composed by Mal Waldron. Another is Gregory Porter's compelling, gentle reading of Gordon Parks' underground classic "Don't Misunderstand."

"Jimmy always wanted to know the lyrics of a song before playing it," says Carol Friedman, who co-produced Love Letter with Grammy-winning producer Brian Bacchus. "That particular sensitivity no doubt contributes to the intimacy of his sound and is the reason he loved playing ballads - whether a tune had lyrics or not, he was singing with that horn. This is the record Jimmy never got to make. Asking him if he wanted to do an all-ballads album was preceded by decades of us talking about singers and love songs."

Two of Heath's three originals on Love Letter gestate in orchestral charts - "Fashion or Passion" comes from a 2004 Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra commission, while "Inside Your Heart" - Heath's only soprano saxophone vehicle on the date -  is the second movement of The Endless Search, a suite Heath recorded in 2010 with the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra.  On the third original, it sounds as though Billy Strayhorn was on Heath's mind when he wrote "Ballad from Upper Neighbors Suite," which he'd previously addressed on a 1995 recording.

A listener unfamiliar with the back story of Love Letter would not imagine that the main instrumental voice throughout the proceedings is a jockey-framed 93-year-old man surely aware of his impending mortality and facing it with pluck and equanimity. He brings the full breadth of his intellectual powers to this final salvo. As Gary Giddins notes: "The result is pure, primo Heath: polished, inventive, surprising, candid, beautiful."

Singer-songwriter Cat Levan finally indulges her “Double Life”

One could easily make the case that singer-songwriter Cat Levan has much more than just a double life. The former professional fighter, restaurant owner, clothing designer, marketing director, illustrator and mother will finally realize her long-held musical dream with her debut album, “Double Life” on the Wide Sky Records label. The Vancouver-based artist teamed with Billboard Top 10 hitmaker Steve Oliver to write seven original songs for the 11-song set produced by Oliver in the guitarist’s Southern California studio. Her Canadian countryman and brother-in-law, contemporary jazz saxophonist Walle Larsson, guests throughout the collection that finished tracking just prior to the closure of the border due to the coronavirus pandemic.    

“I’ve done a lot of different things throughout my life and experienced success in a variety of areas, but music has been a constant presence dating back to my family household while growing up. ‘Double Life’ speaks to the dreams we hold tight to our chest and never let anyone know about. The artist who has a rich inner musical world but lives a life of logic and order that never reveals the depth of her inner world. It's a double life, but in a good way,” said Levan whose sister is Juno Awards-nominated singer-songwriter Melanie Chartrand. 

As a lyricist, Levan is a storyteller who writes about love, loneliness, connection and uncertainty, which suits the inherently vulnerable qualities of her ethereal voice. After opening the disc with the upbeat dance-pop title track that is bolstered by tribal percussion beats, “What’s Been Going Down” pours a smooth cosmopolitan cocktail of jazz and pop. The downtempo “Keep Moving” was the first song penned for the album.

“It's about a time in my life when I was stuck in an awful place. My mother had died, and I had just left a relationship and moved back to Vancouver. I was really down, feeling very alone, not seeing a future that I liked. Every day, I would get up and try to push myself to do something that would move me forward. I was sleepwalking through life with a constant ache in my chest,” admitted Levan who plans to film a couple of videos to accompany the album release.    

Levan found singing “December Road” helped her let go of the heartache. It is a stark and poignant piano ballad about accepting love and loss. She loves how the soulful and sensual “Something’s Gotta Give” exposes the seedy side of life.

“It makes me feel like I'm walking down the street late at night, peeking into steamy bars and witnessing shady deals. It’s fascinating seeing the colorful underside of the streets.”  

The haunting “The Way I Feel” was written and recorded by Gordon Lightfoot and Levan’s version exquisitely captures the pain and reality of love. A joyous slice of sunshine, “Baba Doo” is a wordless contemporary jazz dance set to the rhythm of life.  

“Waiting for the Right Time” moves at the deliberate, tension-filled pace of a prowl. “This is a song with two stories. One is a story of an assassin stalking her prey, waiting for the moment to strike. The other story talks about how we hide our darker side in a relationship. We’re always looking to see if it’s safe to reveal our weaknesses. If we show who we are, will it push them away? It’s all a test to see how much we are accepted exactly as we are.”

Layers of percussion drive the snappy groove of “Diving Deep,” Levan’s first track ever sung in vocalese, one of Oliver’s hallmarks. “When we wrote this song, I had no idea what vocalese was. Steve introduced me to it and asked me to be open to this new style of singing. We wrote and recorded the song the same day, so I was trying to adjust, but my voice was tired and a little unhappy with me. There were a few notes that I was struggling with and Steve recorded me grumbling about them. When we were playing back the rough track, he left my comments in and it made me laugh so we kept them as an inside joke.”

Levan calls “Coming Home” a companion piece to “Double Life.” It is about the achingly deep connection between romantic soulmates. The album closes with a bonus track, the jazz standard “Autumn Leaves,” that leaves lovelorn listeners remembering the sweet and seductive memories of summer love.

New Music Releases: Butch and Rhonda Coleman, Paul Tuvman, Jarez

Butch and Rhonda Coleman – Moment Of Your Time

A spiritually grounded husband and wife duo that recognizes music as a universal healer, Maryland based Butch & Rhonda Coleman create a fascinating dual sound around the plucky thump of his bass and her versatility as a sultry pop/R&B singer and jazz keyboardist. The title of their third album MOMENT OF YOUR TIME doubles as an invitation to get to know them and their deft blend of old school soul-jazz, breezy and heartfelt balladry and buoyant urban-flavored Smooth Jazz. Adept at creating a variety of moods, the Colemans like to say that their music tells a story. Here, that’s paying homage to past influences like Bill Withers while making sure we’re hip to their eclectic, very contemporary sexy, funky flow. ~ smoothjazz.com

Paul Tuvman - In My Life

A pilot for Delta Airlines since 1986, classically trained pianist and emerging Smooth Jazz artist, Paul Tuvman flies high with his lifelong love of The Beatles on IN MY LIFE. A deeply diverse, jazzy homage to the Fab Four. Testament to his rising star status, the multi-talented Tuvman got the genre all-stars out en masse, with dynamic guest spots by Peter White, Mindi Abair, Dave Koz, Rick Braun and Vincent Ingala. Produced by one of the most sought after musicians in contemporary music, Jamey Tate, the true star of the collection is Tuvman’s hypnotic ivory playing and adventurous arrangements, hitting on trad and Smooth Jazz as well as soulful, urban funk. Another highlight of this engaging set is the stunning oboe playing of Taiwanese-American oboe master Rong-Huey Liu. ~ smoothjazz.com

Jarez - J Funk City

In a few short years, saxophonist Jarez has gone from being known as “Mr. Sexy Saxy’ to the mayor of J FUNK CITY! While known to millions as touring saxophonist and right-hand man for Coolio – and his appearances on the rap star’ web series “Cookin’ With Coolio” – the saxophonist has scored an impressive string of smooth urban hits and albums playing it silky, sensual and romantic. This new collection has its steamy moments, but for the most part it’s a punchier, ultra-funky blast featuring a more muscular, emotionally impactful approach. Jarez’s wild success these past years has opened doors for him to invite all-star guests Julian Vaughn, Vandell Andrew, Willie Bradley, Ragan Whiteside and Gerald Albright (on bass!) to help him execute his supercharged vision.  ~ smoothjazz.com

Jon Durant and Robert Jürjendal Release “Across the Evening”

“Across the Evening,” by ambient experimental guitarists Jon Durant and Robert Jürjendal, further extends the ambient/jazz/world crossover music both musicians have traversed throughout their diverse careers. Featuring appearances from Colin Edwin (UK) on bass, Aleksei Saks (Estonia) on trumpet, and Andi Pupato (Switzerland) on percussion, “Across the Evening” is a multi-dimensional, trans continental delight.

With sounds that caress and envelop, rhythms that percolate and inspire, the two guitarists nimbly play off each other and their guests, rarely allowing the listener to imagine that they are hearing guitars.

From the sublime “Reflective Sea” to the deep middle eastern vibe of “Beguiling Eyes,” the album crosses multiple stylistic boundaries. The final two tracks, “Return to Russia” and “Balkan Blue” are live recordings from the ensemble's live performance in Tallin, Estonia in 2019.

Says Jon, “Robert and I had known each others' work for some time - I'm really fond of his group Uma (with Aleksei Saks), and between my collaborations with Tony Levin and Colin Edwin, he'd been following my work as well. But we hadn't connected personally until recently. When the idea of collaborating was floated, we met it with great enthusiasm. We are both very interested in the textural possibilities with guitar but approach it differently, both in terms of tools and techniques. In the end, the two approaches blend wonderfully, and it's often hard to believe that what you’re hearing is guitar. When we began working, we realized that while it's great to be able to work remotely, there was a strong desire to also work together in the same room. I arranged a trip to Tallinn, and Robert organized a concert at Philly Joe's Jazz Club in Tallinn. We were very fortunate to have Aleksei Saks join us on Trumpet, and Inna Kovtun came up from Kiev to sing with us. It was an incredibly inspiring evening, and two tracks on the album are from the recording of that show. The album includes ideas and concepts born out of our few days of rehearsing and improvising together, and flushed out with fantastic performances from Colin Edwin (bass) and Andi Pupato (percussion).”

Jon Durant brings a unique sense of texture and melody to his instrument. His unique “cloud guitar” soundscapes and engaging lead work have graced numerous CD recordings and film soundtracks and his very distinctive use of fretless guitar has been widely admired. He has previously released 9 solo albums and three Burnt Belief records (with Colin Edwin). Durant's acclaimed 2018 solo release “Parting Is” was his first “solo guitar” recording and the follow up solo guitar album “Alternate Landscapes” continue to stretch the boundaries of what a guitar record can sound like. Both solo CDs have been nominated for “Best Ambient Album” in various US new age radio publications, while “Alternate Landscapes” also spent multiple weeks at the top of the NACC Chill Charts.

Robert Jürjendal is an Estonian guitarist and composer who studied classical guitar and composition (Anti Marguste) at Tallinn Georg Ots Music School. In 1992-1997 he participated in Robert Fripp Guitar Craft Courses. He has written music for classical and contemporary guitar, cembalo, mixed ensembles, choirs; documentaries, art exhibitions and theater. His compositions include both traditional and contemporary elements, from folk music to post-rock and ambient-jazz. Robert Jürjendal is working as a freelancer composer / artist / lecturer. He is also the  curator of the music program SOOLO at Tallinn Art Hall. Recent albums include “Source Of Joy” (Unsung Records 2013), “Balm Of Light” (iapetus - media 2014) and “Simple Past” (Strangiato Records 2016). “Another World” (with Colin Edwin) (Hard World 2018), “Five Seasons” (Albany Records 2018), With Noya and Godwin, “Samliku” (New Dog Records 2019), with Sandor Szabo “Electric Poetry” (Greydisc 2019).

World jazz band Special EFX emerges from quarantine ready to shine

GRAMMY nominated world music-contemporary jazz band Special EFX was in Denver one month into their concert tour promoting their 21st album, “All Stars,” when the coronavirus pandemic forced their return home to shelter in place. For band leader Chieli Minucci, home is the epicenter of COVID-19 in the US: New York City. After three months of quarantine, Special EFX will recently resume its concert tour when they took the stage of Southern California jazz hotspot Spaghettini for a show performed in front of half the capacity of normal in order to comply with Orange County restrictions. The concert was streamed live via Spaghettini’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/SpaghettiniSB).

“I feel GREAT about resuming the tour! For three months, I've been writing and recording in my home studio, so I'm fairly limber as far as playing guitar goes, but all that solitude has gotten to me as much as anyone else. I can't wait to play for a melody-hungry audience. I can't wait to see the guys and play the songs again,” said Minucci, an Emmy-winning composer, guitarist and producer. 

Minucci will share the Spaghettini stage with keyboardist Lao Tizer, drummer Gene Coye and bassist Ric Fierabracci. When he last led his band of rotating collaborators to whom the album title refers as “All Stars,” the new collection had been out for four weeks and the band’s blues-jazz single, “Hanky Panky Boys,” was moving up the national charts. When the plug had to be pulled on the tour, they still had another month of concert dates ahead of them before playing Minucci’s hometown album release concert that was slated to take place in New York City at The Cutting Room on April 11. No timeline yet for when that show can be rescheduled so when the opportunity was presented to play the new music for fans in person as well as for a global audience via the livestream, Minucci was eager to make it happen. While many artists began livestreaming pseudo concerts during quarantine, Minucci does not feel comfortable in that setting, but he does embrace livestreaming a performance where he is actually on stage with his band members.

“Livestreaming is definitely here to stay although traditional live concerts will certainly return once the all-clear has been sounded. Streaming shows has been around before this, but now is becoming more mainstream simply out of necessity. As long as the video/audio work is elegant, it can be a cool, unusual and different kind of experience for our audience. When I fell in love with that irresistible combination of music, touring and hanging with the guys and gals of the arts, I never imagined the world would experience something like what is happening right now,” said Minucci.

Another reason that Minucci leapt at the opportunity to resume the Special EFX tour was to begin introducing the forthcoming second single from “All Stars,” “Mr. Marzipan,” which will begin collecting playlist adds on August 10. The track opens the new collection with a horn-powered dose of fusion, contemporary jazz, an off-kilter funk/hip hop beat and a vibrant chorus illumined by David Mann’s saxophone and Lin Rountree’s muted trumpet along with some tasty electric guitar riffs issued by Minucci.

“The sax and trumpet combination was completely new for Special EFX, who usually does not feature a horn-based vibe. Dave is our longtime sax-man and Lin is my label mate at Trippin N Rhythm. After hearing their inspired playing, I knew the song could use a big, fat horn section to top it off to add that final sweet frosting so to speak. David Mann's fantastic horn arrangement makes the tune the perfect ‘sister-song’ to our first single from the album, ‘Hanky Panky Boys,’ which had a similar horn section arrangement. The song's inspiration was the opening bass-keyboard riff. I just loved the way the two sounded together. The whole piece evolved from that simple, repetitive groove,” said Minucci, the deft guitarist who wrote and produced “All Stars,” tapping nearly two-dozen musicians to bring to life the album of contemporary jazz, fusion and world music utilizing sounds, rhythms and textures from Africa, Brazil, the Aboriginal outback and the Asian Pacific Rim.

Who exactly is this mysterious “Mr. Marzipan?”

“Mr. Marzipan is not a person, but instead a jazzy, tongue-in-cheek reference to my love affair with chocolate. It is also a reference to a famous cake that I used to devour with my mother every time I'd come visit my folks while they lived in Los Angeles. She had discovered a fantastic bakery that had the most talented owner/baker. Each trip to Los Angeles would begin with a visit to my folks and that amazing cake.”

Shortly before the lockdown, Special EFX was in Washington, DC to record a short concert at SiriusXM’s studio for national radio broadcast. The airdate will soon be announced.

“BAM!” Guitarist H Allan kicks up his “Heels” again on new EP

H Allan is a guitar player who likes to shred yet his career has always been closely tied to the saxophone thus it’s natural that the title track to his EP that drops Friday, “BAM!” was written by and for a sax player. Allan’s rocking rendition of the pumped up, horn-powered original penned by Horace-Alexander Young, who appears on Allan’s version, began collecting playlist adds on Monday. Allan produced the EP and four of the five tracks were mixed and mastered by Robert Martin (Frank Zappa).  

Allan’s first job after college was as the artist rep for LA Sax Company and he often traveled with saxophonists to various music education conferences. He brought his guitar with him and after being on the floor all day, he and the artists would head to a local nightclub to sit in with local musicians. During one impromptu jam session in San Antonio with Allan, Young wrote “BAM!” and it was recorded and released on an LA Sax Company compilation CD in 1995 that was distributed to music stores as an instrument demo and was sent to radio stations. 

“We had a great time at these spontaneous jam sessions. One night at a river walk bar, we played with a group and Horace wrote this song. I've loved the song and since it was originally done on sax, I thought it should be done on guitar with an all-star cast of the best players,” said Allan, who was joined on the track by Young, drummer Eric Valentine, keyboardist Ron Reinhardt, Keith Vivens (bass and vocal line) and trumpeter-trombonist Steve Jankowski (Nile Rodgers and Chic).  

Another saxophonist, Derrick Edmondson (Jody Watley, Chaka Khan), helmed the second tune on the EP, “Rise,” the Herb Alpert gem. Atop a rocksteady groove anchored by Valentine and bassist Darryl Williams, Allan shines on funky rhythm guitar and cool electric lead guitar.

“I wanted to do a song by a trumpet player and there's no more iconic song on trumpet. I thought it would sound cool on guitar in a lower octave: kind of new and hip. I thought it would be a great opportunity to work with Derrick Edmondson, who I met at LA Sax. I tried to be authentic to the melody and harmony, but still push it out of bounds a bit for fun. Derrick's arrangement totally fit the bill,” said the Chicago-based Allan who was named H by his parents at birth.

Allan revels in his rock roots on a mashup of “All Along The Watch Tower” and “Stairway To Heaven,” presented on the “BAM!” EP as a chill contemporary jazz medley.    

Allan said, “I heard the similarities between these two rock ‘n’ roll classics while playing ‘Watchtower’ at a show and at the end of it, I transposed and went into the guitar solo from ‘Stairway To Heaven’ because it sounded similar. This medley is more rock than jazz so it's straddling the line musically - sort of like me.”

The EP contains two bonus tracks. The first is a rocked-out version of Allan’s debut single, “Stiletto Heels,” a reboot of the original written and recorded by saxophone heavyweight Richard Elliot with whom Allan worked at LA Sax Company. Allan’s version tied as the most added new single on the Billboard BDS chart when it was released in August 2017.

“This is the rock guitar version that I recorded before the smoother, more R&B version that I released. Its drum beat is the same as the original and I played the keyboard solo on the guitar as well. The lead guitar on this version is more of a heavier rock sound,” said Allan. 

Sweetly, Allan gathers his family - kids Zoey, Henry and Ellie, and sister Stacey - to sing on the second bonus cut, “Love Is A Rose,” a Neil Young song that Allan originally recorded for his mother. The guitar slinger surprises by singing and playing banjo on the track.

https://www.hallan.info

Brazilian jazz pianist Ricardo Bacelar I Live In Rio

Brazil is leading the world per capita in coronavirus cases making it unlikely that people will be cramming into a concert venue anytime soon to hear live music. Then there is the recent unrest that erupted in response to civil injustices in the US that bodes to spark meaningful change around the world. These are the events that inspired contemporary jazz pianist Ricardo Bacelar to release a new version of the Milton Nascimento classic “Nothing Will Be As It Was (Nada Sera Como Antes)” as a single ahead of the release of his “Live in Rio (Ao Vivo No Rio)” album, which drops August 21 from Bacelar Productions.   

“‘Nothing Will Be As It Was’ summarizes the existential questions raised globally by the coronavirus pandemic. Add to it the civil injustice and unrest that has surfaced over the last couple of weeks with Black Lives Matter, which is an especially important movement. We’re talking about the subject here in Brazil, too. We have a lot of problems with racism here, but our people have not yet taken the streets to protest and have social demonstrations. The world is watching the United States and people are talking about these issues everywhere,” said Bacelar who produced the 11-song “Live in Rio” collection. 

Bacelar’s 2018 album, “Sebastiana,” contains a very different version of “Nothing Will Be As It Was,” which was sung in English by American singer Maye Osorio and accompanied by an animated video that suited the pop-electronic rendition of the song. The new live version has a different arrangement and features Bacelar dueting with Brazilian vocalist-pianist Delia Fischer in Portuguese backed by a jazz band.   

“I chose to release this single thinking about this moment and the lyrics of the song. The lyrics are like a photograph of the moment. It’s a very famous song in Brazil that was originally recorded in 1976 when we were under a military dictatorship. The lyrics say ‘I know that tomorrow nothing will be like before, What news of my friends will they give me? What news of you will they give me?’ People were disappearing at the hands of the dictatorial military regime. And now people are disappearing – dying – because of the virus. Everyone in Brazil, the United States and all over the world have lost friends due to the virus,” said Bacelar. 

“Live in Rio” was recorded in May 2018 at The Blue Note in Rio while Bacelar was promoting “Sebastiana.” He trimmed the 17-song set to the eleven tunes that appear on the live record feeling that the selected song list on the disc represents a balanced sampling of his repertoire and body of work. The outing includes tunes penned by Brazilian icons Nascimento, Tom Jobim, Gilberto Gil and Flora Purim along with American greats Benny Golson, Horace Silver, Pat Metheny and Chick Corea. Also included is a composition that Bacelar wrote with producer Cesar Lemos (Ricky Martin, Paulina Rubio) titled “Sernambetiba, 1992” from “Sebastiana.”                                                        

“I love the sound of the album because you can hear the energy of the live performance and the sound of playing in a jazz club. The Blue Note isn’t a big place – about 300 people – so you can hear the ambiance of playing in a small club. The microphone on the piano picked up the other instruments like the drums and saxophone because it’s a small place. The sound is very different than what you get in the studio where the sound is more clean,” said Bacelar who was accompanied by guitarist João Castilho, saxophonist-flutist Danilo Sina, double bassist Alexandre Katatau, drummer Renato Endrigo and percussionist André Siqueira.    

The idea of dropping the live album now began earlier in quarantine when Bacelar sat to record a solo piano piece for his social media. It made him think about the isolation people were feeling and the role live music plays and the unique energy it possesses.

“The time in isolation is accompanied by multiple experiences and music is a fundamental vehicle for perception, connection and the formation of perspectives that bring meaning to the events on personal, spiritual and emotional levels. I wanted to remind people of the sound of live music. People need the warm sound and feelings of live music as opposed to the electronic stuff we hear on studio recordings. By listening to this live album, you can embrace the warm sound from the safety and comfort of your home.”  

As an artist, Bacelar wants “Live in Rio” to be viewed as more than just a live recording. He wants the album to have impact, to say something, which is clearly reflected in his choice of the first single.  

“The album is not only about the songs. Without art and abstraction, life is meaningless. Artists have to have a position, make a statement about something and have a voice – not just sing and play piano. The album is a concept – with the arrangements, the cover, the lyrics. It’s important to me to send an important message.”

http://ricardobacelar.com.br.

Funk Legend Maceo Parker Releases 'Soul Food - Cooking with Maceo’

Funk legend Maceo Parker has just released ‘Soul Food - Cooking with Maceo,' his first studio album in eight years, via Mascot Label Group's new imprint, The Funk Garage. Described by American Songwriter as "ten sizzling selections that haul buckets of funk," the album finds Parker's signature punchy saxophone sound partnering with New Orleans funk royalty to cook up a fresh selection of soul and funk classics, as well as Parker originals. The album was recorded at New Orleans House of 1000hz with Andrew “Goat” Gilchrist and producer Eli Wolf (Norah Jones, Madlib, Al Green).

‘Soul Food - Cooking with Maceo’ blends raw, old school funk with the flavors of New Orleans, featuring collaborations with Ivan Neville, Nikki Glaspie, Tony Hall, and a host of local musicians. The funky flavor of the city weaves its way through the album, as Maceo and the band take on iconic songs from Mississippi masters like Dr. John ("Right Place, Wrong Time") The Meters ("Just Kissed My Baby") and Allen Toussaint ("Yes, We Can Can), as well as Aretha Franklin’s "Rock Steady," Prince’s "The Other Side of the Pillow" and David "Fathead" Newman's "Hard Times." We also get funky workouts from Parker's own back catalogue on ‘M A C E O’ and ‘Cross The Track," the staple song of Giles Peterson's iconic WAG Club in Soho, London in the 1980s.

It is almost impossible to separate which came first - Maceo or the Funk. He has played with each and every leader in the funk genre, starting with James Brown in the 1960s before jumping aboard the Mothership Connection with Parliament-Funkadelic, and later spending a decade collaborating with Prince.

Maceo’s career as a band leader began in 1970, and since embarking on a second solo career in 1990 he has released a catalogue of stunningly evocative releases from Maceo and All The King’s Men ‘Doing Their Own Thing’ (1972) all the way to 2012s ‘Soul Classics.’ This is not to mention working with titans of the music world such as Keith Richards, Bryan Ferry, Living Color, Dave Matthews Band, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane’s Addiction and De La Soul. He has also been sampled by hip hop icons including the Notorious B.I.G., 2Pac and Busta Rhymes.

In the 1994 documentary ‘My First Name is Maceo,' George Clinton said, ”You just transcend things and just be energy and beautiful, that’s where Maceo can play and sing, to me, that’s where I really enjoy Maceo the most.”

“One of the things that I have enjoyed about being an artist is that sooner or later it’s time to record new material. Somehow, this time around, we decided to cover some tunes. So, that’s what this album is all about. In the studio, you have the luxury of recording songs by groups that you have enjoyed throughout the years.

Once you become a recording artist, there’s a satisfaction that you are now part of the collective group of artists that you admire.

Maceo & All the King’s Men was the first band I formed after leaving James Brown’s group. There is a sense of pride when, as a musician, you reach a level where your own material is in stores and being played on the air. It’s almost like graduating from local musician to world-renown artist. So it was fun to revisit two songs from that period.

I’ve always been inspired by everyone, simply everyone who has worked with Ray Charles, including the Raelettes and Hank Crawford, so it’s especially nice to have included a David “Fathead” Newman tune on the album. I’ve worked with the Meters, with Dr John and Aretha Franklin over the course my rather long career, so it’s a pleasure to include some of their songs.

More than anything I miss Prince. He was a genius, so it was special to re-record a song he and I had once toyed with idea of releasing and give it that special New Orleans feel while also referencing the person I most admired growing up, the Genius Mr Ray Charles.” - Maceo Parker

'Soul Food Cooking With Maceo' Track List

1. Cross The Track

2. Just Kissed My Baby

3. Yes We Can Can

4. M A C E O

5. Hard Times

6. Rock Steady

7. Compared To What

8. Right Place Wrong Time

9. Other Side of the Pillow

10. Grazing In The Grass

GRAMMY WINNING GUITARIST NORMAN BROWN RELEASES HEART TO HEART

“I wrote and recorded Heart To Heart as a message to my fellow Beings to remember that the essential quality of our nature was made divine, as one race, governed by one world. We must abandon the perception that we are made to exist independently, therefore, not unified, divided by selfishness, creating greed to fulfill our quest for survival,” explains the multi-platinum selling, chart-topping and Grammy award-winning guitarist Norman Brown. 

Norman whose love affair with the guitar began at age eight was dubbed by George Benson as “one of the greatest and most articulate guitarists out there.” Brown’s charisma and versatility has afforded him the opportunity to collaborate with a cross-section of Jazz and R&B stars including George Benson, Brian McKnight, Kirk Whalum, Jeff Lorber, Miki Howard, Gerald Albright, Rick Braun, Peabo Bryson, and Chanté Moore, to name a few. JazzTimes Magazine touts that the Shreveport, LA born and Kansas City, KS raised guitarist is “a culmination of Jimi Hendrix and George Benson with some of Wes Montgomery thrown in.” AllMusic raves that Brown is one of “contemporary jazz’s brightest lights…a master player and improviser.” 

Udiscover Music named Norman Brown in the top “50 Best Jazz Guitarists of All Time.” At a time where there is so much divisiveness, Norman Brown asks each of us to search within to recognize our own divine light and to receive the divine wisdom that surrounds us every day. “All of us are made from the same source making us interconnected, interrelated and therefore interdependent,” shares the Atlanta based musician. “We have to exchange love, Heart To Heart in order to achieve world salvation and loving peace on earth.” At the core of Brown’s work based on the principles of universal law, wisdom from the Ancient Egyptian Spiritual System "The Paut Neteru Of Anu," The Tree of Life which focuses on peace, truth, balance, order, harmony, morality and justice. Brown’s spiritual way of being is undoubtedly an attribute that has endeared him to an ever-growing and devoted fan-base. He affectionately calls his fans Normantics!

On August 7, 2020, Shanachie Entertainment will release Heart To Heart, Norman Brown’s 12th recording as a leader and third for the label. Shanachie Entertainment VP of Jazz A&R, Danny Weiss, states, “At the risk of being blasphemous, Norman is the true successor to Wes Montgomery and George Benson. Like them, he's a jazz musician of the highest order, but you hardly notice because you're having so much fun listening to him.” Heart To Heart is a gorgeous collection of originals composed by Brown and various album personnel, that fuse the best elements of Jazz, R&B, Pop, Blues and beyond. It is a soul-stirring and heart-warming journey fitting for this time of uncertainly. The introspective guitarist says, “We have been given the golden opportunity of having the Earth stop. We all have wanted to stop the grind and catch our breath, refresh our thoughts and learn something new. This halting of everything is really the silver lining and an opportunity to find our ‘Master Key’ to the rich quality this life blesses us to experience.”

Heart to Heart is an all-star affair that affirms the adoration and respect that Norman Brown holds amongst his peers. Great bandleaders are like chemists. They go into the laboratory and utilize all the right elements in order achieve the desired outcome. It is knowledge and cooperation working in the highest order. With this dynamic in mind, Brown assembled an enviable collective of creative spirits to bring to life Heart To Heart. Brown’s special formula follows the golden rule. “What I do to you, I in turn do to myself,” explains Norman. “Let’s take care of each other through the acknowledgement that we must treat one another in joyful peace and with acts of giving unconditional love.” Heart To Heart joins Brown with guitarists Peter White and Paul Brown, keyboardists Jeff Lorber, Chris “Big Dog” Davis, Gregg Karukus, Phil Davis, Lew Laing and Jeff Carruthers, bassist Roberto Vally, Tres Gilbert, Lee Thornberg, Sean Michael Ray and Nate Kearny, drummers Lil’ John Roberts, Gary Novak, Sonny Emory and Teddy Campbell, saxophonists David Mann and Greg Vail and percussionist Lenny Castro. Brown shares that each individual played a significant role in bringing the album to fruition. “It was an honor and pleasure to be joined by all of these divine beings who nourished the music and brought the perfect seasoning to this album.”    

Heart to Heart opens with the recording’s first single “Heading Wes,” a tribute to Brown’s father as well as the iconic guitar hero Wes Montgomery, who transformed the language of guitar harmonically, melodically and technically. “My Dad loved Wes and inspired me to learn that style by allowing me to have the car on Saturday night if I learned his favorite Wes tunes like ‘Bumping On Sunset’ and ‘Down Here On The Ground,’ recalls Norman. “Frankly I would have learned them based on my own love of his playing. His technique, beautiful chord soloing and his signature octave expression was wonderfully original and innovative.” The intoxicating sway and melodic beauty of the album’s title track features fellow guitarist Peter White, who Brown refers to as “a joyously gentle journeyman.” Brown shifts gears for the euphoric up-tempo and smoking “Unconditional,” highlighting and penned by keyboardist Jeff Lorber whose energetic creativity Brown says is “perpetually gifting us timeless ideas.” Another standout on the album is the moving and devotional gem “Amen” co-written with hit making producers Vassel Bedford and Chris “Big Dog” Davis (who is featured on keys). Norman by the way returns the favor and appears on Davis’ new Shanachie release Focus.

Heart To Heart showcases the genius and flair that has landed Norman Brown at the top of the charts time and time again on the finger snapping “Just Groovin.” Norman wrote the song with fellow guitarists Paul Brown and Jeff Caruthers, who both join him on the composition. The beautiful “Brighter My Light Shines,” co-written with keyboardist Phil Davis, is the perfect example of the timeless anthems Brown is known for. He wrote the latter with keyboardist Phil Davis who is also showcased on the memorable tune. The radiant grace and sweetness of this song kisses you every note. David Mann offers a gritty horn arrangement to the funky “She’s Mine” which shines a spotlight on Brown’s agile blues chops and sharp-witted hooks. Brown’s crisp articulation and funk-laced lines take center stage on “I Miss Your Groove,” offering another view of the blues that will have you saying “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy!” Norman conjures up a dipping bronze sun, disappearing behind a crimson sunset while the salted air gently caress your cheeks on “Ocean Breeze,” co written by Jeff Lorber. The guitarist also urges us to “Keep The Faith” with the forward momentum groove of his stunning original. “Faith is the substance of things not yet seen but the evidence of things to come. Part of this energy aids in the law of attraction,” declares the guitarist. A reward to taking the journey on Heart To Heart is the surprise ethereal and rock-tinged track “Outside The Norm,” featuring the keys of Phil Davis and drums of Lil’ John Roberts. But then again, not a surprise from a man who can play it all!

Watching his older brother play, Norman was stopped by the energy radiating from the musical sound of what he now calls his “Spirit Catcher,” the stings on his guitar. Waiting for his brother “Popsicle” to leave, Norman couldn’t wait to get his hands on his brother’s six string carefully stored in the closet. Influenced early on by Jimi Hendrix and the Isley Brothers, it was not long before Brown was drawn in by one of his father’s favorite guitarists, Wes Montgomery. A graduate of the Musician’s Institute in North Hollywood, where Brown would go on to teach, the guitarist landed his first deal, as the flagship artist debuting his career and launching Motown’s Mojazz label. In 1992, he recorded the albums Just Between Us, the Gold selling, Soul Train award winning After The Storm and Better Days Ahead. Having recorded a string of successful albums including 1999’s Celebration (in which he teamed up with Paul Brown), 2002’s Just Chillin’ (featuring vocalists Michael McDonald, Miki Howard and Chanté Moore) scored a Grammy win. The same year, Brown joined forces with saxophonist Kirk Whalum and trumpeter Rick Braun forming the group BWB, recording their debut album Groovin’. In 2013 they released Human Nature, a tribute album to Michael Jackson, that was followed by their third collaboration BWB in 2016.  Brown continued a trail of critically heralded albums including West Coast Coolin’ (2004), Stay With Me (2007), Sending My Love (2010) and Grammy nominated 24/7 with saxophonist Gerald Albright. 2017 saw the release of Norman Brown’s anticipated and well-received Shanachie debut, Let It Go and The Highest Act Of Love followed in 2019.

Brown concludes, “Heart To Heart is the greatest power we can harness. This dialogue empowers each person in the entire world to win! It’s all about the power generated from learning the lessons of spiritual growth that helps us to achieve the goal of evolution which is the enjoyment of life.” Brown’s new recording is vital listening for our current times. Its message rings loud and clear and is a reminder that even though we may be “socially distance” we are indeed together and need one another now more than ever.

Frank Sinatra | "Nice 'n' Easy" 60th Anniversary

Capitol/UMe and Frank Sinatra Enterprises celebrate the 60th anniversary of Frank Sinatra’s Nice ’n’ Easy, another iconic album in a series of collaborations between Sinatra and arranger/conductor Nelson Riddle with a special anniversary edition.

Originally released on Capitol Records in July 1960, the Nice ’n' Easy album topped the charts at #1 for nine weeks. The album was nominated for multiple GRAMMYs, including Album of the Year, Best Male Vocal Performance, and Best Arrangement (Nelson Riddle). Since its original release, Sinatra’s body of work still resonates with fans and critics today.

“By curating his albums with songs that told a story he wanted to tell, and by singing each word as if he wrote it, Sinatra introduced a level of personal expression to the recording process that reached literary heights.” – The New Yorker

“Frank would ad-lib something each time he got to the tag line. Remember, the song was new to him at the time; the last take was terrific. Frank got that tune into the American songbook for us. Years later we wrote a second chorus that other singers recorded but, to us, Frank’s version is definitive.” – Alan & Marilyn Bergman

Recorded during the Nelson Riddle session at the Capitol Studios, Room A, “The Nearness of You” was initially intended to be the title track of the planned album. Once “Nice ’n’ Easy” was delivered, the album title changed, and the track did not appear on the original LP.

Now, the original master of “The Nearness of You” (2020 mix) will be made available for the first time on the CD and digital versions of the album for which it was intended. The CD and digital formats add the new stereo mix “The Nearness of You” (2020 mix) and sought-after bonus tracks: previously unreleased session takes of “I’ve Got A Crush on You and “Nice ’n’ Easy.”

The vinyl LP is a faithful production of the original Capitol Records ‘Full Dimensional Stereo’ sleeve and features the original 12 songs.

The CD packaging features liner notes with quotes from Frank Sinatra, who offers, “Nelson is the greatest arranger in the world…I have the greatest respect for him,” as well as quotes from Nelson Riddle, Sinatra’s longtime pianist Bill Miller, and others.

Vocalist Sara Serpa releases Recognition: Music For a Silent Film

Widely acclaimed as one of the premier vocalists of her generation and recently crowned the #1 Rising Star Female Vocalist in the 2019 DownBeat Critics Poll, Sara Serpa pushes headfirst into innovative musical territory with her tenth album, Recognition: Music For a Silent Film. A collection of Serpa’s original pieces set to moving images, the album features her singing and performing spoken word alongside some of the most recognizable and distinctive artists in jazz and improvised music: saxophonist Mark Turner (Billy Hart, Tom Harrell), pianist David Virelles (Chris Potter, Henry Threadgill) and harpist Zeena Parkins (Björk, John Zorn).  Due out June 5, 2020 on Biophilia Records, Recognition will be available in BiopholioTM or digital download with code for film screening.

Recognition is a singular multi-disciplinary work that traces the historical legacy of Portuguese colonialism in Africa through moving image and sound. From her family’s archives, Serpa adapted Super 8 footage of various scenes under Portuguese colonial rule in 1960s Angola into an experimental documentary in the format of a silent film, and she alone composed its musical counterpart as well, a rare and massive undertaking. Far more than accompaniment, Serpa’s mesmerizing feature-length score to the film is as immersive and compelling as the extraordinary images it reflects. This is a testament to both her captivating musical vision and compositional acumen, showing precisely why JazzTimes called her “a master of wordless landscapes.” 

Serpa uses her voice as both an ensemble instrument and a focal point for narrative during passages of spoken word, which came out of Serpa’s intensive, self-directed research into the period. More than solely an achievement in music, Recognition addresses thematic concerns that are relevant and significant in the present day. As Serpa eloquently summarizes: “Talking about Angola and Portugal is like talking about Brazil, United States and Europe. The Western world shares a collective shameful past of occupation, exploitation, slave trade, oppression, racism, segregation, violence and abuse.”

Several motivations animated her work on this project, including the desire “to highlight the power of music as a tool for social evolution, reflection and education,” and “to break the silence about Portuguese colonialism and institutional racism.” 

With the assistance of film director Bruno Soares, Serpa organized the material into an hour-long silent film intercut with text by Amílcar Cabral, a key figure of African anti-colonial resistance. During the course of the project, Serpa explored the legacy of that difficult historical moment as well as her family’s silence surrounding it, providing a visual and sonic narrative encouraging individual reflection.

“There was a traumatic situation because when the colonies became independent, suddenly Portuguese had to flee, leaving everything behind. They had to adapt to a country that most of them had never been to and that rejected them, so there’s a kind of silence, and not many people in my family have talked openly about this. Perhaps this is the work of the following generations, to digest and process the past,” Serpa says. 

“There is also institutional silence. In schools you’re not taught about it, and because of that I felt the need to educate myself. So there was this personal need, but also a need to expose something that has not been talked about, discussed enough and recognized enough.”

Across the dozen tracks on the album, Serpa employs the diverse talents of her powerhouse ensemble, which boasts a unique configuration of instrumental voices. Turner, arguably the most influential tenor saxophonist of his generation, assumes multiple roles in the quartet, variously mirroring Serpa’s ethereal voice, sustaining ongoing accompaniment and contributing immaculate solo improvisations.

Pianist Virelles, whose versatility and blending of the futuristic and folkloric has made him a first-call musician for everyone from Chris Potter to Henry Threadgill, is no less brilliant. As a foil to the other ensemble members, Virelles improvises vital, startling counterpoint across every register of the piano. 

Parkins is a pioneer of contemporary harp who resides in the highest echelon of avant-garde musicians. She delivers characteristically powerful and supportive playing as both a soloist and ensemble member. On tracks such as “Beautiful Gardens,” she and Virelles conjure thrillingly abrupt waves of dissonance cascading alongside shocking spoken-word depictions of violence.

The astuteness of Serpa’s bold decision to assemble these collaborators, who hadn’t previously performed together as a group, is proven by their fresh and inspired chemistry. The free-improvised “Queen Nzinga” is a case in point, featuring a spirited, grooving trio improvisation that effervesces alongside Serpa’s spoken word.

On tracks like “Lei do Indigenato, 1914” and “Free Labour,” Serpa directs the ensemble toward meaningful restraint and space. She fearlessly embraces dissonance and post-tonal complexity when it suits the musical and filmic narrative, as in the flowing arpeggios of “Occupation” and the broodingly abstract “Control and Oppression.” 

Despite its challenging subject matter, Recognition also contains in ample measure the trademark lyricism and purity of melodic design that Serpa’s collaborators, such as legendary pianist Ran Blake, have so prized in working with her. On tracks such as “Mercy and Caprice,” Serpa’s gorgeous voice seems to float in space without losing any measure of intimacy or directness.

As music to silent film, atmosphere and mood are primary considerations that Serpa handles with aplomb. Her mastery of counterpoint and orchestration is apparent on tracks like “Absolute Confidence,” where she creates a chorale of moving voices before unfurling a breathtakingly dramatic solo improvisation. On “Propaganda,” the album’s penultimate track, unrelenting and virtuosic counterlines raise the tension to a fever pitch as Virelles pushes and pulls against voice and saxophone. 

Recognition ends on an ambivalent but rallying note with “Struggle and Unity,” a resistance song setting Cabral’s words to music. The song’s otherworldly melody and attendant harmony has a lingering quality, resonating in the ear and mind long after the album concludes.  

Lisbon, Portugal native Sara Serpa is a vocalist-composer and improviser who implements a unique instrumental approach to her vocal style.  Recognized for her distinctive wordless singing, Serpa has been immersed in the field of jazz, improvised and experimental music since first arriving in New York in 2008. Described by the New York Times as "a singer of silvery poise and cosmopolitan outlook," Serpa started her career with jazz luminaries such as Grammy-nominated pianist Danilo Perez, and Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellow pianist Ran Blake. As a leader, she has produced and released nine albums; the latest being Recognition, an interdisciplinary project that combines film with live music, in collaboration with Zeena Parkins (harp), Mark Turner ( saxophone) and David Virelles (piano). Serpa is  a member of the We Have Voice Collective, comprised of 14 musicians, scholars and thinkers, determined to promote gender equity in the performing arts. Sara has performed with John Zorn, Nicole Mittchel, Ingrid Laubrock, André Matos, Guillermo Klein, Okkyung Lee, Guillermo Klein, Linda May Han Oh, Kris Davis,  among many others. Serpa was voted #1 Rising Star - Female Vocalist 2019 by the DownBeat Magazine Critics Poll, and she currently teaches at The New School and at New Jersey City University.

www.saraserpa.com/

Santana keyboardist David K. Mathews' "The Fantasy Vocal Sessions, Vol. 2"

THE FANTASY VOCAL SESSIONS VOL 2, the newest project by Santana keyboard player DAVID K. MATHEWS, is a tribute to the San Francisco Bay Area where he grew up and still resides, and to the iconic FANTASY STUDIOS where he recorded most of the project. Mathews has had a long and eclectic career performing with some of the biggest names in music. He toured with Tower Of Power for two years, and then spent 20 years accompanying Etta James, right up to her last performances. Since 2010 he has been touring the world as a member of Santana. 

Over the years, he has also performed and/or recorded with a Who’s Who of diverse artists, such as Wayne Shorter, John McLaughlin, Toots Thielemans, Ruben Blades, Gloria Estefan, and many more. THE FANTASY VOCAL SESSIONS VOL.2  is the second release of a projected five album series. The name Fantasy Sessions is a double-entendre, referring to both Mathews’ fantasy to put out a series of recordings with some of his favorite singers and musicians, and to the famous studio where a host of artists, from Sonny Rollins and Charlie Mingus to Aerosmith and Green Day, recorded their music.

The Fantasy Vocal Sessions Vol. 1 featured straight-ahead jazz standards in an acoustic setting. Vol. 2  features jazz arrangements of soul, pop, and R&B tunes in a more expansive setting as befits the style of the music. Mathews is planning subsequent volumes in the series. Vol.3 will focus on the blues and Vol. 4 on Afro-Cuban and Brazilian music. Unfortunately, the studio closed in 2018, and future recordings will have to be made elsewhere. With its top-notch musicianship, first-class improvisatory chops by both the instrumentalists and vocalists, and Mathews’ hip arrangements, THE FANTASY VOCAL SESSIONS VOL. 2 is a love letter to one of the most diverse, creative, and inclusive musical milieus anywhere on the planet.

Personnel
All Keyboards  David K. Mathews

Guitar Jim Nichols, Ray Obiedo, Bruce Conte  

Electric Bass Dewayne Pate, Marc van Wageningen

Acoustic Bass Peter Barshay, John Wiitala
Drums Billy Johnson, Akira Tana, Brian Collier, Deszon Claiborne, Vince Lateano, Kevin Hayes
Featuring Carl Lockett, Chris Cain, Wayne de Silva, Marc Russo
Vocals Tony Lindsay, Lady Bianca, Steve Miller, Amikaeyla, Funky Fred Ross, Glenn Walters, Kenny Washington, Alex Ligertwood

Tracks
1. For the Love of You 7:04
2. You Had to Know  5:58
3. One Mint Julep (Space Cowboy Mash-up)  5:03
4. Superwoman  10:04
5. So Sweetly  5:21
6. I Got You (I Feel Good)  4:28
7. Giving Up  7:03
8. Going Out of My Head  5:01
9. Wichita Lineman  5:32
10. I Love You More Thank You’ll Ever Know  6:14
11. Yesterday (extended mix) 11:30