Jose James - Black Magic (10th anniversary edition)
A brilliant second set from Jose James – and that's saying a lot, given that his debut was already a classic in our book! The sound here is a little more full, and a little more confident – a magical blend of James' raspy vocals with some jazz and funk-inflected rhythms – never overdone, and all put together with the kind of poise and depth that's made Jose an artist to watch since his very first single! There's a positive, progressive vibe to the whole record – the kind of excitement we only feel grabbing us once in a blue moon – and the sound is expanded a bit from the laidback combo of the first record, thanks to production help from Flying Lotus, Mitsu The Beats, and others. But James' vocals are always center stage in the mix, no matter what the setting – and titles include "Lay You Down", "Touch", "Promise In Love", "Warrior", "Made For Love", "Code", "Save Your Love For Me", "Detroit Loveletter", and "Beauty". ~ Dusty Groove
Brenda Nicole Moorer - Marrow
Great work from a really unique singer – a vocalist who's equally well-balanced between jazz and soul, and who uses that balance to great advantage throughout this well-crafted LP! Brenda's vocals and inflection definitely show a strong side of the understanding of the nuances you'd use in jazz – but she also works in tunes that are more soul-based, although still with a nice degree of complexity – instrumentation that changes from track to track, and which has way more going on than just beats and keyboards too. Tracks include "Marrow", "Catch Me Falling", "The Core", "Little Prayer", "Flying Lessons", "Return To Sender", and "Your Light". ~ Dusty Groove
Larry Ochs & Aram Shelton Quartet - Continental Drift
A wonderful wrapping of reeds – the alto of Aram Shelton and tenor and sopranino saxes of Larry Ochs – set up here as a unified spirit in the lead of the group, but always ready to break out with these bold individual moments too! The record's got a mixture of rasp and tunefulness that speaks to the strong legacy of both players – sometimes swinging, sometimes a bit more free – with work from Kjell Nordeson on bass, and either Mark Dresser or Scott Walton on bass, depending on the tracks. Titles include "Continental Drift", "Slat", "Switch", "Another Night", "The Others Dream", and "Test Shots". ~ Dusty Groove
Ledisi - Wild Card
Fantastic work from Ledisi – an artist we've loved for almost 25 years, and who maybe sounds better here than she has in the last decade! There's this back to basics approach that maybe recalls some of her self-released albums at the start – but mixed with the maturity in all the years she's learned as both a songwriter and a singer – the sort of vocalist who should be right up there in the soul music pantheon right next to Aretha Franklin and Chaka Khan! Robert Glasper helped a bit on the record – but as usual, Ledisi is the key driving force behind the set – making her equally skilled in the studio as she is on record. Titles include "WKND", "Without You", "Stone", "Wake Up", "What Kinda Love Is That", "Now Or Never", "Stay Gone", "Anything For You", and "Next Time". ~ Dusty Groove
Charles Tolliver - Connect
A stunner of a set from legendary trumpeter Charles Tolliver – and a record that shows that he's lost none of his brilliance since the years of his 70s recordings for the Strata East label! The format here is a bit like those – long tracks by a small group, with an outward appearance of familiarity – but a clearly resonant sense of individuality right from the very first note! All tracks are originals by Charles, and have that soaring quality that's always made him one of the most righteous talents in jazz – working with a group here that features Jesse Davis on alto, Keith Brown on piano, Buster Williams on bass, and Lenny White on drums. The group's also joined by the great Binker Moses on tenor on two tracks – and titles include "Suspicion", "Copasetic", "Emperor March", and "Blue Soul". ~ Dusty Groove
Misha Panfilov & Shawn Lee - Paradise Cove
Fantastic work from this very hip duo – two excellent funky talents on their own, somehow sounding even better in the company of each other! The tunes are lean, and almost have a sound library funk vibe – very hip, with a mixture of watery guitar lines, funkier riffs, sweet-stepping basslines and keyboards, and the right touch of acoustic percussion at the core to snap the groove in a perfect way! The record's one of the most understated that Shawn Lee has given us in years – and we mean that in a good way – and Panfilov's ear for unusual production modes really helps the whole thing sound amazing. Titles include "Belt Buckle", "Deep Sea Oddities", "Synthpathy For The Devil", "Voodoo You Love", "Sigmund Jahn Bossa", "Aquaria", and "Volkwagenesque". ~ Dusty Groove
Martin Kuchen & Landaeus Trio - Mind The Gap Of Silence
A fantastic record from saxophonist Martin Kuchen – and a set that has us really reevaluating his talents, with a new sense of soul and spirit we've never heard before! The setting is relatively spare – and Kuchen dominates the proceedings on soprano, alto, and tenor saxes – while Mathias Landaeus plays piano with some analog delay, alongside Johnny Aman on bass and Cornelia Nilsson on drums – both players who follow the lead of Landaeus, and give Kuchen plenty of space to shine in the spotlight! What Martin does with this space is wonderful – blowing with a style that has an edge, borne from the more avant work of the past, but also given this mellower sense of soul that almost has him coming across like an avant Ben Webster – a bit boozy and beaten, but with an undeniable spark that shines through with every note. Brilliant, and unlike anything we think we've heard before – on titles that include "Love Flee Thy House", "Sounds & Ruins", "Sorkifsta", "Mind The Gap Of Silence", and "East Hastings Satian Slow Stomp". ~ Dusty Groove
Who Trio (Michel Wintsch / Gerry Hemmingway / Banz Oester) - Strell – The Music Of Billy Strayhorn & Duke Ellington
The WHO here is a trio with Michel Wintsch on piano, Gerry Hemingway on drums, and Banz Oester on bass – a trio who make very different music with the songs of Duke Ellington! The vibe is very open and creative – very much in the spirit of Michel's best recordings of the past decade or so – but the real star of the set might be bassist Oester, as he handles his instrument in these really amazing ways – sometimes rhythmic, with qualities that set the pulse for the tunes – but other times with these unusual sounds that sometimes feel as if they're making up for the missing horn players that might have been in larger group recordings, and resonating wonderfully with the looser, freer lines of Wintsch on piano. Drummer Hemingway finds a way to space himself perfectly, and also adds in some really compelling moments on voice – on titles that include "The Mooche", "Black & Tan Fantasy", "Passion Flower", "Angelica", "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing", and "In A Sentimental Mood". ~ Dusty Groove
The Heliocentrics - Telemetric Sounds
The Heliocentrics just get spookier and spookier with each new release – as is definitely the case here, with a recording that seemed to haunt the group like a ghost! The majority of the record comes from one long improvised jam the group were recording – supposedly while on a break, but accidentally recorded – and providing the perfect groundwork for the dark, deep, funky sounds here – served up in that trademark blend of psychedelia and cosmic funk that's become the group's calling card! The core improvisations were chopped up, expanded, and reworked to form the rest of the record – all based around the spooky sounds first captured in Quatermass Sound Lab – in a mixture of deep dark drums from Malcolm Catto, plus fuzzy guitar, electronics, bass, and loads of effects – on titles that include "The Opening", "Shattered Mind", "Rehearsal 24", "Space Cake", "Telemetric Sounds", and "Devastation". ~ Dusty Groove
Bob James - Once Upon A Time – The Lost 1965 New York Studio Sessions
Rare material from pianist Bob James – and tracks that are a lot different than his funky Fender Rhodes albums of the 70s! The set is the first-ever issued of work recorded at Columbia University in 1965 – and the vibe is a bit like James' album for Mercury Records around the same time – a bit straight at point, but also with some surprising avant moments too – touches that make Bob part of that young generation of new experimental pianists, which would also include Steve Kuhn, Don Friedman, and the young Keith Jarrett! The first half of the set very much lives up to that mode – with a trio that features Larry Rockwell on bass and the great Bob Pozar on drums – on titles that include "Lateef Minor 7th", "Once Upon A Time", "Serenata", and "Variations". The second half is from later in the year, and is maybe more boppish overall – with a trio that features Bill Wood on bass and Omar Clay on drums – on titles that include "Indian Summer", "Solar", "Long Forgotten Blues", and "Airegin". ~ Dusty Groove
Quincy Jones - Live In Paris – 14 Mars 1961
Hard-driving live work from Quincy Jones – material recorded during one of the most productive, creative years of his large jazz ensemble! Material is from a very hip all-star group – and in addition to the sorts of tracks that Quincy was doing for ABC and Mercury during the period, there's also some longer, extended tunes that really showcase the growing complexity of Quincy's music – and that visionary quality that would make him one of the hippest bandleaders in the world by the end of the 60s! Players include Sahib Shihab on baritone, Phil Woods on alto, Budd Johnson and Eric Dixon on tenor, Freddie Hubbard and Benny Bailey on trumpets, Melba Liston and Curtis Fuller on trombones, Les Spann on guitar and flute, Patti Brown on piano, Stu Martin on drums, and Patato Valdes on congas – and long tracks include extended takes on "Stolen Moments"," Africana", and "Banja Luka" – plus other titles that include "Gwan Train", "Moanin", "Solitude", "Caravan", "Boy In The Tree", and "Summertime". ~ Dusty Groove
Roots Magic - Take Root Among The Stars
These guys already had our attention the moment we looked at the cover – and noted that they were playing songs by Phil Cohran, Sun Ra, and Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre – then they really won us over once we heard the very first few notes of the set! The group's only a quartet on most tracks, but they've got a sense of majesty to really live up to the music – definitely making magic with the roots they refer to in their name – in a lineup that features Alberto Popolla on clarinet and bass clarinet, Errico De Fabritiis on alto and baritone sax, Gianfranco Tedeschi on bass, and Fabrizio Spera on drums and percussion. There's some nice surprises along the way – harmonica, zither, and "objects" used in the performances – and there's a way of reworking avant traditions that remind us of some of the most innovative sides of the Italian scene at the end of the 80s – on titles that include "When There Is No Sun", "Karen On Monday", "Frankiphone Blues", "Devil Got My Woman", "Humility In The Light Of The Creator", and "A Girl Named Rainbow". ~ Dusty Groove
Brand new for the summer is the up-tempo sunshine filled “Soulmate”from sax-man Andrey Chmut. With all ten tracks written and arranged by Chmut, it builds on the impact this talented player made with his 2018 Skytown Records debut “Smoothability” which included the tune “Moving Forward” that featured the timeless Bob James on electric piano. Quickly becoming a staple on Sirius XM Watercolors it was also one of the station’s favorite songs of 2019.
The high octane “Soulmate” opens exactly in the way it means to continue with the deliciously upbeat “Night Town” that features superb interplay between Chmut on alto sax and Alex Logvinenko on keys. It establishes an intensity that permeates the entire collection and this is also apparent with ”Dance with Me” that not only finds
Chmut bringing it home with his driving yet melodic playing on soprano sax but also Gennadii Bondar making a contribution on guitar that is reminiscent of Peter White at his best.
This high-energy tour de force continues apace with “Funky Talk” where “off the chain” keys from Riccardo Dalli Cardillo combines explosively with Chmut’s fiery work on alto.
Truth to tell, although the overriding theme of “Soulmate” is slanted toward energetic danceable grooves Andrey does, from time to time, take the opportunity to ease back on the gas. This is perfectly illustrated by the mid tempo “Blessed Day” and again with the similarly inclined “Wake Up” that enjoys a hook that might just get in your head and not go away. Chmut keeps things relaxed for the decidedly ethereal “If Only I Could Fly” while elsewhere the moody “After & After” finds Chmut laying down an urban vibe that in turn is complemented by “in your face” electric guitar from Matthew Monakov.
Think contemporary jazz meets dance and you have all you need to know about the zesty “Parodox”. With Eric Moore coming up big on drums this is one that really flies and later, evoking a late night landscape of a mythical rain swept city, the title cut shows off a more tender side of Chmut’s musical persona.
Closing out the album is “Beloved Routine” that proves to be a wonderful showcase for Chmut’s jazz sensibilities and underscores the message that the world of contemporary jazz has found itself a significant talent.
Ukraine based saxophonist Andrey Chmut has already introduced himself to the smooth jazz community with his debut album Smoothability (2018). Only two years later he presents the successor Soulmate (2020) on the same label Skytown Records.
For his second project he falls back on the proven crew of scenic musicians as listed below. Andrey has written and arranged all tracks. The introducing Night Townfeatures a modern dialog between Andrey and keyboardist Alex Logvinenko which perfectly assimilates in taste and presentation to the American smooth jazz style.
Listening to Dance with Me you get the impression of hearing Peter White in action. Indeed, Gennadii Bondar's brilliant playing on the acoustic guitar shows many parallels to the iconic guitar player.
With Funky Talk Andrey can show his virtuoso skills and give full steam ahead. After & Aftermakes it clear that Andrey's style can certainly be compared to that of Marcus Anderson. Arranged with nuances, he serves sax harmonies on a layer of hip-hop beat.
Away from any fashionable wackiness, Andrey celebrates the beauty of a melody on Blessed Day. The up-tempo Wake Up serves explosive hipness. Paradox takes it to the next level with a rocking hip hop beat and a distinctly Ukrainian touch.
But Andrey can also take it very carefully. With Soulmate he gives the gentle vibrations a chance. The grippingly sweet If Only I Could Fly has the romantic hook which excels the tune to something special. At the end Andrey serves us with Beloved Routine exhilarating food that justifies enthusiasm.
Andrey Chmut's Soulmate is an extraordinary album, which can easily compete with the old masters of the genre. His music justifies great expectations.
Spiritmuse Records presents 'Pathways & Passages', the debut album from Cosmic Vibrations, the LA-based ensemble led by acclaimed jazz vocalist Dwight Trible that defines spiritual jazz in the 21st century.
A sublime amalgamation of divine vocals, soul-stirring jazz, healing poetry, with a rich tapestry of African, Mesoamerican and indigenous North American percussion and instrumentation, taking you on a cosmic journey of spiritual improvisation and beyond.
Cosmic Vibrations is a supergroup of heavyweight musicians with a vast combined experience, an ensemble of 6 souls who approach improvisation full of spirit and without ego. Gathered for this very purpose by Dwight Trible, undoubtedly the most acclaimed and in-demand vocalist currently working in the realms of spiritual jazz, the band has been performing steadily over the last three years, building a reputation in LA and further afield for their electric, mesmerising performances. “Pathways & Passages” presents the first time that their transcendental sound has been recorded and publicly released.
A show-stopping performer and artist, Dwight Trible has directed the legendary Horace Tapscott Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, and performed alongside with the likes of Pharoah Sanders, J Dilla, Gary Bartz, Kamasi Washington, Kahil El’Zabar, Madlib, Charles Lloyd, Matthew Halsall, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Soil & “Pimp” Sessions, Mark de Clive-Lowe, and Carlos Niño. There is indeed no one today who better carries on the tradition of legendary jazz vocalists such as Terry Callier, Leon Thomas and Andy Bey, whilst carrying that torch forward and exploring brand new territory. Apart from his rich vocal tones, Trible is also heard on kalimba here.
Master percussionist, flautist and composer, Derf Reklaw is an original member of the Pharaohs, legendary soul jazz ensemble and precursor to Earth, Wind & Fire, and has performed and recorded with the likes of Terry Callier, Ramsey Lewis, Aretha Franklin, Herbie Hancock, Eddie Harris, Minnie Riperton and Ahmad Jamal. On assorted wind instruments is Pablo Calogero. Not only has he worked with everyone in Latin, spiritual and free jazz, from Tito Puente to Phil Ranelin and Yusef Lateef, but he also contributed to the soundtrack for Basquiat’s seminal ‘Downtown 81’ film, alongside Liquid Liquid, The Lounge Lizards, and Basquiat’s own “Gray” outfit.
John B Williams, on acoustic bass, joined The Horace Silver Quintet in the 60s after studying with Ron Carter. Greatly in demand across music and TV, John has worked with the likes of Roy Ayers, Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy Smith, Freddie Hubbard, Hugh Masekela, Bobby Hutcherson and Nancy Wilson. Master percussionist Christopher Garcia adds a vast array of avant-garde, indigenous and traditional instrumentation, drawing upon his long career performing, learning and teaching across 28 countries in 5 continents. Finally, improvisational drummer, percussionist, instrumental designer/builder & sound sculptor, Breeze Smith, often seen performing alongside flautist & composer Nicole Mitchell, pianist David Ornette Cherry (son of Don Cherry) and other key players in the experimental music scene, can be heard here playing drums, homemade percussion and original loops, and produced the album alongside Trible.
Improvisation forms the core of this record, but the rhythm, the groove is never absent. The poetry led 'Nature’s Vision' sets the tone for the record’s journey, but it peaks on the group’s incredible rendition “Motherless Child”. A live favourite of Trible’s, this bluesy take rides heavy on Williams’ bass and enjoys the addition of guest Scott Fraser’s lap steel guitar. With his rich, emotive singing Trible takes full possession of the song. By the time the beautiful closing ballad, “Some Other Time” ends, the album has truly succeeded in transcending the listener from their earthly surroundings.
A genre-defying amalgam of divine vocals, intuitive improvisation and deeply spiritual music, on Trible’s voice soars among the nexus of winds & skins from an incredibly talented and “deeply rooted” group in complete brotherly connection with one another. If you are looking for genuine, soul-enriching spiritual jazz today, look no further than “Pathways & Passages”.
“Sir Charles,” the new single from famed keyboardist David Garfield’s upcoming Stretchin’ Outside The Box album follows several contemporary jazz hits such as “Sweetness,” “Go Home,” “Jamming” and “One Like You,” all of which dominated the radio waves as well as the charts. The world-class keyboardist, producer and composer has teamed up with one of his favorite guitarists and long-time friend, Grant Geissman, best known for his dynamic performance on the classic hit “Feels So Good” to perform this new original song. The track also includes a guest performance by saxophonist Brandon Fields (original founding member of The Rippingtons).
Jazziz has the track premiere for "Sir Charles" here: https://www.jazziz.com/new-music-monday-idris-ackamoor-the-pyramids-david-garfield-more/
“Sir Charles” is a sweet summer song with a tropical island vibe, perfect for sunny day hangs by the pool sipping frozen fruit-infused beverages. A definite party hit for this summer. Garfield, who leads the band on piano and keyboards, also produced and arranged the track.
“‘Sir Charles’ is a song inspired by my dear friend Vince Charles’ (Neil Diamond/Herb Alpert) steel pan drumming,” Garfield says. “He was a key mentor of mine and turned me on to all the great tropical music styles.”
Garfield began his five-decade career in straight-ahead jazz as a teenager playing behind bebop trumpeter Freddie Hubbard. Since then many of the greatest artists of our time, including members of the Zac Brown Band, Steely Dan, Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers, The Doors, Chicago, Toto, Tower of Power and The Meters, have been featured on his albums.
Garfield has scored and recorded for films (“Annie,” “Always” with J.D. Souther), television (“Fame” and its five accompanying “Kids from Fame” recordings), and commercials (Coca Cola, McDonald’s, Seven Up, Mitsubishi). He’s produced over 50 albums and worked with such icons as Cher, Boz Scaggs, Larry Carlton, Spinal Tap, The Manhattan Transfer, Keiko Matsui, The Rippingtons and Smokey Robinson; performed with Earl Klugh, Michael McDonald, Nancy Wilson, Oleta Adams, Brenda Russell, Dianne Reeves and Michael Bolton; was musical director for George Benson (from 1986-90, 2000-2004), as well as writing, arranging and producing for him (2007-2018); appeared on The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Soul Train; and has composed and recorded hundreds of original compositions.
One of world’s most accomplished keyboard players, David Garfield’s mission statement is “I make music.” Whether working with other artists or performing or recording with one of his own bands, Garfield (known to some as “Creatchy”) is constantly and consistently involved in creating music for the listening enjoyment and pleasure of music lovers everywhere.
Bassist Fumi Tomita celebrates the 100th anniversary of jazz icon Charlie Parker with thoroughly Parkerian flair and resourcefulness on Celebrating Bird: A Tribute to Charlie Parker, set for a September 25 release on Next Level Records. Tomita, along with tenor saxophonist and longtime collaborator David Detweiler, presents an inspired set of contrafacts—new melodies, composed upon familiar chord changes—of tunes in Parker’s repertoire.
Bird was a legendary creator of contrafacts. One of the bebop revolutionary’s key innovations was the language with which he reimagined songs like “Cherokee,” “Lady Be Good,” and even the basic possibilities of the blues. It’s this spirit that Tomita and his quartet (Detweiler, pianist Art Hirahara, and drummer Jimmy Macbride) channel on Celebrating Bird, both in terms of writing original songs on classic changes and the expression of those songs in a bright and upbeat bebop aesthetic.
“I’ve always loved Charlie Parker’s music,” Tomita says, musing on the idiom Bird did so much to create. “It’s a style rooted in a certain language but very open to other styles.”
That openness is very much evident on Celebrating Bird. Whether in the subtle calypso echoes of “Like Sigmund” (a contrafact of Parker’s “Segment”), the Latin charms of “Intersection” (based on “Repetition,” a tune from the famous Charlie Parker with Strings sessions), or the funk suggested by Tomita’s doubling of the melody line with Detweiler on “Oceanology” (a blues in C, a favorite Bird framework), the album offers a unique insight into the vast reach of Parker’s musical ideas.
Then again, any jazz performance is also about the musicians performing it in the moment—and Tomita and company do not disappoint as artists in their own right. The glory of Detweiler’s sustained solo on “Bird’s Yard” is immediately rivaled by Hirahara’s piano chaser; Macbride makes punchy but sleek statements on “Bird Dreams”; and the leader taps into fathomless depths of soul with solos on “Alice Changes” and “Intersection.” As ever, the high point of Parker’s genius is in how it enables the individuality of visionaries like Tomita.
Fumi Tomita was born November 26, 1971 in New York. Fittingly for the era, his first musical loves were progressive rock and jazz fusion, which led him to begin on the piano in high school. He soon took up guitar and bass; the latter instrument gained his commitment, which in turn gained Tomita a spot in the jazz performance program at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.
He spent some time as a working musician in Montreal; spent a year in Portland, Oregon; then returned to his hometown in 2000 to earn a master’s degree at Manhattan School of Music (studying with Jay Anderson and Larry Ridley). Being at MSM put him directly in touch with the New York jazz community, and Tomita began working with the likes of Joey Baron, Vincent Herring, Jeremy Pelt, and Art Hirahara. All the while he continued pursuing musical scholarship, finishing his master’s and going on to study ethnomusicology at Hunter College and jazz and contemporary media at Eastman School of Music (where he met tenor saxophonist Dave Detweiler). He ultimately gained a tenure-track position in the jazz program at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, where he currently teaches.
Tomita’s debut recording, Untold, appeared in 2011, with Impromptu appearing that same year. (The albums were recorded in 2003 and 2004, respectively). He and Detweiler made their first record together in 2015 on the saxophonist’s Dave Detweiler Trio. In 2019 came the ambitious The Elephant Vanishes: Jazz Interpretations of the Short Stories of Haruki Murakami, through which Tomita explored his Asian-American identity. (His father was Japanese; his mother a Chinese-American.) The new Celebration of Bird is, in a sense, another examination of identity: that of a contemporary jazz musician who is building on the foundation Charlie Parker laid.
“Conceived before the pandemic, this tribute record to Charlie Parker will, I hope, still be relevant in the new normal with the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Tomita. “The sweeping changes for social justice for African Americans that have dominated the summer of 2020 were a dream that Parker, living during the pre-Civil Rights era, was denied. Yet he still led a musical revolution known as bebop that contributed to the great music known as Jazz. His music can be viewed as a form of protest during an era when African Americans could not voice their opposition to racial discrimination, segregation, or lynchings. During his centennial year, I hope that Charlie Parker will continue to be remembered and that his music will resonate with listeners during an age of protest.”
Wynton Marsalis’s exploration of socio-cultural and political issues has yielded some of his most inspired and provocative work over the last four decades including the GRAMMYⓇ Award-winning Black Codes (From the Underground) in 1985, Blood on the Fields ─ the first jazz composition ever to win a Pulitzer Prize─ in 1996, All Rise in 2002 (performed by Symphonic Orchestras the world over to great acclaim
Penitentiary in 2007, which according to one reviewer, “reveals some important truth about this country with a lot of anger and heart.”
Released on August 21, 2020 through Blue Engine Records,The Ever Fonky Lowdown, the latest Marsalis composition to directly address the irresistible cocktail of deception, racism, greed, and gullibility that subverts the global fight for human rights and corrupts the possibilities and promise of democracy in America and around the world.
Available exclusively on digital platforms, The Ever Fonky Lowdown features the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and vocalists Camille Thurman, Ashley Pezzotti, Christie Dashiell, and Doug Wamble.
The new recording also features narration from acclaimed actor Wendell Pierce (The Wire, Treme, Jack Ryan) who plays the role of “Mr. Game,” whose commentary reveals the “hustle” that keeps us at each other’s throats and prevents us from working together to build a more equitable and friendly world.
“Mr. Game” is a composite strongman, part evangelical preacher, lawyer, businessman, politician, street hustler, newsman, social worker, street corner prophet, and reality show celebrity. His language is refined, colloquial and slang and his confidence and populist message keeps you hooked on the line for more. He is consistently charismatic, conniving and irreverent and so shocking in his disrespect for convention as to be provocative.
The Ever Fonky Lowdown was written in 2018 to address universal issues of human exploitation and suffering with a specific focus on how those matters have played out in America. The most recent public acts of police violence and the social inequities exposed by the Covid-19 Pandemic have spotlighted national problems and has hit a global nerve as well, as evidenced by the many international protests in solidarity. In this very moment, our world is experiencing more and more social upheaval over a myriad of human rights issues. The Ever Fonky Lowdown is even more pungent and timely today because it provides a blueprint for the game that has been and is being run on so many of us.
“Mr. Game” himself says, “We are here tonight, but this is an international hustle. It has played out many times across time and space and is not specific to any language or race. It takes on different flavors according to people’s taste, but always ends up in the same old place.”
Reaching back to Blood on the Fields, the Orchestra and singers act as an ancient Greek chorus commenting on the action and moving things along. Playing the symbolically complex and multi-layered score with the absolute precision, feeling and soul of jazz musicians, they cover everything from Gospel Quartet, to American folk, to New Orleans funk, utilizing the swing rhythm, as well as tresillo and other grooves that have yet to be named. The music also functions as another character, largely celebratory and ecstatic, expressing the internal joy and glee with which we exploit our fellow man and woman.
The Ever Fonky Lowdown is entertaining—but it also brilliantly reveals an incisive, panoramic, and satirical view of modern society. A funky jazz parable for 2020, the new work covers terrain from football to politics, power to poverty, from love and romance to betrayal and corruption; it will make you dance and sing and it will make you think and reconsider.
Mr. Marsalis says, “Usually I research and learn a lot of new material for longer pieces. For this one, I went with music and mythology that I have lived. From the music my father and great New Orleans drummer and composer James Black played in the 60’s, to the funk we played in the 70’s, to the modern jazz we have been blessed to play,
teach and shape over these last decades, The Ever Fonky Lowdown is an antidote to the poisonous (and largely unquestioned) cultural mythology that continues to infect our general quality of life.”
The work ultimately asks the question, where do we go from here?
According to Marsalis, “There’s no real answer on the Left or the Right. The solution lies outside of the game. But, we have to rise above our position on the board to get a broader view.....and then decide individually, if we have the will to fight for a collectively better country (or world) populated with ‘others’. It boils down to the basic question of predation vs. symbiosis—do we want to help one another or exploit each other?”
Through this work, Marsalis suggests the need for all of us to question cheap populism and propaganda; rather than looking at what you are being told to see, look at what you are actually seeing in your immediate environment and act to improve that. “The entire world is struggling with issues of governance, belief, wealth, and cultural integrity. This is not the time for sleepwalking,” he says. “From the protests around the world that saw solidarity in the Afro-American struggle, we see people wanting to rise up and create a more equitable and more participatory world. Where do you stand? The new world is something we must fight for and the first step of doing is seeing. Awareness and acuity are the keys to escaping the complex web of very willful obfuscations on all sides of the equation. This is a responsibility and a burden we all share. In times of such cloudiness, to act is itself heroic.”
Chris Stamey’s collaboration with the Fellow Travelers, A Brand-New Shade of Blue, was inspired by the intimate small-combo sound of the late ’50s and early ’60s — a time when the “cool jazz” compositions of such luminaries as John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Miles Davis, and Thelonious Monk lived alongside the expanding pop vocabulary of Burt Bacharach and Jimmy Webb. “These are songs for late nights and rainy days,” Chris explains. “I wrote most of it in the dark of winter, in whispers, in the ‘wee small hours of the morning,’ that magic time ‘when the whole wide world is fast asleep.’ And these great singers and musicians kept that mood alive throughout the sessions that followed.”
The music started as song sheets, in the old style: just words and melodies on paper. Members of an N.C. ad hoc collective of singers and players, known informally as the Fellow Travelers, next gathered in Stamey’s Modern Recording studio in early 2020 to read through the songbook and bring the tunes to life. “I’d put down a rudimentary piano pass, then hand out the sheets,” Stamey explains, “and let the players take it from there.” First up was vocalist Brett Harris, who became the primary singer on the set. Brett, a solo artist with three excellent albums under his belt, had worked with Chris before, not only as a featured performer with the acclaimed Big Star’s Third concert series but also as a touring member of the dB’s. He was joined by the accomplished trio of Charles Cleaver (piano, also from the Third concerts), Dan Davis (drums), and Jason Foureman (acoustic bass), with Chris on guitar.
Next came thrillingly expressive solos by 19-year-old tenor-sax prodigy Elijah Freeman and N.C. jazz-scene linchpins Foureman, Will Campbell (alto and soprano sax), Evan Ringel (trombone), and Ben Robinson (trumpet), which connected and underlined the detailed, evocative lyrics. Vocalist Django Haskins (the Old Ceremony) chimed in on “Dangling Cheek to Cheek.” And wunderkind Lithuanian chanteuse Ramunė Martin joined for a song (“I Don't Think of You”) and charmed them all.
The project was well underway when the pandemic stopped in-person sessions cold. But the undaunted Fellow Travelers were able to assemble home studios, some for the first time, and complete the arrangements. As the songs took shape, additional sonic details came from Dale Baker (bongos), Matt Douglas (Mountain Goats) (bass clarinet, bari sax), Karen Galvin and Libby Rodenbough (Mipso) (violins), Peter Holsapple (The dB’s) (banjo), Rachel Kiel (flute and harmonies), Slippy McGhee (harmonica), Mark Simonsen(vibraphone), and Josh Starmer (’celli).
Stamey recalls: “The title track is somewhat of an homage to Coltrane, through my own blue-colored glasses of course. Some of the new ones . . . are more clearly Tin Pan Alley-ish in their musical vocabularies, including the jolly, stride-piano-style exposition of ‘Come Home to Me’ and the bittersweet sixth chords of ‘It Must Be Raining Somewhere.’ In ‘I Don’t Think of You,’ I was exploring some of Burt Bacharach’s and Jimmy Webb’s harmonic vocabulary, thinking perhaps of the woman in ‘By the Time I Get to Phoenix.’ ‘In a Minor Key’ reflects my vast admiration for Monk’s classic sharp-nine and flat-five noir masterpiece ‘’Round Midnight,’ and that harmonic language plays a part in ‘Un Autre Temps’ as well. ‘Je Ne Sais Quoi’ came after a similar summerlong obsession, with the gentleness of Jobim. I imagined Harold Arlen looking over my shoulder for ‘There's a Dream Around the Corner.’ ‘Speechless’ tries to pry open a cliché to see what might be hidden inside it, and ‘Dangling Cheek to Cheek’ springboards off of Peter Holsapple’s banjo into a Great Depression-style hoedown, with images of the end of the Roaring ’20s amidst anachronisms such as Muhammad Ali and the three-pointer shot.”
The set follows Stamey’s 2019 release New Songs for the 20th Century, Vols. 1 & 2. Of that album, Downbeat noted: “Musicians from Rod Stewart to Bob Dylan have turned to the Great American Songbook to revive their creative juices. But Chris Stamey has taken a different approach. Instead of singing other people’s compositions, he’s . . . written a raft of new ones that are akin to material for a 1958 recording session by Frank Sinatra or Ella Fitzgerald.” Americana Highways opined: “This is a prodigious project that asks for real attention. Fortunately, the gift of this music pays off in timeless beauty and unlimited inspiration. It’s like the past has been reinvigorated by the present, with nothing lost and everything gained.”
Chris Stamey is a co-founder (with Peter Holsapple) of influential American indie-rock band the dB’s. He operated Car Records, releasing both his own recordings and those of Big Star cofounder Chris Bell, and played with Alex Chilton, who shared his love of Charles Mingus and introduced him to the music of Chet Baker. Stamey and Holsapple together have three duo albums, including Mavericks and the recent Our Back Pages. Stamey also has several albums of his own including, most recently, Lovesick Blues and Euphoria (Yep Roc). His 2019 release New Songs for the 20th Century, Vols. 1 & 2 was a collection of Great American Songbook-influenced original songs featuring many notable guest appearances. He is the author of the book A Spy in the House of Loud, in which he recalls songwriting during the early days of punk and new wave in and around New York City. He owns Modern Recording, a studio in North Carolina, site of his numerous productions for artists including Whiskeytown, Le Tigre, Skylar Gudasz, and Millie McGuire, to name just a few.
Baritone saxophonist Claire Daly celebrates the music and influence of the great Rahsaan Roland Kirk with all the enthusiasm promised by the title of Rah! Rah!, her new album. Set for an October 2 release on Ride Symbol Records, it’s a quartet date featuring pianist Eli Yamin, bassist Dave Hofstra, and drummer Peter Grant. It also includes eight tunes from Kirk’s repertoire, as well as two original compositions in which Daly reworks a pair of Kirk’s seminal pieces. (Kirk, who died in 1977, would have turned 85 today.)
Blind, eclectic, and larger than life, multi-reedist Kirk was also the musician who inspired the 18-year-old Daly’s direction in the music. “There was this spirit in his sound that I had never encountered,” she recalls. “He was such a force of nature. He made me so happy, and still does.”
The spirit, the force, the happiness—all of it radiates throughout Rah! Rah! Whether in Daly’s sashaying, Afro-Cuban take on Kirk’s “Theme for the Eulipions,” her uproarious interpretation of “Volunteered Slavery” (which
morphs in its middle section into Sly and the Family Stone’s “Everyday People”), or the hard-driving aplomb she brings to “Blues for Alice” (a Charlie Parker composition, Kirk’s 1962 cover of which was his breakthrough recording), one can feel the icon’s zest for life and for bebop—and the lessons in both that Daly soaked up from him.
Daly also honors Kirk on the album, and indeed throughout her career, by playing multiple instruments. Her vocals appear on the aforementioned “Volunteered Slavery/Everyday People” as well as on Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s “Alfie,” both delivered with an understated charm. Kirk was also a key exponent of modern jazz flute, as Daly acknowledges with her agile fluting on “Serenade to a Cuckoo,” “Funk Underneath,” and “Momentus Brighticus,” Daly’s light-footed contrafact of Kirk’s “Bright Moments.”
That said, Daly pointedly did not go overboard in paying respects to her idol. “I wasn’t interested in mimicking Kirk or playing two horns at once like he did,” she says. Surely, if there was any message Kirk intended to impart through his art, it was to be steadfastly, defiantly oneself. With Rah! Rah!, Daly manages to both adhere to that message—“I think he gave me the freedom to have my own vibe,” she muses—and to give the messenger his just deserts.
Born in Yonkers, New York, Claire Daly was 12 years old when she picked up the alto saxophone in her Catholic school’s brand-new music program; however, she truly became a saxophonist a year later, in a moment so profound she’s never forgotten the date: September 23, 1971. That was the day her father took her to see a big band festival ending with a set by the Buddy Rich Big Band, and the sound of his saxophone section tearing into the Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood” absolutely electrified her.
Daly attended Boston’s Berklee College of Music as a saxophonist whose life changed when she encountered Rahsaan Roland Kirk through his 1976 release Return of the 5000 Lb. Man. She had not yet settled on the baritone sax, making her way through Berklee on alto and tenor. Upon moving back to New York, Daly had the opportunity to purchase Howard Johnson’s first bari sax, which provided the next epiphany of her life: “This is where I live. I am a baritone player.”
In New York, Daly built a prolific freelancing career, including work accompanying the likes of Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Rosemary Clooney, and Taj Mahal; playing in saxophonist Sahib Shihab’s big band; and holding the founding baritone chair in Sherrie Maricle’s DIVA Big Band, which she retained for seven years. In 1999 she made her solo debut with Swing Low.
In the years since, Daly has become an acclaimed soloist and bandleader. She is a three-time winner of the Jazz Journalists Association’s “Baritone Sax of the Year” Award and has made multiple appearances in the annual polls administered by Down Beat, JazzTimes, Hot House Jazz, and others. Rah! Rah! is her seventh release.
“If there was ever an inspiration to me at this time in history,” says Daly, “it is the unstoppable, fearless courage of Rahsaan Roland Kirk. Let us all summon his energy to move forward and find our new reality. Dream on.”
Craft Recordings has reissued two significant titles from New Orleans royalty: Classified from R&B piano virtuoso James Booker and the GRAMMY® Award-winning After the Rain, from soul singer Irma Thomas. These albums are not only significant to the rich, musical culture of New Orleans but are also standouts in Rounder Records’ vast
catalog. The legendary roots label, which is celebrating its 50th year throughout 2020, will be reissuing key titles, as well as special box sets via Craft Recordings. Additionally, the label will be planning events, an original podcast series, curated playlists, exclusive video content, and limited-edition merchandise.
James Booker — Classified
Throughout his short but blazing career, James Booker was one of the most unique and innovative talents in the jazz and R&B world. Known for his dizzying technique at the keyboard, the flamboyant artist coined a myriad of titles for himself: from “The Piano Prince of New Orleans” to “The Bayou Maharajah” to “The Bronze Liberace.”
The New Orleans native’s musical talents were apparent early on, and he made his recording debut while he was still a teenager—releasing a series of singles in the late ’50s and early ’60s, including “Gonzo,” which hit No. 3 on the R&B Chart. Throughout the ’70s, the artist was a regular fixture in Dr. John’s touring band, while in the studio, Booker recorded as a sideman for Ringo Starr, The Doobie Brothers, John Mayall, and Labelle, among other major acts. The artist also spent time in Europe, where he enjoyed a warm reception as an artist. While abroad, he made appearances at the renowned Montreux and Nice Jazz Festivals in France and performed on the BBC in the UK. Sadly, Booker, who struggled with drug addiction throughout much of his life, died at the age of 43.
A deeply complex character, Booker only released two studio albums in his lifetime. However, Classified—his unintended swan song—offers one of his greatest commercially released performances. Recorded in 1982, Classified is primarily the result of a whirlwind, four-hour session, in which Booker gave it his all, after a frustrating few days in the studio. In addition to several originals, the tracklist includes a jaunty repertoire of mainly local fare, including Fats Domino’s “One for the Highway,” a Professor Longhair medley, “Bald Head”/”Tipitina,” and Lloyd Price’s “Lawdy Miss Clawdy.”
Jazz Times called Classified “A masterful work,” declaring that “Booker was at the top of his game,” while AllMusic proclaimed the recording to be “One of the great blues albums of the ’80s,” praising that the tracks on the album “showcase his idiosyncrasies; how he simultaneously builds on tradition while playing with it.”
In the liner notes for a 2013 expanded edition of the LP, the session’s producer, Scott Billington, wrote, Classified is by no means James Booker’s best album. In fact, that mythical recording is still out there, on the cassette tapes that fans around the world…traded for the past thirty years. Yet, the album offers material and perhaps an attitude that can be heard nowhere else.” He adds, “One can imagine so many ‘if only…’ moments that might have led James Booker down a different path, but perhaps the life he lived was the only one possible for him, and that his recklessness was the counter-balance to the musical heights he could so often achieve. As [tenor saxophonist] Red Tyler said to me after Booker left the studio, ‘It’s like trying to capture the wind.’”
On August 14th, Vinyl Me, Please will be releasing an exclusive color variant (taupe splatter) of the James Booker Classified vinyl in celebration of Rounder’s 50th.
Irma Thomas — After The Rain
While James Booker was “The Bayou Maharajah,” Irma Thomas continues to reign as the “Soul Queen of New Orleans.” The singer, who scored her first charting R&B single, “Don’t Mess With My Man” before her 20th birthday, has enjoyed a long career, working with some of the greatest songwriters of the modern era. Early on, Thomas collaborated with songwriter, musician, producer and fellow New Orleans icon Allen Toussaint, releasing singles like “It’s Raining” and “Ruler of My Heart” (which was later reworked by Otis Redding as “Pain in My Heart”). In the mid-’60s, Thomas scored a string of popular songs including, “Wish Someone Would Care,” “Breakaway” (written by Jackie DeShannon and Sharon Sheeley), and “Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand),” co-written by Randy Newman. In the span of her sixty-year career, Thomas has released 21 albums and over 30 singles.
For her 18th studio album, After the Rain, Thomas lent her rich and deeply nuanced vocals to a varied repertoire that spanned 75 years of American songwriting—from Billy Taylor and Dick Dallas’ “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free” to Blind Willie Johnson’s “(The) Soul of a Man” to Eleni Mandell’s more recent “Another Lonely Heart.” It was an unusual selection of songs for Thomas, but Billington—who was about to produce his seventh album for the singer —“wanted to try something new,” he recalls. “I felt that we were repeating ourselves—going for a kind of ’70s New Orleans R&B vibe. I began to imagine instead a mostly acoustic setting for Irma, with songs that were chosen simply because they would resonate with her—because she would sound good singing them, and they could showcase her voice without horns or a big band.” Thomas was hesitant at first, but decided to give it a try.
Billington enlisted an all-star collection of local talent to join Thomas in the studio, including singer-songwriter Marc Broussard on backing vocals, blues and reggae artist Corey Harris on acoustic guitar, jazz and funk percussionist Stanton Moore on drums, the late David Egan on piano, and bassist James Singleton (who was also, coincidentally, the bassist on Classified). As Billington predicted, the band’s spare, often acoustic accompaniment allowed Irma’s soulful vocals and direct-from-the-heart delivery to be the focal point on each track.
Recorded at the rural Dockside Studio in Maurice, Louisiana only months after Hurricane Katrina, After the Rain is a remarkable declaration of resilience. Though the majority of the songs were chosen prior to the hurricane—which destroyed Thomas’ home—the album’s eerily prophetic themes offer a poignant message of hope after loss. “It was the first time any of the musicians had seen one another, and it was very emotional,” remembers Billington. “Even though we had chosen all of the songs before the storm, every one of them seemed now to be about the loss everyone had suffered. We added only one song—Stevie Wonder’s ‘Shelter in the Rain.’”
Upon its release, After the Rain received wide acclaim. The Austin Chronicle called the album “a statement of [Thomas’] extraordinary strength, as well as her ability to inhabit a surprisingly varied repertoire,” while AllMusic praised that Thomas “gives each song a kind of elegant resignation with her low-key vocal approach, until the whole album seems like one long, whispered effort to recapture hope in the future.” After the Rain also earned Thomas her first GRAMMY® win—for Best Contemporary Blues Album at the 49th annual awards ceremony.
compositions in the world. Its rich and storied repertoire includes legendary artists such as Joan Baez, Ray Charles, John Coltrane, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Vince Guaraldi, John Lee Hooker, Little Richard, Nine Inch Nails, Thelonious Monk, Otis Redding, R.E.M. and Traveling Wilburys, to name just a few. Renowned imprints with catalogs issued under the Craft banner include Concord, Fania, Fantasy, Milestone, Musart, Nitro, Prestige, Riverside, Rounder, Specialty, Stax, Sugar Hill, Vanguard, Vee-Jay and Victory Records, among many others. Craft creates thoughtfully curated packages, with a meticulous devotion to quality and a commitment to preservation-ensuring that these recordings endure for new generations to discover. Craft Recordings is the catalog label team for Concord Music.
The architects of soul are back with a stunning new 20-track collection for 2020. Once again we uncover the building blocks of modern soul with a playlist of classics and rarities, and, incredibly, yet again, over a third are NEW-TO-CD!
Simone Hutsch supplies are cover photo taken at Canary Wharf, London, quite appropriate since our first two tracks are all about fishing! Fortunately not in the literal sense, the waters on the Wharf probably wouldn’t yield the greatest catch! Our show opens with the Turner Brothers, an Indianapolis band ranging in age from 12 to 27, with their 1974 crossover masterpiece “Let’s Go Fishing” taken from the super rare ‘Act 1’ LP. Just as obscure, and also “angling” for top spot (pardon the pun) are the New Creation with “The Fish Song”. It was produced by the legendary H B Barnum, and finally makes its CD debut.
Ernest Ernie also makes it to CD with the superb 2019 release “My Eyes”, a follow-up to the in-demand “Do Something”. Lounge singer Buddy Greco also makes the CD cut with his take on Gamble-Huff-Butler’s classic “Never Gonna Give You Up”. Phillip And Lloyd (aka the Blues Busters) finally get our appreciation for their soulful 1975 Scepter single “Baby I’m Sorry”.
How did Freddie Waters’ “This Is The Life” escape our attention until now! What a fine example of southern tinged crossover soul that segues perfectly into Sonny Munro’s “I’m Never Gonna Hurt Again”.
Volume 11 is brought to a close by the fabulous Gloria Walker and her soul drenched stroller “My Precious Love”. A Real Side favourite!
Singer-songwriter-keyboardist Jarrod Lawson emerged seemingly out of nowhere, at the age of 37, with a self-produced debut album that took the world of soul and jazz by storm.
Within a whirlwind couple of years the former stonemason and piano tuner from Portland, Oregon played sold-out shows at London’s Ronnie Scott’s Club and Jazz Cafe, headlined the London Shepherds Bush Empire, performed at the London Jazz Festival, Love Supreme and North Sea Jazz festivals and powered his way into the Dutch Top 40 album chart. He has since performed at Billboard Live in Tokyo, in Melbourne, at Indonesia’s Java Jazz festival and at leading jazz venues across the United States, Describing him as the “blue eyed soul boy of jazz”, the London Evening Standard wrote: “It’s not just Lawson’s wide ranging tenor and ability to swing, scat and groove that has made him the biggest soul-jazz sensation in years. It’s the way he’s bringing spirituality back to a genre that had lost its depth”.
Lawson is now back, with his long-awaited second album “Be The Change”, accompanied by a talented band that benefits from the rhythmic presence of Grammy-nominated percussionist Sammy Figueroa, whose playing in a lengthy career has graced dozens of albums from artists as diverse as Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins and Quincy Jones to Hall & Oates, Chic and Carole King.
Lawson’s trademark layered harmonies and vocal phrasing, his jazz fusion arrangements and his stunning keyboard skills are in evidence throughout the album, notably on title track “Be The Change”, “Universal Chord” and “How Long”. On the beautiful, intimate “I’ll Be Your Radio” he is joined by Moonchild’sAmber Navran on vocals and flute and her fellow members of the Los Angeles alternative R&B trio who contribute clarinet and flugelhorn, and on the smouldering torch song “Love Isn’t Always Enough” Max Ribner’s trumpet and flugel provide the perfect mood-setting accompaniment.
Even if you don’t know her name – you will know her voice.
It’s ‘Melbourne’s High Priestess Of Soul’ Kylie Auldist’s unmistakable vocals on the 2016 global dance hit ‘This Girl’ by Kungs vs Cookin’ on 3 Burners – the track that not only topped almost every pop chart across the planet, featured in many TV shows, adverts and films and social media memes, and has achieved over 1 billion streams & climbing. But of course, that’s far from the whole story. Kylie established her enviable reputation as the featured vocalist in the awesome Australian outfits The Bamboos, and Cookin’ On 3 Burners, and her fantastically well received solo albums for Tru Thoughts; ‘Just Say’ (2008), ‘Made of Stone’ (2009) and ‘Still Life’ (2012) and ‘Family Tree’ Freestyle Records (2016).
Kylie’s brand new album – ‘This Is What Happiness Looks Like’, her first for Greg Boraman’s brand new label Soul Bank Music, further develops the musical approach she began on it’s predecessor ‘Family Tree’ – and is very firmly entrenched on an electro boogie tip, rooted deep in the New York club scene of the early 80’s. The opening track ‘Everythink’ sets out that 1980’s electro-boogie sound and then fuses it with the song writing of a classic Wham or Hall & Oates tune – it has an infectious, slinky Moog synth bass line that will lodge itself in people’s minds. Kylie’s simply stunning vocal performance on this breezy and summery tune will surely make it a future classic.
Producers Warren Hunter and Lewis Moody skills in the studio have brought forth many musical highlights on this album, but special mention has to be made for Is It Fun? This is where a brilliant and incredibly infectious composition is further enhanced by some top notch instrumentalists, perfectly executed production, a simply beautiful vocal performance, and results in what should surely end up being an anthemic, brand new ‘soul weekender’ style classic.
Soul boys & girls, funkateers and disco fans won’t be able to stop themselves falling deeply for this new collection of tunes, because it’s not only a highly original take on a classic sound, but it was conceived, performed and recorded with a genuine passion and love, as Kylie says “Some albums are written fast, some take a long time, some albums experience setbacks, become beset by creative blocks and personal issues, and can generally be a whole lot of hard work which makes you question why you even bothered to start it in the first place – this was not one of those albums – hence the title ‘This Is What Happiness Looks Like’!
Gregory Porter – All Rise
A heck of a step forward for Gregory Porter – and we're stunned to say that, because he's already had so many great steps forward in his career! Gregory's already been a hell of a singer for years – we've loved him since the very first note he ever recorded – but with a record like this, he continues to rise into the stratosphere of a rare few singers who can transcend both their roots and their genres – with the kind of trans-generational music that will have folks listening to this set for decades – and around the world, in so many different ways! The All Rise in the title is very fitting – as this is definitely a set to lift up the world – with titles that include "Mr Holland", "Concorde", "Dad Gone Thing", "Revival", "Merchants Of Paradise", "Long List Of Troubles", "Everything You Touch Is Gold", "Merry Go Round", "Thank You", and "Phoenix". ~ Dusty Groove
Steve Fidyk - Battle Lines
Drummer Steve Fidyk does a great job here – driving on a group that bristles with energy, and which also showcases a large number of original tunes by Steve himself! We first heard Fidyk as a leader on some of his dates for the Posi-Tone label – and there's definitely a bit of that spirit here, maybe because labelmate Joe Magnarelli does such a great job in the group on trumpet and flugelhorn – alongside Xavier Perez on tenor, Peter Zak on piano, and Michael Karn on bass. Yet there's also a different quality going on than those earlier records – maybe more of a sense of urgency, and a slight current of darkness – on tracks that include "Battle Lines", "Loophole", "Lullabye For Lori & John", "Churn", "Bootlickers Blues", and "Bebop Operations".~ Dusty Groove
Throttle Elevator Music - Emergency Exit
Throttle Elevator Music have done a great job of evolving their sound over the years – working with core contributions from Matt Montgomery on bass and piano, Erik Jekabson on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Gregory Howe on guitar, bass, Hammond, and keyboards – all rounded out nicely by the tenor contributions of Kamasi Washington! Washington sounds great here – stretching out at some key moments – but the sound is definitely that of the group, with Kamasi acting as a strong sideman, rather than forcing his own sound on the set – in a batch of shorter tracks that all nicely demonstrate a sense of economy from all players. Titles include "Art Of The Warrior", "Marching Instructions", "Sublime In The Base", "Third Reflection", "Second Breather", and "Another Moth Drawn To City Light". ~ Dusty Groove
