Pioneering Afro-Transcendental and Ambient Music icon LARAAJI releasing 2nd new album of 2020

Pioneering Afro-Transcendalist and Ambient music icon Laraaji is releasing Moon Piano, a companion volume to the Sun Piano album on Brian Eno's All Saints Records. It was recorded at the same session in a Brooklyn Church. Whereas the former record lent itself to the more uplifting side of Laraaji's keyboard improvisations, Moon Piano explores the more introspective and minimal pieces captured by Jeff Zeigler (Kurt Vile, The War On Drugs, Mary Lattimore) and edited by Christian Havins (Dallas Acid). I'm hoping you'll consider covering this release via album review. I'm glad to send a DL or physical copy upon request. In the meanwhile you can listen here: https://soundcloud.com/all-saints-records/sets/laraaji-moon-piano/s-9Xy6cCQcd7U

Laraaji describes this set of tracks as "Contemplative sound painting, embracing quiet tranquil unfolding of nurturing reflection". In a recent interview with Aquarium Drunkard, Laraaji described the improvisatory process of making both piano albums: "I'd sit down, touch the piano and through free association, also blending it with my prepared mental state, I was able to tune in and affirm my highest sense of presence. The piano became an instrument for the imagination to suggest higher or finer worlds, to suggest a joy, euphoria, bliss, also to suggest silence, minimalism, relaxation, and contemplation. So, all of that music was spontaneous but with those influences shaping and guiding it along the way."

Whilst Moon Piano almost shades into melancholy with a contrasting nighttime vibe to Sun Piano's daytime joyfulness, certain themes from the first record reoccur - side two's "Pentatonic Smile" is a longer edit on the central riff underpinning the former album's "Temple Of New Light".

Sun Piano has been widely praised as a new phase in the new age icon's career in a wide range of influential outlets including NPR's All Songs Considered, Pitchfork, The Guardian Washington Post etc. Moon Piano is the second release in a trilogy which will culminate in an extended EP of piano/autoharp duets.

This Fall Laraaji will perform three unique livestream concerts presented by NYC's Le Poisson Rouge and NoonChorus. Attempting to mine the same improvisational spirit so present in his newest piano-based releases, each show will feature Laraaji exploring those recent themes again, riffing in real time and reaching new depths, all captured in the highest quality audio and video on LPR's beautiful corner stage.

Laraaji is a musician, mystic and laughter meditation practitioner based in New York City. Steeped in music from an early age, he grew up playing gospel and church music in 1950s New Jersey, and listening to R&B and jazz on the radio. To begin with he would imitate his favourite piano players, such as Fats Domino, Errol Garner, Ahmad Jamal and Oscar Peterson, before moving onto writing his own choral and doo-wop pieces whilst still in high school. From 1962 to 1964, he attended the groundbreaking Howard University in Washington DC where he studied music theory and composition with a piano major, and he met Curtis Mayfield, Donny Hathaway and Bobby Timmons. At college he took a left turn into comedy, which led him to the nightclub stand-up circuit in New York City. During this period he compered at the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem, warming up for artists such as Barry White and Roberta Flack, appeared in a theatre production alongside a young Morgan Freeman, and had a bit part in cult film Putney Swope wih Antonio Fargas.

By the early-70s he was working at the Aquarius Coffee Shop in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and playing Fender Rhodes electric piano in a fusion band, The Winds Of Change. In the mid-70s a spiritual awakening led him to trade his guitar in for an autoharp, and he began to play more freeform, cosmically inclined improvisations on the streets of New York City. Brian Eno saw him playing one night in Washington Square Park and invited him to record an album for his seminal Ambient series (Ambient 3: Day Of Radiance, released 1980).

In the 80s Laraaji self-released a prolific series of experimental home-recorded cassette albums which were sold on the street, in psychic bookstores and new age 'head shops'. An early proponent of the DIY tape underground that is still thriving today amongst artists working in noise, synth, drone and other left-of-the-dial genres, this period of Laraaji's music has been extensively reissued in the past few years by labels such as Leaving Records, Light In The Attic and Numero Group, and is a treasure trove of tape manipulated harp jams and space age soul hymns.

In the late-80s he made the much-loved Flow Goes The Universe album for All Saints Records (produced by Michael Brook) and contributed sound system style chants to an album by Japanese dub reggae outfit Audio Active. More recently he has appeared on recordings with Pharoah Sanders, Bill Laswell and Jonathan Wilson, and released collaborative albums with a younger generation of artists including Blues Control, Sun Araw and Dallas Acid. Appreciation of his music has reached new heights in the past few years resulting in international touring and the patronage of visual artists such as Grace Wales Bonner. His most recent albums for All Saints were the related duo of Bring On The Sun and Sun Gong, produced by Carlos Niño. This also led to the remix set Sun Transformations, featuring re-interpretations of his work by contemporary beatmakers such as the late Ras G, DNTEL, Flako, Photay, and his lifelong friend, disco legend Larry Mizell.

The new piano trilogy, which started with the release of Sun Piano back in July, opens up a new chapter in Laraaji's musical history; both completing a circle that began in his childhood, and revealing a whole new side to his sound to longtime listeners, showing off a different side of his instrumental accomplishments, and an innate ability toward spontaneous composition that has been honed over many years.

Nate Wooley releases new edition of internationally acclaimed series Seven Storey Mountain VI

Genre-defiant trumpet player and composer Nate Wooley brings together artists from seemingly disparate musical communities with the release of Seven Storey Mountain VI on Pyroclastic Records, the sixth iteration of his ecstatic song-cycle.

In the spirit of creation through energetic confrontation, Wooley engages 14 artists who identify with varied and mingling musical lineages, using their musical histories and strengths as the building blocks of the composition. Seven Storey Mountain features contributions from core collaborators: drummers Chris Corsano, Ryan Sawyer and Ben Hall, and violinists C. Spencer Yeh and Samara Lubelski — all of whom Wooley considers the series’ “nuclear family.”

“The SSM family has grown over time, but these artists have played on almost every single one,” says Wooley. The album’s extended family comprises lauded pedal steel guitarist Susan Alcorn; Rhodes players Emily Manzo and Isabelle O’Connor; and electric guitarists Ava Mendoza and Julien Desprez, the latter of whose playing Wooley describes as “kind of like someone threw a machine gun into a blender.”

This movement of the Seven Storey Mountain song cycle, which began in 2007, is the first completely new version since Seven Storey Mountain V which Wooley recorded in the fall of 2015. In the interim, his ensemble has grown and his composition has developed through multiple performances across Europe, Canada and the United States.

This release also reflects the first version of Seven Storey Mountain that utilizes song material outside of Wooley’s original composition, using the first eight lines of Peggy Seeger’s 1979 song “Reclaim the Night” as a compositional and emotional touchstone throughout the piece. As the album releases from the peak of its ecstatic energy, channeling its momentum into a new resonance, listeners encounter an all-female choir performing an arrangement of Seeger’s anthem by Wooley and singer-composer Megan Schubert, who led the choir and lent her singing and speaking voice to both performance and recording.

Seven Storey Mountain VI premiered live in November, 2019 at Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church in Manhattan to an audience whose members encountered music that rose from almost silent humming to the raw power of the 21-person choir that concludes the piece. The group recorded the next afternoon under the guidance of studio and production master Ron Saint Germain (Bad Brains, Sonic Youth, Ornette Coleman), who captured, preserved and elevated that thrilling energy on the record. “This is the most beautifully reproduced version I’ve ever had of not only the monolithic sound of the ensemble but the ecstatic spirit of the music,” said Wooley.

In a measured act of resistance toward playlist culture that often exalts the digestible single, and in an effort to translate the live experience to tape, Wooley chose to present the entire album as an extended 45-minute track.

“In performance, the idea behind that has a lot to do with duration,” he says. “You should sit and listen to it, especially in the space where it’s incredibly loud and the sound bounces around. It’s meant to give an ecstatic feeling. And I wanted it to feel full on the record, to flow from one bit to the next.”

As with all Seven Storey Mountain releases, the music culminates in a massive arc of energy when, according to Wooley, the artists are playing at their rawest, most vulnerable states of consciousness. “A lot of the parts can feel aggressive,” he says. “I view all of that as something that is necessary to the production of something new. That feeling of ecstasy has to come from some sort of pressure.”

Producing a new version of Seven Storey Mountain, so much depends upon new readings of existing work. Wooley integrates samples, melodic loops and essential patterns from past SSM recordings and live performances, stripping down any layers of sound or construction he deems inessential. This compositional process not only serves to connect the music from one SSM to the next but to continue the project’s familial legacy, often including manipulated mixes of past collaborators who may not appear on the current version’s release.

Another hallmark of the Seven Storey Mountain sound philosophy is the collaborative paradigm Wooley has termed “mutual aid music.” Rather than chart out music for the album in a singular format, he meets his collaborators where they flourish as individuals. Some of his fellow artists prefer chord charts; others prefer to learn music through listening and oral direction; while others feel most comfortable reading meticulously notated orchestral scores. All of his collaborators thrive somewhere on the spectrum between notation and improvisation.

“Integrating the mutual aid music paradigm is a big deal for me because it goes beyond the piece of music itself,” says Wooley. “It’s a way for communities to come together without everyone having to learn a separate language.” In many ways, communion is key to Seven Storey Mountain VI, from the inclusive composition process to the gathering of “family” musicians; from sharing of the ecstatic experiences to engaging a broader community via Wooley’s album’s royalties donation to the National Council Against Domestic Violence. Through its spirited confrontation comes energetic creation.

At 13, trumpet player and composer Nate Wooley began playing professionally with his father, a big band saxophonist in Clatskanie, Oregon. In 2019, he debuted as a soloist with the New York Philharmonic. Considered one of the leading lights of the American movement to redefine the physical boundaries of the horn, Wooley has gathered international acclaim for his idiosyncratic trumpet language. Since moving to New York in 2001, he has become one of the most in-demand trumpet players in Brooklyn’s intersecting jazz, improvised, noise and new music scenes. He’s performed regularly with John Zorn, Anthony Braxton, Eliane Radigue, Annea Lockwood, Ken Vandermark and Yoshi Wada, and premiered works for trumpet by Christian Wolff, Michael Pisaro, Annea Lockwood, Ashley Fure, Wadada Leo Smith, Sarah Hennies and Eva-Maria Houben. In 2016, he received the Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists Award. Nate currently works as editor-in-chief of their online quarterly journal Sound American.

Pianist-composer Kris Davis founded Pyroclastic Records in 2016 to serve the release of her acclaimed recordings Duopoly and Octopus with the goal of growing the label into a thriving platform that would serve like-minded, cutting-edge artists. In 2019, Davis launched a nonprofit to support those artists whose expression flourishes beyond the commercial sphere. By supporting their creative efforts and ensuring distribution of their work, Pyroclastic empowers emerging and established artists — including Cory Smythe, Ben Goldberg, Chris Lightcap, Angelica Sanchez and Marilyn Crispell, Nate Wooley, Eric Revis and Craig Taborn — to continue challenging conventional genre-labeling within their fields. Pyroclastic also seeks to galvanize and grow a creative community, offering young artists new opportunities, supporting diversity and expanding the audience for noncommercial art.

Diana Krall | "This Dream Of You"

This Dream Of You, produced in May 2020 by Ms. Krall, was mixed by Al Schmitt, who worked closely with the artist to achieve notable intimacy and immediacy with her voice in the final balance. 

The performances come from sessions in 2016 and 2017, on which Krall worked with her friend and longtime creative partner, Tommy LiPuma.  Mr. LiPuma passed away in 2017 at the age of 80.  

The album features Krall in a quartet with long-time colleagues, John Clayton, Jeff Hamilton and Anthony Wilson on “Almost Like Being In Love” and “That’s All”, as well as a trio with Christian McBride and Russell Malone who play on “Autumn in New York” and “There’s No You.”

The duos include a wonderful first-take performance of “I Wished On The Moon” from Krall and bassist, John Clayton and two vocal cuts – “More Than You Know” and “Don’t Smoke In Bed” with accompaniment by pianist, Alan Broadbent, who also provided the string orchestration for “But Beautiful” and string arrangement on “Autumn In New York.”

The final session for this album took place at Capitol Studios with an ensemble featuring guitarist, Marc Ribot, the fiddle of Stuart Duncan and a rhythm section of Tony Garnier on bass and Karriem Riggins on drums. This line-up played “Just You, Just Me,” Irving Berlin’s “How Deep Is The Ocean” and the Bob Dylan song, “This Dream Of You,” on which Randall Krall plays accordion.

This Dream Of You is music for right now but it is also a “long playing record,” one that feels like a movie that you might share with someone because you know they’ll stay with it until the final reel. As Diana says, “If ‘But Beautiful’ is the overture, then ‘Singing In The Rain’ is the end title.”

Diana Krall is the only vocalist, in the jazz category, to have nine albums debut at the top of the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. To date, her albums have garnered five Grammy® Awards, ten Juno® Awards and have also earned nine gold, three platinum and seven multi-platinum albums.  

Krall grew up in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. Her grandfather was a coal miner and he along with her grandmother worked in a small diner in their later years. Her mother taught library and music and her father was a chartered accountant who collected 78 rpm records and also played the piano. Her Uncle, Randall Krall is also a musician. She was surrounded by a deep love and respect for music and art. Diana grew up listening to music played on 78 records. “West End Blues”, a song composed by Louis Armstrong was a song she listened to over and over. She learned to play 78 records on a windup gramophone and discovered many artists through playing those recordings at a very young age. Diana’s first job was playing piano in a local bar in her hometown when she was 15 years old. She learned from so many great musicians who generously gave their time experience and kindness. Many musicians she had the opportunity to learn from and play with were the very artists who created the art form she honors in her playing.

Diana has worked as a piano player, who also sings, all over the world. She is blessed to have a loving husband and two beautiful children. They live in New York City and Vancouver, Canada.

Angela Predhomme | "So Good To Be Free"

There’s something powerful and inspiring about an independent artist who pursues her passion and finds widespread success on her own terms, rather than following the generally accepted mainstream paths of others. Embracing her innermost creative truth, Angela Predhomme’s career got off to a fast start in 2007 when she sold the second song she had ever written to a major TV and production company. 

Since including the prophetically titled “Just Like Magic” on her self-titled 2008 debut album, the multi-talented singer songwriter has been unstoppable, releasing four more full-length albums and placing as a finalist in major songwriting competitions. Over the years, her songs have been streamed nearly five million times around the globe via commercial business licensing. Beyond building her fan base via Spotify and YouTube, her voice has become familiar via placements in-store, in office, retail and corporate settings and through licensing to popular TV films and series. Impressively, she achieved all this not by following her dreams to industry hotspots like L.A., New York or Nashville, but simply by creating and sharing her musical heart, writing and recording from her longtime home of Michigan.  

Having made the decision to take the plunge when she realized “there is always a place for strong, heartfelt music,” her warm, inviting vocals have earned strong comparisons to those of Norah Jones. Yet she fashions herself more like a blues and soul inflected, Beatles-esque pop singer songwriter whose influences range from The Rolling Stones and Ray Charles to Sheryl Crow, Jewel and Sarah McLachlan. 

Signing recently with Symphonic Distribution, a top digital distribution and music publishing company, Angela is gearing up to roll out two dynamic new singles that showcase different sides of her ever-evolving artistry. On “So Good to Be Free,” the singer blends wit, wisdom and thoughtful and blissful self-confidence with an infectious beat that pays homage to Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bo Diddley, a favorite of her dad’s. A defiant anthem expressing the true freedom that comes from non-conformity and loving who you are, the song is about having the courage to be yourself. 

A definite advantage of achieving success after raising a family and serving as an instructor of English as a Second Language at two major universities (Michigan State and the University of Michigan) is the ability to like what you see in the mirror and write inspiring lyrics like: “Your rules don’t apply to me/So I blow away all the pressure to measure up to/What don’t mean a thing. . .I don’t need the look or the trend. . .’Cause I’m free to be whatever I choose to be.”

“I’ve just gotten to the point in my life where I don’t feel the need to worry about anything like that anymore, about fitting into people’s expectations of what I’m supposed to be,” Angela says. “I’m comfortable with the fact that my personal values are different from those of a Hollywood-imposed standard where a woman’s appearance, age and fashion sense is of primary importance to our culture. Of course, I worried about those things when I was in my 20s, but even when I was emerging later as a singer and songwriter, I never chased the trends. ‘So Good to Be Free’ is my declaration of independence from such limited thinking.”

Following up her 2019 album Love, which featured songs that explored that concept with a universal, “hippie” like sensibility, Angela’s other new track “Changeless Sky” is an unabashedly romantic song that finds her returning to her stripped-down piano and vocal performance roots. Its simple arrangement allows the sweet emotional subtleties of her voice to take center stage. While she offers her cheeky side with playful lines like “You got me for good/Outlasting your black tattoo,” her overall sentiment in the chorus is pure timelessness: “I am your changeless sky/No matter the sun and shade passing by/The world might be twisting, thrashing right outside/But I am your changeless sky.”

Angela’s lifelong passion for music was cultivated early in her life. Her world changed at age 10, when her grandmother moved from a house to a condo and gave her family a piano – which quickly became her first instrument. She later studied classical voice and the acoustic guitar. Influenced early on by the music her family listened to and what she heard on radio stations in nearby Detroit, Angela absorbed everything from 50’s R&B and Motown greats like Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye to Ray Charles and Sam Cooke. 

With a discography that includes her albums Don’t Wonder(2011), Let It Fall (2013), Will (2015) and ten indie singles, Angela’s catchy, heartwarming songs have been heard by millions through television, film and in major retail chains. Her major credits include the popular 2018 Hallmark movie “Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane,” Lifetime’s hit show “Dance Moms,” Freeform’s “Switched at Birth,” TLC’s “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo,” commercials for ING Bank and Fiat, and closing credit placement in the film “A Wedding Most Strange.” 

Featured on the radio industry hub AllAccess and interviewed as a “rising star” in Thrive Global and Medium’s Authority Magazine, Angela was also a finalist in Adweek’s advertising music contest and was a Song of the Year contest finalist for “Extra Day,” “My New Favorite Song” and “This Might Be Good.” “This Might Be Good” and “Too Much Time” won honorable mention in the World’s Best Songs competition and Gary Allen’s Song Contest, respectively. Angela’s tunes have also been heard on AAA, public and college radio.  

“I’ve built my career on making music for people to enjoy and connect with, and I always strive to move them, touch their lives, bring them up and contribute something positive in some way,” she says. “I made a conscious decision early on to be a socially responsible artist, and I want my songs to offer a sense of hope while encouraging listeners to believe in themselves and what they can accomplish if they embrace and go after their dreams.”  

Nina Simone's classic 1965 albums I Put a Spell on You and Pastel Blues released as definitive audiophile grade versions

Nina Simone's classic 1965 albums I Put a Spell on You and Pastel Blues will be released as definitive audiophile grade versions as the third installment of Verve/UMe’s recently launched audiophile vinyl reissues series Acoustic Sounds. Utilizing the skills of the top mastering engineers and the unsurpassed production craft of Quality Record Pressings, the LPs, which will be available November 6, were mastered in stereo from the original analog tapes, pressed on 180-gram vinyl and packaged by Stoughton Printing Co. in high-quality tip-on gatefold jackets. Like all Acoustic Sounds titles, the releases are being supervised by Chad Kassem, CEO of Acoustic Sounds, the world’s largest source for audiophile recordings. 

I Put a Spell on You and Pastel Blues are two of the seven incredible albums that Simone recorded for Philips Records during an extremely prolific four-year period from 1963-1967. Lauded during their initial releases, both albums have only grown in stature and popularity over the years as Simone’s timeless recordings, many covering such important territory as race and equality, remain as vital and relevant as ever 55 years later. A distinctive contralto vocalist and Julliard-schooled pianist who expressively melded jazz, blues, pop and classical in her repertoire, Simone was unlike most other top-line vocalists of her time as the ardent political activist often used her voice to protest racial inequality and became a siren of the civil rights movement. In 2018 Simone was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, who proclaimed: “Her triumphant voice sang what it meant to be young, gifted and black in a sometimes unjust and troubled world.”

Dubbed the High Priestess of Soul, Simone radiantly covers a wide range of emotional territory on I Put a Spell on You, including angst in relationships, true love blooming in the trees, the bluesy acceptance of life, and moody anger. Producer, arranger and conductor Hal Mooney contributes the compelling orchestral support along with Simone’s guitarist Rudy Stevenson in creating the perfect backdrop for Simone to express, sometimes viscerally, sometimes joyfully.

The album opens with her hit title track written by Screaming’ Jay Hawkins whose 1956 recording was selected years later by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a seminal genre shaper. Simone, who named her 1992 autobiography after the song title, sings with a devilish enchantment in a ballad-like setting as the ominous strings swell. She also covers Jacques Brel’s “Ne me quitte pas” in a moving rendition of a tragic lost love, ranges upbeat with the witty “Marriage Is for Old Folks,” leads the band in the instrumental “Blues on Purpose” with tasty licks by the pianist and Stevenson, and wonderfully zips into the popish swing on “Gimme Some,” which is Simone’s lusty embrace of love. In the original liner notes, she says, “We need somebody not to make fun of sex but to praise it.” In 2017 NPR ranked I Put a Spell on You #3 on its list of “150 Greatest Albums by Women,” 

While I Put a Spell on You is buoyed with strings, Pastel Blues, released four months later, finds Simone leading a subdued quintet through a nine-song set of wit, protest, catharses, yearning and even a touch of fun. She’s expressing the blues—not the blues of old but a more modern moan that shows the depth of her emotion. Simone puts a piano dance into the bones of the blues standard “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out,” wraps her mourn around “End of the Line” as she feels like a “discarded Valentine,” and then goes upbeat and hopeful in an R&B vein with her take on the vaudeville-era tune, “Trouble in Mind,” an often-covered tune that the Blues Foundation in 2020 inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame as a “classic Blues Recording.” 

You can hear Simone own the compelling lyrics as she concludes that through all the troubles “the sun is going to shine in my back door someday.” But Pastel Blues also has the rage when Simone dives into “Strange Fruit,” with the vehement protest she had expressed a year earlier when she debuted her controversial “Mississippi Goddam.” Simone ends the album with a piano punch on the 10-minute-plus prayer “Sinnerman,” an African American traditional spiritual played with gospel grooves, ecstatic vocals and a poignant message of redemption. In the ‘60s when she was playing in Greenwich Village, she used this tune as her set finale. Many of the tracks from the album have influenced the music of hip-hop throughout the years and continue to be frequently sampled by the likes of Talib Kweli, Timbaland, Flying Lotus, Brother Ali and others. Pitchfork ranked Pastel Blues #21 of the “200 Best Albums of the 1960s” in 2017.

Now with these Acoustic Sounds Series releases pressed at Quality Record Pressings, two of Simone's most revered albums are on audiophile grade vinyl and sounding better than ever.

Jazz Legend Grover Washington, Jr. Commemorative Vinyl Released

Lightyear Entertainment has released a commemorative double vinyl of beloved artist Grover Washington, Jr. on Black Friday for Record Store Day. This release marks 20 years since the passing of the immensely popular artist who was largely responsible for creating a bridge between jazz and R&B.  

Grover was well loved by his fans but also by the many musicians who worked with him over the years. He was a contemporary jazz artist whose music topped the “Smooth Jazz” charts, but his sound was funky, and his music was respected in all jazz and R&B circles.  His live performances and worldwide success prove that he was a timeless gem of an artist who entertained his audiences with a powerhouse band of some of the best players in the business. 

This superb live recording – cut in June 1997 at the Paramount Center for the Arts in Peekskill, upstate New York – captures the essence of Grover’s greatness. With a coterie of ‘A’ class musicians in support, the legendary sax man’s work on this album demonstrates why he was not only a leader in his field but a pioneer capable of blending the subtleties of jazz with the funk and sweat of soul music. 

In addition to Grover himself on tenor, soprano, alto, and baritone sax, the album features Donald Robinson on keyboards, Gerald Veasley on bass, Richard Lee Steacker on guitars, Steven Wolf on drums, and Pablo Batista on congas and percussion. It was produced by Grammy winner Jason Miles, and Executive Produced by Christine Washington, Jason Miles and Tim Ryan.

“We released a CD of these recordings in 2010, which has sold well for 10 years,” said Lightyear President Arnie Holland. “But when Grover’s family suggested we do a vinyl, we were thrilled to do it. The album was lovingly remastered for vinyl by Peter Humphreys at Masterwork, and lacquers cut by Joe Nino-Hernes at Sterling Sound.  The result sounds amazing and feels like you are at the show.”

The Double Vinyl with download card is in a gatefold jacket with satin coating and metallic gold highlights. The vinyl itself is 180 Grams audiophile quality and gold metallic opaque colored vinyl was utilized, to match the gold on the cover of the album.

The album was released on November 27 to Record Store Day retailers on an exclusive basis for 90 days, after which it will be available generally.

Brazilian-born guitarist Ricardo Grilli shifts perspective on personal, musical and global history on 1962

“Once upon a time” has to start somewhere. On his last album, 1954, guitarist/composer Ricardo Grilli chose to begin his own story in the year of his father’s birth – a date that also coincided with the dawn of the Space Age and the height of bebop in New York City. With his inviting yet evocative follow-up, 1962, Grilli shifts perspective by leaping forward to a new starting point: this time, his mother’s birth year.

Less than a decade separates the inspirations behind the two halves of Grill’s musical diptych. Yet the eras are markedly distinct: with 1962 the guitarist cast his mind back to a time when bebop had fused with R&B to create the more raucous sounds of hard bop; rock and roll was evolving from its freewheeling origins to take on the rich complexities that would lead to the British Invasion and psychedelia; and his native Brazil was undergoing a tumultuous time period that would soon culminate in the 1964 coup d’état ushering in two decades of military rule.

All of that was on Grilli’s mind, but as on 1954 he avoided explicitly referencing the sounds and styles of the past when composing the music for its sequel. Instead, he focused on the idea of evolution and change that characterized the 1960s and imbued his own music with those themes. Then he enlisted a remarkable quintet with the ability to fluidly explore the guitarist’s modern concepts while harkening to the lessons of the past. Bassist Joe Martin and drummer Eric Harland rturn from 1954, joined here by saxophone great Mark Turner and pianist Kevin Hays.

Reflecting on the past, Grilli explains, doesn’t necessarily mean looking backwards. In his view, framing his own origins through the lifespan of his parents has allowed him to take a wide perspective of the present day while recognizing the recurrent echoes of history. “With both albums, I wanted to create connections between the past and how the future looks from there. It’s always interesting to think about what was going on back then, the context that my parents grew up in and how their taste in music passed on to me. This music takes those aesthetics and tries to modernize them through my own voice.”

Though 1962 is far from a protest record, it does take a slightly darker view from both ends of its timeline. Grilli’s own birth in 1985 coincided with the end of Brazil’s military dictatorship and the country’s first direct elections. In 2020 things seem to have come full circle with the far right’s rise to power in Brazil along with uncomfortably authoritarian tendencies in Grilli’s adopted home in the U.S. “It’s amazing to see how short people’s memories,” he laments. “It’s a pretty tricky political scenario in Brazil; we went through a few calm years and now it seems like we’re in another edgy period. It makes for more hectic, turbulent times for everybody, and I think that influenced my music.”

Whether it’s those political parallels or simply his concern for his family back home, Grilli found the influence of Brazilian music emerging much more strongly in his music for 1962 than it has in the past, though again the influences are subtle and filtered through his own singular vision. “Coyote,” for instance, is at its core a slow samba, while “Lunàtico” is built on the foundation of a maracatu groove, albeit slightly bent, as the title suggests. The name is also a reference to Brooklyn’s Bar Lunatico, a beloved venue close to the guitarist’s home.

The atmospheric intro “1954-1962” bridges the two albums, with Grilli playing alone through effects-laden guitar tones to suggest a journey through time. The band then enters on “Mars,” which continues the composer’s fascination with astronomy through a soaring piece inspired by the Red Planet. That theme also appears on “Voyager,” another title with a double meaning – in addition to suggesting the exploratory spacecraft launched in the late 70s, Voyager is also the name of Harland’s adventurous band. “Eric’s approach is to have very minimal written material and then just let the music happen. I decided to try that with this tune as my nod to Eric. It’s a fun one to play, and I feel it really takes advantage of his energy.”

In his liner notes, recently retired Smalls Jazz Club founder Mitch Borden writes, “Every decade creates its own Bird, Bud or Monk. But it becomes the goal to be not of an age but for all time.” That idea resonates with Grilli’s thoroughly modern reimagining of the jazz idioms of the past, and for his own generation Smalls was a beacon. “183 W. 10th St.” remains the club’s address, and the piece is Grilli’s take on the forward-looking bop vibe that found a home there for musicians like Mark Turner. It was also a home base for guitarist Peter Bernstein, to whom Grilli pays homage on “Signs.”

“E.R.P.” looks farther back into that lineage, its title both a dedication to bop pioneer Bud Powell (whose birth name was Earl Rudolph Powell) and a callback to “E.S.P.,” the classic Wayne Shorter piece originally recorded by Miles Davis’ second quintet (whose existence roughly coincides with this album’s timeframe, as the first quintet did with 1954). “The Sea and the Night” finds inspiration in the isolation and darkness found adrift in the limitless ocean, while “Virgo (Oliver’s Song)” was written for the birth of Grilli’s cousin’s first son.

Beyond the two timelines suggested by the album titles, Grilli sees this pair of recordings as the two halves of an interstellar journey – if 1954 launched listeners into the stratosphere, 1962 brings them home, wiser but still marveling at the vast expanse of the universe. “This album to me feels to me like we’ve gone way out there, but we’re able to make the trip back. I like to divide the journey into those two periods, with both being equally here and out there but in an inverse basis. I think it provides a nice closure for this project, at least for now.”

Born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and based in New York City, guitarist and composer Ricardo Grilli is one of the most prominent voices of the modern guitar. He has performed with such renowned musicians as Chris Potter, Chris Cheek, Will Vinson, John Escreet and EJ Strickland, among others. In 2013, he released his debut album, If On A Winter's Night, a Traveler, followed in 2016 by 1954, which featured Aaron Parks, Joe Martin and Eric Harland. Grilli holds a bachelor's degree in guitar with honors from Berklee College of Music and a master's degree in Jazz Studies from New York University.

Pianist Cory Smythe Releases "Accelerate Every Voice"

Pianist and composer Cory Smythe evokes cyborg choirs and coastal floods on Accelerate Every Voice, his second release for Pyroclastic Records and the follow-up to 2018 album Circulate Susanna. Bringing together five vocalists from the a cappella, new and improvised music scenes, AEV cradles Smythe’s piano in an uncanny valley of voices before submerging it in an undersea expanse.  

“It began with my appreciation for Andrew Hill’s Lift Every Voice,” says Smythe. “It was kind of a fanciful idea about whether I could pay homage to his record while taking part of its logic to the nth degree, replacing the whole band with vocalists — vocal percussion, vocal bass, etcetera.”  

Smythe began discussing the project almost immediately with vocal-percussionist and director Kari Francis, whose acclaimed work on the a cappella scene includes a stint on NBC’s “The Sing Off,” and whose knowledge extends backward from present-day collegiate a cappella into its early history with the Yale Whiffenpoofs.  

“I had been into the idea of collegiate a cappella embodying a kind of optimism,” says Smythe, “and maybe a complicated kind of optimism, a poisoned-by-whiteness American kind of optimism.” Francis pointed him to what many consider “the founding document of the whole scene, ‘The Whiffenpoof Song,’” says Smythe, “which is itself based on a poem by Rudyard Kipling — of ‘white man’s burden’ fame — called ‘Gentlemen Rankers.’ The speaker of this poem is born into wealth and privilege, and now he’s bemoaning his loss of status — or perhaps sardonically celebrating his descent from a place of safety to one of imminent danger.”   

Dotted with elements of Hill’s music, the recording also offers traces of “The Whiffenpoof Song.” On title track “Accelerate Every Voice,” dissonant fragments coalesce into the borrowed Whiffenpoof refrain, “Pass and be forgotten with the rest,” before the featured improvisers Michael Mayo and Kyoko Kitamura deliver searing solos.  

Smythe rounds out the soloing, performing on a hardware setup conceived during a project with colleague Craig Taborn that features a small keyboard set atop his piano to play a piano sample tuned a quarter tone sharp. “This allows me to play the pitches in between the pitches,” says Smythe, who treats the setup both as a compositional tool and as an extension of his instrument, allowing him to improvise within the album’s glossy, spectral harmonies.  

Microtonal harmonies figure prominently in the vocal writing as well. One such sonority opens “Northern Cities Vowel Shift,” whose precisely tuned intervals and evolving layers of vowel sounds create the impression of a moving, molten mass above Francis’ beats and Steven Hrycelak’s bass line. On “Kinetic Whirlwind Sculpture I,” a stretto vocal progression of improvised vowel sounds melds with the piano Smythe has transformed via talk box to emulate the singers’ vocal formants. Momentum gathers moving into “Vehemently,” where lead singer Raquel Acevedo Klein floats above a texture of Kipling quotations, a cappella vocables and a refrain borrowed from the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement.   

Hill’s seminal recording offered Smythe more than sonic inspiration. Named for James Weldon Johnson’s “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” the poem-turned-song that became the Black national anthem, Hill’s Lift Every Voice reflects an of-its-time social and political resonance — “a music,” says Smythe, “of transcendent optimism in the face of overwhelming harm.”  

Another caustic harm upends the record on closer “Piano and Ocean Waves for Deep Relaxation” — part ironic venture into new age and part imaginary realization of Annea Lockwood’s “Southern Exposure,” which calls for a piano to disappear into advancing tides. As the world watches in horror the accelerating rise of global sea levels (whose anthropogenic source artist Julian Charrière depicts in images that adorn the record’s cover and interior), Smythe notes: “It seems like Annea’s could be the piano music of the very near future.” 

Pianist Cory Smythe has worked closely with pioneering artists in new, improvisatory and classical music, including saxophonist-composer Ingrid Laubrock, violinist Hilary Hahn and multidisciplinary composers from Anthony Braxton to Zosha Di Castri. His own music “dissolves the lines between composition and improvisation with rigor” (Chicago Reader), and his first record, Pluripotent, garnered praise from Jason Moran: “Hands down one of the best solo recordings I’ve ever heard.” Smythe has been featured at the Newport Jazz, Wien Modern, Trondheim Chamber Music, Nordic Music Days, Approximation, Concorso Busoni and Darmstadt festivals, as well as at Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart festival, where he recently received an invitation to premiere new work created in collaboration with Peter Evans and Craig Taborn. He has received commissions from Milwaukee’s Present Music, the Banff Centre for the Arts, the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, the International Contemporary Ensemble — of which he is a longtime member — and The Shifting Foundation, which supported both Accelerate Every Voice as well as his 2018 release Circulate Susanna. Smythe received a Grammy award for his work with Hahn and plays regularly in the critically acclaimed Tyshawn Sorey Trio. 

Pianist-composer Kris Davis founded Pyroclastic Records in 2016 to serve the release of her acclaimed recordings Duopoly and Octopus with the goal of growing the label into a thriving platform that would serve like-minded, cutting-edge artists. In 2019, Davis launched a nonprofit to support those artists whose expression flourishes beyond the commercial sphere. By supporting their creative efforts and ensuring distribution of their work, Pyroclastic empowers emerging and established artists — including Cory Smythe, Ben Goldberg, Chris Lightcap, Angelica Sanchez and Marilyn Crispell, Sara Schoenbeck, Eric Revis and Craig Taborn — to continue challenging conventional genre-labeling within their fields. Pyroclastic also seeks to galvanize and grow a creative community, offering young artists new opportunities, supporting diversity and expanding the audience for noncommercial art. 

Modern Romance: Their Greatest Tracks

Modern Romance are a popular Latin American-influenced band (Salsa Pop), active since 1981 in the UK. Original band members who enjoyed success with the band from the first hit, ‘Everybody Salsa’, included DAvid Jaymes (Bass), Robbie Jaymes (brother of David and Keyboard player), John Du Prez (trumpets and horns), Andy Kyriacou (drums) and later, Michael J. Mullins (lead vocalist 1982-85).

Between 1981 and 1983 the group had a string of UK hits including 'Everybody Salsa' (No. 12), 'Ay Ay Ay Ay Moosey' (No. 10), 'Queen of the Rapping Scene / Nothing Ever Goes the Way You Plan' (No. 37), 'Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White' (No. 15), 'Best Years of Our Lives' (No. 4), 'High Life' (No. 8), 'Don't Stop That Crazy Rhythm' (No. 14), and 'Walking in the Rain' (No. 7 - went on to become one of the highest selling singles of the year). Two albums also entered the top 50 in 1983. Modern Romance made a total of 13 appearances on Top Of The Pops.

They band were huge in Europe and Japan, also achieving a No. 1 hit in the Far East with their single 'Walking in the Rain'. The album 'Adventures in Clubland' (1981) hit No. 1 in Venezuela, earning them a Gold Disc.

Andy Kyriacou took over lead vocals in 1999 and has been at the helm ever since.  The band’s resurgence was buoyed by the ‘Best Years of Our Lives’ track being featured in the very first Shrek movie. The band continue to perform at festivals and Retro events all over Europe.

This album features many of their hits including ‘Best Years of Our Lives’, ‘Ay Ay Ay Ay Moosey’, ‘Everybody Salsa’ & ‘Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White’, as well as new songs, ‘Rhythm Is My Lover’, ‘Come To Me’ & ‘Mi Chica Latina.’

Andy is currently working on a book, transcribing the diaries he kept in the 80’s which will be published through Agent Fox Media in 2021, (approximately August/September), to coincide with the 40-year anniversary of the first Modern Romance single, ‘Everybody Salsa’. The book will feature some great references to other 80’s acts, funny little stories will be retold, and there will also be the obligatory “interesting reading” one should expect from a book written by a member of a high profile 80’s pop band, drawing from a very honest diary. Say no more!!

Before that, an album “Their Greatest Tracks” will be released through Nub Music which will also feature 6 new songs.

Elton John Unveils Previously Unheard Jazz Version of 'Come Down In Time'

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of his seminal album 'Tumbleweed Connection', Elton John has today unveiled a previously unheard jazz version of 'Come Down In Time'. Listen here. Limited to just 5,000 copies of 10" vinyl available today from here, 'Come Down In Time (Jazz Version)' hadn't been heard for close to 5 decades until this year, it was uncovered deep in the archives whilst researching rarities for Elton's forthcoming boxset 'Elton: Jewel Box' (released 13th November on UMe).

'Come Down In Time (Jazz Version)' and 'Ballad Of A Well-Known Gun (DJM Studio)' Released Today as Strictly Limited Edition 10" Single - Listen Here https://eltonjohn.lnk.to/CDITJVDigPR

Recorded on 20th March 1970 at London's Trident Studios, 'Come Down In Time (Jazz Version)' more than doubles the length of the final version (re-recorded 3 months later with different musicians) that appears on 'Tumbleweed Connection'. Without the orchestral arrangements by Paul Buckmaster which coloured the album version, the track ends in the same way as the original with Bernie's line "while some leave you counting stars in the night" before starting up again as a jazz-influenced instrumental. The track features some astonishing piano and guitar interplay between Elton and Caleb Quaye, supported by the Hookfoot rhythm section of David Glover on bass and Roger Pope on drums. 'Very nice!' producer Gus Dudgeon exclaims as the track breaks down, before resuming with yet more freestyle playing.

'Come Down In Time' was originally taken from Elton's seminal 1970 album 'Tumbleweed Connection' which celebrates the 50th anniversary of its original release today (Friday 30th October 2020). 'Tumbleweed Connection' is a much-loved album within Elton John's back catalogue. Steeped in what was to become known as 'Americana', it was written and recorded entirely in London from 20th March to 6th June 1970, fitted in amongst Elton's various promotional dates in UK and Europe for his previous, eponymous, album. Although released afterwards, it was made before 'Your Song' had become a hit and Elton's triumphant debut performances at the Troubadour in Los Angeles in late August - the first time Elton and Bernie stepped foot on the soil they had written about so eloquently about on the LP. Its iconic sepia sleeve evokes a long-forgotten West, and the album itself contains some of Elton and Bernie Taupin's greatest early songs: 'Ballad Of A Well-Known Gun', 'Burn Down The Mission' and 'Amoreena'.

'Come Down In Time (Jazz Version)' is now available to buy here on 10" vinyl only. This release is restricted to 5,000 copies only

10" Vinyl Format details: 

Side A – Come Down In Time (Jazz Version)

Side B – Ballad Of A Well-Known Gun (DJM Demo)

Stefano Bollani | “Jesus Christ Superstar”

Stefano Bollani started playing the piano at the age of six. An enfant prodige (later graduating from the Music Conservatory of Florence), he devoured music whenever he could, constantly searching for stimulations, everywhere, in all the music of the past, and even more so by exploring the present. He was fourteen years old when he first saw the film “Jesus Chris Superstar.” Young Bollani instantly fell in love with the music, the story and the atmosphere of the scenes and soon learned every lyric. Now – after over 30 years of multi-faceted music-making, numerous recordings, significant encounters and concerts all over the world – Bollani has recorded his own version of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s masterpiece critically acclaimed, GRAMMY® Award-winning production. Exactly 50 years after release of the original concept album “Jesus Christ Superstar” Stefano Bollani presents “Piano Variations on Jesus Christ Superstar” available via Alobar (Alobar, AL1007).

In an effort to distinguish his version from the original, Bollani decided to present the music as a solo piano format. “I have chosen the piano solo formula because the love affair here is actually between the rock opera and myself,” Bollani explains, “And I know a love affair is better when it stays intimate.” Most grateful for the exceptional permission granted to him to re-interpret the cult opera “Jesus Christ Superstar,” Bollani has freely, and respectfully, approached and improvised on the original tunes and songs by following his own playful wit and musical spirit, informed by many of the musical traditions, genres, styles and encounters that have influenced him, and shaped and consolidated what is considered his very own idiom.

To create a warm, mellow and uniquely dense yet clear piano sound, Bollani chose to tune his piano to 432 Hz. That tuning allowed Bollani to express the profundity and warmth of Lloyd Webber and Rice’s strong and round film characters. Bollani insists on respecting the narrative structure of what he considers to be “the most fascinating story ever told, about love and hate, devotion and more.” Nonetheless, when approaching the single tunes of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” Stefano Bollani follows his own musical spirit and genius by freely improvising on and fantastically elaborating the original material in the moment – with deep respect and with beautiful fantasy.

The 2-LP heavyweight 180g vinyl edition comes in an elegant high-quality Gatefold packaging with poly-lined inner sleeves, and the CD edition in a 6-side Digi Sleeve with an 8-page booklet. Both editions contain liner notes by John Higgs as well as drawings and a photo by Valentina Cenni.

New Music Releases: George Benson, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Dezron Douglas & Brandee Younger

George Benson | "Weekend In London"

George Benson is no spring chicken – but damn, he sounds plenty darn youthful here – working at the Ronnie Scotts club in London with some tight jazz funk backing! Benson sings as much as solos on guitar – and the whole thing is a great throwback to the sound of his 70s records – both in terms of the choice of tunes, and the overall spirit – that undeniable charisma that pushed George from the soul jazz underground to superstardom – a quality that's never let up over the years. Titles include "The Ghetto", "Give Me The Night", "Love X Love", "Turn Your Love Around", "In Your Eyes", "Feel Like Makin Love", "Cruise Control", "Affirmation", "Moody's Mood", and "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight".  ~Dusty Groove

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings | "Just Dropped In To See What Condition Our Rendition Is In" 

Rare work from Sharon Jones – and a record that's a bit different than some of her other work for the Daptone label! The set features the group doing cover versions of tracks by other artists – some that appeared as singles over the years, others commissioned for projects, and a few that never saw the light of day at all – brought together here to make a unique posthumous album from Sharon and the Dap-Kings! If you know the tightness of the group, and Jones' classic style of soul vocals, you'll know you're in for a treat – a bit like when Otis Redding might have taken on a familiar tune for Stax – in a lineup that includes "Inspiration Information", "Take Me With U", "What Have You Done For Me Lately", "Signed Sealed Delivered", "Just Dropped In", "Giving Up", "Rescue Me", "In The Bush", "It Hurts To Be Alone", and "Trespasser". ~ Dusty Groove

Dezron Douglas & Brandee Younger | "Force Majeure"

Dezron Douglas and Brandee Younger are two of our favorite jazz musicians to emerge in the past decade – and this set of duets may well be some of the greatest work that either artist has done on record to date! The setting is unique – material pulled from live stream broadcasts that bassist Douglas and harpist Younger did from their Harlem apartment during the lockdown in Spring of 2020 – and if that makes you think that the material's going to be low-fi or cheap, it's not – as there's a sense of majesty here that's really surprising, given that the album features just two musicians! Dezron's bass has never sounded better – and blended with the harp of Younger, the sound is amazing – as Brandee evokes both Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby on the instrument – but also brings in a spirit that's very much her own. The set features remakes of tracks from both Coltranes, and Pharoah Sanders – plus lots of other surprises and original material too – on titles that include "Gospel Trane", "Force Majeure", "This Woman's Work", "Nothing Stupid", "Sing", "The Creator Has A Master Plan", "Never Can Say Goodbye", "We'll Be Right Back", "You Make Me Feel Brand New", and "Equinox". ~ Dusty Groove.

SiriusXM Joins Forces With The Bob Marley Family To Launch "Bob Marley's Tuff Gong Radio" Channel Exclusively on SiriusXM

SiriusXM and the family of Bob Marley announced an exclusive year-round channel dedicated to the legacy of Bob Marley.

Bob Marley's Tuff Gong Radio will launch on December 3rd on SiriusXM channel 19 and will feature the cultural icon's entire music catalog, both live and recorded, including rare recordings, some of which have never been made available to the public.

The channel, to be curated by the Marley family, will include a wide range of Caribbean music from its inception to present day. Bob Marley's Tuff Gong Radio will also highlight the branches of his still-growing musical legacy including The Wailers, I-Threes, Tuff Gong International, the record label founded by Marley in the 70's, and his children and grandchildren as they continue to make their own impact on reggae and popular music.

Additionally, the new channel will present specialty programs and take-overs led by family members from three generations. Bob's daughter, award-winning entertainer, fashion designer and author Cedella Marley, will host her own monthly radio series, "Nice Time", inviting listeners into her world for an 'upful bit' of conversation, music and niceness. Friends and family members also reflect on the 40th anniversary of the release of Bob Marley's classic ballad "Redemption Song" and its continued impact on the world. Grandson, Skip Marley, a recent Grammy nominee for both his debut album and his hit collaboration "Slow Down" with H.E.R., will share some of his favorite moments behind the making of his music.

The channel will also originate shows from Tuff Gong Studios in Jamaica, including "Jam-In," a monthly live music session featuring Jamaica's hottest sound systems and selectors. The December edition is headlined by the legendary Stone Love Movement and features popular Jamaican comedy duo, Ity & Fancy Cat. 

"This year marked Bob's 75th earthstrong and the 40th anniversary of the release of Redemption Song. Partnering with SiriusXM for a channel devoted to not only his life's work, but also second and third generations of artists he has inspired (including our own children and grandchildren), reflects the continuing reach of Bob Marley's music and message beyond the boundaries of time and genre," said Rita Marley, Co-Founder of Tuff Gong International and wife of Bob Marley.  

"Bob Marley and his music transcends time, reaching fans and listeners of every generation across the globe," said Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer of SiriusXM.  "We are so proud to work with the Marley family to bring this full-time channel to life with his music, his message of social justice and his legacy, represented by members of his family and those that knew him best."

Bob Marley's Tuff Gong Radio will launch on Thursday, December 3 at 12:00 pm ET on SiriusXM radios (channel 19) and on the SiriusXM app. For more information on Bob Marley's Tuff Gong Radio visit: www.siriusxm.com/bobmarleytuffgongradio 

Bob Marley's Tuff Gong Radio is the latest  addition to SiriusXM's stable of music channels created with iconic artists including The Beatles, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Pearl Jam, Eminem, LL COOL J, Phish, Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney, Kirk Franklin, Diplo, B.B. King, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and more.

Subscribers are able to listen online, on-the-go with the SiriusXM mobile app, and at home on a wide variety of connected devices including smart TVs, devices with Amazon Alexa or the Google Assistant, Apple TV, PlayStation, Roku, Sonos speakers and more. Go to www.siriusxm.com/ways-to-listen to learn more.

SiriusXM's The Joint channel will continue to be available on the SiriusXM app and on siriusxm.

The Expanders Pay Tribute To The Late, Great Toots Hibbert With "Two For Toots"

The Expanders – the Los Angeles-based roots reggae powerhouse band – began this project earlier this past summer, before Toots Hibbert became sick with coronavirus (which eventually took his life in September). They had been asked to record cover versions of two of their favorite Toots & The Maytals classics for an impending month-long celebration of Hibbert’s life and career that was happening on Rootfire.com in September. Sadly, Hibbert’s illness and death came quickly, just as the band was finishing these songs. Now they are releasing these as a single, with plans to distribute any proceeds made from the release to Hibbert’s family. 

Being the celebrated iconoclasts they are, The Expanders dug deep in choosing the two songs. They would not be satisfied doing rote covers of some of Toots’ better known hits, and instead, went for much more obscure, but still extremely powerful, tracks. “True Love” was first released in the ‘60s before the band had broken internationally and were still just popular in Jamaica, while “Love Is Gonna Let Me Down” is best known for appearing on the American version of the band’s breakthrough album Funky Kingston in 1972. Even for some of Toots’ biggest fans, these songs may sound new. Regardless, in The Expanders’ expert hands, they come as revelations, digging deep into the soulful strains that made Toots Hibbert such a unique talent in the history of music. “Toots personifies the ‘soul’ of – and in – reggae music,” says the band’s drummer John Asher. “His music speaks to my soul and makes me dance the dance of life.” 

The recordings feature the current line-up of the band: John Butcher (guitar/vocals), Chiquis Lozoya (guitar/vocals), John Asher (drums), Roy Fishell (organ, piano), and Evan Highs (bass), along with Chris Brennan, who helped with production and added backing vocals. The band has been working on a new album, their first full-length album of original material since 2015’s celebrated Hustling Culture. Since then, they released a second collection of covers of classic, lesser known Jamaican hits, Old Time Something Come Back Again Vol. 2, as well as a single collaborating with Slightly Stoopid, “Sweet And Slow,” in 2019.  The new record will come out in 2021. 

The Expanders may play vintage reggae, but they’re more than revivalists. They champion classic ‘70s and early ‘80s roots reggae, heavy on three part vocal harmonies and conscious songwriting. Butcher grew up listening to the record collection of famed reggae archivist Roger Steffens, and credits much of his love and knowledge to the accessibility and education of those experiences. While many of their contemporaries in the current U.S. reggae scene play music that is one or two steps removed from these original influences – often coming at reggae by way of Sublime, for example – The Expanders are distinct in that they draw inspiration directly from these foundational tracks and bands, and manage to replicate the sound while bringing their own current style and approach. 

Two For Toots is further evidence that The Expanders are simply the best in their field at interpreting the deepest classic cuts in the genre. Their further music coming in 2021 will show how they can also manage to twist these inspirations into of-the-moment masterpieces. Soon come!

Jazz Is Dead’s Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge Partner with Azymuth

The instrumental trio Azymuth modernized the sound and style of Brazilian jazz with their electronic instruments, angular arrangements and ingenious synthesis of jazz, funk, rock and samba. After the passing of founding keyboard player José Roberto Bertrami in 2012, Alex Malheiros (bass) and Ivan “Mamão” Conti (drums) recruited synthesizer samurai Kiko Continentinho to the trio as it continued to build on their sound, now in their fifth decade of pushing the boundaries of their beloved samba.

Between 1969 and 1973, these musicians all born the same year in 1946, started playing together as in-demand session players, sometimes just two of them and often all three of them on larger sessions. They quickly found that their musical chemistry produced a sound that was greater than the sum of their respective parts. At the root of their collaboration were their shared influences, namely American jazz and a mutual appreciation for the foundations of Brazilian music. As session musicians the trio’s telepathic tightness, subtle funk lines and melodic mastery elevated Erasmo Carlos’ classic Sonhos E Memórias 1941-1972 (1972) and helped Marcos Valle deliver his finest album, Previsão Do Tempo (1973). 

In 2020, the iconic trio partners with LA-based collective Jazz Is Dead for Azymuth JID004. “This album is one of the most interesting rides I’ve ever been a part of,” says Younge. “In the ‘70s, Azymuth took psychedelic rock, soul, and jazz and made it authentically Brazilian. Together, we’ve pushed this concept even further for a new generation of record collectors.”

As a trio, Azymuth hit their stride in the eighties pioneering a modern, adventurous fusion of jazz, rock and funk all the while never losing the scent of samba. By the mid-nineties, just when it seemed like the band had lost their momentum, they received a much needed boost and acknowledgement from DJs, musicians and dancers in London as favorites of the thriving Acid Jazz scene that also helped to resuscitate the careers of fellow Brazilian musicians Marcos Valle and Joyce. Meanwhile, adventurous DJs and beatmakers, such as MF Doom, Flying Lotus and Roni Size found inspiration and novel sounds to repurpose from the trio’s classic recordings. In 2008, Ivan Conti joined forces with L.A. underground hip-hop royalty, Madlib for a collaborative album credited to Jackson Conti called Sujinho.    

“Saying it was an honor and pleasure to make an album with Azymuth is a huge understatement. To the crate diggers of the Jazz & Hip-Hop kind Azymuth’s music is very important. They are the soulful jazz side of Brazil with a dash of psychedelic blended in and a whole lot more. They are incredibly talented giants walking amongst us and they are very humble,” says Shaheed Muhammad. “I feel as if Adrian and I barely scratched the surface of what’s possible with Mamão, Alex and Kiko. The 004 album came together with ease. Watching them play the songs with so much vigor and delight taught me the importance of loving what you do. We hope that people will make this album a part of their regular rotation and I look forward to when we can kick it with Azymuth again.”

“A Redor do Samba” is augmented by Younge and Shaheed Muhammad, while the legendary trio of Ivan “Mamåo” Conti, Alex Malheiros and Kiko Contentinho dance around the rhythm—as the song title suggests—with one foot in jazz-funk and the other in their native musical language of samba. Saxophones, wah-wah guitar and synthesizers trade runs over the trio’s bedrock groove as the group moves in unison from the meditative outer orbit of the samba to its frenetic and propulsive core.  

The Jazz Is Dead team also wondered, What if the Mizell brothers and Gary Bartz teamed up with the Brazilian giants of jazz-funk in São Paulo in the mid-seventies? That notion is portrayed here on this album with “Sumaré.” Anchored by Alex Malheiros’ buoyant bass, this slinky sermon is named after the verdant and altitudinous neighborhood of São Paulo, likely a great place to take in a sunrise. A standout track from the historic collaboration between the iconic trio, Younge, and Shaheed Muhammad, The song is reminiscent of the dreamy instrumentals Azymuth recorded early in their career (when they were named Azimüth) using their musical instruments to draw outside the lines with colors called: Funk, Jazz and Polyrhythm.   

Jettisoning his synthesizers for acoustic piano on “Pulando Corda,” Kiko Continentinho kicks off this skipping samba-jazz tune, dancing along to the syncopated samba beat of Ivan “Mamão” Conti’s drums and Alex Malheiros’ bass line. If Marcos Valle hadn’t already laid claim to recording the soundtrack to Brazil’s version of Sesame Street, Vila Sesamo, this song, which translates to “skipping rope”, could have been the theme song. Adrian Young & Ali Shaheed Muhammad color the joyous melody with dancing marimba, pulsing Hammond B-3 organ, stacatto wah-wah guitar and pertinent percussion.

On this unique Jazz Is Dead recording with Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, the trio once again demonstrates their ability to elevate their collaborators while also showcasing their distinctive sound, continuing to redraw the boundaries of Brazilian jazz, futuristic funk and their beloved samba.

Laura Benanti Releases Self-Titled Debut Album

Tony® Award-winning actress, singer, author and activist Laura Benanti releases her self-titled debut album Laura Benanti.  Available everywhere now from Sony Music Masterworks, the 11-track album features the versatile artist performing a mix of covers both classic and contemporary, breathing new spirit into everything from modern pop songs to jazz-influenced ballads. 

"I hope the album becomes a part of someone's own canon," says Laura Benanti of her major label debut album. "You could put it on at a dinner party or listen to it in the bath. It could speak to so many different possible moments. Across the board, the record really fulfills my desire for musical outreach. I tried to showcase some really great playing—and hopefully singing."

With her self-titled full-length debut, Laura Benanti constructs a diverse and dynamic solo statement, working alongside award-winning producer Matt Pierson (Brad Mehldau, Joshua Redman, Pat Metheny, Jane Monheit), arranger Gil Goldstein and a bevy of seasoned musicians on the album. Through and through, the process highlighted every side of Laura's voice.

"We definitely talked about the songs as characters," she explains. "As an actor, I'm used to becoming and embodying other people. So, it was important for me to play the role each song required. I drew on different shades of my voice and personality to tell different stories."

The first story comes to life on the album's lead single, a cover of the Jonas Brothers' "Sucker" released earlier this year.  Above swinging piano, electric guitar, and finger-snaps, she transports Jonas Brothers' comeback smash to a smoky thirties jazz haunt with sultry and sizzling soul.  Laura paired the release of the track with an accompanying music video featuring workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis as part of a moving tribute celebrating family and essential workers – watch here.  Proceeds from the track benefit FoodCorps—an organization which ensures kids who rely on school food get fed during the pandemic. 

Meanwhile, Laura transforms Selena Gomez's "Lose You To Love Me" into a bold ballad backed by resounding strings and a powerhouse vocal performance.  "When I heard Gil's arrangement, I was so moved by it," she recalls. "I was able to personalize the story for myself. I can hear the evocative nature of that memory in my voice, and I hope other people feel the same way."  She drew inspiration from Rosemary's Clooney version of "Don't Worry 'Bout Me" to track her own tender take and carefully chose "The Party's Over" from the 1956 musical Bells Are Ringing as a gorgeous denouement to the album.  Elsewhere, accordion pipes through her reimagining of Rufus Wainwright's "Cigarettes & Chocolate Milk," which she relates to as devilishly conjuring "my twenties when I got in some trouble." She also delivers a "fun interpretation of the anti-love song" by flipping Paul Simon's "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" on its head.

Maintaining a lifelong commitment to the arts, the singer also recently created an empowering campaign titled #SunshineSongs, which invited students whose school musical productions were canceled this year due to the pandemic to share videos of the performances they were not able to give, on social platforms. As chronicled by Good Morning America, she generated 4 million impressions and received over 10,000 submissions, attracting celebrities like Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jennifer Garner to join the campaign. Additionally, she invited students to contribute songs to her free "Sunshine Concerts" for senior living communities and children's hospitals. The campaign's success further grabbed the attention of HBO Max who recently partnered with Benanti to release an unscripted special, called Homeschool Musical: Class Of 2020 this December

Rollins in Holland: The 1967 Studio & Live Recordings

Independent jazz label Resonance Records continues its ongoing tradition of releasing previously unissued archival recordings as limited-edition Record Store Day exclusives with a stellar new three-LP collection of historic Sonny Rollins performances, Rollins in Holland: The 1967 Studio & Live Recordings.

Featuring more than two hours of music, this stunning collection, drawn from tenor saxophone master Rollins’s Netherlands tour of May 1967, will also be presented as a two-CD set, due Dec. 4. The Rollins set succeeds Resonance’s critically acclaimed RSD archival finds from such jazz giants as Bill Evans, Eric Dolphy, and Wes Montgomery. Last November saw the release of the label’s poll-topping 10-LP/seven-CD Nat King Cole box Hittin’ the Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943).

Resonance co-president Zev Feldman, known within the industry as “the Jazz Detective,” says of the forthcoming release, “The music on Rollins in Holland is extraordinary. Rollins fans will rejoice when they hear the news of this discovery. These performances follow an important time in his life, and he brought those experiences along with him to make this incredible music.”

 In a new interview with Feldman included in the set, the 89-year-old Rollins says, “I’m so happy that Resonance is putting it out because it really represents a take-no-prisoners type of music. That’s sort of what I was doing around that period of time; that was sort of Sonny Rollins then—a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am approach. It was very much me. And I loved it and I loved playing with those guys.”

The music heard on the Resonance album is drawn from a little-documented period in Rollins’s career. The musician’s 1966 Impulse! album East Broadway Run Down was his final record date before a studio hiatus that lasted until 1972. In 1969, mirroring a celebrated public exit of a decade earlier, he began a two-year sabbatical from live performing.

Rollins in Holland captures the then 36-year-old jazz titan in full flight, in total command of his horn at the height of his great improvisational powers. He is heard fronting a trio, the same demanding instrumental format that produced some of the early triumphs of his long career: the live A Night at the Village Vanguard (Blue Note, 1957) and the studio dates Way Out West (Contemporary, 1957) and Freedom Suite (Riverside, 1958). 

During his brief but busy 1967 stay in the Netherlands, the saxophonist was supported by two of the nation’s top young players, bassist Ruud Jacobs and drummer Han Bennink. The pair had together supported such visiting American jazzmen as Johnny Griffin, Ben Webster, Wes Montgomery, and Clark Terry, among others. Jacobs was a celebrated straight-ahead accompanist, while Bennink had developed a reputation as an avant-garde lion, having backed Eric Dolphy on 1964’s Last Date. The pair jelled magnificently behind their celebrated leader. 

Rollins in Holland brings together material drawn from three separate appearances by the trio: a freewheeling May 3 concert at the Arnhem Academy of Visual Arts, at which Rollins stretched out in expansive performances that sometimes topped the 20-minute mark; a four-song May 5 morning studio session at the VARA Studio in Hilversum, where Dolphy and Albert Ayler had also cut unforgettable dates; and two live shots captured during the band’s stand that evening on “Jazz met Jacobs,” a half-hour national NCRV TV show presented from the Go-Go Club in Loosdrecht and hosted by bassist Jacobs’s pianist brother Pim and his wife, singer Rita Reys. 

In his essay for the collection, Dutch jazz journalist, producer, and researcher Frank Jochemsen notes that while recordings of the Arnhem show (presented here with carefully restored sound) had been passed hand-to-hand by Dutch jazz buffs over the years, the rest of the music was only recently unearthed. 

In 2017, the four stereo tracks from VARA Studio were discovered by Jochemsen, and they were authenticated by Ruud Jacobs and Han Bennink as they were being digitized for the Dutch Jazz Archive (NJA). In 2019, Jochemsen also discovered the audio from the “Jazz met Jacobs” appearance in the Dutch Jazz Archive, along with a unique set of photos shot at the sound check and live broadcast of this lost TV show.

Sonny Rollins Trio - Jochemsen says, “I find it an exciting idea that so much has been recovered and documented from this modest tour and that the music is indeed of such high quality. Even more sensational is the fact that the whole world can listen to it now. The great Sonny Rollins at his best, accompanied by a great rhythm tandem, which makes me, as a Dutchman, extra proud.” 

An extensive overview of Rollins’s Holland trek is supplied by jazz journalist Aidan Levy, whose biography of the saxophonist will be published by Da Capo Books. Levy says, “Rollins in Holland is a resounding, still-urgent argument for jazz as a universal art form, transcending time, place and race. This is jazz at its most international and interdependent, with no boundaries or borders.” 

Rollins in Holland also includes an in-depth interview by Levy with Han Bennink and Ruud Jacobs, conducted a year before Jacobs’s death from cancer in July 2019. In it, the late bass virtuoso recalled the experience of playing with the American legend as “something spiritual. [There was] a very special atmosphere on the stage where I felt I could do anything.” 

The opportunity to bring Rollins’s exceptional Netherlands performances to the public for the first time has proven a special moment for Resonance, Feldman says: “Working with Mr. Rollins has been the experience of a lifetime, and I’m so grateful that he has put his trust in Resonance and our team to bring forth this newly unearthed, previously undocumented chapter in his career.”

Rajiv Jayaweera | “Pistils”

Pistils is the debut recording from Sri Lankan and Australian jazz drummer and composer, Rajiv Jayaweera. The album features eight compelling, thoughtful originals, which draw inspiration from Sri Lanka. Jayaweera’s compositions feature strong melodies and beauty, coupled with intricate bass lines and rhythmic interplay. His band of Chris Cheek (soprano & tenor saxophones), Aaron Parks (piano), Hugh Stuckey (guitar) and Sam Anning (double bass), truly display why they are amongst the most revered and sought-after musicians on the scene today. 

The album is bookended by two different versions of the title track, Pistils. The first is sparse and free of time, with the profoundly emotive vocals of special guest, Lara Bello, who sings the melody in an improvised language. It closes with a stripped back trio take with guitar, saxophone and drums playing the “Pistils” theme, with the style of the great Paul Motian trio in mind. The melody of Pistils is a monumental achievement, and the centerpiece of this wonderful debut from an artist overflowing with potential and possibilities. One of the most special characteristics in Sri Lanka is the variety of flowers that exist there. In trying to get to the essence of these flowers, you find the seed-bearing organs, collectively known as “pistils.” Jayaweera was drawn to the word pistils because it took him to the heart of these flowers. 

Ellstandissa, featuring the relatively unknown Thammattama drum (also known as a temple drum), a two-headed traditional drum played with a pair of fascinating curly wooden sticks and most commonly used in cultural ceremonies, incorporates rhythms from a Sri Lankan dance entitled Gajaga Wannama, or dance of the elephant, in 7/8 time. The main melody of the song is circular and haunting and is played over a counter melody that superimposes a polyrhythmic figure. Ellstandissa is a made up word combining the names of the composer’s grandparents.

 It’s fitting that the next track is Welikadawatte, translating to Welikada Gardens in Sinhalese. It is an area in central Colombo (the commercial capital and largest city in Sri Lanka), originally home to many large cinnamon and coconut plantations. For over forty years this was where Rajiv’s grandparents lived and a place he would visit each year. Musically, this piece is reminiscent of Ahmad Jamal’s famous tune, Poinciana. 

The Elephant, once again incorporating the Thammattama drum, conjures up the image of an elephant walking through the jungle. 

Hirimbura is Rajiv’s Grandfather’s hometown in the south of Sri Lanka. The piece has ‘stompy’ Charles Mingus-esque feel that is simultaneously modern and traditional in nature. The strong quarter-note pulse instinctively makes you want to tap your foot or click your fingers along to it.

 A Malkoha Bird is a tropical bird endemic to Sri Lanka with a long graduated tail. This is the only song on the album where saxophonist Chris Cheek switches from tenor to soprano, singing the melody like a bird.