Lunar Octet Re-Emerges with First Album in 26 Years

A decades-long institution in Ann Arbor, home of the University of Michigan, and also the nearby Metro Detroit area, the Lunar Octet is back with a potent collection of originals inspired by such wide-ranging influences as mambo, samba, funk, Afrobeat and jazz on Convergence. The title itself suggests a confluence of rhythms and styles, and that is precisely what this band of multi-directional musicians has been doing since meeting 36 years ago in Ann Arbor and subsequently recording their 1994 debut, Highway Fun for Schoolkids Records. Reuniting in the studio 25 years later, the members of the Lunar Octet documented their collective growth while remaining committed to their original mission on Convergence, scheduled for a May 7th release on Summit Records.

From the percolating salsa groove of the infectious opener, “Norm’s Nambo,” to the swinging big band flavored chart, “Toote Suite,” the Brazilian music influenced “Mambossa,” the rhythmically charged “Subway Tension”, and the entrancing Afrobeat numbers “Dancin’ in the Doghouse” and “Heart of Congatar,” the Lunar Octet presents a compelling world view of sound. Add the churning “Samba Diabolico,” the buoyantly swinging “Crusin’” (think Neal Hefti arrangements for the mid ‘50s Count Basie band), the alluring tango “Until I Find Words” (an clarinet feature) and the rollicking, Brazilian flavored batucada “Samba Over Easy” (reminiscent of Airto Moreira’s “Tombo in 7/4”), and you’ve got a veritable United Nations of sound that you can also dance to. 

“The Lunar Octet is like a diamond,” said percussionist and co-founding member Aron Kaufman, called “the soul of the band” by his colleagues. “We’re all different facets of the diamond expressing the singularity of our musical mission. And it’s not about our technique, in terms of us being monster chops players who want to show off how amazing we are. Really, it’s the sum of the parts that brings hope and joy and love to people who come to see us. I believe with all my heart and soul that as artists, if we can lift people’s spirits by showing a love and celebration of the different world musical cultures that we bring to life in our particular special way, we’re bringing some light to the darkness.”

Originally formed in 1984 as the Afrobeat flavored Lunar Glee Club, the group morphed into the Lunar Octet in the ‘90s and began taking on the influences of samba and jazz through the compositions and arranging of alto saxophonist and principal composer Steve Hiltner. The New York City-born Kaufman absorbed music in the Big Apple (represented by his tune “Subway Tension”) before his family moved to Puerto Rico. Through his mentor Norman Shobey (Aron’s tune “Norm’s Nambo” is dedicated to Norm), Kaufman began studying conga and later widened his repertoire with a year abroad in Israel, where he soaked up Middle Eastern music and began playing the darbuka drum. Other founding members of the band include drummer Jon Krosnick (who also anchors the West Coast-based fusion band Charged Particles), tenor saxophonist Paul VornHagen (who also leads the Cuban jazz combo Tumbao Bravo), trumpeter Brandon Cooper (an in-demand freelancer in the Metro Detroit area) and guitarist Sam Clark. Rounding out the Lunar Octet are young piano sensation Keaton Royer, bassist Jeff Dalton, and percussionist Olman Piedra.

Regarding the group’s long hiatus and recent return with Convergence, Krosnick said, “The early ‘90s was the peak time for the band, when we were on national radio broadcasts and playing at major festivals. But then band members moved away. I took a job teaching at Ohio State, Steve Hiltner moved to North Carolina, others moved elsewhere. So we lost momentum. But we rediscovered ourselves five years ago and said, “Hey, this music’s cool, let’s keep doing this.” That reunion came in 2014 with a performance at the Kerrytown Concert House in Ann Arbor. And regular performances have followed ever since. “It's been fun to come back with live shows,” said Krosnick. “And now with the release of Convergence, we're feeling like we can create some buzz about the band and do some touring.”

Krosnick explained that the band’s initial Afrobeat influence came in large part from original bassist Dan Ladizinsky, who names King Sunny Ade as a primary influence. As Jon recalls, “It was literally a garage band in the beginning. Guys were getting together and just trying to groove. The more intricate compositions only kicked in years later when Steve Hiltner joined the band. He brought in some of the more highly orchestrated stuff that’s full of complexities and twists and surprises and unexpected bridges. But it was quite the opposite in the beginning. The original version of the band had no piano player and two bass players and a guitar player, so there was a deep African groove thing happening, like a jam band.” 

“I sort of ruined it for the faction of the group that really loved straight-ahead grooves and simple melodic stuff,” said Hiltner. “I started bringing in pieces that were more than just stock 32 bar tunes that could be in the Real Book. I bring a classical element to the band in the motivic development in my compositions, which you can hear on ‘Samba Diabolico,’ for instance.” Of the seemingly disparate musical elements coming together on Convergence, Hiltner, a trained botanist added: “Nature is just miraculous in the way it breaks everything down into constituent parts and then builds something new. I think of the creative process like that. It’s like composting: bringing lots of different elements together so something new comes out of the blend.” 

After such a long hiatus from recording, Kaufman is thrilled about the release of the Lunar Octet’s Convergence. “It shows the longevity of our friendships and music all intertwined,” he said. “And music really is an expression of our connections to each other. What we’re doing reflects years and years of building trust and relationships.” He added, “I’m always open to new possibilities. That’s what’s great about the Lunar Octet. Over and over again, one of us has come up with an idea that has musical integrity and a quality that is inspiring and that we are excited about. That’s what makes our music so interesting and varied. And we always support each other to bring those kinds of tunes out. Openness of sharing is an important part of the band. All of the many different musical qualities that we all bring to the table help form a nice balance.”

New Music Releases: The Freedom Affair, Giuliano Sorgini & Others, Emmavie

The Freedom Affair - Freedom Is Love

For Fans Of… Sly & The Family Stone, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Durand Jones & The Indications, Black Pumas. Debut album from The Freedom Affair. “Rise Up” was featured on Netflix’s “Self Made” and Apple Watch commercial. Final track features an appearance by the late Dr. Maya Angelou. Released by Sunflower Soul Records in partnership with Colemine Records. ‘Freedom Is Love’ is the debut album from Kansas City’s newest soul juggernaut, The Freedom Affair. The album explores themes of love, heartache, empowerment, and togetherness through a varying landscape of hard-hitting funk, luscious soul, and everything in between. The Freedom Affair is a unique collective featuring 3 powerhouse female vocalists in front of a dynamic 6-piece band. On ‘Freedom Is Love’, each of the ladies get their time to shine individually, but the magic is on full display when all 3 come together in unison and harmony, symbolically embodying the messages that they sing about. The album was recorded and produced by Chris Hazelton, utilizing the best of vintage and new recording technologies to create an authentic experience, befitting of a soul record that would have been relevant 50 years ago as much as it will be 50 years from now. ~ wwwfirstexperiencerecords

Giuliano Sorgini & Others - Africa Oscura Reloved Vol 1

A special set of tracks that pays tribute to the original Africa Oscura record from Italian sound library composer Giuliano Sorgini – a fantastic blend of percussion and electronics that was almost a 70s update on older exotica modes, but with a much darker vibe overall! Here, contemporary talents take the original music and mix things up a bit – often with a rhythmic vibe, but never in a mode that gets in the way of Sorgini's original genius! Vol 1 features three tracks in all – "Oasi Nella Giungla (afro temple mix)" by Pad, "Africa Oscura (drums of passion mix)" by Paine, and "Iniziazione (ritual quirky mix)" by LUCA. ~ Dusty Groove

Emmavie - Honeymoon

A really great set from Emmavie – one of the freshest soul singers we've heard in awhile, and a talent from the London scene we expect to be hearing a lot more from in years to come! Emmavie's got an ear for sound that often has her vocals folded right down into the music – clearly loving digital expression as much as her own organic style of singing – served up here with an approach that's crackling and bristling with energy throughout – enough depth to have ties to the old school, but a beautiful quality that definitely makes you feel that you're getting into something new. Titles include "Stop The Tape", "Distraction", "Let You Down", "High Off This", "I Hope We Never Break Up", and "Burn This House". ~ Dusty Groove

Mop Mop – Ritual Of The Savage

To celebrate 10 years of this great album INFRACom! is delighted to announce a limited pressing (ltd. editon 500 copies) of Mop Mop ́s third long player. For the first time on vinyl ! Back in 2010 INFRACom! could only release a CD version. For this vinyl release the original studio masters have been transferred to “reel tape” and received a special vinyl mastering for a great analog sound. The original artwork has been transferred to the vinyl version that comes in a gatefold sleeve.

After the highly acclaimed “Kiss Of Kali” Mop Mop are back with Ritual Of The Savage, the third studio album, written, arranged and produced by Andrea Benini. Ritual Of The Savage contains twelve tracks of pure hypnotic Jazz, spiritual flavours, exotic Funk and Soul music influenced by Latin and African beats.

Collaborations in the album include the amazing UK vocalist Miss Baby Sol (backing vocaling for the likes of Amy Winehouse, Joss Stone, Paloma Faith, Nate James), veteran Jazz crooner Alan Farrington, Down Beat critics poll winner Gianluca Petrella on trombone, the Italian vibraphone Star Pasquale Mirra, the Voodoo sound of Guglielmo Pagnozzi on clarinette and alto sax, percussionist Danilo Mineo and Andrea Benini’s co-writer and arranger Alex Trebo on piano and keyboards.

Ritual Of The Savage is an album with the philosophy of a soundtrack where the main character is a modern Savage who is searching for a perfect land where music is the only law. He starts his journey after “The Return Of The King”, the album’s opening track, going to an unknown “Destination” where Jazz meets Funk.

Will the Savage be able to reach his goal? Nobody knows. But as the last album’s track “Aria” suggests he will land in a space where everything is harmonious.

The result is surely mindblowing with a flowing tracklist which sequels as if to tell a story. This album is made for the selective and open mainded music heads and dj’s; vintage elements are mixed through a modern way of production and beats are generated by acoustic drums and analog drum machines. As Andrea Benini suggests on “Ritual Of The Savage”‘s lyrics : “…Step back, burn all your money, give up to your power silks and chase real pleasure”. ~ www.firstexperiencerecords.com

New Music Releases: Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, Matthew Halsall, Out To Dinner

Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio - I Told You So

Deeply funky work from one of the hippest Hammond organ combos around – just a trio, but one that's able to pack the punch of so many much larger groups! Delvon Lamarr took all the right lessons from Hammond heroes of the past – not that he's copying anyone's style, because he isn't – but he really knows the right way to make the instrument move between rhythm and melody, solo and groove – as he works here in ultra-tight formation with funky drummer Grant Schroff and guitarist Jimmy James! James gets in a few great licks of his own – and like Delvon, really knows how to move between staying on the rhythm, and getting loose – which makes for a wonderful album, through, filled with stone cold originals that include "Hole In One", "Call Your Mom", "Girly Face", "From The Streets", "I Don't Know", "Fo Sho", and "Aces". ~ Dusty Groove

Matthew Halsall - Salute To The Sun

A gem of a record from trumpeter Matthew Halsall – one of our favorite jazz musicians of the past 20 years, and an artist who just seems to be growing and growing with each new release! This set picks up on the organic, meditative quality of some of Halsall's recent records – but it also has a bit more bite, and is maybe almost a return to the roots of his earliest records on the Gondwana label – those classics that first made us fall in love with his music over a decade ago, and which made Matthew a real front-runner of the current global spiritual jazz underground! The set's got this very rich presentation – as the leader's work on trumpet is mixed with harp from Maddie Herbert, flute and tenor from Matt Cliffe, piano and kalimba from Livin Gheorghe, and great use of percussion, bass, and drums – all on long tracks that build with the best sort of post-Coltrane energy – titles that include "Joyful Spirits Of The Universe", "Mindfulness Meditations", "Tropical Landscapes", "Harmony With Nature", and "The Energy Of Life".  ~ Dusty Groove

Out To Dinner (Michael Dease, Behn Gillece, & Others) - Play On

Great work from Out To Dinner – an all-star group who certainly weren't out to lunch when this set was recorded – as it's got all the sharp crackle of some of the members' other work on the Posi-Tone label! The lineup is a bit different than the previous record, but every bit as wonderful – theses bold colors from the vibes of Behn Gillece, soulful flow from the tenor of Nicole Glover, well-punctuated trumpet from Giveton Gelin, round bass from Boris Kozlov, and sharply snapping drums from Donald Edwards – joined by the alto sax of Patrick Cornelius on three of the album's thirteen tracks. Tunes are all relatively short – between four and six minutes – but are mostly originals from group members, and really pack a lot of imagination into a short space. Titles include "Asami's Playland", "Random", "The Essential Passion", "Abe Duct", "Something From Nothing", "Rebecca's Dance", and "Into The Shadows". ~ Dusty Groove

Pianist ALAN PASQUA's Solo Album, "DAY DREAM"

Alan Pasqua is a piano legend. He’s performed and recorded with many of the top names in both jazz and pop. He was a member of The New Tony Williams Lifetime and appeared on the albums Believe It and Million Dollar Legs. He also performed with Jack DeJohnette, Paul Motian, Dave Holland, Michael Brecker, Randy Becker, Joe Henderson, Stanley Clarke, Gary Burton, James Moody, Gary Peacock, Gary Bartz, Reggie Workman, The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, Sheila Jordan, and Joe Williams, to name just a few.

In the pop world, Pasqua recorded two albums with Dylan (Bob Dylan at Budokan and Street-Legal), performed with John Fogerty on the album Eye of the Zombie, with Starship on the album No Protection, and with Allan Holdsworth on the album Sand. He was also the keyboardist for Carlos Santana on his albums Marathon, Zebop! and Havana Moon.

Pasqua has also been the leader or co-leader on many critically acclaimed jazz recordings. In 2008, Pasqua joined forces with Peter Erskine and Dave Carpenter, arranging, co-producing and playing on the Grammy-nominated trio album Standards. His recent releases are Twin Bill, which features Pasqua playing the music of Bill Evans on two pianos, and Northern Lights, which features Pasqua’s original compositions, exploring his roots in the classical, pop and jazz idioms. 

Soliloquy, his newest project, was recorded in Pasqua’s Santa Monica studio on his Hamburg Steinway concert grand piano. The sound is exquisite and the performance invites the listener to an intimate personal journey. Included are nine of his favorite standards and one cover of a Bob Dylan song.

Message from Alan Pasqua:

Day Dream is my latest solo piano recording. It is a mix of some of my favorite standard songs as well as a few hidden gems. All of the songs that I have chosen have incredible melodies as well as harmonic depth. The performances are really a snapshot in time of my interpretation of the song. The recording is very intimate in sound, recorded on my Hamburg Steinway concert grand piano in my Los Angeles studio. I try and be as transparent as possible when realizing these songs. My sole mission is to honor the composer and work.  I hope that you enjoy Day Dream.

Bill Kwan | "No Ordinary Love: The Music of Sade"

This is no ordinary jazz album. It’s not just that San Francisco vocalist Bill Kwan delves deeply into the songbook of one of the 20th century’s most popular female singers. Slated for release on April 16, 2021 No Ordinary Love: The Music of Sade captures an artist boldly redefining himself. Collaborating closely with a brilliant cast of New York players, he brings a confidently sensuous male sensibility to material defined by the Nigerian-born superstar, whose cool, understated style and regal persona has largely kept other artists from interpreting her songs. 

Working again with veteran producer Matt Pierson, whose credits range from Brad Mehldau, Joshua Redman and Kirk Whalum to k.d. lang, Laura Benanti and Jane Monheit, Kwan is both reverent and resolutely unprecious in reimagining Sade’s music. In many ways No Ordinary Love builds on his previous project with Pierson, 2015’s Poison & Wine, a pensive and often riveting collection of contemporary indie rock songs by the likes of Beck, Björk, Bon Iver, Gillian Welch, and The Civil Wars. 

With Noam Wiesenberg’s bespoke arrangements tailored to the sleek contours of his voice, Kwan finds a way to get inside Sade’s music, navigating treacherous emotional terrain while flipping the gender dynamic in familiar narratives. “It’s very different tackling these songs from a male perspective and I could only sing pieces where I could identify with the lyrics,” Kwan says. “The key was maintaining the intimacy and not over singing. We maintained the fragile quality of Sade’s music even though the feel is very different.”

Kwan is joined by a New York dream team distinguished by deep connections to both the city’s jazz scene and innovative singer/songwriters, starting with pianist/keyboardist Kevin Hays, a veteran improviser who also composes his own songs. Sex Mob and Bill Frisell bassist Tony Scherr and the brilliant Japanese-born drummer/percussionist Keita Ogawa round out the ace rhythm section. Paris-raised Django Festival All-Stars accordion master Ludovic Beier and Russia-reared trumpeter Alex Sipiagin contribute memorable solos. 

“Obviously casting is extremely important,” says Pierson, a producer with a deep catalog of career-defining albums by some of jazz and contemporary music’s most influential artists. “Kevin was involved with Bill in the past so he was a natural, but Tony Scherr and Keita Ogawa were also key. The versatility that Tony brings as a singer/songwriter himself is exceptional, and Keita is singular, a drummer with a whole lot of percussion integrated into his set. They’ve got a deep understanding about how to support a vocalist, understanding what not to play. Finally, I’d gotten to know Noam Wiesenberg when we worked together on Camila Meza’s Ámbar project, and felt he would create perfect treatments for many of these songs.”

From the opening track, a gorgeous string-laced arrangement of “The Sweetest Taboo” set to a slinky, predatory groove, Kwan embraces a less-is-more aesthetic. His restraint paradoxically amplifies a song’s emotional wavelength. He’s in the midst of the fierce tango maelstrom of “King of Sorrow,” a lacerating arrangement underscored by Ludovic Beier’s slippery bandoneon and Antoine Silverman’s violin accents. Beier’s harmonica-like accordina brings out the loneliness at the heart of “Jezebel,” a portrait that Kwan renders with gentle precision. 

The title track is also the album’s centerpiece, a startlingly effective version of “No Ordinary Love” that captures both Sade’s underappreciated skill as a songwriter and Kwan’s ability to make an iconic tune his own. Propelled by Hays’ funky Fender Rhodes and Scherr’s chunky electric guitar chords, the track pulls off the near impossible feat of standing brilliantly on its own while enhancing the original. With songs drawn from just about every Sade album (and lesser-known pieces she’s contributed to soundtracks), Kwan covers a lot of musical territory, striking pay dirt again and again. From his soothing croon on “Love Is Stronger Than Pride” to the anguished but triumphant “The Big Unknown.”

“The challenge is that her music is so identifiable,” Kwan said. “Even if some of the original productions, like ‘The Sweetest Taboo,’ may not have aged well, her phrasing and approach is so hip. I adopted a very specific rule, singing like you’re not singing, while trying to make sure there’s enough emotion. What makes her music interesting is the repetition. The magic is that hook or melody. Often times Matt would dial me down. He really did guide me with the dynamics of each song.” 

Kwan’s mid-life emergence as a jazz-informed vocalist is mostly due to the fact that music is his second calling. A dermatologist with a solo practice in San Francisco, he’s honed his craft at many of the Bay Area’s leading jazz venues. Born and raised in Southern California, Kwan wasn’t particularly drawn to music as a youth. By his early 20s he started getting seriously interested in jazz, finding particular inspiration from the master vocalists he saw performing at the Hollywood Bowl, such as Mel Tormé, Dame Cleo Laine, Nancy Wilson, and Ella Fitzgerald. 

Studying medicine at the University of Southern California didn’t leave him much time to pursue his growing love of music, but once he settled in San Francisco he started to seek out opportunities. He spent several years studying with Kitty Margolis, a master teacher and top-shelf jazz vocalist, and took classes at the Jazzschool in Berkeley with vocalist Laurie Antonioli and trombonist Wayne Wallace. Working with bassist Seward McCain and drummer Jim Zimmerman, who both spent many years in the popular trio of pianist Vince Guaraldi, he recorded his 2010 debut album Pentimento, a well-curated program of standards. 

Kwan followed up with 2013’s More Than This, a transitional album that ranged from American Songbook fare to Bryan Ferry and Radiohead. It was his first project produced by Pierson, a creative partnership that blossomed with 2015’s Poison & Wine. Undaunted by Sade’s indelible musical imprint, Kwan reveals himself as an artist with a cool and intoxicating sound himself on No Ordinary Love: The Music of Sade, an album that announces the arrival of a potent pop-jazz interpreter. 

California Roots Music and Arts Festival Announces May 2022 date with Line Up Including: Damian Marley, Sean Paul, Ice Cube and Sublime With Rome

The California Roots Music & Arts Festival announced today that they are moving their 2021 event to May 2022, due to the ongoing public health and safety concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. The premier reggae, roots, and hip hop festival is also expanding to four days, officially kicking off on Thursday, May 26, 2022. The additional day features Dirty Heads headlining alongside Fortunate Youth, Alborosie, and more. The stellar four day lineup includes Cali Roots favorites Rebelution, Atmosphere, Chronixx, and Damian Marley returning with debut performances from Sean Paul, Ice Cube and Sublime With Rome. Artist lineup and day by day breakdown is listed below with more artists to be announced. 

Dan Sheehan, Co-Producer states, “The past year has been very challenging, giving many of us more time to reflect on what’s important. The Cali Roots community is amazing, supportive, and made clear on how much this festival means to them. That is why we are committed to returning in 2022 for the strongest Cali Roots to date, including an additional day of music.” He adds, “To everyone that has stuck by us, bought our merch, or sent positive messages our way, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We are dedicated to producing another unforgettable event and are counting the days until we are together again.”

 All 2021 tickets will be honored for Cali Roots 2022. Ticket holders that have questions or concerns can contact solutions@californiarootspresents.com for more details.

New Music Releases: Zoe Scott, Angela Predhomme, Kim Scott

Zoe Scott - Shades Of Love

It’s telling that singer Zoe Scott includes a sensual version of a Chrissie Hynde / Pretenders hit among other pop and Brazilian classics on Shades Of Love, her exquisite, breezy and lushly produced album of bossa nova. The London-born recording artist found great success as an edgy rock n’ roller for years before the Brazilian jazz bug bit her and challenged her to be more emotionally vulnerable and in tune with what she calls “life in the quiet spaces.” Adding to the magic and charm of Scott’s soul-stirring transformation into an interpreter of subtlety and seduction, are Brazilian-born multi-Grammy and Latin Grammy winning producer Moogie Canazio and bossa legends, including guitarist and arranger Torcuato Mariano and pianist/singer Daniel Jobim, grandson of Antonio Carlos Jobim. Brava! ~ smoothjazz.com

Angela Predhomme -Stay with Me

With a laid back, soulful style, singer-songwriter Angela Predhomme expresses emotion with honesty and passion. Predhomme’s unique brand of simple, elegant artistry shines on her cover of Sam Smith’s “Stay with Me.” The song seems like a natural for her intimate, longing vocal delivery that soars up to gently float on sweet harmonies. The stripped down piano-vocal production on “Stay with Me” lays out bare emotion, compelling in its uncluttered authenticity. Asked why she chose this song to cover, Predhomme says, “How can I not be a fan of Sam Smith? I think he’s one of the best new artists of the last decade. Sam is a singer’s singer, and a true artist. About my choice of ‘Stay with Me,’ I always felt a connection to the intuitive, memorable melody and the raw, intense plea to save someone from abandonment. I think we’ve all been there at some point.” Predhomme’s commitment to writing and producing her own music has continued, buoyed by Symphonic Distribution, with whom she signed recently. Her infectiously catchy summer release, “So Good to Be Free” continues to draw in new listeners, as well as its follow up, her soulful love song, “Changeless Sky.” Gaining momentum, too, is Predhomme’s low-key fall release, “Graced with You,” a tender piano-based waltz with strings that highlights her classical influences.

Kim Scott - Shine!

With great hope in her heart and whimsical groove in her spirit, flutist Kim Scott launches her second decade as a Smooth Jazz recording artist with “Back Together Again,” from her forthcoming album Shine! A playful and infectious romp with simmering energy and soaring melody, makes the song the perfect soundtrack for a post-Covid world of rekindled friendships and family relationships that have been sidelined during the pandemic. Ms. Scott, also a nationally syndicated radio host, dynamically collaborates with the song’s co-writer, keyboardist Greg Manning, who keeps the rhythms tight, with graceful harmonies and lush atmospheres flowing beautifully with the trademark flute vibe. From start to finish, “Back Together Again” works the deeper magic of making us feel optimistic again. ~ smoothjazz.com

CHELSEY GREEN and THE GREEN PROJECT ReEnvisioned

Growing up in Houston, Chelsey Green has fond memories of coming home from classical violin lessons and hearing and experimenting with influential jazz, funk and R&B vibes her parents were throwing down on the family stereo – Herbie Hancock, Marvin Gaye, Earth Wind and Fire, et al. With her brilliant array of talents, the classical scholarships and opportunities that came her way, the multi-talented singer/songwriter, violinist and violist could have found a career playing in orchestras.

Yet, God’s gift of music led her into bolder, more eclectic directions; resulting in a wondrous diversity that now - years later - inspires her and her longtime ensemble, Chelsey Green and The Green Project. Their fresh new EP, ReEnvisioned, is a dynamic and empowering collection that in only four tracks showcases their passions for contemporary and traditional jazz, R&B and funk with a touch of classical violin. The EP lays a foundation for an upcoming full-length album (the band’s first LP since the Billboard charting The Green Room in 2014) that will include elements of her gospel roots as well.

“ReEnvisioned represents my continued effort to break the niche mentality and not restrict myself to one, single genre,” says Chelsey, whose discography also includes their 2012 EP,Still Green, and their popular 2018 single, Summertime. “My music is influenced by many styles, and over the years, we’ve really cultivated a vibe in the live setting that incorporates all of those elements seamlessly. The same way music has been fed to me throughout my life, that’s how I want to share my voice and personal artistry. A lot of our songwriting comes together when we are rehearsing for performances; that’s where we do a lot of creative diving and arranging. After we recorded these first four tracks, I started thinking about a title that would capture the essence of this new direction.” 

“Classical music has been good to me. I love what it has taught me about harmony,” she adds. “At the same time, I am a Black woman that grew up immersed in and studying gospel, blues, jazz and other Black music genres. This is the music of my culture, borne out of the dichotomy of despair and joy. Jazz; music evolved out of work song, connecting us to our ancestors for whom improvisation was a way to survive.”

For jazz and soul fans who haven’t experienced Chelsey Green and The Green Project’s explosive live performances across the U.S. and internationally, the EP is the perfect primer to connect with the unique melodic, harmonic and grooving chemistry between Chelsey, Ignatius Perry Jr. (piano/keyboards), Kevin Powe, Jr. (bass) and Brian “Spyda” Wheatley (drums). All contribute their writing and arranging skills to ReEnvisioned; three originals (“Soundcheck,” “It’s Not What It Seems,” “Time”) and the spirited, jazzy, funky and swinging re-imagining of “Fly Me to the Moon” featuring trumpet great Sean Jones, a friend and educational colleague of Chelsey’s.

Whether singing or choosing to use her stringed instruments as lead voice, Chelsey is a masterful storyteller and calls the tunes on ReEnvisioned "the soundtrack of her current life." Literally written during a soundcheck before a show in Idaho, the soulful and eminently driving opening track “Soundcheck” finds Chelsey creating magic out of the experience of checking levels, exploring resonances and manipulating timbres to make the performance electrifying. She adds, "the opening tune represents the repetition it sometimes takes in life to get things right." The moody, thoughtful instrumental ballad “It’s Not What It Seems” stops at one point from its infectious soul-jazz vibe for a random classically-influenced breakdown. In addition to serving as a commentary about false perceptions, the song reflects an inner conversation Chelsey is having with herself to re-align her own life focus.

Spinning “Fly Me to the Moon” so far beyond its traditional orbit that we can almost imagine Sinatra snapping his fingers and soaring along, Chelsey’s inviting and passionate vocals share the reality that she’s not asking for the entire galaxy, just a little love and affection. The final track “Time,” features her viola-based string arrangement around her beautiful yet heartbreaking vocals. On one level, it’s a mournful tune about the impact of lies in a relationship. In a larger sense, it’s about the importance of living one’s life authentically; even if we sometimes feel we must lie to ourselves to keep up appearances. 

A native of Houston, Texas, Dr. Chelsey Green was born into a family of jazz and funk musicians and started her performance career as a violinist at age 5. Her father, Craig Green, was an influential teacher at a performing arts middle school who taught many, now notable jazz musicians. Chelsey received a scholarship for classical viola studies at The University of Texas at Austin, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude, and later earned her Master’s from The Peabody Conservatory of The Johns Hopkins University and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Maryland College Park. 

In August 2017, Chelsey was appointed Associate Professor in the String Department at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, where she teaches privately, various ensemble classes and also conducts a lab for viola students, teaches introductory and intermediate string improvisation and two ensembles. Dedicated to educational outreach efforts for young people, she and her bandmates provide a wide range of educational music workshops to city and county schools, after school programs, educational groups and more. Chelsey Green and The Green Project work with students from all backgrounds, exposing them to the possibilities of what music can be.

New Music Releases: Ron Miles, The Nels Cline Singers, GTF

Ron Miles - Rainbow Sign

Cornetist Ron Miles has released his Blue Note debut Rainbow Sign, a luminous set of original Miles compositions performed by a remarkable quintet featuring pianist Jason Moran, guitarist Bill Frisell, bassist Thomas Morgan, and drummer Brian Blade—out now on vinyl, CD, and digital formats. In a rave 4½-star review DownBeat called it “a deeply touching album… Rainbow Sign ups the ante through the writing’s richness—by far Miles’ most impressive work as a bandleader… there’s plenty of gold at the end of this rainbow.” Watch Miles discuss the story behind the album on “First Look” with Don Was.

The Nels Cline Singers - Share The Wealth

Nels Cline has released his 3rd Blue Note album Share The Wealth, a dynamic double album that Pitchfork called “an ambitious, astonishing work.” The album presents 10 swirling, evocative soundscapes featuring the guitar renegade with an expanded edition of The Nels Cline Singers with saxophonist and punk-jazz iconoclast Skerik, keyboard marvel Brian Marsella, bass powerhouse Trevor Dunn, longtime collaborator and drummer Scott Amendola, and Brazilian percussionist Cyro Baptista. Watch Nels discuss the story behind the album on “First Look” with Blue Note President Don Was.

GTF - Watch Your Step

While gearing up for their post-COVID 2021 album release, Watch Your Step, the dynamic R&B/jazz ensemble GTF deliver another captivating single in advance of their full project. Following on the heels of their chart-dominating vocal “Some Things Happen,” the new tune is an instrumental offering, “3AM.” Truly the embodiment of this seductive time of day… the crossover between late night and never, never land; sensual, earthy, beguiling. Featuring a Northern and Southern California collective of players, “3AM” is graced with the alluring guitar playing of the song’s composer, Richard Livoni, and the haunting sax work of John Rekevics, both complementing GTF’s signature low end landscape provided by drummer Ron Otis and band co-founder/bassist George Franklin. ~ smoothjazz.com

BILL EVANS LIVE AT RONNIE SCOTT’S

Resonance Records has released Bill Evans Live at Ronnie Scott’s, the label’s third collection featuring hitherto unheard recordings by the great pianist’s short-lived 1968 trio with bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Jack DeJohnette.

Resonance – a division of the Rising Jazz Stars Foundation, a non-profit corporation created to discover the next jazz stars – has previously issued two widely acclaimed, never-before-heard albums by Evans’ ’68 unit. That combo recorded the pianist’s second Grammy Award-winning Verve album, Bill Evans at the Montreux Jazz Festival; recorded on June 15, 1968, it was the only contemporaneous album released from the lineup during its brief existence.

Unearthed by Resonance co-president Zev Feldman (a/k/a “the Jazz Detective”), Some Other Time: The Lost Session From the Black Forest (2016) was a two-LP/two-CD studio date, cut five days after the Evans-Gomez-DeJohnette trio’s Montreux appearance, which had sat unheard in the German vaults for 50 years. A second historic discovery, Another Time (2018), was recorded two days later by the Netherlands Radio Union in Hilversum.

These collections garnered praise in DownBeat and JazzTimes in the U.S., Jazzwise in the U.K., and the NPR Music Jazz Critics Poll; Some Other Time topped Billboard’s Jazz Albums chart.

Drawn from Jack DeJohnette’s personal archives, Live at Ronnie Scott’s comprises 20 scintillating tracks captured during the Evans trio’s month-long ’68 residency at the eponymous saxophonist-impresario’s Soho club. (It is Resonance’s second live Evans album to emanate from that venue: 2019’s Evans in England derived from a 1969 stand at Scott’s, featuring Gomez and drummer Marty Morell.)

Recordings by the Evans-Gomez-DeJohnette lineup are as prized as they are rare. DeJohnette was an especially simpatico accompanist for Evans, for he had been a pianist before taking up the drums. Despite their chemistry, the trio played together for a mere six months. During their stay at Scott’s, Miles Davis stopped in to check out the band, and the trumpeter swiftly recruited DeJohnette for his new group. By the end of 1968, Morell was hired by Evans as his replacement, and he drummed behind the pianist through 1974.

Distinguished British critic, author, broadcaster, and pianist Brian Priestley, who witnessed Evans’ ’68 trio in action, puts the London stand and Evans’ then-current repertoire in context in newly commissioned notes for the release. He writes that the performances’ “compelling, indeed at times overwhelming, musical quality is such as to impress this listener all over again.”

Live at Ronnie Scott’s also features a joint interview, conducted by Feldman, with DeJohnette and Grammy-winning pianist (and, in his early career, drummer) Chick Corea, who played with DeJohnette in Miles Davis’ storied late-‘60s lineups.

Recalling his short but memorable stint with Evans, DeJohnette says, “The music was at a really high creative height, and I’m glad I documented that, and the tape was good enough for Resonance to run with it…You really get a chance to hear Bill stretch.” 

“Bill was a big hero for me and for all of our generation,” Corea says of Evans. “Bill was just like the generation just before us, and we all looked up to him with his recordings with [bassist] Scotty [La Faro] and [drummer] Paul [Motian].”  

Perhaps the most unexpected element of the package is an extensive interview with the great comic actor and jazz buff Chevy Chase. He encountered Evans’ music as an underage jazz club-goer and began a friendship with the pianist as a student at Bard College, where he played in a band with classmate Donald Fagen of Steely Dan. 

He tells Feldman that Evans’ music was “the most lyrical jazz you could ever hear, in terms of jazz that wasn’t sung. It was just beautiful. And yet, very complex. Everybody I know tried to be Bill, but all you have to do is put a little video of Bill on or a record and say, ‘Try that.’ He really had a touch on the piano that he couldn’t match.” 

Gracing the cover of both the LP and CD iterations of Live at Ronnie Scott’s is artwork drawn from a never-before-published, one-of-a-kind lithograph by the late, legendary artist/illustrator David Stone Martin, whose distinctive interpretations of jazzmen in action were featured on dozens of classic jazz LPs, notably including many for Norman Granz’s labels of the ‘40s and ‘50s. 

Feldman writes, “I had one big decision to make: do we go all the way and recreate a jacket in the same manner of DSM’s classic covers of the 1940s and 1950s, even though our album isn’t from that era?  Or do we go a different, more modern route and simply incorporate DSM’s artwork into a more contemporary style image?  I thought long and hard about this.  Ultimately, I came to see it as an opportunity to recreate that special era, a nod to those classic 1940s and ‘50s Verve/Clef/Norgran album covers.” 

Bill Evans Live at Ronnie Scott’s will be the fifth Resonance title to feature unreleased music by the pianist: 2014’s Live at Art D’Lugoff’s Top of the Gate was the label’s first Evans collection. Smile With Your Heart: The Best of Bill Evans on Resonance, a mid-priced compilation, was issued in 2020. 

Pianist Jordan Seigel Releases Vinyl Reissue of "Beyond Images"

Jordan Seigel presents the vinyl reissue of Beyond Images. The debut work melds together his musical worlds together in a vibrant and eclectic collection of original pieces inspired by cinema’s greatest composers. Originally released in July 2020 and picked as one of DownBeat Magazine's 2020 Editor's Picks, Beyond Images combines the inventiveness and interplay of jazz with the transportive emotional power of the best film scores, crafting an evocative soundtrack for imaginary scenes possessing the spine-tingling suspense of a Hitchcock thriller or the heartbreaking sweep of a doomed romance.

Beyond Images features bassist Alex Boneham (Billy Childs, Sara Gazarek) and drummer Christian Euman (Jacob Collier, Kurt Elling) who use their shared experience at the Monk Institute to piece together the vigorous rhythm section. Saxophonist/flutist Natsuki Sugiyama, a frequent collaborator on Seigel’s film scores, completes the core quartet. But the diversity of the compositions flourish through Seigel’s orchestral imagination, which employs a woodwind quintet and a string quartet, vibraphone, guitar, mandolin and percussion in varying, kaleidoscopic combinations.

Regarding the reissue on vinyl, Seigel notes, “After encouragement from many friends and colleagues, I decided to get “Beyond Images” pressed on vinyl. The vinyl world is relatively new to me and I ended up falling in love with it! Throughout the process, I learned so much and gained a greater appreciation of some of my favorite classic albums. One of the first LPs I played when I got my vinyl player was Cannonball Adderley’s “Somethin’ Else.” I had listened to this album dozens of time before, but it was amazing to me how rich the sonic experience felt and how I noticed subtleties in the performance I had never picked up on before. After all that goes into making an album (composing, planning, rehearsing, recording, mixing, etc), it feels so fulfilling to be able to tangibly hold and play the “Beyond Images” LP. I hope it provides a similarly gratifying experience for the listeners!”

Each of the ten compositions on Beyond Images is dedicated to and inspired by one of Seigel’s favorite film composers, a list that includes some of the medium’s most iconic names, including John Williams, Bernard Herrmann, and Thomas Newman. The pieces hint at the pianist’s inspirations in inventive and clever ways, maintaining his own unique voice while paying tribute to the great composers who have influenced him in distinctive ways. The results maintain the emotional impact and evocative colors of his movie work, conjuring rather than accompanying vivid cinematic moments. “I spend most of my time as a film composer and orchestrator, so I wanted to bring that aspect of what I do – making music for visual media – to a different audience,” explains Seigel.

Los Angeles-based composer, pianist and orchestrator Jordan Seigel possesses an expressive, original voice in a stunning variety of media. Whether scoring projects for film and television or performing and improvising on stages around the world, Seigel approaches every pursuit with the same mission in mind: to create music that truly moves people.

With his multi-faceted debut album, Beyond Images, Seigel weaves together his foremost passions with a scintillating and eclectic collection of original songs inspired by cinema’s greatest composers. His original music, in whichever medium, draws inspiration from an expansive palette of other influences as well: Stevie Wonder, Radiohead, The Beatles, Maurice Ravel, Stravinsky, and many others.

A Los Angeles native, Seigel studied at Berklee College of Music, where he garnered accolades including the Alex Ulanowski Award in Composition, the Michael Rendish Award in Film Scoring, and two Jazz Performance Awards. Seigel maintains an active role on the L.A. scene, playing with such acclaimed artists as Peter Erskine, Jeff Hamilton, Graham Dechter and the Bill Holman Big Band, and performing on such prestigious stages as Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Playboy Jazz Festival and the Beantown Jazz Festival.

In the world of visual media he’s accumulated a host of impressive credits as a composer and orchestrator for film and television, including work on such high-profile projects as Ant-Man and the Wasp, The LEGO Movie 2, and Empire. He’s performed on the scores for The Morning Show, Deadwood: The Movie, Penny Dreadful: City of Angels and is also the featured pianist for the Apple TV+ animated series Snoopy In Space, following in the footsteps of legendary pianist Vince Guaraldi.

His original music for films and television includes the underscore for the musical comedy Lucky Stiff and contributing additional music to The Twilight Zone, TURN: Washington’s Spies, and The Giver, among many others. He has also crafted arrangements for the National Symphony Orchestra’s concerts at the Kennedy Center with superstars like Common and Babyface. Seigel recently completed scoring his first studio feature film, Focus Features’ Half Brothers, which which was released to theaters in December 2020.

Ryan Dugré - Three Rivers

Written in January of 2019 during a song-a-day exercise, the instrumental pieces on Three Rivers produce a captivating calmness with shadowy undertones, melodically tending towards introspection. Guitar is at the forefront supported by piano and synth, strings, and sparse percussion. Elements of film music, pastoral jazz, and Americana create a meditative mood which is enhanced by the underlying pulse of each song. This is music that rewards patient, active listening.

As part of the songwriting exercise that produced Three Rivers, Dugré churned out a new piece of music each day. The purpose was to build a routine of writing and creativity. The only rule was to submit something daily — an improvisation, loose sketch, or fully orchestrated piece. Everything counts.

The benefit of this deliberately fast pace is that it leaves little time for second-guessing. By forcing you to commit to an idea quickly, this method eliminates overthinking and presents a more honest depiction of the original thought. This is also the challenge — at the end of the day, you must live with your output, and allow yourself to be vulnerable as your colleagues listen to your work.

Using a barely functioning laptop and one microphone, Dugré embraced the limitations of this process. “My usual approach to writing is to methodically work out a solo guitar arrangement; melody, harmony, and bass all intertwined and performed simultaneously,” he says. “It takes a week or so to get it right.” This time, he started with a rhythm part on guitar or piano, and then added melody after. For many of the pieces he imagined someone singing the melody, and tried to get close to creating that with slide guitar, piano, or synth.

Dugré came away with a batch of new song ideas and spent the following months finishing the arrangements at his home studio. These songs were then re-recorded in October 2019 in Brooklyn at Trout Recording with engineer Adam Sachs. Three Rivers features string arrangements from Ian Mcllelan Davis (Relatives), and contributions from Brett Lanier (The Barr Brothers), Sean Mullins (Wilder Maker), Adam Dotson (Slavic Soul Party), and Will Graefe (Okkervil River, Star Rover), who co-wrote Shining. The album was mixed by Leo Abrahams (Brian Eno, Sam Amidon).

Ryan Dugré is a New York based multi-instrumentalist and composer from Holyoke, MA. Since graduating from New England Conservatory in 2007 he has been an active freelancer, having performed and/or recorded with Rubblebucket, Joan Wasser, Eleanor Friedberger, Cass Mccombs, Landlady, Jesse Harris, Ran Blake, and many others. Ryan has performed internationally at festivals including Le Festival d’été de Québec, Bonnaroo, Haldern Pop Fest, as well as NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series and BBC 6 Radio with Marc Riley. He has been a featured guest artist at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music in Kabul, Afghanistan, and Eliot Fisk's Boston GuitarFest at New England Conservatory of Music. Three Rivers, out on 11A records, marks his third solo release. His second record The Humors, mixed by Sam Owens (Sam Evian), was named best album of the month in March 2019 by Paste Magazine.

John Morales Presents Teena Marie – Love Songs & Funky Beats – Remixed With Loving Devotion

Producer extraordinaire John Morales returns to BBE Music, celebrating the life and work of R&B / soul legend Teena Marie with a double album full of brand new remixes, lovingly crafted from the original studio tapes, entitled ‘Love Songs & Funky Beats’.

“Teena is somewhat underrated, and people don’t really know much about her.” Says Morales. “I set out to immerse people in her music and represent what she really did. That meant for me a dive into more than her R&B hits, to dig into her ballads and dance cuts. People know she was talented. I don’t really think they really knew the depth of her abilities, her complete confidence to take it upon herself to do everything – singing, producing, arranging, songwriting. Teena Marie was the total package.”

John Morales had the pleasure of mixing many of Teena Marie’s original records over the years, so it felt natural to dig into the archives and select his favourite cuts to rework, extend and subtly update in his own distinctive style. While by no means a definitive collection of Lady Tee’s expansive musical catalogue, ‘Love Songs & Funky Beats’ represents a fitting tribute to a multifaceted and important voice in popular music, by one of the most storied mix engineers and remixers of our age.

Jumping into the music industry deep end in 1979 with a three-year mentorship from Berry Gordy & Rick James at Motown, Teena Marie then spent seven fertile years with Epic, which yielded her greatest commercial successes (including the classic album ‘Starchild’). After founding an independent label ‘Sarai’, Marie took a ten-year hiatus which ended in 2004 in a deal with hip hop label Cash Money Records; a less unlikely partnership than some might assume, given that Teena was one of the first ‘mainstream’ artists to perform a rap verse, on 1981’s ‘Square Biz’.

Teena Marie Brockert forged a unique path through the industry, an artist in-charge of her own destiny, influencing (and heavily sampled by) both the hip hop and R&B sounds of the 90’s and early 2000’s. Her 1982 lawsuit against Motown records resulted in “The Brockert Initiative”, which has benefitted literally thousands of other artists by making it illegal for record companies to ‘shelve’ artists by keeping them under contract without releasing their material. She continued to tour regularly and deliver commercially successful, expertly sculpted music, right up until her untimely passing in 2010. ~ firstexperiencerecords.com

New Music Releases: Al Castellana, Femi Kuti / Made Kuti, Calvin Keys

Al Castellana - The Right Place To Be

The new album of the Italian soul singer! The first single is already in the top ten on the UK chart and this special vinyl edition, only 300 hand numbered copies, will contain a 7” bonus with two remixes by Katzuma (Sangue Misto, Okè) and Deva (Aldebaran Records). Alessandro “Al” Castellana is an Italian singer-songwriter and record producer. Over the years he has been able to collaborate with very important productions in the history of Italian black music and hip hop, starting with his presence in 107 elements of Neffa in 1998 and the soundtrack of Torino Boys the previous year. Inspired by the music of Graham Central Station, Sly and Tower of Power, he made a significant contribution to the growth of Italian hip hop which he enriched with his Funk and Soul veins, expanding his success in the UK, Australia and Japan. It contains 12 tracks of pure Soul Music poised between Seventies atmospheres and arrangements that formed it and contemporary Soul / RNB. The Right Place To Be is an album that already from the title gives indications on the meaning that the artist has given to this latest work, the best place to be is the place where there is music… where you are surrounded by the warmth of affections, from everything you love and from those who love you.

Femi Kuti / Made Kuti - Legacy + (Stop The Hate/Foreward)

Two generations of the Fela Kuti legend work here back to back – in a double length set that features one full album from Fela's son, and another by his grandson! Femi is up first on a set titled Stop The Hate – full-on Afro Funk with plenty of message in the music – the older Kuti in the lead on vocals, trumpet, alto, and organ – getting superb backup from a full horn section over lots of heavy rhythms! At times, Femi almost seems as instrumentally great as Fela – and his vocals are often a bit more pointed, with a stronger global attempt to get the message out – on titles that include "As We Struggle Everyday", "Stop The Hate", "Land Grab", "Privatization", "Show Of Shame", "Young Boy Young Girl", and "You Can't Fight Corruption With Corruption". Made Kuti follows up in a similar spirit, but in a slightly different way – as the singer also handles all the other instrumentation on his set – almost coming across like a large Afro Funk ensemble by himself, thanks to the magic of the studio! Made plays drums, bass, guitars, keyboards, and tenor, alto, and baritone saxes – but you'd hardly think the album's a one man show, as the sound is full and rich – every bit the blend of heavy rhythms and politics as Femi's record. Titles include "Hymn", "Young Lady", "Different Streets", "Blood", "Your Enemy", "Free Your Mind", and "We Are Strong". ~ Dusty Groove

Calvin Keys - Shawn-Neeq

A stone classic on the Black Jazz label – and one of the most unique guitar albums ever! We're not sure what the title meant originally – but over the past few decades, it's come to stand for some heavy heavy guitar work from the legendary Calvin Keys – a record that's really stood the test of the time, continually rediscovered by new generations of diggers! Keys has a very unique touch here – a mix of open chords and tighter lines – beautifully wrapping up a history of soul jazz guitar that stretches back to the early 60s – then propelling things forward with loads of righteous 70s spiritual jazz energy. The set also features loads of sweet keyboards – played by Larry Nash, and mixed with flute and "hose-a-phone" from Owen Marshall – set to grooves from Lawrence Evans on bass and Bob Braye on drums. A stone classic from the Black Jazz label – and titles include "Gee Gee", "BK.", "BE", and "Shawn-Neeq".  ~ Dusty Groove

Nicola Conte & Gianluca Petrella : People Need People

Sixteen years after the release of “New Standards” (2001, SCEP336), Italian musicians and jazz revivalists Nicola Conte & Gianluca Petrella are back on Schema Records with a new album, ‘People Need People’. Since the beginning of their collaboration, Conte and Petrella’s goal was to maintain an open concept of sound influenced by a wide-ranging taste in music and their ability to realize collaborative projects with a mindful array of artists.

For the most part recorded in Puglia, Italy, ‘People Need People’ is the result of a constantly evolving research and artistic exchange, that has been able to cross borders during its development.

Sonically conceived as a collective creative experience drawing on Conte & Petrella’s early influences from soul, spiritual Afro-jazz, and research on modern electronic sounds, disco and hip-hop, the album’s 11 tracks feature a cosmopolitan ensemble of musicians including MC/poet Raashan Ahmad (USA), pianist & composer Nduduzo Makhathini (South Africa), multi-instrumentalist & composer Magnus Lindgren (Sweden), singer & educator Débo Ray (USA), singer, vocalist & songwriter Bridgette Amofah (Ghana/ England), percussionist Abdissa Assefa (Ethiopia/Finland), drummer & composer Teppo Mäkynen (Finland), vibraphonist Pasquale Mirra (Italy), percussionist & drummer Simone Padovani (Italy), and Italian rising stars such as singer & producer Davide Shorty, pianist & singer Carolina Bubbico, drummer & producer Tommaso Cappellato, pianist Seby Burgio, trumpeter Mirco Rubegni, and saxophonist Pasquale Calò.

New Music Releases: Izy, Caravela, Claire Chase

Izy - Irene 

Further Than You is the first single lifted from ‘Irene’ , the debut album by Melbourne raw neo-soul three piece Izy (pronounced eye-zee). Launching immediately into rich vocal harmonies reminiscent of D’angelo and a bassline that bounces in all the right places, the single is rhythmic with just the right amount of looseness. It makes you wonder - how do they do that? It’s just three young musicians killing it in a room. Guitarist and singer Ryo Montgomery sets the picture firmly in time with ‘Saturdays, are my sad days.’ calling back to a familiar routine for most of us post a breakup; too much drinking and partying to let off steam, teamed with a barrage of unhealthy and unproductive thoughts. This regular Saturday ceremony of loneliness and debauch forms the basis of No Further Than You, except this time make it bang!

Caravela - Mar Pretu

Caravela’s debut full length LP ‘ Orla’ is an intoxicating mix of Afro-Brazillian rhythms and contemporary London jazz drenched in modern psychedelic and progressive textures.The band’s deep and infectious grooves form the basis from which they can showcase their beautiful and mature songwriting craft. Lyrics touching on social and environmental issues in both Brazil and Cape Verde, as well as reflections on modern life, weave between the songs in Loubet’s native Portuguese. Initially inspired by a recent period of living in Bahia, Brazil, interacting and working with local musicians there, Caravela took that experience and melded it alongside their wide range of influences to deliver a stunning set of contemporary songs.Second single ‘Mar Pretu’ is a stunning experimental song highlighting the suffering in fishing villages caused by oil pollution at sea that affects both Brazil and Cape Verde, two countries that share an ocean as well as a deep connection, both spiritually and musically.‘Orla’ will be released February 2021 on None More Records

Claire Chase - Density 2036 (4CD set)

Mindblowing work on solo flute – done by a performer who's always captivated us in a live setting, but who really seems to knock things out of the park on this massively extended set! The title of the package is from a work by Edgard Varese for solo flute, first composed in 1936 – and an amazing showcase for the sense of subtle tones and textures that Varese brought to his music in the early part of the 20th Century. Chase takes off from that piece, and offers up compositions by sixteen composers, each of them a masterpiece – handled by Claire with a very organic approach to the sound, as things build up beautifully, in a very resonant way – on a variety of flutes that are occasionally augmented by a small bit of electronics. The spirit of the package is unique – and by the end of the whole thing, we actually find ourselves wishing that there were more than 4CDs – as Chase leaves us rapt throughout, moving through works composed by George Lewis, Pauline Oliveros, Jason Eckardt, Felipe Lara, Vijay Iyer, Tysawn Sorey, Marcos Balter, and others – plus a rendition of the original Varese work that inspired the whole project. ~ Dusty Groove

DAVE KOZ AND BRIAN MCKNIGHT “A ROMANTIC NIGHT IN,” A VALENTINE’S EVE LIVESTREAM CONCERT WITH SPECIAL GUEST SHELÉA

GRAMMY®-nominated saxophonist Dave Koz and R&B superstar vocalist Brian McKnight announce “A Romantic Night In,” a one-night-only livestream concert that will take place on Valentine’s Day Eve – Saturday, February 13 – beginning at 5 PM PST/8 PM EST via Looped. They will be joined by special guest Sheléa.

Dave Koz says, “Brian, Sheléa and I are so excited to provide the romantic soundtrack to your Valentine’s weekend celebration at home. Pour a glass of wine, dip some strawberries in chocolate...and leave it to us to provide the musical magic!”

Tickets for “A Romantic Night In” are on sale now at www.davekoz.com. Included in the ticket price will be an exclusive digital copy of the “A Romantic Night In” EP, a collection of Koz’s most romantic songs. VIP experiences, including exclusive one-on-one meet & greets, are also available. Concert venues that Koz has visited over the years are participating in bringing awareness to the show. 

The virtual event comes on the heels of Koz’s hugely successful 2020 livestream concerts. The first event celebrated the release of his latest album, A New Day, while the second, Dave Koz & Friends The Greatest Hits of Christmas 2020, featured Koz and an all-star line-up of guests performing holiday favorites.

Check out Koz’s performance of “A New Day” during the holiday livestream HERE Released exactly 30 years and one day after his self-titled debut album, A New Day is Koz’s 20th album overall and first full set of original material in 10 years (since Hello Tomorrow in 2010). The album, which was  conceived and recorded entirely under the umbrella of COVID-19, reached the No. 1 position on numerous jazz charts, including iTunes and Amazon.

Brian McKnight is featured on vocals on the album’s leadoff track, “Summertime in NYC.” View the official video for “Summertime in NYC” HERE. McKnight has released 15 albums to date, selling more than 25 million albums combined worldwide and earning 16 GRAMMY nominations. In addition to being a singer, songwriter and producer, he is a multi-instrumentalist who plays nine instruments. His many hit songs include “Love Is,” “One Last Cry,” “You Should Be Mine (Don’t Waste Your Time),” “Find Myself in You” and “Used to Be My Girl.”

Singer, songwriter, musician, producer and actress Sheléa blends traditional pop, jazz, R&B and soul, bringing a contemporary edge to classics, and a classic touch to contemporary pop standards. With years of making a name for herself as a vocal powerhouse, having performed twice at the White House; Library of Congress; Carnegie Hall; the Kennedy Center; and more, 2020 marked her acting debut as Dorinda Clark in “The Clark Sisters: The First Ladies of Gospel,” a Lifetime biopic that drew 2.7 million viewers.

 

New Music Releases: Biscondini Organ Trio, Compost Nu Jazz Selection Vol. 3 Silent Season : Jazzy Walk, Madeline Castrey

Biscondini Organ Trio - Lockdown

Ten grooving and “radio friendly” jazz, RnB, soul and rock tracks from Los Angeles supergroup Biscodini Organ Trio. The Hammond B3-guitar-drums format is among the most durable combo configurations in the music. But its elasticity was perhaps never tested as greatly as on the Biscodini Organ Trio’s remarkable new release Lockdown, which was recorded and co-produced remotely during the nationwide pandemic quarantine of 2020 by three gifted, versatile Los Angeles-based musicians. –Chris Morris // I’m not one to ever toot my own horn, but I’ll toot it for this band. This band is killing, and it stands up to anything that’s out there in this genre. –Anonymous Biscodini Band Member

Compost Nu Jazz Selection Vol. 3 Silent Season : Jazzy Walk (compiled and mixed by Art​-​D​-​Fact and Rupert and Mennert)

After releasing the well-received Compost Nu Jazz Selection Volume 1 (released November 2017) and Volume 2 (released July 2019), Art-D-Fact and Rupert & Mennert again join forces. The third Compost Nu Jazz Selection probably is the most diverse one so far. The track selection process was a pleasant ride through a lot of groundbreaking releases between 1999 and 2004. Selection #3 also contains some memorable tracks which were only released on vinyl by Compost Records, for example the wonderful Grand Unified VIP Mix of Joseph Malik's 'I Don't Want' and Steppah Huntah's energetic broken-beats creation 'Walk This Step'. The continuous mix of Compost Nu Jazz Selection Vol. 3 kicks of with the powerful multi-tempo remix by Quantic (Tru Thoughts label) for Kyoto Jazz Massive's 'The Brightness Of These Days'. With 'Corso' and 'Catalpa' Beanfield features with some true percussion-rich listening pearls. Both tracks were part of the classic 'Human Patterns' longplayer, released back in 1999.

Madeline Castrey - Love Myself Again

The idea for 'Love Myself Again' came whilst walking through the busy streets of London. In that moment I wished for everyone to feel unique and empowered; and that's what I hope this song achieves. It's about wanting to be appreciated at face value without having to change. After the year we've all been through, we all deserve this kind of empowerment, and I hope that this song inspires confidence and self- respect so that we can "love ourselves again!" ~ Madeline Castrey // Singer-songwriter Madeline Castrey is aiming to bring a new groove to modern jazz and soft pop. She started out as a classical musician and has a strong background in operatic and West End productions appearing in several shows across London and in various television productions. After deciding on a shift in style, she started to compose and perform my own music and have released 4 singles to date. Her new single ‘Love Myself Again’ (produced by The Animal Farm Music in London) combines velvety vocals with a jazzy groove and relatable lyrics in the hope of chasing away the winter blues to feel empowered.