Ray Gallon | "Make Your Move"

Pianist Ray Gallon’s debut recording, Make Your Move, certified, approved and endorsed by the legendary Ron Carter, who contributed the liner notes, comes to us after more than three decades of Gallon plying his trade on stages and in studios around the world with the crème-de-la-creme of jazz. The NYC native (born in 1958), and longtime professor (currently a full-time faculty member of the BFA Jazz Program at The City College of New York), finally leaps into the fray as a bandleader with a stellar debut, featuring his favorite trio of first-call drummer Kenny Washington (the “Jazz Maniac”) and the much sought-after mainstay on the scene, bassist David Wong (Roy Haynes, The Heath Brothers, Clark Terry, Illinois Jacquet, Benny Green, Eric Reed, Wynton Marsalis, and many others). The exemplary trio is comprised of artists all born and raised in New York City! 

Ray Gallon’s impressive CV does not indicate an artist “of the tradition,” or “from the tradition”, but rather an artist who embodies the tradition, one who is a modern-day, current, active jazz artist of the highest order. It includes appearances and recordings with the likes of Ron Carter, Lionel Hampton, Art Farmer, T.S. Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Milt Jackson, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Wycliffe Gordon, Les Paul, Benny Golson, Frank Wess, Lew Tabackin George Adams, and The Mingus Big Band. Gallon has also been called upon to accompany many vocal greats (often indicative of a pianist’s elevated musicianship), including Jon Hendricks, Sheila Jordan, Grady Tate, Nnenna Freelon, Gloria Lynne, Dakota Staton, Joe Williams, Chaka Khan, Jane Monheit and others. 

So, the looming question is, why now? What took Gallon so long to unleash his debut? “I needed to feel ready - that I had something special to offer, with a personal identity and a refined concept in terms of my playing, repertoire, and overall trio conception, all while being steeped in the classic tradition of swing and blues. What struck me most when I was coming up, spending countless nights at the Village Vanguard, Sweet Basil, and Bradley’s, seeing/hearing Hank Jones, Tommy Flanagan, Cedar Walton, Kenny Barron, Ahmad Jamal, Bill Evans, Jimmy Rowles, Steve Kuhn (and many other masters), was how they each sounded uniquely original while remaining grounded in the tradition. These values were also instilled in me by my teachers, John Lewis, Jaki Byard and Hank Jones – who all stressed the importance of ‘finding your own voice’,” explains Gallon. 

Also, simply put, Gallon has been busy working, fully engaged for the first fifteen years of his career as a valued sideman in studios and stages around the globe. This was followed by a period of forced retreat from the scene while he faced, battled, and recovered from colon cancer, while, at the same time, caring for his parents, both of whom were slowly succumbing to long term terminal illnesses. For the past 10 years, he’s finally had the chance to work steadily as a leader, doing countless gigs in local clubs, and having the opportunity to develop and fine-tune his personal, and trio, conception.

“With Make Your Move, everything came together just at the right time. I knew I wanted my first album to be in a trio setting, and I always had it in the back of my mind to do an album with David and Kenny, two dear friends who happen to make for a dream-team of a rhythm section. I’ve been playing regularly with David now for well over a decade - aside from being such a wonderful, special player (both as an accompanist and a soloist) with a great sound, he knows my music inside & out. I continually have to remind him that it’s bad etiquette to play better solos than the bandleader! It was very special for me to be able to do my first album with Kenny. Though I had not previously played in a trio setting with him, Kenny played a huge role in my early musical development, dating way back to when we first met as teenagers just out of high school. I had recently discovered (and become obsessed with) jazz and was working in the jazz aisle at J&R Records where Kenny was a regular customer; we’d hang for hours talking music, as he schooled me on who was who and what was what - even at that young age, Kenny already possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of jazz recordings! One of the key reasons for Kenny’s preeminence as a drummer is his remarkable arrangement-oriented concept; his ability to bring every detail to light. This is exactly what he did with my music, even though he was playing it all for the first time,” says Gallon. 

Some of the music on Make Your Move has been in Gallon’s book for a while, evolving and growing over the years in the process of Gallon honing in on the finer details, and bringing them to their full realization. While other compositions came out fully formed and ready to go!:  

Kitty Paws – While playing for one of Sheila Jordan’s vocal workshops at City College, on a break, “I started fooling around with the chords of a standard song one of the singers had just performed, ‘The Song Has Ended but the Memory Lingers On,’ and out popped this playful melody that seemed to have the vibe of a tap-dancing feline,” says Gallon. 

Out of Whack – An off-kilter Gallon composition that has alternating time feels and sections of uneven lengths (4+8+4+7 bars).  

Craw Daddy – Gallon sees this composition as, “a modern take on an old-time blues; something that sounds both new and old at the same time. The title just seemed to capture this feeling.” “Craw Daddy” was previously recorded by T.S. Monk on his album Higher Ground (featuring Ray Gallon). 

Harm’s Way – Aptly titled for the challenging up-tempo of the piece, and also because Gallon based the composition on the harmonic minor scale. 

Back to the Wall – A play on words from a fond memory in Gallon’s life. He explained, “Academy Records, near Union Square, had this wall of super discounted CDs – I was hooked, regularly going ‘back to the wall’ to load up on gems of jazz and classical you could find amongst the flotsam and jetsam”. As for the composition, Gallon says, “While my tunes are generally melody-driven, they tend to include written-out bass figures and rhythmic hits that are structural parts of the compositional fabric – this reflects my love of Horace Silver and the way his compositions often include fully integrated rhythm section parts.” 

I Don’t Stand a Ghost of a Chance – “I love playing standard songs, particularly those I feel I can offer a personalized interpretation of. This arrangement includes moving bass figures and rhythmic hits within the context of a slow, spacious ballad. I originally conceived of this as a slow bossa, but, over the years, it evolved into what you hear on the record,” states Gallon. 

That’s the Question – An early composition of Gallon’s, based on “Getting Sentimental Over You,” with some variation to the song’s chord progression. It’s a nod to bebop and a lot of fun for Gallon and Co. to play on gigs as a set opener or closer. It was first recorded by the Harper Brothers on their album You Can Hide Inside the Music. There is also a vocal version entitled, "I'm Running Late," with lyrics by Angela Verbrugge, on her album, The Night We Couldn't Say Good Night. 

Hank’s A Lot – “Of all the great pianists I got the see play live, no one influenced me more than Hank Jones. I used to follow him around from gig to gig as if I were the president of his fan club. I especially loved when he played at Knickerbocker, where I could lean on the railing behind the piano for hours, looking over his shoulders, watching his hands, trying to “cop” as much as I could. One of the highlights of my student years was receiving an NEA grant to study with Mr. Jones privately. When I wrote this tune, it reminded me so much of him, it seemed only fitting to offer it as a dedication (and a huge “’Hank you”) to one of my true musical heroes,” says Gallon. 

Yesterdays – Ahmad Jamal, upon hearing Gallon’s rendition of this Jerome Kern classic, enthusiastically responded to this tip-of-the-hat to Art Tatum (see Jamal’s quote above). Gallon commented, “while I in no way intended to emulate Tatum directly (I couldn’t if I tried!), I was inspired to utilize a few of his devices – the way he transitions from rubato into a spirited tempo through an ostinato bass line, his remarkably dissonant voicings, and that little riff he plays to signal the end of each chorus. Mr. Jamal recognized these references right away and, so far, he’s the only one who’s noticed!.”

Plus One – A contrafact based on Fat’s Waller’s “Honeysuckle Rose,” this original is filled with breaks and rhythmic hits, and offers the familiar chord progression with a bit of a twist. 

Make Your Move – Of the title track, Gallon says, “I’m particularly proud of how this piece balances a sunny, accessible melody with a harmonic structure and phrasing full of twists and turns. Whenever I see drummer Quincy Davis, he always requests this one. Nothing means more to me than the support of fellow musicians I respect and admire”.  

John Coltrane | "A Love Supreme Live In Seattle"

After nearly six decades, a private recording of a rare, nightclub performance by John Coltrane of his magnum opus, A Love Supreme, is set for commercial release. Recorded in late 1965 on the culminating evening of a historic week-long run at The Penthouse in Seattle, A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle is a musical revelation of historic importance, capturing Coltrane as he began to expand his classic quartet-adding Pharoah Sanders on second saxophone and Donald Garrett on second bass-and catapulting him into the intense, spiritually focused final phase of his career. Today, you can listen to A Love Supreme, Part IV – Psalm, watch the visualizer here https://JohnColtrane.lnk.to/ALSPIV. The full album A Love Supreme Live in Seattle is for release October 8, on Impulse! Records/UMe.

The significance of A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle is heightened by the fact that Coltrane seldom performed his four-part suite after originally recording it in the studio in 1964. Composed and created as a public declaration of his personal spiritual beliefs and universalist sentiment, it became a best-seller and received a GRAMMY nod the next year. For more than six decades, it seemed the only recorded public performance of A Love Supreme took place at a French festival at Juan-Les-Pains in July 1965 and was released almost twenty years ago. The tape reels containing this performance from October 1965 sat in the private collection of Seattle saxophonist and educator Joe Brazil, heard by a few fortunate musicians and friends-and largely unknown until now.

A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle is a fascinating and rare performance of the full suite, marked by a looser and more improvisational approach, and a overriding sense of communal participation-much like a Sunday church service; the lineup featured John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders on saxophones, McCoy Tyner on piano, Elvin Jones on drums, and Jimmy Garrison and Donald (Rafael) Garrett on basses. Carlos Ward, then a young saxophonist just getting started on the scene, sat in as well. 

As music historian Ashley Kahn puts it in the liner notes, A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle "offers the first evidence of the master of spiritual expression performing his signature work in the close confines of a jazz club…on October 2, 1965, a Saturday, in Seattle, the necessary elements were in alignment: music, players, venue, a spirit of connection, a certain political charge. Coltrane chose to perform it, and significantly, the moment was recorded."

Kahn's extensive liner notes tell the story of A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle not only through the words of the musicians themselves, but also through a number of witnesses whose lives were changed by Coltrane's visit to Seattle in 1965 (his sole visit to the city as a leader), including Brazil, Ward, and bassist David Friesen, who states: "I've always pursued the spiritual aspect of the music and I still do. I remember sitting with Coltrane during one break that week and…what touched me was the way he treated other people. He showed mercy and kindness to people from what I could see around me for the week that I was there."

The music on A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle was recorded with a two-microphone set-up onstage, connected to an Ampex reel-to-reel machine, and the only copies of the tapes were well cared for, yielding a remarkably clear and distortion-free recording. "What's remarkable is that tapes from this era often suffer over the years from heat or moisture damage, or simply being stacked horizontally," writes engineer Kevin Reeves who produced this release. "However, these tapes are in excellent condition… and the results are among the best amateur recordings of John Coltrane we've had the pleasure to work on."

The story of the A Love Supreme suite is the story of John Coltrane-his musical journey, and his spiritual path. It has become one of the most celebrated and influential recordings to come out of the jazz canon, revered and studied by musicians far beyond the jazz realm. Rolling Stone magazine consistently lists it among the top albums of all time. "Of his many musical creations, Coltrane looked upon A Love Supreme in a very special light," Kahn notes in the liner notes to A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle. "He called A Love Supreme a ‘humble offering to the Divine; no other composition or recording was similarly offered nor did he append his signature to any other work. A Love Supreme was as much an individual testament as it was a public statement-a sermon of universalist belief." A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle now expands the story of both a great musician and a timeless piece of music. 

Recorded by Joe Brazil at The Penthouse, Seattle WA

Restored and Mastered by Kevin Reeves at East Iris Studios, Nashville, TN 

The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong All Stars | "A Gift to Pops"

While New Orleans native Louis Armstrong passed away in 1971 at the age of 69, today his legacy as the kingpin of jazz continues to grow. The most significant example of this is the ensemble The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong All Stars, comprised largely of top-of-the-line Crescent City musicians paying tribute to him with the brilliant album A Gift to Pops. The inventive re-envisioning of music associated with the trumpeter/vocalist during his five-decade career features new arrangements and new performances of stalwart tunes ranging from the “The Peanut Vendor” (recorded by him in 1930) to “What a Wonderful World” (recorded in 1968 and the most successful tune of his career). Special guests include Wynton Marsalis and Common. 

“We decided to make a recording that captures the essence of Pops,” says co-producer Wycliffe Gordon, who is well-versed in the music but is the only member of the band not born in New Orleans. “We wanted to perform the music the way he might have played it if he were still alive. We all had ideas for how to pull this off, by including songs influenced by gospel, the blues, the traditional brass band sounds, popular music and rap.” 

In the liner notes, impresario George Wein wrote: “With this recording, this music of Louis Armstrong demonstrates how he created the language of jazz and influenced all the music that followed—from swing to bebop and even to rap, as demonstrated by Common. But there’s one thing for sure: This band and record demonstrate that there was nothing common about Louis Armstrong.”  

The project emanated in 2018 by the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation through the recommendation of Jackie Harris, executive director of LAEF, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the New York organization founded in 1969 by Louis and his wife Lucille “to give back to the world some of the goodness he received.” Harris says the recording was a team effort started by the Foundation and the wonderful musicians who appear on this recording.  

“We wanted to make this recording of the major 20th century artist who instructs and intersects with artists of the 21st century,” says Harris. “All the musicians we asked to participate, even Wynton and Common, were honored to be a part of this. Each artist had a say on the music. We allowed all the musicians to put their own signatures on the songs.” 

Harris notes that the 50th anniversary is a tad late, but other factors interceded, including the difficulty of recording during the pandemic and some artists living in different cities around the country and contributing in different studios.  

Nicholas Payton, who arranged seven of the songs, plays emotive and thrilling trumpet with engaging solos throughout, including on his own arrangements such as the swinging, party-like rendering of “Strutting with Some Barbeque,” the lyrical, bluesy “A Kiss to Dream On,” and the playful “I’ll Be Glad When You’re Dead,” with the devilish vocals by Gordon, drummer Herlin Riley and bassist Reginald Veal. 

Payton takes the lead vocals on his modern arrangement of Fats Waller’s “Black and Blue,” a tune about racial consciousness and prejudice, that starts out wild and frantic before the bass and drums take it into an R&B-flavored groove. In the midst of the tune, Common delivers his rap poetry on the theme that includes lines such as, “Went through black and blue for the bright day,” and “My school of thought is black openness/To define and redefine what the culture is.”  

Wycliffe comments: “Common added a different spin to the tune. It seemed like things we had talked about as a country had changed, but they didn’t, which is why this is important.” Harris adds: “We’re hoping Common will draw young people into Louis Armstrong. We’re out to make changes.”  

Arrangements are also offered by Gordon on “Up a Lazy River” with his and Riley’s vocals; Veal’s “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” gospel hymn; pianist Davell Crawford diving into the blues by singing “Rockin’ Chair” by Hoagy Carmichael; and Riley’s percussion-spiced, festive take on “The Peanut Vendor,” where he sings with a gravelly voice and Marsalis joins in on the fun with an extended solo. 

"Louis Armstrong’s singing, playing and his interpretations illuminate timeless human fundamentals,” Marsalis says. “His grace, eloquence, intelligence and naturalness are still showing us how to play and what playing means. Rightfully beloved across the world, he embodied what is best about America. In these trying times, his music and memory are the perfect inspiration for us to rise up and be the very best of ourselves as artists, citizens and as people.” 

The band also features trumpeters Ashlin Parker and Wendell Brunious, tenor saxophonist Roderick Paulin, pianist Courtney Bryan, banjo player Don Vappie, vocalists Niki Haris and Menia Chester, and guitarist Derwin “Big D” Perkins in a special guest cameo on “Black and Blue.” 

Pops himself stars in the bookends of the album. The CD version opens with a take on “When It’s Sleepy Time Down South” with Pops in his charismatic mode of trumpeting and singing with his sextet. It was recorded in 1964 in Sparks, Nevada and had been discovered on a tape in Louis’ personal collection a couple of years ago. It is now part of the Louis Armstrong House Museum. The album closes with a short, taped excerpt of him expounding in conversation on “Philosophy of Life.”  

Wein weighs in on this compelling collection in his liners: “After listening to A Gift to Pops performed by The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong All Stars and produced collectively by Wycliffe Gordon, Jackie Harris and Nicholas Payton, I am happy to advise the true Louis Armstrong fan that his music is alive and well with this fascinating group of New Orleans musicians.”:

Founded by Louis and Lucille Armstrong in 1969, the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation funds organizations that support jazz musicians, educators, and students. Mr. Armstrong, iconic trumpeter and singer, is the foundation of jazz and of American musical virtuosity in the 20th Century. His earliest recordings taught musicians how to improvise and sing jazz, blues, the American Popular Song and all styles of American vernacular music. His discoveries gave listeners around the world a new way to experience music, and his way of “being natural” in public created another understanding of what it meant to be human. Pops, his nickname which was also the name he called everyone, was a man of the people and all walks of life were given a seat of welcome at his and Lucille’s table. In addition to his legendary artistry, he established this foundation to ensure that future generations would be taught to play and appreciate the art of jazz.  

From 1943 to the end of his life, Mr. Armstrong was a resident of Corona, Queens, where he enjoyed traveling across the New York boroughs performing and listening to music.

June Garber | "Off The Carousel"

Dynamic, soulful jazz vocalist June Garber presents her fourth studio album, “Off the Carousel”. A masterful interpreter of standards, June has chosen some of her very favourite compositions that reflect upon her life’s ride thus far, on roads both rough and smooth.

With a performance career spanning more than four decades, June Garber is established as one of Canada’s leading jazz vocalists. What is less known is that her career as a jazz vocalist is only half her story.

June began her singing career soon after arriving in Canada from her native South Africa in 1975, joining a Toronto-based band as a back-up singer. She later formed her own 8-piece band, self-producing shows that were primarily contemporary songs but also included songs from the South African musical, Ipi Tombi. The band enjoyed huge success with long engagements in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and Toronto, as well as single performances in cities across Canada and the U.S. Seeking a break from the rigours of touring, June later turned to the stage, her other love, acting with leading theatre companies and some of Canada’s best actors.

After a long hiatus for personal reasons that began in the late 80s, June began to sing jazz in 2003 and soon established herself as a much-loved and accomplished jazz vocalist in Toronto. Her first two albums, Smile (2005) and Here’s to You (2008) featured jazz standards backed by some of Canada’s finest musicians.

In 2016, she released This I Know, an album weaving a tapestry of emotions – love, joy, pain, sadness – presented in rarely done jazz songs and two original pieces. A touch of South African jazz and street music harkens back to the land of June’s birth.

In September 2021, June will release her fourth album – Off the Carousel. Her new album will be an interpretation of tunes, some known and others not so familiar, that reflect on her life’s journey on roads both rough and smooth. With this album, June shows her versatility – perhaps a glance back to her early singing career – with a track list that does not confine itself to the jazz genre.

June has toured and performed as a singer in major centres in Canada and the United States and in Cuba, the Caribbean, Mexico, South Africa and Australia. She has performed at jazz festivals throughout North America and with big bands in Toronto and Sarasota, Florida.

Every song that she chooses to sing connects to a base truth within – so there is never any artifice. Her voice reflects each emotional shift that the writer intended, whether swinging with an up-tempo jazz song or telling a story with a soulful ballad. The stagecraft she learned in her earlier career as an actor is still evident in her singing performances today.

Of course, that’s the miracle of June Garber; her instinct for capturing and delivering the details of a story and the nuances of emotions – the combination of sensuous luxury, effortless precision, characterful interpretation and the warmth of empathy. – Raul DaGama

Lineup Announced for 2023 Return of Blue Note At Sea

That definition well describes the unique and powerful mix of music performed on Blue Note at Sea, a seven-day cruise produced by Jazz Cruises in partnership with Blue Note Records and The Blue Note Jazz Clubs. After going on a short hiatus due to scheduling issues around the pandemic, Blue Note at Sea returns to sail again in 2023 and will feature a diverse lineup of dozens of stellar artists performing more than 100 hours of live music. Blue Note at Sea ‘23 departs from Ft. Lauderdale on the m/s Celebrity Millennium on January 13-20, 2023, with Ports of Call to be announced.

Multi-GRAMMY Award winners Marcus Miller, Robert Glasper and Don Was serve as hosts for the onboard festivities alongside headliners Chris Botti, Christian McBride, Sheila E., Cécile McLorin Salvant, Brad Mehldau, Christian Scott and The Baylor Project. Featured Performers on Blue Note at Sea ’23 include Cyrille Aimée, Emmet Cohen, Veronica Swift, Julian Lage, Gerald Clayton, Avery Sunshine, Jamison Ross, Derrick Hodge and many more. Saxophonist Eric Marienthal serves as the music director, with Alonzo Bodden as the comic-in-residence.

Performances take place at six venues on the ship, including the main dining room, The Metropolitan Restaurant, which is turned into a top-flight jazz club each night during the week. All venues feature the highest quality of production and sound. In addition to multiple concerts by the headliners in the Celebrity Theatre, there will be numerous performances by the artists throughout the ship in a variety of collaborative configurations, many never seen anywhere else. Shows and events go from around the late morning until the wee hours, when guests can enjoy late-night jam sessions or DJ sets.

“I have hosted cruise programs for Jazz Cruises for nearly a decade now,” says Marcus Miller, Blue Note at Sea host and headliner. “We have traveled the world bringing great music to wonderful fans, but there is something special, something different about Blue Note at Sea. In terms of its music content, it is as pure as it gets.”

Blue Note at Sea is a highly immersive experience designed to satisfy any avid music fan. Because the ship is chartered by Jazz Cruises, the programming is totally dedicated to the music. Guests can participate in artist interviews, experience meet-and-greet opportunities and engage in a wide range of special events with the musicians—from Wine Tasting to Cigars Under the Stars to Martini Hour, and even a pick-up basketball game organized by Glasper (who hit the game-winning shot during the last sailing!). It all adds up to quite a hang. And an experience unmatched by any festival on land. A cruise where Great Music is the Only Rule.

2023 will mark the fifth sailing of Blue Note at Sea, which is the product of an unprecedented partnership between three major players in the music community: The Blue Note Jazz Clubs, Blue Note Records and Jazz Cruises.

“Blue Note at Sea is the only cruise program Jazz Cruises produces where there are active participants in the programming outside of our organization,” says Michael Lazaroff, Executive Director of Jazz Cruises. “The expertise and insights that Don Was (Blue Note Records) and Steven Bensusan (Blue Note Jazz Clubs) provide are amazing. Each has devoted his life to this music and it shows. The team at Jazz Cruises makes it all come together.”

Blue Note at Sea is one of three jazz cruise programs produced by Jazz Cruises, acting as a link between The Jazz Cruise with its focus on mainstream jazz and the two annual sailings of The Smooth Jazz Cruise.

“The quality of the musicians alone makes Blue Note at Sea special,” says Don Was, GRAMMY winner and President of Blue Note Records. “But the cruise is more than just great music. Each element of the cruise is way cool, but when you put them together, it is magic. I am proud to be a part of this project.”

A list of the past performers on Blue Note at Sea reads like a who’s who of today’s jazz scene: Wynton Marsalis, Pat Metheny, Gregory Porter, Dianne Reeves, Chick Corea, David Sanborn, Kamasi Washington, Melody Gardot, Chucho Valdés, Charles Lloyd, Maceo Parker and many more. 

Real Side Records presents Soul On The Real Side # 12 – Various Artists

The architects of soul are back with a stunning new 20-track Summer 2021 collection and, incredibly, almost half are new to CD.

The show opens with the first of the new-to-CD tracks, the seldom heard “I Need Love” by East Coast disco/funk band Daybreak. The sophisticated New Jersey 45 was originally played at Wigan Casino by Richard Searling shortly after release (covered up as “Search The World” and attributed to Tyrone Davis). It has since become one of the most cherished and in-demand of all Modern Soul records.

Track 2 sees the debut reissue of an obscure Philadelphia disc, “American Girl”, by Roscoe Thomas. Our sincere thanks go to label boss Frank Fioravanti, who provided this superb Latin-tinged crossover delight plus a further 5 Sound Gems. The rarest on the label is Billy Harner’s 1976 “I Got It From Heaven” (trk. 11), another Wigan Casino exclusive for DJ Richard Searling.

A special mention must go to Gean West’s Relatives, who make a guest appearance (trk. 5) with their emotive re-invention of the 1976 release “This World Is Moving Too Fast”. During recording Gean fell into a coma and passed away before the album was released, leaving us with this breathtaking and poignant legacy.

Our thanks also go to all at Mainstream Records, who, once again, supply a handful of class Seventies sides, including Sugar Billy’s original version of “Super Duper Love” (trk. 15), popularised by Joss Stone in more recent times, plus, of course, Almeta Lattimore’s timeless classic (trk. 7)

https://www.firstexperience.com.

Good Good Feeling! More Motown Girls

The latest collection of 60s Motown magic from the company’s stable of fabulous female talent features many tracks previously available only as digital downloads, and six unreleased in any format. Here’s series mastermind Keith Hughes with some background on those six exclusive unissued titles:

We lead off with ‘This Love I’ve Got’, a great belter originally assigned to Ivy Jo Hunter. His version hasn’t survived (if it was ever cut) but Martha & the Vandellas’ ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­recording is sensational. The key changes are all “apparent”, edging the song upwards to keep the dance floor lively: the track fades in the same key in which it started.

After two singles on VIP, the Lewis Sisters’ recording career with Motown was effectively over, but they continued writing and cutting demos for the company; ‘My World Is Crumbling’ was their penultimate effort. Theirs is the original version of a track now known as a Brenda Holloway classic, thanks to the appearance of her recording on the popular “A Cellarful Of Motownǃ” CD series.

‘Good Good Feeling’ is possibly the last of Brenda Holloway’s 100-plus Motown recordings, about three quarters of which languished in the vaults until relatively recent times. It’s clearly unfinished – strings are shown on the recording sheet, yet are not present on the tape – but nonetheless Brenda gives it her best. Following some anguish over her tracks being passed over so many times, she left the company in 1968 to concentrate on married life.

Mississippi-born blues singer Hattie Littles recorded over 40 sides for Motown, almost all of which were unissued at the time. Although she had only one release, she was a fixture at the company between 1962 and 1964, touring with the Spinners and Marvin Gaye when not busy recording. ‘When I Was In School’ is from the pen of Earl Johnson.

Singing actress Barbara McNair had been with Motown for nearly three years when she cut the only known version of ‘Watching A Plane In The Sky’, an early Tom Baird song. Her time there was coming to an end: she had released two long-players and four singles, but hadn’t scored a hit, and her film career was beginning to take off. She would soon star as Sidney Poitier’s wife in They Call Me Mr Tibbs!, and movie roles don’t come much higher profile than that.

‘In The Neighborhood’, here by Connie Haines, was recorded by numerous Motown artists (sometimes with the alternate ‘On The Avenue’ lyrics) although not released by any of them at the time. Connie joined the company in 1965; she stayed for less than a year, releasing only one single, but did have the distinction of being the first to record ‘For Once In My Life’, one of the company’s most covered songs.

https://www.firstexperience.com

Tom Moulton | "Spring Event"

It’s June 2020 and I’m on a video call with Tom Moulton. We’re in the middle of a worldwide pandemic but life for Tom Moulton hasn’t particularly changed a great deal. He’s effectively been in self-isolation for most of his life wedded to the two things he likes most in life, namely, music and cats.

I’ve known Tom for almost 50 years. The first 20 of those years were spent listening to Tom’s mixes, and I listened to everything he did (including all the un-credited stuff) and quickly realised he was the master. I wore all those 70s Trammps albums out very quickly. The dynamic on all those mixes was really off the scale. I eventually met Tom when I did Salsoul Mastercuts in the early 90s. Little did I realise I’d be working with the guy forevermore.

Over the last 30 years I’ve been fortunate enough to work with him on a variety of projects and all of them were fantastic experiences. Tom’s what I call an original creative and the whole art of mixing is a very emotional thing for him. It made for some long conversations. We fall out all the time but I’m always there for him and he’s always there for me. It’s one of those annoying Master-Servant relationships. Plus I always need access to his archives.

Anyway Tom got access to the Spring/Event vaults and then started working. This project started almost four years ago and, typically in this day and age, went through a number of mutations and delays. We’re lucky it’s finally here.

I still listen to everything that Tom does. These mixes bring out aspects of the songs that I never properly listened to before and, in a couple of cases, had never even heard. Thus is the art of the creative remixer.

It’s been particularly poignant talking to Tom throughout this pandemic. Tom is really the last survivor of his type. A master-craftsman using 80 years of skill and knowledge and who is every bit as passionate today, surrounded by his cats and computers, as he was in the 60s, surrounded by a coterie of young and adoring music fans.

Nothing’s changed. He’s already looking at Volume 2. Enjoy!

Track By Track Guide:

Spanish Hustle -The Fatback Band 9.55 – 1975

Arms had to be twisted and credible threats made to include this amazing instrumental in this package. Since the vocal version was being readied for a 12″ release along with “(Are You Ready) Do The Bus Stop”, the instrumental which Tom ran off was considered surplus to requirements until the handful of people who heard it insisted that it be made available. People power. And is it any wonder why! “Spanish Hustle” was the biggest of the Fatback Band’s run of mid 1970s hits, eventually reaching No.12 on the U.S. RnB charts in March of 1976. However, no one has ever heard this version. Quite simply the sheer scope of what can be achieved with the right multi-track and the right ears is staggering.  Four minutes longer than the original 12″ version, Tom’s mix is quite simply a peak hour banger that will turn legs and co-ordination into putty if heard over a great system. Take a deep breath and a strong scotch before listening. You have been warned.

No One Else Will Do -Ronnie Walker 7.39 – 1974

In 1974 Event Records must have been watching their Philadelphia counterparts reap gold from the explosion of ‘The Philly Sound’. Synonymous with that explosion was long-time veteran writer, producer and orchestra leader, Vincent Montana Jr. So Event swooped in and got Vincent’s services before the emerging Salsoul Records would eventually monopolise him. “No One Else Will Do” is the stunning flip to the topside, “You’ve Got To Try Harder (Times Are Bad)”. That “No One Will Do” has lain idle for the last 46 years is no surprise. The record only seemed to get traction in the UK at the time, with many people (myself included) completely ignoring the B side. Big mistake! Here Tom has all his favourite elements to work with – Ronnie and Vince’s sterling song and production that he has now extended to a far more feasible 7.39. This track is one of the biggest surprises of the package and another example of what Tom can produce with gems he manages to find.

Tom The Peeper – Act One 5.14 – 1973

Act One’s “Tom The Peeper” is actually one of the better-known tracks within this project, at least in the UK. “Tom The Peeper” became a surprise club hit in London and various Funk clubs throughout the UK in 1974. In fact it was even re-issued again in 1976. It’s one of those infectious Raeford Gerald songs with a battleaxe of a Funk riff running right through it. This is now put in full effect by Tom’s pile-driving never-let-up remix, which extends the song to a dance-floor friendly 5.14. The original U.S. 7″ copy of this calls the 2.16 version a ‘Longer Version’ without any sense of irony. It somewhat surprised me when Tom sent this over. The old boy can still groove on funk in his eighth decade. Once a funker, always a funker I guess.

Baby, You Got It All – Street People 5.33 – 1974

Most people would be aware of the Street People via their fantastic album on Vigor Records from 1976, which yielded several U.S. RnB Chart hits over 1976-77. However 2 years before that they released their debut 45 on Spring – the sprightly “I Wanna Get Over”, backed with a slice of magic called “Baby, You Got It All”, this great Ray Dahrouge song which benefits from a superb arrangement from 60s veteran Joe Renzetti. Naturally Tom took one listen to the strings and those gorgeous vocals and once again gave them room to work to best effect. It’s lucky he did. This is not the kind of record that remixers generally head towards but once Tom gets on a mission, who can possibly stop him? Listen and learn.

Going Through These Changes – Joe Simon 8.01 – 1978

Another Joe Simon track rescued from the vaults by Tom is the incredible “Going Through These Changes”.  This great Phillip Mitchell song gets ‘The Harris Machine’ treatment with a great Leon Mitchell arrangement. Surprisingly the only 12″ version released was promo-only and, despite a decent Joe Simon, Gerald Raeford and Michael Barbiero mix, the song got crowded out at the time. It was only ever released in the U.S. and Italy and is relatively unknown generally, all of which makes it ripe for the Tom Moulton remedy. As with everything else on this package, the song finally has a chance to breathe and exhale. There is simply no way that Moulton will allow any nuance of the full recording to escape his attention. And it doesn’t. I can see this mix getting a lot of attention in Soul and Dance circles. It may as well be a new release ‘cos no one has heard this 8.01 minutes of Soul perfection before.

Breakaway – Millie Jackson 9.09 – 1973

Millie Jackson’s “Breakaway” was the fifth Top 20 U.S. RnB hit in a row for the estimable Ms Jackson, reaching No.16 in April 1973. Her run of great singles throughout the 1970s inevitably meant that some of her earlier works got forgotten or overlooked by us mere mortals. Typically this is the kind of stuff that Tom excels at. He likes to confound expectations by digging out tracks like “Breakaway” and then blowing people’s minds when they listen to his version. Mind duly blown. Tom has virtually tripled the running time from the original 45 release time of 2.53 to a gargantuan 9.09. Such is the power of the main riff, that “Breakaway” could almost be a female version of Edwin Starr’s “War” – it’s that powerful. Should absolutely come with a health warning when experienced over a loud system. Quite simply a monster of a mix.

Love Vibration  – Joe Simon 9.53 – 1978

Trust the eagle eyes and basic instinct of Tom Moulton to track down the multi-tracks to virtually anything in which Philly maestro Norman Harris was involved. In 1978 Spring had the thorny problem of trying to align veteran Soul man Joe Simon with Disco. Not an easy task. Mind you they’d done it before with Joe when they teamed him up with Gamble & Huff earlier in the decade, so they sent Joe to Philadelphia again and put him in the hands of ‘The Harris Machine’. Tom’s remix stretches the original 5.05 version to almost double the length and finally allows the song to breathe and stretch comfortably. Exactly the right approach for a song called “Love Vibration”.

Don’t Send Nobody Else – Millie Jackson 7.08 – 1973

Many people will know this fantastic Ashford & Simpson song from Ace Spectrum’s 1974 version,, which became a hit on the UK’s Modern Soul scene in the early 1990s. However Millie Jackson’s version from the year before lay dormant until the 2000s when some enterprising UK DJs started playing it. Timely as ever, Tom found the multi-track and has transformed this original Brad Shapiro produced 3.22 album track into a 7.08 length tour-de-force which is perfect for today’s dance floors. Tom completely enhances Mike Lewis’s string arrangements to new heights making this 1973 Southern U.S. production sound every bit as good as its better known rivals from later years. Ashford & Simpson would be proud.

You’ve Got To Try Harder (Time Are Bad) – Ronnie Walker 7.14 – 1974

The late great Ronnie Walker had a tight little fan base in the UK’s Northern Soul scene and his 1968 release, “You’re The One”, which was actually re-pressed by Phillips due to UK demand. So when “You’ve Got To Try Harder (Times Are Bad)” came into the UK on 7″ import, lots of us jumped on it and the record became a staple of the newly emerging Modern Soul scene. Produced and written by Ronnie and Vincent Montana Jr, three minutes seemed incredibly short for a record with such great instrumentation and Vince’s sublime arrangement. It’s no wonder that Tom’s heartbeat quickened when he got hold of the multi-track to this! The track has now been beautifully extended to a lush 7.14 and now has the space to incorporate all that incredible musicianship from most of M.F.S.B. at their finest. This track (along with “No One Else Will Do” featured above) should give a whole new lease of life to these vintage Philly Recordings. We’ve just been blessed.

Friends Or Lovers – Act One  4.34 – 1972 

It may surprise a lot of people, especially in the UK, but Act One’s “Tom The Peeper” was not a hit in the U.S. Their biggest hit was “Friends And Lovers”, a gorgeous Gerald Raeford song and production which edged the song into the U.S. RnB Top 30 in February 1974. The fact that it’s a ballad will have made little difference to Tom’s motive for mixing it. He hears most records in a different way from the rest of us and has spent most of his life searching for those special nuances in a song that will generally go above most people’s heads. Such is the case with “Friends And Lovers”. Just one listen to the orchestration and production would have marked this song as a Tom Moulton target. To those of us who have been lucky enough to visit the master in his apartment, it’s easy to envisage Tom working on this long into the night completely immersed in the sheer majesty of this song with only those cats of his to bear witness. A Moulton masterpiece. Should be savoured like fine wine. 

www.firstexperience.com

David Ornette Cherry | "Parallel Experience"

The new album by ‘Cosmic Nomad’ David Ornette Cherry following his father’s tradition, the legendary, innovative jazz trumpeter and composer, Don Cherry. This a mosaic of healing soundscapes blending spiritual jazz, leftfield electronica, Eastern & native, indigenous sounds into musical parallels that transport the listener through doorways of ancient pathways to futurist crossroads. 

David Ornette Cherry talks about his vision: “When I started my musical journey, my father, Don Cherry, took me under his wings. “To be an Artist/ Musician is a commitment, you must learn the music… own the music you create... and give it back. You must have a vision.” 

In my world, the piano, the keyboard, sounds of nature and numerous instruments of traditional peoples and those who reside in urban society, touch and effect each other with a calming and symbiotic fervour. I compose with the idea that all exist in a world of harmonies which mirror life evolving away from the chaotic (to the positive). There's not just a co-existence but a melding of forms to produce a single musical expression.” - David Ornette Cherry

These unique sounds are also a Cherry family affair with David collaborating with his incredibly talented nieces, Tyson McVey in the beautiful, upbeat ‘So & So & So and So’ and Naima Karlsson on the spiritual ‘Cosmic Nomad’, where Don Cherry’s instrument blue reeds is also featuring - an ode to his father’s work. 

This is phenomenal music with David Ornette Cherry working with upcoming, talented musicians from across the globe into creating genre-defying, groovy, spiritual organic soundscapes that speak to the soul!

'Organic Nation Listening Club (The Continual)', will be released by Spiritmuse Records on 15 October and will be available as heavyweight vinyl LP w/ insert, CD  and digitally. 

'Parallel Experience’ is an upbeat and dynamic track, with David Ornette Cherry performing all sounds and instruments - the song has been premiered by Gilles Peterson on BBC 6 Music

Carla Benson | "Tell Me Why"

Considered one of the most recorded vocalists in the history of soul music - as in-house background vocalist for Philadelphia International Records, Carla Benson can be heard on hundreds of hits, including Billy Paul's "Me and Mrs. Jones," The Spinners' "I'll Be Around," McFadden and Whitehead's "Ain't No Stopping Us Now," Evelyn "Champagne" King's "Shame," Patti LaBelle's "New Attitude" and "If Only You Knew," Lou Rawl's "You're Gonna Miss My Lovin" and Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald's "On My Own" to name just a few. In the year 2000, Carla was hired to be the background vocals section leader for the Grammy award winning film, "Standing In The Shadows of Motown," a documentary about famed studio musicians of Motown, The Funk Brothers. Following the success of the film, Benson ended up touring with The Funk Brothers for three years. Carla continues to be involved in projects too numerous to mention, and her golden voice is still very much in demand to this day. Presented here is Benson's brand new single, an updated version of MFSB's 1980 hit, "Tell Me Why." Carla's stellar voice brings new life to the classic track and her legions of fans would agree that she sounds better than ever.

Tesa Williams | "Free"

One of the rising stars of the Philly soul scene, the uniquely talented vocalist Tesa Williams has actually been making moves for quite some time. After years of lending her voice in a supporting role to artists such as Gerald Levert and Vesta Williams, Tesa has become a well-respected artist at the front of the stage, wowing audiences with her dynamic presence and beautiful phrasing. Her long overdue solo album is slated to be released in the near future and if this second single from that eagerly anticipated debut is any indication, Williams has a great chance of becoming a big star. On her latest single, Tesa puts her own spin on Deniece Williams’ gem, "Free" - which hit No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart and No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100, and also climbed to No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in May 1977.Tesa repurposes the classic song for these modern times with the help of legendary producer Butch Ingram and a superb backing group comprised of the Philadelphia area's finest musicians.

Q'd UP | "Going Places"

Q’d Up celebrates its enduring creative bounty on Tantara Records’ October 8 release Going Places. The venturesome quintet, formed in 1983 out of the jazz faculty at Brigham Young University, packs their seventh recording with eleven original compositions of hard-charging, straight-ahead jazz with bold progressive touches. 

Going Places also marks a sunset of sorts for the band. Its founding saxophonist/multi-instrumentalist, Ray Smith, and veteran keyboardist Steve Lindeman have both put in their retirement papers from the BYU School of Music after decades of service. Other longtime faculty members and Q’d Up players Eric Hansen (bass), Jay Lawrence (drums/vibraphone), and Ron Saltmarsh (guitar) will carry the torch, but the band’s chemistry and sound will inevitably take a new shape with two of its key members saying farewell. 

“With Steve’s departure and Ray’s retirement in a year, this is the end of an era,” says Lawrence. “We’ve worked together for so long, recording and performing together for nearly three decades. It’s been a lot of fun.” 

One might imagine that sentiment would color such a changing of the guard. Instead, Going Places finds Q’d Up as exuberant and inquisitive as ever. Even the album’s lone ballad, Lawrence’s beautiful “Timpanogos Snowfall,” is shot through with joy and energy that snap the listener to attention. If that’s the band at its most mellow, pieces like the fusion-injected “The Twilight Train,” the lively Afro-Caribbean “Arumana,” and the soulful groover “Perfect Pizza” are nothing short of electrifying.

As has been their habit, the band also brings in some friends to help out on a few tracks. Two former members, drummer Ron Brough and bassist Matt Larson, add memorable contributions to “Timpanogos Snowfall” and “Escarlatta,” respectively. The latter tune, along with Lindeman’s irresistible second line “Tchoupitoulas,” also feature the zesty vocals of Hayley Kirkland, a BYU alum who recently joined the jazz faculty in her own right. With colleagues like these on hand, Going Places suggests that in its next chapter, the band will remain as fruitful and accomplished as it ever has. Lawrence, who with Smith’s retirement becomes the senior member, says, “We’ve always been flexible. I’m optimistic about the future.” 

Q’d Up is the brainchild of Ray Smith, a native Utahn and graduate of Indiana University’s prestigious Jacobs School of Music. He arrived at Brigham Young as the professor of saxophone—one of more than thirty instruments he plays—in 1982; a year later, he and a group of his colleagues came together to form what was then called the Faculty Jazz Quartet or Quintet (FJQ—the Q was versatile). 

The band’s next longest-tenured members, drummer/vibraphonist Jay Lawrence and keyboardist Steve Lindeman (a classmate of Smith’s at IU), both came to BYU and the band in the mid-1990s. Shortly after their arrival, in 1998, the FJQ dropped its first two initials and reconfigured the last into the more playful moniker Q’d Up. 

This new incarnation established itself in 1999 with its self-titled debut recording, featuring bassist Lars Yorgason (a founding member in 1983) and drummer/percussionist Ron Brough (who was with the band since 1984) alongside Smith, Lawrence, and Lindeman. After a few more albums and personnel changes, Eric Hansen took the bass chair for Q’d Up’s fifth album, 2018’s Never Better; guitarist Ron Saltmarsh arrived for 2019’s Zagranitsa: Mystical Wonderland. (This configuration of Q’d Up has recorded one additional album, Dawn Fire Mist, the group’s eighth, which releases in tandem with Going Places.) 

Q’d Up—and its members, all of whom are prolific and in-demand musicians in Provo (BYU’s home base), Salt Lake City, and throughout Utah—remains one of the state’s hidden treasures. As Smith, who also produces the album, remarks in its liner notes, “If you don’t know the group, you are in for a very happy and exciting discovery.”

Timo Lassy | "Trio"

Tenor saxophonist Timo Lassy, one of Finland's leading jazz artists, is back with a new full length-album ‘Trio’ on We Jazz Records.

The album, released on 27 August, introduces Lassy's new combo with bassist Ville Herrala and drummer Jaska Lukkarinen – both We Jazz Records roster artists on their own right.

The new Lassy sound is tight, swinging and funky, led by the strong and riff-ready sax of the tenorman. That being said, the album's sound is not limited to that of the swinging trio tradition. As we hear already on the first single ‘Orlo', Lassy's new vision also brings in some subtle electronics (played by Lassy and Dalindèo frontman Valtteri Laurell Pöyhönen) and lush strings performed by Budapest Art Orchestra as arranged by Finnish artist Marzi Nyman. It's a new sound for Lassy, but one which keeps true to his no-nonsense cookin' on the tenor.

"Trio" by Timo Lassy will be released by We Jazz Records as blue and black vinyl editions complete with a heavy duty tip-on sleeve, on CD and digitally. Foreign Routes' is the third and final single lifted from 'Trio'. The single is accompanied by a video filmed & directed by Petri Luukkainen and featuring 8mm film footage by Lassy's

Irene Jalenti | "Dawn"

Vocalist and composer Irene Jalenti claims a place in the jazz world for her vast musical talents on her long-awaited debut album, Dawn, set for an October 29 release on Antidote Sounds. The album collects four of Jalenti’s scintillating originals along with six smartly chosen covers and a stunning array of Baltimore’s finest instrumentalists, including guest appearances by two international stars: trumpeter Sean Jones and vibraphonist Warren Wolf.

 Although Dawn is her first recording, Jalenti has for over a decade been an esteemed part of the jazz community in the combined Baltimore and Washington, DC areas (known locally as “the DMV,” for the District, Maryland, and Virginia). While fans, friends, and colleagues have often urged her to record her work, it was the recent COVID-19-imposed seclusion that finally let her conceive, develop, and execute a vision for her debut album. “It wasn’t until last year that I felt I had what it takes to make a record,” Jalenti says. Quarantine, she adds, “allowed me to have time to dig a little deeper into myself… what do I have to say? Who am I in this?”

The answers to those questions are on radiant display throughout the album. She plies her rich deep tones and masterly delivery to gripping performances of the standards “How Deep Is the Ocean,” “You and the Night and the Music,” and “Beautiful Love,” the latter two featuring Jones’s gleaming trumpet work. She also discovers new layers of emotion and meaning in the Brazilian classic “Carinhoso” and the Beatles’ “Let It Be,” and evokes an aura of profound mystery with Howard Blake’s “Walking in the Air.”

That’s to say nothing of the joys and marvels to be found in Jalenti’s own songs. She offsets the constructive criticism in the lyrics of “That’s How the Story Goes” with a hard-driving scat line. With “Moon and Sun” she concocts a dramatic meditation on the cycles of day and night, and thus of life. On “Alma Desnuda” and “Dawn,” Jalenti demonstrates her imaginative knack for musical settings of poetry—here the words of Alfonsina Storni and Meleager of Gadara, respectively.

It is a testament to her artistry that Jalenti was able to attract such formidable talents to accompany her. Along with Wolf (who illuminates “Dawn”) and Jones (who appears on five tracks), she demonstrates great synergy with her ace working rhythm section of pianist Alan Blackman, bassist Jeff Reed, and drummer Eric Kennedy. In addition, Argentine American guitarist Cristian Perez puts his sublime stamp on two tracks. Together they help to elevate Dawn into a triumph by helping Jalenti to find and express herself. “My sound came out when I finally allowed my own music to come out,” she say

Irene Jalenti was born October 28, 1980 in Terni, in the central Italian region of Umbria. She is the scion of a musical family that includes her uncle, pop-star Sergio Endrigo, and cousin, guitarist Francesco Jalenti, among others. Her father, a record-store owner in Terni, immersed his daughter in music of all sorts and encouraged her to take piano lessons from a young age.

Jalenti’s unusually low singing voice had at first convinced her that she had no place in the family’s musical tradition. However, a workshop at Umbria Jazz Clinic changed her mind, and she began cultivating her vocals as a means to a career. She studied at Siena Jazz, made pilgrimages to hear and sing jazz in New York City, then ultimately earned a full scholarship to Baltimore’s Peabody Conservatory in 2010. She followed her Peabody degree with a master’s at Howard University in DC, then cultivated both a reputation and a following on the scenes of both her adopted cities. Jalenti formed a quartet with her respected Baltimore colleagues Alan Blackman on piano, Jeff Reed on bass, and Eric Kennedy on drums—which now forms the core of Dawn, Jalenti’s first album that fans and collaborators have spent years asking her to make.

Irene Jalenti will perform a CD release concert at Keystone Korner Baltimore on Thursday 10/21, alongside Sean Jones, tpt; Alan Blackman, p; Christian Perez, g; Jeff Reed, b; and Eric Kennedy, d. Jalenti also plans concerts at AMP by Strathmore, Washington, DC, Fri. 11/19; at Creative Cauldron, Falls Church, VA, Fri. 2/4/22; and at the Cultural Center at the Opera House, Havre de Grace, MD, Fri. 2/11/22.

Adam Hawley | "Risin' Up"

Dropping his third album two weeks prior to last year’s stay-at-home order due to the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t halt guitarist Adam Hawley’s remarkable chart domination. His R&B-jazz collection “Escape” proved inescapable, scoring three No. 1 singles, including the No. 1 single of 2020, “To The Top.” The musician-songwriter-producer who to date has amassed nine No. 1 singles returns on September 10 with his fourth album, “Risin’ Up,” which will be preceded by the horn-powered title track as the first single that went for playlist adds on August 16.

The second release on Hawley’s MBF Entertainment label, “Risin’ Up” is purposely upbeat after what the world has endured since his last album.

“Risin’ Up” represents us as a country ascending over the past year and a half with a sense of renewed purpose and vigor. It’s about overcoming and feeling inspired and hopeful. The title track, featuring a great horn arrangement from David Mann, encapsulates the positivity of this album,” said Hawley, who wrote nine new songs for the set, three of which were cowritten by keyboardist Carnell Harrell.

“I started writing as soon as my last album was released, which coincided with the pandemic. Like many others, I found myself at home with a great deal of time on my hands and spent most of it in the studio writing, experimenting with new sounds, and exploring my creativity.”  

One of the other things that Hawley did during quarantine was launch “AH•Live!,” a weekly Facebook Live show on which he interviews and jams remotely with other prominent musicians from the R&B and contemporary jazz worlds. Connecting with his fellow artists from a different perspective opened the door to new collaborations. That’s how Hawley got saxophonists and fellow chart-toppers Steve Cole, Vincent Ingala and Riley Richard to appear on the album.

“Many of the musicians on the record were people I got to know better through the show and collaborating virtually via my broadcast. It was natural to think of them for this album and I was excited that they agreed,” said Hawley, who will support the new album with concert dates through the end of the year.

Other featured soloists on “Risin’ Up” include bassist Julian Vaughn, who appeared on Hawley’s second album, “Double Vision,” and Kat Hawley, his wife who sings on all of his projects. Kat Hawley’s vocals command the spotlight on “Tell Me You Love Me,” a reimagined Demi Lovato tune that closes the collection.

The album explodes out of the gate with “Gotta Get Up,” a danceable number that recalls the mighty Earth, Wind & Fire horn section. The powerhouse horn arrangement in this case was provided by Michael Stever, Hawley’s former bandmate when the two toured with hitmaker Brian Culbertson.

“I always like to make a statement with the opening track and this funky tune is no exception. Look out for the killer horn break!” said Hawley, who released his first two albums on Kalimba Records, the label founded by EWF visionary Maurice White.

As charismatic as he is a nimble-fingered fretman, Hawley was an in-demand sideman and versatile session player who played with Jennifer Lopez, Natalie Cole, Dave Koz, The Manhattan Transfer, Brian McKnight and Backstreet Boys among others before dropping his 2016 debut disc, “Just the Beginning.” He’s performed as a solo artist at festivals, theaters and clubs around the world. An educator who earned a doctorate in music arts from the University of Southern California, Hawley has played in the house band on “American Idol.”

The Chesky Records 35th Anniversary Collection

Right from the start Chesky Records had a sound. David Chesky set out to make "aural photographs" of each session, capturing as much of the sound of being there as the technology allowed, continually pushing it forward. Every note of every session was recorded "live," there were no overdubs, no fixing it in the mix. What went down at the session, with some of the world's greatest musicians, was in the CD, LP, or later on, high-resolution digital download.

Chesky mostly recorded in great sounding acoustic spaces, namely churches and concert halls, with the earliest sessions conducted in the legendary, and sorely missed, RCA/BMG studios in midtown Manhattan.

Every session presented unique challenges, but David Chesky and his engineers, first Bob Katz, then, Barry Wolifson, and for the last decade or so, Nicholas Prout, continued to advance the state of the recording art. We hope you enjoy the music as much as we did recording it! - Steve Guttenburg

Chesky is celebrating their 35th Anniversary by presenting a collection of some of  their favorite and most influential tracks, complete with an in depth look at their record-making history. The collection features a selection of tracks from some of the world class musicians that they have had the privilege of working with over the past 35 years such as John and Bucky Pizzarelli, McCoy Tyner, Paquito D'Rivera, Ron Carter, David Johansen, Amber Rubarth, Livingston Taylor, Astor Piazzolla, Babatunde Olatunji, Ana Caram, Macy Gray, Casey Abrams, Luiz Bonfa, and more! The included digital (printable) booklet features photos, first hand accounts from David Chesky and Bob Katz, and interviews conducted by Steve Guttenburg with Bob Katz, Barry Wolifson, and Nick Prout. Not only that, but when purchased on HDtracks, this collection comes with an additional 13 tracks. And of course, like all Chesky Records releases, every track in this collection features the crystal clear sound quality that you've enjoyed over the years. They've included the highest resolution available of each track, whether that's 192 kHz, 96 kHz, 48 kHz, or 41.1 kHz, for your listening pleasure. 

Reissues by Monty Alexander & Mark Murphy

It’s been a special summer for jazz lovers and record collectors and another treat arrived on Friday when MPS Records reissued jazz vocalist Mark Murphy’s “Midnight Mood” and pianist Monty Alexander’s “Montreux Alexander: The Monty Alexander Trio Live! at the Montreux Festival” on vinyl and CD. With these two releases, Germany’s first jazz label that was founded in 1968 by Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer has reissued 31 titles by legendary jazz figures, including Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson, Dexter Gordon, Freddie Hubbard, The Count Basie Orchestra and George Duke, over the last two months in the US and Canada via Edel Germany in partnership with Bob Frank Entertainment.

A quintessential post-bop jazz singer, Murphy was viewed as underrated and revered as one of the finest jazz vocalists of all-time by many. 1967’s “Midnight Mood” finds the inventive singer who crooned blues, scatted bebop and emoted standards with panache paired with eight members of the Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band. However, Murphy opens the collection with a mesmerizing a cappella version of Duke Ellington’s “Jump For Joy.” Murphy swings elegantly on “I Don’t Want Nothin’” and he cowrote the cool “Why and How.” His articulate phrasing stands out on “Alone Together” while the ardent “You Fascinate Me So” is a romantic overture. The singer wrote the somber ballad “Hopeless” and “Sconsolato” cha cha’s to an exotic Latin rhythm. Murphy interprets Ira Gershwin beautifully on “My Ship.” “Just Give Me Time” swings to a bossa nova groove. The set closes with Hoagy Carmichael’s poignant and powerful “I Get Along Without You Very Well.”  

The Jamaican-born Alexander teams with bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton for the 1976 set “Montreux Alexander: The Monty Alexander Trio Live! at the Montreux Festival.” Blues, soul and gospel reign on this stellar jazz trio session that rightfully earned Alexander comparisons with his MPS label mate Oscar Peterson. Alexander’s nimble piano is centerstage on this six-song date anchored by the taut rhythm section with each member of the trio afforded equal time to solo.

Alexander opens with Ahmad Jamal’s “Nite Mist Blues” before going pop on “Feelings.” He swings on the Ellington, Johnny Mercer and Billy Strayhorn standard “Satin Doll” and then shows off his remarkable speed and dexterity on “Work Song.” Blues and gospel intersect on “Drown in My Own Tears.” The disc marches to an unexpected conclusion with a note of whimsy on “Battle Hymn of the Republic.”   

Another tranche of albums from the MPS catalogue will be reissued this fall.

Harley Cortez | "An Inventory of Memory: Vol. II

Composing, producing and performing the music for “An Inventory of Memory: Vol. II,” which dropped last Friday, was cathartic for multidisciplinary artist Harley Cortez. The album release represents the next phase in his healing process after losing his mother and nephew last year. The musician, painter, filmmaker and writer created a collection of aural examinations of genetic memory purposed with turning loss into something beautiful, which is a fitting description of the eight ambient-classical tracks that comprise the second volume of the four-volume “An Inventory of Memory” recording series.

With a history that includes being part of indie solo, duo and band projects and touring as the opener for alt-rock icon Morrissey, Cortez now records electronic instrumentals that are introspective, meditative and moody ruminations. Etching simple yet exquisite melodies and haunting minimalistic refrains, he crafts intimate compositions on piano and keyboards with sparse accompaniment by Modeste Colban (flute and saxophone), Andy Baldwin (violin) and Nancy Kuo’s (Janelle Monae) strings.

Cortez’s art over the last few years – music, paintings, drawings, sculptures, writings and experimental films – has focused on the “An Inventory of Memory” theme. He released the first album in the series last December. Early next year, he plans to publish “An Inventory of Memory” book, which is a collection of short stories, poetry and recollections tied to the motif.

“One of the things I think is really interesting about genetic memory is the idea behind how so much of what our ancestors did can dictate where we’re at, what we’re doing or who we are. Memories we perhaps didn’t know we had, so on and so forth. My mom was a very mystical person; being Native American, she was very spiritual, and my father, who I really didn’t know growing up, was a writer and a pretty well-known painter and musician for where he was. That’s how he made a living. I never really knew him, yet our trajectory was very similar. That’s what really sparked my curiosity in genetic memory, along with the theme of mortality. Those are both very apparent themes in my work,” Cortez recently told the Monster Children website.

“The third and fourth ‘An Inventory of Memory’ records are essentially done. I’m putting the finishing touches on both. The third volume will be out in the autumn or early next year around the book release. I’m still adding a couple of little things to the book. Traveling abroad this summer has been great inspiration for the book as well as for my upcoming art exhibitions,” said Cortez while traveling in the Greek Isles.

The artist who has exhibited his work in New York City, Los Angeles and Tokyo has several exhibitions slated to open this fall. Late next month, Cortez’s work will be exhibited for two weeks at the Museo Tamayo in Mexico City. In October, he will be part of a major exhibition in New York City curated by noted art critic and poet Donald Kuspit  at the Georges Bergés Gallery. A third show taking place at La Galleria Nuevo Progreso in Mexico in November will include a performance element.

“For my solo show opening in Mexico in November, I will conduct a string quartet playing ‘Y (Be Still)’ from “’An Inventory of Memory: Vol. II.’ I’m very excited that the live music will be accompanied by a special dance performance in collaboration with renowned Mexican choreographer Diego Vega,” said Cortez who recently found out that his short film, “The Sick Oyster,” will premiere at the Kinsasha International Film Festival in September.

“This is a bit of a big deal because the lead actors are African and the characters in the film are Congolese. It is a Pan-African film,” said the Los Angeles-based Cortez.

Lisa Hilton | "Transparent Sky"

As America and other countries re-emerge from the limitations of 2020, Lisa Hilton and her trio with Rudy Royston and Luques Curtis, enthusiastically embrace the moment with a vibrant new jazz offering titled Transparent Sky, that will inspire, uplift and motivate us all. Rich with glorious harmonies and unique compositions, Hilton’s swinging band radiates a sun bleached aura to listeners. Throughout the album Hilton, Royston and Curtis develop a surprisingly wide range of rhythmic ideas from a variety of genres, masterfully blending classic traditions with new approaches and upbeat style.

The recording jumps in with the Latin tinged “Santa Monica Samba,” quickly following with the equally energetic “Random Journey” on this collection of nine originals, plus one cover. Hilton has a way with ballads, and “Nightingales & Fairy Tales” is no exception. With its slight nod to Bill Evans in the sixties, this has the making of a jazz classic for a twenty – first century audience. “Living In Limbo,” “Chromatic Chronicles,” “Fall Upon a Miracle” and “Infinite Tango,” highlight the multiple creative rhythms of Hilton’s compositions and showcase ample opportunities for Curtis’s agile bass, and the delightful details of Royston’s drums. A cover of “God Bless The Child,” co-written by Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog Jr, is a charmer, and like all the tracks here, is skillfully and originally presented without being forced. Slowing towards the album’s end, “Extraordinary Everyday Things” is a calm and expressive soundscape. With a surprise twist, Hilton finishes the album with the title track, “Transparent Sky” as a sonorous piano solo. Lisa Hilton will debut the new album, Transparent Sky, with her Trio on Thursday, November 18th at Weill Hall in Carnegie Hall/NYC.

Lisa Kristine Hilton is a distinctive composer of jazz, an acclaimed pianist, a bandleader and producer. Growing up in a small town on California’s central coast, she originally taught herself to play piano with a colored keyboard guide, writing her first simple songs around six years, before beginning studies in classical and twentieth century music starting at the age of eight. In college she switched majors from music, and graduated instead with a degree in art. This art background informs her musical creations: she describes “painting” compositions using improvisation, and harmony or “sculpting” with multiple rhythmic ideas from different cultures. Hilton’s music draws on classical traditions, and twentieth century modernists as well as classic American jazz greats such as Cole Porter, Thelonious Monk, and Horace Silver, as well as blues heroes Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson. Hilton’s music annually tops the jazz charts and appears on popular shows such as Apple Music’s Pure Jazz Playlist. In the book, “The New Face of Jazz: An Intimate Look at Today’s Living Legends and Artists of Tomorrow” by Cicily Janus, it states that Hilton has been “compared to some of the best pianists in history.” Noting that the overwhelming majority of music performed in jazz clubs and concert halls today are of compositions written by male musicians, Hilton is outspoken about the importance of presenting, and listening, to music composed by women in these fields as well.