New Releases: Taru Alexander, Adrianne Duncan, Joelle Leandre, Enrico Rava

Taru Alexander - Echoes Of The Masters

Beautifully bold work from drummer Taru Alexander – a musician who was maybe getting some initial attention as the son of saxophonist Roland Alexander, but a player who really comes into his own with this fantastic record! The mighty Antoine Roney is in the group, sounding stronger than we've heard in years – really getting a lot of focus from the rhythms, which also feature this excellent work on bass from Rashaan Carter, who really knows how to match Taru's energy – alongside piano from James Hurt too. Hanka G sings on a version of Monk's "I Mean You" – and other titles include "Kojo Time", "Perisina", "Pinocchio", "Deception", and "Change Up". ~ Dusty Groove

Adrianne Duncan - Gemini

Each track on Gemini the new album from pianist, singer and composer Adrianne Duncan, is a mini-suite in its own right. Duncan draws upon her background in classical music and jazz to create her rich sonic palettes, while also being informed by such songwriter-poets as Joni Mitchell and Nick Drake. Her dense harmonies and often unconventional structures leave room for improvisation and melodic development, supporting quirky and intelligent lyrics that speak to her love of story and character. As a self-accompanying singer, inhabiting her original story-oriented lyrics with a resonant tone and a fresh and expressive spirit, she’s furthering a tradition that spans from Nat Cole, Shirley Horn and Andy Bey to Diana Krall and Dena DeRose. Her approach as a lyricist tends toward the literary, and her compositions have a cinematic sense of scope.  Duncan has performed and recorded with some of Los Angeles’ most noted musicians, including Otmaro Ruiz and Catina DeLuna on the Grammy-nominated Lado B Brazilian Project, with whom she toured Brazil on keyboards and vocals. She has played and sung on numerous recordings, including The Jazz Chamber with legendary multi-reedist Bennie Maupin, and also performs regularly with her seven-person vocal improvisation collective Fish To Birds.

Joelle Leandre - Joelle Leandre At Soulliac En Jazz

We never stop falling in love with the music of bassist Joelle Leandre – and although we've been listening to her records for many many years, we still always feel newly moved when we encounter music as great as this! The set features both a long live set of solo improvisations, recorded in a Church with a wonderfully echoey sound – and a few private after-set tracks too – both of which beautifully demonstrate that quality that always seems to set Leandre apart from the rest – a complete understanding of all the many properties of the acoustic bass, both bowed and plucked – delivered with a freewheeling sense of imagination, but also a quality that's very organic, almost sensual – so that her music has a tuneful quality at the core, even when quite free. The set features six selections from the concert, and two more after-set tracks too – both with a slightly different sonic quality, given the space. ~ Dusty Groove

Enrico Rava - Edizione Speciale

Enrico Rava, long a key figure in European jazz, has been a mentor for successive generations of Italian players. His celebratory Edizione Speciale, recorded live at the Middelheim Festival in Antwerp, brings together a team of young improvisers who play his music with fire and élan, accompanying his fountain of melodic ideas, while also taking advantage of the free space that the extensive musical forms open up. The group’s repertoire includes material from the trumpeter/flugelhornist’s early recording Enrico Rava Quartet (1978) and Wild Dance (2015), plus a rendition of “Once Upon a Summertime” – the English version of Michel Legrand’s “La valse des lilas” – as well as the universally known Cuban song “Quizás, Quizás, Quizás”.

Lance Ferguson's Rare Groove Spectrum Vol. 2

New Zealand-born, Melbourne-based Lance Ferguson is a producer, songwriter, guitarist, DJ and recording artist.

He divides his time between leading Australia’s premier soul/funk outfit The Bamboos, releasing music with his other projects Menagarie, Rare Groove Spectrum, Machines Always Win and lending his production, songwriting and guitar skills to a multitude of artists.

He has produced 36 full-length albums and over 75 singles and remixes for labels including Atlantic, Universal, Warner, BMG, Sony, Tru Thoughts, Ubiquity, Inertia, Freestyle and his very own imprint Pacific Theatre.

Lance has been nominated for five Aria Awards and three APRA Music Awards.

In 2016 Ferguson‘s skills as a songwriter, lyricist and guitar riff-ologist achieved bonafide global recognition with the song “This Girl” by Kungs vs Cookin’ On 3 Burners. Reaching Top Five status in 29 countries around the world, the song went to Number One in 10 countries – achieving Diamond, Multi-Platinum, Platinum and Gold certification status in 11 countries including U.S.A, U.K, France and Germany. It has currently had 860,000,000 Spotify streams and 440,000,000 YouTube plays.

Lance has collaborated on musical projects with artists including Aloe Blacc, Tim Rogers, Alice Russell, Roy Ayers, Durand Jones, Quantic, Lyrics Born, just to name a few. His music has been included on over 200 different compilation albums and on high-rating TV shows including CSI NYC, Grey’s Anatomy, Homeland, Suits, NFL Sunday Morning, Neighbours. It also featured in major ad campaigns for brands like Westpac, BMW, Chase Manhattan, Miss Dior and in the soundtrack of feature films Crazy, Stupid Love (with Steve Carell), Good Hair (Chris Rock), and Adoration (Naomi Watts).

An accomplished guitarist, he has performed with artists/acts including; Ed Sheeran, Aloe Blacc, Syl Johnson, Eddie Bo, Joe Bataan and many more. His DJ sets and live shows have been heard around the globe at destinations including London, New York, Paris, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC, Barcelona, Madrid, Edinburgh, Tokyo, Berlin, Italy, Switzerland, Slovakia, Belgium, Ireland, Hong Kong, Shanghai and throughout Australia & New Zealand.

 

At The Room 427 by Koichi Matsukaze Trio feat Ryojiro Furusawa

The ninth album in BBE Music's J Jazz Masterclass Series presents ‘At the Room 427’ by Koichi Matsukaze Trio Featuring Ryojiro Furusawa, a rarely heard exemplar of post-modal power bop and free jazz.

Delivered by a trio playing with an intensity and energy that draws on classic Eric Dolphy and mid-era Coltrane but definitely with its own particular vibe, At the Room 427 is an exemplar of febrile improvised jazz that could only come from Japan.

This deluxe reissue sees a welcome return to the J Jazz Masterclass series for saxophonist Koichi Matsukaze. Originally issued in 1976 on the cult ALM label, At the Room 427 is the debut album from one of the most exciting and forward-thinking instrumentalists to emerge in the mid 1970s. Matsukaze's distinctively angular, deconstructive style adds an unpredictable quality to the session that is balanced by the muscular bass of Koichi Yamazaki and the kinetic drumming of Ryojiro Furusawa, who provides a sound footing for Matuskaze’s fiery solos and free-form chemistry.

The album opens with the epic Acoustic Chicken, a 20-minute tour de force of dynamic and explosive interplay. Featured on J Jazz: Deep Modern Jazz From Japan volume 3 and written by Furusawa, Acoustic Chicken's strong melody lines and scorching sax finely mesh with the driving rhythm section. Furusawa’s Elvin Jones-like rolls and batteries of percussion are underpinned by Yamazaki’s driving and rounded bass.

At the Room 427 also includes a radical deconstruction of the Billie Holiday classic Lover Man and three more original compositions by Matsukaze. The album was recorded live in November 1975 before a small audience in – as the title states – Room 427, a classroom in Chuo University, the alma mater of both Matsukaze and Furusawa. However, despite the rudimentary surroundings, the recording by Yukio Kojima, founder of ALM, manages to give the listener the feeling of being in the room itself, up close to the band, bristling with an intense energy.

This reissue of a long-lost rarity of post-bop/free playing maintains the exceptionally high standard set by the previous releases in the BBE Music J Jazz Masterclass Series. As with all releases in the series, At the Room 427 comes with full reproduction artwork and extra sleeve notes, with artist interviews and biographies.

The J Jazz Masterclass Series is curated by Tony Higgins and Mike Peden for BBE Music. 

PM Warson | "True Story"

PM Warson grew up in an English town in the staple suburban musical landscape of heavy rock, the ghost of New Wave, and the fading star of the indie boom of the Noughties. He found his own fit in the form of Rhythm & Blues from half a century before, saving up two summers straight for a Rickenbacker guitar, getting the taste for playing live with an archetypal teenage power trio. After moving to London to study, he started to delve deeper into his musical vocabulary – Delta Blues, Americana, early jazz and rock’n’roll. Meanwhile, via the capital’s blues clubs and soul nights, he discovered a new setting for the music that had enticed him the first place.

A chance audition thrust him into full-time work as a touring musician, serving an apprenticeship, blissfully unqualified, alongside conservatoire-trained jazz musicians and session pros. Becoming more and more interested in production, ever-drawn to the Golden Era of record-making, he befriended the proprietors of Soup Studio, an all-analogue recording facility based in East London. He started moonlighting on production projects and learning the inner workings of a studio environment.

Without any wider ambition, he started cutting sides with a band of friends and acquaintances found along the way, evoking the R’n’B records of the ‘50s and ‘60s in approach rather than emulation. His first effort, the ramshackle “You Gotta Tell Me” became a de facto single, and after being urged to press a few copies to vinyl by a friend, it began to cause a few ripples on the local DJ scene. Meanwhile, a wild, off-the-cuff cover of “Hit The Road Jack” caught the attention of a London music agency, giving his line-up an outlet for playing live. This included house-band sets at London establishments such as the Blues Kitchen, Old Street Records and notably at the opening of the Mary Quant fashion exhibition at the V&A Museum.

His follow up “(Don’t) Hold Me Down”, served as his breakout. The blend of Brit-edged Garage R’n’B and Latin Soul, with a Girl-Group chorus that had developed as a key extension of his live sound, proved a winning formula for record collectors. The independent pressing sold out within a couple of days, and it began to spin at clubs from Toronto to Barcelona, its value briefly skyrocketing on collector site Discogs. The song was later picked up by Fred Perry to underscore their ‘Soul Boy’ short, further establishing PM Warson‘s presence on the UK soul scene.

Having teamed up with esteemed German label Légère Recordings in 2020, PM Warson released the organ-led “Every Day (Every Night)” on 45, backed by Ashford-Simpson-Armstead‘s classic “I Don’t Need No Doctor”, which earned a write-up in Clash Magazine. The collaboration continues into 2021, with his debut LP “True Story”, out on April 23rd – a distillation of what’s come before and perhaps a hint of what’s to come.

 

David Benoit | " A Midnight Rendezvous"

Have you ever met an artist whose craft is merely an extension of who they are? The iconic pianist, composer, arranger, producer, film and TV scorer David Benoit, embodies this archetype. He is as cool, measured, engaging, soulful and sophisticated as one of his mellifluous solos in a flight of fancy. A Founding Father of Contemporary Jazz, rooted in the tradition of Dave Brubeck and Bill Evans, David Benoit started playing the piano as a child and has never looked back. “As long as I'm alive and well,” declares the Grammy nominated pianist, “I hope to write and perform as long as possible.” Unbound by categories and rules, the trailblazer has built an enviable four-decade career drawing inspiration from his vast influences which have included jazz, comics, film, Broadway, symphonies and more. From endearing fans with his magical soundtracks for the Peanuts television movies, to garnering over 20 chart-topping radio hits and scoring music for films produced by Clint Eastwood and Sally Field and soap opera themes like “All My Children,” David Benoit IS music. His free-spirited approach has allowed him to collaborate with such diverse artists as The Rippingtons, Faith Hill, David Sanborn and CeCe Winans, among numerous others. Benoit, who leads his own Pacific Vision Youth Symphony (the orchestra he founded in 2001) and who has collaborated with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra and Philippine Philharmonic, among others, fulfills a long-time dream on his new and highly anticipated new recording, A Midnight Rendezvous (February 18, 2022). Benoit records for the first time with a big band under his own leadership and is joined by numerous special guests including label-mates pianist Jeff Lorber and saxophonist Eric Marienthal. “The idea began when I was an artist in residence in Saratoga, CA and I was looking for something unique to do,” reflects Benoit who hosts the morning show on KKJZ in Long Beach, CA. “I decided to write a big band arrangement for my ‘Cabin Fever’ on the record. I initially started arranging on my computer but the greatest thrill was hearing the playback with the real players in the big band when the project progressed. Wow! It was one of the most exciting sessions I've done in many years.” 

A Midnight Rendezvous is a stellar ten-track foray into known and uncharted territory. In addition to Benoit’s first recording as a leader with a big band, he also reinvents Maren Morris’ smash hit “The Bones,” transports us to a California desert with Jeff Lorber, records for the first time with prolific bassist Roberto Valley (Peter White, Patti Austin, Boney James, Euge Groove, Kirk Whalum) and does a dazzling solo take on a Dave Koz gem. A Midnight Rendezvous opens with the alluring rhythmic groove of the album’s title track and first single. Benoit’s nimble and soulfully stated melody juxtaposed with Pat Kelley’s forward leaning guitar and the pulsating flow of bassist Roberto Vally with drummer John “JR” Robinson, instantly command your attention. Benoit explains, “‘Pioneer Town’ started as a short riff I played on piano. I then sent it to Jeff (Lorber) knowing that we have had great results in the past. He came up with the rest and the title, which refers to a place in the California desert. The recording was done live virtually, making it a real sign of the times.” Benoit’s memorable rendition of Maren Morris’ “The Bones,” is a pleasant surprise. The lyrics in the original version use a house as a metaphor for a relationship: “Baby, I know any storm we're facing / Will blow right over while we stay put / The house don't fall when the bones are good.” Benoit does a brilliant job turning this track into a riveting and emotional journey sans lyrics. “My manager Bud Harner brought me this song because he loved that hypnotic intro as did I,” explains the pianist. “I built my house and raised my daughter there and we all developed a close bond living in that house. We sold it recently, after my daughter June left for college, I downsized but not a day goes by where I don't still dream about it.”

 A Midnight Rendezvous also showcases the ethereal, impressionistic and appropriately titled “Floating,” featuring the gorgeous soprano of Justin Klunk, which shows off Benoit’s penchant for creating timeless melodies. “All I need is a good groove and I just start playing melodies on the piano and find something to connect with,” confesses Benoit. “I've always been very fortunate that melodies come easy for me.” Benoit co-wrote “The Long Journey Home” and the album’s title track with bassist Roberto Valley. A Midnight Rendezvous marks the first time that the duo has recorded with one another. “@Home” is a wistful and pensive beauty that features percussionist Luis Conte and saxophonist Justin Klunk while “You Make Me Smile” is a moving solo take on the Dave Koz hit. “When I toured with Dave,” shares Benoit, “I would mess around with that song at sound check. I always thought it be a nice piano piece because of its strong melodic nature.”

During the last three years, the pandemic has spurred a time of reflection, as the world has had to pivot in the ways that we live, work and communicate. Benoit shares, “I was able enjoy some quality family time since my daughter was home from college. I suddenly had lots of time on my hands to do all of the writing and arranging that I have always wanted to do for big band. Now I finally had the down time I needed to really focus and write new material for this new album.” A highlight on A Midnight Rendezvous is the rousing finale featuring three colossal and beautifully orchestrated big band tracks: “Generations,” “Waiting For Spring” and “Cabin Fever.” Benoit’s 12-piece powerhouse big band includes a blazing horn section that includes saxophonists Eric Marienthal and Sal Lozano, trumpeter Wayne Bergeron and trombonist Francisco Torres.

Born in Bakersfield, California, David Benoit grew up in the South Bay of Los Angeles. He studied piano at age 13 with Marya Cressy Wright and continued his training with Abraham Fraser, who was the pianist for Arturo Toscaninni. He focused on theory and composition at El Camino College, studying orchestration with Donald Nelligan, and later took film-scoring classes taught by Donald Ray at UCLA. His education in music conducting began with Heiichiro Ohyama, assistant conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and continued with Jan Robertson, head of the conducting department at UCLA. He began his career as a Musical Director and Conductor for singer Lainie Kazan in 1976 before moving on to similar roles with singer/actresses Ann Margaret and Connie Stevens. Benoit fell in love with jazz in 1965 after watching a Charlie Brown special on television and hearing the music of Vince Guaraldi. A pioneer and architect of contemporary jazz, highlights from David Benoit’s catalogue include the recordings Freedom at Midnight (1987), Waiting for Spring (1989), Shadows (1991), Letter to Evan (1992, a tribute to Bill Evans) and Here’s to You, Charlie Brown: Fifty Great Years (2000). Benoit has also recorded two albums with guitarist Russ Freeman: Benoit/Freeman Project (1994) and 2 (2004). His discography also includes the recording American Landscape (1997) and Orchestral Stories (2005), which featured his first piano concerto and symphonic work. Benoit’s 2012 CD Conversation garnered three Grammy nominations and 2 In Love (2015) joined him with vocalist Jane Monheit. Benoit’s film scores include The Stars Fell on Henrietta (1995), produced by Clint Eastwood, and The Christmas Tree, produced by Sally Field, which was voted ‘Best Score of 1996’ by Film Score Month. Benoit made his Shanachie debut in 2017 with So Nice, a collaboration with guitarist and lablemate Marc Antoine. David Benoit And Friends followed in 2019, uniting Benoit with labelmates Lindsey Webster, Marc Antoine and Vincent Ingala and longtime collaborators Peter While and Dave Koz, among others. A long-time guest educator with the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, he received that organization’s Excellence in Music Award in 2001. In 2018, Benoit was given an honorary doctor’s degree in music from Five Towns College in New York.

Benoit concludes, “I'm lucky to have had the opportunity to record over 40 albums and this recording best represents where I'm at as a composer, arranger and pianist.” Although titled A Midnight Rendezvous, Benoit’s latest collection of timeless anthems promise to meet you where you are anytime you are ready.

John Morales Presents Teddy Pendergrass - The Voice - Remixed With Philly Love

BBE Music presents a brand new album celebrating one of Philadelphia soul music’s most iconic figures, Teddy Pendergrass, remixed by pioneering producer and engineer, John Morales.

This exploration of 1970s Philly soul at its apex focuses on one of the era’s defining voices, Theodore DeReese Pendergrass. Born in Philadelphia in 1950, Pendergrass sang church music at age two, and was ordained a minister at ten years old. Having learned drums and played in local bands during his teens, at 20 he was hired as a drummer for the Blue Notes by group leader Harold Melvin. After being spotted singing along onstage, he was soon appointed lead singer, and the rest is history…

The masterful, revealing remix work of John Morales affords these classic songs improved clarity, allowing each individual player more space to be heard and modernising the recordings without ever losing sight of the original spirit. The virtuoso quality of the songwriting, production, arrangements and performances shine forth anew, and so do some of the music’s subtler qualities and nuanced, sometimes conflicted, subtexts that might have been overlooked in the most conventional view of Pendergrass in his prime.

Curated authoritatively, remixed with love and passion, John Morales’ collection revisits our relationship with Teddy’s and Gamble & Huff’s music as compellingly and immersively as when it was new. Teddy’s timeless force resides equally in his talent for portraying truthfully the joys and hurts, beliefs and doubts, blessings and challenges of our lives, and in the bravery of confronting them all with an honesty that is still utterly extraordinary. 

New Music Releases: Jean Carn, Strata Records - The Sound of Detroit - Reimagined by Jazzanova, Kahil El'Zabar Quartet, Tesa Williams

Jean Carn - It's Alright With Me

Jean Carne began her career with her then-husband, pianist Doug Carn, founder of Black Jazz Records. After recording three albums together, she started doing back-up vocals for Earth Wind & Fire and Norman Connors. In 1977 she began her solo career, playing a crucial role in the development of Philly soul with Gamble & Huff, Dexter Wansel and McFadden and Whitehead producing and writing for her. Her creativity has never waned, alwaysputting out quality albums over the past 40 years - her distinctive voice still in top form. Recently, she released the critically acclaimed album "Flashback" which included the Skip Scarborough penned gem "It's Alright With Me." Presented here is a brand-new remix of the track along with a bonus instrumental version. Backing is provided on the track from the first family of Philly soul, The Ingram Brothers band with background vocals by Society Hill's finest: Carla Benson, Sharon Ingram and Johnny Ingram.

Strata Records - The Sound of Detroit - Reimagined by Jazzanova

Announcing new album ‘Strata Records - The Sound of Detroit - Reimagined by Jazzanova’, BBE, DJ Amir and 180 Proof records present the first single from the project, ‘Creative Musicians'. ‘Strata Records - The Sound of Detroit - Reimagined by Jazzanova’ is no ‘covers’ album, rather a brand-new celebration of the iconic imprint, as Jazzanova’s take on Lyman Woodard Organization’s musical manifesto ‘Creative Musicians’ makes clear from its Afrobeat-inspired horn arrangements, drum track, and syncopated tempo. The vocalist for these sessions is Sean Haefeli, who originally hails from Indianapolis, and brings a relaxed urgency to his contributions, sounding like a young Gil Scott-Heron. Available 21st January 2022, the full single package of ‘Creative Musicians’ also features an extended original, plus remixes by Waajeed and Henrik Schwarz. 

Kahil El'Zabar Quartet - A Time For Healing (single)

The title track of  the forthcoming new album from Kahil El'Zabar, "'A Time For Healing’ channels the atavistic spirit of that whole lineage by making rhythmic footprints in the African sands. The evocative spiritual trinket percussion of Stanley Cowell and presence of Pharoah Sanders can be felt keenly on this humble but urgently expressed offering of jug poured and tines thumbed kalimba, swift-of-wing spiraled and rasped saxophone, and yearned, soothed trumpet righteousness” writes Dominic Valvona in the album’s liner notes. 'A Time For Healing' will be released on February 4th and available as 2 x LP / CD and digitally via all streaming platforms.

Tesa Williams - I Can't Help It

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, commanding the front of the stage and wowing audiences with her beautiful phrasing and dynamic presence. If her latest single, a beautifully reimagined performance of Stevie Wonder's "I Can't Help It," which was first covered by Michael Jackson on his "Off The Wall" album is any indication, Williams is poised to become a lot more well-known on the national scene. With superb backing from the first family of Philly soul, INGRAM, and deft production from Society Hill Records head honcho Butch Ingram, Tesa Williams positively shines.

Lindsey Webster | "I Didn't Mean It" Featuring Brian Culbertson

"I wrote "I Didn't Mean It" shortly after I started dating in my hometown. In October 2019, I rented a cottage in Woodstock, NY, the town I grew up in. Most of my life up to that point was spent traveling and working, so even on my time off I didn't go to the local hangs - I wanted to be home. I was also living a quieter, married life during many of those years. Flash forward to March of 2020...the pandemic shut everything down. Suddenly, I am living on my own for the first time in my entire life, I had just gone through a break-up and my career was taken away - all basically overnight. Once case numbers started going down in NY in late August of 2020, thinking I had done my time alone and I was ready, I downloaded Bumble. Went on there and found someone I had known for about 15 years. All of our mutual friends were like 'oooh that makes so much sense', and I was like, 'hmm yea, maybe!' I ended up at the time feeling very disappointed and annoyed when he didn't text or call. Although I see if differently now, the emotions I experienced during this time gave life to "I Didn't Mean It." - Lindsey Webster 

“I am an artist…period,” declares Lindsey Webster. “I have influences from many musical genres and have been influenced by them from a young age. I believe in the power of music to empower and reach people on multiple levels.” The stunning, charismatic and amiable Lindsey Webster’s roots span the worlds of R&B, Pop, Rock, Jazz and beyond. Her flawless range has been compared to Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and Minnie Ripperton, while her breezy and poetic songwriting is reminiscent of Sade. Webster’s refreshing approach has garnered two Billboard #1’s and seven Top 10’s on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart, making her the first vocalist in the format to garner a #1 since the iconic Sade. Webster is hard at work with a new album slated for release in early 2022. In the meantime, she will release her new single "I Didn't Mean It" on January 14, 2022.

As we enter the third year of the pandemic, Lindsey reflects, "Having the pandemic take away everyone's collective 'norm' was life altering. I remember there was a moment when I thought that the music scene could and would never be the same. Then, in April of 2021, I did my first show after more than a year away at the Seabreeze Jazz Festival. I was nervous. I hadn't belted it out in front of 5,000 people in a long time. Then I heard the band start and I walked out on the big stage in my beautiful, flowy dress, looked out at all the people who were there, and I remembered - I remembered that I am my most genuine person and I am in my most joyful place when I am singing! It's really the most powerful antidepressant! The entire COVID experience has only furthered my knowledge of why I am here. Because of it, we are about to release my favorite album yet."

Growing up in an artist community of Woodstock, NY, the daughter of loving hippie parents, the allure of music was never far from Lindsey Webster. The singer grew up listening to her parent's Jimi Hendrix, Beatles and Elvis Costello LPs and later the Supremes. Influenced by everyone from Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera to Steely Dan and Earth Wind and Fire, Webster once pursued medical school before finally settling on music. Webster made history in 2016 with her original, "Fool Me Once,” which was the first vocal driven #1 song to top the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart since Sade's “Soldier of Love” in 2010 and she beat Sade’s three-week run at #1 with a four-week stay at the top of the charts. November 2016, Webster made her Shanachie debut with Back To Your Heart, which spawned three songs that reached Top 3 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Charts - “Back To Your Heart,” “Next To Me” and “Where Do You Want To Go,” which hit #1. 2018 saw the release of Love Inside, which featured the Top 5 hit “Love Inside” and the Top ten single “It’s Not You, It’s Me” featuring Rick Braun. A Woman Like Me followed in 2020 and debuted #1 on iTunes Jazz.

Laurent Bardainne & Tigre D'Eau | "Douce Hymn Au Soleil"

A dreamlike, cinematic excursion to the outer reaches of the solar system and the inner workings of the soul, Laurent Bardainne returns to Heavenly Sweetness with his Tigre d’Eau Douce group for a second album of free-flowing, jazz-inflected groove. 

Building on critically acclaimed 2020 album ‘Love Is Everywhere’, ‘Hymne au Soleil ‘sizzles with Arnaud Roulin’s Hammond organ licks, in-the-pocket bass work from Sylvain Daniel, and shuffling drum and percussion interplay from Philippe Gleizes and legendary Guadeloupean musician Roger Raspail, who has played with the likes of Kassav’, Cesaria Evora and Meshell Ndegeocello. Together they pin Bardainne’s soaring saxophone lines to the mast like a flag in the wind. 

The 11-track album represents a consolidation of Bardainne’s vision as a consummate jazz saxophonist, having made his name collaborating with the likes of Pharrell Williams and Cassius, afrobeat legend Tony Allen and co-founding Tigersushi electro outfit Poni Hoax. 

That eclectic experience comes to the fore on Hymne au Soleil, which is named after a piece by trailblazing French composer Lili Boulanger. Beginning with the lilting, late-night smoker ‘Oh Yeah’, which recalls the mellow funk of Khruangbin, the album rolls through a rich musical landscape, whether in the Motown-era soul breakdowns of ‘Adieu My Lord’ or the roaring, dance floor-ready ‘Hymne au Soleil’, that draw parallels with the high-octane sound of UK jazz outfit The Comet Is Coming. 

Throughout, there is a full-blooded urgency to Bardainne’s writing that reflects his myriad influences. Look no further than the Pharoah Sanders-meets-Funkadelic freak-out ‘Destination Danger’ for evidence of his sensitivity to both the freedom of improvisation and the power of a solid hook. 

Where Love Is Everywhere enlisted the vocal talents of Trinidadian label-mate Anthony Joseph, Hymne au Soleil features a beguiling collaboration with Paris-born, Guadeloupe-raised rising star Célia Wa on ‘Jou en Nou Rivé’, and French singer/guitarist Bertrand Belin on lush, nostalgic closer ‘Oiseau’.

The album is further coloured by wistful choral refrains that drift in and out of view, providing a crepuscular soft-focus glow and dynamic counterpoint to Bardainne’s more ferocious sun-worship blowing. 

Recorded at the iconic ICP Studios in Brussels in April 2021, Hymne au Soleil continues a prolific streak for the multi-faceted artist, whose collaboration with synth and sax master Etienne Jaumet was released as Bardainne Jaumet on Heavenly Sweetness in November 2021.

It is set to further secure Bardainne’s place among the constellation of saxophonists charting a course into the cosmos. It remains to be seen just how far he will fly. 

New Music Releases: Trini Lopez, Louis Hayes, Embryo, JD Allen

Trini Lopez - Rare Reprise Singles

Wonderfully groovy work from Trini Lopez – the singer/guitarist who cut some great albums for Reprise Records in the 60s, but who seemed to sound even groovier in the space of a 7" single! This set brings together most of Trini's 45s for Reprise, most on CD for the first time ever – and together, the cuts are a long-overdue tribute to the pop genius that Lopez offered up in the 60s – a sound that was initially served up in a rocking small combo mode, but took in all these great flights into sunshine pop, Latin soul, and other cool styles that are all served up on this very cool collection! 24 tracks in all – with titles that include "Made In Paris", "Pretty Little Girl, "Up To Now", "The Bramble Bush", "You Make My Day", "Five O'Clock World", "Love Story", "Master Jack", "Something Tells Me", "There Was A Crooked Man", "Let's Think About Living", "Mexican Medicine Man", "Regresa A Mi", and "Let It Be Known". ~ Dusty Groove

Louis Hayes - Crisis

The great Louis Hayes has been giving us incredible records for decades – and this recent set still has the drummer very much at the top of his game – working with a soulful conception that few folks can match, and really getting the best out of the wonderful group he's got on the set! The lineup is fantastic – Steve Nelson on vibes, Abraham Burton on tenor, David Hazeltine on piano, and Dezron Douglas on bass – all artists we love in other settings, but who seem to sparkle even more strongly here under the guidance of Hayes! Camille Thurman sings on two cuts – "Where Are You" and "I'm Afraid The Masquerade Is Over" – but the real strength of the album comes from the many instrumental tracks, on titles that include "Crisis", "Arab Arab", "Desert Moonlight", "Creeping Crud", "Roses Poses", and "Oxygen". ~ Dusty Groove

Embryo - Auf Auf

The first album in many years from German jazz legends Embryo – and a set that hardly has them missing a beat at all from their famous work of the 70s! Part of the strength of the record might be its placement on Madlib's record label – but from the notes, it seems that all the credit is due to the group themselves – still doing a fantastic job of mixing together global elements and long-drawn jazz explorations – served up here on Fender Rhodes, vibes, guitar, saxes, flute, and plenty of percussion – sometimes with a bit of vocals, but usually in a way that's more chanted or instrument-like – which only seems to further the global explorations in the music! A stunning addition to their legendary catalog – with titles that include "Baran", "Januar", "Alphorn Prayer", "Besh", and "Yu Mala". ~ Dusty Groove

JD Allen - Queen City

A really powerful solo album from JD Allen – maybe the first we've ever heard from the tenor saxophonist, and a set that's got a very different vibe than some of his recent outings with groups! Allen recorded the music during the height of lockdown in 2020, at a time when he'd had to step back from performing live and collaborating with others – a moment he used to get back to basics on his instrument, and begin to re-explore all the things that first made being a saxophonist so important to him. There's definitely a sense of isolation and melancholy here – as you might expect – but there's also a feeling of hope and new inspiration, a quiet message from a dark time that's great to have on record. Titles include "Nyla's Sky", "Maude", "OTR", "Vernetta", "Queen City", "Gem & Eye", "Kristian With A K", and "Wildwood Flower". ~ Dusty Groove

Art Pepper Promise Kept – The Complete Artist House Albums (So In Love/Artworks/Stardust/New York Album) (4LP set)

Four tremendous albums from saxophone genius Art Pepper – presented here in a single box set! First up is So In Love – beautiful late work from Art Pepper – one of his albums recorded for the well-done Artist House label, and a set that's maybe got a different vibe than some of his Galaxy recordings of the time! There's a rock-solid sense of soul to the record – one that comes from the work of two different rhythm trios – one that features George Cables on piano, Charlie Haden on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – a rhythm trio who keep things swinging, but never in a way that's too straight – pushing Art a bit around the edges, but letting him come right down the middle with some fantastic solos on alto – the other with Hank Jones on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Al Foster on drums. Tunes are a bit shorter than on some other albums of the period, but in a great way that really lets you focus in on Pepper's amazing sound –and titles include "Diane", "Stardust", "Blues For Blanche", and "Straight No Chaser". 

Artworks is a nicely focused set from the great Art Pepper – a record that features a number of familiar bop and jazz themes, but set to a more open, relaxed, and very soulful style that wonderfully reflects all the greatness of Pepper in his final years! The group on the record is nicely understated, but still very hip – George Cables on piano, Charlie Haden on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – and Art gets plenty of space to step out front and really blow these amazing solos, including one number that features just bass and drums, while Pepper blows a bit of clarinet – which we always love. All other titles feature alto sax – and titles include "Donna Lee", "Anthropology", "You Go To My Head", "Body & Soul", and "Desafinado". 

Next is a New York Album, but one that was oddly recorded in Burbank – and which has Art Pepper sounding very much at the top of his game! The format here is a bit like the other Artist House Pepper sessions, and those he did for the Japanese Atlas label – tight, focused, often tunes that are older jazz or bop standards – but swing with a great rhythm section, and topped with completely sublime alto solos from the leader! The quartet features Hank Jones on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Al Foster on drums – but one number is a duo between Carter and Pepper, and another features just piano and alto. Titles include "Night In Tunisia", "Lover Man", "Duo Blues", "My Friend John", and "Straight No Chaser". 

Stardust is a great little record from Art Pepper – four long tracks that really have him stretching out on alto – but in a way that's maybe a bit different than some of his more burning albums on the Galaxy label at the time! The group here follows from some of the previous Artist House recordings – George Cables on piano, Charlie Haden on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – a rhythm combo that's mighty nice – and which benefits from some great straight basswork from Haden, and Higgins' always compelling sense of rhythm! Titles include "My Friend John", "Stardust", and "Tin Tin Deo" – plus a reading of "In A Mellotone" that has Art on clarinet.  © 1996-2022, Dusty Groove, Inc.

(Beautiful package – liner notes and photos from Laurie Pepper, and remastered from the original tapes!) ~ Dusty Groove

New Music Releases: Lucas de Mulder Featuring Eddie Roberts, The Voice of Lajorun, Enrico Rava, Jorge Rossy / Robert Landfermann / Jeff Ballard

Lucas de Mulder Featuring Eddie Roberts - Warm Nights

“Warm Nights” by Lucas de Mulder sets the scene for the summer solstice with bubbling grooves and reggae flavors. De Mulder recalls having “Fancy” by The New Mastersounds on heavy rotation over the course of a particularly hot summer in his hometown of Madrid, Spain, and pulling heavy influence from the spellbinding grooves on that tune. A standout element of the track is the interlocking guitar parts performed by De Mulder and Eddie Roberts. The two engage in a conversational solo section that melodically represents Roberts passing along the torch to new deep funk and boogaloo artists such as De Mulder while he holds court in the production realm. The track also features Chris Spies (keyboards), Nate Edgar (bass), and Alejandro Castano (drums).

The Voice of Lajorun - Omo Oye

Lagos, Nigeria-based The Voice of Lajorun worked in tandem with producer Justin Prizant of Session Resurrection (Greensville, PA) to create “Omo Aye,” a song that addresses the hurdles of life and courage to move forward. The group follows the lineage of afrobeat legends such as Fela Kuti and Orlando Julius compose heralding horn parts, hypnotic grooves, and raw, authentic music that speaks to the human condition and overcoming the struggles of everyday life. Since collaborating with Color Red, the group has received worldwide airplay on BTRtoday’s ‘The Afrobeat Show’ (NYC) Rhythm Passport’s monthly compilation (UK), Free et Legal (France).

Enrico Rava - Edizioni Speciale

The special edition title here is very well-put – as the record's a real standout from Enrico Rava – a live session with a sextet, and one that has Rava opening up with even more color and life than usual! From the very first note, there's something really wonderful about the record – Enrico blows flugelhorn throughout – sometimes out front in the lead, but almost always followed by these really great contributions from the group – a lineup that includes Francesco Bearzatti on tenor, Francesco Diodati on guitar, Giovanni Guidi on piano, Gabriele Evangelista on bass, and Enrico Morello on drums – all musicians who weave this wonderful tapestry of sound with Rava, and make the record very different than some of the more spare, atmospheric sessions the leader recorded for ECM. Titles include "Theme For Jessica Tatum", "Infant", "Wild Dance", "Fearless Five", "Le Solite Cose", and "Diva". ~ Dusty Groove

Jorge Rossy, Robert Landfermann & Jeff Ballard - Puerta

Maybe the first we've ever heard from vibist Jorge Rossy – a player whose wide-open approach to his instrument makes this trio outing a perfect fit for the ECM label! Rossy plays both vibes and a bit of marimba – often using a sharp attack on the instruments, but in ways that still open up with lots of room between the notes – taken in these warm progressions with help from bassist Robert Landfermann and drummer Jeff Ballard – players who seem at their best when hitting some of the more upbeat grooves on the record, but who also wisely let Jorge take the lead at mellower moments too. Titles include "Adagio", "Maybe Tuesday", "Scilla E Cariddi", "Cargols", "Tainos", and "Post-Catholic Waltz". ~ Dusty Groove

Roots of Creation | "Dub Free or Die Vol. 1"

Acclaimed Reggae-Rock group Roots of Creation (A.K.A. RoC) is excited to announce the release of “Dub Free or Die Vol. 1.,” 

Ahead of the new album ROC has released a slew of outstanding singles including “Seven Nation Army” (White Stripes Reggae/Rock cover) ft. Hayley Jane, “Mammoth,” and “Arabia” Ft. Mihali (of Twiddle), and “Light it Up” ft. Mighty Mystic. And most recently with their Reggae/Rock rendition cover of Allman Brothers’ “Soulshine.” So far the songs have garnered critical accolades from Relix, Live for Live Music, Reggaeville, Celebstoner, Top Shelf Music and more. All of the songs will be featured on the album “Dub Free or Die Vol. 1.”

Like many artists, Roots of Creation wasn’t immune to the effects of the pandemic on the touring industry. Utilizing a platform that almost seemed built for navigating a disaster, RoC utilized the power of their tremendous fan base with Kickstarter. That support allowed them to properly record “Dub Free or Die vol #1” as a collaborative effort with the fans. The band first started recording the new album before “Grateful Dub (2018)” and deleted almost everything to only then start over. Soon after the pandemic wiped out their budget and with nothing but time at hand due to lock downs and zero in-person performances, they turned to Kickstarter and the fans saved the day! It is their first self-produced album made for the Roots of Creation DIE HARD fans who love that progressive Rock-and-Jam-meets-Reggae sound. The new album is chock-full of brand new, original Dub/Jammy instrumental compositions, with a handful of truly unique covers. 

Frontman Brett Wilson adds, “the upcoming record “Dub Free or Die vol #1” is all about focusing on our instrumental songwriting. It was created for our diehard fans who travel to multiple shows a year, listen to bootlegs, pay attention to setlists and always score the latest merch drops. We are extremely blessed to have our tribe of ‘RoC family’ members to be there to support us through these crazy uncertain times and let us experiment, create and have a blast. These compositions tend to lend themselves to progressive rock, improvisation, soundscapes, rapid genre switches, and Dub Reggae EFX.”

Andrew Riordan (Dub King Productions) RoC sax player and album producer adds, “Personally, this album is very special to me. The band was kind enough to let me produce and take the reins of a lot of the music in this project. It was also the last project I completed in my old studio before I remodeled and gave it an overhaul. There are pieces of gear that I used that are no longer in service, that I think gives the record a certain sound. That also makes this project feel special. I’m really happy and excited for all our fans to hear the record.” 

Musicians featured on the new album include RoC’s Brett Wilson: Guitar/Vocals; Tal Pearson: Keyboards/Melodica; Andrew Riordan: Sax, Harmony Vocals, Drum Programming, Production, Key, & Melodica; Chris Regan: Bass/Sticky Guitar; Alex Brander: Drums/Percussion. And includes special guests: Trumpet: Andy Geib (Slightly Stoopid); Trombone: Billy Kottage (toured in live band & recorded with The Interrupters, Reel Big Fish, Goldfinger); Guitar: Mihali (Twiddle) on Arabia; Vocals: Hayley Jane on Seven Nation Army (White Stripes); Vocals: Mighty Mystic on Light it Up; Saxophone Solo: Daniel ‘DELA’ Delacruz (Slightly Stoopid) on Soulshine; Vocals: Jesse Wagner (The Aggrolites) on Soulshine; Hammond Organ: Paul Wolstencroft (Slightly Stoopid) on Soulshine; Percussion: Nick Asta (The Elovaters) on Soulshine. The new album was mixed and mastered by longtime collaborator, friend and RoC live front of house engineer - Pete “Boardz” Peloquin (Gov’t Mule, Seether, Ani Difranco, Oasis) of Boardz House Productions based in the band’s hometown of Brookline, NH.

New Music Releases: Skúli Sverrisson & Bill Frisell, Max Kaplan, Noa, Brothers Of Brass

Skúli Sverrisson & Bill Frisell - Strata

If you find yourself looking for peace, Strata is a good place to start. In their musicianship Skúli Sverrisson and Bill Frisell are twin souls, whose playing is so complementary that it's remarkable that this is their first time recording together. Strata is a hypnotizing album. Speaking on their collaboration Frisell remarks, "Skúli was tapped in to something I dream of. When we did the recording, it took it to 100%. It felt like something that was in my imagination, but even deeper and further.” Strata features ten original compositions by Sverrisson. Skúli is a prodigious composer, and can write music of startling complexity. Here, the songs have a fairy tale simplicity that almost belies their depth. With Skúli and Bill there’s a shared internal language that produces a sense of inevitable logic — hypnotizing and surreal. Recorded by Marc Urselli at the esteemed EastSide Sound studio in New York City, Strata has been produced to the exceptional audio standard for which Newvelle Records is renown. This album captures the transportive and sacred nature of the recording session itself. Strata was previously released exclusively on vinyl as part of a Newvelle Records limited-edition Season Three box set, which sold out in record time. This release will be the first time Strata is available digitally on streaming platforms and for high quality digital download. 

Max Kaplan - Mind On My Heart

Max Kaplan basks in the long lineage of music born out of Memphis in his first Color Red single “Mind on My Heart.” Steeped in retro horn lines, nostalgic guitar strumming and chord movement, and pop-soul vocals, it is evident that Kaplan has done his homework taking notes from iconic labels like Stax and Hi Rhythm while carving out a style of his own and veering away from derivation. Lyrically, “Mind on My Heart” is about finding balance between allocating time and energy to support your relationships while being immersed in a big project or entrenched with work. Kaplan is on the trajectory to initiate a new sound in the Memphis music scene and will steadily release new music in collaboration with Color Red.

Noa - Rare

Noa continues to earn her status as a musical chameleon in her tantalizing third Color Red single “Rare.” Maturity, evolution, and vulnerability can all be attributed to trust and Noa entrusted both her fellow musicians and animator Fumihito Sugawara to add layers and supplement the creative process and final product with talents of their own. With only a melody and basic chord progression, each musician added whatever they wanted to the original blueprint one part of the time. In a similar manner, Noa created a simple storyboard, presented it to Sugawara, and absorbed the unhinged process of letting go to let the final product organically unfold. With bewitching vocals similar to modern icons like Erykah Badu and Emily King, the lyrics mirror surrendering to the flow as they speak to strong feelings, energetic pulls, and accepting that authenticity truly is a voice of your own.

Brothers Of Brass - Tulum

“Tulum” by Brothers of Brass was composed on the spot at Color Red Studios with each musician improvising to arrange their parts in real-time. Bandleader Khalil Simon spent a bulk of time in Tulum during COVID and as the parts gelled together, it reminded him of the music he’d hear down there. The band’s bombastic brass band-fueled arrangements mirror the style of iconic ensembles such as Rebirth Brass Band and Hot 8 Brass Band and the tune is supercharged with Latin and Cuban-influenced melodies reminiscent of Arturo Sandoval. “Tulum” is the group’s second single off of their upcoming full-length record ‘Street Life Volume 1’ released on Color Red in September 2021.

New Music Releases: Luxury Soul Family, Mainstream Funk – Funk, Soul, & Spiritual Jazz 1971 to 1975, Friends & Neighbors, Alex Malheiros

Luxury Soul Family (Various Artists)

The success of the series comes down to the quality of tracks sourced from independent soul music artists, often unsigned or with recordings previously unissued or on limited release elsewhere. Most tracks never previously on CD. Included on this unique collection are standout tracks from 2020 by artists including The HamilTones, S.E.L, Joe Leavy, Johnny Britt, Myles Sanko, The Parkmans, Debra Debs, Darryl Anders, Yolanda Parker, Mamas Gun, Sound of Superbad, The Brit Funk Association feat. Chris Amoo (of The Real Thing) plus exclusive tracks/mixes by Incognito, Tristan, Strike One (featuring Gina Foster) and Kloud 9. The standard of the music this year is higher than ever, perfect for an at home gathering with friends connecting to friends and family through their devices.

Mainstream Funk – Funk, Soul, & Spiritual Jazz 1971 to 1975 (Various Artists)

Funky jazz and a touch of soul – all pulled from the short-lived but legendary Mainstream Records – home to a whole host of hip artists in the early half of the 70s! Mainstream picked things up from Impulse, Prestige, and other soulful labels of the 60s – allowing jazz musicians to stretch out with a new sense of expression, but often in ways that hit a mighty nice groove – kind of a 70s update of the soul jazz modes of the generation before, but with a few spiritual jazz touches too! You'll know a few names here from older Blue Note recordings, and they've got an updated 70s vibe, and are matched with some hip younger talents too – all in a great array of grooves that's superbly selected throughout. Titles include "Inner City Blues" by Sarah Vaughan, "M'Bassa" by Lamont Johnson, "Last Tango In Paris" by Blue Mitchell, "Betcha Can't Guess My Sign" by Prophecy, "Family Affair" by Dave Burrell, "Right Off" by John White, "Betty's Bossa" by Johnny Coles, "Little Heart Of Pieces" by Barry Miles, "Quiet Afternoon" by Buddy Terry, "Matrix" by Mike Longo, and "It's The Right Thing" by Pete Yellin. ~  Dusty Groove

Friends & Neighbors - Earth Is #

A beautiful record from this really fantastic group – Friends & Neighbors, who take their name from Ornette Coleman, but deliver music that soars out far beyond that initial influence – all with a soulful, spiritual quality that's all their own! Some tunes have a focus, rhythm, and swing – that on the money quality that makes early romping Ornette so great – but others have a looser, more poetic approach to sound – making especially great use of the horn work of Andre Roligheten on tenor, flute, bass clarinet, and bass saxophone, and the trumpet and flugelhorn of Thomas Johansson. Light percussion also adds some great elements too – handled both by Johansson and drummer Tollef Ostvang – and the rest of the group features Oscar Gronberg on piano and Jon Rune Strom on bass. There's a sense of cohesive beauty to the record that's really wonderful – and titles include "Father's Beauty", "The Earth Is #", "Sidelinja", "Joseph", and "Halifax". ~ Dusty Groove

Alex Malheiros - Tempos Futuros

Fantastic futuristic fusion from Alex Malheiros – best known as the bassist in Azymuth, but equally great here on his own – and in a completely different sort of way! The set's got heavy contributions from keyboardist Daniel Maunick, of Incognito fame – but the record's definitely got that well-crafted blend of jazz funk and Brazilian rhythms you'd know from Alex's legacy, but maybe tuned a bit more towards a 21st Century sort of groove – the right London touches in all the right places, in the best tradition of the Far Out label! Sabrina Malheiros sings on a few cuts, but most numbers are instrumental – and titles include "Retrato", "The Razor's Edge", "Telegramas Para Arp", "O Temporal", "Kuarup", "Alto Verao", and "Requiem For A Storm". ~ Dusty Groove

Josh Sinton | "b."

Josh Sinton’s b., his first solo saxophone album, is a record that took two days to record but thirty years to prepare for.

In the world of creative music, solo saxophone records are fairly common. But it is their commonplace nature that gave Sinton pause for such a long time. "The world has more than enough solo saxophone albums. Of all kinds. It took me a long time to discover what I could offer, what I could put in the public square that wasn't there already." In his search for new, viable expressions, Sinton has created a remarkable document: b.

b., out December 10, 2021 via FiP, is remarkable for its soulfulness as well as its intellectual rigor. From the barked gestures of "b.1.i" that open the record to the lyrical crooning of "b.1.iv," it is clear that Sinton does not shy from emotional exposition. At the same time, the crystalline structures of "b.2.iv" and the constructivist architecture of "b.1.ii" speak to the long hours spent closely studying not only music, but also painting, science and literature. "When I was nineteen, I made a very conscious decision to commit myself to a life in music. Even back then I knew this was going to obligate me to try to manifest every part of my life in a musical format. Given that some of my life was very intellectual and some of it very emotional, some of it very angry and some of it very laconic, my music was going to cover a lot of ground. Of course, being nineteen I didn't realize just how long it was going to take me to acquire the technical facility and listening experience this kind of proposition demanded."

On first listening, b. gives the impression of being a known quantity: a series of free-form improvisations executed on the seemingly unsubtle baritone saxophone. That impression quickly dissipates the longer one listens. Although everything is played with enormous intensity, one can't help but notice the unhurried quality of Sinton's playing, the inevitability of each successive gesture and phrase. As well, the broad range of timbres, dynamics and musical subjects is something rarely heard in a solo recital. But the most surprising element of Sinton's solo saxophone music is what he doesn't play, the silence he strategically and frequently employs. "The baritone saxophone has always struck me as the most self-sufficient of all the saxophones. It has the kind of timbral palette that is so complete that I often don't need to hear anything next to it. And while that's wonderful, it means I've also had to wrestle with the fact that it often takes my ear a little longer to register the baritone's activity. If there's too much happening around it, if I'm playing too loudly too constantly, it makes it very hard for me to make sense of what I've heard. I've found that by making a sound and then making a silence, I have time and space to let my brain process the music." 

Silence as a fundamental structural unit in Sinton's music shows up throughout the course of b. Most tellingly in "b.2.iii." While the specific technique he's using is an old one (found not only in the music Pharoah Sanders and Dewey Redman, but also Big Jay McNeeley and Ben Webster), he deploys it in a radically different way. Alternating between slabs of sound and dramatically silent moments, Sinton builds to an emotional crescendo that's as much about his love about the blues as it is his commitment to the implications of his opening gestures. "Charles Olson is a favorite poet of mine and he wrote a hugely influential essay called Projective Verse in 1950. He discusses writing poetry as an act of venturing into an 'open field' and the form of a poem being an extension of its content. This immediately struck me as a very practical approach to both improvising and making music generally. It helped me hear the commonalities of artists like Cecil Taylor, John Butcher, Keith Jarrett and Julius Hemphill." 

And it is perhaps this aspect of b. that is its most unique feature: a commitment to musical form. Whether that form is the interplay of distinct musical objects in "b.2.ii" or the extended meditation on blues-based phrases in the epic "b.1.iii," Josh Sinton's improvisations are indeed "composed" as he indicates in the album credits. b. represents another sonic manifestation of Sinton's philosophy that the difference between improvisation and composition is one of methods used rather than in sounds heard.

Darrell Katz | "Galeanthropology"

The artistic vision of jazz composer Darrell Katz recognizes no boundaries and Galeanthropology (JCA, November 19, 2021) is a varied showcase of his genre-spanning interest in American music from Jimi Hendrix’s “Belly Button Window” to original jazz-art song settings of the poetry of Paula Tatarunis. Working with the drummerless ensemble OddSong, which gracefully blends composition and improvisation into seamless performances, the album ranges from gritty blues to sublime meditations on the vagaries of life.

Settings of poems by Katz’s late wife, Paula Tatarunis, are among the highlights of the album. Few modern composers, in any genre, are as good as Katz at composing music for voice that reinforces the meaning of words. Sung with luminous transparency by vocalist Rebecca Shrimpton, “Guiding Narrative” is a poignant poem about the inevitability of misfortune in life. It features a melody seamlessly linked to the cadence of the words, while rhythmic phrases from the marimba and saxophones provide jazzy propulsion, and the instrumental scoring shades and deepens the meaning. Violinist Helen Sherrah Davies’ rhapsodic, melancholy solo beautifully encapsulates the poem’s rueful irony and sadness. The final line of the poem was originally scored for voice and violin, but Katz ended up scoring for a trio of voices. Written while Katz was recovering from knee replacement surgery, the poem is the source of the band’s name. “I was in the hospital, having a difficult time with my recovery from surgery,” Katz says. “And so it’s about me—I was lost in the forest of the night. Not only did it give me the name of the group, but it was a name that Paula called me.”

A little studio manipulation helped create the moving “Women Talking.” When the group performed it live, women members of the band talked among themselves at the opening of the song. But Katz didn’t feel it had the comforting quality he wanted, so he gave lines that Tatarunis had written to female members of the band, then created a collage of voices in the studio. The music shadows the words sometimes echoing them (the droplets of marimba notes when Shrimpton sings “rain whispering”) and sometimes amplifying the beautiful melancholy of the poem. Phil Scarff interweaves a lovely soprano sax solo into the ensemble and a collective improvisation is perfectly integrated into the flow of the score.

Vocalist Shrimpton (whose virtuosic solo rendition of Mingus’ “Duke Ellington’s Sound of Love” is an album highlight) recites “Outta Horn,” the story of a discouraged poet inspired seeing John Coltrane in a club, told in what Katz describes as Tatarunis’ “detective novel/film noir” voice. The accompanying music offers a commentary on the story that balances composition and improvisation. “There are scored passages, but also section that include only directions as to what person is playing and when, when everybody stops or what approach  they should take; it's mapped out,” Katz explains. “So, each performance has some kind of similarity to the others, but there are important differences.”

The title track, a witty and loving tribute to Tatarunis written by Katz, is playfully humorous (much like Tatarunis’ poetry often is) with a tender emotional twist at the end. The title derives from a mental condition in which patients believe they are a cat. The music is playful with the words—for instance, there’s a quote of Charlie Parker’s “Ornithology” in response to the question “Wouldn’t you really rather be a bird?” Alto saxophonists Rick Stone and Lihi Haruvi, in another nod to Parker, are the soloists.

Arrangements of “Sweet Baby James” and the Standell’s garage band anthem “Dirty Water” have their origin in Jazz Along the Charles, a 2018 outdoor concert in Boston during which jazz groups played their interpretations of Boston-related songs. Instead of the original spoken introduction to “Dirty Water,” Katz substitutes “Microtonal.” The tough guy persona of the poem’s voice fits with the song’s outlaw sensibility, but Katz’s abstract setting contrasts with the song’s famous rhythmic hook. Baritone saxophonist Melanie Howell Brooks uses that hook to propel her flowing, blues-inflected solo. Musically related, are settings of the folk song, “I Am a Poor Wayfaring Stranger,” Jimi Hendrix’s “Belly Button Window,” and Katz’s bruising ballad original, “The Red Blues,” an homage to Julius Hemphill. Katz translates them into the sound world of OddSong with his own riffs and rhythmic figures, tart and often surprising harmonies, and opens them to the band’s superb soloists.

OddSong handles the many demands of the music with graceful flair. Comprised of a saxophone quartet with violin, marimba, and voice, OddSong walks a fine line between classical chamber ensemble and big band sax section. Their passionate engagement with music, from the unclassifiable fusion of jazz and classical elements in “Guiding Narrative” and “Women Talking” to the jazzy harmonies and funky swagger of “Dirty Water” and “Belly Button Window,” indicate a band perfectly in tune with its leader’s vision. The instrumentation gives Katz plenty of opportunity to work with unusual textures and timbres and the group displays a fine-tuned balance that allows all the colors to shine through.

Musician-composer-bandleader-educator Darrell Katz is a composer of uncommon range and broad vision, able to weave influences from every musical sphere into his own unique voice. The Boston Phoenix called him, "one of Boston's most ambitious and provocative jazz composers." As director of the Jazz Composers Alliance (JCA), an organization he helped found in 1985, Katz has documented his large ensemble work on 10 previous CDs with the Jazz Composers Alliance Orchestra. His JCA Orchestra album Wheelworks was named one of DownBeat’s best CDs of 2015.

He debuted his smaller OddSong ensemble in 2016 with Jailhouse Doc with Holes in Her Socks. Lynn René Bayley, writing in Art Music Lounge, called it “one of the most fascinating jazz albums of 2016, possibly one of the finest albums I’ve heard regardless of genre.” Jerome Wilson, of All About Jazz says “Listening to Darrell Katz's music, it boggles the mind that he is not celebrated as one of the best jazz composers/arrangers around. He has been creating ambitious and accessible works full of humor, social conscience and creativity for decades…”

Satoko Fujii & Taiko Saito | "Underground"

Half a world away from each other, pianist-composer Satoko Fujii and vibraphonist Taiko Saito recapture the delicate intensity of their duo, Futari, on their new CD, Underground. After the pandemic prevented an in-person reunion during a planned European tour, Fujii and Saito agreed to carry on by exchanging sound files over the Internet. Although the format is remote, the resulting music is, if anything, even more intimate and compelling than their debut album, Beyond, which was recorded live in the studio.  “When we started Futari, I had no idea how it would come out. Then our debut tour and CD came out so well,” Fujii says. “Making Underground made us go deeper into our collaboration.” 

In the liner notes, Taiko explains that she approached her responses to Fujii’s music in different ways. Sometimes she listened several times to Fujii’s file and then improvised. Sometimes she would go back in and add another layer of sound, or change what she’s already played.  

Fujii worked in much the same way. “At the very beginning of this project, I listened to the music she sent me several times and then I just played along to it,” she says. “But when I played along to ‘One Note Techno Punks’ and ‘Finite or Infinite,’ I tried several times, and I didn’t like what I played. [Husband and trumpeter] Natsuki [Tamura] suggested that I ‘sing’ on ‘One Note Techno Punks.’ I did it once and I really liked it, but I wanted more, so I overdubbed another vocal track. On ‘Finite and Infinite,’ I assembled short phrases in a way that I liked; it’s the ‘Lego approach’ that I used on Piano Music. On some pieces we both did Lego construction. 

“I know many musicians and fans may think that we cannot make true music this way,” Fujii continues. “But I think this is just another way that we can make true music. We can fix all the notes before we play, we can improvise, and we can exchange music files online to make music. Actually, the reason I love music is because we can approach it in many ways. Music is 200-percent open to any approach you take to it. It is real, free art.”

Whatever the methods that Fujii and Saito use, they create a sound world unlike any other. It’s a beautiful, enigmatic space where conventional distinctions between sound and musical note, between timbre and melody, between spontaneous and composed, blur and fuse into a single visionary statement. So close are their interactions that it’s often hard to tell what instrument—piano or vibraphone—is making the music you’re hearing. The slowly pulsing, richly detailed title track has a massive sound presence, with textures and cryptic melodies playing across its surface. “Break in the Clouds” finds Fujii’s piano lines threading their way through billows of translucent waves of vibraphone. The give and take on “Frost Stirring” with its intertwining melodies and blending textures, is the closest approximation of a live performance. The intricately layered “Finite or Infinite” piles dancing phrases atop one another in a lively, joyful performance. Over and over again, on pieces like “Air” and “Street Ramp,” and “Memory Illusion,” Saito proves to be a wholly original voice on mallet instruments, her extended techniques, firm sense of time, and startling timbres creating arresting accompaniment for the equally inventive Fujii. 

Pianist and composer Satoko Fujii, “an improviser of rumbling intensity and generous restraint” (Giovanni Russonello, New York Times), is one of the most original voices in jazz today. For more than 25 years, she has created a unique, personal music that spans many genres, blending jazz, contemporary classical, rock, and traditional Japanese music into an innovative synthesis instantly recognizable as hers alone. A prolific composer for ensembles of all sizes and a performer who has appeared around the world, she was the recipient of a 2020 Instant Award in Improvised Music, in recognition of her “artistic intelligence, independence, and integrity.”

Since she burst onto the scene in 1996, Fujii has led some of the most consistently creative ensembles in modern improvised music. Highlights include a piano trio with Mark Dresser and Jim Black (1997-2009), and an electrifying avant-rock quartet featuring drummer Tatsuya Yoshida of The Ruins (2001-2008). In addition to a wide variety of small groups of different instrumentation, Fujii also performs in a duo with trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, with whom she’s recorded eight albums since 1997. She and Tamura are also one half of the international free-jazz quartet Kaze, which has released five albums since their debut in 2011. Fujii has established herself as one of the world’s leading composers for large jazz ensembles, prompting Cadence magazine to call her “the Ellington of free jazz.”

Award-winning mallet player-composer Taiko Saito was born in Sapporo but currently lives in Berlin. She studied with marimba virtuoso Keiko Abe and studied classical marimba and percussion at the Toho School of Music. In 1997 she began to improvise and to write music, and moved to Berlin, where she studied vibraphone and composition with David Friedman at the Universität der Künste Berlin. In 2003 she founded the marimba/vibraphone-piano duo with German jazz piano player Niko Meinhold. Their album Koko was released in 2005 and Live in Bogotá was released in 2014. Reed player Tobias Schirmer joins them to make the trio Kokotob. Together with Rupert Stamm, she also created the jazz mallets duo Patema whose recording was released by Zerozero in 2007. She is a founding member of the Berlin Mallet Group, which also includes her former teacher Friedman. She also performs with Fujii, Natsuki Tamura, Schirmer, and percussive dancer Mizuki Wildenhahn in Puzzle. She played with Mary Halvorson at the Berlin Jazz Festival in 2019, and with Silke Eberhard at the Moers Jazz Festival and Berlin Jazz Festival in 2020.