Alune Wade | "Sultan"

Few artists would dare to tackle quite such a kaleidoscope of music styles and accompanying socio-political issues in the space of 12 songs and 66 minutes. And yet France-based Senegalese virtuosic bassist, vocalist and composer Alune Wade, who’s worked with Joe Zawinul, Marcus Miller, Oumou Sangare, Bobby McFerrin, Youssou N’Dour and others, achieves this with effortless mastery on Sultan, his fifth solo album in 15 years.

The epic dozen-song Sultan, which represent 12 chapters of a voyage, features Wade’s onstage band, including percussionist Adriano Tenorio DD, pianist and keyboardist Cédric Ducheman, trumpeter Carlos Sarduy, saxophonist Hugues Mayot and drummer Daril Esso. The 43-year-old Wade is also accompanied by many high-profile guest stars who have been regular accomplices in Wade’s storied music career: Paco Séry, Cyril Atef, Lenny White, Josh Deutsch, Ismail Lumanovski, Hein Benmiloud, Mustapha Sahbi, Nasriddine Chebli, Harold López-Nussa, Christian Sands, Leo Genovese, Bobby Spark, Daniel Blake, Faris Ishaq and others. The guest artists help to expand the voices of Nora Mint, Seymali, Mounir Troudi, PPS the Writah, Aziz Sahmaoui, Mehdi Nassouli and Djam.

The seeds for Sultan were planted while Wade was wrapping up his fourth album, 2018’s African Fast Food, which included “Pharaoh’s Dance,” a song he says allowed a peek into what he’d been wanting to develop for some time.

“In 2018, I was fascinated by a potential meeting between the musics of East Africa – notably Ethiopia – and Egypt,” Wade says from his home base in Sartrouville, near Paris. “My ensuing travels – and there were many – allowed me to meet artists from the diaspora that you find in New York and Paris. This dynamic melting pot was enriched by my passion for jazz, highlife and Afrobeat. So, I just went deeper and deeper into my private musical laboratory, seeking to fuse these styles without losing any of their respective textures.”

But Wade’s reflections go well beyond mere music spheres. He has always displayed a sensitivity to the historical, social and political turmoil of our times and these infuse these 12 songs, as explained in the adjoining liner notes: “I have never stopped reading. And I decided to go on a philosophical mission based on Africa’s untold history: I wanted to recount it in another way, take off layers of revisionism, inch closer to the original sources.”

The COVID-19 lockdown gave him some breathing space in an Ile-de-France home shared by his partner and their child. Wade’s vision sometimes strayed the Mother Continent’s diaspora: “I read a book on the Falasha and their tragic uprooting and experiences in Israel. Its author, French Senegalese intellectual Tidiane N'Diaye reflects on the deep injustices and mistreatment these Ethiopian Jews went through in their odyssey, both at home and in the country that ‘welcomed’ them. Despite this, however, it made me feel that there remains an unbreakable link between Africa and the Middle East. I’ve been trying to expand on it.”

Wade’s focal point with Sultan was Tunisia. A 25-day residency supported by the Institut Français de Tunis kickstarted the project in January 2021. His residential villa in La Marsa, next to the Tunisian capital, became a rehearsal base for Wade and mercurial vocalist Mounir Troudi. The latter helped the former assemble the leading lights of the country’s traditional music scene.

“It was a true discovery for me. I had been more acquainted to Moroccan and Algerian sounds. But much had familiar echoes: the Stambouli style, for example, mirrors the diasporic culture of the Gnawa, a music I’ve grown to embrace over the years.”

Once the rehearsals consolidated the crossover experiments Wade sought, he took them to Tunis’ modern Arpège studios. He then left the Mediterranean shores to share them in New York and Paris with multi-Grammy winning producer/engineer/mixer Nic Hard (of Snarky Puppy, The Klezmatics, Elizabeth Chan and-a-plethora-of-others fame). Hard used his years of experience to knead the long explorations of this bass conductor into cohesive whole.

This tapestry now goes by the name of Sultan. It’s an Arabic name both masculine and feminine newborns, a word used not only in Arabic but also Turkish, Bengali, Avar and Urdu. This royal image and figure suits Wade to a tee: a graceful confidence, a calm authority, and an intensity that his bass playing echoes throughout these 12 musical chapters.

Like all wise leaders, he has surrounded himself with accomplices who shoulder the responsibility Wade delegates, entering a creative dialogue that he has the secret of. These outside artists have been part of the illuminati from Paris’ world music sphere for decades. They do honor to the restless explorations of an artist whose initial inspirations balanced delicately along a fine invisible line - between the creative artistry of his conductor father and the down-to-earth realism of his nurturing mother.

While Sultan represents 12 chapters of a voyage, Wade has been on own journey of sorts since he began on guitar as a child, egged on by an inspirational father who, at the time, was conducting Senegal’s Symphonic Army Orchestra. Precociousness was Wade’s middle name. Within years, he learnt scales for the piano, guitar and bass. Ismaël Lo’s bass player, Samba Laobé N’Diaye, lent him his first bass guitar at five and, irony of sorts, he took over from N’Diaye’s successor 12 years later. In 1999, he began his recording career at the singer’s side for Lo’s seminal albums, first with Jiguen and, two years on Dabakh.

This was just one of a list of collaborations Wade enjoyed over the decades. They read like a who’s who from the worlds of jazz and crossover music: Joe Zawinul, Marcus Miller, Oumou Sangare, Bobby McFerrin, Youssou N’Dour, Cheick Tidiane Seck, Harold López-Nussa, Lokua Kanza, Blick Bassy, Fatoumata Diawara… the list goes on. His inspirations – Weather Report, Charlie Parker, Salif Keita, to name but a few – reflect musical choices he made. Many were distilled in explorations with the aptly named University of Gnawa, an ‘institution’ Alune co-founded with the mesmeric Aziz Sahmaoui, the virtuoso singer and sinter player, formerly of L’Orchestre National de Barbès, also makes an appearance in Sultan.

John Armato |"The Drummer Loves Ballads"

The Drummer Loves Ballads is the debut album of John Armato. It is a unique full-album listening experience featuring extraordinary music, musicians, and moods, produced and engineered by some of the industry's top talent.

The album was designed to be a fresh soundtrack for Sunday afternoons, romantic evenings, and melancholy midnights, but to feel like a long-loved jazz favorite. It features more than 25 musicians, including the legends Houston Person and Warren Vach. From intimate quartet settings to sweeping orchestral arrangements, The Drummer Loves Ballads (TDLB) is as rewarding to listen to closely as it is relaxing to listen to casually.

TDLB includes tributes to two beloved Kansas City musicians, the late Steve Patke and the late Kerry Strayer. It debuts an original tune commemorating the Trocadero, a now-forgotten jazz club in Kansas City that was a favorite destination for Armatos parents when they were dating. Three spoken-word tracks provide a narrative arc that brings alive the backstory that set the album in motion nearly 40 years ago.

The song list includes music written or made famous by Henry Mancini, Benny Goodman, Horace Silver, Ahmad Jamal, Gerry Mulligan, John Williams, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, and other greats. At the core is a quartet that is occasionally complemented by lush string and wind arrangements courtesy Paul Roberts. Wayne Hawkins is on piano, Rod Fleeman is on guitar, Gerald Spaits is on bass, and Armato is the drummer who loves ballads.

Houston Person and Warren Vach headline a guest artist line-up that includes vocalist and Monk Institute veteran and International Jazz. Ambassador Lisa Henry, renowned clarinetist Lynn Zimmer, the late Jeff Lisenby (American Accordion Hall of Fame), Ron Gutierrez in a vocal duet with the late Molly Hammer, the warm baritone sax of Brett Jackson, the cashmere tenor of Doug Talley, the gypsy-jazz viola of Steffen Drabek, and the stirring new vocal talent of Lucy Wijnands, 2021 winner of the prestigious Ella Fitzgerald Vocal Competition.

TDLB was produced by veteran touring and recording artist (and fellow drummer), John Cushon. It was recorded by Justin Wilson of Sound81. Additional tracking was engineered by Pete Millrose (with legendary vocalist Anne Phillips overseeing the Person/Vach session), and Keaton Comiskey. It was mixed and co-produced by six-time Grammy Award winner Howard Lindeman and mastered by another master with multiple Grammys in tow, Greg Calbi of Sterling Sound.

Traditional in-studio recording techniques, combined with some of the finest ears on earth, results in an album with the warmth of a classic jazz LP but with contemporary clarity and depth.

Pasquale Grasso | "Be-Bop!"

Following the extraordinary success of guitar virtuoso Pasquale Grasso’s digital showcase series, which launched in 2019 and includes Solo Standards, Solo Ballads, Solo Holiday, and tributes to jazz royalty Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Sony Music Masterworks is set to release Be-Bop!, a brilliant new tribute to be-bop pioneers Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. This will be the Italian-born Grasso’s sixth album for Masterworks, and will be released on June 17. 

Be-Bop! kicks off in exhilarating fashion with today’s release of Dizzy’s quintessential composition, “A Night in Tunisia,” originally composed in 1942 when he was a member of Benny Carter’s band and which marked the beginning of Gillespie’s unique blending of Afro-Cuban rhythms with American jazz. Grasso achieves an astonishing balance of technical wizardry and swing, sounding like two guitarists coming out of the gate on the challenging head on top of the syncopated Latin rhythm. And his fleet-fingered solo break at the 1:03 mark is in the breathtaking tradition of Charlie Parker’s famous alto sax break from his 1946 Dial recording of the tune. Pasquale’s stream of single notes that follows for the next two minutes in his solo is even more astounding, brimming with rare facility and abandon to match his fertile imagination. Roland also turns in an animated bowed bass solo here while Balla engages in some slick trades with the leader near the end of the piece. Finally, catch Grasso’s brief dazzling quote from one of Paganini’s Caprices (the extremely difficult No. 24 in A minor) in the coda. 

Backed by his working trio of bassist Ari Roland and drummer Keith Balla, the trio is in sync through super-up-tempo, challenging fare like “Shaw ‘Nuff,” “Groovin’ High,” “Cheryl,” “Ornithology” and “Be-bop,” whereas they settle into a more relaxed vibe on Thelonious Monk’s gorgeous ballad “Ruby, My Dear.” Parker’s “Quasimodo” is another relaxed mid-tempo number, featuring superb octave playing by Grasso and a brilliant bowed solo by Roland, and the trio takes its time on the lush “Lamento Della Campagnia,” based on the Billie Holiday torch song “Some Other Spring.” As the 33-year-old Grasso explained, “I had a tough time last year and Billie’s version of ‘Some Other Spring’ got me through some hard times, so I decided to record it.” 

Special guest vocalist Samara Joy, who has been collaborating with Pasquale since 2020, appears on one track, the jivey mid-tempo swinger “I’m in a Mess” (originally sung by Joe Carroll on Gillespie’s 1951 album, School Days). “She’s incredibly talented and I’m happy to perform with her night after night,” Grasso said. “We’re having a lot of fun together.” 

In support of the new album, fans can catch Pasquale Grasso on tour in several US and European markets both as a headliner and as a featured guest artist in Samara Joy’s band, including upcoming stops at The Django in New York (May 18), the Montreal International Jazz Festival (July 2), the Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia (July 9-17), the Jazz in Marciac Festival (September 23), and New York’s Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola (August 22), the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival (August 28) and The Blue Note (September 12 and 26).

Born and raised in Ariano Irpino in Southern Italy’s Campania region, Grasso relocated to New York City in 2009 and has since been wowing audiences with regular appearances at Mezzrow, Smalls and The Django, where he has showcased his tremendous command of the fretboard by freely moving between single notes, chords and independent bass lines while flashing Art Tatum-esque filigrees with uncanny speed and precision. “Since I was a little kid, I always had this sound in my head, then slowly it’s coming out,” he explained. “I was never too much influenced by guitar players, for some reason. I grew up listening to Art Tatum, Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk. Those were my guys. For guitar, I always liked Charlie Christian and Oscar Moore, but I never really listened to too much guitar players. Of course, when I hear Barney Kessel and Chuck Wayne and Jimmy Raney, I love them. They’re all great artists but they never really got me when I was a kid. I was more into Bird and Bud, Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Eldridge and Louis Armstrong. So I was always more influenced by horn players and piano players than guitar players.” 

In 2015, Pasquale won the Wes Montgomery International Jazz Guitar Competition in New York City, including performing with guitar legend Pat Martino’s organ trio. Grasso was subsequently signed to an exclusive deal with Sony Masterworks, which led to his initial series of digital releases in 2019. Working with the simpatico rhythm tandem of Roland and Balla again, the great guitarist takes things up a notch on Be-Bop! 

“Obviously, I think the older you get the more you understand,” Grasso said. ‘When you’re in your twenties, you just want to play everything you know. But over time, you realize that music is not about that -- it’s about telling a story and making somebody feel certain emotions. I love Lester Young for that. That’s the beauty of music.” 

Bill King: Atlanta Underground (1979 Reissue)

In the late ‘70s, Atlanta was at a crossroads. Rumour was, with improvements to the interstate; Atlanta would emerge the progressive metropolis of the south—the next big business and commerce centre. A destination for all Americans and cultural hotbed. We were only months away from impresario Ted Turner's launch of ground-breaking CNN cable news. Atlanta the headquarters.

Alicia Bridges was still packing dancehalls with I Love the Nightlife—a creation of local hero Bill Lowery and producer Steve Buckingham. In 1978, Bridges was a Grammy nominee and performed. The fever of the disco moment also drove the crowds to the Atlanta Underground. A place of historical significance given over to trinket shops and glitzy dance rooms.

I was firmly at Axis Sound Studios, once the ownership of the Christian music dynasty - the Le Fevre family—early days of Christian rock. I’d catch a rare free hour or so and lay down a track with in-house players and others from the black community when possible. Yet remember, matters weren’t as fluid between the races.

Cultural entrepreneurs Alvin Few, Johnny Simone and Kenny Stover booked the occasional session on which I played Fender Rhodes, one the hit, Give Me the Sunshine with Leo’s Starship. I continued to peddle songs to Bill Lowery, aiming to get my take on dance music down on disc.

When I hooked up with arranger Skip Lane, principal Saxman for arranger Henry Mancini, my vision took shape. Neither of us had much coin yet found a way to raise a few dollars to embellish four tracks with strings (Summerheat, Magnolia Nights, After the Rain and Atlanta Underground).

Atlanta Underground was my attempt to catch that cross-talk between jazz and dance. A juncture where Isaac Hayes, a local, Barry White, and Curtis Mayfield shared familiar ground. Skip came through. We turned some heads with the genre-bending exploits. This is the second release from the Atlanta Sessions 1978-1979.

Underground features Bob Dylan’s/Miles Davis bassist Harvey Brooks, from Stevie Wonder’s Wonderlove – David Myles guitar, drummer Kevin White from Wayne Cochran’s Florida soul unit, and Art Blakey’s sideman – Harvey Whitehead percussion. Skip Lane – alto sax and string arrangement.

Musicians: Bill King – Composer – Acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, Clavinet D. / David Myles – Guitar / Harvey Brooks – bass / Kevin White – Drums / Harvey Whitehead – Percussion / Skip Lane – alto sax and string arranger (Atlanta Strings).

Brian Culbertson | "The Trilogy, Part 3: White”

The three-phase arc of a longtime relationship serves as the muse of R&B-jazz hitmaker Brian Culbertson’s trilogy of instrumental albums that he wrote, produced and performed with creative input from the 800-plus members of his Hang Club. On Friday (May 6), the third disc in the series, a collection of hopeful songs titled “The Trilogy, Part 3: White,” drops on the BCM Entertainment label. It’s Culbertson’s 25th album that to date has launched nearly forty singles to shoot to number one on the Billboard chart.

Culbertson composed the thirty songs that populate the three albums thematically along what he describes as the three-part arc of a long-term relationship: the hot and steamy “falling in love” phase, the rocky middle when perhaps they even break up for a bit, and the couple reunites to live “happily ever after” phase. The first album in the series, the sensual and romantic “Part 1: Red” was released last October and the second set, the melancholy “Part 2: Blue” streeted in January. “Part 3: White” is slightly more diverse stylistically with the uplifting urban grooves, nuanced contemporary jazz and shimmering pop songs fostering feelings of hope as the relationship thrives and endures.

All three albums in “The Trilogy” were crafted with input from the Hang Club, a tiered membership program via Patreon that Culbertson formed in 2020 tied to the weekly Friday night show that he streams live on YouTube. Hang Club members were granted exclusive behind-the-scenes access into every aspect of Culbertson’s creative process: from songwriting, arranging, recording, producing and mixing.

The first single released from “Part 3: White” for airplay is “Step Into Love,” a sultry mid-tempo call-and-response track featuring Culbertson’s signature piano melodies engaged with Patches Stewart’s soulful muted trumpet explorations, a song that has already been added into Culbertson’s live repertoire.

“I knew it would translate live because the song has real guitar, real bass, a lot of percussion. I had (drummer) Chris Miskel lay a simple groove down and it really turned out nice on stage,” said Culbertson, who has concert dates booked through November to support the album series.

As he has throughout “The Trilogy,” Culbertson performed the majority of the instruments on “Part 3: White” himself, playing piano, vocals, keyboards, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Hammond B3 Organ, Clavinet, Moogs, guitar, bass, drums, percussion, cello, trumpet and trombone amongst other instruments. Guitarists Paul Jackson Jr., Michael Thompson, Isaiah Sharkey and Gerey Johnson, bassist Maurice Fitzgerald, trumpeter-flugelhornist Michael Stever and vocalist Micaela Haley also appear on the album.

Something different for Culbertson on “Part 3: White” is “Dance With Me Tonight,” which opens with a clubby pulsating beat before breaking into a festive salsa rhythm lavishly decorated with layers of percussion, horns and breathy flute accents by Althea Rene.

“I kept hearing more and more stuff in my head on ‘Dance With Me Tonight’ so I just kept adding it. The last piece of the puzzle that I added was Althea on that rhythmic flute-vocal thing that she did. As a producer, I go where the song takes me. I’ve never had a song that was asking for all that (instrumentation) before. This one asked for it. I’m not going to say no so I just did it. It’s a fun song. I threw the kitchen sink in on that one,” laughs Culbertson, who will be hosting the ninth annual Napa Valley Jazz Getaway in California Wine Country from June 8-11, the sold-out festival that he founded, curates and headlines. 

Culbertson voraciously explores and incorporates innovate sounds and technology into his recordings, which is heard in the lush sonic design he architected for “Part 3: White.”

“One of the new palettes that I tapped into on this particular album is analog synthesis where there’s a whole slew of new instruments that have recently been put on the market that are in essence a nod to the late 1970s/early eighties analogue synthesizers with modern technology implemented. What that means is I use a lot of these new sounds that add serious warmth and this human feel to a synthesizer that modern digital synthesis don’t have. For instance, there is a song on the album called ‘Sandcastles.’ There is a part after the first verse, this big swell of a pad like a big ocean current. If you really listen to it, it’s this massive, huge sound and there’s weird little inconsistencies in each note. That only happens with really analog circuitry. With digital, it’s too perfect. These synthesized sounds become like a real instrument, like a piano, like a saxophone. These were some new sounds that I was exploring on the whole album,” said Culbertson, who has begun work on a bonus fourth disc comprised of alternate versions, different mixes and several live tracks from “The Trilogy” for his first box set that is slated for release later this year.

As “White” arrives, Culbertson hopes people will listen to all three parts of “The Trilogy” as a whole, one project as opposed to three individual albums.

“Hearing the three albums in a row provides the context. All the songs on ‘Red’ were clearly about passion and love. ‘Blue’ is melancholy and sad songs, breakup songs and ‘losing people’ songs. Once you get to part three, ‘White’ is all about songs that have an uplifting feel to them. Emotionally, they all feel similar even though they are stylistically broad,” said Culbertson’s whose own long-term relationship, his marriage, will celebrate a milestone 25th anniversary in October. 

Dave Lee – Produced With Love II – Various Artists

The follow up to his 2017 album, Produced With Love II is a collection of brand new songs from one of the UK’s most longstanding, respected and fiercely independent artists. 

In a flash-in-the-pan industry like music, Dave Lee’s career is notable for both its longevity and consistency. As a record producer and remixer, DJ and curator, he’s now clocked up well over 30 years and, if such things existed, would be nailed on for a carriage clock for long service to add to the numerous hits and landmarks he’s enjoyed over a storied career. His latest album, Produced With Love II, continues the work he started with 2017’s superb collection. Incorporating aspects of house, soul and disco and crafted with the attention to detail you’d expect from someone of Lee’s heritage and calibre, Produced With Love II comprises 12 brand new songs and will arrive in June 2022. The writing process has always remained the same and Dave has always preferred to work face-to-face with artists whenever possible – albeit with a few enforced remote sessions due to the pandemic. 

Released as the lead single from the album in April, Starlight sees Lee team up with Omar: a former principal percussionist of the Kent Youth Orchestra and later a graduate of the Guildhall School Of Music who was awarded an MBE in 2012 for services to music.  

Starlight is a gorgeous, mid-tempo dance record, with Omar’s silky vocals backed up with rich production: soaring live strings, groove-laden clav and synth over a chugging bassline creating a heady, inviting atmosphere. It’s an almost viscerally life-affirming record: a theme that continues throughout the entire album. Take a track like ‘If You Ever Need Somebody feat. Tiffany T’zelle’, or ‘Taste My Love’ with vocals from the aforementioned Billy Valentine. These songs would stand toe-to-toe with any soul standard from the 70s or 80s: to have production this rich and bold in 2022 isn’t far short of miraculous. And that’s what you get throughout Produced With Love II – an attention to detail and level of creative collaboration rarely seen. It’s why a Dave Lee album is a rare thing. These things take time, but when they do come along, it’s something worth treasuring.

New Music: Johnny Ray Daniels, Bill Heid, Myele Manzanza, John Scofield

Johnny Ray Daniels - Whatever You Need

Soulful, spiritual sounds from North Carolina legend Johnny Ray Daniels – an artist who started out in soul, but soon found gospel more to his liking – then went on to create a decades-long legacy of wonderful music like this! The album's contemporary, but given a very old school treatment in the best style of the Bible & Tire label – small combo backing by the Sacred Soul Sound Section, who warm things up with Hammond organ and guitar – while Johnny Ray handles some of the lead guitar on the cuts, and gets support from Amp Daniels and Keamber Daniels on his lead vocals! Titles include "I Shall Not Be Moved", "Whatever You Need", "Something Within Me", "Thank You Lord", "Church Get Ready", and "Lord You've Been Good To Me". ~ Dusty Groove

Bill Heid - Dealin Wid It

A warmly well-rounded set of organ jazz from Bill Heid – maybe not the biggest player on the Hammond B3, but one who's been slowly building up an excellent legacy of records like this! There's an understated grace to the way that Bill handles the instrument – he's not out to blow the top off the Hammond, but has this command of color, tone, and timing that's really wonderful – served up in mostly trio format with Perry Hughes on guitar and Randy Gelispie on drums! Heid has a way of going deep right at the start of a tune, then continuing to keep things crisp and cool – a special sort of tone that's very much his own. He also sings a bit on two tracks, Kevin Bujo Jones joins the group on percussion on three cuts, and titles include the originals "Dealin Wid It", "Four To One", "It's A Living", "Minor Worm", "Naughty Little Puppy", and "Samba Cat". ~ Dusty Groove

Myele Manzanza - Crisis & Opportunity Vol 2 – Peaks

A second genre-bending set from Myele Manzanza – a drummer at heart, but also a musician who's got the same sort of post-jazz approach as contemporaries on the London scene in which he's currently working! There's plenty of live drums on the set, played with a great sense of urgency – but Myele also uses a bit of remixing and programs as well – alongside other instrumentation that includes nicely chromatic guitar from Ashton Sellars, a mix of piano and keyboards from Aron Ottingnon, and bass from Matt Dal Din. There's a bit of extra percussion, keyboard, and trumpet on the record at times – and titles include "Back In The Days", "A Night In Belin", "Two Chords & The Truth", "To The Before Time", "The People's Shadow", "Sit In Your Discomfort", and "African Folk Song". ~ Dusty Groove

John Scofield - John Scofield

John Scofield's a musician who's changed up his sound wonderfully over the decades – and yet, throughout it all, he's never stopped to give us an album of solo guitar – something he does here in a wonderfully fresh way – mixing up a surprising array of songs alongside his own work on guitar, which is sometimes augmented by loops! Scofield mixes in his own compositions with a few traditional tunes, numbers by Hank Williams and Buddy Holly, and a few standards as well – all to deliver a surprisingly personal record, and one that never lets the looping effects get in the way of the sensitive sounds on the guitar. Titles include "Elder Dance", "Since You Asked", "Not Fade Away", "My Old Flame", "You Win Again", "Trance De Jour", "Junco Partner", and "Coral". ~ Dusty Groove

World Famous Cotton Club in Harlem NYC Re-Opens

The World Famous Cotton Club, Harlem’s legendary nightclub where the well-heeled dined, danced and swung the night away to the likes of Duke Ellington, Lena Horne and Cab Calloway, is returning in grand style on Saturday night, May 14, 2022 for two shows, 8pm and 10pm. 

Where the original club in its 1920s-1930s heyday was located on 142nd Street & Lenox Ave., the present location sits on 125th Street. And, when this new launch opens, the headliner will be all-around entertainer Elijah Rock, a singing and dancing firestorm who has long made his mission clear of keeping the proud traditions and legacies of the music not just alive…but vibrant. 

Duly, Elijah Rock will officially become “A New Face of The Cotton Club.”  

“The opportunity to open and headline at The Cotton Club – the historical space where so many of my greatest inspirations graced the stage - is a dream come true,” Rock states. “It’s also a homecoming. I lived on 127th & Morningside for 10 years, mere blocks way! I am thrilled to be working with entrepreneur/promoter Charles Piazza to extend the legacy of The Cotton Club and ventures across the globe.”

Assessing his gifts, one major outlet praised Rock thusly, “IT TAKES A CERTAIN KIND OF ARTIST THESE DAYS TO CARRY ON THE TORCH PASSED ON FROM THE LIKES OF NAT “KING” COLE, FREDDIE COLE, BILLY ECKSTINE AND JOE WILLIAMS.” -JAZZ WEEKLY

A torch-bearing interpreter of The Great American Songbook, Elijah Rock has been making his mark as an entertainer based in Las Vegas where he headlines top showrooms, starred as the lead vocalist in Vegas! The Show at Planet Hollywood, and released his acclaimed albums Gershwin For My Soul and the recent, Matters of The Heart.” “Winner of an NAACP Theater Award for his lead in “Breath and Imagination: The Story of Roland Hayes,” Rock also portrayed Cotton Club legend Cab Calloway in the musical “I Only Have Eyes For You,” earning an Ovation Award nomination. 

“Harlem will love this new grandiose opening of The Cotton Club,” Elijah enthuses. “When I headline the grand opening black tie/red carpet event, I will be backed by a 10-piece band led by Brooklyn’s own highly respected reed man Lou Caputo (Bobby Short, Lou Rawls, The Temptations, Bobby Sanabria) and reflective of my generation – a group of mixed gender and mixed race younger and older players. I’ll be singing repertoires from my extensive big band book and, of course, I will have a Duke Ellington medley. It’s going to be Uptown New York…with a splash of my spin on Las Vegas.”

John Beatty, long time President and CEO of The Cotton Club, has given his full blessing for this spectacular event and continuance of the hallowed Harlem venue.  On this resurrection of Old World NYC Splendor, The Cotton Club’s promoter Charles Piazza shares, “Shows are going to be upscale, formal attire in a New York evening destination spot featuring various styles of live music for dancing – Jazz, show music, vocal stars and top lounge performers. I originally had shows booked for early 2020 – pre-COVID – but, everything was shut down. We’re finally comfortable enough to take it off hold. Our premier show will be Elijah Rock. Poring over his website and YouTube clips, I was knocked out by his talent and the ‘full package’ image he projects.  I knew immediately, Elijah Rock would be “the only one to launch this re-opening of The Cotton Club.” 

Marsha Bartenetti | “One Day At A Time”

The dramatic strings that open vocal interpreter Marsha Bartenetti’s “One Day At A Time” set the stage for the single’s contemplative reflection post-breakup. Released last Friday (May 6) from the Lo-Flo Records album “Marsha Bartenetti sings McNealy & Kuhns,” the ardent song composed by Jane McNealy is a mélange of jazz, Latin and Afro Cuban music elegantly voiced by Bartenetti. Vocal and instrumental versions of the track were released, and a video will soon follow. 

Bartenetti was drawn to the album project that was recorded with a full orchestra in Studio A at Capitol Records by McNealy and songwriting partner Alice Kuhns’s authentic storytelling lyrics and intrinsic melodies beautifully wrapped in a package of Mike Watts’ eloquent orchestrations and arrangements. The critically praised collection offers a refreshing sound that reminds listeners in this time of distraction that matters of the heart are still the pulse of life itself. 

“One Day At A Time” initially shuffles along a breezy cadence imbued with Watts’ nimble piano flourishes, Jeff Bunnell’s majestic trumpet forays and Rusty Higgins’s plush saxophone embellishments. Mid-tune, the tempo kicks into high gear as Brazilian jazz rhythms churn feverishly, adding to the anxious emotions of the protagonist reflected in Bartenetti’s impassioned queries, “What went wrong?”   

“‘One Day At A Time’ is a song that catches us right in the midst of disorientation and confusion when a love suddenly ends, before we have a chance to process what has happened and regain some kind of perspective. It is like wandering in some kind of bizarre dream. Life goes on - the sounds, the bustling life on the streets - but you are utterly in shock and can't make sense of it all yet. Unrequited love may be the deepest cut of all when you have given your heart and it is not returned or, in fact, if it is spurned. Jane’s song captures that devastating moment immediately after a breakup and is a call to take it one day at a time while the shock and disorientation of losing your lover swirls around you,” said Bartenetti.

Legendary jazz singer Sarah Vaughan sang “One Day At A Time” along with three of the other songs that appear on “Marsha Bartenetti sing McNealy & Kuhns.” According to McNealy, the original concert performance was much more of a straight-ahead jazz cut, and Watts’s inventive orchestration and arrangement took the song in an entirely new and fresh direction.

“Although Mike is a jazz pianist, his concepts for a 50-piece orchestra are more nuanced and layered. We went over his score many times and I liked the idea of enhancing the bossa nova feel, picking up rhythm in the middle of the song and then keeping it going to the end. The core idea was that my chord structure would always be the backbone of the arrangement. At the time I wrote ‘One Day At A Time,’ I had just begun composing and working on esoteric and dissonant chord changes with melodies almost incongruous to the accompanying arrangements,” explained McNealy.

Love, romance and relationships are the subject of many of the pages in the McNealy and Kuhns songbook, which consists of jazz, pop, soul, funk and folk music written for records, theater and film. McNealy finds the subject matter a constant source of inspiration.

“When you’re young, you’re either in love or falling out of love, a universal theme that interests everyone. As a writer though, one of the reasons I started writing musicals was to get more variety in the stories and lyrics that I was putting to music. The entire process is a great challenge and a great source of inspiration. You never run out of ideas You can’t be in love forever; it’s too exhausting.”

“Marsha Bartenetti sings McNealy & Kuhns” is available now on CD and digitally at iTunes, Amazon and all major retail outlets. It will be available on vinyl this summer.

Artur Tuznik Sextet - Spring (Nordic jazz)

SPRING - the debut album from the Artur Tuźnik Sextet - takes listeners on an engaging, reflective journey through sounds, sensations and seasons in a program featuring new music that pays homage to the bandleader and composer’s greatest inspirations. The musical voices of the carefully chosen contributing instrumentalists bring nine original tunes to life in a production that’s intimate, spiritual, and offers something for audiences of all backgrounds.

Polish pianist and composer Artur Tuźnik (born 1989) has been based in Copenhagen, Denmark since 2008 and is one of only a few musicians to have studied at both the “classical” (Royal Danish Academy of Music) and “jazz” (Rhythmic Music Conservatory) schools in the Danish capital. His fascination with both sprawling genres is evident in his virtuosic playing, but also in his compositions. As a pianist, Tuźnik is known for his work with drummer Thomas Blachman, Thomas Agergaard, Tomasz Stanko, Chris Cheek, and Tony Malaby among many others. He’s written commissioned pieces for the Classical Days festival in Holstebro and his work as a composer has been celebrated by international audiences and reviewers alike.

The lineup of musicians he’s selected for his sextet reads like a modern all-star band of Scandinavian-based players: American tenor saxophonist Ned Ferm, who has called Copenhagen home since 2001 (known for his work with Roswell Rudd and Kurt Rosenwinkel); Norwegians Erik Kimestad on trumpet (a member of Kresten Osgood’s Quintet), Simon Albertsen on drums (Espen Berg Trio, WAKO); Swedish trombonist Petter Hängsel (Danish Radio Big Band, Horse Orchestra); the legendary Danish bassist Anders “AC” Christensen (Paul Motian’s Electric Bebop Band, Tomasz Stanko). Each of the soloists shines on this album that is thick with highlights.

The songs were recorded in The Village Recording Studio in Copenhagen in early 2020 (just pre-pandemic) by Thomas Vang, and later mixed and mastered by Brian Massaka. The band set up and played together in the same room - a decision made by Tuźnik in order to create a musical intimacy among the players and bring that sound to listeners. That incredible closeness is present throughout this album that absolutely sparkles with creative joy while it inspires nuanced nostalgia.

The first four songs (Road to Nowhere, January, Spring, Tales From The Road) are all interconnected and are based on unique harmonies and forms. Material from Road to Nowhere and Spring are referenced in Tales From The Road - a solo piano piece that functions as an overview for the first part of the musical journey. The next part of the journey kicks off with the enchanting Lazy Song - a tenor saxophone feature that allows both Fermand Tuźnik to soar on the moving minor mood. Christensen plays the band into the energetic, tidal rubato flow of Monday with a meditative bass solo and the album goes to another new place on Water - a tune that follows the theme down a stream that develops into a babbling brook and later becomes roaring rapids. The album’s final selection, Monstera Deliciosa, is a return to the group’s “swing” mode.

The Artur Tuźnik Sextet has officially arrived in 2022 with an album that reminds us of the interconnectedness of the composer’s influences and tunes that put his clear appreciation for nature, spiritualism, and musical beauty front and center. The melodic, harmonic, and structural flow of the music whisks listeners away on a journey that’s engaging, entertaining, and peppered with provocative, natural tension and resolution. SPRING deserves to be heard multiple times to fully grasp its depth, and as the detailed layers of meaning unfold with each listening experience, audiences can look forward to understanding more about the Artur Tuźnik Sextet and its musical mission.

"Spirit Of France" - obscure, rare spiritual jazz, deep folk and psychedelia sounds from the French ‘70s - ‘80s underground

Obscure, rare spiritual jazz, deep folk and psychedelia sounds from the French ‘70s - ‘80s underground.

‘Spirit of France’ is an anthology celebrating the French artists whose total desire not to belong to a particular trend expanded their horizon by pushing the boundaries of creative music. Recording in caves during the full moon, or in the open air in Ibiza to celebrate the sun - with flutes, cromorne (French woodwind reed), darbouka and hurdy-gurdy, or with fascinating, unusual, artist-build instruments, with sounds heavily influenced from Indian, African, Arabic, Eastern and Malagasy cultures, this is what makes this compilation so unique. 

Freedom of expression, experimental creativity and collaboration constitute the fuel for these hand picked artists – similar to Don Cherry’s influence on Colin Walcott and Kahil El’Zabar (in the field of jazz), and folk background artists like Robbie Basho and Sandy Bull; in Europe, the same approach was manifested in Italy with bassist Marcello Melis, the Sardinian singers from the Gruppo Rubanu, Aktuala and Futuro Antico. In France, Cossi Anatz, Nu Creative Methods and Sonorhc were also echoing the same approach. 

‘Spirit of France’ – a project that was several years in the making, is dedicated in unearthing more than just curiosities, instead focusing on never been reissued, obscure, self-released music. Carefully curated by Spiritmuse Records’ Mark Gallagher and Thea Ioannou, and joined by young French digger Tom Val, ‘Spirit of France’ is an anthology of obscure spiritual jazz and its’ relationship with deep folk in the ‘70s - ‘80s French multi-cultural melting pot underground scene.

The album’s aim is evident from the outset, with Rémy Couvez’s aptly named ‘Rêve de Voyage’, illustrating the theme’s quest for imaginary folklore, continued with Workshop de Lyon, Jef Gilson – France’s spiritual jazz giant, Sylvain Kassap, Noco Music, Pân-Râ, L’Empire des Sons, Ghédalia Tazartès, and the mysterious Adjenar Sidar Khan. Some of these artists remain unacknowledged, yet they’re all extraordinary heroes of the French music avant-garde scene. 

‘Spirit of France’ is a journey of imaginary folklore, blending spiritual jazz influences and deep folk, celebrating the unique sounds of the French avant-garde underground, at the crossroads of the tribal, the secular and the universal. 

New Music: Don Cherry, Miles Davis, John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman, Chet Baker

Don Cherry - Where Is Brooklyn & Eternal Rhythm Revisited

Two Don Cherry classics – back to back in a single set! Where Is Brooklyn is easily one of the most powerful albums ever cut by Don Cherry – a searing set of tracks done for Blue Note in the late 60s – and featuring some tremendous tenor work by Pharoah Sanders! There's a tightness and level of energy here that surpasses even Cherry's other excellent Blue Note sessions – a rawness that recalls the style forged often on key ESP albums of the 60s, but honed here into a slightly tighter mode. Sanders' horn is especially well-placed in the set – and pushes Cherry past the spacier notes of other recordings, in a way that unlocks fire from the years with Ornette – but which opens up into a much freer groove. The rest of the group includes Henry Grimes on bass and Ed Blackwell on drums – both a perfect match for the quartet – and titles include the 17 minute "Unite", plus "There Is A Bomb", "Awake Nu", "Taste Maker", and "The Thing". Eternal Rhythm is one of Don Cherry's most hypnotic albums ever – a full album-length performance that features one of his first experiments with mixing jazz and global elements! The set was captured at the 1968 Berlin Jazz Festival – and mixes Cherry's amazing work on cornet, flute, and a myriad of world instruments with key contributions from European improvisers who include Eje Thelin on trombone, Bernt Rosengren on tenor and oboe, Karl Berger on vibes, Joachim Kuhn on piano and prepared piano, and Albert Mangelsdorf on trombone! There's even a bit of gamelon elements in some of the music, and Sonny Sharrock plays guitar too – and although free at times, the music comes together with an amazing sense of cohesion by the end – a vision that would inspire others to move into new territory in the decade to come. ~ Dusty Groove

Miles Davis - Stockholm 1967 & 1969 Revisited

Miles Davis, recorded in Stockholm – two different shows with only two years between them – but almost a lifetime of difference in the way the music is presented! The 1967 show has the Miles Davis group still hanging onto the greatness of its classic mid 60s lineup – with Wayne Shorter on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Anthony Williams on drums – making the special kind of quickly-creative magic that really graced Davis in a live setting at the time – as they soar over versions of "Gingerbread Boy", "Footprints", "Agitation", and "Round Midnight". The 1969 show has the more electric side of Miles starting to show – partly in the use of electric piano from Chick Corea in the group – but also in the longer form of some of the tracks, which have that more open vibe that would mark the start of the 70s for Davis. Other players include Wayne Shorter on tenor, Dave Holland on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – and titles include "Bitches Brew", "Masqualero", "Nevertiti", and "Paraphernalia". ~ Dusty Groove

John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman - John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman (180 gram pressing)

A landmark album of vocal jazz – and one of the few sessions that John Coltrane ever cut with a singer! In a way, the album's more Hartman's than it is Coltrane's – given that Johnny's warm, mellow style of singing isn't as free and open as Trane at his most adventurous – but at another level, the album's got a great approach to Coltrane's gentler side, one that wasn't showing up on a lot of his Impulse albums of the time! Overall, the album's got an extremely haunting quality, and McCoy Tyner's piano adds as much to Hartman's hip voice as Coltrane's mellow tenor. Titles include some well-chosen moody standards – including "Lush Life", "Dedicated To You", and "Autumn Serenade". (Part of the excellent Acoustic Sounds series – heavy vinyl and cover!) ~ Dusty Groove

Chet Baker - Live In Paris – The Radio France Recordings 1983/1984 (180 gram 3LP pressing) (2022 Record Store Day Release)

Chet Baker in the 80s was a really wonderful thing – hardly the sound of an aging musician stumbling towards the end of his life, as so many others tend to paint this time – and instead, a continually-creative individual who was really finding ways to get around his losses and make some tremendous new sounds in the process! One of the greatest things about Chet during these years was his sense of an unusual style of group – and that's definitely the case here as he works on both recordings with a drum-less trio – the great French pianist Michel Grailler on both sets, and either Dominique LeMerle or Riccardo Del Fra on bass – the latter of whom is a player who appeared on some of the best Baker recordings of the final decade. Tracks are nice and long, filled with unusual changes, and some wonderful phrasing from Baker – very different than the early days, but equally beautiful! Titles include "Arbor Way", "Walkin", "Lament", "Just Friends", "Stella By Starlight", "Easy Living", "But Not For Me", and "Funk In Deep Freeze". (Hand-numbered limited edition – on heavyweight vinyl!) ~ Dusty Groove

Lou Pomanti & Friends

Multi award-winning Canadian music producer, arranger and composer Lou Pomanti presents a beautiful record featuring many of his illustrious collaborators. A stellar back-up band, phenomenal featured soloists and a "who's who" of vocalists performing ballads to big band, bossa-nova to blues, and plenty of soul. The album features Emilie-Claire Barlow, Randy Brecker, David Clayton-Thomas, Matt Dusk, Marc Jordan, Oakland Stroke, John Finley, Dione Taylor, Robyn Black, Larnell Lewis, Irene Torres, June Garber, Sam Pomanti, Scott Alexander, Lou Bartolomucci, Tony Carlucci, William Carn, Steve Heathcote, Chris Howells, John Johnson, Drew Jurecka, Jake Langley, Blair Lofgren, Jason Logue, Steve MacDonald, Bill McBirnie, John Panchyshyn, Prague Smecky Orchestra, Marc Rogers, Kathryn Rose, William Sperandei, and Simon Wallis.

Canadian Screen Awards (Gemini) winner Lou Pomanti is one of Canada’s most accomplished producers, composers, musicians and musical directors. Lou’s original music and performances are featured on soundtracks and recordings from some of Canada's biggest stars, and he has contributed playing, arrangements and productions to several Grammy-winning albums. In 1980 Lou received a call from David Clayton-Thomas to join the seminal jazz rock group Blood, Sweat and Tears and toured the world. It began a decades-long association including the role as producer on DCT’s “Soul Ballads” album for Universal Records. 1983 saw the beginning of Lou’s session career as the first call pianist/synthesist in Toronto. His playing and arranging has enhanced the recordings of Michael Bublé, Gordon Lightfoot and Anne Murray; as well as rockers Kim Mitchell and Triumph. He received a Gemini award for arranging and conducting “Both Sides Now” for Joni Mitchell’s induction to the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. Lou is known for his big band and string arrangements. He arranged the orchestra for Michael Buble’s smash hit “Haven’t Met You Yet”, which has sold over 7 million copies worldwide. He has 8 arrangements in total on Michael Bublé records. He has contributed to and/or produced recent albums by Marc Jordan, The Tenors, Matt Dusk, David Clayton-Thomas, June Garber, John Finley, Barbra Lica and many more.

Amanda Whiting | "After Dark"

Welsh harpist Amanda Whiting returns on Jazzman Records following on from her successful debut album ’After Dark’ (2021). New explorations and global changing events have led Whiting to ‘Lost in Abstraction’.The Reynolds/ Thorne/ Whiting trio is joined again by the mesmerising lines of flautist Chip Wickham, resuming their conversation reminiscent of Dorothy Ashby and Frank Wess.

‘Lost in abstraction’ was written during a  period of the unknown when Whiting, like most, explored her own sense of self.  The world  paused, with no timeframe, and the fragility of  life was laid bare. A time when humanity was left searching for purpose. Freedom and the dependable structures of familiarity were dissolved in most aspects of life. But music stayed constant. Creativity kept weaving its thread, connecting music and its makers in an indissoluble bond.

The album explores the questions and realisations whilst confined. The spiritual findings, the playful curiousness and the reflective moments of loss. Whiting’s writing indulges the listener with the spiritual ethereal washes of sound demanded of the harp, whilst also embracing her influences across many genres. Classically trained, her roots are evident.  But with an emotionally charged energy and spiritual questioning, a new  soundscape of modernity has emerged. 

So often associated with Ashby and Coltrane, the harp finds itself in the hands of a new voice which tells the story of a period of time where the world was unified in reflection. 

'Abstraction' is the second single taken from the album. Early support for 'Lost In Abstraction' comes from Huw Stephens on BBC 6 Music, China Moses and Tony Minvielle on Jazz FM and Twisted Soul amongst others.

Najee | "Savoir Faire"

“My life has been a series of pivotal events and circumstances that have gotten me to where I am,” reflects the fearless chart-topping Contemporary Jazz pioneer Najee. In a business where trends and artists come and go, the genre-bending saxophonist’s staying power is a rare blessing. The Grammy and NAACP award-winning musician’s genuine love for connecting with people, coupled with his consummate musicianship and sheer passion for music, have made him one of the brightest stars in Contemporary Jazz for close to four decades. “I heard this beautiful saying once,” explains the Zen saxophonist who has collaborated with Prince, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan and Herbie Hancock, among others. “It said that some people meet their destiny while traveling on a road trying to avoid it. I recall as a young man contemplating the idea of changing directions and going into banking. Here I am still doing what I am doing because it’s what I am meant to do! Every day I wake up and I am grateful for my life and career.” Najee’s gratitude permeates every note on Savoir Faire, his newest recording out on Shanachie Entertainment May 13, 2022. Recorded during the pandemic, Savoir Faire, a Pan American excursion, found Najee enlisting friends from New York, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Connecticut, Florida, Sao Paulo and Rio, to honor a melting pot of influences. “I gave up worrying about disputes between genres a long time ago,” states Najee. “Duke Ellington said there are only two kinds of music: good music and bad music. So based on that I do not worry. People seem to forget that in the early days of jazz, the music was designed to make people dance. All of your experiences live inside you and they come out in your music. I just want to make good music and make it accessible for people to enjoy.” Fait Accompli on Savoir Faire!

Armed with a surplus of technical agility and firepower, Najee commandeers a magnificent 10-track journey that is a testament to his keen ability to assemble the right musicians in order to orchestrate unforgettable musical moments. Joining Najee on his 19th recording as a leader are Alyson Williams, Frank McComb, Chris “Big Dog” Davis, Barry Eastmond, Adam Hawley and Robert Herbert, among others. Savoir Faire opens with the album’s first single, the funk-drenched and mystical “Dr. Dolittle,” penned by pianist Frank Wilkins. Najee’s spunky soprano juxtaposed with Rohan Reid’s slaphappy bass and guitar and the gritty swinging horn section ceremoniously opens the album. “Luna” is the perfect showcase for Najee’s sublime, flawless and dancing flute. The track’s smooth rock-steady groove makes it hard to sit still. Pianist Mark Harris II wrote “Luna” and appears on the song. A welcome gem on Savoir Faire is Michael Henderson’s timeless R&B hit “Valentine Love,” featuring Alyson Williams and Chris “Big Dog” Davis. “The first time I heard ‘Valentine Love,’ it was covered by Norman Connors and Michael Henderson, who is a great bassist and songwriter. I have always loved the story and the chord changes,” admits Najee who was convinced that Williams and Davis would both put their own stamp on his version. “I knew they could make it special,” states the two-time Platinum-selling and four-time Gold-selling multi-instrumentalist. “Alyson Williams is like a modern day Ella Fitzgerald or Sarah Vaughan. She’s a living legend, she’s brilliant and she is one of the most underutilized vocalists in the industry. I can’t say enough about Chris Davis who has this natural ability to take a song and re-harmonize and take it somewhere completely different.”

A highlight on Savoir Faire is the utterly delightful take on Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Happiness (A Felicidade)" produced by Robert Herbert featuring Bossa Nova Noites and Curtis King Jr. “I am truly a fan Brazilian music," confides Najee. “I had the pleasure of having Robert Herbert produce and co-arrange this track with Brazilian musicians in Rio and Sao Paulo, who live the music everyday. We also brought in Curtis King who is a great long-time session musician and singer. For me, flute and Brazilian music have a natural organic chemistry that is undeniable." Herbert also produced "Modern Lovers" (composed by Terri Lyne Carrington and Brenda Russell) featuring Frank McComb. "My association with Frank began 2002 when we first met in Mexico where he was performing,” reminiscences Najee. “He is a great keyboardist and vocalist. Both Rob and I felt that Frank was the perfect person to merge the cultures of the US and Brazil. He brings a unique talent to any record that he performs on. In this case, Frank was truly brilliant in the way he approached the song."

Najee’s warm, emotive and burly tenor takes center stage on the scintillating ballad “Isla Hermosa,” co-written with Barry Eastmond who also plays percussion on the track. “Barry’s a great Grammy-award winning producer who has worked with Anita Baker, Al Jarreau, Freddie Jackson, George Benson and so many others. Our friendship goes back probably close to 30 years,” says Najee. The gale force winds of "Hurricaine" summon the funk edge of Najee's tenor and flute and a rockin’ horn section featuring Mike Parlett and Lee Thornburg. Najee enlists guitarist Adam Hawley for whom he holds a great deal of respect and adoration. Najee and company has got it all covered with “Bottom To The Top.” Najee’s flute calls to mind a “Memphis Underground” vibe as bassist David Dyson, who wrote the track, propels the groove to the outermost limits. The effervescent "Bounce" adds some unyielding fun and swagger to the unstoppable playlist and the sultry “Savoir Faire,” takes us to our final destination. “I made this album for the people,” Najee simply states. “I hope my fans will have a pleasurable experience and that they will hear what ‘Savoir Faire’ means, which is to live elegantly according to the best of the cultural norms or to know how to present something with elegance. That is my goal and I hope it came together well.”

When Najee was just a kid, he had the great fortune of meeting two iconic jazzmen: Sonny Rollins and Charles Mingus. The introductions, which left lasting impressions further led him down his musical path. “When I was about 14, I was playing on a school instrument and everyone in the house was covering their ears and saying ‘stop, stop!’ My mom noticed that it was my thing and my release and so she bought me my first saxophone,” recalls Najee. As I began to develop on my instrument, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Yusef Lateef and Hubert Laws became influences.” As Najee honed his skills he had the blessing of being mentored by iconic saxmen Jimmy Heath and Frank Foster and flutist Harold Jones. As an industrious and hungry young musician, Najee had the good fortune of coming through Dr. Billy Taylor’s now legendary Jazzmobile program. While a student at the New England Conservatory (where both Najee and his brother attended) he studied Jazz with luminaries George Russell and Jaki Byard. In the late 80s when Najee finished school and returned to New York, he landed a gig with Chaka Khan along with his brother, guitarist Fareed (who is his long-time manager).

In 1987 Najee's Theme was released and the saxophonist earned a slot on tour with singer Freddie Jackson. The following year, Day By Day was released, and in 1991, Tokyo Blue, which is one of Najee’s most successful and enduring recordings. Tokyo Blue (which was produced by Najee’s brother Fareed) and Day By Day both went Gold and led to two Soul Train Awards for Najee (Best Jazz Artist in 1991 and 1993). Just An Illusion came in 1992 and around the same time he collaborated with the iconic Quincy Jones, as well as with jazz greats Stanley Clarke, Billy Cobham and Larry Carlton for the album Live At The Greek. 1994 saw the release of Share My World and the following year, Najee received critical praise for his tribute to Stevie Wonder's 1976 classic, Songs In The Key Of Life that was produced by George Duke and featured Herbie Hancock and Sheila E. among others. Najee’s CD Morning Tenderness, released in 1998, went to #1 on the contemporary jazz charts. The late ‘90s were marked by extraordinary international experiences, from performing at Nelson Mandela’s birthday celebration in South Africa to playing as a special guest of President Clinton at the White House at an event honoring President Jerry Rawlings of the Republic of Ghana. Najee also spent two years of touring (2001-2003) with Prince and appears on Prince’s albums Rainbow Children and One Night Alone. In 2003 Najee released Embrace, featuring special guests Roy Ayers and BeBe Winans. My Point Of View was his follow up in 2005 featuring his good friend and vocalist Will Downing. 2007’s Rising Sun joined Najee with Phil Perry and Mind Over Matter from 2009 paired Najee with singer Eric Benét. The Smooth Side Of Soul (Najee’s Shanachie debut) followed in 2012, successfully covering such diverse terrain as Jimmy Heath and Ne-Yo and the follow-up, The Morning After, arrived in 2013 debuting at #1 on the Billboard charts and exploring the many sides of love. You, Me & Forever was released in 2015 and united Najee with James Lloyd and Frank McComb among others.

In 2017 Najee released Poetry In Motion, dedicated to the memory of Prince and Al Jarreau and featuring an all-star line up including Maysa, Will Downing, Eric Roberson and Incognito. Center Of the Heart followed in 2019 garnering an NAACP Image award. The album showcased the smash singles “Speak Love” and “Face To Face” featuring Kenny Lattimore. Until the start of the pandemic, Najee enjoyed the successful launch of his own saxophone company called Chase of Winds. His first line was the Najee Platinum Series. “Unfortunately due to Covid and the inability to transport things from Asia, where most musical instruments are manufactured, I had to disband the company. However, as a saxophonist, I learned more from manufacturing saxophones than I ever did as a player,” confides Najee. “It was a great experience for me and an expensive one!” Although the line is discontinued, Najee has made it a point to pay it forward and has been donating his saxophones to students in need and to numerous charitable organizations.

A family man at heart, Najee shares that his greatest joy has been “being able to see my children grow up and live productive lives and go out into the world and make their claim. That for me is what makes life fulfilling and gratifying.” He continues, “I have always had family that has supported me and a brother (Fareed) who was there with me. We have always facilitated keeping one another held up, moving along and meeting challenges together.” As for what keeps Najee cranking out the hits. He concludes with a chuckle, “There is a saying that as musicians we never retire, we just stop hearing. I believe that physically, mentally and spiritually a musician has to love what he does and that inspires him to want to continue to grow and associate themselves with things that inspire them and keep them moving.”

Bluesman Joe Louis Walker Signs With Forty Below Records | New Music to be Released Fall 2022

Forty Below Records announces the signing of celebrated Blues and Roots musician Joe Louis Walker. A Blues Hall of Fame inductee and six-time Blues Music Award winner, NPR described Walker as “a legendary boundary-pushing icon of modern blues”. His 2015 release Everyone Wants a Piece was nominated for the Contemporary Blues Grammy. Walker dueted with B.B. King on his Grammy Award-winning Blues Summit album and played guitar on James Cotton’s Grammy winning album Deep in the Blues.

Regarded as one of the greatest bluesmen of his generation, Walker’s output spans the gamut of American Roots music. His playing "blows all over the map…gutbucket blues, joyous gospel, Rolling Stones-style rock crunch, and aching R&B. Walker’s guitar playing is fine and fierce." opines Billboard.

A brilliantly lyrical guitarist, soulful singer and prolific songwriter, Walker has toured extensively throughout his career, performing at the world’s most renowned music festivals and earning a legion of dedicated fans. He has recorded with Ike Turner, Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal,  and Steve Cropper, opened for Muddy Waters and Thelonious Monk, hung out with Jimi Hendrix, Freddie King, Mississippi Fred McDowell, and was a close friend and roommate to Mike Bloomfield.

Walker’s 1986 debut album Cold Is the Night on HighTone Records announced his arrival in stunning fashion, and his subsequent output for Verve, Alligator, Hightone, and others has only served to further establish Walker as one of today's leading bluesmen. The New York Times raved, "Walker is a singer with a Cadillac of a voice. His guitar solos are fast, wiry and incisive, moaning with bluesy despair." Rolling Stone simply calls him "ferocious." Walker long ago earned his rightful place among the pantheon of legendary electric blues singer/guitarist/songwriters like B.B. King, Buddy Guy and Luther Allison. Blues Revue calls Walker "one of contemporary blues' most dynamic and innovative. musicians, releasing consistently exciting music... soulful, heartfelt and spellbinding." Living Blues effused, "His fretwork is indelibly stamped with his own trademark blend of emotional heat and impeccable precision. Even at his most flamboyant, Walker sounds as if he's playing ideas, not just notes. 

Already at work with Producer Eric Corne (John Mayall, Walter Trout, Sugaray Rayford), new music is expected this fall with a full-length album following in early 2023.

New Music: E Soul Cultura, Chris Greene Quartet, Eric Alexander Quartet, Black Mango

E Soul Cultura (Various Artists)

A really cool idea for a collection – a set that brings together vintage 70s tracks and more contemporary cuts – all with a globe-spanning ear for a groove, and an approach that's as heavy in soul as you'd expect from the title! This isn't your usual collection of sample tracks or funk classics – as the selection moves way past the obvious, and does a brilliant job of combining tracks we never would have thought to put together – while also introducing us to a number we'd never heard before too! Titles include "Every Time I See Him" by Metropolis, "Eva" by Robson Jorge & Lincoln Olivetti, "O Galho Da Roseira" by Airto, "Apocalypse Now Ho" by Nar'Chiveol, "Wache" by Francisco, "After All" by Soylent Green, "Space Queen" by King Errison, "Robot Man" by Yusef Lateef, "Stay This Way (lunar dub)" by Brand New Heavies, "Le Train" by Chene Noir, "Southern Freez" by On, "The PL (ext edit)" by Typesun, and "Le Cyclope" by Daniel Humair, Francois Jeanneau, and Henri Texier. ~ Dusty Groove

Chris Greene Quartet - Playspace 2: Play Harder

Saxophonist Chris Greene just keeps maturing more and more as an artist and leader over the years – a quality you'll definitely hear even before he blows his horn, as he speaks a bit at the start of this live performance – then rolls into some really great work on both tenor and soprano sax, both horns that really show his strong development of an individual style in recent years! The quartet is rock-solid throughout, in that they're very responsive to Greene's leadership and change of mood from track to track – with work from Damian Espinosa on piano and keyboards, Marc Piano on basses, and Steve Corley on drums and percussion. Titles include the originals "Samba Fu Maga" and "Divers" – plus versions of "Caravan", "You Win Again", and "Omi". ~ Dusty Groove

Eric Alexander Quartet - Gentle Ballads 6

A great installment in this long-running series from tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander – a player who also picks up a bit of alto on the record too! As with the previous volumes, this is way more than just a set of sleepy ballads – as the presentation is way more than "gentle", and the music moves with some nice currents of soul – thanks in part to superb accompaniment from John Di Martino on piano, Dezron Douglas on bass, and Willie Jones III on drums! Alexander approaches the tunes in ways that really echo his roots on the south side scene in Chicago – using them as bare frameworks, really – never losing the melody, but also really constructing his own songs as well – and reminding us again that he's one of the greatest mainstream saxophonists to come our way in recent decades. Titles include "Bright Moments", "Estate", "So In Love", "Moon & Sand", "Hush A Bye", "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life", and "Say It". ~ Dusty Groove

Black Mango - Quicksand

A really unique project from Philippe Samiguel – recorded in Bamako, where Samiguel has worked as a producer for many years – during which time he's pulled together ideas from all sorts of different projects, and forged them into a new groove of his own! Samiguel's worked most famously with Samba Toure – who's here on the record alongside other artists who include Hugo Race, Mariam Kone, Mamadou Sidibe, and others – working on music that has roots in Malian blues, Tuareg guitar, and other west African modes – but which has a quality that's also very much all its own. There's an experimental nature to the project that takes us back to some of the best global experiments from the early days of the Crammed label – and titles include "Are U Satisfied", "The First Tone", "Minamba", "Heaven Sands", "Mad Girl Lament", "Quicksand Blues", and "Golden Cage". ~ Dusty Groove

S-Tone Inc | “Body & Soul - The Disco Experience

With seven releases - including this one - on Schema Records and three - considering also the Cosmorama project - on Milano 2000, Stefano Tirone has tightened his collaboration with the Edizioni Ishtar group.

He is today one of the label’s most popular artists, with more than 300.000 monthly listeners and millions of plays of his acclaimed hits on Spotify - more than 3 million overall for his recent digital singles “Blow My Mind" and “No Meio Do Samba”. 

His previous full-length “Body & Soul” shows influences from the early ’90s British acid jazz scene and his deep love for the ’70s soul, Brazilian and jazz;music that constitute the basic foundations of the S-Tone Inc. sound. Here, instead of asking other artists to remix his tracks, Stefano has decided to do that himself, reworking in a nu-disco key the entire “Body & Soul” record, herein named “The Disco Experience”. 

The title and the graphic layout take us to a period in time between late ’70s and early ’80s when the artist as a teenager, completely absorbed by the sound of disco music, used to go to clubs and discotheques to listen and dance to those unmistakable sonic frequencies. In those years the American DJ Larry Levan and the Italian Mozart and Baldelli used to play their music in front of crowded disco halls, while record labels such as Prelude and Solar set the standards with artists such as D-Train, Sharon Redd, Whispers, Shalamar and their soulful vocals combined to strong basslines, funky guitars and uptempo rhythms. 

This is how “Body & Soul - The Disco Experience” was born, as an homage to the music that Stefano used to immerse in during those adventurous years, with a few exceptions: “No Meio Do Samba”, a tribute to the house sound of Frankie Knuckles in the early ’90s, and the two downbeat tracks “Flying Away”, with its essential R&B arrangement, and “Midnight Sun”, that keeps its cinematic mood but with a more funky attitude. “Odoya” is the only track remixed by The Invisible Session in a minimal spacey disco arrangement that fits perfectly with the overall sound of the album.