Caleb Wheeler Curtis | "Heatmap"

In simple layman’s terms, a heatmap is a way to show where the action is happening. If one were to represent the levels of communication, interplay and chemistry on Heatmap, the brilliant new album from saxophonist/composer Caleb Wheeler Curtis, the image would glow a consistent bright red. But take into account the range of dynamics, the span between explosive improvisation and sparse atmospherics, and you’d end up with a full spectrum of vibrant colors. Which should come as no surprise given the individual voices and shared histories of a quartet that teams Curtis with pianist Orrin Evans, bassist Eric Revis, and drummer Gerald Cleaver.

Due out July 15, 2022 via Evans’ Imani Records imprint, Heatmap is another bold step forward for Curtis, who has released two previous albums as a leader on Imani – Brothers (2018) and Ain’t No Storm (2021). It’s also another example of the way he thrives on collaboration while fiercely retaining his individual vision. That aspect has been showcased on collective projects like the trio Ember, which recorded last year’s No One Is Any One with Evans as special guest; and the ensemble Walking Distance, whose 2018 album Freebird featured pianist Jason Moran and was acclaimed as one of the year’s best jazz albums by the New York Times, among other plaudits.

Curtis composed the music for Heatmap amidst the natural splendor of the prestigious MacDowell Colony, where he enjoyed a four-week artist residency in 2021. Whether it was the inspirational setting, the solitude or simply his own instincts, Curtis emerged with a set of music that leaves ample space for the album’s remarkable improvisers to explore and invent.

“Part of that was just recognizing that I like music with space in it,” Curtis says. “It's easy to get wrapped up in the idea of throwing everything at the wall, which – in theory – sounds bigger and more confident. But I wanted to appreciate the sound of the music in the air. You can hear the detail in the playing, and really hear the musicians as people. And I’m working with three singular musicians whose playing has real weight.”

Heatmap represents Curtis’ latest venture into what he jokingly refers to as “the Orrin Evans extended universe.” The connection began through the Philly-based pianist’s Captain Black Big Band, with Curtis appearing on both of the band’s Grammy-nominated albums, Presence and The Intangible Between. He also performs on Evans’ 2016 release #knowingishalfthebattle alongside Kurt Rosenwinkel and Kevin Eubanks, among others.

That connection led Curtis to Eric Revis. The renowned bassist shares a storied history with Evans, including the collective trio Tarbaby with drummer Nasheet Waits. Revis shared bass duties with Luques Curtis on Caleb’s Brothers and expressed his interest in working more extensively with the saxophonist. Revis and Gerald Cleaver have collaborated in the bassist’s own trio as well as that of pianist Aruán Ortiz, though the drummer has not crossed paths often with Evans, making for a thrilling new hook-up fueled by the underlying web of connections.

The full range of hues is on display from the outset on the album’s title track, which begins with Evans’ alluring and mysterious solo piano, soon accented by Cleaver’s chattering cymbals; the tune builds in intensity and combustibility as the quartet engages in richly layered collective improvisation, culminating in Curtis’ muscular, sharp-angled melody.

Each piece hints at its essential character in its title, a sensation or impression that is at the core of the minimal yet vivid ideas that the composer uses to spark the band. “Tossed Aside” self-deprecatingly references the insinuating, deceptively casual melody that ambles through the airy, floating rhythms. The Ornette Coleman-esque “Surrounding” is agitated and enveloping, while “Limestone” proceeds with the crawling pace and imposing force of erosion at work on a primeval foundation. “Splinters” abounds with thrusting barbs and piercing shards where “Trees for the Forest” luxuriates in the awe-inspiring beauty of towering trees, seeming to float in a fog-shrouded forest canopy.

Motion and action shape many of the pieces on Heatmap – witness the way that Cleaver’s rumbling percussion threatens to shake loose his bandmates throughout “Trembling,” or closer “Spheres” revolves and rotates: circles within spirals, orbits and meshing gears. Then there’s the stark contrast between the hushed and elusive “Whisperchant” side by side with the wild, cathartic outbursts and eruptions of “C(o)urses.”

“Heatmap is about the search for an essence,” Curtis concludes. “The construction of the music may be interesting, the concepts may be of deep conviction, the architecture may be important - but ultimately, the sound and its various qualities of timbre, texture and dynamics are what give this music its intimacy and vitality. The action is here – in the making of the music.”

Brooklyn-based saxophonist Caleb Wheeler Curtis “lives at the junction of rigorous preparation and willingness to explore” (Jazz Speaks). He has released two albums as a leader on Imani Records: Brothers (2018) and Ain’t No Storm (2021). Neighborhood, the 2015 debut album from the collective quartet Walking Distance, was met with critical acclaim, echoed by its follow-up, Freebird, which featured pianist Jason Moran and was widely praised by The New York Times, DownBeat Magazine, Bandcamp, JazzTimes and others. His collaborations also include the collective trio Ember, whose 2021 sophomore release No One Is Any One featured Orrin Evans; a 2020 trio outing with bassist Rashaan Carter and drummer Mark Ferber; and a 2022 duet release with Swiss pianist Laurent Nicoud. Caleb also appears on two GRAMMY nominated albums by Orrin Evans’ Captain Black Big Band and has worked with such extraordinary musicians as Mulgrew Miller, Ravi Coltrane, Gerald Cleaver, Bill McHenry, Duane Eubanks, Eric Revis, Seamus Blake, Marta Sánchez, Darius Jones, Jon Irabagon, and many others.

Dante Piccinellli | "Uapiti"

After making several albums as a sideman and finishing his studies at the Superior Technician in Jazz of the Conservatorio Superior de Musica Manuel de Falla, the young pianist and composer Dante Piccinelli releases his first album as a leader: Uapití. For the recording he called on the double bassist and composer Hernan Cassibba and the drummer Omar Menéndez. 

Uapití arises from the idea of composing for a traditional format in jazz such as the piano trio (piano, double bass and drums), taking different styles within the genre and taking them to a current context. One of the objectives is to be able to show how these different styles can coexist forming something new and original and thus recover the value of the tradition of the genre without the need to enter conservative terrains.    

The composition of the songs began after exploring and studying jazz before the bop that led to the first song of the album "AJ" whose acronym refers to two pianists: Albert Ammons and James P. Johnson, one from the Boogie Woogie style and the other from the "stride piano". From there, parts of that sonority were combined, modifying its harmony and its meter. The compositions, although they have arrangements and a certain harmony and meter, also contain moments of greater freedom such as the beginning of the theme "Uapití" and that of "Juan", where the drums and bass make a free introduction to the theme. These situations of solo instrument are important within the album since, although the interaction between the three is fundamental, these individual and free moments allow another type of listening, more intimate and personal. This exploration focused on the early years of jazz and the history of the genre, added to a search for a more "modern" language, and compositions linked to another type of sonority. 

We can see two types of sonorities within the songs of the album: 

On the one hand, songs like "Juan", "Mutando", "AJ" and "Uapití" have a sonority linked to swing and the jazz tradition with blues influences, where you can hear larger chords and a more intense expression of the music. On the other hand, songs such as "Marcas", "El Abrazo", “Para un Salteño”, "Las Manos", and "Diagonal 113" have another type of sonority closer to the song, a right bracket, small chords and a more intimate expression of the music.  

Kirsty Rock Releases Debut Solo Album Slow Burn

Kirsty Rock, best known around the world as a member of the internationally renowned reggae super group Easy Star All-Stars, brings the fire with her own distinctive, soulful, and earthy reggae sound on her solo album debut, Slow Burn, out now on Easy Star Records. The release coincides with an official video release of the title track, which was a collaboration between acrobatic dancer Julia Baccellier, Rock, and Rock’s long standing collaborator D888. Rock says about the video: “The visuals and movements are an unveiling in which we accentuate the beauty of that journey – vulnerability, a shedding, and in finality, empowerment. It’s a personal journey with a universal message.” 

Kirsty Rock came up in the Brooklyn music scene of the 1990s, including her celebrated stint in Trumystic Sound System (at one time, this band included Dr. Israel as a member and collaborator). Her first lead vocal with Easy Star All-Stars was on their 2003 album Dub Side of the Moon, performing “The Great Gig In The Sky,” which has garnered millions of streams, and earned praise from Clare Torry, the original vocalist on Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. In 2003, she joined the touring version of Easy Star All-Stars and since then has toured in over 30 countries on 6 continents with the band. She was featured on vocals on their studio albums Radiodread (“Paranoid Android,” 2006), Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band (“She’s Leaving Home,” 2009), and Easy Star’s Thrillah (“P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing),” 2012), as well as on First Light, the band’s album of original songs from 2008. Rock is currently back on the road with ESA after a COVID hiatus, while there is a new record due from the band for the first time since 2012. 

The first single “The Feeling” may appear to be the most lighthearted song on the album, it “was the most difficult and cathartic to write,” Rock recently said. “It’s a reminder to myself that when we release grief, sorrow, pain, and anger, it leaves so much room for love and joy.” Her next single, “L.E.O.” pulses with a steady bass groove and slapping drums that draws you in with Rock’s lyrics: “The space between us pulls me in with thoughts darker than your skin. It's incredible. Burn my solar wings and carry me towards L.E.O.” 

Many of the songs on Slow Burn were started on the road with Easy Star All-Stars and with her own long-running band Trumystic, as Rock often found inspiration while in motion. With a busy tour schedule, no intention to be a solo artist, and no rush to put out “product,” she left all expectations behind and let the songs evolve. Observing how relationships unfolded and how political agendas came and went – and what was left in their wake – inspired much of the lyrical content of the record. After the bones of the songs were recorded in her home in Vermont, Rock began reaching out to her friends to breathe more life into the fire until finally the record was ablaze. 

The first few tracks completed were co-produced and mixed by Grammy-nominated producer (and longtime friend and collaborator) Matt Stein (Method Man & Redman, DMX, Jason Mraz, Bill Laswell, Blondie). The rest of the album brought in many of Rock’s closest collaborators in Easy Star All-Stars, including guitarist/vocalist Shelton Garner Jr. (who co-produced some of the songs), keyboardist/vocalist Elenna Canlas (who also co-produced the title track, while co-writing and performing on others), drummers Ivan Katz and Cliff Simpson, and the horn section of Jennifer Hill, Buford O’Sullivan, and Matt Bauder. Keyboardist Matt Goodwin – also a member of The Movement – sat in on some sessions, while bassist Nate Edgar of John Brown’s Body and The Nth Power, also laid down grooves. Easy Star All-Stars bassist Ras Droppa is a featured vocalist and bassist on the track “It’s Not The Same.” Other reggae veteran horn players, including Pam Fleming (Burning Brass), Anant Pradhan, and Billy Aukstick also contributed. As you can see, Rock really did call on her extended musical family to finish this labor of love. 

Slow Burn is a stunning “debut” for Kirsty Rock. She is already at work on new songs and looking forward to bringing this music on the road with both ESA and on her own in the coming year.

Smoke Sessions Records Announces Remaining 2022 Album Releases

Smoke Sessions Records announces the remainder of their 2022 album release schedule following albums from Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, Bill Stewart and Steve Davis.

Three artists will celebrate their sophomore label releases this year. Iconic drummer Al Foster will release a new album on August 26 featuring Nicholas Payton, Chris Potter, Kevin Hays, and Vicente Archer. Saxophonist Wayne Escoffery will release an album with Tom Harrell, Mike Moreno, David Kikoski, Ugonna Okegwo, and Mark Whitfield Jr. on October 28. Finally, bassist Buster Williams will release an album on December 12 featuring Jean Baylor, Stefon Harris, Bruce Williams, George Colligan, and Lenny White.

Additionally, three more artists return for another round of releases with their longterm label partner. Trombonist Steve Turre has a new record featuring Wallace Roney Jr., Emilio Modeste, Ed Cherry, Isaiah J. Thompson, Corcoran Holt, Buster Williams, Lenny White, and Orion Turre coming on September 23. On October 7, saxophonist Bobby Watson will release an album featuring Jeremy Pelt Cyrus Chestnut, Curtis Lundy, Victor Jones, and special guest Gregory Porter. Trumpeter Nicholas Payton will release a trio record on November 11 featuring Buster Williams and Lenny White.

See below for the full list of releases. More details on all releases and their respective album release performances are forthcoming.

Album Release Schedule:

August 26 - Al Foster

September 16 - Steve Turre

October 7 - Bobby Watson

October 28 - Wayne Escoffery

November 11 - Nicholas Payton

December 2 - Buster Williams

One of New York City’s premier live music venues, Smoke Jazz Club, today announced its long-awaited reopening. After two years spent reorienting to the pandemic with modified operations including livestreams, sidewalk concerts, and outdoor dining, Smoke Jazz Club makes a momentous return as a world-renowned destination for the best in classic and modern jazz. Acclaimed for its essential music programming and inspired setting, this revered institution has undertaken an impressive expansion and renovation that readies the venerable club for the post-pandemic 21st century. 

Despite being closed to indoor performances and dining for over two years, Smoke has survived with a renewed sense of mission and now with a spectacularly renovated, newly expanded space. Smoke’s return brings much-needed hope and rejuvenation to the city and the music community. “Smoke Jazz Club has so much history,” says husband and wife co-owners Paul Stache and Molly Sparrow Johnson. “Despite the struggles of the last few years, we just knew that the music couldn’t stop here. The past couple of years have not been easy for anyone, but having live music back in the club with everyone together, musicians and listeners, seems like a turning point. We are very excited to take this next step.” 

Guided by their initial attempts to operate under mandated occupancy restrictions, social distancing regulations, and safety protocols for the staff, musicians, and patrons, Smoke’s expansion achieves all of those goals while still retaining its vibrant atmosphere. “We had already agreed, in principle, with our landlord to take on the two adjacent storefronts before the pandemic,” recounts Johnson, “but it quickly became obvious that combining the new spaces with the jazz club was not only a priority but really a necessity to operate safely.”

“We feel very fortunate that our landlord has been so supportive these last two years.”   

The addition of these smaller combined spaces serves as an attached lounge featuring the relocated, historic, full-length bar providing more space for audiences and a larger stage for performers in the main listening room– all while preserving the club’s familiar warm ambiance. 

A cultural cornerstone of Upper Manhattan, Smoke Jazz Club opened its doors on April 9, 1999. Since that time, this gem of a jazz joint has become an internationally recognized haven for live music and a vital and beloved home for jazz in the city. The club’s stage has played host to legendary artists and rising stars alike, including Wynton Marsalis, Ron Carter, Benny Golson, Hank Jones, Christian McBride, Brad Mehldau, Harold Mabern, Nicholas Payton, Peter Bernstein, Eddie Henderson, Larry Goldings, Chris Potter, Cedar Walton, Steve Turre, Eric Alexander, Bill Charlap, Jimmy Cobb, and countless others. 

While the club had already survived economic crashes, fires in the building, and the uncertainty that followed in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, the pandemic proved to be its most daunting challenge to date. Taking a cue from some of the resourceful performers they’ve presented at the club, Stache and Johnson displayed their own knack for improvisation to steer their club through the COVID-19 era. They inaugurated a streaming concert series, Smoke Screens, along with socially distanced sidewalk concerts and outdoor dining, while continuing to produce new titles on the club’s GRAMMY-nominated record label, Smoke Sessions. 

Most importantly, Smoke continues its dedication to presenting scintillating and vibrant programming as a club for jazz lovers run by jazz lovers. “We set the tone on opening night in 1999 with the great George Coleman and Harold Mabern.” says Stache. Fittingly, NEA Jazz Master Coleman returns to christen the new and improved Smoke with a four-night grand reopening concert celebration July 21-24, 2022 (also streaming live worldwide). Other artists slated to perform in the near future include Charles McPherson, Vijay Iyer, Mary Stallings, Bill Charlap, Bobby Watson, Nicholas Payton, Renee Rosnes, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Cyrus Chestnut, Buster Williams, and more. 

New Music: Azymuth, Zolbert, Record Kicks presents Funk Soul Sisters Vol.2, Jason Peterson Delaire

Azymuth - Fênix [2016]

Azymuth's first album in five years and the Brazilian mavericks have recreated the energy of those spellbinding seventies’ sessions which would launch them into international recognition and confirm their status as one of Brazil’s most successful bands. It's a ten-track journey through the full spectrum of Azymuth’s brilliantly coloured expressionist fusion, with all the cosmic energy and masterful musicianship you’d expect from the world's greatest three-man orchestra... Azymuth rise from the ashes! Since the passing of keyboard maestro Jose Roberto Bertrami in 2012, remaining members Ivan Conti and Alex Malheiros  have worked tirelessly to keep the spirit of Azymuth alive, and to continue the legacy of Bertrami’s genius. But Fênix also marks a new era as the Azymuth trio is complete once again, by special guest keyboardist Kiko Continentino. A hugely talented pianist, composer and arranger, Kiko has worked with the likes of Milton Nascimento, Gilberto Gil and Djavan, and the fresh energy and inspiration he has brought to the group is undeniable. The album also features Brazilian percussion legend Robertinho Silva.

Zolbert - Focus

Hungarian saxophonist, composer and producer Zolbert’s richly infectious, sonically adventurous, sensual silk and pocket funk driven collection FOCUS caps an impactful decade that began with two breakthrough events: winning first prize in a Budapest club song contest and snagging the grand prize in the annual song contest on the city’s leading jazz station 90.9 Jazzy Radio. While collaborating on each track with Peet Project leader Péter Ferencz – who is also featured on the album - Zolbert takes his game to the next level, creating a variety of moods and grooves while vibing with genre elites Adam Hawley, Kayla Waters, Oli Silk and Kim Scott. Perhaps they can join the recording artist at his namesake, Zolbert Jazz & Wine Fest, the popular event was launched in his native country in 2016.  ~ www.smoothjazz.com

Record Kicks presents Funk Soul Sisters Vol.2

Record Kicks is proud to present the new compilation "Funk Soul Sisters Vol.2", which is now available on all digital platforms. With this second instalment of the "Funk Soul Sisters" collection, the Milan-based label keeps on digging through its catalogue to bring you a new selection of hot funk & soul tracks from its beloved Soul Queens. The 10 tracks include some classics and some obscure material from the very best of the label’s roster, including, to name a few: Dojo Cuts, Baby Charles, James Brown's original soul diva Martha High supported by Osaka Monaurail, Hannah Williams, Tanika Charles, Marta Ren and Gizelle Smith. Side by side with similar outfits like Daptone, Truth And Soul or Timmion, under its motto "The explosive sound from Today's scene", Milan-based independent label Record Kicks has been pitching the contemporary funk & soul scene since 2003. With over 200 releases under the belt, RK has released bands from all over the globe and earned the support of VIP fans such as Kenny Dope, Jamie Cullum, Craig Charles and, last but not least, Jay-Z, thanks to whom the label received a Grammy nomination for HOV's use of Hannah Williams' "Late Nights And Heartbreak" as backdrop for his "4:44" in 2018.

Jason Peterson Delaire - After Hours

A prominent “next generation” member of The Petersons aka “Minnesota’s First Family of Music,” saxophonist and keyboardist, as well as singer/songwriter, Jason Peterson DeLaire built his rep touring and/or recording with the likes of Prince, Richard Marx, Oleta Adams and Michael Bolton before his recent emergence as an explosive force in Smooth Jazz. DeLaire’s multi-faceted five track EP After Hours showcases two distinct sides of his artistry. First, there’s his  blistering funk sax vibe on the high-octane radio airplay chart hits he scored with veteran guitarist Chris Camozzi, with titles that collectively tell a story of a fun night on the town. He balances those with his sparkling magic as a singer/songwriter, including a universal love anthem featuring Adams, Jarrod Lawson and Rockie Robbins) and a gorgeous, romantic ballad.  The good times happen After Hours.

Hermeto Pascoal & Grupo Vice Versa - Viajando Com O Som (The Lost '76 Vice-Versa Studio Session) [2017]

There have been few musicians to ever reach the stature of Hermeto Pascoal. A true maestro and a cultural icon, he represents the highest level of musical evolution; as a multi-instrumentalist, as a composer and as an arranger. Once described by Miles Davis as “the most impressive musician in the world”, there is good reason (beyond his Gandalf-like appearance) why he is known as "O Bruxo" (the Wizard).

For the label’s  200th release, Far Out Recordings proudly presents a previously unreleased album by Hermeto Pascoal and his ‘Grupo Vice Versa’: Viajando Com O Som (the lost ’76 Vice Versa Studio Sessions).

Recorded in just two days in 1976, at Rogério Duprat's Vice Versa Studios, São Paulo, the sessions featured Hermeto’s go-to ‘Paulista’ rhythm section of the day: Zé Eduardo Nazario (drums), Zeca Assumpção (bass) and Lelo Nazario (electric piano), as well as saxophonists Mauro Senise, Raul Mascarenhas and Nivaldo Ornelas, guitarist Toninho Horta and vocalist Aleuda Chaves. Hermeto decided he would record with this particular group following a show at Teatro Bandeirantes, during which an almost spiritual musical connection amongst the group was realised. The performance lasted hours on end, without any breaks in playing, and Hermeto saw the potential for his compositions to reach a ‘higher level’ as the music organically moved from structured compositions to ‘freer’ improvisational works.

In the studio, the sound engineer Renato Viola understood that things needed to happen quickly. Almost everything recorded on the first take ended up staying in the final mix. After the mixdown, Lelo Nazario would ask Renato to make him a copy of all the material, from machine to machine. As far as we know, the master tape eventually got lost over time, but Lelo kept his copy in his studio’s archives, where it stayed for over forty years.

With the tape rescued and restored, this release fills a void in time. Recorded at an especially experimental period in Hermeto’s career, it’s a compelling insight into the incredible efforts of this group, who under Hermeto’s revolutionary vision, created a unique musical language which would have a profound influence on countless artists to come.

Nowadays, the 1970s is indeed considered a golden age of Brazilian music, but it’s often forgotten how desperately hard it was for artists to get their music past the military dictatorship’s censorship efforts throughout the decade. Yet in 1976, despite the often musically radical nature of Hermeto Pascoal’s compositions, he was in a typically productive phase of his career. The year before the release of his seminal album Slaves Mass, ‘76 saw Hermeto amass performance credits on Flora Purim’s ‘Open Your Eyes You Can Fly’, OPA’s ‘Goldenwings’ and Cal Tjader’s ‘Amazonas’ to name just a few.

The release of Viajando Com O Som re-writes the already remarkable story of one of the world’s most supernaturally talented musicians, whilst illuminating a truly magical, yet hitherto lost and forgotten, moment of Brazilian musical history.

Professor of Ethnomusicology Andy Connell (James Madison University, Virginia), has kindly given Far Out Recordings his essay "Hermeto Pascoal, Universal Musician", which you can read HERE for an in-depth introduction to the life and work of this great artist.

CGI Rochester International Jazz Fest

The nine-day CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival, one of the world's leading jazz festivals, starts Friday, June 17, and continues through Saturday, June 25 at 19 diverse open-air and indoor venues in downtown Rochester, NY.

The 19th Edition multi-dimensional Festival will present 325 shows including a record 130 free shows and events with more than 1750 artists from all corners of the world. 

All headliner shows are free and presented on two outdoor stages featuring Chris Botti, Devon Allman Project + special guests Dirty Dozen Brass Band & Samantha Fish "Allman Family Revival," Tommy Emmanuel, Spyro Gyra, Robin Thicke, Sheila E., Booker T Presents: A Soul Stax Revue, New Power Generation, G Love & Special Sauce, The Bacon Brothers, and Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors. Free, no tickets are required. Shows go on rain or shine. See the full lineup at https://www.rochesterjazz.com/full_schedule.

The Club Pass Series of 196 shows is held at 11 diverse club venues. Enter with the 3- or 9-day Club Pass, the Festival's value pass to discovery available online at RochesterJazz.com, or pay $30 ($35 Kilbourn) cash only at the door, no reserved seating, and no advance tickets. Club Series artists include Lew Tabackin Trio, Tessa Souter, Robin McKelle, Bob James Quartet, Joe Locke, NY Chillharmonic, Brubeck Brothers, Kenny Werner, Jeremy Pelt, Kurt Elling with Charlie Hunter, Ranky Tanky, Tommy Smith, Bill Frisell, Drum Battle: Kenny Washington vs. Joe Farnsworth, Emmaline, Samara Joy, Tivon Pennicott Quartet, Ravi Coltrane, Big Lazy, Itamar Borochov, Adam Melchor, Champian Fulton Trio, Giveton Gelin, Immanuel Wilkins Quartet, Dan Wilson Quartet, Sarah McKenzie, Helen Sung Trio, Connie Han, Lioness and Sunna Gunnlaugs Trio and more!

Ana Mazzotti - Ana Mazzotti [1977]

In 1974 Ana Mazzotti recorded her first album Ninguem Vai Me Segurar (1974), enlisting the in-demand arrangement talents of Azymuth’s original keyboard maestro Jose Roberto Bertrami who co-wrote several of the tracks and plays organ, piano and synthesizers on the album. It also features Azymuth’s bassist Alex Malheiros and percussionist Ariovaldo Contestini, with Romildo Santos who produced the album on drums. Recorded in Estudio Haway around the same time Azymuth recorded their debut album there, it’s no wonder the samba jazz-funk pioneer’s distinctive aesthetic is present throughout, and Mazzotti’s sensational compositions are made even more beautiful for it.

An artist as imaginative and unique as Ana Mazzotti doesn’t come around often. Dubbed a “super-musician” by fellow Brazilian virtuoso Hermeto Pascoal, Mazzotti’s short but rich musical career culminated in just two studio albums: Ninguem Vai Me Segurar (1974), and Ana Mazzotti (1977). Outside circles of Brazilian funk aficionados, these two gems of spellbinding samba-jazz, lysergic funk and trippy bossa have remained relatively obscure. This was partly as a result of Mazzotti’s premature death (she lost her battle with cancer in her mid-thirties), but also due to financial restraints and the prejudice she faced as a female songwriter in a fundamentally sexist society.

Born in Caixas, in Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul municipality, Mazzotti began to play the accordion aged five, before moving with prodigious ease onto the piano. By the age of twelve she was already conducting her convent school’s choir, and at twenty-one she led her city’s premier chorus, the Coral Bento Goncalves. When rock and roll hit South America in the sixties, a young Mazzotti was one of the early adopters, fronting various guitar groups including an all-female Beatles cover band, and an eclectic, eight-piece psychedelic group Desenvolvemento. Before moving to Sao Paulo to start her career proper, Mazzotti met drummer, producer and fellow music educator Romido Santos, who she would later marry. Romildo introduced Mazzotti to jazz, and music by the likes of Chick Corea and Hermeto Pascoal who she would later befriend and perform with.

In 1977, Mazzotti took her debut album back to the studio, releasing the album with a new running order and new ethereal cover art, ostensibly another crack at commercial success following the small scale of the independently funded first release. With intimately re-recorded vocals, and the bonus of gorgeous horn arrangements and a new track: the carnivalesque ‘Eta, Samba Bom’, replacing Roberta Flack’s hit ‘Feel Like Making Love’, Ana Mazzotti (1977) delivers Mazzotti’s refreshingly cool musical style even more effortlessly, while retaining the all magical energy of her debut.

Far Out Recordings is proud to present the official reissue of this cult favourite Brazilian treasure. Remastered and pressed to 180g vinyl Ana Mazzotti (1977) will be available on vinyl LP, CD and digitally from 13th September.

The Shaolin Afronauts - The Simien Fox / Rumba Cyclique

The mysterious Afro-soul of The Shaolin Afronauts first echoed across the dance floors of Australia in early 2008, captivating audiences with a highly evolved and unique approach to avant-garde soul music matched with an improvisational pedigree that immediately set them apart from their peers. In the almost fifteen years since the ensemble’s debut they have released three albums on Freestyle Records and toured across Australia and around the world. 

After an extended hiatus punctuated by rare live performances, The Shaolin Afronauts return with ‘The Fundamental Nature of Being’, an epic five album release that expands the sonic vision of the ensemble to towering new heights of burning Afro-funk alongside esoteric and ethereal new sonic excursions. This expanded musical journey further explores the wide spectrum of the band’s musical identity – with each of the five parts designed as both standalone records, while also offering a singular listening journey across the band’s expansive musical world. 

The 5-part project was recorded over just five days, drawing upon the band’s rich influence of 1970s West, East and South African music, jazz, psych-rock & soul, while also exploring the transatlantic sonic intersection between the 1960s electronic avant-garde & spiritual jazz. Free and partially directed improvisation remains a central component of the compositions, with the musical works acting as frameworks for a collective musical enterprise that has developed over the ensemble’s near fifteen years together.

The vast project is available as a strictly limited 5 LP box-set, with a deluxe booklet of extended liner notes, due for release September 16th 2022. Each individual album also being made available for singular purchase, and on CD & digital formats, following the box set release. 

‘The Fundamental Nature of Being’ firmly re-establishes Shaolin Afronauts as one of the most interesting and innovative collectives of creative improvising musicians operating in the world today. We are excited to offer the first in a series of two-track tasters due to drop in advance of the full release in late summer 2022, with each pairing intended as a representation from the broad range of sounds on offer. 

'The Simien Fox / Rumba Cyclique' again showcases the ensemble zig-zagging across East & West african grooves with the heavy ethio-esque funk of The Simien Fox backed with Rumba Cyclique, a spiritual jazz/highlife hybrid that places virtuosic soloing over a track that takes inspiration from Congolese and Guinean bands such as OK Jazz & Bembeya Jazz.

Afro Blue / Paris Sur Le Toit DJ Spinna Remix & Sly Johnson's TAGI Remix

Following on from the success of the release of 'Soul Vibrations' in March, London based Harpist Alina Bzhezhinska and her HipHarpCollective, release two more tracks from the forthcoming BBE LP 'Reflections'. The tracks, 'Paris Sur Le Toit' and an amazing cover of the classic 'Afro Blue' also come with remixes and instrumentals of 'Paris Sur Le Toit' from Sly Johnson and DJ Spinna.

In the tradition of Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane, Alina is innovating the use of the Harp in Jazz with contemporary melodies overlaying fresh Hip-Hop beats. Utilising live instrumentation and the contributions of the cream of UK Jazz talent (Tony Kofi, Jay Phelps,

Julie Walkington among them) Alina has created two tracks that will be massive additions to the Jazz and Black music canons.

This re-imagining of 'Afro Blue' features a wonderful vocal performance from Vimala Rowe which interplays with the Harp solos over a strongly percussive bass driven track that lends itself to the dance floor as the Latin feel of the track builds and builds into a series of solos from the horns, percussion and drums.

'Paris Sur La Toit' is a masterclass in Jazz Hip-Hop with rhymes laid down in French and English by SANITY and Tom TheyThem. Here Alina's Harp provides the changing dynamics of the track, giving the atmosphere which bridges from the break beats to the stunning

vocals. Having these original materials to work with, the creative inputs of both DJ Spinna and Sly Johnson are at the top of their respective games bringing new resonances and nuance to 'Paris Sur le Toit'.

Paris based composer and vocalist Sly Johnson presents us with his TAGi remix that strips back to the beats in order to bring forth the inter-play between the spoken word, the sung vocals of the chorus and that wonderful harp playing. Brooklynite DJ Spinna's remix brings us a fuller sound where the slow funk of the synth bass drives the vocals along and provides a space for those harp melodies to dance in.

This EP is a digital release with seven tracks including the original groove of 'Afro Blue' along with the remixes and instrumentals of 'Paris Sur Le Toit'. 

Noriko Miyamoto | "Push"

BBE Music is proud to present the latest J Jazz Masterclass Series reissue, 1978 soul/jazz tour de force album ’Push’ by Noriko Miyamoto.

For the first time, this critically acclaimed series that delves deep into the history of Japanese Jazz will be releasing an album by a Japanese female singer, Noriko Miyamoto produced by one of the legendary figures in Japanese Jazz, Isao Suzuki.

The release of her incredible debut album, ‘Push’, coincided with a surge in popularity for local female jazz singers such Kimiko Kasai, Yasuko Agawa, etc. that crossed over into the pop market. It was originally released by the now-defunct label, Yupiteru Records in 1978. Since then, it has been reissued a few times in Japan but recently, along with a surge of worldwide interest in old Japanese music, ‘Push’ has been gaining a cult status among foreign music heads, with the price for an original pressing skyrocketing in the second hand record market. This reissue of ‘Push’ will be the first time ever that this album will be officially released worldwide.

Long before R&B music went onto enjoy mainstream success in Japan, a soul music and disco loving lady, Noriko Miyamoto who started her music career working as a dancer at the legendary Tokyo disco, ‘Mugen’, was inspired by Tina Turner’s performance there and decided to became a soul singer. It was at a time in the early 1970s when there were only a handful of female songstresses who sang soulfully in Japan. In 1977, Miyamoto was scouted by Isao Suzuki to join his band, Soul Family and subsequently, with their backing, he produced Push, an album that kickstarted her career. It is an album that exquisitely combines her jazzy and soulful vocals with Suzuki’s acoustic bass and precocious playing from his youthful and vibrant group at the time.

Along with Sadao Watanabe, Terumasa Hino, Masabumi Kikuchi and George Otsuka, bassist, cellist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, producer and band leader, Isao Suzuki was considered to be one of the most influential figures in Japanese jazz history. Beloved by many in the Japanese jazz scene as “Oma-san”- Suzuki was renowned for developing young talent. Noriko was one of his prodigies, and so ‘Push’ became a vehicle to showcase her and his band as well, which featured notably future renowned players such as keyboardist, Masanori Sasaji, who went on to back Yasuaki Shimizu and guitarist, Kazumasa Akiyama, who played with many major Japanese Jazz musicians. According to Noriko, these young musicians in the group helped Suzuki create a brand new sound, mixing orthodox jazz with the crossover / fusion sound that was popular at the time, coming together supremely on ‘Push’.

For ‘Push’, Suzuki focused on Noriko’s unique prowess of singing songs in English, somewhat a rarity in the Japanese music scene at the time. She sang two jazz standards, ‘Everything I Have Is Yours’ and ‘Stella By Starlight’ on the album. Noriko also wrote English lyrics for two original compositions of Suzuki’s, an instrumental piece, ‘Cadillac Woman’, and ‘My Life’, a song that he composed for Kimiko Kasai, who’d originally sung it in Japanese on her 1977 album, ’Tokyo Special’.

Noriko fulfilled her long-held dream of becoming a soul singer after she moved to the US in 1990 and subsequently joined a number of prestigious outfits, such as Eddie Murphy’s band, Graham Central Station, the Brothers Johnson and Side Effect, but ‘Push’ is the album that paved the way for her career and hopefully, with this first time ever, worldwide reissue, it will attract more listeners. Sadly the producer of this album, Isao Suzuki sadly passed away recently at the age of 89. It is unfortunate that he was not able to see the reissue of this special album that he produced for Noriko Miyamoto. 

Brian Jackson "Little Orphan Boy"

‘Little Orphan Boy’ is the second single taken from album ‘This Is Brian Jackson’, presented with remixes by Two Soul Fusion, a.k.a. Louie Vega and Josh Milan.

The veteran artist’s first true solo LP in over 20 years, ‘This Is Brian Jackson’ is produced by Phenomenal Handclap Band founder Daniel Collás. Collás lovingly re-frames and updates ideas and demos that Jackson first laid down back in 1976, right around the time he recorded ‘Bridges’ with Gil Scott-Heron, for a solo project that never saw the light of day... until now.

Alongside his ‘Two Soul Fusion’ partner Josh Milan, Louie Vega gives the album’s closing track ‘Little Orphan Boy’ two truly vintage remix treatments, taking the song on an eclectic, soul-stirring, timeless journey. The extended ‘Two Soul Fusion’ mix calls to mind the golden era of Masters at Work productions, featuring a Latin-infused percussion groove, shimmering organs and in-the-cut funky guitar lines. The ‘Downtempo’ remix lets Brian Jackson’s vocals ride over a head-nodding, stripped back, yet equally soulful arrangement.

“A dream to work with Brian Jackson” says Louie Vega. “I mean, he’s a big part of our musical landscape and has been a huge inspiration in our lives. From way back to my early years in the Bronx, through to my DJing and producing career, into productions like Nuyorican Soul, Elements of Life, Kenlou, Brian and Gil have always been with us! Now to work on such an amazing song with Brian’s keyboard work and lead vocal, it made it so much easier for Two Soul Fusion (Josh and I) to find that pocket and groove. We had to create anepic piece and take you on a trip through several styles, it was calling for it. That’s due to the original work of Brian Jackson, a true Master at Work & Two Soul Fusion hero!!! I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next on the horizon with us and the one & only Brian Jackson.

Brian Jackson: "I have always loved the musicality and the rhythmic power that surges through the artistry of Louie Vega since I first heard him in Masters at Work. I made a silent wish that one day I would hear one of my songs given that special treatment. Imagine my elation to know that it would finally happen - with a song I wrote and recorded 45 years ago for a solo project that might have never happened if not for producer Daniel Collás and BBE chief Peter Adarkwah! Louie, along with Two Soul Fusion partner Josh Milan and I are alike in so many ways, I knew that if we ever got together, magic would happen and well... here’s to magic! My love and gratitude to Louie, Josh, Daniel, Peter and the beautiful BBE family.” 

New Music: Sly Johnson, Dave Rempis / Joshua Abrams / Avreeayl Ra /Jim Baker, Deborah Jordan & K15, If Music presents: You Need This! An Introduction To Enja Records

Sly Johnson - 55​.​4 (Instrumental)

French vocalist, beatboxer, songwriter and producer Sly Johnson unveils 55.4, his much-anticipated fourth studio album, released on BBE Music. Hailing from Paris, Sylvère Johnson (Sly Johnson) is a major force on the French Hip-Hop, Soul and Jazz scenes, both as a solo artist and as a member of super-group SAIAN SUPA CREW for over a decade, where he was known by the moniker Sly The Mic Buddah. When the crew broke up in 2007, Johnson began to carve out an impressive career, releasing on Blue Note and Universal Jazz, as well as collaborating with Larry Gold, Roddy Rod, T3 & Elzhi from Slum Village, Georgia Ann Muldrow, Dudley Perkins, FINALE, Erik Truffaz, and legendary French rapper Oxmo Puccino to IAM among many others. Written and recorded during the first COVID lockdowns between March and May 2020, Sly Johnson’s fourth album blends Soul and Hip Hop, twinning vocal arrangements reminiscent of Prince and D’Angelo with loose, supple, beats and jazzy chords. Most of the musical heavy lifting is done by Johnson himself, but the album features bass by Laurent Salzard, guitar by Ralph Lavital and Anthony Jambon, keys by Nicholas Vella & Laurent Coulondre and a spellbinding guest vocal by Jona Oak.Why 55.4? “It took 55 days of creation to make the songs of this 4th solo album” says Sly.

Dave Rempis / Joshua Abrams / Avreeayl Ra /Jim Baker - Scylla

Beautifully spiritual work from this wonderful Chicago group – a set that's maybe more in the vibe of some of the more recent recordings by Joshua Abrams than some of the other members of the group – but in a way that really shows the depths of the others' playing! Dave Rempis creates all these incredible sounds on alto, tenor, and baritone – and Jim Baker adds in some very cool electronics next to his piano work – but maybe the most well-suited match for Abrams' energy is percussionist Avreeayl Ra, who handles mbira, wooden flute, and additional percussion next to his drums. The set begins with the short "Survivors" tune – then moves into two very long improvisations, "Between A Rock" and "Viscosity". ~ Dusty Groove

Deborah Jordan & K15 - Human

Deborah Jordan is back, and sounding every bit as wonderful as we might have hoped – continuing her work as a groundbreaking singer in 21st Century soul, as she works here with music put together by Kieron Ifill! The tracks are often quite lean – crisp and focused, in a way that really has Jordan's vocals right up front – and the approach is almost a leaner take on the cosmic London styles that first lifted Deborah up to the heavens – but with a more refined take on the style that really knocks it out of the park! The whole album's wonderful – a key slice of material from this wonderful vocalist – and titles include "Innervision", "Human", "Running", "Heartbroken", "Fragility", "Cycles", "Never4get", and "Wisdom". ~ Dusty Groove

If Music presents: You Need This! An Introduction To Enja Records

Part of IF Music founder Jean-Claude’s ever expanding ‘YOU NEED THIS!’ series of compilation albums, the London record shop impresario and DJ takes us on another scintillating musical journey, this time exploring the catalogue of German jazz imprint, Enja Records. Like Jean-Claude’s ‘Journey Into Deep Jazz’ series on BBE Music and his 2017 exploration of Black Saint & Soul Note Records before it, ‘IF MUSIC PRESENTS YOU NEED THIS!: AN INTRODUCTION TO ENJA RECORDS’ provides another impeccably curated and programmed selection of music, assembled by simply one of the most knowledgable and passionate vinyl specialists in the business.Featuring performances by John Stubblefield, Bobby Hutcherson, Harold Land, Don Cherry, Cecil McBee and Pharoah Sanders collaborator Marvin Hannibal Peterson to name but a few, this collection provides a great jumping-off point for Enja’s rich and diverse back catalogue. Founded in 1971 by Munich natives and jazz obsessives Matthias Winckelmann and Horst Weber, in its heyday Enja released albums by Eric Dolphy, Charles Mingus, Tommy Flanagan and John Scofield, as well as Kenny Barron, Chet Baker, Abbey Lincoln, Bea Benjamin, Freddie Hubbard, to name but a few. Having firmly established itself as “a bastion of all things deep in jazz” as Jean-Claude neatly sums up, Enja also went on to issue early World Music projects from Abdullah Ibrahim, Rabih Abou-Khalil, Mahmoud Turkmani and many others, and it remains active to this day.

Jasmin Lacasse Roy | "Météores"

After winning prizes in international classical guitar competitions from Montreal to Hong Kong, classical guitarist Jasmin Lacasse Roy is proud to present his new album titled Météores. Available on all streaming platforms, the recording is an eclectic tribute to Montreal's famous Mile-End district.

Jasmin Lacasse Roy is an accomplished musician who draws his inspiration from a wide range of sources: from Hendrix to Debussy. In addition to several other awards, he won first prizes at the International Fringe Music Competition of Hong Kong, the Montreal Guitar Grand Prix and the Canadian Music Competition. His style plays with the limits of expectation, reimagining the repertoire in new and surprising ways. As a composer and performer, Jasmin's work features touches of Glass and Rachmaninoff and his celebration of the classical canon with his sense of commitment to the contemporary only adds to his sense of freedom on stage. His eclectic mix of vintage aesthetics and modern flavours do away with old Edwardian sentiments in favour of imaginative contrasts that evoke a vibrant cosmopolitan scene. His musical aesthetic is a sumptuous combination of ease and activity that invites both attentive listening and immersed contemplation.

The album is a love letter to a neighborhood that inspires him deeply with its relaxed atmosphere imbued with artistic energy. The images and sounds he hears as a resident are woven throughout his musical dialogue with characters, real and imaginary, who inhabit his daily landscape. A dexterous juxtaposition of images and musical ideas come together for an album that sounds like an impressionist painting.

Track Desriptions in English and French

1. While waiting for the golden hour 

The golden hour, beloved by photographer and cinematograph, is the period shortly after sunrise. This music was composed before the sunrise when I was, for no reason other than for the pleasure of it, waiting for the golden hour to arrive. In this composition I use unusual tonality combinations for the contrasting sections and I use a blues chords progression mixed with impressionistic harmonic coloration for the main theme.

“En attendant l’heure doré” est inspiré de l'heure doré, appréciée des photographes et des cinéastes, elle est la période peu après le lever du soleil. Cette musique a été composée avant le lever du soleil alors que j'attendais, pour aucune autre raison que pour le plaisir, que l'heure doré arrive. Dans cette composition, j'utilise des combinaisons de tonalités inhabituelles pour les sections contrastées et j'use d’une progression d'accords de standard de blues mélangée à une coloration harmonique impressionniste, pour le thème principal.

2. Cast iron rhapsody

For this piece of music the title came to me first, I was inspired by the outside cast iron stairways which Montreal is famous for. To fit the title I wanted a theme that represented the strongest and texture of cast iron. This composition was finish in a tumultuous time in my life, maybe that is why the ending is what it is, bitter-sweet. The musical form of this opus is a rhapsody, which is a one-movement work that is episodic yet integrated, free-flowing in structure, featuring a range of highly contrasted moods, colour, and tonality.

Pour “Le rhapsodie en fer forgé”, le titre m'est venu en premier, je me suis inspiré des escaliers extérieurs en fonte qui font la renommée de Montréal. Pour correspondre au titre, je voulais un thème qui représente la dureté de la fonte. Cette composition a été terminée à une période tumultueuse de ma vie, c'est peut-être pour cela que la fin est ce qu'elle est, douce-amère. La forme musicale de cet opus est une rhapsodie, qui est une œuvre en un seul mouvement, épisodique à la structure fluide et présentant une gamme d'ambiances, de couleurs et de tonalités très contrastées.

3. Impétuositeration

It is the combination between the words impetuous and itération. Being impetuous is characterized by being animated by an impulsive and raging movement. In mathematics, an iteration designates the action of repeating the same process in an attempt to obtain a solution. This is exactly what is « Impetuositeration », it is impetuous and it repeat the same process over and over again. But no définitive solution is obtain. The melody which is the basis for this work can only be played on the odd fret number. Has a challenge I wanted to come up with the composition that could only be played on the odd fret number. Like on the piano where they have composition just for the white keys or just for the Black Keys.          

« Impétuositation » c'est la combinaison entre les mots impétueux et itération. Être impétueux se caractérise par le fait d'être animé d'un mouvement impulsif et déchaîné. En mathématiques, une itération désigne l'action de répéter le même processus pour tenter d'obtenir une solution. C'est exactement ce qu'est « Impétuositation », c'est impétueux et ça répète le même processus encore et encore. Mais aucune solution définitive n'est obtenue. La mélodie qui est à la base de cet opus n’est jouée que sur les cases impaires du manche de la guitare. Un peu comme au piano où ils ont des oeuvres juste pour les touches blanches ou juste pour les touches noires.

4. L’épisodique vague à l’âme de Nosferatu revient le hanter 

“The episodic gloominess of Nosferatu returns to haunt him” is a Dali-esque surreal representation the inner fight of a Nosferatu that periodically grow guilty of doing what the world is accustom of him. As if he were jaded of being trapt in his own persona. Try to guess who wins that innerbattle in the end? The blood thursty or the remorseful Nosferatu? 

« L’épisodique vague à l’âme de Nosferatu revient le hanter » est une représentation surréaliste « à la Dali » du combat intérieur d'un Nosferatu qui devient périodiquement plein de remords de faire ce que sa soif lui dicte. Comme s'il était blasé d'être piégé dans sa propre personnalité. Essayez de deviner qui gagne cette bataille intérieure à la fin? Le sanguinaire ou le Nosferatu plein de remords?

5. Les aventures du cowboy de la rue Clark à la tavern Mile End

150 years ago, a big part of the Montréal island was mostly farmers and cowboys. That was the case in the Mile End district. And near where I live there used to be, 150 years ago, an infamous Tavern called the mile end tavern. So “The Clark street cowboy at the Mile End Tavern”  is the story of an imaginary cowboy narrated by the music. First he is galloping in the field, mud splashing beside him, and after his day of work he goes to have a drink at the infamous Mile End tavern. After a few drinks he get into trouble with some other cowboys and they want to fight him. But after some rumbling he managed to escape and then he’s caught in a Storm. Luckily, he manage to find a barn as a shelter, he lies down on that pile of hay and fall asleep. In his sleep he dreams about a mysterious girl he had seen in an other town. He suddently wakes up, get back on his horse and ride into the sunrise.                                                                                           

Il y a 150 ans, une grande partie de l'île de Montréal était principalement composée de fermiers et de cow-boys. C'était le cas dans le quartier Mile End. Et près de chez moi, il y avait, il y a 150 ans, une tapageuse taverne appelée la “Mile End Tavern”. Ainsi, « Le cow-boy de la rue Clark à la taverne du Mile End » est l'histoire d'un cow-boy imaginaire narré par la musique. D'abord, il galope dans le champ, la boue éclaboussant à côté de lui et, après sa journée de travail, il va prendre un verre à la tapageuse taverne du Mile End. Après quelques verres, il a des ennuis avec d'autres cow-boys et ils veulent le tabasser. Mais après quelques grondements, il a réussi à s'échapper, puis il est pris dans une tempête. Heureusement, il parvient à trouver une grange comme abri, il se couche sur ce tas de foin et s'endort. Dans son sommeil, il rêve d'une mystérieuse fille qu'il avait vue dans une autre ville. Il se réveille soudainement, remonte sur son cheval et galope dans le soleil levant.

6. Mélodyvagation

Cette composition se veut une méditation onirique et impressionniste lors d'une promenade nocturne dans le mile end. Le titre est une combinaison de « mélodie » et de « divagation », et la composition est basée sur un petit motif musical qui contre toute logique s’avère une obsession mélodique. Ce motif illogiquement accrocheur est ensuite développé par une série de modulations et de transformations pour finalement revenir dans sa forme la plus simple et la plus éloquente.           

This composition is a dreamy, impressionistic méditation during a nightly Promenade in the Mile End. The title is a portmanteau of “melody” and “divagation” and it is made with a silly musical motif that should not be as catchy as it is. This illogically catchy motif is then developed by a series of modulation and transformation just to return in its simplest and most eloquent form.

7. Against Elise

This composition is inspired by the famous « fur Elise » by Beethoven. Like Fur Elise, my composition is a rondo, which is a musical form that alternate choruses and verses. For the chorus in « Against Elise », I decided to invert the direction of the melody of the chorus of Fur Elise, so whenever the melody goes up in Fur Elise it goes down in « Against Elise » with exactly the same interval and vice versa. And for the 2 versus I did a more mathematical music that uses different sequences of numbers. Sequences that are inspired by the golden ratio for the first verse and waves of growing numbers for the second verse.

Cette composition est inspirée de la célèbre « Für Elise » de Beethoven. Comme « Für Elise », ma composition est un rondo, qui est une forme musicale qui alterne chœurs et couplets. Pour le refrain de mon oeuvre, j'ai décidé d'inverser le sens de la mélodie du refrain de « Für Elise », donc à chaque fois que la mélodie monte dans celle de Beethoven elle descend dans « Contre Elise » avec exactement le même intervalle et vice versa . Et pour les 2 couplets j'ai fait une musique plus mathématique qui utilise différentes séquences de nombres. Des séquences inspirées du nombre d'or pour le premier couplet et des vagues de nombre croissant pour le deuxième couplet.

8. The nostagic chronicales of count Rachmanula

In Montreal and in the Mile End district particularly, there are still many traces of Victorian era architcture. Which I think makes a great archytectural contrast with modernity. So as tribute to that era, I wanted this composition to be like a victorian picture of an old east european count in his old, dusty victorian mansion reminiscing about his past adventures while sipping a glass of Brandy in front of his fireplace. Vaguely inspired by Late 19e century East european classical music for the character of the introduction and in the way I superposed tonalities in the middle part. For the main theme, which appears at the beginning and at the end, I wanted a melody that sounded familiar to everybody and gave them the impression they’ve heard it before.

À Montréal et dans le quartier Mile End particulièrement, il existe encore de nombreuses traces de l'architecture de l'époque victorienne. Donc, en hommage à cette époque, je voulais que « Les chroniques nostalgique du comte Rachmanula » soit comme une peinture victorienne d'un vieux comte d'Europe de l'Est dans son vieux manoir victorien poussiéreux se remémorant ses aventures passées tout en sirotant un verre de Brandy devant son feu de foyer. Vaguement inspiré de la musique classique d'Europe de l'Est de la fin du 19e siècle pour le caractère de l'introduction et dans la façon dont j'ai superposé les tonalités dans la partie médiane. Pour le thème principal, qui apparaît au début et à la fin, je voulais une mélodie qui soit familière à tout le monde et qui leur donne l'impression de l'avoir déjà entendue.

9. Mile End Winter

In memory of a night in the Mile End neighborhood where after a snow storm rain had covered everything with ice. This arctic decor in contrast with the victorian architecture style of the neighborhood gave us the impression of being in an other dimension. The musical form is basicly a rondo but sometime part of phrases are missing as if they were covered by the snow.

En souvenir d'une nuit dans le quartier Mile End où après une tempête de neige la pluie avait tout recouvert de glace. Ce décor arctique en contraste avec le style architectural victorien du quartier nous a donné l'impression d'être dans un univers parallèle. La forme musicale est à la base un rondo mais parfois une partie des phrases manque comme si elles étaient recouvertes par la neige.

10. Midnight disco lounge

Montréal has always been a town with a predominant nightlife. Musical work composed to encapsulate the spirit of a singular night in a Discotheque that inspired me this composition. In this piece of music the tonalities and modulations are blurred so that we can move between tonalities without abrupt changes.

Montréal a toujours été une ville avec une vie nocturne prédominante. Cette œuvre musicale a été composée pour encapsuler l'esprit d'une nuit singulière dans une discothèque qui m'a inspiré cette composition. Dans ce morceau de musique, les contrastes des modulations sont brouillées afin que nous puissions passer d'une tonalité à l'autre sans changements brusques.

The Jones Factor | "The Time Is Now"

Uncertainty brought on by the pandemic has inspired major life changes as well as creating a sense of urgency when it comes to completing long-gestating projects. Five years in the making and fifteen years since their last release, jazz ensemble The Jones Factor committed to finishing their third album, “The Time is Now,” as soon as pandemic restrictions eased and the ten-piece horn-powered band could gather safely in the studio. The contemporary jazz collection comprised of original compositions and inventively arranged covers, produced by the group’s Dave Anderson and John Fumasoli, drops July 15.

Trombonist Fumasoli formed The Jones Factor (originally called The Jazz Collective) in 1986 with bassist Anderson joining shortly thereafter. Horn heavy, they described themselves as “a little big band” and together, they crafted over one hundred charts spanning various shades of jazz, including contemporary, bop and hard bop as well as Latin, blues, funk and even hip-hop grooves. The unique instrumentation allows for a wide variety of textures, colors and sounds while the diversity of the unit’s players makes for exciting performances and imaginative improvisation.

The challenge inherent for a band comprised of busy first-call musicians who have played with jazz, pop and R&B legends (from Frank Sinatra to Tony Bennett, from Lady Gaga to Diana Ross, from Elton John to Steely Dan) as well as prominent orchestras, symphonies and ballets is being able to gather all the members. Thus, work on their albums takes a while and they were about three years into recording “The Time is Now” when the pandemic slowed the process to a halt. As soon as the band got the greenlight to get back to work, The Jones Factor returned to the studio with a renewed impetus to finish and release the project.     

“The album title comes from the fact that we were moving along great with our recording and then COVID hit. Like so many others in the music world, our lives were deeply disrupted and so we got to the point of saying that this album has to come out now. We cannot wait any longer, no matter what! Honestly, it was as much about getting off our butts and getting this music out as it was about the pandemic. The album is too good to sit on,” said Fumasoli who will lead the band at an album release concert on July 13 at La Zingara in Bethel, Connecticut.

“The Time is Now” features sixteen musicians, including ten horn players and guest guitarists Chieli Minucci (Special EFX) and John Tropea. Anderson’s elastic basslines anchor the rhythm section fortified by drummers Joel Rosenblatt (Spyro Gyra) and Thierry Arpino. Pianist Rob Aries adds to the melodies, but the focal point of The Jones Factor is the layers of mighty horns, astutely deployed and meticulously arranged. Fumasoli teams with Bill Harris (tenor saxophonist, flute), Ken Gioffre (soprano and alto sax, flute), Jason Polise (tenor sax, bass clarinet), Don Hayward (bass trombone), Janet Lantz (French horn), Tony Kadleck (trumpet, flugelhorn), Scott Wendholt (trumpet, flugelhorn), Don Harris (trumpet, flugelhorn) and Ben Kibbey (trumpet, flugelhorn). Each player in this democratic union is granted the freedom to solo with each one taking an equitable turn in the spotlight. 

From a production standpoint, Anderson opted to utilize a different tact than one typically associated with jazz ensembles.

“Recording this album was in one sense a straightforward application of everyone’s high-level professional skills, and in another sense an interesting experiment in trying new ways of doing things – not without risk – that ended up exceeding our expectations. My idea was to approach it the way non-jazz records have been recorded since the late sixties: building the sound in layers and creating the finished ensemble in the production environment. Doing this allowed John and I the freedom to finesse balances, phrasing and tone colors in a way that can’t be done as easily when everyone is in the studio at the same time. In other words, we produced this album like a pop or rock record. There’s plenty of seat-of-the-pants, fire-breathing improvising, but the sonic picture has the polish of a more structured pop production. It’s a best-of-both-worlds approach, and I feel we succeeded beautifully.”

“The Time is Now” opens with a pair of tunes by jazz fusion groups that have influenced The Jones Factor, the Yellowjackets’ “Past Ports” and Steps Ahead’s “Pools,” both arranged by the late Dick Burlant, who had been part of The Jones Factor’s orbit since the 1980s. “When He Calls” is an original composition by Patti Preiss-Harris, Bill Harris’s late wife, and has a wealth of personal meaning.

“The very first time we played it, we dedicated it to Patti’s father, who was going through heart surgery at the time. When he passed away six months later, we played it at his memorial service. It was always his song to me after that and usually brought tears to my eyes when I introduce it. Now that cancer has claimed Patti, the song feels very prophetic. She got the call. The song continues to bring a tear to my eye, now for different reasons,” said Bill Harris.

One of Fumasoli’s students suggested that The Jones Factor record Bela Fleck’s “Hall of Mirrors.” Multiple Grammy nominee and three-time Emmy winner Minucci lends his agile and intricate fret work to the track, captured in this studio performance video: https://bit.ly/3th8Aif. 

Seven soloists shine on “Those City Ways.” Anderson said, “‘Those City Ways’ is a live performance arrangement – essentially a framework for blues solos by most of the band. To keep the long-form, extended nature of the piece interesting, I did hip-hop cut-and-paste arranging, bringing the piano in and out to make the contrast between ensemble writing and soloing more dramatic.”

The Jones Factor released their debut recording, “Collective Jazz,” in 1991 and issued their sophomore disc in 2007, “Blast From the Past.” While eager for “The Time is Now” to finally drop this summer, they’ve already synchronized their schedules to return to the studio this fall to record new material written by Fumasoli.

Jose Conde | "Souls Alive In The 305"

With his new sonic experiment and journey into electric, eclectic tropicalized, funky pop music, Jose Conde re-emerges from the New York Afro Cuban music cocoon with Moog synthesizer, looper, Yamaha vintage organ, wah-wah electric guitar, acoustic and electric beats, and a slew of new signature songs on his upcoming album. Souls Alive in the 305 (out May 20th on PiPiKi Records) is Conde’s ambitious second solo album recorded between Brooklyn and Miami in a five-year span produced by him with co-production help from Miami legend DJ Spam (Andrew Yeomanson). The first single “Dale Pa ‘Ya” will be released on April 15th alongside a very colorful and funky music video directed by Anna Copa Cabanna. Watch the video at https://youtu.be/0Y6UyvH5MzI.

Jose describes the new single stating, “Dale Pa ‘Ya is an absurd mantra to empower those who need to exorcise demons or ex-lovers, gun freaks or dictators, or any other bad energy ~ just DALE PA ‘YA!  It is a simple forceful phrase over a funky groove.” He adds, “The phrase is Cuban and it literally means ‘GET OVER THERE! Inspired by my dog, I used to sing it as a joke to him and then decided to put it together as a song!” Now the funk treatment was directly inspired by George Clinton’s Atomic Dog, but mixed with Jose’s unique style that brings the song to life.

“Dale Pa ‘Ya is just one of the album’s 10 songs that showcases a wide range of moods and continue Conde’s knack for blending rhythmic elements of genres seamlessly in memorable lyrical songs rooted in a love and fascination of nature, and appreciation for the absurd, existential exploration, and his own Cuban American reality. The album features musicians and singers from Miami, New York, and San Diego, along with Conde on many instruments.

Along with this new album Jose Conde has recorded 5 albums overall (3 with Cuban roots band Ola Fresca, 2 solo albums) including the 2008 IMA Best Latin Album Revolución, which also was launched with a sold-out album release show at Joe’s Pub. Jose Conde is proud and happy to be joined by a stellar cast of musicians for the album release at Joe’s Pub including Gintas Janusonis (drums), Leo Traversa (bass), Pablo Vergara (keys), Scott Kettnor (Brazilian percussion), Steve Gluzband (trumpet), Karen Joseph (flute), Gabriel “Chinchilita” Machado (percussion), and more.

Extended | "Without Notice"

Immediately after dropping their 2019 critically acclaimed sophomore release, Harbinger (Origin Records), New Orleans-based trio Extended set to work assembling the material for Without Notice. Embedded in the previous album were flashes of the long-form, highly improvisational yet through-composed and thoroughly collective approach to songwriting that has become their signature, and this new album is their calling card.

Without Notice is full of twists and turns and surprises – it is their most musically adventurous album to date, the material largely worked out on stage over several years of active local gigging and touring. In that process, they've expanded their palette of sound worlds, adding 90s hip-hop grooves (“Central Standard”) and unexpected post-production overdubs (“Impairment Process”), to the Debussy textures (“The Ineffable Allure of Shadows”) and Keith Jarrett-tinged jazz-rock phrasing (“The Gardens”) that listeners have come to expect. Ironically, it is now, on this third release that they have finally found an occasion to swing (“Sphere”).

The title cut is the newest tune in the book, written during the early days of the Covid-19 shutdown. By comparison, it is a simple tune, yet it is an example of the way their music can turn on a dime, offering something different at any moment. As an album title, it is a reminder of how the year 2020 unfolded, and luckily, Extended was in a position to take advantage of the unexpected free time of the shutdown and dive headfirst into preparing this recording. This is their pandemic gift to us.

Each member writes equally for the band, drawing on their disparate life experiences – Rossignoli grew up in Honduras, Webb in South Louisiana, and Booth outside Washington, DC. They began playing together in the boil pot of the New Orleans music scene in 2016, and despite their diversity of influences, they have done what all bands strive to do. Extended has developed a singular ensemble sound. This is contemporary piano trio music from a band that knows who it is, where it came from, and where it is headed.

EXTENDED is Oscar Rossignoli on piano, Matt Booth on bass, and Brad Webb on drums. They all compose for the group, with the particular musical personalities of the group foremost in mind, an approach that has thrilled locals and has reached audiences worldwide. Their sophomore outing, Harbinger (Origin Records), improves upon the solid foundation set with 2017's eponymous debut, exhibiting a new attitude and focused maturity after three years of development. Offbeat Magazine named the album one of the Top 50 Best of Louisiana Music in 2019, and as stated by their Geraldine Wyckoff, “Harbinger manifests superb musicianship creatively employed to produce a highly individualized yet collective artistic endeavor that is a privilege to experience.” Their debut LP from the spring of 2017, released on Breakfast 4 Dinner records, received praise for its distinctive compositions and dynamic group interplay.

Since their first release, Extended has toured within the country and continues to play shows that leave audiences invigorated and fulfilled. As the whole world knows, the city of New Orleans knows no shortage of the highest caliber of players in the world, but in the last few years locals have been thrilled to see the development of a new collective - EXTENDED - that has quickly come to find a place among our brightest stars.

Jhelisa | "Oxygen"

A law unto herself, the maverick, Jhelisa Anderson has been marching through unchartered territories, expressing her freedom since the mid-1990s when she stunned both audiences and critics with her extraordinarily powerful voice and deliciously daring music.  Through the course of4 solo albums, Mississippi-born Jhelisa has journeyed through soul, trip hop, jazz, avant-garde, gospel and more recently, esoteric sonic experimentation. But one thing has remained constant; her unwavering, uncompromising artistic vision. Her thrillingly genre-smashing approach to music subverts her sweet, sensual voice with emotionally raw, often dark, yet spiritually resonant lyrics and a musical sophistication seen nowhere else. It comes as no surprise then, that Jhelisa’s remarkable new project, ‘Oxygen’ is a breath-taking, expansive, unapologetic 11-minute opus. Released on Dorado Records on June 15, it paves the way for her forthcoming album, ‘Wild Orbits’, but is also a stand-alone piece. ‘Oxygen’ is a richly nuanced trackof story telling that snakes through sections of hypnotic rhythms, infectious hooks, probing jazz lines, African chanting, blues-drenched harmonica, pacey percussion and slower slices of sweet soul jazz. The sound is an exciting sonic assault underpinned by a masterful band that includes legendary bassist Oteil Burbridge (Grateful Dead) and long-time band member Greg Osby, whose piercing alto sax brings an intensity that takes the track to another level. It is a compelling, intoxicating and dazzling tour de force of sounds and emotions that sees Jhelisa’s voice soa and swoop, soulful and seductive with a bite that’s never far behind. 

Originally a four-minute piano and vocal song, when recording ‘Oxygen’, Jhelisa began to “push it around” challenged by unknown territories. “I felt compelled to stretch it” she says, “twist it, extend it, so its journey would continue. I wanted to discover the new things the song could do”. She adds, “I’ve taken the freedom because I have it!”  ‘Oxygen’ is, as Jhelisa admits, “my outpouring of growth; my influences, perceptions, my angles and transitions that began with surviving Hurricane Katrina in 2005,tonavigating the hyper-polarized fragments of American politics over the decades". 'Oxygen’ is a triumphant masterpiece marking the return of one of music’s greatest mavericks with a track that just isn’t quite long enough.