Pianists Hilario Duran and David Virelles Team Up on "Front Street Duets"

Front Street Duets, set for release on ALMA Records on November 4 (October 14 in Canada), is a compelling collaboration of two internationally acclaimed Cuban jazz pianists and composers, Hilario Duran and David Virelles. This collection of piano duets features the virtuosic playing of two musicians in peak form. Duran and Virelles have a musical and personal relationship dating back over two decades, but this is their most extensive project to date.

The Toronto-based Duran is a towering figure in Cuban music. Over a career now spanning over 45 years, he has won three Juno Awards and earned a Grammy nomination (for 2006’s From the Heart, by Hilario Durán and his Latin Big Band). His extensive discography includes work as a solo artist, and in duo, small group and big band settings, and he has also achieved distinction in the classical and chamber music worlds.

Now based in New York City after a stint in Toronto, Virelles records as a solo artist for such labels as ECM and Pi Recordings. He has collaborated extensively with such noted musicians as Andrew Cyrille, Bill Frisell, Henry Threadgill, Steve Coleman, and Ravi Coltrane, and last year he won the prestigious Herb Alpert Awards in the Arts.

When ALMA head and album producer Peter Cardinali presented the concept to Duran and Virelles a couple of years ago, both instantly agreed. “This album is very special because I had the privilege to work with David,” Duran explains. “He is the most important Cuban piano player of this new generation, and now he has so much success in the New York City scene, playing with great jazz stars and doing his own projects.”

Thirty years Hilario’s junior, Virelles had long admired Duran’s music. “Growing up in Santiago de Cuba, I knew of him, and then I was introduced to a lot of his records that weren’t available in Cuba through my Toronto friends Jane Bunnett and Roberto Occhipinti.

“As a bandleader, arranger, composer, and pianist, Hilario’s sophistication as a musician is unparalleled and that is something I’ve tried to emulate,” Virelles says. “He has always been a reference point for me and for so many young Cuban musicians. When he asked me to do this I was like, ‘this is perfect!’”

The album is a carefully curated collection of material that features new arrangements by both of traditional Cuban material, original compositions written by Hilario specifically for the project, and a fresh take on a much-loved standard, “Body and Soul.”

Duran says “most piano duets by jazz players come from improvisation, where they make it up in the moment. We have that here, but also a lot of complex arrangements we both contributed.” Both pianists are masterful improvisers, and Duran notes that “having the same background with and knowledge of Cuban music is a great foundation. It is like we have the same musical blood in our veins! It was almost mental telepathy, as we were very aware of each other in the cues and where we were going.” Virelles concurs, noting that “the music we grew up with from the country we share is part of our collective consciousness.”

The resulting album is both musically sophisticated and melodically attractive, and the compositions have a pleasing variety of tempos and tones. Arranged by Virelles, the breezy and bright “La Malanga” has a tropical vibe that can transports the listener to a Cuban beach, while “Santos Suarez’s Memories” is a reflective piece written by Hilario as an homage to the Havana ‘hood he lived in. Another Duran composition inspired by Havana is “Milonga For Cuba,” dedicated to those protesting in the city last summer.

The meditative “Danza Lucumi” features a Virelles arrangement of a tune from his Santiago de Cuba region, while “Guajira For Two Pianos” is a spirited piece featuring shifting rhythms.

“David’s Tumbao” is a thrillingly dynamic tune written by Duran for Virelles in the tumbao form with which Hilario is closely associated (his nickname, ‘Con Tumbao’ inspired the title of his acclaimed 2017 album). “I wrote it when we started the project, as the pandemic started,” Duran says. “David and I decided to put this together and record it online. We then put it online and people went crazy for it, and I think the finished version came out wonderfully.”

Front Street Duets came together over just two days at the renowned Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto last November, with the recording helmed by the experienced tandem of producer Peter Cardinali and Juno/Grammy winning engineer John ‘Beetle’ Bailey.

It is fitting that a studio/theatre space named for the iconic Canadian classical pianist Glenn Gould was employed for the making of an album by two other piano virtuosi. Both Duran and Virelles have a fond earlier memory of the space, as in Oct. 2008, as part of a special celebration of Glenn Gould, each performed original compositions (some inspired by Gould), accompanied by the acclaimed Penderecki String Quartet.

One noted musician with a unique perspective on this exciting collaboration is Juno-winning, Grammy-nominated jazz composer/ instrumentalist/bandleader Jane Bunnett. She explains that “I have had the gift of being able to collaborate deeply with both of these masters for many years and many projects. To see these two visionaries and virtuosos go head-to-head on this marvelous recording gives me inspiration and a profound sense of joy.”

The Chris Parker Trio | "Tell Me"

You would be very hard pressed to name an A-list artist from the past fifty years who drummer Chris Parker has not worked with. From Miles, to Grover Washington Jr., the Brecker Brothers, Bonnie Raitt, Carmen McRae, David Sanborn, Freddie Hubbard, Dexter Gordon, Ron Carter, Buster Williams, Pat Metheny, John Scofield, Quincy Jones, Donald Fagen, Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday, James Brown, and many, many others. Just name your favorite musician, and it’s a good bet Parker has shared the studio and stage with them. Like the best of the best, even in the light of these amazing musical associations which have resulted in multiple platinum, gold and Grammy-winning albums, his humility and desire to keep growing as an artist are intact. “What’s so great about music is that there’s always more to learn and every player is a brother or sister who helps you, mentors you and nurtures you, encouraging your own development and showing you another path you can explore,” explains Parker. 

This long road that Parker has travelled on for the past fifty years seems infinite, forever winding its way through one creative tour-de-force after another, and brings us to his latest recording as a leader, Tell Me, marking his third trio album and eighth as a leader, and featuring his longtime working trio of Kyoko Oyobe on piano and Ameen Saleem on bass. Tell Me, available September 30, epitomizes the trio’s collective joie de vivre. It captures the joyful spirit which spread throughout the room at a recent performance. Parker elaborates, “Kyoko’s feet are up off the floor, her stylish black boots bouncing animatedly off the sustain and damper pedals of the acoustic piano, Ameen’s hat is now off and on top of the upright’s neck because the perspiration is flowing so generously after his killer solo on ‘Desaparecido.’” While Parker, seemingly motionless, is once again driving his trio to new musical heights. After years of percolating, he knows how to keep things simmering, seamlessly shimmering and adding muscle to his arrangements and lifting up these talented youngsters with his groove, allowing them to shine brightly. “This album documents the reunion of ‘the trio’ after nearly two years in which everyone’s lives, everywhere, changed dramatically. It was a musical joy and so thrilling to see Kyoko and Ameen after such a long time, and to play new music together again. I get such a kick from both of them while listening to their ideas, their solos and their interpretations of my music, they make me smile,” says Parker.

On Tell Me, eight of the ten tunes are Chris Parker originals, the other two being “Coolypso,” a re-working of Monk’s “Let’s Cool One,” and the Polish folksong, “Dwa Serduzska (for Hanna)” (which translates to, “Two Hearts, Four Eyes). Highlights include the soulful “Minky Don’t You Weep,” which has a pocket as deep as the Grand Canyon, and “Nippon Days Nippon Nights,” showcasing just how slick and propulsive Parker’s playing is, and how in lockstep this trio is with one another. The album proceeds with another home run, “Tophland,” from Parker’s nickname amongst friends, “Toph.” This track really displays how inspiring it can be to hear a musician reveling in his craft with nothing to prove! “West Cornwall Bridge” is a nod to the Northwestern Connecticut town where Parker’s father lives, and also captures the rugged beauty of England’s Southwest coast, while the titled track, “Tell Me,” conjures up the joyful swing of a Big Easy second line in a big way, and means, “Everyone has walked through hell over the past two years, so tell me all your problems, lay it on me, and maybe I can cheer you up or help in some way with your predicament,” says Parker. The last track, “Title Waived,” is, “something special I had an idea for with layers of Steven Bernstein’s wind instruments, David Finck soloing on bass and Chris Biesterfeldt delivering on guitar, with minimal drums from me,” explains Parker. Mission accomplished! 

More on Chris Parker: Born in Chicago, Chris Parker was playing drums at age three and began performing his first professional gigs at eleven. At nineteen, Parker began recording and touring with blues great Paul Butterfield and then broke into the NYC studio scene in 1970, recording albums, movie scores and filling the drum chair on Saturday Night Live.

Toph, as friends know him, recorded platinum, gold and Grammy winning albums and CDs with many artists, including the original Brecker Brothers, Bob Dylan, Cher, Natalie Cole, Donald Fagen, Ashford and Simpson, Aretha Franklin, Freddie Hubbard, James Brown, Salt ‘n’ Pepa, Stuff, Miles Davis, Patti LaBelle, Michael Bolton, Michael Franks, Lionel Hampton, Eddie Palmieri, Gato Barbieri, Ivan Lins, Billie Holiday, Tony Bennett, Jon Secada, and Quincy Jones, who contributed liner notes for Parker’s previous recording, Blue Print. Currently leading his own band, the Chris Parker Trio with Kyoko Oyobe on piano and Ameen Saleem on bass, Parker has recorded the trio’s self-titled debut, and also Blue Print, dedicated to Arif Mardin, produced by Arif’s son, Joe, and featuring Randy Brecker. 

Dennis Mitcheltree | "Golden Rule"

Saxophonist and composer Dennis Mitcheltree’s new recording, his sixth as a leader, Golden Rule, is one brimming with humanity. The music celebrates family, lost friends, his major inspirations (including tenor giants John Coltrane, Joe Henderson, and others), and speaks directly to our shared journey through life, and the imperative to treat each other with love, respect, trust and dignity – in short – to treat others as you wish to be treated. The music on Golden Rule is a reflection of that notion. It also swings like mad and engages the listener with nine wonderfully crafted compositions from Mitcheltree. 

“The long arc of humanity bends upward towards cooperation,” says Mitcheltree. That is exemplified in his ensemble, which features pianist Johannes Wallmann, bassist Jesse Crawford and drummer Bill McClellan. The quartet has been playing music together for several decades, and, “have become personally simpatico and musically empathetic. We’ve toured the world and working together is never a struggle as we trust each other on a deep and instinctual level. The Golden Rule is followed when we play music - treating each other as we wish to be treated: with respect, freedom, and joy,” explains Mitcheltree. He continues, “in collaboration each musician brings their individuality to the music and allowing them to do so makes the music better. When I embrace my bandmate’s contributions I find that the music can go places I hadn’t imagined. We have our own individual lives and projects, but when we perform together a unique entity is formed. What we create together is more powerful and beautiful than any single contribution. We think the results are wonderful, and hope you do as well!” 

For Mitcheltree, his bandmates are held in such high regard as to represent elements of our natural environment. He explains that, “Jesse Crawford is the rock, the earth of the group - always prepared and the one tying us together. His influence is felt throughout without drawing too much attention to itself. His work on ‘Waltz for Tai’ is an on-point example. Bill McClellan is the passion and fire - a role that can easily go overboard - yet he does his job with grace and a deep understanding of direction. His solo at the end of ‘Omicron’ is classic McClellan, and his work on ‘Genghis Kant’ is brilliant. Johannes Wallmann is the ocean, the water - he sets the temperature from cool to scalding hot with harmonic and rhythmic possibility, notably on the introduction to ‘Sarah,’ the ending to ‘Pacifisticuffs’ and in his comping and solos throughout the recording.” 

Regarding Mitcheltree, his tenor playing is chock-a-block with ideals, convictions and passions – you’re hearing an artist who “speaks” directly, eloquently and purposefully. Not to mention, with great melodicism and harmonic sophistication. Nancy Lee said of Mitcheltree, "the saxophonist is aggressively adventurous and most expressive...Mitcheltree evokes hearty tones from his instrument as he masterfully interweaves unexpected lines to create fascinating sound tapestries at any tempo" (JazzTimes Magazine). Michael G. Nastos called Mitcheltree’s tenor, “soulful, swinging and street smart” (AllMusicGuide), and the esteemed Martin Johnson called Mitcheltree "one of the area's best young tenor players...His album ‘Brooklyn’ is one of the better records of the last two years" (Newsday). The saxophonist/composer regularly receives high praise of this nature from veteran jazz critics. 

More on the nine tunes which comprise Golden Rule, with Dennis Mitcheltree:

1 – Waltz for Tai 5:36 - a 3/4 tune, 56 bars in AABA format, written for my 12 year old son Tai, who’s since picked up the tenor saxophone himself, and can be a monster at it if he chooses to do so. Like Tai, very lyrical, but with surprising melodic tension and an intense bridge section.

2 – Omicron 5:25 - the study of melodic 4ths, in a setting reminiscent of Coltrane’s mid-60s vibe with a B section that makes me feel like Joe Henderson every time I play it. Like the covid variant it’s named for, it’s relentless and catchy, but causing less damage than previous incarnations. Bill’s solo at the end is a strong continuation of the theme.

3 – Sarah 7:09 - written for my wonderful, smart and beautiful girlfriend. I love the solo intro by Johannes! Sad, hopeful and strong, all at the same time, the tune is beautifully brought to life by the entire group.

4 – Genghis Kant 4:33 - a play on words juxtaposing one of the more notorious might-makes-right characters in human history, Genghis Khan, with philosopher Immanuel Kant. Kant is known for his philosophy of moral reasoning, the Categorical Imperative, a secular version of the Golden Rule.

5 – Via Dance 5:46 - named for my 15 year old daughter Olivia. It’s a chill swinger, a grown-up tune, just like the wonderful young adult she’s in the process of becoming.

6 – Bling Tone 5:11 - my reworking of If I Were A Bell with nods to Coltrane. Check out the tenor/ drums duet directly before the melody out. I get a chance to get in some serious melodic 4ths lines with Bill.

7 – Rachel 6:31 - written for a wonderful human who presented our group at numerous concerts in Brooklyn. She died of cancer, too young, in the early 2000s...there are not many humans as wonderful as her and I wanted to celebrate what she brought into the world by writing this tune. The beginning is at once introspective and anthemic, then transitions into a raucous 12/8 feel.

8 – Ginger Foot 4:20 - like quickly and carefully dancing on a floor full of unbroken eggs. It’s based on Rhythm changes in Eb concert. Check out Jesse’s bass work on this one.

9 – Pacifisticuffs 4:11 - a written melody with no chords. It’s how one feels when one wants to knock the crap out of an antagonist but doesn’t believe in violence as a way to deal with conflict. Check out Johannes’ solo. Winning the war within isn’t an easy task to accomplish...and it’s never-ending.

All compositions by Dennis Mitcheltree, BMI ©&℗ 2021. Recorded December 9, 2021 at Samurai Hotel Recording Studio, New York City. Engineered and mixed by David Stoller at Samurai Hotel Recording Studio Mastered by Kevin Blackler at Blackler Mastering. Graphic design by Jamie Breiwick at B Side Graphics Photography by Josh Nessen and Sarah Becker Carrera

Peter Janson | "Getting To Here"

Eastern Woods Music Records releases Getting To Here by American guitarist Peter Janson. Featuring original compositions as well as original arrangements of songs composed by some of the worlds legendary composers (Jerome Kern, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Chick Corea), Getting To Here has six solo jazz guitar songs with Janson’s trademark fusion of jazz, classical, and acoustic-instrumental styles played with passion, artistry, and technical mastery.

Recorded in Nashville March 15-18, 2022, this 6-track album is an intimate, introspective and soulful musical journey that includes jazz standards “All the Things You Are,” “Dindi,” and “Spain” (dedicated as a tribute to the profound influence Chick Corea’s music played in Janson’s artistic musings), original compositions “I Should Have Just Waved Hello,” and “Blues for Joe” (dedicated to Joe Pass), and the obscure yet guitar cult favorite “Lamentos do Morro” by Garoto. There aren’t many jazz guitarists today that are focusing on solo guitar, but for Janson, playing solo jazz guitar is both his contemporary passion - loving the solo guitar works by Pat Metheny, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and Wolfgang Muthspiel - and a nod to legends such as Joe Pass, Earl Klugh, and Jim Hall.

Getting to Here was produced by Eric Conn, and recorded and mixed by Brandon Bell at The Cabin Studio, Nashville TN.

Track listing

• All the Things You Are - 5:04 (Jerome Kern, arr. P Janson - solo guitar)
• Dindi - 6:26 (Antonio Carlos Jobim, arr. P Janson - solo guitar)
• Spain - 4:58 (Chick Corea, arr. P Janson - solo guitar)
• Blues for Joe - 3:17 (Peter Janson - solo guitar)
• I Should Have Just Waved Hello - 10:33 (Peter Janson - solo guitar with overdubs, effects, voices)
• Lamentos do Morro - 4:54 (Anibal Augusto Sardinha, arr. P Janson - solo guitar)

Rebecca Jade | "A Shade Of Jade"

Vocalist Rebecca Jade has carried a journal in her backpack ever since she was a college athlete at UC Berkeley. She journaled her thoughts, feelings, reflections and experiences in the form of poetry and song lyrics. However, although she sang and came up with the album title “A Shade of Jade,” she didn’t consider herself to be a songwriter and didn’t have the confidence to put out original material, so she just toted the notebook around thinking “one day.” That day has arrived. Jade opened the pages of her journal to create ten R&B, jazz and pop songs that she wrote and co-produced with Carnell Harrell for “A Shade of Jade,” which drops October 14 from LadyJade Music.

“The bare bones of a couple of the songs on this album have been sitting and waiting patiently to come to life in a lyric book from many years ago. I knew in my heart that I had something to say that might resonate with others,” said Jade who recently previewed the album at sold-out concerts in San Diego and just south of Los Angeles.

“I have had the title for this album since college, and I wasn't even doing music at the time. With this being my first album that I wrote and co-produced, I feel like it represents who I am because I have so many different styles of music that have influenced me and make their way into my music. This album is one of, hopefully, many ‘shades’ of me.”

Jade’s songs on “A Shade of Jade” are personal, visceral, emotional and motivational. Melody-rich harmonies emoted skillfully with warmth, passion, urgency and ardor, her voice reflects the authentic heart and soul of a confident and courageous woman, an artist desiring to connect with listeners via intimate stories, resonant themes, and messages of hope and inspiration. Jade dares to make herself vulnerable; loves, desires and fantasizes freely; confronts brazenly, celebrates with gratitude in the face of loss, and empowers strength and resilience.    

“I wanted the songs on the album to touch on what so many people experience in real life - from love to heartbreak, to loss and overcoming difficult situations. Sometimes a song can help put feelings into words or encourage someone to push through when they want to quit. I've had songs do that for me, so I wanted to create music that might do that for someone else,” said Jade.

Jade has been working on “A Shade of Jade” for a while. Last December, she gave listeners a glimpse of what’s to come when she put out a video for the uplifting hip-hop/funk tune “What’s It Gonna Be,” which won two statues at this year’s San Diego Music Awards. The basketball-themed clip – Jade played division one hoop at UC Berkeley and was invited to try out for the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks twice – has received more than 126,000 YouTube views.

“We all go through tough times in life, but I truly believe that we can get through those tough times a little easier if we accept that they will happen and face them head on, knowing that we will get on the other side of it,” said Jade who produced the life-affirming song with Timothy "Twizz"  Bailey, Jr.

Earlier this month, radio was serviced the jazzy, atmospheric, hard-hitting neo soul groove “Show Me,” a multilayered cut showcasing Jade’s intricate vocals and deft arranging skills on a song asking for action over words in the context of a romantic relationship.

"Like so many others, I've experienced love, heartbreak and had my share of potential relationships where I thought I had feelings for someone but wasn't sure if they felt the same way and vice versa. I know that anticipation is a part of the story when it comes to relationships and I wanted to write a song about that very specific moment, that moment right before a decision is made to either go forward with a new love adventure or stop it in its tracks. ‘Show Me’ is my version of putting those feelings into words, the idea of either the possibility of what that relationship could be or the reality of what it never becomes,” Jade said about the single swiftly garnering airplay across the nation.

“A Shade of Jade” finds Jade typically in the company of Harrell on keyboards, guitarist Kyle Bolden, bassist Raymond McKinley, and drummer Charles Streeter Sr. The dreamy “Drift Away” is augmented by real strings – violin, viola and cello, adding opulence to the celestial tapestry. Saxophonists Dave Koz and Eric Darius are featured soloists on the ballad “My Reason” and the sweet and whimsical “Bottle Up Magic” (with lyrics cowritten by Veronica May) respectively. Jade’s history with Koz dates back to performing on his all-star cruise in 2016 and will continue this holiday season when she heads out on the superstar’s 25th anniversary Christmas tour, a monthlong trek at which she’ll share the stage with luminaries Rick Braun, Peter White and Keiko Matsui. Jade and Darius are frequent touring partners as well with five concert dates on the itinerary before the end of the year, including festivals and performing arts venues.   

Jade has toured extensively with Sheila E. and performed with the “Queen of Percussion” on the Emmy-nominated Grammy salute to Prince a couple of years ago. Also in 2020, Jade accompanied Sir Elton John at the Academy Awards. She has opened for Musiq Soulchild, Will Downing, Boney James, Jeffrey Osborne and El DeBarge, and on record, Jade has shared the spotlight on songs by Darius, DW3 and Aubrey Logan. But now her attention is focused on occupying the spotlight on her own, building her brand and elevating her recording career to new heights. Part of Jade’s evolution involves learning to play bass and keyboards, which she now does on stage.

There’s a lot of substance and depth to explore on “A Shade of Jade” – from the seamless alchemy of musical styles to the intoxicating melodies that cascade throughout the set, to Jade’s proficient ability to use her voice to seduce, swoon and sway while providing nuanced color and  texture. While essentially being a new singer-songwriter on the scene, she exudes the poise, power and purpose of a seasoned veteran in her prime, making “A Shade of Jade” a calling card harbingering the arrival of a rare and special artist.

“This album is very special to me because I have learned so much about what it takes to make a record. I challenged myself to write all the lyrics for this album and to be the person to produce this record. I wanted to experience the process from start to finish and there is no better way for me to learn than to do it. And I'm so grateful for the people along the way in this journey, especially my primary writing and producing partner Carnell Harrell, people who have helped guide me and shared their knowledge to help me along.”

“A Shade of Jade” contains the following songs:

• “Show Me”
• “Please Come Home”
• “My Reason”
• “What’s It Gonna Be”
• “Drift Away”
• “Thankful”
• “Beautiful Lies”
• “Bottle Up Magic”
• “Other Side of the Moon”
• “Insane”

Catch Rebecca Jade on tour through the end of the year at (dates may be added):

• September 9 - Hyatt Regency Summer Concert Series, Newport Beach, CA
• September 10 - Bishop Arts Center (ft. w/ Eric Darius), Dallas, TX
• September 11 - Oxnard Jazz Festival (w/ Eric Darius), Oxnard, CA
• September 18 - Smooth Jazz Cruise on Land at The Factory (ft. w/ Eric Darius), St. Louis, MO
• October 8 & 9 - Barbados Jazz Excursion, Barbados
• October 22 - Catalina JazzTrax Festival (w/ Eric Darius), Catalina Island, CA
• November 3-6 -    Florida Smooth Jazz Weekend (w/ Eric Darius), Daytona Beach, FL
• November 25-December 23 -  Dave Koz & Friends 25th Anniversary Christmas Tour
• December 30 & 31- Rick Braun’s New Year’s Eve Getaway, Tucson, AZ

Ruddy Thomas | 'First Time Around" and "Reggae For Lovers"

One of the most accomplished Jamaican singers to first make their mark in the mid-70s, Ruddy Thomas found considerable success on both sides of the Atlantic with a succession of reggae chart hits throughout the tail end of the decade and beyond.

His most successful early works were recorded for arguably Kingston’s leading producer of the period, Joe Gibbs, with hits including his hugely popular interpretations of ‘Every Day Is Just A Holiday’, ‘Let’s Make A Baby’ and ‘Loving Pauper’, which was Jamaica’s best- selling single of 1978.

Now, at long last, his debut album finally sees its official re-issue on CD, with its original tracklisting expanded to include the best of his remaining work with Gibbs, plus the very best of the producer’s romantically-themed productions from the period.

Including a dozen tracks new to CD, the collection is an essential acquisition for all fans of both the sound of lovers rock and late 70s reggae.

Track Listing:

DISC ONE

RUDDY THOMAS ‘FIRST TIME AROUND’

1. That’s What Friends Are For
2. Ticket To Ride
3. Poorer Side Of Town
4. Loving Pauper
5. Shake Your Body Down To The Ground
6. Little Jeannie
7. Go On
8. Let Me Know It
9. Sad Eyes
10. Someone To Love
11. Bonus tracks
12. Memories (By The Score)
13. Mama Say
14. Feeling Soul
15. (Every Day Is) Just A Holiday
16. Time To Leave Daddy
17. Close To Me
18. Let’s Make A Baby
19. I Can’t Stop Now
20. When I Think Of You (7” mix)
21. Don’t Go Changing aka Just The Way You Are
22. Emotion (7” mix)

DISC TWO

VARIOUS ‘REGGAE FOR LOVERS’

1. Since I Fell For You – George Nooks
2. (Riding On A High And) Windy Day – Ruddy Thomas
3. Why Girl (7” mix) – Earth & Stone
4. After You (What Am I Gonna Do) – Wayne Wade
5. Gypsy Woman – The Mighty Diamonds
6. Working My Way Back To You (7” mix) – George Nooks
7. Nice First Sight Loving (7” mix) – Freddie McGregor
8. Everyday Is Just A Holiday – Hugh Griffiths
9. Just When I Needed You Most – Tyrone Taylor
10. Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough (7″ mix) – Derrick Lara
11. Gonna Get You AKA I’m Gonna Make Me Love You – David Isaacs
12. Hey You – Jimmy Riley
13. Something Precious – Shirley McLean
14. You Body’s Here With Me – Nehemiah Heild
15. Sadie (7” mix) – George Nooks
16. (This Is) Party Time – The Mighty Diamonds
17. It’s So Nice To Be With You – Hugh Griffiths
18. Got To Get Your Love – Delroy Wilson
19. Being With You (7” mix) – Ruddy Thomas
20. Left With A Broken Heart (12” mix) – George Nooks

New Music: Sol Set, Matthew Halsall, Shawn Lee & Misha Panfilov, Monophonics

Sol Set - Ola De Novo

Some of the richest work we've heard from John Beltran in years – a well-crafted little record that's bubbling over with influences from jazz and Brazilian music – and which make Beltran sound a lot more like a group leader than just a producer in the studio! The album's criss-crossed with vocal parts that really recall the glory days of 70s Brazilian jazz – while the rhythms pulsate with some of the more contemporary elements you'd expect from Beltran's other projects, but handled with soulful warmth that really holds the whole thing together as a full length set! There's plenty to love here if you dig older Brazilian rhythms, breezy 70s club jazz, and some of the warmer currents of contemporary club – on titles that include "Rhythm Of The Sun", "Linda Sao Paulo", "Sugarloaf", "Beija Flor", "Pour Le Moment", "Bliss Mode", and "Let's Get Away". ~ Dusty Groove

Matthew Halsall - Temple Within

A record that's more of an EP than a full length release, but one that's still really overflowing with fantastic music from the great Matthew Halsall – a player who can deliver as much meaning and soul in a short space as most musicians can in a double-length set! The album features four tracks, and Halsall's trumpet is wrapped up wonderfully with the flute of Matt Cliff – a player with a very evocative vibe, and one that really fits the modal rhythms of the tunes – as does the harp work of Maddie Herbert. Liviu Gheorghe plays both piano and organ, and the set features the originals "Temple Within", "Earth Fire", "A Japanese Garden In Ethiopia", and "The Eleventh Hour". ~ Dusty Groove

Shawn Lee & Misha Panfilov - Space & Tempo

Two contemporary funk legends, coming together in a really wonderful set of tracks – spare, yet full-on funky all the way through – and very much at the top of the game for anything you might expect from both artists! Shawn Lee serves up funky drums, Misha Panfilov handles the bass – and both of them bring in a huge range of keyboards, electronics, and other effects – complete with the sort of spacey touches we especially love in Misha's music – almost an outer space version of deep funk at times! Titles include "Rope Tornado", "Tom Tom Yum", "Prowling", "Separated At Surf", "Glamorous Life", "Florian", "Stairway To Seven", "Turbo Engine", "Hans Zimmerframe", "Samba Brown", "Porta Hole", "Wet Streets", and "Rope Tornado". ~ Dusty Groove

Monophonics - Sage Motel

Slow funk and soul, with plenty of psychedelic touches – all delivered in the best mode we've come to expect from the Monophonics over the years! The group's always off in their own space in a really great way – creating a sonic environment that easily shifts between past, present, and future – often thanks to a range of keyboard work from vocalist Kelly Finnigan – who plays Fender Rhodes, Hammond, Farfisa, Mellotron, Moog, and other keyboards too! Finnigan's vocals are often processed in a great way – sounding different than albums under his own name – and given these great funky drums from Austin Bohlman, whose rock-solid rhythms really keep things moving forward. There's lots of other great touches too – subtle use of horns and strings amidst the swirling sound – on titles that include "The Shape Of My Teardrops", "Let That Sink In", "Check In", "Never Stop Saying These Words", "Crash & Burn", "Warpaint", and "Love You Better". ~ Dusty Groove

The 45th Anniversary of Exodus Celebrated With Dolby Atmos Upgrade, Revised Exodus: Deluxe Edition

The Summer of Marley culminates this week with a brand new, official lyric video for Bob Marley & The Wailer's "Exodus," which debuts today on Bob Marley's Official YouTube Channel.

This new video for "Exodus" draws on shared histories, collective pain, and a cry for liberation, showing through rich visuals a parallel between the Biblical story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt and the hope of guiding the Rastafarians to freedom. The protagonists set out to leave a destroyed land behind, hoping to find the Fatherland, with aspirations to build a spiritual homeland and find redemption and peace in the middle of Africa. Led by an international team of artists from Africa, Europe, and South America, the video articulates a message of triumph, hope, unity, and strength of a community coming together using hand-drawn illustrations and textures laced with powerful, archival footage of Bob Marley & The Wailers performing "Exodus" in Zimbabwe in 1980. 

Over the summer,  Bob Marley & The Wailers' original album, Exodus, named the "Best Album of the 20th Century" by Time magazine in 1999, became available in Dolby Atmos. Mixed by Nick Rives and approved in-person by Ziggy Marley at Capitol Studios.

In addition, the Marley Family, Island Records, and UMe marked the 45th anniversary of Exodus with a revised digital Exodus: Deluxe Edition in June. The digital deluxe album features the ten tracks from the original album, plus 18 Singles & Sessions tracks; 13 of the tracks were culled from two previous Deluxe Editions. Previously unreleased tracks, "Natural Mystic (Horns Mix)," and "The Heathen (Alternate Version)," the rare 7-inch versions of "Exodus," "Jamming," and "Punky Reggae Party,' and the original B-side to "Jamming" are also included on the new digital deluxe, as well as two cuts previously unavailable digitally. The Exodus: Deluxe Edition also boasts two additional bonus tracks, including the edited live versions of "So Much Things To Say" from the June 1st show (previously released on the Deluxe Edition of Exodus 40 – The Movement Continues in 2017) and "Exodus," the finale from the Rainbow's June 2nd set, previously featured on the album's 2001 Deluxe Edition. Each performance is otherwise presented unedited within their respective live set (see below). Click HERE to listen to Bob Marley & the Wailers' Exodus: Deluxe Edition.

June also highlighted the digital premiere of three of the four nights from Bob Marley & the Wailers' historic June 1977 run at London's Rainbow Theatre. While a select number of tracks from the Rainbow recordings were included on previously released Deluxe Editions of Exodus, and audio and video of the entire June 4th concert were released during the year-long 75th Birthday Celebration in 2020, most of the legendary performances from the three nights, each featuring slightly different setlists and alternate arrangements, had never been heard before. Twenty-nine songs throughout the three shows, equating to more than three-quarters of the total songs performed, are previously unreleased performances.

In other news, Bob Marley & The Chineke! Orchestra was also released by Island Records/UMe last month. The album reimagines some of Bob Marley's greatest songs with contemporary classical orchestration from the globally esteemed Chineke! Orchestra. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios and produced by Nick Patrick (If I Can Dream, Elvis Presley and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, True Love Ways, Buddy Holly and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra), reimagined tracks include "Satisfy My Soul," "Exodus," "Is This Love," "Redemption Song," "Get Up, Stand Up," plus "One Love/People Get Ready." 

In addition, Ziggy Marley is wrapping up his summer tour, performing a live tribute to his father as part of the belated Bob Marley 75th Birthday celebrations. Ziggy and his band continue to breathe new life into Bob Marley's most iconic songs, headlining dates in Europe, the U.K., and North America. 

Yellowjackets | "Parallel Motion"

Maintaining a distinct group identity for 40 years is an exceedingly rare achievement, but what sets Yellowjackets apart isn’t their longevity so much as the consistently inspired quality of their music. Born in the age of fusion, the band has thrived through the decades by steadily seeking out new sounds and approaches, combining elliptical lyricism with a sophisticated and evolving harmonic palette all their own. Slated for release on August 26, Parallel Motion is Yellowjackets’ sixth album for Mack Avenue Records and it captures a vibrant creative communion that shows no signs of an impending midlife crisis.  

Since Yellowjackets’ eponymous 1981 debut album, the group has hewed its own creative path, influencing colleagues with enviable compositional craftsmanship and an ever-shifting blend of influences. In many ways Yellowjackets embody both continuity and renewal, with founding­ pianist/keyboardist Russell Ferrante providing the four-decade thread first joined by Will Kennedy­, who took over the drum chair from 1987-99 and returned to the fold in 2010. Bob Mintzer, a Jacket since 1990, contributes on tenor and soprano saxophones and EWI. By the band’s standards Australian-born electric bass virtuoso Dane Alderson is still the new kid, though he’s already anchored the quartet for seven years. Parallel Motion is a Technicolor portrait of a working band that’s still stretching its wings. 

“The last two projects were collaborations,” Ferrante said, referring to 2018’s luminous Raising Our Voice with extraordinary Brazilian vocalist Luciana Souza, and 2020’s orchestral Jackets XL with the WDR Big Band of Cologne, Germany. “We wanted to do a project focusing on the quartet. In terms of the material, we wanted to broaden the contributions from everyone. Dane is represented by several tunes. Will is in the mix. Everybody’s involved in every aspect.”  

 While Yellowjackets recorded the album in the midst of the pandemic, the music looks forward rather than exploring the angst and isolation that accompanied the advent of COVID-19. Of course, resilience and optimism in the face of tragedy is in itself a profound statement. For Mintzer, the new work “represents the commitment to stay together and keep moving forward. It’s really about this four-cornered square that functions no matter what. With each record, all four of us are on the hunt for new ways to put the notes together. The music keeps growing. The focus is this band. A clear, identifiable sound. Four equal parts.” 

Indeed, every Jacket is well represented on Parallel Motion. The album opens with Mintzer’s “Intrigue,” a lithe but stutter-stepping tune that offers a little surprise around every shifting groove. Lyrical and street smart, the piece showcases all four players at their most responsive. “There’s a singable component, but these little splashes of dissonance,” Mintzer said. “It doesn’t fit into any categories, which is one of the M.O.s of this band.”  

Ferrante’s passionate “Il Mio Amico” is a heartfelt ode written in response to his recently acquired Fazioli piano. It’s a spectacular instrument “and the resonance and overtones and response you get is really inspiring,” he said. “We brought it to the studio and used it on the recording, the first workout it got, and as the title says, it’s really my new friend.”   

Alderson’s slyly grooving “Early” grew out of a sketch that had been languishing on his laptop for more than a decade. “I brought it to the band and the guys brought it to life,” he said. “It’s a jammy party tune with an R&B flavor that really evolved in the studio.” 

Kennedy transformed a tune originally written with vocals into the ravishing “Samaritan,” a piece that expands on Yellowjackets’ long history of singable lines. “The goal was to have a melody that was simple and warm and I think we achieved that,” Kennedy said. “It’s a really calm and relaxing sort of song. As Dane was saying, it’s always an interesting adventure to present a tune to the band and have it take on a life of its own.”  

If Parallel Motion offers a snapshot of a band in mid-flight, it’s also a family portrait that includes Ferrante’s “If You Believe,” a track featuring the supremely soulful vocalist Jean Baylor. No stranger to Jackets fans, she’s recorded with the group several times, and of course her husband, drummer Marcus Baylor, was a member of Yellowjackets from 2000-2010. Her gospel-steeped performance adds another incandescent track to Yellowjackets’ deep roster of vocal collaborations, a list that includes Bobby McFerrin, Kurt Elling, Bobby Caldwell, Randy Crawford, Brenda Russell, Michael Franks, Gino Vannelli, Jonathan Butler and Luciana Souza.  

Recorded after a brief European tour, the album documents the process of discovery. “We rehearsed the tunes on the album maybe three times,” Alderson said. “I believe we’re only now on this tour performing these songs live, so what you’re hearing are about as fresh as they can be. Everything really came to life in the studio in those three days.” 

All-Star Collaborative Trio THUMBSCREW (Michael Formanek/ Tomas Fujiwara/ Mary Halvorson) Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary with MULTICOLORED MIDNIGHT

At the center of a spiraling musical universe, Thumbscrew is like a reverse black hole radiating brilliant constellations of overlapping ensembles. The all-star trio is at the core, and they’re marking their 10th year as a collective endeavor – 2022 – looking ahead to new sonic territory rather than taking stock of a prodigiously creative decade. Celebrating this anniversary, Multicolored Midnight, the group’s seventh album for Cuneiform Records, is slated for release September 30, 2022. It features bassist Michael Formanek, drummer/vibraphonist Tomas Fujiwara, and guitarist Mary Halvorson on a set of 11 original pieces that oscillate between detailed composition, unbridled improvisation, and every gradation in between. It’s another step on an extraordinary journey by three of jazz’s most dauntless and resourceful artists. 

The focus that each player brings to Thumbscrew and the dense web of experience they share is part of what makes the ensemble so extraordinary. Thumbscrew’s ongoing evolution is powered by a super-charged matrix of relationships, as all of the players also lead critically acclaimed bands built on the trio’s thrumming creative synergy. Beyond their work as a trio they’re the foundation for Formanek’s Ensemble Kolossus, the hair-raising and ridiculously talent-laden large ensemble that released its 2016 debut on ECM The Distance. Formanek joined Halvorson on Tomas Fujiwara & The Hook Up’s third release, the critically hailed 2015 album After All Is Said (482 Music). And Halvorson’s Thumbscrew bandmates are the foundation of her song-based band Code Girl. For Halvorson, Thumbscrew has become an invaluable creative foundation. “It’s one of my favorite rhythm sections to be a part of, the power and energy and everything we create together,” she said. “At this point, all of us have used this rhythm section as leaders.” 

Multicolored Midnight features music that Thumbscrew honed during a three-week residency at City of Asylum, a Pittsburgh program founded as a refuge for writers in exile. Since expanding its purview to include musicians, City of Asylum has become the fourth wheel powering Thumbscrew’s all-terrain evolution as the triumvirate fully utilizes the sequestration to generate and refine new pieces. Three of Thumbscrew’s prior albums had also been generated at City of Asylum. Multicolored Midnight grew out of the group’s fourth residency in August of 2021, which provided a welcome respite from the sudden and unnerving isolation imposed by the pandemic. 

If there was an agenda for Multicolored Midnight, it centered on fully incorporating Fujiwara’s vibraphone work into the mix, a bright hue that surfaced briefly on Thumbscrew’s 2020 celebration of Anthony Braxton’s 75th birthday, The Anthony Braxton Project. Marking a decade doesn’t have quite the same panache as a diamond jubilee, “but we do feel like it’s a big deal,” Formanek said. “That’s a lot of time for a cooperative band, and the residencies are a big part of what’s allowed us to dive in deeper and keep creating new music.” 

The album opens with the tightly constructed “I'm A Senator!,” one of five tunes that Formanek contributed to the project. It’s a wicked little groove that features some sharp Halvorson chordal work sandwiching her vertiginous bottom-falling-out single note runs. The bassist built “Shit Changes” on Fujiwara’s vibes ostinato, which feeds the mysterious, slowly blossoming melody. Mutations occur but the bloom is hardy. Formanek draws on many sources when it comes to titling his tunes, often settling on a word or phrase that has little direct connection to the piece. And then there’s “Fidgety,” which captures an anxious, unsettled mood from the opening bass solo, which Formanek bends and contours with some deft electronic processing. It’s his first use of electronics on double bass in Thumbscrew, adding another sonic resource to the growing palette. He’s at his most tuneful on “Capsicum Annuum,” a song-like tune that builds to a brief thrashing passage before the trio returns to the alluring melody. The intriguing line references the forward-and-backward phrase ideas that Formanek has explored elsewhere in a series of palindromic tunes. 

Fujiwara brought three tunes to the program, including “Song For Mr. Humphries,” a tribute to Pittsburgh drum maestro Roger Humphries, the well-traveled veteran who played on Horace Silver’s 1965 classic Song For My Father. Propelled by a quirky, vaulting bassline, the tune grows more intricate and less rhythmically stable as it progresses. It isn’t based on anything that Humphries plays. Rather, it’s a thank you for his generosity and ongoing contributions to the music. He actually lives a few blocks from City of Asylum and on Thumbscrew’s first residency City of Asylum co-founders Diane Samuels and Henry Reese made a point of mentioning him. “He still plays around town all the time,” Fujiwara said. “We went and checked him out and his feel and sound is amazing, so classic and specific. Every time I go to Pittsburgh I hear him play and I go to his house for a lesson and a hang.” 

The pandemic experience doesn’t surface directly on the album often, though Fujiwara’s “Future Reruns and Nostalgia” evokes the prickly, surreal suspension of time that marked the first months of sheltering in place. The chiming notes on the vibes that open the piece seem to toll for all of us as Formanek’s squally arco bass work ratchets up the pressure. The melody ascends and hangs in the air. Halvorson also contributed three pieces to Multicolored Midnight, including the title track, a stuttery tune with an almost folk-song like theme driven by her strummed chords. An improviser and composer of dry and poker-faced wit, she builds a repeating figure into the angular melody that was inspired by the sound of a skipping LP. On “Swirling Lives” she creates an almost chamber jazz setting for Fujiwara’s vibes. There’s a melodic line running through the tune that’s carried by all three players at different points and as the pace accelerates to a sprint the chamber piece takes on the feel of a frantic game of hide and seek. Playful, mischievous and insistently present tense, this is music that illuminates each moment’s vast possibilities. 

An album laden with fully realized connections and reflections, Multicolored Midnight also provides tantalizing hints regarding Thumbscrew’s future explorations. Integrating new textures, sounds and concepts, Thumbscrew has turned into an essential all-terrain vehicle for three of improvised music’s most venturesome artists. After a decade of coaxing and inspiring each other, the trio’s musical universe just keeps expanding, and Multicolored Midnight sheds dazzling light on where they’ll be heading next.

Samara Joy | "Linger Awhile"

Once-in-a-generation vocalist Samara Joy has signed with Verve Records, and will release Linger Awhile, her full-length debut for the label, on September 16. At just 22 years old, Samara has already garnered critical acclaim for a voice “as rich as custard” (The New York Times) and a delivery that is  “disarming [and] unhurried” (NPR Fresh Air), just as she has built a devoted following on TikTok and made avowed fans of Regina King, LaKeith Stanfield, and others. The Bronx native took home the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition prize while still in college and performed on The Today Show earlier this year. Hailed as an “exciting boundary-stretcher” by the  (The Boston Globe), Samara also made her “glowing, auspicious debut” (NPR) at the Newport Jazz Festival last weekend, earning multiple standing ovations in the process.

Linger Awhile finds Samara updating beloved songs with a modern twist, sometimes singing original lyrics using the melodies of famous instrumental solos, a style known as vocalese. Recorded at Sear Sound in New York City and featuring exemplary musicianship by Pasquale Grasso (guitar), Ben Paterson (piano), David Wong (double bass), and Kenny Washington (drums), the tracklist is comprised of reinvented classics including “Someone to Watch Over Me” (George Gershwin), “'Round Midnight” (Thelonious Monk), and “Nostalgia (The Day I Knew)” (Fats Navarro). Linger Awhile not only highlights Samara’s timeless vocals and a musical wisdom beyond her years, it also introduces this foundational popular music to a fresh audience.

“I am deeply honored to be a part of a roster that has included so many of my greatest vocal inspirations: Sarah, Billie, Ella, and Betty to name a few,” says Samara about her Verve debut. “Being a part of this lineage is humbling, and I will continue to use all of the inspiration gleaned from them to pursue my own unique journey as a singer and an artist.”

Watch the visualizer for lead single “Can’t Get Out of This Mood” here: https://samarajoy.lnk.to/ThisMoodVisualizer

Samara Joy has also announced a new string of 2022 tour dates throughout Europe and North America. The young vocalist will play club dates, festivals and cultural institutions, plus highly-anticipated NYC hometown shows at The Blue Note. Later this year, Samara will perform with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra for a handful of dates across the midwest before several holiday shows in December. 

Music has always been a guiding presence within Samara’s family. Her grandparents, Elder Goldwire and Ruth McLendon, led the well-known Philadelphia-based gospel group, The Savettes, and her father toured with the renowned Andrae Crouch. Although her earliest influences are the gospel and R&B sounds of Stevie Wonder, Lalah Hathaway, George Duke, and Musiq Soulchild, Samara fell in love with jazz while attending Fordham High School for the Arts, where she performed regularly with the jazz band and eventually won Best Vocalist at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington competition. Samara attended SUNY Purchase and recently graduated as the Ella Fitzgerald Scholar.

New Music: Nate White, Imperial Boxmen, Steve Knight, Ernesto Jodos

Nate White - Up Close

Nate White's new single, "Migration" is off of his album Up Close. Legendary 70’s Group RAMP (Roy Ayers Music Production) has spent his career making music that his fans sincerely enjoy. Nate is deeply rooted in Funk/Soul/Jazz music and has truly created a signature sound which you hear on each track of the jazzterpiece Up Close. This Cincinnati native has opened up for The Godfather of Neo-Soul Roy Ayers, Chuck Loeb, Jeff Lorber, Everette Harp, Euge Groove, Phil Perry, the nine GRAMMY®- nominated, platinum-selling artist, Dave Koz & Friends which includes: Aubrey Logan, Richard Elliot, Rick Braun, and Gerald Albright. The single off the Up Close album titled “Migration” was inspired by the many events that has taken place around the world, and here in America. Hopefully listeners can receive the smooth, gentle, calming effects of this delightful song.

Imperial Boxmen - Imperial Boxmen

An excellent set from Kevin Ford – best known as the leader of Chicago Afrobeat Project, but working here in a much more stripped-down setting – a funky trio mode that's filled with his own great work on keyboards, served up here with a very cosmic vibe! The drums and bass are nice and heavy – well-pointed and nicely focused – which leaves the keyboards plenty of space to soar over the top and do all these cool spacey things while the rhythms stay funky – in a mode that's clearly inspired by 70s funky jazz, fused through the leaner modes of the London scene, and delivered in a style that's very much the group's own! Titles include "Hashley", "Reduxion", "Type B", "Dillatente", "Strawberry Feels", and "Imperial 7". ~ Dusty Groove

Steve Knight - Persistence

Steve Knight's journey from Olathe, KS, to Chicago via Oklahoma, South Carolina, New York, and the Caribbean has been anything but linear or predictable. He’s now releasing his debut album, Persistence, a trio recording featuring seven of his originals as well as several compositions by other artists. Like most jazz guitarists, Knight was Influenced by the pantheon of jazz greats like Wes Montgomery, Jim Hall, and Grant Green, but his greatest inspiration is George Benson. “I don’t like music that seems to be written just for other musicians,” says Knight. “A jazz guitarist is part poet and part athlete. I think Benson strikes the perfect balance. He’s an incredible technician on the guitar, but his music is very accessible for a general audience.” Indeed, Knight displays his considerable chops on Persistence, but never overwhelms the listener with mere showmanship. Joined by two stalwarts on the Chicago jazz scene, bassist Justin Peterson and drummer Jeff Stitely, the trio began playing together during the Covid-19 lockdown, presenting weekly concerts from Knight’s backyard in their idyllic, tree-lined.  neighborhood. The impromptu jams became concerts with neighbors gathering at the fence and audiences growing quickly and reaching into the park across the street. The Alderman took notice, helped move the concerts to the park, and a whim turned into a weekly event. Playing for a live audience over the years gave the band insight into the music that people liked to hear, and the tunes on Persistence unfolded from those concerts.

Ernesto Jodos - Donde El Mundo Ocurre

If you even follow ear s& eyes Records slightly or how the jazz scene in Buenos Aires has been explosive these past years, you would definitely know the name Ernesto Jodos. He's one of those cats who has been teaching all young lions since they were teens. He's been such an important influencer and has guided what Argentine jazz is today. Yes, he went to Berklee years ago, and yes, his most recent album, Confluence, features Mark Helias and Barry Altschul, but he's taken those influences back to Argentina and transformed his take on jazz music with his own unique voice and vision. This new album is a grand culmination of this; Donde el Mundo Ocurre! The rest of his group on this are a mix of those young lions as well as one of the most influential and important voices in not only jazz, but also rock, Latin Grammy Award winner &  drummer Sergio Verdinelli (another name that shows up quite a bit in the ears & eyes catalog including well-received No Me Digas Loco (as leader), and as sideman Rodrigo Dominguez' Borocotopo and Juan Bayon's Vidas Simples. Rounding it out is Inti Sabev (clarinets), Juan Pablo Hernández (guitar) & Diana Arias (contrabass).

Patrice Rushen - Original Album Reissue Series

The complete Elektra recordings of Patrice Rushen - expanded 2LP versions of her seminal albums “Pizzazz”, “Now”, “Patrice” and “Straight From The Heart” featuring bonus 12” mixes, dubs, and unreleased versions, fully remastered from the original reel to reel tapes.

After a series of acclaimed soul-jazz albums for Prestige Records, Patrice came to Elektra as the label branched out from its trademark soft rock sound to hone a roster catering to the burgeoning “sophisticated R&B” audience during the late ‘70s, at the tail end of the disco boom. Pulling together a tight team of musicians and studio craftsmen that she had

worked with and respected through writing and performing sessions in L.A., including her mentor Reggie Andrews and producer Charles Mims, Patrice combined intricate, punchy big band arrangements with her new role as lead vocalist on Patrice in 1978. The album set the template for a series of classic recordings, bringing soulful style and musicality to dancefloors. Pizzazz (1979) ushered in the huge club hit ‘Haven’t You Heard’ and classic tender ballad ‘Settle For My Love’, before Posh and the infectious single ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ a year later. Then in 1982, the landmark album Straight From The Heart and the worldwide crossover success

of ‘Forget Me Nots’, following a self-funded PR campaign. Now ended her time with Elektra in 1984, a more stripped back, synth-led affair led by ‘Feels So Real (Won’t Let Go)’ and the reflective ‘To Each His Own’.

Patrice’s music has endured over the years as each new generation discovers her recordings. “So much of what happened with these records happened years after they had come out as people discovered them,” Patrice explains. “And that’s the biggest compliment of all, that the music is still being played. It’s kinda cool.”

Sara Niemietz’ fourth album, Superman

Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and actor Sara Niemietz’ fourth album, Superman, will be released on October 28th. Sara's new single and video, "Locks," is out everywhere now. 

The new album represents a reinvigorated era in her artistic continuum born from small, vulnerable moments brought on by lockdown and seismic, non-pandemic life changes. “This album is about speaking your piece, shaking off the past, and finding the superhero inside,” shares the LA-based creative polymath. She continues: “As a kid, I used to run around with this blanket tied around my neck and call myself ‘Super Sara.’ This is a return to that, and it’s the most representative thing I’ve done to date.” The empowering album is also a showcase for a new collaboration with co-writer and co-producer Linda Taylor, the ace guitarist on the hit ABC show Whose Line is It Anyway.  

The pair met fortuitously on Sara’s last gig of 2020, a showcase with Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown, and just three days after their meeting, the world shut down. Sensing intuitive chemistry, Sara and Linda began to collaborate, tossing wildcard musical ideas and playlists back and forth.  

During the height of COVID, the two began to collaborate in earnest. A feverish flow of ideas went back and forth as Linda and Sara finished tracks self-contained, with Sara handling all her vocals and vocal production and Linda layering the tracks and mixing the recordings. Soon, the pair had six songs, with Sara producing earthy and engaging videos for each one. In addition, Sara’s broad internet reach and innate marketing savvy enabled the duo to become a buzzed-about collaboration.  

The twosome quickly nurtured a signature blend of soul, sonics, and story with passionate vocals and prominent guitars. Some of their artistic touchstones included Sister Rosetta Thorpe, Janis Joplin, Brittany Howard, and the early Kings Of Leon and D’Angelo. Sara says: “I’ve never been happy being tied to any genre. I grew up listening to Ella Fitzgerald, polka records, Led Zeppelin, and Steely Dan. When I was a little kid, I would plug a Fender Squier into a cheap amp, tune down to drop D, and put on concerts bashing out power chords.”  

In 2021, Sara felt it was time she and Linda made a complete album. The two decided to keep their file-sharing creative process intact, fully realizing the songs with demos before they brought in musicians and booked a studio. Sara’s only stipulation was for the album to feel like an album, a whole work, not just a collection of songs cobbled together. How do you make such a broad palette of genres feel cohesive?  

“It occurred to me that as long as we’re telling the same story, the songs can be the chapters in the book. We kept this like a mantra - does the chapter fit the book? We can go anywhere we want sonically, stylistically, keep the story true,” Linda says. The pair booked Robby Krieger’s Horse Latitude Studios, confident they could make the album they wanted without compromises.  

The resulting album is a mosaic of soulful sounds, spanning sensual blues ballads, smoldering soul, snappy jazz-pop, and indie rock. Thematically, Superman grants privileged access to Sara's life before and during the pandemic, much like the pages of a journal set to music. The 14-song album explores tumult, triumph, the freeing feeling of starting new chapters, and resilience. "There were times in the writing process that I wondered, is this too personal? Then I thought, Nah, go for it."  

The bluesy "Locks" captures the bittersweet side of getting through life challenges. Sara's rich and sultry vocals imbue the song with a sense of burnished hope befitting the lyrics. One choice passage reads: Who' s that looking out from the mirror/A little bit leaner, meaner/She figured it out/Can't believe what I see/It's almost hard to believe/This other side of the street I'm standing on. The seductively soulful "I Want You" boasts a psychedelic organ drenched in Echoplex, and Sara's sweetly gritty vocals. Her words here smolder as she sings: Whatever you're doing, just keep doing it/I want the colors and the sounds of your love/All the power of your love/I can't, I can't, I can't get enough.  

On slinky and infectiously catchy songs such as "Keep An Eye," "Lovely Lies," and "Four Walls," Sara and Linda hone in on that sweet spot between jazz, pop, rock, and blues. The pair slip into hazy, neo-soul reminiscent of Voodoo-era D'Angelo on "Come To Me." "Four Walls," a quiet reflection on promise and healing, is being translated into Mandarin. Sara has reverently studied the language and culture since high school and released several videos singing in Mandarin.  

Superman is indeed a heroic effort as it is both uncompromising genre-bending and cohesively musical. It's a rare feat. Linda says: "Sara was very clear when we started this album about what she wanted and how she wanted it to sound. We didn't set out to find a style; we just wanted an honest reflection of Sara's diverse music palette." In closing, Sara says: "It was freeing, letting what was in my mind out into the world without self-editing or second guessing. This is the record I've wanted to make for a long time."  

Chris Botti Launches His Own New Luxury Jazz Cruise: "Chris Botti at Sea"

Chris Botti announces the debut of Chris Botti at Sea, a luxury cruise personally curated by the incomparable musician. Scheduled to sail from February 8 – 15, 2024 from Miami to Aruba and Curacao on Celebrity Cruises’ Summit, the voyage will bring the very best in music, accommodations, and destinations together.  

“I’ve loved defying expectations and pushing the boundaries of creativity throughout my entire career and hosting my very own cruise is definitely an extraordinary experience,” says Botti.  “My entire team is dedicated to making this a very, very special event for all the fans and musicians onboard.” 

Since the release of his debut recording in 2004, trumpeter Chris Botti has become the largest-selling American instrumental artist.  His success has crossed over to audiences usually reserved for pop music and his ongoing association with PBS has led to four #1 jazz albums, earning certification as both Gold and Platinum selling recordings, as well as numerous Grammy nominations and awards.  Over the past three decades, Botti has recorded and performed with the best in music, including Sting, Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga, Josh Groban, Yo-Yo Ma, Michael Bublé, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, John Mayer, Andrea Bocelli, Joshua Bell, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and even Frank Sinatra. Hitting the road for as many as 300 days per year, the trumpeter has also performed with many of the finest symphonies and at some of the world’s most prestigious venues from Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl to the Sydney Opera House and the Real Teatro di San Carlo in Italy.  And Botti’s month-long residency at Blue Note New York is a longstanding staple of the holiday season. 

Jazz Cruises, LLC, the gold standard for music cruises at sea since 2001, will produce the cruise, undertake the reservation process and provide programming and technical support.  With more than 80 full-ship charters to its credit, Jazz Cruises has produced themed programs of all types throughout the world.  

“Chris Botti is a rare talent who can elevate virtually any musical genre by the strength of his talent and the breadth of his musical interests” says Michael Lazaroff, Executive Director of Jazz Cruises, LLC.  “We have dreamed of building a cruise around him ever since he was the featured entertainer on our ultra-luxury Mediterranean Signature Jazz Cruise in 2014 and are thrilled to be able to launch Chris Botti at Sea with him next year.” 

The cruise features a 2,100-passenger ship and will head out to Aruba and Curacao, the gems of the Caribbean Sea.  But it is the entertainment that separates Chris Botti at Sea from other programs.  Botti hand-picked most of the performers and each one of them is both a star and an exciting performer in their own right.  Heading the lineup is the world-renowned keyboardist and composer David Foster, who along with his wife, the multi-talented Katharine McPhee, will dazzle crowds with a show that features his amazing string of hits and her electrifying vocals.  Also performing on the ship are Gregory Porter and Melody Gardot, two of the jazz genre’s most dynamic and unique vocalists.  Botti is particularly excited to announce that Mentalist Lior Suchard, who has been astonishing crowds around the world for over a decade, will be performing on the cruise. Rounding out the entertainment is a collection of the very best musicians in the world, including Keb Mo, Lisa Fischer and many others.

The Inaugural Jazz Music Awards Announces its 2022 Nominees and Honorees including Wayne Shorter, McCoy Tyner, Ambrose Akinmusire, Henry Threadgill, and others

The global awards ceremony to exclusively celebrate Jazz music, The Jazz Music Awards: Celebrating the Spirit of Jazz, and its creator and executive producer, Wendy F. Williams today announce the recipients of six honorary awards and the nominees in eight competitive award categories. These special honors, as well as the thirty-three nominees, recognize individuals who have made – and continue to make – a lasting contribution to this American art form. Finalists in each category are the result of the first round of nominations submitted during the eligibility period from April 1, 2021, through March 31, 2022. These well-deserved honors will be presented at the Jazz Music Awards ceremony, set for Saturday, October 22, 2022, at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta, GA. 

The Lifetime Achievement Award will go to saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter; the Jazz Legend Award will be presented to the family of the late pianist and composer McCoy Tyner. There are three Awards of Distinction categories: Innovator, Composer, and Educator. Modern jazz trumpeter and composer Ambrose Akinmusire will receive the Jazz Innovator Award; avant-garde saxophonist and woodwinds player and composer Henry Threadgill will be honored with the Jazz Composer Award; vocalist and composer, Dr. Lenora Helm Hammonds will receive the Jazz Educator Award; and veteran musician and educator James H. Patterson will receive the Jazz Impact Award.

Also, the final four nominees have been announced in eight competitive categories; a tie in the Best Duo, Group, or Big Band category resulted in five nominees, while the Best International Artist category submissions did not meet the Jazz Music Awards submission criteria resulting in this award being removed from the final ballot this year.

Four-time Grammy Award-nominated artists Jean & Marcus Baylor, also known as The Baylor Project received three nominations for their release, Generations; along with Orrin Evans with two nominations for The Magic of Now and EEE (Eubanks-Evans-Experience) with well-known TV personality Kevin Eubanks; 2023 NEA Jazz Master and Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Kenny Garrett with two nominations for Sounds From The Ancestors; eight-time Grammy Award-winning bassist Christian McBride with two nominations with his band Inside Straight for Live at the Village Vanguard; acclaimed jazz harpist Brandee Younger with two nominations for Somewhere Different; and contemporary jazz keyboardist Brian Culbertson with two nominations for The Trilogy Red.

Also nominated are acclaimed jazz vocalist Jazzmeia Horn with Her Noble Force (Best Duo, Group, or Big Band); veteran organ master Joey DeFrancesco (Best Mainstream Artist); chart-topping contemporary flutist Ragan Whiteside (Best Contemporary Artist); contemporary jazz keyboardist and producer Bob Baldwin (Best Contemporary Album); multi-instrumentalist and producer Ben Tankard, best known as “the godfather of gospel/jazz” (Best Contemporary Artist); and veteran smooth jazz guitarist Norman Brown (Song of the Year). 

Other nominees in the contemporary jazz categories include popular bassist and producer Brian Bromberg (Best Contemporary Artist); jazz/pop vocalist Lindsey Webster (Best Contemporary Artist); master drummer Sonny Emory (Best Contemporary Album); Jazz educator and vocalist Shawnn Monteiro (Best Vocal Performance); multi-instrumentalist Gabriel Mark Hasselbach (Best Contemporary Album); and the Count Basie Orchestra, under the direction of Scotty Barnhart (Best Duo, Group or Big Band).

The Jazz Music Awards nominations also recognize a diverse array of burgeoning artists, including French vibraphonist Simon Moullier (Best New Jazz Artist); Grammy-nominated Jazz vocalist Stacey Kent (Best Vocal Performance); Kazemde George, Brooklyn-based saxophonist, composer and beatmaker (Best New Artist); Julieta Engenio, Argentine-born tenor saxophonist, composer, and bandleader (Best New Artist); neo-traditionalist Samara Joy (Best New Artist); acclaimed Rwandan-Ugandan jazz singer and playwright Somi (Best Vocal Performance); South African-born teen multi-instrumentalist Justin-Lee Schultz (Song of the Year); and Alabama-based drummer/producer James “PJ” Spraggins (Song of the Year).

“We are honored to recognize and present a wide range of dynamic and innovative artists including our six award honorees and our thirty-three nominees. I am still amazed that in 2022, a dedicated global Jazz award show in North America has never been done at this level. I am thrilled that we can step into this space to honor and recognize musicians and the entire genre in this way. We are making history and we are just getting started,” says Wendy F. Williams, creator and executive producer of the Jazz Music Awards, as well as the General Manager of NPR-affiliate Jazz 91.9 WCLK. “Jazz music has been an essential part of the legacy of Jazz 91.9 WCLK, which will be celebrating fifty years on the air in 2024, from its home on the campus of Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta. By recognizing our honorees and nominees, we are giving thanks for their incredible artistry that furthers the richness of the Jazz tradition, which is integral to American music and culture.”

An added attraction during the Jazz Music Awards will be several live performances. These will include appearances by several acclaimed Jazz vocal talents: NEA Jazz Master and Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award-winning artists Dee Dee Bridgewater, Grammy Award-winning artist Ledisi, preeminent jazz/gospel/blues vocalist Lizz Wright, and four-time Grammy Award-nominated artist Jazzmeia Horn. All performances will be under the musical direction of NEA Jazz Master and three-time Grammy Award-winning recording artist and composer Terri Lyne Carrington, who serves as the musical director and co-executive producer for the inaugural ceremony.

“The Jazz Music Award is a necessary and important platform for the jazz community,” says Carrington, who is also the founder of the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice. “It’s vital that we spotlight and celebrate artists across all hybrids of Jazz, many of whom have been overlooked or unsung throughout their careers.”

The inaugural Jazz Music Awards will establish a new platform for recognizing the rich history, musical innovation, and vital artistry that continue to inform America’s truly original art form – Jazz Music. As an essential component of the vast tapestry that weaves together African Americans’ contributions to the arts, Jazz is the Culture of America. It is a unique sound and style that is beloved around the world.

For updates and information on the award ceremony, please visit jazzmusicawards.com.