Dan Weiss Trio | "Dedication"

Drummer, composer and tabla player Dan Weiss has long been acclaimed as a startlingly original voice in modern jazz, stretching the music’s boundaries into the realms of contemporary classical, extreme metal, Indian music and progressive rock. But Weiss himself has never failed to acknowledge his wide-ranging influences and the jazz tradition in which his music remains rooted. Through his original music Weiss has often paid homage to his forebears and inspirations, whether adapting phrases from iconic jazz drummers into visionary new compositions on his 2016 large ensemble outing Sixteen or merging metal and new music influences through the lens of David Lynch’s disturbing surrealism with his bracing quintet Starebaby.

With his latest album, Dedication (due out November 11 via Cygnus Recordings), Weiss pays explicit homage to nine of his most vital inspirations, from musical and cinematic masters to loved ones and close collaborators. The album returns the drummer to his longstanding trio with pianist Jacob Sacks and bassist Thomas Morgan. Dedication marks the trio’s fourth recording in 22 years together, and the breathtaking virtuosity and scintillating chemistry on display throughout the recording are testament to that longevity.

“I like to think of myself as someone who is coming out of the tradition but trying to push it forward,” Weiss explains. “So the piano trio is ideal because it’s such a traditional setting, but it allows for so much exploration and freedom. And when you share a long history like I have with Jacob and Thomas, you explore things together, you hit on things together, you try things out together, so the seeds of what we’re doing now were planted 20 years ago and have continued to develop since then. It feels natural to always come back to it.”

Sacks is not only a key voice on the album but one of its honorees. The alluringly jagged “For Jacob” builds upon the “angular yet melodic lines” that Weiss has engaged with since the two started playing together at college in 1995. In his liner notes, Weiss writes that Sacks’ playing is “deeply steeped in the tradition of the great jazz pianists from Teddy Wilson to Cecil Taylor,” and an era-defying blend of groove, melodicism and abstraction combine as in a vibrant collage in the raucous piece.

Even more personal are two dedications to close family members. The lovely “For Vivienne” was written for Weiss’s young daughter, six years old as of this September, while the stark and tender “For Grandma May” is an elegy for the composer’s beloved grandmother, who passed away in late 2021. Both pieces are heavily laden with deep emotion – “For Vivienne” the wonder and joy of experiencing life through a child’s experiences, “For Grandma May” the grace of a life well lived and the loving grief of loss – which Sacks and Morgan convey beautifully through their sterling musicianship and the trio’s decades-long relationship. An outlier among the honorifics is “For George Floyd,” a rare but imperative instance of social and political expression in Weiss’s music. The composer was as galvanized as many in this country by Floyd’s murder at the hands of police in May of 2020, and the piece movingly captures the tumult and rage that rippled through the already beleaguered population in its aftermath.

The remaining tunes are dedicated to singular artists who have helped shape Weiss’s voice and philosophy in some form. The propulsive “For Tim Smith” goes out to the late founder of the British post-punk band Cardiacs, who died in July 2020. The dedication came after the fact in this case, as Weiss realized that the song’s chord sequence, rife with major chords, could only be an unconscious influence from one of Weiss’s favorite bands. The deceptively simple “For Bacharach,” with its lyrical melody and pop ballad pulse, draws on songsmith Burt Bacharach’s sophisticated use of eccentric phrase structures in popular music. Weiss cites the single “Promises, Promises” (made famous by Dionne Warwick) and Painted From Memory, Bacharach’s magisterial collaboration with Elvis Costello, as particular touchstones.

The demanding “For Nancarrow” takes its rhythmic intricacy in part from composer Conlon Nancarrow’s staggeringly complex Studies for Player Piano, which, Weiss writes, “redefined the way I thought about metric modulation.” The drummer calls Elvin Jones “my favorite drummer,” adding the caveat “at present” as a nod to his own restless, ever-shifting imagination, in the notes to “For Elvin,” his ode to the iconic drummer of the classic John Coltrane Quartet. The challenging piece builds on an eight-measure phrase from Coltrane’s “One Up, One Down” as captured on Live at the Half Note.

“That phrase totally blew me away for a number of reasons,” Weiss recalls. “The architecture of the bass drum and the snare drum line is amazing and his choice of accents and spacing within the line are really special and unique to Elvin. In tabla music there’s a step in between single and double tempo which is called dergun, so I took that approach with Elvin's initial line and based everything around that.”

The influential Soviet filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky is another favorite, and Weiss’s dedication is infused with the spirituality and atmosphere of films like Mirror and Solaris. “I was thinking about the spiritual aspect of his work and the serenity I feel when I watch his movies,” Weiss describes. “There’s so much tranquility and beauty in each shot of his films. There's nothing wasted, nothing superfluous. So in that spirit I tried to make each note count.”

That striving to place heart and soul into each and every drumbeat speaks to another meaning for the album’s title. Dedication is also a guiding principle for Weiss, who aims to commit fully to those things most important to him, whether family, personal growth or music. It’s a tenet that makes the music of Dedication so compelling and profound.

Two-time Shifting Foundation grantee Dan Weiss has been hailed as one of the top five drummers in jazz by The New York Times. His innovative drumming and forward-thinking compositions have been pushing musical limits for decades. Weiss's intense study of jazz, classical Indian, contemporary classical, West African, and metal sets a musical platform that creates a sound that transcends conventional style or genre. Weiss has studied tabla under Samir Chatterjee for 25 years. His trio with Jacob Sacks and Thomas Morgan released three previous records (Now Yes When, Timshel, and Utica Box) and he also leads a unique 16-piece large ensemble that features some of NYC’s most gifted musicians including Miguel Zenón and Jen Shyu. In 2021 Weiss and Miles Okazaki released a double album of their drum and guitar compositions on their own record label called Cygnus Recordings. Weiss’s latest project, Starebaby, blends metallic jazz, prog and post rock that melds deep sophistication with visceral impact. As a sideman, Weiss has played/toured with Lee Konitz, Chris Potter, Sylvie Courvoisier, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Linda May Han Oh, John Zorn, and many others.

The Manhattan Transfer | "Fifty"

Collectively 10-time GRAMMY® Award-winning vocal group The Manhattan Transfer celebrates its 50th anniversary with a new studio album, aptly titled Fifty. The set was physically released October 21, via Craft Recordings. The group recently embarked on their final global tour, celebrating their legacy and the new album. The cross-continental run includes a special performance on November 3 in Los Angeles at the GRAMMY® Museum as well as additional stops across the US, Europe, UK, Japan and Australasia, with dates continuing through 2023. An initial list of shows can be found here, with more dates to be announced shortly.

The album's 10-track set finds the best-selling act partnering with Germany's renowned WDR Funkhausorchester Köln (WDR Radio Orchestra Cologne), plus symphony arrangers including GRAMMY® Award winners Jorge Calandreli and Vince Mendoza, as well as vocal arrangers including Amanda Taylor of säje, to revisit their biggest hits from throughout the decades. In addition to new arrangements of "Chanson D'Amour," "Twilight Zone / Twilight Tone" and "The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul," Fifty features two timeless classics: George and Ira Gershwin's "The Man I Love" (recorded for the first time by the group) and The Beach Boys' "God Only Knows," which can be viewed here. Rounding out the album are brand-new liner notes from co-founder Alan Paul, who reflects on The Manhattan Transfer's enduring career and matchless accomplishments.

"After FIFTY years of creating and singing harmony, we would like to celebrate with our upcoming release—aptly named FIFTY—and acknowledge all the joy you have brought us on our musical journey as we begin our 50th Anniversary & Final World Tour. We look forward to seeing you!"

Stanley Clarke, Stewart Copeland, and Deborah Holland Reunite as Animal Logic After 31 Years

In 1987, legendary jazz bassist Stanley Clarke, ex-Police drummer Stewart Copeland, and singer-songwriter Deborah Holland surprised the world when they emerged as Animal Logic. Was it going to be a jazz-rock or punk-pop project? It turned out to be neither. Instead, they released two albums, 1989’s “Animal Logic” and 1991’s “Animal Logic II,” focused on smart, confident pop, deep grooves, and Holland’s soaring vocals.

The group was inextricably linked to Copeland’s Police history, having originally signed to his brother and Police manager Miles Copeland’s revered I.R.S. Records. In fact, Animal Logic’s first album cover was originally conceived for a Police greatest hits album.

The debut record resulted in a hit single in the US, Canada, and UK titled “Spy in the House of Love.” Further key singles included “As Soon As the Sun Goes Down” and “Rose Colored Glasses.” The group went on a single world tour in 1989, in addition to performing on Late Night with David Letterman, The Tonight Show, and on MTV.

The group broke up shortly after the release of “Animal Logic II” due to Clarke and Copeland’s prolific soundtrack and solo work commitments. Copeland and Clarke would also go on to reform their most famous groups, with Police and Return to Forever reunions in subsequent years. Holland transitioned into a successful solo career, resulting in six solo albums, including 2020’s “Fine, Thank You!” which featured Copeland on four tracks.

All three stayed in touch across the decades. The trio first rekindled their working relationship in 2013 when they joined forces to perform as part of Copeland’s Sacred Grove YouTube series.

Between 2013 and 2022, the band shared ideas and files, resulting in the two new tracks, “Can You Tell Me” and “Ordinary,” which capture the quintessential, timeless Animal Logic approach.

“Can You Tell Me” combines classic West Coast songwriting, American folk-rock influences, and Clarke and Copeland’s rhythmic signatures. It explores the need for people to move on instead of wallowing in misery when faced with untenable circumstances. The track also features Howard Levy on harmonica, from Bela Fleck and the Flecktones.

“Ordinary” is a kinetic, upbeat rocker with lyrics focusing on the myriad upheavals the world is facing and trying to keep one’s head together despite it all. It includes sophisticated vocal harmonies, addictive hooks, and would have been very much at home on Animal Logic’s debut record.

Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club Features NEA Jazz Master & Legendary Saxophonist, Composer & Bandleader CHARLES LLOYD and his Acclaimed Trio on Thursday November 10

Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club Features NEA Jazz Master & Legendary Saxophonist, Composer & Bandleader Charles Lloyd and his Acclaimed Trio on Thursday November 10 at 7:30 P.M. Charles Lloyd is the 2021 Downbeat Critic's Poll "Saxophonist of the Year" and his group won the 2021 Downbeat Critic's Poll "Jazz Group of the Year."

NEA Jazz Master & Legendary Saxophonist Charles Lloyd, now in his eighth decade, has never sounded better. The depth of his sound reflects a lifetime of experience. His concerts and recordings are events of pristine beauty and elegance, full of intensely felt emotion and passion that touches deep inside the heart. This is not entertainment, but the powerful uncorrupted expression of beauty through music.

Charles Lloyd was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on March 15, 1938 and was given his first saxophone at the age of 9. He was riveted to 1940's radio broadcasts by Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Billie Holiday and Duke Ellington. As a teenager Lloyd played jazz with saxophonist George Coleman and was a sideman for blues greats Johnny Ace, Bobby Blue Bland, Howlin' Wolf and B.B. King.

Classical music also exerted a strong pull on the young Lloyd. In 1956 he left Memphis for Los Angeles to earn a degree in music at USC where he studied with Halsey Stevens, a foremost Bartok authority. While his days were spent in academia, Lloyd spent nights getting educated on the job in L.A.'s jazz clubs, playing with Ornette Coleman, Billy Higgins, Scott La Faro, Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, Eric Dolphy, Bobby Hutcherson and other leading west coast jazz artists. He also was a member of the Gerald Wilson big band.

In 1960, Lloyd was invited to become music director of Chico Hamilton's group when Dolphy left to join Charles Mingus's band. The Hungarian guitarist Gabor Szabo and bassist Albert "Sparky" Stinson soon joined Lloyd in the band. Lloyd joined the Cannonball Adderley Sextet in 1964, and performed alongside Nat Adderley, Joe Zawinul, Sam Jones and Louis Hayes.

In 1964, Lloyd signed with CBS Records and began to record as a leader. His Columbia recordings, 'Discovery' (1964), and 'Of Course, Of Course' (1965), featured sidemen including Roy Haynes and Tony Williams on drums, Richard Davis and Ron Carter on bass, Gabor Szabo on guitar and Don Friedman on piano, and led to his being voted Downbeat Magazine's "New Star."

In 1965, Lloyd formed his own quartet, a brilliant ensemble that introduced the jazz world to the talents of pianist Keith Jarrett, drummer Jack DeJohnette and bassist Cecil McBee. Their first release together was a studio recording, 'Dream Weaver', followed by 'Forest Flower: Live at Monterey' (1966). 'Forest Flower' made history as one of the first jazz recordings to sell a million copies, and the album's firsts continued as it became a stunning crossover success that appealed to popular mass market audiences and gained heavy airplay on FM radio.

The Charles Lloyd Quartet was the first jazz group to appear at the famed Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco and other rock palaces and shared billing with Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Cream, the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane. In 1967, Charles Lloyd was voted "Jazz Artist of the Year" by Downbeat Magazine, and the Quartet was invited to tour the world.

At the height of his career in 1970, Lloyd disbanded the quartet and dropped from sight, withdrawing to pursue an inner journey in Big Sur, the wild haven that had previously attracted other artists and seekers including Robinson Jeffers, Langston Hughes, Henry Miller, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Jack Kerouac, Jean Varda and Jamie DeAngulo. Despite recording several albums during the 1970s and occasionally appearing as a sideman with various rock groups, he practically disappeared from the jazz scene. During the 1970s Lloyd played extensively with The Beach Boys both on their studio recordings and as a member of their touring band.

It wasn't until 1981 that Lloyd moved to break a decade of silence in the jazz world when a remarkable 18-year-old French pianist, Michel Petrucciani, arrived in Big Sur. Lloyd was compelled to help introduce this gifted artist to the world. This led to U.S., European and Japanese tours in 1982 and 1983 with Petrucciani on piano, Palle Danielsson on bass and drummer Son Ship Theus. British jazz critic Brian Case called Lloyd's return "one of the events of the 1980s."

Lloyd made his first recording for ECM Records, 'Fish Out of Water' in 1989. More than thirty years later he is still with the label, and still in search of the "sound" and the truth. From 1989, Lloyd toured actively and recorded for the ECM label. Noteworthy albums include 'Canto', 'Voice In The Night', 'The Water Is Wide', featuring Brad Mehldau, John Abercrombie, Larry Grenadier and Billy Higgins, 'Lift Every Voice', (featuring Geri Allen), and the live 'Rabo de Nube' with Jason Moran, Reuben Rogers and Eric Harland. 'Rabo de Nube', captured "live" at its inception, was voted #1 recording for the 2008 Jazz Times Reader's and Critic's Poll. 'Mirror' (2010) has already been called a "Charles Lloyd classic."

At 84, Lloyd remains a vital and creative force in the world of music and arts.

New Music Releases: Webster Lewis, Lee Fields, The Shapeshifters, Sun Ra Arkestra

Webster Lewis – Give Me Some Emotion – The Epic Anthology 1976-1981

For the first time on CD and LP, an anthology celebrating the work of composer, arranger, producer and pianist Webster Lewis from his time at Epic Records. The era of 1976-1981 is one of polished, luxurious jazz funk and soul, defined by Webster across his four albums at Epic supported by an array of guest musicians, lush string sections and often uncredited singers. This collection contains the artist’s signature tracks “Barbara Ann”, “Give Me Some Emotion”, “El Bobo” and recently uncovered gems from the vaults “Reach Out”, “Boston” and “Japanese Umbrella”. The CD features an exclusive essay written by Will Fox with unique insights from the legendary DJ Patrick Forge. The recently discovered recordings appear on vinyl for the first time on the LP edition.

Lee Fields – Sentimental Fool 

In early 2022, Lee reunited with Daptone Records and producer Gabriel Roth to record Sentimental Fool, a deep, blues-tinged, wholly-conceived soul album. From his first line to his final plaintive lyric, the beauty, power, and raw humanity of Leeʼs voice is on full display here; the culmination of an astounding career that has seemed to defy gravity, rising to only greater and greater heights. It was ever since the 1960’s, when he was a teenager in North Carolina sweating it out on juke joint stages, crumpled dollars hailing at his feet. It continues now that the living legend is in his late sixties, ushering in the most successful and fruitful period of his career. Like any living legend worth their salt, Fields has suffered despair, obscurity, defeat. Although he now tours stages around the world, and although he helped fellow soul legends like Sharon Jones (who was once Fields’ backup singer) and Charles Bradley (whom Fields took on his first tour) get their first break, he did not always have this position. There were years—they were known as “the 1980’s”—when Fields nearly gave up. His success these days, then has a bittersweet tinge: His dear friends Bradley and Jones have both passed, leaving Fields to outlive them and carry their legacy forth. With all these years, and all this life, comes a sort of divine wisdom, and Fields has it in spades. “I am a sinner, just like everybody else,” he says gravely. He is no “holier—than—thou guy,” he adds. He just believes in people’s ability to love and be loved, and he understands that music is the divine bridge to these places.

The Shapeshifters – Let Loose

From an aspiring b-boy to working with luminaries Billy Porter, Joss Stone, Kimberly Davis and Teni Tinks, The Shapeshifters, Simon Marlin announces the release of his brand-new studio album “Let Loose”. Wrapped in a defining optimistic mood and colourful palette, “Let Loose” plays with the friction between musical persona and influence, delivering a masterclass in Simon’s flourishing depth of integrity as a producer and admiration to those that exert their enduring influence upon him. “I’m a facilitator of talent. I’m blessed that over the years I’ve managed to put a team of people together – as a producer, that’s what I do, very much in the old school sense like a Quincy Jones or Gamble & Huff, they’re the guys I try to emulate – and make something magic out of nothing, but do it in a contemporary way. That’s what really floats my boat, and that’s what this whole project is about.” Simon Marlin – The Shapeshifters. Across the latest and long-awaited studio album “Let Loose” The Shapeshifters pledge rhythmic allegiance to the golden era disco records and their spellbinding qualities; embracing the tension often found between tradition and future to craft a euphoric, certifiable body of work presented to the devoted audience he deserves. The Shapeshifters exemplify a scene in rude health one that is now switching on an ever-younger fan base, and with Marlin being the beating heart of it it’s easy to see why The Shapeshifters are more in demand in the clubs than ever. The twelve-track album is illuminated with vocal collaborations including the recently released and debut collaboration with the Grammy, Tony and Emmy Award-winning Billy Porter. Layers of rushing strings, flares of brass and hedonistic grooves provide refreshing dancefloor power dynamics and deliver a liberating, triumphant and inherently uplifting record. Taking an impeccably smooth course through disco-infused house, The Shapeshifters continue the rich relationship with Glitterbox and its record label; one that has yielded instant classics that epitomise the label’s ethos for preserving disco’s mission to uplift and empower.

Sun Ra Arkestra - Living Sky 

Really fantastic work from the continuing version of Sun Ra's Arkestra led by Marshall Allen – and an album of rich sophistication that definitely shows the mature version of the group really finding their own sense of voice and spirit! There's a laidback take to the music that partly recalls some of the modes that the Arkestra had in their earlier days, when they were exploring some exotica currents mixed with more avant jazz inclinations – although the expression of the sound here is more focused and majestic, with slight string touches blending in with instrumentation of a more jazz-based mode – handled by Marshall Allen on alto and kora, Knoel Scott on tenor and baritone, Michael Ray and Cecil Brooks on trumpets, Dave Davis on trombone, Farid Barron on piano, Dave Hotep on guitar, and Tara Middleton on some mighty nice flute and violin. There's a richness to the sound that comes from all the other players involved in the proceedings – and titles include "Day Of The Living Sky", "Firefly", "Wish Upon A Star", "Chopin", "Marshall's Groove", and "Somebody Else's Idea". ~ Dusty Groove

New Music Releases: Grachan Moncur III, Andrew Hill, Harold Vick, Bobby Hutcherson

Grachan Moncur III - Evolution LP (Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series)

Though he first appeared on Herbie Hancock’s 1963 album My Point of View, trombonist Grachan Moncur III’s first true Blue Note introduction would come on two albums by saxophonist Jackie McLean that were recorded later that year: One Step Beyond and Destination… Out! These two great inside-out sessions presented a spacious new sound that moved fluidly between avant-garde and post-bop territory with McLean featuring Moncur’s singular compositions. Several months later Moncur returned to Van Gelder Studio to record his own remarkable debut album Evolution, which remains a marvel of the Blue Note catalog. For the date the trombonist assembled an exceptional ensemble that returned several musicians including McLean, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, and drummer Tony Williams, with the addition of Lee Morgan on trumpet and Bob Cranshaw on bass. The band delivers dynamic performances of four expansive original pieces by Moncur: “Air Raid,” “Evolution,” “The Coaster,” and “Monk In Wonderland.” This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is stereo, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

Andrew Hill - Point of Departure LP (Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series)

In Andrew Hill, Alfred Lion believed he had found another pianist and composer who had as unique and important a voice as Thelonious Monk. Hill debuted on Blue Note in 1963 with a staggering burst of creativity that produced four classic albums—Black Fire, Smoke Stack, Judgment!, and his masterpiece Point of Departure—over a period of just five months. Recorded in March 1964, Point of Departure expanded Hill’s palette with a 6-piece ensemble of diverse players that included the remarkable frontline of Eric Dolphy on alto saxophone, bass clarinet, and flute, Joe Henderson on tenor saxophone, and Kenny Dorham on trumpet, along with Richard Davis on bass and Tony Williams on drums. The robust sextet delivered thrilling performances of Hill’s extraordinary compositions including “Refuge,” “New Monastery,” “Flight 19,” and “Dedication.” This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is stereo, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

Harold Vick - Steppin' Out (Blue Note Tone Poet Series)

Tenor saxophonist Harold Vick was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina and played with R&B bands coming up before working as a sideman with soul jazz organ greats including Jack McDuff and Big John Patton. Vick made his first Blue Note appearance in April 1963 on Patton’s Along Came John, and a month later Alfred Lion brought the saxophonist back into the studio to record his own debut as a leader, the underrated soul jazz gem Steppin’ Out. For the session Vick assembled the same band with Patton on organ, Grant Green on guitar, Ben Dixon on drums, and added Blue Mitchell on trumpet. The record finds its groove from the very first soul drenched notes of the opener “Our Miss Brooks” and stays firmly in the pocket throughout this 6-song set including the hard-charging “Trimmed In Blue,” a deeply felt rendition of the ballad “Laura,” the swaggering minor blues “Vicksville,” and the buoyant title track which closes the album. 

Bobby Hutcherson - Stick Up (Blue Note Tone Poet Series)

Vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson had a profound influence over the sound of Blue Note Records in the 1960s, with his distinctive vibes elevating a wide range of all-time classics from Grant Green Idle Moments to Eric Dolphy Out To Lunch. His fifth Blue Note session as a leader, 1966’s album Stick-Up! found Hutcherson in the company of a new band line-up with Joe Henderson on tenor saxophone, McCoy Tyner on piano, Herbie Lewis on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. The versatile quintet covers a vast expanse of post-bop territory on this excellent six-song set which opens with a spirited romp through Ornette Coleman’s “Una Muy Bonita.” Five Hutcherson originals follow including the hard driving “8/4 Beat,” the dreamy ballad “Summer Nights,” and the expansive “Verse.”

 

Here It Is: A Tribute To Leonard Cohen

“Leonard Cohen had been a friend since 1982 or so, and in the last 15 years of his life, he became a close friend,” says producer Larry Klein. “He was possibly the wisest and funniest friend that I had, and someone that I enjoyed, immensely, in every way. After he passed away, I found myself frequently covering his songs with other artists that I was working with. One reason, of course, is that the songs are so good—in a certain way, Leonard is the best pop songwriter ever—but the other reason was that it helped keep him in the air around me.”

So Klein decided to assemble an album’s worth of Cohen songs, matching an extraordinary line-up of guest vocalists from different genres with an equally impressive group of jazz-based musicians—or, as he puts it, “a group of the most prescient and forward-looking musicians in the jazz world.” The resulting collection, Here It Is: A Tribute to Leonard Cohen, is ultimately reminiscent of the concept that guided his production of Herbie Hancock’s 2007 album River: The Joni Letters, which won the GRAMMY Award for Album of the Year (and on which one of the featured singers was, in fact, Leonard Cohen).

Bringing in artists such as Norah Jones, Peter Gabriel, Gregory Porter, Sarah McLachlan, Luciana Souza, James Taylor, Iggy Pop, Mavis Staples, David Gray, and Nathaniel Rateli­ff to collaborate with the core band— guitarist Bill Frisell, saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, pianist Kevin Hays, bassist Scott Colley, and drummer Nate Smith with additional contributions from Greg Leisz on pedal steel guitar and Larry Goldings on organ—Klein set out to create a more “conversational” musical setting for Cohen’s lyrics. “What I was endeavoring to do was to not get in the way of the poetry,” he says, “because that was something that bothered Leonard about a lot of the covers that were done of his music, and even with his own versions of the songs. So I was approaching it with the musicians in a way that hopefully served as more of an underscore, more cinematically, and not something that would obscure or in any way take attention away from the poems.”

The album’s 12 tracks offer a stunning range of Cohen’s compositions, with songs drawn from his beloved 1967 debut Songs of Leonard Cohen (“Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye”) all the way up to selections from his final album, You Want It Darker, released just days before his death in 2016. The set covers some of his best-known classics (“Suzanne,” “Famous Blue Raincoat”) and less familiar deep cuts, all given new life through thoughtful and unexpected arrangements and performances. To add to the challenge, the album was recorded during lockdown, with voices laid down in studios from England to Chicago, Canada to Miami.

The ambitious project is just the latest achievement in Klein’s remarkable career. The producer/musician/songwriter/composer is a four-time GRAMMY winner and ten-time nominee. He has produced albums including Turbulent Indigo by Joni Mitchell and Tracy Chapman’s Our Bright Future; played bass with greats from Freddie Hubbard and Wayne Shorter to Don Henley and Lindsay Buckingham, and written songs with such giants as Warren Zevon and Bonnie Raitt.

In assembling the line-up for Here It Is, Klein went to some singers with song suggestions, while others offered ideas of their own. “One of the most important things in the process is to find songs that the singers are passionately attached to,” he says. He points to Gabriel’s performance of the album’s title track—a relatively obscure selection from Cohen’s 2001 Ten New Songs album—as an especially satisfying combination.

“When I sent the song to him, he just glommed on to it,” says Klein, noting that Gabriel is someone with whom he has toured and recorded. “We immediately agreed that the approach would need to be very, very restrained, and what he did with it vocally was exactly what I had thought would suit interpreting the song—singing it as softly as humanly possible, almost like he’s speaking it into the listener’s ear.”

Of course, though the primary intent was to serve Cohen’s magnificent lyrics, Klein’s take on the material also inevitably highlights the songwriter’s often overlooked musicality. (“When people talk about Leonard,” Bob Dylan once said, “they fail to mention his melodies, which to me, along with his lyrics, are his greatest genius.”)

“I always loved the simplicity of his musical approach,” Klein says. “The songs were in a way naive, or at least they gave the sense of a naivety. Leonard had a great sense of humor, and at times, his way of approaching his songs had a certain kind of perverse humor to it. I felt like there was some territory to be explored by looking at the songs through a looking glass, with that kind of skewed and almost humorous aspect to it.”

The melodic power of Cohen’s work comes out most strikingly in two instrumental recordings on Here It Is—“Avalanche,” led by Wilkins, and “Bird on the Wire,” featuring Frisell. “I love the intensity in the way ‘Avalanche’ turned out,” says Klein. “The lack of virtuosic jazz musicianship suited the lyric and puts it across in a way that feels appropriate. ‘Bird on the Wire’ felt like something that had to be on the record, and I had considered a number of different ideas, but nothing came together that felt right. Bill has such a beautiful, understated lyricism to his playing that just having him interpret that simple melody would be something touching. I feel like we got at something special with that.”

Perhaps not surprisingly, the hardest song for Klein to cast was “Hallelujah,” Cohen’s best-known composition, which has become nothing less than a global anthem—its story was even the subject of both a recent book and a documentary. What’s left to do with a modern standard that has been recorded for hundreds of different renditions? “I thought about having a poet reciting above a track or in combination with one other instrument or something,” says Klein. “But in talking to Sarah McLachlan, I just sensed something. There was a passion there and a hunger to sing the song. She sang it as if her life depended on it, and there’s an elegant commitment to the song that that I think is lacking in a lot of the versions that I’ve heard.”

Klein didn’t always speak to the album’s contributors about what exactly Leonard Cohen meant to them, but he felt their reverence for this master of his form. “I think they all share my feeling that in the realm that Leonard was working in, he was the man, he was the guy, and that he got at something that was so powerful and elegantly ironic,” he says. “I got a sense of profound kindred respect and admiration from all of them.

“It was an immensely gratifying experience to recontextualize these poems, and shine a different light on them,” he continues. “I hope that this musical language that we developed together, the context that we put these things in, makes the songs connect with people in a new way.” ~ Blue Note

NORAH JONES RELEASES I DREAM OF CHRISTMAS (DELUXE)

Norah Jones has released I Dream Of Christmas (Deluxe), a newly expanded 24-track edition of the singer, songwriter, and pianist’s beloved 2021 holiday album, a delightful and comforting collection of timeless seasonal favorites and affecting originals. The Deluxe edition features 11 additional songs including bonus tracks and live performances, as well as a brand-new studio recording of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.” I Dream Of Christmas (Deluxe) is out now on 2-LP black, gold, or red vinyl, CD, and digital formats.

“When I was trying to figure out which direction to take, the original songs started popping in my head,” Norah explained. “They were all about trying to find the joys of Christmas, catching that spark, that feeling of love and inclusion that I was longing for during the rest of the year. Then there are all the classics that have that special nostalgia that can hit you no matter who or where you are in life. It was hard to narrow down, but I picked favorite classics that I knew I could make my own.”

The album’s release last year found Norah performing songs including her original “Christmas Calling (Jolly Jones),” the Chipmunks’ “Christmas Don’t Be Late,” and Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” everywhere from Rockefeller Center to the White House and Disneyland to the top of the Empire State Building. In fact, five of the additional tracks included on the Deluxe edition were taken from that remarkable live performance atop the iconic New York City skyscraper where Norah was joined by bassist Gus Seyffert, drummer Brian Blade, and vocalist Sasha Dobson.

The original studio album was produced by Leon Michels and features an excellent cast of musicians including Blade on drums, Tony Scherr and Nick Movshon on bass, Russ Pahl on pedal steel guitar, Marika Hughes on cello, Dave Guy on trumpet, Raymond Mason on trombone, and Michels on saxophone, flute, percussion, and more.

The track listing for I Dream Of Christmas (Deluxe) is as follows:

• Christmas Calling (Jolly Jones)
• Christmas Don’t Be Late
• Christmas Glow
• White Christmas
• Christmastime
• Blue Christmas
• It’s Only Christmas Once A Year
• You’re Not Alone
• Winter Wonderland
• A Holiday With You
• Run Rudolph Run
• Christmas Time Is Here
• What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?
• Last Month Of the Year
• I’ll Be Home For Christmas
• The Christmas Waltz
• O Holy Night
• I Dream Of Christmas
• Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
• Christmas in My Soul / Christmastime (Live From The Empire State Building)
• Run Rudolph Run (Live From The Empire State Building)
• Blue Christmas (Live From The Empire State Building)
• You’re Not Alone (Live From The Empire State Building)
• Christmas Calling (Jolly Jones) (Live From The Empire State Building)

~ Blue Note

Bill Frisell | "Four"

Bill Frisell has released “Holiday,” a playful new track from the acclaimed guitarist’s forthcoming album Four, a stunning meditation on loss, renewal, and friendships that was produced by Lee Townsend and comes out November 11. The album convenes a new line-up of musical friends, independent spirits, and like minds with Gerald Clayton on piano, Johnathan Blake on drums, and longtime collaborator Greg Tardy on saxophone, clarinet, and bass clarinet.

The album’s first single “Waltz for Hal Willner” was a poignant tribute to Frisell’s dear friend, but Four also transmits joy, exuberance, and hope. A quirky, syncopated gesture, and feature for Blake, “Holiday” presents a compelling example of the album’s through line. “It’s just a few notes in the melody,” says Frisell. “There are these little signposts that we can hit together, but it’s pretty minimal information. It’s a structure — a jungle gym that we’re all climbing around.”

During the lockdown, like so many prolific artists, Frisell turned inward. “It was traumatic not to be with people,” he says, “so I picked up my guitar, and my guitar saved me.” For those months, he wrote stacks of melodies and compositional ideas. By the time he scheduled Four’s recording sessions, he’d amassed piles of notebooks filled with fragmented music. Laying little more than a sketch of information before his fellow artists, Frisell encouraged a kind of spontaneous, cooperative orchestration. “Everyone had the information, but it was super open as far as who plays what when,” he says. “Without a bass, it was a little scary, but I wasn’t thinking so much about the instruments. It’s always more about the chemical reaction that’s going to happen.”

Four is available for pre-order now on vinyl, CD, and digital formats. ~ Blue Note

New Music Releases: JK Group, Designers, JazzPhil, Ivan Grebenschikov

JK Group - Rising

Multi-dimensional future-jazz outfit JK GROUP to release a new EP, 'Rising' on La Sape Records. The brainchild of award-winning saxophonist, Joshua Kelly (30/70 collective, PBS Young Elder of Jazz 2019), the band returns to the label with a follow up EP to the mind-bending 2021 release, 'What’s Real?' Where 'What’s Real?' served as a platform for wild experimentation, 'Rising' returns to a more considered and familiar format for the band, offering up 4 cohesive tracks that are deep in conception and expression, at once original and fresh. Conceived after recording an as yet unreleased body of work written whilst undergoing chemotherapy, 'Rising' celebrates bandleader Josh’s survival and eventual recovery from the intense treatment he received for lymphoma in 2020. The band stays true to their honed format of jazz traditions melding with influences from electronica and beyond. Like the first release, 'The Young Ones', 'Rising' sits comfortably in the crossover of raw, live jazz and electronic dance music, whilst also throwing an unexpected curveball to the listener expanding the palate of the bands sound to a pigment never before heard in their music.

Designers - Designers

Designers are Joachim Florent on double bass, Will Guthrie on drums, Aki Rissanen on piano. This is their debut album together, released by We Jazz Records on 2 Dec. Their music, composed by Joachim Florent, is inspired by geometry and architecture. The music flows as minimalist, postmodern piano trio jazz of the highest calibre, as evidenced by the lead single ‘Moulindjek'. Florent (from Belgium) and Guthrie (from Australia) are based in Nantes, France, and Rissanen (from Finland) also has strong ties to the city. Joachim Florent says: "As a kid I started playing music with the piano and I keep playing it every day, even if pretty poorly, and use it to compose and discover new music. In 2019 I started to write some piano studies that appeared to be pretty geometrical in a way, so I had this idea I could bring some music for the trio that would be inspired by geometry and architecture. In the meantime, I knew that we would improvise as much as possible as Aki and Will are among the most brilliant improvisers I've ever met! So the challenge for me was to write as little as possible but to make the material strong enough to suggest a particular geometric feeling for each tune. I discovered Filip Dujardin's work some ten years ago and I was struck by the power of these impossible architectures looking so familiar and totally surrealist in the meantime. I guess that's how I would love Designers to sound: both familiar and surrealist."

JazzPhil – New Delights

This is a classic jazz quartet of instruments: saxophone, piano, double bass and percussion. My second album, in collaboration with saxophonist Dmitry Semenov, we recorded in the studio under the dome of St. Catherine’s Church on Vasilyevsky Island. The jazz quartet format implies a large space for soloists and opportunities for interaction, and here the musical finds of pianist Ilya Shcheklein and drummer Artyom Teklyuk were clearly manifested. The experience of joint concert playing on St. Petersburg jazz scenes is embodied in this album. Several of my compositions written for the quartet were complemented by interpretations of works by composers from the first half of the 20th century. One of the ideas is the embodiment of musical images by means of acoustic instruments. In search of colors, we followed the traditions of the modern mainstream, but not limited to the stylistics of, for example, hard bop or modal jazz.

Ivan Grebenschikov – Photo of A Changing World

“Photo of A Changing World” is a symbol of the fact that it is impossible to see the movement of time in a static image, unless you turns on the imagination. With the help of imagination, a person connects one old photograph with another and feels the dynamics of time. I tried to convey the feeling of this dynamics in music. This album is like recorded in the last century on an audio cassette, which was lost and found only many years later. The genre of the album cannot be described in one word – Latin American jazz and hard rock, free jazz and free improvisation are mixed here. Each genre is a rung on a spiral staircase that we move from the past to the present.

Pennsylvania-Based The Frost Duo Lead Us To Seduction with'70s/'80s-Influenced "To Be With You"

Sometimes you just want to be taken on an unhurried, mellow journey of seduction, and Scranton, PA-based The Frost Duo deliver with their ‘70s/’80s-influenced smooth-jazz ballad “To Be With You” off their new LP Play Nice – available now.

Singer LeahBeth Evans’ voice slinks and shimmies through the backdrop of warm analog keyboards and velvety jazz guitar as she boldly inquires, “Can you tell me what you’re doing tonight/ Can you tell me what you’re doing next year/ Cuz I need to be with you.” And it’s hard not to melt, and succumb completely to the song’s charms, when she starts to sing about fearlessly taking a leap of faith – “Well, you know I’m not afraid to pursue/ A love greater than imagined and true.”

“To Be With You” is included on the duo’s five-song EP Play Nice, a sonic rollercoaster of emotion. From a lyrical aspect, Play Nice takes the listener not only through the consciousness of the composers LeahBeth Evans and Christian Gratz themselves, but it also introduces us to the friends and acquaintances who have filled Evans’ and Gratz’s  ears with their own experiences of finding love and experiencing loss, anger, and even impending doom from the recent global crisis we’ve all experienced. From a sonic aspect, Play Nice is a celebration of the duo’s love of smooth jazz, traditional compositions, and even rock music. They will be embarking on a small tri-state tour in support of the EP, and dates are as follows:

• October 29, 2022             The Hotel Hershey                      Hershey, PA
• October 30, 2022             Ad Lib inside Hilton Harrisburg   Harrisburg, PA
• November 19, 2022         Crystal Springs Resort                 Hamburg, NJ
• December 3, 2022            Lackawanna Winterfest               Scranton, PA
• December 31, 2022          Skytop Lodge                              Skytop, PA

The Frost Duo consists of multi-instrumentalist and composer Christian Gratz and lead vocalist/songwriter LeahBeth Evans. In 2015, LeahBeth and Christian met through mutual Facebook friends and began corresponding about their love of music. Soon, they began casually dating, and after about a month, Christian invited LeahBeth to sing a few songs at a gig he booked in Dunmore, PA, at an Italian restaurant called Russell’s. After the night was finished, the owner requested that the two perform twice a week for the rest of the summer, and they agreed. After that regular gig, the two lovers decided that the sky was the limit, and that they would continue to make beautiful music together.

Throughout the years, the duo has performed at some prestigious and renowned American venues, including Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, Club Macanudo in New York City, and the Crystal Springs Resort. After years of traveling, The Frost Duo decided that they wanted to dive deeper into their love for smooth jazz, and so they began writing and recording. Since then, they have had recordings land on the iTunes jazz charts and the BDS/Neilson Smooth Jazz “Most Added” listings.

Their new single “To Be With You” is available now.

New Music Releases: Bob Baldwin, Terry Wollman, Eliane Elias, Gyedu-Blay Ambolley

Bob Baldwin - B Positive

Bob Baldwin’s 34th studio offering is a continual stay-at-home event. The 33rd offering was a live record recorded in Elmsford, NY (The live ‘Stay-at-Home Series’). The latest offering, “B Positive” is a road map on how to keep your chin up high. “Having faced near-death family illness, I’m glad I can take away some things that I can share with my listener,” says the native New Yorker Pianist. “Chances are, if I’ve gone through it, so has a lot more people”, says Baldwin. “If you just look at the titles, you’ll clearly see what my intent is…simply don’t lose control of the ship, no matter what goes down”. Here’s Baldwin’s further takes on some of the project below: This record feels more like a rejuvenation of his old projects like “Cool Breeze”, hearkening back to fun and bouncy melodies, with just enough harmonic tension to make the hair on the back of your neck tingle and tickle. In closing, my influences of Herbie, Joe Sample, George Duke, as well as inspirations from the old schoolers of jazz make this a cool listen, in my opinion. The bass flows, drums are solid, Phil Hamilton’s funky stroke on guitar throughout the project push the syncopation to nice head-nodding spaces. Hopefully, another cd for your driving pleasure for sure! We once thank you for taking this musical journey with Bob Baldwin. We hope ‘B Positive’ delivers the healing, soothing and blessings you were hoping to expecting, without even listening, the titles themselves make one’s mood better already. Tell a friend!!”

Terry Wollman - Silver Collection

Extraordinary musician Terry Wollman offers up a 25 year musical retrospective with his album “Silver Collection” which includes this artist’s very best songs since 1988. The album is a blend of smooth jazz, latin-salsa, world beat, and adult contemporary pop… all served up in a single consistent sonic landscape. This spectacular recording features Wollman’s friends Dave Koz, Joe Sample, Mindi Abair, Gerald Albright, Michael McDonald, Keb’ Mo’ and a world-class band. Track Listing: 1. Welcome To Paradise 2. Buddha's Ear 3. Our Love 4. Bimini 5. Dear Dad 6. Buckwheat Sample 7. A Little More Music 8. Survive 9. Brother Q 10. Scorchin' 11. Obrigado 12. Reflections 13. This Day 14. Mandela.

Eliane Elias - Quietude

Hot off her 2022 GRAMMY win for Best Latin Jazz Album, Mirror Mirrorwith Chick Corea and Chucho Valdés, superstar pianist, singer, composer and arranger Eliane Elias returns to her Brazilian bossa nova roots with her forthcoming album Quietude.   A luscious collection showcasing her alluring vocals with her virtuosic instrumental jazz and piano mastery, the recording features songs by such legendary composers as Antonio Carlos Jobim, and Dorival Caymmi along with Dori Caymmi who joins her on vocals for the closing track of the recording. Includes: Você E Eu (You and I); Marina; Bahia Com H (Bahia with H) SÓ Tinha Que Ser Com Você (This Love That I've Found); Olha (Look); Bahia Medley: Saudade Da Bahia/Você JÁ Foi Á; Eu Sambo Mesmo (I Really Samba); Bolinha de Papel (Little Paper Ball); Tim-Tim Por Tim-Tim; and Brigas Nunca Mais (No More Fighting).

Gyedu-Blay Ambolley - Gyedu-Blay Ambolley & High Life Jazz

A really great record from West African 70s legend Gyedu-Blay Ambolley – and a record that definitely offers up plenty of the jazz promised in the title! Back in the day, Ambolley had a style that was much more steeped in funk and soul – but here, the tracks are longer and more spiritual – with really wonderful instrumentation that includes plenty of solos on the tenor pictured on the cover, mixed with plenty of percussion, keyboards, and other great horn work too! There's a richness to the record that maybe makes it the greatest one that Gyedu-Blay has given us in recent years – and titles include great remakes of "Love Supreme", "Footprints", "Round Midnight", and "All Blues" – plus "Yekor Ye A Yeaba", "Enyidado", "Asamansudo Groove", and "Sankumagye Love Life". ~ Dusty Groove

Merlon Devine | "Stirred"

Gifts. Talents. Blessings. All to serve a specific purpose that serves others. And they are to be utilized fully to fulfill that function. That’s how soul-jazz saxophonist Merlon Devine sees it, using his to write and record contemporary jazz that is church derived. His new upbeat instrumental R&B single “Stirred” goes for playlist adds on October 24.

“I believe everyone has a gift. Every person on earth has something they were given - from God - to help them fulfill their purpose while on earth. There’s a scripture in the Bible that talks about each person ‘stirring’ their gift. In other words, your gift should not collect dust, but each person should make sure they keep their gift sharp and in use. I feel we are most effective and happy when we use the gift we’ve been given,” said Devine about the feel-good song he wrote with producer Matt Godina (Darren Rahn, Julian Vaughn, Nicholas Cole, Lin Rountree).

“Stirred” is the third single from Devine’s eighth album, “Soul Jazz,” which dropped last year. Emoting passion, inspiration and grace, Devine plays saxes and flute on the track. Godina adds keyboards, guitar and programming to the ebullient harmonies. The midtempo groove is anchored by bassist Kevin “Mr. Kevin Jerome” Stancil and drummer Lester Estelle, Jr.

It’s natural for Devine to turn to his faith when it comes to composing music. Born in Little Rock, Arkansas to parents who pastored a church, the household was always filled with music, primarily gospel. While Devine’s nine siblings could all sing, he found his voice via saxophone. Church informed his spirituality, but discovering contemporary jazz informed his music. From Jesus and the Apostles to Groover Washington, Jr., Najee, George Howard, Kirk Whalum and other saxophone greats, Devine found a creative path for his artistic expression to incorporate both pillars in his life.  

“My love for contemporary jazz grew as I grew as a player. Listening to these saxophonists, mixed with the soulful and heartfelt riffs I was hearing at church, shaped me into what I am today. When I started writing songs, it was contemporary jazz. It evolved into a wonderful opportunity for me to provide churches with instrumental music in the style of contemporary jazz during sacred worship gatherings. I consider myself a contemporary jazz ambassador to the church,” said Devine who lives with his family just outside of Washington, DC.

As “Stirred” arrives, hopefully motivating listeners to put their gift to work, Devine continues his musical ministry this month at the following concert dates:

• October 22 / Grand Opening Event /  Waldorf, MD
• October 23 / Crossover Church /  Hyattsville, MD
• October 30 / First Baptist Church / N. Brentwood, MD

Joe Louis Walker | "Weight Of The World"

On February 17th, Forty Below Records will release Weight of the World, the new album by award-winning Blues and Roots musician Joe Louis Walker. The first single and title track will be premiered by American Blues Scene on Wednesday, October 19th, and released to all digital streaming platforms on Friday, October 21st.

A Blues Hall of Fame inductee and six-time Blues Music Award winner, NPR described Walker as "a legendary boundary-pushing icon of modern blues." His 2015 release, Everyone Wants a Piece, was nominated for the Contemporary Blues Grammy. In addition, Walker dueted with B.B. King on his Grammy Award-winning Blues Summit album and played guitar on James Cotton's Grammy-winning album Deep in the Blues. 

Recorded with Producer Eric Corne (John Mayall, Walter Trout, Sugaray Rayford), Weight of the World showcases the depth of Walker's influences and the prowess with which he commands different genres; be it Soul, "The Weight of the World," "Is it a Matter of Time," "Don't Walk Out That Door," Gospel, "Hello, it's the Blues," Funk, "Count Your Chickens," New Orleans 2nd line, "Waking Up the Dead," Indie Blues "Root Down," Rock N Roll, "Blue Mirror," Contemporary Blues, "Bed of Roses," or Jazz, "You Got Me Whipped." 

It's a compelling album that displays a master at the height of his game. They say Roots musicians age like fine wine, which certainly rings true with Walker. Weight of the World is a resounding statement and quite possibly the beginning of the most remarkable chapter of a storied career.  

Recorded just outside of Woodstock, NY, with musicians Scott Milici (Keys), John Medeiros Jr.(Drums), Geoff Murfitt (Bass), Eddie Jackson (Bongos), Marc Pender (Trumpet), David Ralicke (Saxophone), Eric Gorfain (Violins), Gia Ciambotti (Background Vocals) and Producer Eric Corne (Background Vocals, Guitar), who also engineered and mixed the album. Walker and Corne split writing duties on the album. 

The title track is a metaphor for the times we live in. "Out here at the edge of the world / It's starting to curl / We've upset the big shareholder." As the pandemic lingers on, the cost of doing business rises, and global temperatures soar, musicians like Walker have felt the impact as much as anyone.  

Another standout track, "Hello, it's the Blues," portrays a virtual conversation between the Blues in the form of a guardian angel and the listener, "I've been here all the time, in your heart and in your mind." The track features a breathtaking string arrangement by Eric Gorfain (Neil Diamond, Roseanne Cash, Dionne Warwick,) a riveting nylon string guitar solo, and moving Gospel-influenced vocals with Gia Ciambotti (Joe Walsh, Bruce Springsteen.)

Walker's "Is it a Matter of Time" and "Don't Walk Out That Door" are classic Stax/Hi Records style songs with beautiful harmonies and punchy horns over Walker's brilliant harmonic changes and deft guitar playing. Corne counters with two sharp-tongued numbers, "Waking Up the Dead" and "Count Your Chickens." The former is driven by a propulsive 2nd Line meets Bo Diddley groove with a snaking slide guitar seemingly representing the song's main character."  It's masterfully written," says Walker. The latter is a fox in the henhouse tale of warning with a smoking funk arrangement by Walker and his sneaky great band. 

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

A brilliantly lyrical guitarist, soulful singer, and prolific songwriter, Walker has toured extensively throughout his career, performing at some of the world's most renowned music festivals, such as Glastonbury and Montreux, as well as on national television, with appearances on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Don Imus Show and Later With Jools Holland in the UK, earning him a legion of dedicated fans along the way.  

Walker has recorded with Ike Turner, Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, and Steve Cropper, opened for Muddy Waters and Thelonious Monk, hung out with Jimi Hendrix, Freddie King, Mississippi Fred McDowell, and was a close friend and roommate of Mike Bloomfield. 

Walker's 1986 debut album Cold Is the Night on HighTone announced his arrival in stunning fashion, and his subsequent output for Verve, Alligator, HighTone, and others only served to further establish Walker as one of today's leading bluesmen. The New York Times raved, "Walker is a singer with a Cadillac of a voice. His guitar solos are fast, wiry, and incisive, moaning with bluesy despair." Rolling Stone called him "ferocious."  

A myriad of organizations have recognized Joe for his achievements. He's a member of the Blues Hall of Fame, was named a USA Fellow by United States Artists, won multiple W.C. Handy Awards and Blues Music Awards, has been a recipient of San Francisco's prestigious Bammy Awards, and was also awarded a lifetime achievement award from the Mississippi Valley Blues Society. 

Referred to as "A musician's musician," Walker has earned his rightful place among the pantheon of legendary electric blues singer/guitarist/songwriters like B.B. King, Buddy Guy, and Robert Cray. Herbie Hancock called Walker "a national treasure." Chick Corea glibly referred to him as "The Chick Corea of Blues," and Aretha Franklin called him "The Bluesman." 

There is no shortage of praise; Blues Revue calls Walker "one of contemporary blues' most dynamic and innovative. musicians release consistently exciting, soulful, heartfelt, and spellbinding music." Living Blues stated, "His fretwork is indelibly stamped with his trademark blend of emotional heat and impeccable precision. Even at his most flamboyant, Walker sounds like he's playing ideas, not just notes." 

Walker plans to tour extensively to support the new record, effusing, "The band and I are chomping at the bit to play these songs live!"

Samantha Fierke | "Mirage"

So much of jazz singer-songwriter Samantha Fierke’s world was not as it appeared as they worked on their debut album in the midst of the pandemic. Still a teenager at the time, Fierke had not yet been diagnosed as autistic and was “finding their place in the world through their queer identity,” all while fear, economic uncertainty and civil unrest gripped the US. Writing poignantly about the contrasting feelings of hope and despair amidst chaos and turmoil, Fierke composed the resonant lyrics to the arresting “Mirage,” the title track to the acoustic jazz vocal album produced by Loyd Warden receiving its national release on November 18.  

When they began crafting “Mirage” in 2020, Fierke had deferred their first year at Berklee College of Music and also had to push back recording the album due to pandemic restrictions. The delay afforded Fierke’s music time to mature, songs that explore the pain they endured while masking their autism in an abusive relationship; fantasizing romantically about a woman; express the rage and power of their generation in response to the politics of our times; the pain and anger of betrayal; and emerging from darkness with hopeful anticipation.

As restrictions eased last year, Fierke entered bassist Mickey Jamieson’s home studio in Columbia, Missouri where they recorded live accompanied by a trio comprised of Jamieson, keyboardist Samuel Luetkemeyer, and Warden on drums and percussion.

Taking stunning command of the mic to sing and scat like a seasoned and skilled veteran, the eight songs on “Mirage” pour from the twenty-year-old singer’s being rife with raw emotion, intimacy, intensity and brazen authenticity. Despite difficult and deeply personal subject matters, Fierke shares their poetic narratives while peeling back the protective layers. Their voice never waivers, exhibiting astonishing beauty, poise, strength and grace amidst the embers of heartache and glimmering rays of optimism. Working with melodies and rhythms constructed from jazz, fusion, global folk, funk and sophisticated pop, sonically the tracks on “Mirage” are artfully assembled, sparsely rendered tapestries that provide dramatic shading, sensual grooves and moody melodic enhancements illuminating Fierke’s tales.

“Mirage” opens with a tribute to Chick Corea on the astutely rhythmic “Kick It Loose.”

“Chick died as I was still writing it and immediately, I knew it was for him.  It is a song for the musician’s soul, to remind us that we are not simply a commodity to be bought and sold. Music is not between audience and performer, but among a communal group,” said Fierke who released a five-song EP of standards in 2018 titled “Sam.”

While there’s a touch of whimsy on the swinging “I Remember Butterflies,” the lyric reveals lost innocence.     

“My childhood was outdoorsy and playful, thanks to my mom and her garden. I recently noticed that the swarms of butterflies that used to greet me every summer are now down to one or two pairs of wings at a time. It is a mourning.”

Jamieson literally got down on his hands and knees to record the sound of water droplets to provide interesting percussive texturization on “Shower Song.”

Fierke explains, “Sometimes life - or some sour soul - hits you like a brick with so much force that all you can do is let the water wash it away until you are well again. I wrote this to process the pain and anger handed to me by someone I called a friend.”

The journey of self-discovery became very real for Fierke a little over a year ago when they finally received their autism diagnosis. Five years earlier, they began writing the lyrics to “Color Me,” even without knowing what they were fully about.

“They were the heartbroken words from a young me drowning to change myself, mask myself, in desperation that the abuse I was receiving in a relationship would stop. The song is not as cheery as it seems and that is precisely the point,” Fierke said about the track that was issued last spring as a “teaser single.”

“My autism was harder to identify at first due to my ADHD, which can sometimes make the behaviors look different via opposite extremes competing for exposure. When I received my diagnosis, all the sudden my life and all my experiences made sense. Putting the pieces together was extremely liberating in some ways, but it also revealed a lot of deep pain and heartache that I’ve experienced due to being autistic. And it hurt to realize that if I had supports in place all along, I may have lived a very different life and avoided a lot of trauma.”

The haunting and unsettling “Mirage” is the session’s centerpiece. The track varies in tone and tempo, propelling the experience along.

“When I began writing ‘Mirage,’ it became clear how heavy it was. This song wrote itself and I simply uncovered it. I cannot explain it properly other than to describe it as desperation and perseverance. In the process, I saw my songwriting solidify into something that felt more authentic and sacred to me than anything I had ever written. Though the words were simply revealing themselves to me without much literal understanding on my part, I knew what it was about. I knew the feeling of the mirage. It is a reflection on the desperation to hold onto hope. It is a timeless feeling but writing it during this momentary ‘falling apart of our world’ felt so heavy. The song speaks of a journey through a desert that seems to never end even as the lyrics beg to keep going. It is simultaneous hope and despair. Once I felt how this song lingered in my stomach, I began to build an album around it — some old and some new tunes, but all my own songs. Even still, I’m connecting the dots that my intuition already put together, linking all the songs together back to the center of ‘Mirage.’”  

The amorous “Sweet Girl” finds Fierke daydreaming about a queer romance.

“It was a peaceful image in my mind come to life through song written with a heart full of love by a young queer soul. It is a fantasy of peaceful feminine domesticity. Nothing close to what I was told of domesticity. It is a painting of queer love with no distinct names or faces,” said Fierke who identifies as bisexual and gender queer.

“When People Speak” has roots dating back to 2016, which Fierke wrote in response to the emerging political climate of the time that continues to this day. 

“This song grew and festered in me, built out of rage and power with hope for what could be. It is the overwhelm our generation is far too used to. It wasn’t intrinsically political, but it was definitely a reflection on what it felt like in the world at the time. Still feels similar. It’s just four chords, but it’s an immensely complex and intimate song. It takes so much trust to play it the way it’s meant to be,” said Fierke.

The set closes with “Smile Again,” a lilting groove anchored by Luetkemeyer’s nimble keys. Conceived while vacationing on a goat farm with her lover, Fierke wrote as he slept.

“My partner deals with a lot of really intense mental health issues and sometimes my role is to see the hope that he’s struggling to find. The song is more about celebrating the inevitability of happiness. It’s not explicitly for or about him, but he’s the biggest influence, especially in the later verses,” Fierke shared.

During the “Mirage” recording and arranging process, Fierke received guidance from Grammy nominated jazz vocalists Gretchen Parlato, Jane Monheit and Oleta Adams as well as Grammy winner Taylor Eigsti, mentors and role models who have taken an interest in the promising singer-songwriter. Last June, Fierke finally shared the album in two cities: their hometown (Columbia, MO) and Boston where they’re now a college sophomore. Another Grammy winner, Brother Paul Brown (The Waterboys), got hold of the collection and submitted the album for Grammy consideration in five categories (Jazz Vocal Album, Producer of the Year, Non-Classical, Album of the Year; Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals; and Best New Artist). Encouraged by the buzz and critical acclaim in Fierke’s two homebases that was growing organically, a plan came together to take “Mirage” national.

Two days after “Mirage” drops, Fierke will perform at The Jungle near Boston on November 20.