Finnish fusion bassist Jukka Haavisto releases debut album | "Relections"

Electric bass player Jukka Haavisto's first self-titled album 'Reflections' was just released on November 25th 2022. Recorded live at Latosound in Tampere (Finland), the album brings back thoughts to the best fusion jazz records of the 70's. Catchy compositions, skillful playing and the energy of young virtuosos create an irresistible combination for all fans of electric jazz. 

Haavisto is known as a master of fretless bass, a composer of jazz fusion and world music fusion, and a skilled improviser. He describes Reflections as a guitar-driven album that pays tribute to the best fusion jazz records of the 1970s.

Jukka Haavisto is a virtuoso bass player who has done extensive work both in the studio and as a live musician. In addition to his own band he plays and performs with many different artists and ensembles. Among these, e.g. Jukka Haavisto Trio, Bossapoika, Beat, Bass & Bone, Heiskanen Bayatz Baharatz, VENHA and Helsinki Headnod Convention.

Haavisto studied at the University of Stavanger, Norway, where he graduated with a master's degree in music performance and jazz improvisation in 2016. Haavisto's band is completed by Johannes Granroth, the recent winner of the Jazzkukko festival's guitar competition, Severi Sorjonen, one of the best jazz fusion drummers of his generation, and the young keyboard wizard Vili Itäpelto.

Haavisto himself is an Aguilar Amplification, Soundtools Oy and Maruszczyk Instruments artist. The resume of his previous collaborators covers a wide range of musicians and composers such as Stein Inge Brækhus, Jouni Järvelä, Mikko Hassinen, Marouf Majidi, Mika Säily, Jarno E.J. Tikka, Marc Bernstein, Jussu Pöyhönen, Robin Methlie and Johannes Ulveraker.

New Music Releases: Al Lloyd & His Orchestra, Christian McBride, The New Regency Orchestra, Made In Wood

Al Lloyd & His Orchestra - A Moment In Time

Drawing on influences from across the musical spectrum including Thom Bell, Burt Bacharach, Quincy Jones, and Henry Mancini, UK composer, producer and conductor Al Lloyd presents “A Moment In Time,” featuring full orchestral strings, horns, and percussion alongside contemporary rhythm section and vocalists. The four tracks of original compositions includes the Philly Soul-infused ‘Yesteryear Feels Like Yesterday’; the Burt Bacharach-inspired ‘You Don’t Have to Prove I’m a Fool,’ featuring vocals from Emma Watson; ‘I Count the Tears’ with an emphasis on Orchestra’s horn section; and the atmospheric piano and string piece, ‘Rain On Piccadilly Circus’. Available through SoulMusic Records-Digital, distributed worldwide by Warner X on all major digital platforms.

Christian McBride - The Movement Revisited: A Musical Portrait of Four Icons

Christian McBride’s magnum opus available on vinyl for the first time. The Movement Revisited: A Musical Portrait of Four Icons is culminating documentation of a richly inspired piece – lauding four key figures of the Civil Rights Movement: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Rosa Parks and Muhammad Ali. Marshaling his ever-sharpening skills as a composer, arranger, conductor, musician and lyricist, Christian McBride has created a historically and culturally illuminating five-part suite for an 18-piece big band, chorus and narrators that places the motivating forces as well as the goals of the Civil Rights Movement within a powerfully relevant artistic context. It is a one-from-the-heart project McBride was, apparently, destined to undertake. This recording of The Movement Revisited marks the addition of a fifth movement, “Apotheosis,” which acknowledges the election of Barack Obama as the first African American President of the United States.

The New Regency Orchestra - Mambo Rama

The New Regency Orchestra’s first offering is here.Two versions of the classic Tito Puente track ‘Mambo Rama’ originally composed and recorded by the timbale maestro Tito Puente in 1952 in New York City. The tune was re-recorded under Eliane Correa’s direction back in July 2022 at the Fish Factory with an eight-piece rhythm section and a storming twelve-piece horn section that includes trombonist Rosie Turton, saxophonist Tamar Osborn (Collocutor) & trumpeter Nick Walters (Ruby Rushton, Riot Jazz) alongside Latin music protagonists, Ernesto Marichales (timbales - Waaju, Jordan Rakei), bongo player Flavio Correa, and bass player Jimmy Martinez. The alternate version imagined by Lex Blondin was produced at the Total Refreshment Centre. This version brings a more modern take on this classic as drums and synth bass elements are brought into the mix, taking a hip hop and dub approach to layering and sound treatement. Almost a remix of the original, the track features instrumentalist and composer Momoko Watanabe Gill (Tirzah, Coby Sey, An Alien Called Harmony) on drums and Korg MS-10 , Alex Burke (Forest Law, Esa, Haha Sounds) on various percussions with contributions from Capitol K and Kissu.

Made In Wood - Simplicity

Made in Wood create a unique instrumental tale and the duo has something to tell you through their music.. something that they convey through their simple and elegant music expression, where there is time and space for the musical tale, time for immersion and to those listeners, who are joining the meditative and dreamy tales. Made in Wood invite you into an intimate and present musical space, in which the simple means of action create intense atmospheres.The new album called "Simplicity" by the Danish/Swedish duo, Made in Wood,  was released Friday, 25 November. The lead single for the album release is the track called "Freedom", but there are also two previous singles, as stated here (both have music videos made).

Alex Bird & Ewan Farncombe | "Songwriter"

From the heady feeling of being the only one awake at night, to the brooding at the end of a relationship, to the coziness of a rainy day, to the slithering sexiness of a night out on the town, Songwriter is a jazz album of deliciously dark tones and stormy sonic landscapes. It’s the third album – available now – on which vocalist Alex Bird and pianist Ewen Farncombe combine their singular talents, and it reflects deeply on the full spectrum of human mood and the act of songwriting itself.

Songwriter introduces itself with “This Song Is Ours,” meandering in between sunlight and melancholy – “nightbirds that sing” – and featuring introspective interludes juxtaposed with cascading piano. Conversely, “I’ve Seen The Sun” is marching and jaunty, tinkling with hopeful optimism. The following track, “The Soul I’ve Left Behind” is dark and bereft, brooding on a relationship that’s come to an end and lingering on all the ways the narrator has fallen short as both a person and a lover. The gothic theme continues with “Nighttime Grooves,” slinky and sexy with Bird’s voice shimmying through the dark-horse galloping of piano as he challenges, “Can you feel them, those nighttime grooves?”

“Symphony of Love” alternates between lighthearted confessions of love, and the stormier frustrations of being led on by someone who’s not all in  – “So I am waiting and you, you’re contemplating.” Next, “Raindrops” meditates on gray moods and indoor days with beautiful “drizzling” piano, mimicking the sounds of rain in all its iterations and concluding with audio of an actual storm. “If You’re Not Laughing” is a bluesy, full-of-attitude ode to keeping your chin up, staying realistically positive, and maintaining a sense of humor – “If you’re not laughin’, you’re cryin’, my friend.”

“What’s Inside” gives us floating, gauzy vocals and piano sections that beat like the wings of a bird. It’s a particularly dramatic track, sonically cinematic and lyrically dark and poetic, delving into the unknowable psyche of another human being. “I’ll Go Where You Lead” is velvety and exploratory, as lover pledges trust and devotion. “Tiny Warbler,” meanwhile, is a song of nature’s innocence and the beauty of steadfast love. The album concludes with “Songwriter,” another bluesy number that turns the album inward on itself, an honest pulling back of the curtain on the sometimes-punishing grind of writing songs – “Wake up and write that song.”

Bird and Farncombe have taken centre stage on the Canadian jazz scene. Creating timeless and heartfelt originals for a modern audience, this talented duo has spent the past four years producing an alchemy that’s completely unique. 2022 brought JUNO nominations, reviews from around the world, and even the crafting of the single "The Sweetest Moments,” which became known as Canada's “Thanksgiving Anthem” (it was broadcast across the country with a national ad campaign and interviews on CBC, CityTV, and many other news outlets). Bird and Farncombe are making themselves known. 

Smooth Jazz Guitarist and Composer Jeremy Sean Hector Releases Highly Anticipated Sophomore Album "Light After Dark"

Sometimes when we’ve been through hard times, music can guide us to a brighter future. Mostly composed with the post-pandemic future in mind, Caribbean-Canadian smooth jazz guitarist Jeremy Sean Hector returns with his sophomore album Light After Dark that explores many different human emotions attached to the anticipation of brighter days ahead.

The highly anticipated album Light After Dark follows the theme of new beginnings with songs titled “Joy of Life,” “Guiding Light,” and “Redemption” that build on Hector’s soothing jazz melodies from his debut album Ascension, released in 2019, that has accumulated more than 4 million streams since its release.

“I feel like in some way we can all relate to these emotions as we navigate these times. The beauty of music for me is being able to capture the sound of moments as they are felt,” says Hector.

Light After Dark’s lead single “Night Flight” began the journey into our evocative world after dark with its soulful and scintillating trip into the atmosphere. Hector’s soothing, melodically, and technically masterful guitar riffs mixed with the pulsating bass, gently propelling drums, and vibe-setting keyboards set the tone of the album.

“‘Night Flight’ is the kind of song that seems to come alive at night,” says Hector. “With an air of wonder and anticipation, this song just wants to take you on a pleasant trip.”

Helping Hector create the soundtrack to a fresh start is Eddie Bullen on keyboards, Otios Williams on drums, and bassist Eric Lyons. Other musicians who contributed to the album are bassist guitarists Mo Pleasure, Andrew Stewart and Keane Jules, drummers Larnell Lewis and William Laurencin, Isaac Agerman and Michael Arthurs on saxophone, Alexis Baros on trumpet, and Meiron Kelly on trombone.

The new album Light After Dark, released on November 18 via Thunder Dome Sounds through Slammin Media, is Hector’s second time partnering with Billboard charting producer and pianist Eddie Bullen. With all the compositions written by Hector, the new album is a collection of musical ideas that came to life for the artists over the course of our global pandemic.

Born in 1990, Hector’s musical journey began on the Caribbean Island of Grenada after classical piano lessons at age 7. He studied guitar with his father for a few years before earning a master’s degree in psychology. But his desire to be a musical artist shined through and he has since had the pleasure of sharing the stage with world renowned artists such as Arturo Tappin, Eddie Bullen, Ronald “boo” Hinkson, Larnell Lewis, and the British Collective.

With a hugely successful debut album behind him, Hector’s highly anticipated new album Light After Dark was released on November 18, 2022, via Thunder Dome Sounds through Slammin Media.

Jeff Goldblum & The Midred Snitzer Orchestra's Holiday Single: The Christmas Waltz

Christmas is a time for good cheer and tidings of comfort and joy, and that is exactly what Jeff Goldblum brings with his new Christmas single, ‘The Christmas Waltz’. Recorded with his long-time band, The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, the heartwarming jazz standard is released globally today on Decca Records.

‘The Christmas Waltz’ marks a welcome return to music for the Hollywood icon – not that he ever stopped, having continued to gig with The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra whenever he had the opportunity. 

Here, we are treated to the actor’s incredibly distinctive voice, which is perfectly suited to this high-spirited, festive number, as he takes to the mic for lead vocals.

Jeff Goldblum, who celebrated turning 70 just last month, says: “Our purpose is a mighty one. We rejoice in life for its own sake. Was I wearing a hat?”

The song was originally written for Frank Sinatra, who requested a new Christmas song and recorded it for the first time in 1954. As ever, Goldblum brings his inimitable wit and charm, the band bring their dazzling jazz licks, and together they deliver the feel and the swing.

The new single is not the only thing launching today. Fans will be thrilled to know that Jeff is entering the world of TikTok, revealing his first post, in true Goldblumian style.

With his two No.1 jazz albums – his debut, ‘The Capitol Studios Sessions’ in 2018 and follow up ‘I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This’ in 2019 – Jeff was simply doing what he has always done (having performed with his jazz band for the past 30 years), but these albums enabled everyone to enjoy it. Goldblum’s televised live set at Glastonbury 2019 was hailed as one of the festival’s most iconic moments of all time, and he not only received glowing reviews and many stars from the critics, but was described in The Times as performing an important service by "reminding us that jazz should be allowed to be fun".

Ragan Whiteside | "This Christmas"

Contemporary flute-playing soul-jazz phenomenon Ragan Whiteside caps off a banner year with the No. 1 top-charting single, “Thrill Ride” on five Jazz Radio charts. This year has been incredible for Whiteside, her current single, “Thrill Ride” peaked at No. 1 on five charts including the Billboard Smooth Jazz (14 weeks), Mediabase, the Smooth Jazz Network, Radiowave and Groove Jazz Music radio charts (15 weeks) on the chart, making it her second No. 1 single as a solo artist, which is also featured on her sixth career album of the same title. 

The classically trained flutist also re-issues her first-holiday single, “This Christmas.” Her warm and witty version of the perennial seasonal classic, originally penned and performed by the late Donny Hathaway, is available on the Randis Music label, through all digital download and streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Deezer, and more. 

“After nearly three years of the global pandemic, I have so many things in my life to be grateful for including family, and a career that continued to flourish during these tough times,” says Whiteside. “Christmas is a time for family and to spread more love and joy throughout the world. It’s also my favorite holiday and ‘This Christmas’ is one of my all-time favorite holiday songs.”

Just off a win for Best Contemporary Artist for the inaugural Jazz Music Awards, Whiteside was also recently nominated for her fourth Smooth Jazz Network’s Best Artist (2019 – 2022). Winners will be announced on Thursday, December 15 via the online magazine, Beats.

She continues to wow audiences during a series of summer and fall concerts in between hosting her No. 1 weekend show, “Saturday with Ragan Whiteside” on Atlanta’s NPR affiliate station, Jazz 91.9 WCLK.

Additionally, Whiteside appears on Kim Scott’s 2022 remake of Ashford & Simpson’s 1978 mega-hit, “I’m Every Woman” along with Althea Rene, which also peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Smooth Jazz chart. 

Her streak of seven previous Billboard Top 10 singles included “JJ’s Strut,” “Reminiscing,” “Jam It,” “Early Arrival,” “See You At The Get Down,” and “Off the Cuff,” also featured on her current album, and her Billboard No. 1 single, “Corey’s Bop.”

 

Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club Features 9x-GRAMMY® Award Nominated Jazz Vocalist TIERNEY SUTTON

Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club Features 9x-GRAMMY® Award Nominated Jazz Vocalist Tierney Sutton on Saturday January 14, 2023 at 7 P.M. Known for her impeccable voice and imaginative treatments of The Great American Songbook, Tierney Sutton is heralded for her abilities as both a jazz storyteller and her ability to use her voice as an instrument.

Sutton's 14 recordings as leader have addressed themes such as materialism ("Desire" in 2009), the pursuit of happiness ("On The Other Side" in 2007), as well as paying tribute to the music of Bill Evans ("Blue In Green" in 2002), Frank Sinatra ("Dancing In The Dark" in 2004), and pop icon Sting ("The Sting Variations" in 2016). Her 2013 Joni Mitchell tribute album, "After Blue" featured keyboardist Larry Goldings, drummer Peter Erskine, jazz vocal legend Al Jarreau, and NEA Jazz Master flautist Hubert Laws.

In recent years, Sutton has headlined at The Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center and Jazz at Lincoln Center. She can also be heard on film and television soundtracks including that of the Academy Award-Nominated film The Cooler as well as on television commercials (BMW, Green Giant, Yoplait Yogurt, Coke).

In May 2016, Sutton was approached by legendary Director Clint Eastwood. The original score to his box-office smash, Sully, was created by Tierney Sutton Band pianist, Christian Jacob, The Tierney Sutton Band and Clint Eastwood. The end-title song "Flying Home" features music by Eastwood and lyrics by Tierney Sutton and JB Eckl. It is performed by Tierney Sutton and The Tierney Sutton Band.

Sutton's most recent GRAMMY® Award Nomination ("Best Jazz Vocal Album") is for her 2019 album "Screenplay." The album spans the first century of American film music with an ambitious 19-track collection of songs in five parts. The arrangements and Sutton's readings of the songs are pure Tierney Sutton Band at the height of its powers, subtly illuminating and revolutionizing each classic, as well as introducing a few lesser-known gems. "With 'ScreenPlay' this long-running group adopts and adapts material from the silver screen, creating high art that's spellbinding and eminently listenable," stated Downbeat Magazine in their album review. 

Tony Williams | "Play Or Die"

It’s 1980 and Tony Williams, perhaps best known for his seven-year stint with Miles Davis’ 1960s Quintet, before creating fusion with his impossibly brilliant 1969 album, Emergency! followed six years later by the equally influential Believe It, is somewhere in Europe on tour with a band of his choosing that is slowly disintegrating. 

The previous year, Williams recorded the genre-smashing The Joy of Flying that featured a star-studded cast which included a concert on July 27, 1978, at Japan's Denen Coliseum, billed as “The Tony Williams All Stars.” The album planted yet another jewel in the crown of Williams, who as a luminous 17-year-old drummer had set the jazz world ablaze with Miles Davis’s Quintet and his own Blue Note debut albums, Life Time (1964) and Spring (1966). 

Recordings with Eric Dolphy (Out to Lunch), Jackie McLean (One Step Beyond) and Grachan Moncur III (Evolution) further established the precociousness and power of a young Bostonian who would become one of the greatest and most influential jazz drummers of all time. With fusion, Williams originated a controversial genre that never met its creator’s own demanding expectations, and for whom it took years to receive due credit. 

But in Europe, on tour with a band that included keyboard player Tom Grant (on recommendation from Jeff Lorber), another keyboardist Bruce Harris and guitarist Todd Carver, the mercurial Williams is in a funk and the band’s sell by date is long past due. 

“I suggested we get bassist/keyboardist Patrick O’Hearn,” recalled Grant, who toured with Williams for two years in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. “We played with Patrick and Tony just killed it. As soon as he started playing, it was like we’d taken off in a spaceship. The power of his playing, it was so physically incredible.” 

On May 30 and 31 of 1980, Williams, Grant and O’Hearn, who had previously worked with Frank Zappa and would co-found the new wave band Missing Persons the following year, entered Tonstudio Zuckerfabrik, Stuttgart (Germany), to record five original tracks that comprised Play or Die, a vinyl album limited to 500 pressings that probably never saw the light of day beyond its German borders. Recorded in two days and mixed in the studio with co-producer Peter Schnyder, the trio was soon back on the road, the album lost to history. Williams died from a heart attack following a gall bladder surgery in 1997. 

In cooperation with Williams’ widow, Colleen Williams, and produced by M.I.G. Music GmbH, Play or Die finally receives the release it deserved in 1980, not long before the direction of jazz changed, not long before the direction of jazz changed to follow Young Lions’ fashion, and Williams led his great band that recorded six albums for Blue Note. 

With digital remastering performed by Johannes Scheibenreif, a renown mastering engineer from Vienna, Play or Die is reborn as a jazz power trio onslaught, with touches of rock grandeur and new wave fashion shaped by Williams, a time-traveling pioneer whose voice speaks today as forever fresh, innovative, and restless. The original master, not the re-release, was cut at SST Brüggemann in Frankfurt in 1980.  

Ominous synthesizer and mushroom cloud-leveling ride cymbal open “The Big Man,” which recalls nothing less than Weather Report’s Mr. Gone, Williams’ pulse adorned with blazing single-stroke power rolls and measured explosions, over which Grant wails analog synth notes and Williams injects cathartic tom flurry bombs and tactful crash cymbal bruises. Williams swings a steady, low-down beat like hipsters skulking to unknown destinations. A broad wide view over a featureless plain, Mad Max envisioning the future.

A flurry of tightly tuned, non-resonant, undulating tom tom rolls and clashing bass drum and cymbal crashes introduce “Beach Ball Tango,” which quickly takes off in pure Missing Persons-like new wave fashion. Williams’ power and grandeur drive the 18th-note pummeling fury over which Grant and O’Hearn layer serene melodies and soaring solos. Williams takes over at midpoint, detonating his kit with controlled, metric-modulating/samba fury, Grant responding with salvos of energetic Rhodes piano improvisation. This is take-no-prisoners jazz-rock suffused with delicate melodies and manic solos. “BBT” ends with Williams’ unaccompanied drum solo, leaving nothing in its wake but scorched earth.

“Jam Tune” sounds like a breather, Williams driving his floor tom with mounted toms, a gleeful, time-changing rhythmic tattoo with angular bass and subliminal synths. Williams massages his rims on “Para Oriente,” slashing his hi-hats as Grant punctuates first his Rhodes, then his analog synths. The track eventually goes swing, Williams’ majesty on the ride cymbal sheer beauty. “Para Oriente” is a breathy, textural moment that wouldn’t be out of place on Jeff Beck’s classic Wired, Billy Cobham’s Spectrum or Mahavishnu Orchestra’s Trident Sessions. If Play or Die had received wider distribution and press, it would be a classic on par with those historical fusion phantasms.

The album closes with “There Comes a Time,” which swings lightly and delicately but savagely and directly, as only Williams could. His vocal here adds a bittersweet note to Play or Die, a phrase that encompassed Williams’ life. Williams’ music was like his life, played for all it was worth.

Southern Avenue | "That's All"

Memphis-based GRAMMY nominee Southern Avenue have released their rendition of the 1983 Genesis classic, “That’s All.” The now 6-piece blues-soul act lays out their funky, groovy imprint of the track that will be come out via Color Red, record label and music platform founded by Eddie Roberts of The New Mastersounds. The group will be celebrating the release with a performance at Salvage Station in Asheville, North Carolina on the day of its release on 11/11.

While on tour in the UK, Israeli-born guitarist, Ori Naftaly played his bandmates some of his favorite music from UK-based artists that he grew up on. He went deep playing the first three Genesis albums back-to-back and the band went further down the rabbit hole by watching a documentary on the group. Vocalist Tierinii Jackson had always been a fan of Phil Collins and when it came time for the band to vet songs to cover, Nalfaty suggested an 80s-era Genesis hit. Southern Avenue takes the already groovy pop-rock song and gives it a soulful spin with controlled command in the studio that translates into an electrifying banger at live shows driven by luscious vocal harmonies and vintage organ and guitar tones.

Honoring the southern soul legacy with a 21st-century sensibility, the band shows no signs of slowing down after their 2020 GRAMMY nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album. The group maintains an active tour schedule around the globe, earning slots at coveted festivals including Bonaroo and Austin City Limits, and supporting prominent acts such as Sheryl Crow, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Jason Mraz, Los Lobos, JJ Grey & Mofro, and more.

The band will close out 2022 with a four-show run in The Netherlands in early December which culminates with a headlining performance at the Basel Blues Festival in Switzerland on December 20th. Southern Avenue will return to the US with a pair of New Years weekend shows in Colorado at Schmiggity’s (Steamboat Springs) on December 29th and Center for the Arts Crested Butte on December 31st (a themed event, dubbed “A Funkified Formal Affair”). Southern Avenue has already announced several major international events in 2023 including the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise and the Bluesfest Byron Bay (Australia).

Memphis-based, GRAMMY®-nominated Southern Avenue inked their first record deal with legendary Stax Records in 2016. The first Memphis band signed to Stax in over 40 years, their self-titled debut was an immediate phenomenon, reaching #1 on iTunes’ “Top Blues Albums” chart before being honored with the 2018 Blues Music Award for “Best Emerging Artist Album.” 2019’s KEEP ON proved an even greater success, debuting among the top 5 on Billboard’s “Top Blues Albums” chart amidst worldwide critical acclaim, ultimately earning Southern Avenue their first GRAMMY® Award nomination, for “Best Contemporary Blues Album”.  Southern Avenue’s 2021 full-length LP, Be The Love You Want, was released on Renew Records/BMG. Produced by Multi-GRAMMY® winner Steve Berlin (Los Lobos, Susan Tedeschi, Deer Tick), American Songwriter called it “A potent soul force!” and No Depression proclaimed it’s “one of the most listenable, and danceable, records of the year.” 

In addition to the early success that the band has had with their recordings, they have also found a home on the road. The band has performed in 15 countries on three continents and averages over 150 shows in a typical year, making the group one of the most sought-after live performance experiences.  Their high-energy shows have captivated audiences around the globe, making this eclectic group a must-see at venues and festivals alike. 

 

New Music Releases: RJ Leblanc, Dan McCarthy, Saku Mantere, Eva Cassidy

RJ LeBlanc – Heyday

Bassist RJ LeBlanc has been a fixture of the Montreal jazz scene for 15 years, and is showing no signs of letting up anytime soon. In fact, he’s more active than ever, working with a wide variety of artists in a number of different styles, including the free jazz of Jean-Michel Pilc, the polished smooth jazz of Carol Welsman, and extensive work on the road with iconic Montreal rock bands like The Dears. Since 2005, LeBlanc has played on over 50 studio recordings, and has toured throughout Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas. A dedicated educator, LeBlanc is currently on faculty at McGill University. Heyday – LeBlanc’s 4th album as a leader – is his most ambitious project yet. The album represents a tapestry of the influences that have shaped his compositional process and improvisational style, from Nirvana to Caetano Veloso, and from Skrillex to Weather Report, with modern jazz as the underlying thread throughout. The eight songs featured on this album are a study in contrasts: Childlike and Into the Sun are reminiscent of the 90’s rock LeBlanc was raised on, while Saturnales is an ode to Weather Report co-leader Joe Zawinul; Casa Perdida and Heyday are features for vocalist Erika Angell, who brings to these pieces a vocal quality reminiscent of the great Patti Smith; Flamme and EZ Drummer are groove-based pieces that hint at R&B and dubstep; Chanson pour Marguerite is directly inspired by the ballad artistry of Paul Simon. 

Dan McCarthy’s Songs of the Doomed: Some Jaded Atavistic Freakout

Dan McCarthy’s Songs of the Doomed: Some Jaded, Atavistic Freakout is an album of music inspired by the writing of political journalist and general dingbat Hunter S. Thompson. A lot of the jangled madness that makes up this band’s repertoire comes from a new compositional style created specifically for this band called the ‘Gonzo Cypher’. The cypher allows you to take a word, phrase, or even paragraph of Hunter’s writing, submit it to the cypher, and what you are left with is a weird and likely obnoxious ‘tone row’, which is then used to compose the music – serial music rules apply. The sound of the band is inspired by the Gary Burton Quintet from the 1970s on ECM Records, which was weird in its own right. It featured Burton on vibes, along with two guitarists (Metheny and Goodrick), bass (Steve Swallow), and drums (Bob Moses). This mess of chordal instruments allows for the creation of thick tapestries of sound, and also allows the band to get weird and intense, not unlike The Grateful Dead or Jimi Hendrix. Perhaps Songs of the Doomed will achieve fame equal to those artists...Or maybe not. But, the uniqueness of this project leads me to believe that audiences everywhere will clammer for more. To quote the Canadian jazz legend Don Thomspon: “(Songs of the Doomed) is killing on every level… I think you’re really onto something. It’s not like anything I’ve heard before.” So grab a pint of whiskey, settle in, and let the vibes (no pun intended) wash over you. Once the initial waves of fear and loathing pass, you’ll probably really dig it. 

Saku Mantere – Upon First Impression

Upon First Impression is Finnish born, Montreal based vocalist Saku Mantere’s debut album. The music was composed and recorded in both Finland and Canada with a cast of some of the finest musicians from both countries. A masterful work about heartbreak and a life divided between two places, it’s an album that needed time for the fermentation process to mature. Through this difficult, split reality, Mantere surrounded himself with dedicated collaborators that held his vision and worked together as a tight-knit family to create a unified, inspired work. The path to making this album has been curvy, laced with unexpected turns and hidden side-roads. In a world that idolizes speed and immediate satisfaction, Mantere moves at his own pace with care and attention to detail. This album benefits greatly from repeated listening and a deep-dive into the lyrical and musical riches it holds. Mantere’s heart – perfectly imperfect – pulses through every note, every word and every sound on this album. He has managed to transform (as many great artists have done before him) a broken love into a work of art, carefully crafted, well thought-out, vibrating with authenticity and vulnerability.

Eva Cassidy & The London Symphony Orchestra - Songbird

Eva Cassidy’s classic Songbird has been given a stunning, spine-tingling makeover. As achingly intimate as the original, now with widescreen grandeur courtesy of the London Symphony Orchestra, the new version offers a fresh take on a song adored around the world. Originally released in 1998, two years after Eva’s tragic death at the age of just 33, the title track from her six-million-selling breakthrough album boasts new arrangements by the classical composer Christopher Willis (The Twilight Saga, X-Men, The Death of Stalin) and vocals beautifully restored and enhanced using newly available A.I. technology (similar processes to those used in last year’s ground-breaking The Beatles: Get Back film and recent Revolver album reissue). The London Symphony Orchestra’s stately, immersive accompaniment elevates a song which became an instant Christmas staple when it appeared in the Richard Curtis blockbuster Love Actually in 2003 to spectacular new heights. Incredibly, Eva sounds as present and hypnotic within the sweeping orchestration as she did on her original acoustic take on the Fleetwood Mac favourite which she made entirely her own. “The wonderful, resonant truth about this song is that Eva is the Songbird, singing naturally from the heart – no ego,” says Christopher Willis. “The goal with the orchestral version was to complement her pure vocal essence with a simple, yet broader instrumental arrangement – a lush musical landscape with Eva's voice at the centre.” Songbird serves as the lead single from I Can Only Be Me, Eva’s landmark new collaborative album with the London Symphony Orchestra, which will be released in February on what would have been the singer’s 60th birthday. It is the latest chapter in a remarkable, posthumous career that has turned Eva into a household name with sales of more than twelve million albums, a plethora of famous fans including Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Adele and Songbird’s writer Christine McVie and seen her songs feature in countless films and TV shows.

Matt Cooper | "A New Beginning"

Matt Cooper, recording again as Outside, makes a surprise return following a 20-year creative hiatus to release stunningly beautiful four-track EP ‘A New Beginning’, which comes out today on Dorado Records.

Studio mastermind and prodigiously gifted multi-instrumentalist, writer and arranger Matt Cooper, aka Outside, has been a creative powerhouse from the time he founded Outside in 1993, to now where he has been Musical Director of Incognito and collaborated on the STR4TA project with Incognito’s Bluey and Gilles Peterson as co-writer, producer, and performer on four new tracks from the forthcoming album, including current STR4TA track ‘Lazy Days’ featuring Emma-Jean Thackray.

Outside releases this four-track EP of cinematic, jazz electronica, ahead of forthcoming sixth studio album ‘Almost Out’ which will be released in Spring 2023. ‘A New Beginning’ sees Cooper playing his first instrument, drums, as well as keyboards and most of the instruments. The music was recorded and completed between the 2020 lockdown and creatively assisted and co-produced with Valentina Pahor, in London and Portugal.

The new EP juxtaposes the percussive and the melancholy to hauntingly beautiful effect, drawing on 20 years in the company of soul and jazz legends, and adding a dash of Philip Glass and Steve Reich minimalism. Writing and playing solo, as he first did in 1993, Cooper has come full circle to showcase his unique musical sensibility once again as Outside.

The result is a work of clean lines and pared-down elegance across four tracks. Opening track ‘A New Beginning’ sees slick downtempo beats and keys meet Lo-Fi vibes and basslines with seamless touches of jazz instrumentation. ‘Searching, Finding’ is a minimalist glitchy, electronic soundscape that acts as a backdrop to the hauntingly emotive slide guitar of Francesco Sales and Cooper’s lush keys. ‘Navigating’ is a cinematic feast for the ears, with a deeply yearning, searching groove, and ‘Flying High’ closes the EP and is a soaring, exhilarating, yet minimal sonic spectacle that sees Cooper play his finest syncopated and off-beat drums to take the listener home.

‘I’ve evolved the mixture of modern and retro,’ Cooper says. ‘That’s the Outside sound.’

Matt Cooper was a key figure in the music revolution that rebooted jazz with digital beats in 1990s London. Recorded under the name Outside, his 1993 debut album ‘Almost In’ marked him out when it was released on experimental label Dorado — a contemporary of Talkin’ Loud, Acid Jazz, Mo’Wax and Ninja Tune that was founded by Ollie Buckwell and celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. ‘I wanted to make quality records that would stand the test of time,’ says Buckwell. ‘and I was blown away by Matt’s talent.’          

Mixmag pronounced its second album ‘The Rough & the Smooth’ "the best record of the last two years", Outside released three further albums: ‘Discoveries’ (1997), ‘Suspicious’ (1998) and ‘Out of the Dark’ (2001). Cooper joined cult UK soul act Incognito as musical director and went onto work as MD and instrumentalist for legendary artists including: Chaka Khan; Jocelyn Brown; Whitney Houston; David Sylvian; Paul Weller; Terry Callier; Leon Ware; Marlene Shaw; Freddie Hubbard, and Ronnie Laws.

Jakob Bro / Joe Lovano | "Once Around the Room - A Tribute to Paul Motian"

A deeply felt and utterly original homage to a common inspiration and beloved colleague – the late, great drummer-composer Paul Motian – Once Around the Room is also the first album co-led by the Danish guitarist Jakob Bro and US saxophonist Joe Lovano. Bro conceived of a special band for the project, convening what Lovano calls “a mini orchestra” for the Copenhagen studio session, which took place 10 years to the date since Motian died in 2011, at age 80. The textured septet features three bassists (Larry Grenadier and Thomas Morgan each on double-bass, plus Anders Christensen on bass guitar) and two drummers (Joey Baron and Jorge Rossy), all players who have worked together in various combinations as well as recorded for the label in recent years. Along with two Motian-influenced originals each by Bro and Lovano, Once Around the Room includes a group improvisation and an especially dynamic rendition of a vintage Motian composition: “Drum Music.” The previous ECM work by both of the co-leaders has been widely praised, with The New Yorker declaring that “Lovano can render a musical phrase into a poem”, and DownBeat noting that “Bro’s guitar is luminous… his music both hypnotic and dramatic.”

Lovano – who toured and recorded in Motian’s peerless trio with guitarist Bill Frisell for three decades (1981-2011) – explains the new album’s title: “Paul would jog most every day around the reservoir in New York City’s Central Park, and he had a tune referencing that ritual called ‘Once Around the Park.’ And for our Copenhagen recording, we were all gathered together in a sort of circular situation in the studio, so it felt like we were going around the room as we played the pieces and took solos.” Musing on what he learned from working so intimately with Motian, Lovano added: “What I think about every time I’m on the bandstand or in the studio is something I really gleaned from Paul: that music should be about deep breathing and close listening. You should lead and follow at the same time, share the space and let the music carry you. It’s not about demonstrating your instrumental virtuosity as much as it’s about the art of improvising, being in the moment and really present with the music. “

Bro, who made his ECM debut on Motian’s Garden of Eden album, says: “What I loved so much about Paul’s music was its aesthetic sensibility, both in the way that he played and the way that he composed. Whether he was playing his own music or standards, it was always clear that it was Paul Motian. The way he put people together and organized his bands was also inspiring. Most personally, the harmonic universe of Paul’s compositions was vital in my search for something individual in my own song writing. Gradually, I moved from my tunes being directly related to Paul’s to where I could connect his influence and ideas to more of a Nordic tone. I started relating to the music of my childhood, whether it was psalms or folk tunes, and began building bridges between the worlds of my various influences. Paul’s inspiration helped lead me to develop my own voice.”

Bro first worked with Lovano in 2009, when the saxophonist joined the guitarist’s trio with Anders Christensen and drummer Jakob Høyer for a three-night stand at the Copenhagen Jazzhouse. “I had been fascinated with Joe for as long as I remember: his sound, his rhythmic feel, his sense of expression,” Bro explains. “I always hear the deep history of jazz in Joe’s playing. But at the same time, he has his own tone and approach to music. His world of harmony points forward, too.” Lovano returns the compliment, referencing the younger guitarist’s sound – the harmonic shimmers, tolling lines and looped atmospherics. “Jakob is in many ways a great disciple of Bill Frisell, but he has his own vision of music and of life,” the saxophonist says. “He’s not ‘a lead guitar player,’ as such – although he can definitely go there. His thing is more of an orchestral sound, very creative. And he really was instrumental in the conception of this album.”

Lovano’s compositions for Once Around the Room include the twelve-tone, drone-laced piece “As It Should Be” (whose title nods obliquely to “It Should’ve Happened a Long Time Ago,” the classic title track to the Motian/Lovano/Frisell trio’s first album, released by ECM in 1985). That tune, and Lovano’s evocative tribute “For the Love of Paul,” both make excellent use of roiling double drums to heighten the ensemble dynamism; the piece also includes some of Lovano’s most affecting playing on the album, plus a pealing solo by Bro. The guitarist wrote the balladic “Song To An Old Friend” (with Lovano carrying most of the melody), as well as the folk-like “Pause,” where Bro’s intimate playing weaves within the undertow of basses. “Sound Creation,” the group improvisation arranged from an initial idea by the saxophonist, explores the ensemble’s orchestral sound in an atmospheric way, with all the interwoven melodies invented in the moment (and Lovano trading his tenor sax midway to add a line on tarogato, his Eastern European reed instrument).

For the album’s lone Motian composition, “Drum Music,” Baron and Rossy feature both alone and together; the performance also includes one of Bro’s grittiest solos on record, which Lovano matches with a squalling solo of his own. “ ‘Drum Music’ was something of a theme tune for Paul’s trio with me and Bill,” the saxophonist says. “We would usually play it at the end of a set, sometimes just the theme and sometimes leaping off from it. On this record, we really dig into it! It’s a powerful piece of music.”

Reflecting on the session for Once Around the Room, Bro concludes: “Given the number of musicians in the group and everybody’s busy schedule, what are the odds, finally agreeing of on a date that we could all do and then it happens to be same date as Paul left us? It was miraculous that everyone made it to Copenhagen in the era of Covid – Joe flew in from Paris, Larry from London, Thomas from New York, Jorge from Switzerland and Joey from Berlin, joining me and Anders here. It felt almost surreal when we were all gathered and ready to record – and yet there was such a warm and open atmosphere in the studio. We all had a connection with Paul, and it felt like he was in the room with us somehow.”

Once Around The Room was recorded in Copenhagen at The Village Recording studio in November 2021. The album was produced by Manfred Eicher.

Dukes Of Roots and Natiruts | "Try Happy"

Dukes Of Roots is proud to announce the newest single "Try Happy" with Natiruts. The new song, produced by Sean “YoungPow” Diedrick and executive produced by Rod Walkey, was the first written and recorded for the upcoming Dukes Of Roots project. It was later revisited by LionChld to include the Brazilian reggae roots band and Latin GRAMMY nominated, Natiruts. “Try Happy” is an uplifting tune about getting happy! It is the type of song that can lift low spirits, encouraging one to look on the bright side and lean into the happiness and blessings around you. The single is due out December 2 on all streaming platforms via Migration Records x YoungPow Productions.

Dukes Of Roots spent some time in Brazil working with Natiruts on “Try Happy.” Reflecting back, they comment, "Alexandre has been so much fun to work with. He is an incredible talent and such a kind person. We had many laughs on the beach days in Brazil leading up to the recording session. The Natiruts studio and engineers made the recording session easy and professional. We hope to be back again someday soon to do more work together." 

A music video for the single, directed by Kieran Khan, and filmed in Jamaica and Brazil, will be dropped soon as well.  

This is the second single release from the Dukes Of Roots’ forthcoming album due out next year. “Try Happy” follows their cover of the acclaimed song “Pressure Drop.” “Pressure Drop” is a tribute to friendship, roots music and Toots Hibbert, featuring the legendary Tarrus Riley. The live performance video recently premiered with Reggaeville, watch here: https://youtu.be/57nJx3Jco54. 

Although Dukes Of Roots is a new movement, it’s comprised of well-known musicians and artists who’ve come together to celebrate roots reggae music! With Mermans Mosengo on vocals, the Congolese singer has performed all over the world with the arts organization Playing For Change and a variety of other bands. Joined with George “Fully” Fullwood on bass, the Jamaican musician is regarded as one of the most prolific bass players in the scene having worked with greats like Toots Hibbert, Bob Marley, and Peter Tosh - to name a few. Courtney Diedrick on drums is also from Jamaica, and is a Grammy-award winning musician whose credits, like his bandmates, are prolific and include Damian and Stephen Marley, Mick Jagger, Dave Stewart – to name a few. Sean Diedrick on production and keys, is a Grammy-award winning producer from Jamaica who has been producing for legendary artists like Damian Marley, Stephen Marley, Sean Paul, Shaggy and Popcaan for years. And T Rod on guitar also composes and writes lyrics for the band – together they are: Dukes of Roots!

 

Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis - Cookin’ With Jaws and the Queen: The Legendary Prestige Cookbook Albums

Craft Recordings celebrates the centennial of Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis with a brand-new, four-album collection, featuring the tenor saxophonist’s incendiary 1958 Cookbook albums with organist Shirley Scott. Set for release on February 3rd, 2023 in 180-gram vinyl 4-LP, 4-CD, and digital configurations, Cookin’ with Jaws and the Queen: The Legendary Prestige Cookbook Albums compiles four classic soul-jazz albums: Cookbook, Vol. 1, Cookbook, Vol. 2, Cookbook, Vol. 3, and Smokin’, all of which were recorded in stereo by the celebrated engineer, Rudy Van Gelder.

Cookin’ With Jaws and The Queen has been newly remastered from the original analog tapes by the GRAMMY®-winning engineer, Bernie Grundman. Produced by Nick Phillips, the all-analog 4-LP edition, limited to 5,000 copies worldwide, is pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI, while each LP is individually housed in a tip-on jacket, featuring the original Prestige Records album artwork. The 4-CD and digital editions feature three bonus tracks that were recorded in the 1958 sessions but didn’t appear on the original LP releases: “Avalon,” “Willow Weep For Me,” and an alternate take of “But Beautiful.” Rounding out the vinyl and CD packages is a deluxe booklet featuring recording session photos and offering new, in-depth liner notes by jazz journalist Willard Jenkins, who serves as the artistic director for the DC Jazzfest.

When tenor saxophonist Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis and Hammond B-3 organist Shirley Scott entered Rudy Van Gelder’s hallowed Hackensack, NJ studio in 1958, it was clear that something special was about to take place. For roughly three years, Scott and Davis had been at the forefront of the soul-jazz sound, setting the gold standard for the tenor sax/organ combo. At 36, “Lockjaw” (also known as “Jaws”), was already a veteran of the New York City jazz scene, having spent much of the 1940s playing in the bands of Lucky Millinder, Andy Kirk, and Cootie Williams. But the horn player was also a stylistic chameleon, who straddled the line between the classic big band era and the emerging sounds of hard bop.

24-year-old Shirley Scott, meanwhile, was a rising talent from Philadelphia, who stood out as one of the few female musicians in the male-dominated world of jazz. Scott, who would soon become known as the “Queen of the Organ,” formed a creative partnership with Davis in 1955, and made her earliest recordings alongside the horn player. By 1958, they were a well-oiled duo. In his liner notes, Jenkins underscores this magical pairing with a quote from saxophonist James Carter: “Every successful artistic partnership has members that truly work together in simpatico towards a common goal, which in this case is groovin’ and swingin’ their listening audience beyond good health! [Scott] never fails…to provide the perfect underpinning for Lockjaw to either soar above or to dig into to achieve the ultimate goal of a great musical encounter every time. Lockjaw really listens to Shirley and takes his cues particularly on ballads, but she’ll put some gentle, intense fire under him on up tempos and inspire the best out of Lockjaw.” Jenkins adds, “This is classic Black vernacular jazz.”

Accompanying Davis and Scott in the studio was multi-reedist Jerome Richardson, who played the flute, baritone sax, and tenor sax. Bassist George Duvivier and drummer Arthur Edgehill rounded out the talented lineup. The sessions, which took place on June 20, September 12, and December 5, 1958, were captured by a 34-year-old Rudy Van Gelder at his Hackensack studio, while Prestige Records’ Bob Weinstock and Esmond Edwards served as producers.

The repertoire that comprises four albums’ worth of material is a delicious combination of Davis-Scott originals and jazz standards. The Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis Cookbook, Vol. 1, originally released in June 1958, features several highlights, including the bluesy radio hit, “In the Kitchen.” Clocking in at just under 13 minutes, the mid-tempo, Johnny Hodges-penned track offers plenty of time for each musician to showcase their talents. Ballad “But Beautiful,” is another standout track which, Jenkins notes, is bolstered by “Lockjaw’s opulently expressive tone…[and] his beautifully legato, conversational solo.” Scott’s solo, he adds, is “soul personified in the keys.”

The momentum continues with The Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis Cookbook, Vol. 2, released in December 1958, which features interpretations of the Hoagy Carmichael-Mitchell Parish standard, “Stardust,” as well as originals like “Skillet” and opener “The Rev.” The latter piece, as the title conveys, features an expressive, conversational delivery between the musicians, as if between a preacher and his parishioners.

Cookbook, Vol. 3, which dropped in 1960, features such highlights as the George and Ira Gershwin classic, “Strike Up the Band,” the Shirley Scott original “The Goose Hangs High,” and the reflective “My Old Flame,” which Jenkins remarks, “elicits the kind of wistful posture from Jaws that one might expect from the lament of a love lost, befitting its title. Ms. Scott enters as if embodying that lost love’s farewell—‘See ya later, baby.’”

The collection concludes with Smokin’, an album that is also culled from the 1958 sessions but was originally released in 1964. The confident set finds the group jamming on originals like “Smoke This,” “High Fry,” and the self-titled “Jaws,” as well as such classics as Johnny Burke-Arthur Johnston’s “Pennies from Heaven,” Edgar Sampson’s “Blue Lou,” and the George Forrest-Robert Wight tune, “It’s a Blue World.” The latter two tracks, Jenkins notes, exemplify Davis’ unorthodox approach to balladry. “Jaws consistently displays a slightly vigorous attitude towards ballads, rarely actually luxuriating in the moment. His balladic immersion is more that of someone who’s got places to go, people to see, food to cook; nonetheless his reverence for a good ballad is no less than his peers, it’s just that he constantly sounds ready for a more purposeful stroll rather than a casual linger.”

Davis and Scott certainly did have plenty to accomplish, following these phenomenal sessions. The two musicians would continue to collaborate through the end of the decade, recording such albums as Jaws in Orbit, Bacalao (both released in 1959), and Misty (1963). Yet, despite the popularity of their work together, the artists went their separate ways, with Davis moving away entirely from the organ/tenor sound that he and Scott made famous. Scott soon joined forces with her husband, tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, and recorded dozens of sessions as a leader during her lengthy career. Davis, meanwhile, would continue to toe the line between small group soul-jazz and the classic sounds of big bands, working with the likes of Count Basie, Kenny Clarke, Gene Ammons, and Johnny Griffin—with whom he’d record multiple “Tough Tenors” albums. But those five years that Davis and Scott worked together were instrumental in shaping the sound of soul-jazz—and these four delectable albums endure as some of their best work.

The 60th Anniversary of John Lee Hooker’s Burnin’ With Expanded and Remastered Reissues

Craft Recordings celebrates the 60th anniversary of John Lee Hooker’s electrifying blues album, Burnin’, with several special reissues. Set for release on February 24, 2023,the album includes the original recording of Hooker’s highly-influential signature hit, “Boom Boom,” and features members of the legendary Funk Brothers (Motown Records’ celebrated house band).  Newly remastered from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, Burnin’ will be available in several formats. A 180-gram vinyl LP features a stereo mix of the album, as it was first released in 1962, while a tip-on jacket, which replicates Vee-Jay Records’ original designs, rounds out the package. In addition to a wide release on classic black vinyl, fans can also find the album in a variety of limited edition color pressings, including Flame Orange vinyl (via Barnes and Noble), Translucent Red vinyl (via Independent Record Stores), and Fuego Blend vinyl (available exclusively via JohnLeeHooker.com, along with a brand new official T-shirt featuring the iconic album artwork).

Expanded CD and digital editions offer both mono and stereo mixes of the album, plus a previously-unreleased alternate take of the song “Thelma,” captured during Hooker’s November 1961 session. The CD also includes new liner notes by the GRAMMY®-nominated journalist and music historian, Bill Dahl. Digital configurations include standard and hi-res, 192/24 and 96/24. Fans can preview the new Mono mixes with the advance two-track single “Boom Boom (Mono and Stereo)” which is available to stream or download today.

Known fondly as “King of the Boogie,” John Lee Hooker (1917-2001) was one of the most important blues artists of all time, whose work had a significant impact on modern music. Born in Mississippi to a family of sharecroppers, Hooker learned how to play the guitar at a young age, picking up his distinctive technique from his stepfather. In his 20s, he relocated to Detroit, where he spent his days as a janitor in an auto factory and his nights pursuing a career as a musician. He scored his first No.1 R&B hit with one of his earliest recordings, 1948’s “Boogie Chillen,” followed by singles like “Hobo Blues,” “Crawlin’ King Snake,” and “I’m in the Mood,” all of which landed in the R&B Top Ten. But these recordings typically featured a simple set-up: just Hooker alone in the studio, accompanying himself on guitar and keeping the beat with his foot. By the turn of the ‘60s, when Hooker signed to Chicago’s Vee-Jay Records, his sessions began to expand—initially with a second guitarist or a harmonica player (as heard in albums like Travelin’ and The Folklore of John Lee Hooker). Burnin’, however, was a stylistic departure that would not only bring the bluesman a new generation of fans, but would also change the course of his career.

Recorded in just one day in November 1961, Burnin’ paired Hooker with a full, electric band for the first time on record, with six of the most talented musicians of the era—all of whom served as members of Motown Records’ house players. Joining Hooker was keyboardist Joe Hunter, bassist James Jamerson, guitarist Larry Veeder, and drummer Benny Benjamin. A horn section, featuring saxophonist Hank Crosby and baritone saxophonist Andrew “Mike” Terry, added additional textures to the songs. These men, who soon came to be known as the Funk Brothers, would appear on the biggest hits of the decade, backing sessions by the Supremes, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, the Temptations, and Stevie Wonder.

The material that the group covered that day—predominantly originals by Hooker—was also incredibly strong. Among them was “Boom Boom,” considered to be one of the most important songs in recorded music. With its catchy riffs, airtight rhythms, and utterly cool vocals, the song would become Hooker’s signature hit and an instant blues standard. But the recording was an outlier for the bluesman, as Bill Dahl explains in his liner notes. “Hooker had a rare gift for improvising songs in the studio, sometimes incorporating lyrics from other sources and seldom playing anything the same way from one take to the next. It was an impromptu mindset that often left his sidemen in the unenviable position of either sinking or swimming. But he happened to have a song in mind for this date.’” Dahl continues, “The tension between the stop-time vocal passages in ‘Boom Boom’ and the release whenever the band broke into a straight-ahead jumping rhythm was a fresh development in Hooker’s massive songbook. Arrangements this concisely conceived weren’t John Lee’s primary strength, but he was proving surprisingly open to updating his sound more than a decade into his recording career.”

Released as a single by Vee-Jay in the spring of  1962, “Boom Boom” became Hooker’s biggest hit in more than a decade, spending eight weeks on Billboard’s R&B chart and peaking at No.16 by the summer. It was also one of only two songs by the blues star to break the Billboard Hot 100, landing at No.60. 30 years later, in 1992, the timeless song entered the UK pop charts’ Top 20 (thanks to an appearance in a commercial for Lee Jeans). Music critic Charles Shaar Murray, meanwhile, proclaimed it to be “the greatest pop song [Hooker] ever wrote.”

While “Boom Boom,” which opens the record, was the only charting single off Burnin’, the album offers a trove of standout performances and stellar songwriting. Among the highlights is the swinging—and slightly foreboding—“Thelma,” in which Hooker assures his cheating lover that he forgives her. His increasingly frenzied vocals, however, tell another story. Equally charged is the spoken word “Drug Store Woman,” in which the artist tells his woman (in his signature drawl) to stay home, rather than buy beauty products and stockings at the store. The mournful “Blues Before Sunrise,” written by Leroy Carr, finds Hooker delivering a particularly stirring and emotional performance.

On the other end of the spectrum is “Let’s Make It,” a sprightly, passionate tune based on just one single chord. Hunter and Terry shine particularly brightly, as they drive the momentum of the seductive track. Additionally, Dahl calls attention to “Keep Your Hands To Yourself,” arguing that the song is “the most unusual item [on the album], which opens with the unmistakable riff from the Champs’ ‘58 rock and roll instrumental smash ‘Tequila.’ Unlikely though it seems, that repeating riff, seemingly detached from the blues milieu, made a perfect backdrop for Hooker to threaten any would-be suitors crazy enough to romance his lady.”

While Hooker maintained a prolific output during this period, it’s safe to say that Burnin’, released in March 1962, was a coveted record for countless aspiring rock musicians. Across the Atlantic, bands like the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds borrowed heavily from Hooker’s sound, while The Animals scored a hit with their own rendition of “Boom Boom” in 1964. As the decade continued, Hooker’s star only grew. Embraced by the counterculture scene, Hooker regularly shared the stage with many of the biggest folk and rock acts of the day and performed at a number of major festivals. Decades later, “Boom Boom” would be inducted into the GRAMMY® Hall of Fame, the Blues Foundation’s Hall of Fame, and would rank on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s “Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll” list.

Throughout the latter half of the century, Hooker maintained a steady pace of studio work, collaborations, and live shows. At 72, he released the biggest album of his career, The Healer, which earned him his first GRAMMY® Award, and sold more than a million copies. He found continued success with albums like Boom Boom and Chill Out in his final decade. Among his many honors, Hooker was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was celebrated with a GRAMMY® Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000. Hooker was also a recipient of the highly prestigious National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts—the highest honor that can be bestowed upon those in the folk and traditional arts by the US government. Today, Hooker’s legacy lives on through his extensive catalog of recordings, as well as through the many artists whose music he inspired. His work can be heard frequently in films and TV shows, while many of his songs have found a second life through sampling by hip-hop and electronic music’s biggest acts.

New Music Releases: Ezra Collective, Wade C. Long, Houston Person, Ural Thomas & The Pain

Ezra Collective - Where I'm Meant To Be

Ezra Collective are a group who've been burning up the British scene so much in recent years, they've barely had time to give us a full length album – a situation that's more than corrected by this well-done set! The combo are often tied to some of the best jazz experiments in London of the past decade or so, but in the true fashion of that city's culture, they manage to weave together other strands of music besides jazz – plenty of post-colonial touches from Afro Funk, dub, and even hip hop – while also standing strong with the strength of jazz-based playing to set them apart from so many other groups who just jumble together influences and spill them out in the studio. There's a rock-solid quality to the overall presentation here – a really unified records that moves through tracks that include "Victory Dance", "Live Strong", "Ego Killah", "Togetherness", "No Confusion", "Never The Same Again", "Love In Outer Space", "Belonging", and "Welcome To My World" – plus a few words from Steve McQueen! ~ Dusty Groove

Wade C. Long - A Long Story

Vocalist-keyboardist-producer Wade C. Long has A LONG STORY to tell, and he's invited some of his most musically talented friends along to help turn the pages. Following the release of its lead single "Electricity" earlier this year, A Long Story arrives on streaming and retail outlets January 6, 2023. The new album is Wade's sophomore LP and it includes a duet with the iconic songstress Hil St. Soul. "Celebrate You," a danceable piece with all the makings of a classic love anthem will be released as a single in February, just in time for Valentine's Day. Another single, "Trin's Jam," is an Acid Jazz gem featuring Billboard Smooth Jazz chart-topping bassist Christian de Mesones. Wade also teams up with frequent collaborators, rapper Jaeigh Sherwood, and guitarist Andres Coca for the dance club-friendly "Take You Out." A Long Story is a brilliant mix of head-nodding grooves, sultry ballads, and thought-provoking culturally conscious tunes reminiscent of an era gone by. 

Houston Person - Reminiscing At Rudy's

Tenor giant Houston Person cut many albums over the years at the legendary studios of Rudy Van Gelder – and here, even though Rudy's passed on, Houston's in a very comfortable setting – blowing these wonderfully easygoing-lines on the tenor, with the kind of backing that always seems to have him at his simple, unadorned best! The group's a quintet – with Russell Malone on guitar, Larry Fuller on piano, Matthew Parrish on bass, and Lewis Nash on drums – the latter of whom takes a surprisingly great vocal turn on the tune "Nothing Ever Changes My Love For You" – then leaves Person and the other instrumentalists to do all the "singing" on other tracks – soloing nicely on "Reminiscing At Rudy's", "At Long Last Love", "Again", "Moon River", "I'll Let You Know", and "Put Your Head On My Shoulder". ~ Dusty Groove

Ural Thomas & The Pain - Dancing Dimensions

It's been many years since Ural Thomas recorded his first soul single – and if anything, the passage of time has only made his voice sound even more wonderful – with a contemporary richness that we never would have heard back at the start! The set's not the first "comeback" album that Ural has cut with his younger group, The Pain – but it may well be the one that pushes him over the top, and gets the singer the sort of newfound global attention he finally deserves after all these years! Titles include "Heaven", "Gimme Some Ice Cream", "Second Dimension", "Apple Pie", "Ol Safiya", "El Ey Em Eh", "Do You Remember The Times", "Hung Up On My Dream", and "My Favorite Song". ~ Dusty Groove

Chance Howard featuring Candy Dulfer | "Buy Me Love"

After surviving a horrific car wreck three years ago, Grammy-winning singer, multi-instrumentalist, producer and songwriter Chance Howard is not only grateful to be alive, but thankful to be releasing new music despite still being confined to living in a rehab facility where he is learning how to walk again. Teaming with his longtime collaborator and dear friend, saxophone star Candy Dulfer, Howard just dropped a smooth and soulful R&B reimagination of The Beatles’ “Can’t Buy Me Love” that he retitled “Buy Me Love.”

Exhausted from playing shows in the same week with Brian Culbertson in Chicago, Marcus Miller in Los Angeles and Dulfer in Minneapolis where Howard is based, the musician known for performing and/or recording with Prince, Morris Day and The Time, Nikka Costa, Karyn White, Alexander O’Neal, Chaka Khan, LL Cool J, Notorious B.I.G., George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Gladys Knight and Michael Bolton fell asleep at the wheel, crashing into the median. His injuries included spinal cord damage, a severed aorta and breaking twelve ribs. The doctors expect Howard to walk again but they didn’t tell him how arduous the recovery process would be nor how long it would take. Howard is expected to remain an inpatient rehab resident for another year.

Unable to tour and work producing, writing and performing, Howard has been without an income amidst skyrocketing medical and rehabilitation costs and canceled health insurance policies. Some of his high-profile friends have come to his aid as well as The Smooth Jazz Cruise community. Dulfer and fellow sax sensation Dave Koz led the charge through GoFundMe. All proceeds from the sale of “Buy Me Love” will go directly to Howard’s medical bills.

“This has been the biggest struggle I’ve ever had to undertake. But I know that with my faith in God, and a lot of love from my friends, I’ll be able to get back up on that stage again, doing what I love to do,” said Howard who is still confined to a wheelchair.

“Since the accident, I’ve been doing more and more strength building, but there’s also a lot of other bumps along this road that I’m going to have to get over. I’m definitely sure I’m going to make it through this because I believe in the power of God, and I also believe in myself,” said Howard, a Grammy winner for his work on Prince’s “Musicology” album. 

Howard recorded “Buy Me Love” prior to the accident. While on tour with Dulfer in Amsterdam, Howard and Dulfer performed an impromptu version of “Buy Me Love” during an informal nightclub jam session. After the gig, a married couple approached Howard. While they were unable to speak English, they clearly loved the rendition. Days after the show, the husband unexpectedly passed away. His wife tracked down Howard and asked if he could record the song to be played at her husband’s memorial service. Howard sings and plays all the instruments on the track except for Dulfer’s sax. That recording is now widely available as a digital single from Apple Music and other streaming services.    

The thought of making new music and launching new ventures sustains Howard as he grinds away each day at physical therapy. He envisions recording an album featuring an all-star cast performing songs that he writes and produces; producing an entire album by Dulfer; and launching his own podcast called Chance’s Boom Boom Room (fans of The Smooth Jazz Cruise will understand the reference).

“A big dream of mine is to have a concert hall named Chance’s Boom Boom Room. I want it to be a part of the community that gives back by having two shows a night by a different artist almost every night as well as a venue that provides music lessons for kids, food and clothing drives for those in need, and other efforts that benefit the community,” said Howard, who considers himself to be a giver, which make his circumstances that rendered him dependent upon the assistance and generosity of others so humbling.  

“With the holidays coming around, I’m most thankful for being alive. I’m still a work in progress but that’s okay. Progress is just another word for ‘getting better.’ And that’s exactly what I’m doing. I may not have walked in here (the rehab facility), but I’ll be damned if I don’t walk out this MF!”

To make a donation to Howard’s GoFundMe this holiday season, please visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-support-of-chance-howard.