Montreal's Jazz and Electro Combo Little Animal! Release Eponymous EP

Little Animal! is a group of Montreal musicians that transcends the boundaries of jazz and electro. Their eponymous digital album is now available via Justin Time Records.

Little Animal! is led by bassist Morgan Moore (The Barr Brothers, Martha Wainwright, Yannick Rieu, Ranee Lee), who is also co-founder of Blood & Glass and Black Legary. For the past two decades, Morgan has been travelling the world playing bass. More recently, he has been composing and producing cutting-edge electronic music.

In 2021 he was approached by Jim West of Justin Time Records to create an album uniting electronic music with the intensity of jazz.  Morgan called on some well-known musicians to collaborate on the project and the chemistry and beauty of their work is undeniable. Besides Morgan Moore on bass, Little Animal! consists of Joe Grass (Patrick Watson, Elisapie) on pedal steel, Tommy Crane (Aaron Parks, Melissa Aldana) on drums and Lex French (Christine Jensen, CODE Quartet, Diana Krall) on trumpet. Together they create lush improvisations and mind-blowing grooves. When integrated into the lush landscape of Morgan's electronic creations, the result is unique and inspiring sound.

The music of Little Animal! pushes the listener to explore the relationship between humans and technology: both our addiction and our aversion to it. Jazz is an art form that embodies human expression in its most spontaneous creation.

Listening to Little Animal! you can almost feel the musicians fighting the electronic sounds at times while other sections coexist in perfect harmony. The constant tug of war between man and machine begs the question: is technology controlling us or are we controlling it?

The band followed up a spring residency at Montreal music venue Ursa with their first appearance in July 2022 at the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal with more Canadian dates to follow in 2023.  Little Animal! is gearing up to make waves in the jazz and avant-garde music scenes around the world.

Brian Thomas | "On The Bone"

One could argue that “On The Bone” is trombonist Brian Thomas’s eleventh album. However, the collection of soul, jazz and funk arriving January 27 is the first issued under his own name, hence it’s a debut album from a veteran of more than twenty years. Thomas produced the set comprised entirely of original compositions brought to life in the company of an organ trio and rhythm section recorded in the studio live by Soulive’s Alan Evans, who also mixed and mastered the vintage jazz-funk project.

Thomas’s vibrant stage presence and distinctive funky style are on full display whenever he performs, energy that he brought to the “On The Bone” date.

“These songs are an accurate representation of what you would hear if you came to one of my shows. My music is very much inspired by soul, jazz and funk from the 1960s and 70s, and aims to make people feel good, tap their feet, bob their head and/or get up and dance. With the exception of the guest sax player overdubs, all of these songs were recorded live in a very old-school way,” said Thomas who spotlights two saxophonists on the project, alto player Scott Mayo and tenor Mike Tucker.

The core musicians who joined Thomas on the album are Darby Wolf on Hammond B3 organ, guitarist Johnny Trama, drummer Tom Arey, and percussionist Yahubu Garcia-Torres. 

“I have been working with this crew of musicians in many different settings for nearly two decades and have formed incredible relationships with them on and off the bandstand. I handpicked this crew to bring these blues-based compositions to life as each of them have spent their lives studying and performing roots, blues, jazz and soul music with the best in the business. Each song on the album delivers a deep groove, funky pocket and space for each musician to share their voice,” Thomas stated.

There’s a hip, smoky nightclub vibe to “On The Bone,” which is heard from the start. “Turn On” sets the stage with gritty and gravely drums, storming organ swatches, crisp and clean electric jazz guitar licks and elastic basslines. While the entire lineup is granted a chance to step forward to solo, the banter between Thomas’s trombone and Mayo’s swinging, soul-powered sax is what captivates. The two musicians knew each other from their hometown, Rochester, NY, and both have a special connection to the composition’s author. Mayo, who has performed on television’s “The Voice” and toured with Earth, Wind & Fire, and Thomas were mentored by the late educator and woodwind specialist Roger Eckers.  

A relentless, hyperkinetic beat drives “Orange Tape,” the first of five tunes penned by Thomas. Again, the trombonist sits back to give each member of the unit a chance to rip a solo.

“The song title is inspired from a childhood memory of riding in my dad’s car and seeing him pop in an orange cassette tape that I loved. At the time, I had no idea who it was, but it was so burning! Turns out it was an album from tenor sax player Willis Jackson backed by an organ trio led by Groove Holmes. It is my earliest memory of being inspired by soul-jazz and certainly shaped my playing and composition style. This tune is a way to thank my father for exposing me to all the soulful music that makes me who I am as a musician today,” recalled Thomas fondly.

Thomas wrote the title track in the studio with James Brown & The J.B.’s in mind.

“Brown’s horn players, (trombonist) Fred Wesley and (saxophonist) Maceo Parker, the latter who I had the opportunity to play with a handful of times, have been musical mentors my entire life and this tune reflects that. We jammed on it for a few minutes, and we literally came up with the melody and form during that jam session and hit the record button!” said Thomas, who later invited another longtime friend, Tucker, to play sax on the joint.

Sunny, smiley and laid-back chill pervade the spirit-lifting “Just A Glimpse.” Thomas attributes the feel to listening to South African trumpet great Hugh Masekela. The trombone deftly carries the sweet melody while taking on lyrical qualities. 

“The original idea and chord progression for this tune came on a night when we were having a blue moon in the sky. I was messing around on the piano and suddenly remembered to go outside and check it out. Unfortunately, it was too cloudy, and I was only able to catch ‘a glimpse’ so I went back inside and finished writing the melody,” said the Boston-based Thomas who has a busy concert calendar of shows in Massachusetts and New Hampshire over the next couple of months in support of the new album, including a gig in Boston at the Beehive the day the record hits.  

Conceived during his 2016 honeymoon, Thomas wrote “Bacudi Blues” at an Aruban resort. You can almost hear the breezy beach ambiance floating luxuriously amidst Wolf’s steamy organ and Thomas’s playful horn leads.

“I sang the melody and bassline into the voice notes on my phone and added it to my set when arriving back home. It is nice to finally get it recorded. It is a blues-based composition featuring solos by each band member.”

Available exclusively as a bonus track remix on Bandcamp, CD and perhaps one day on vinyl, “Check Your Intentions” was released a couple years ago as a digital single.

“The song’s title is a reminder to me - and hopefully the listener - to make sure actions match your intentions, and that your intentions are noble and righteous. It is another blues-based tune that I wrote while jamming with my then thirteen-year-old son during the early stages of the pandemic. In this era of digital distribution, I wanted to make sure this song was documented and shared on a hard copy,” said Thomas.

Thomas studied classical trombone and jazz improvisation at Ithaca College before earning a master’s degree in jazz composition at UMASS Amherst. He cowrote and coproduced albums in assorted configurations, including with Akashic Record, BT ALC Big Band and Duochrome. Passionate about writing, horn arranging and recording, Thomas thrives in the studio where he collaborates with musicians all over the world. Most recently, he contributed to projects by many of the artists on Evan’s Vintage League Music record label roster. Thomas is equally committed to education, teaching at clinics and masterclasses, and serving on staff at Canton High School where he directs four instrumental ensembles. This bodes to be a prolific year on record for Thomas who anticipates the release of BT ALC Big Band’s “Hearing The Truth” album later this year.

Bob Baldwin/Gail Jhonson/Phil Davis: The 3 Keys | "We 3 Keys"

The number three is often referred to as a divine and mystical number. Pythagoras called it the ‘perfect’ number. Chart-topping Contemporary Jazz pianists Bob Baldwin, Gail Jhonson and Phil Davis (The 3 Keys), harness the wisdom of three on their harmonious and splendid piano expedition, We 3 Keys, to be released on Shanachie Entertainment January 20, 2023. The recording celebrates the magic of keyboards and is inspired by some of the trio’s keyboard/piano influences including George Duke, Bernard Wright, Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Eliane Elias and Bernie Worrell, among others. There is an eclectic mix of keyboard sounds including Moog synths, pianos, the Fender Rhodes, organ, keyboard bass, and other various synthesizers. At the core of We 3 Keys is the deep respect and mutual admiration that Baldwin, Jhonson and Davis have for one another. Jhonson explains how the anticipated project evolved. “Phil and I were performing with Grammy-winning guitarist Norman Brown in GA, and we met up with Bob Baldwin backstage. Naturally, I wanted a photo of the three of us together since it is rare for keyboard players to get the chance to hang out. We were joking and laughing and as we took the shot I said, ‘we should be a group!’” Baldwin adds, “The piano like all instruments is such a personal instrument. It was cool and refreshing to see a different spin on the same instrument from all our different perspectives. This project is really to showcase the piano, which is the backbone for Contemporary and Smooth Jazz.”  

The sumptuous twelve-track We 3 Keys showcases mostly originals while illuminating each of the pianist’s compositional prowess and virtuosity. There are tributes to pianists George Duke and Bernard Wright, as well as a gorgeous reworking of the Aldir Blanc, Ivan Lins and Vitor Martins composition “Camaleão,” previously recorded by the likes of the aforementioned Lins, Grover Washington Jr., and Dionne Warwick. Phil Davis hopes the project will touch their fans. “There is a real need to reach people through music right now. We have collectively lost a lot of people due to the pandemic (family, friends, musicians, etc.) and this has created a shift in creative people to produce more music,” he reflects. “Hopefully, this music will touch and heal people like it helped us while working on this project.” One might wonder how you even begin to fuse three distinct voices and personalities on the same instrument. “It was a challenge to unite the complete cosmos of notes, tonal effects and rhythms…it wasn’t long before we found out each other’s favorite piano/keyboard stations,” recalls Gail. Phil adds, “On most of the project, you will hear one of us on piano, another on Rhodes, one on electric synth sounds and sometimes we added a little organ in as well.” The glue in The 3 Keys is the openness that each musician had to let the album unfold organically. “Working with Phil and Gail was a great experience, and in the process, we all learned something about ourselves and each other,” shares Bob Baldwin.

We 3 Keys opens with the spirited and cool swinging “That Beat,” the album’s first single co-written by Gail and Bob. The free-flowing interplay is the perfect opening for the joyous affair ahead. Gail penned the bluesy “Piano Bar” with bassist Andrew Ford, who joins her on the track. “Andrew is really special to me,” she shares. “What I enjoy about this song is the melody along with the track’s light rhythmic bounce and interesting chordal pattern.” Phil Davis’ head-nodding and catchy “Into The New,” demonstrates just how tight the synergy is between the three pianists as they trade-off to thrilling effect. “‘Into the New’ is Phil Davis all the way,” muses Bob. “I enjoyed that vibe he put down!” Phil also composed the ethereal “Dreaming About A Better Place.” It's smooth sailing with Bob Baldwin’s funky “Gimme The Keys.” “When I first heard ‘Gimme The Keys,’ I fell in love with it,” exclaims Gail. “I told him, ‘I’ll drive!’ and we laughed! Bob is an ideal starter for the song because he can kick the can and leave room for you to get some, or he will keep carrying the ball!” Gail co-wrote “That Beat” which appears as a track and interlude on the album. The R&B inflected, and syncopated groove dares you to sit still. Gail’s “Rhythm Speak,” is sure to be a hand-clapping crowd pleaser while her “SummerDance,” penned with Justin Davis (also on the track) playfully shifts rhythms and keys.

 “When I heard ‘Something Nice’ by Gail, it put me in a George Duke mood. It was cool hearing that groove,” confides Bob Baldwin. He first met Duke in the 70s and had the honor to open for him on several occasions. He fondly recalls their hangs together backstage through the years. Gail adds, “Our dedications to George Duke and Bernard Wright are sincere. Their contributions to the keyboard world are profound, so we hope to carry on their legacy and add our own voices.” Gail and Bob co-wrote the soul and funk-drenched tribute to Wright, “Work It Out.” Baldwin reflects, “I grew up watching Bernard Wright, who was a child prodigy out of Queens, NY (hometown of Najee, Ragan Whiteside, Tom Browne, Marcus Miller, Donald Blackman), break into the business as a teenager. Queens is no stranger to jazz-funk music. I wish ‘Nard released more music.” We 3 Keys also features a lush and memorable version of the aforementioned “Camaleão.” “The movement of Brazilian Bossa Nova, Samba and Partido Alto is such a different vibe. It was fun re-working that track with everyone," says Bob. 

“Music is a healing tool for me,” declares pianist, composer, producer, and arranger Bob Baldwin, who began taking piano lessons with his father (Bobby Baldwin Sr., who worked alongside bassists Keter Betts and Art Davis) at age six. Baldwin who cites Joe Sample, George Duke, Duke Ellington, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, and Patrice Rushen as among his many influences shares, “My Dad made it easy for me. He taught me how to play and revealed that I had perfect pitch. I was clueless about what that was all about, but I grew to appreciate and embrace the gift, put down the toys and took classical and jazz piano at age 7.” Bob’s cousin, by the way, is the late great pianist Larry Willis, who was an original member of the group Blood, Sweat and Tears, as well as a Jerry Gonzales Fort Apache member, and a Blakey Jazz Messenger. Baldwin has been a mainstay and guiding force on the Contemporary Jazz scene for the past three decades. His debut album, A Long Way To Go, was released in 1988, and his last solo effort and 33rd recording is The Stay-At-Home Series. Baldwin has earned five SESAC Music awards and has written and arranged for such diverse artists as The Four Tops, Will Downing, Tom Browne, Grover Washington Jr., Bob James, Lenny White and Regina Carter.  

A native of Atlanta, Georgia, pianist, producer, composer, and educator Phil Davis was raised in a musical household. Davis has had the distinction of collaborating with a wide cross-section of artists including Prince, Al Jarreau, Stanley Clarke, Jennifer Holiday, Erykah Badu, Regina Belle and Walter Beasley, among numerous others. Davis touts George Duke, Herbie Hancock, Joe Sample, Keith Jarrett, and Chick Corea as his greatest piano influences, citing that he has borrowed from each of them to help produce this own unique sound. Davis is an Assistant Professor/Coordinator in the music department at his alma mater Clark Atlanta University. His credits include film scoring (“Maynard,” the documentary about Atlanta’s first black Mayor), song producer for Star Search (CBS), musical director for “The Comedy Show” (Turner South) and producing a commercial for the 2019 Superbowl. Committed to paying it forward, Phil Davis has dedicated his talent and time to the following organizations: Kilgore Music Foundation, How Big Is Your Dream Foundation, The Stewart Foundation, and Westlake High School Marching Band. Davis’ most recent solo project is Alive.

“I knew I wanted to play professionally when I was a kid and saw Stevie Wonder on the Farfisa Keyboard at the Uptown Theatre in North Philadelphia!” shares Gail Jhonson, affectionately dubbed ‘The First Lady of Smooth Jazz.’ “I took classical piano lessons and learned the fundamentals, but Stevie spoke to my soul! Afterwards, Burt Bacharach sheet music and Thom Bell recordings inspired me to continue in the music world. Later, I attended Berklee to get Ellington, Coltrane, and McCoy Tyner, then Ramsey Lewis stole my heart!” Jhonson, now based in LA, began performing professionally at 14 in her native Philadelphia. She is the founder and leader of her own all-star female band, Jazz in Pink. She has made it a mission to address her concern that women are under- represented on the jazz scene, particularly as instrumentalists. Jhonson has held down the piano chair for such diverse artists as Bobby Womack, Janet Jackson, Pink, and Morris Day (Time) to Sheila E., Ray Parker Jr., Peabo Bryson, Kirk Franklin, and Patti Austin, among others. Jhonson who is currently earning her Doctorate at Walden University states, “I hope to inspire upcoming musicians and artists to press on, no matter what. Hang on to your dreams and see yourself where you want to be. Don’t give up on yourself too soon!” Her latest recording is Joy!

Les Sabler | "Flying HIgh"

When two-time Grammy-winning producer Paul Brown (George Benson, Larry Carlton, Norman Brown, Boney James, Kirk Whalum) agreed to produce contemporary jazz guitarist Les Sabler’s “Tranquility” album, it led to a transformational project by the fretman. With Brown at the helm, Sabler hit a new creative zenith on that 2021 album. For his ninth album, Sabler reunited with Brown to record “Flying High,” which is slated to arrive on February 3 from New Vista Records.

Brown’s fingerprints are all over “Tranquility.” His suggestion that Sabler get a vintage 1967 Gibson Johnny Smith guitar reshaped the guitarist’s sound, inspiring his best performances. Bringing in songwriters Shane Theriot (Hall & Oates, Dr. John, Neville Brothers) and Lew Laing (Norman Brown, Marion Meadows, Raheem DeVaughn) to write songs with him equipped Sabler with richly melodic material incorporating an array of jazz, R&B, funk and pop nuances. The teaming proved to be transcendent, ushering Sabler into the number one spot on the Mediabase chart with the gorgeous and graceful nylon stringed “Esselle’s Dance,” which also hit number five on the Billboard chart. The compelling collection, along with the impassioned and nimble guitarwork featured within, led to Sabler being profiled in Vintage Guitar magazine.     

“I’m at the top of my game, hitting my creative stride on the last album (“Tranquility”). ‘Flying High’ takes it to another level,” said Sabler who reassembled the same team for the new disc.

Actually, Sabler added one key figure to the “Flying High” creative outfit. It was brought to Sabler’s attention that Abbey Road Studios mastering engineer Geoff Pesche named “Tranquility” as his favorite album of 2021. That spurred Sabler to invite Pesche to master “Flying High” in the iconic studio made famous by The Beatles. 

With Brown back in the producer’s chair and cowriting all seven original songs for “Flying High,” Sabler again finds himself keeping frequent company with Theriot (keyboards, rhythm guitar, bass, drum programming), who cowrote five tunes on the new offering, including the album opener, “Over The Top,” a cool and confident midtempo mood-setter that gets an assist from Greg Vail’s whimsical flute. 

Exemplifying self-assurance, Sabler stretches his artistic muse on the searing “Compared To What,” a jam recorded by jazz pianist Les McCann and saxophonist Eddie Harris at the famed Montreux Jazz Festival in 1969. In addition to Sabler’s incendiary finger work, this version burns via the firepower of keyboardist Marco Basci, trumpeter Ron King, and Vail’s sax over percolating rhythms cooked up by drummer Joel Taylor, bassist Travis Carlton, and percussionist Lenny Castro. 

“I’ve been a fan of McCann’s for decades and was fortunate to meet and spend some time with the legend at the 1990 JazzTimes convention in New Orleans. As luck had it, they put us in adjacent hotel rooms,” Sabler recalled fondly.

Laing (keyboards, bass, drum programming) and Sabler pushed the limits with the single “Keep Pushin’” for “Tranquility,” and their reunion bodes to be equally luminous. “Moonlight” builds on their chemistry as Sabler’s sinewy electric guitar beams amidst the shimmering track.

The title cut ascends on its rousing chorus launched by a Gorden Campbell drum groove. Sabler defers to the warmth of his nylon stringed guitar on “Old Friends,” despite fostering a sense of exotic adventure. “New Bossa,” a multicultural amalgam powered by a vibrantly animate melody, is Sabler’s latest single to instantly dance onto the SiriusXM Watercolors playlist and has begun its ascent of three national jazz charts simultaneously.

Venturing into standards territory, Sabler interprets Academy Award-winning “The Windmills Of Your Mind” from 1968’s “The Thomas Crown Affair” as a somber and sultry staccato Latin groove, using his nylon string guitar to emote eloquently and exchange elegant banter with Lou Pomanti’s (Michael Bublé, Gordon Lightfoot) keyboard poetics. Sabler credits Dusty Springfield’s version as his influence.

Sabler’s inspiration for another modern classic, “Summer In The City,” came from a version Quincy Jones recorded in 1973. Sabler’s reimagination is steamy and creates tension like The Lovin’ Spoonful’s original, but the guitarist is buttressed by a robust horn arrangement that includes Vail’s bellowing saxophone. After, “Soft and Smooth” dials down the intensity. Despite the slower, more deliberate cadence, Sabler’s loquacious guitar licks leap to the fore in a lyrical repartee. 

“Double Jeopardy” is seductive, mysterious and alluring, highlighted by Sabler’s nylon string overtures and King’s soulful trumpet coos. Sabler pays homage to one of his influences, guitar legend Kenny Burrell, on “A Child Is Born,” which closes the collection. Burrell recorded the Thad Jones gem in 1971.

“This arrangement differs from the original 3/4-meter as it is performed in straight 4/4, however, it retains the expressive flavor of the beautiful composition,” said Sabler.

A native of Montreal who makes his home in Nashville, Sabler recorded the score for a Canadian Television Network documentary about the lost treasures of the Titanic in 1989, seeding the release his debut album, “Hidden Treasure,” the following year. His catalogue boasts collaborations with Grammy winners Jeff Lorber, Vinnie Colaiuta and Jerry Hey as well as Grammy nominees Brian Bromberg, Eric Marienthal, Richard Elliot and Alex Acuna. Sabler earned a Jazz Artist of the Year nomination from the Canadian Indie Awards while his albums have been nominated multiple times for Album of the Year by the Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards, which also honored him twice as a Guitarist of the Year nominee. On stage, Sabler has headlined or opened for artists such as Lorber, Elliot, Spyro Gyra, Michael Lington and Diane Schuur.

“Flying High” contains the following songs:

• “Over The Top”
• “Compared To What”
• “Moonlight”
• “Flying High”
• “Old Friends”
• “New Bossa”
• “The Windmills Of Your Mind”
• “Summer In The City”
• “Soft and Smooth”
• “Double Jeopardy”
• “A Child Is Born”

New Music Releases: Matt Greenwood, Holly Burke, Bill Runge & Linda Lee Thomas, Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra, RJ LeBlanc

Matt Greenwood – Atlas

Originally from Harare, Zimbabwe, guitarist and composer Matt Greenwood is carving out a new sound in Toronto’s Jazz scene with his debut album Atlas. With a diverse musical upbringing, including performances as a teenager with Zimbabwean legends such as Oliver Mtukudzi and Forward Kwenda, Greenwood’s music is unhindered by geographical genre confines. The cinematic musical world of Atlas combines jazz improvisation with modern production aesthetics and a compositional approach that borders on contemporary classical music. The album consists entirely of Greenwood’s original compositions, brought to life by multiple combinations of musicians including Juno Award winning upright bassist Mike Downes, renowned drummer Mark Kelso and a long list of innovative up-and-coming Toronto and Montreal based musicians: Joshua Stanberry, Dhaivat Jani, Matt McCormack, Matt Dicker, Peter Holbrook, James Griffith, and Steve Carson. While most of the music was recorded live off the floor in studio, many of the tracks are augmented by an otherworldly landscape of overdubbed atmospheric guitar textures. Greenwood mixed the album himself to allow for a unique workflow where the lines could blur between composition, arrangement, and post-production. The main tracking sessions were engineered by Matthew Manifould and the album was mastered by Reuben Ghose. 

Holly Burke, Bill Runge & Linda Lee Thomas - Dreamride

In 2020, in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and after a five year struggle with post-concussion syndrome, composer Holly Burke finally found herself back at the piano, improvising again. Her muse had returned. Re-invigorated, Burke shared a few new themes and unfinished compositions with musician and composer Bill Runge – a long time collaborator of Burke’s, now side-lined by the pandemic. Runge was deeply moved by the incredible beauty of these musical vignettes. Together, they began painstakingly crafting the compositions, sometimes doing as many as two dozen drafts until they were happy with the results. Their collaboration yielded twenty new pieces of music. Having decided to record this new music, they could think of no better pianist for the job than the great Linda Lee Thomas, the principal pianist with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra since 1972 and member of the British Columbia Entertainment Hall of Fame.This collection draws from a variety of musical settings, including jazz, pop, tango, and various classical styles. It’s a fascinating and enticing body of work, with each piece akin to a miniature tone poem

Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra: Voices – A Musical Heritage

Voices – A Musical Heritage is the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra’s sixth release since their inception in 1997. This album is a collection of commissions from eight jazz composers meant to reflect some of Manitoba’s musical heritage: First Nations, Metis, Ukrainian, Jewish, Chilean, Brazilian, Nigerian and Icelandic. Beginning with The Parallel Steppes, John Stetch’s creative three movement suite reimagines Ukrainian folk songs using chorale textures, fugue-like sections and exciting up-tempo swing. Throughout the album, the WJO weaves its way through the imaginations of each composer: an homage to Victor Jara in Rodrigo Muñoz’s Homenaje; an exploration of the ancient pentatonic scale in Jeff Presslaff’s The Living Mind; a celebration of community with Henry Onwuchekwa’s Oriri; sweeping, icy landscapes and folk music in Richard Gillis’s Shadows; Marco Castillo’s plea for protecting our Earth in Choro para Amazônia; the magical northern skies in Andrew Belfour’s Ishpiming; and the driving, relentless pursuit of Michelle Gregoire’s The Bison Hunt.

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. 

Fred Hersch & esperanza spalding | Alive at the Village Vanguard

Pianist and composer Fred Hersch and vocalist, bassist, and/songwriter esperanza spalding (stylized in all lower case) can both be counted among the most acclaimed and inventive artists in modern jazz. The Village Vanguard is the music’s most revered venue, having played host to countless legendary musicians and beloved live recordings. The duo and the club converge for a magical performance on Alive at the Village Vanguard, a rare opportunity for listeners to enjoy the singular and thrilling collaboration between two marquee jazz artists at the top of their game.

Due out January 6, 2023 via Palmetto Records, Alive at the Village Vanguard showcases the astonishing chemistry shared by these two master musicians, who bring out distinctive aspects in each other’s playing. Hersch and spalding have convened for only a handful of New York City performances since their first meeting in 2013 during the pianist’s annual duo series at the Jazz Standard. In that limited time the pair has developed a wholly personal approach, not only in the annals of piano-voice duets but in their own already highly individual practices. Taking the stage with no set arrangements and only a vague sense of the repertoire they’ll explore, the dauntless pair delights in playing without a safety net.

“This recording sounds like you’re in the best seat in the Vanguard for a very live experience,” says Hersch. “You can really feel the vitality of the room, of the audience, and of our interplay. We decided on the word Alive for the album title as you can really feel the intimacy and energy of the performances.”

Alive at the Village Vanguard marks Hersch’s sixth recording from the storied club, where he’s been invited to headline three weeks annually for many years. The album also vividly spotlights Hersch’s stunning sensitivity and engagement as a duo partner; in recent years he’s worked in a similar setting with such incredible musicians as guitarists Julian Lage and Bill Frisell, clarinetist/saxophonist Anat Cohen, saxophonist Miguel Zenón, and trumpet maestro Enrico Rava. 

Hersch and spalding will celebrate the album’s release with a return to the Village Vanguard for a weeklong engagement beginning on January 10. That will be followed by a three-week U.S. tour.

“Playing with Fred feels like we’re in a sandbox,” spalding says. “He takes his devotion to the music as serious as life and death, but once we start playing, it’s just fun. I like to live on the edge in my music, but I find myself trying things that I usually wouldn’t when I play with him, finding new spaces to explore in the realm of improvised lyrics.”

Always a determined original in her own projects, spalding rarely sings standards, and her approach here is unique to her partnership with Hersch. She’s revealed on this outing as not just a phenomenal scat singer but a charming and imaginative improvisational storyteller. The Gershwins’ “But Not For Me” becomes a witty, poetic extemporization on the lyric itself, examining the changes in language represented by the original’s sometimes archaic terminology. Neal Hefti and Bobby Troup’s chauvinistic ditty “Girl Talk” comes under barbed scrutiny from not only a feminist but also an eco-conscious perspective.

“I don’t think anybody’s heard esperanza sing like this,” Hersch says. “She’s a fearless vocalist, and is one of the biggest talents I know. She’s got a huge reach in her intellectual knowledge and is a big thinker in both her projects and in her outlook.”

Hersch’s preternatural reflexes, profound emotional expressiveness and unparalleled gift for interpreting and reimagining repertoire with each new performance are on mesmerizing display throughout the album. His “Dream of Monk” has been a staple of the duo’s sets since the beginning. With lyrics penned by the pianist himself, the tune is a dedication to one of the pianist’s most indelible influences, whose own “Evidence” shows why Hersch is such a revered interpreter of the Monk canon. “Little Suede Shoes” transforms another bop-era classic, spinning a playful update on the Charlie Parker calypso.

“Some Other Time” is a Sammy Cahn/Jule Styne song, less well known than the Leonard Bernstein classic of the same name but a favorite of Hersch, who weaves an elegant and vivid tapestry during his mesmerizing solo. Egberto Gismonti’s “Loro” is launched by spalding’s unconventional scatting, which she eventually uses to engage in a nimble dance with Hersch’s propulsive piano. The album closes with Hersch’s best-known composition, “A Wish (Valentine),” with magnificent lyrics by Norma Winstone.

Though it’s hard to believe given the buoyant spirits and playful interaction of the performances, both spalding and Hersch were working through pain on the October 2018 weekend that this music was recorded. Although the stint ended on a celebratory note with the occasion of Hersch’s 63rd birthday, he was also scheduled to enter the hospital the very next day for hip replacement surgery. “I was in a lot of pain and walking with a crutch,” he recalls. “Just getting down the famous stairs to the Vanguard was an ordeal, but once the music started the pain disappeared completely.”

spalding, meanwhile, was struggling with family issues while juggling an intense schedule that included writing an opera with the master composer Wayne Shorter and beginning a teaching position at Harvard University. “I was going through a very difficult time in my life,” she admits. “I was miserable every day when I got to the Vanguard, so I had to decide to plug into the capacity for this music to heal. I wanted to emanate something positive even though I was feeling so horrible. Neither of us were feeling well in our lives outside of the music, so the stage of the Vanguard became an alchemizing place for both of us, and I think you can feel that in the music.”

Fred Hersch - A select member of jazz’s piano pantheon, Fred Hersch is an influential creative force who has shaped the music’s course over more than three decades. A fifteen-time Grammy nominee, Hersch has long set the standard for expressive interpretation and inventive creativity. A revered improviser, composer, educator, bandleader, collaborator and recording artist, Hersch has been proclaimed “the most arrestingly innovative pianist in jazz over the last decade” by Vanity Fair, “an elegant force of musical invention” by The L.A. Times, and “a living legend” by The New Yorker. For decades Hersch has been firmly entrenched as one of the most acclaimed and captivating pianists in modern jazz, whether through his exquisite solo performances, as the leader of one of jazz’s era-defining trios, or in eloquent dialogue with his deeply attuned duo partners. His brilliant 2017 memoir, Good Things Happen Slowly, was named one of 2017’s Five Best Memoirs by the Washington Post and The New York Times.

esperanza spalding - Five-time Grammy Award-winning visionary esperanza spalding aims to ignite and portray various hues of vital human energies through composition, singing, bass playing and live performance. A lover of all music, especially improvisation-based musics emerging from black American culture, spalding’s musical aesthetic is prismatic. With projects like Radio Music Society, Chamber Music Society, Emily’s D+ Evolution and 12 Little Spells, she has inventively combined and reimagined influences from jazz, funk, rock, musical theater and beyond. She has taught at Berklee College of Music and Harvard University, founded the Songwrights Apothecary Lab, and wrote the opera ...(Iphigenia) in collaboration with Wayne Shorter.

Pianist-composer Satoko Fujii Celebrates 100 Albums as a Leader with Hyaku: One Hundred Dreams

For Hyaku: One Hundred Dreams, pianist and composer Satoko Fujii’s 100th album as a leader, she assembled a one-of-a-kind, all-star band. Trumpeters Wadada Leo Smith and Natsuki Tamura, tenor saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock, bassoonist Sara Schoenbeck, electronics artist Ikue Mori, bassist Brandon Lopez, and drummers Tom Rainey and Chris Corsano join Fujii to perform “One Hundred Dreams,” an ambitious new composition celebrating a milestone very few musicians ever reach. As sprawling and all-encompassing as Fujii’s own prolific career, it is Fujii at her most imaginative and wide-ranging.

Fujii has always had a knack for celebrating career landmarks in style. In 2008, she marked her 50th birthday year by releasing a half dozen CDs. A decade later, she doubled that output, releasing a new CD each month for a year in celebration of her 60th birthday. Franz A. Matzner in All About Jazz likened the twelve albums to “an ecosystem of independently thriving organisms linked by the shared soil of Fujii's artistic heritage and shaped by the forces of her creativity.” It’s no wonder that this artist with such a highly developed sense of occasion should make a splash for CD number 100. 

Since Something About Water with pianist Paul Bley, her 1996 recording debut as a leader, Fujii has released albums under her own name with a stunning range of bands. Among them are seven CDs with a trio featuring bassist Mark Dresser and drummer Jim Black; five albums by her electrifying avant-rock quartet featuring drummer Tatsuya Yoshida of The Ruins; eight solo CDs; and eight duets with her husband and creative partner, Natsuki Tamura. Fully one-fifth of her recorded output–more than 20 albums–feature her compositions for large ensemble.

Fujii says each of her CDs is “a dream come true.” On Hyaku (the Japanese word for “100”), she presents yet another of her beguiling visions—the wide-ranging “One Hundred Dreams,” a composition embracing swinging jazz, avant-rock, chamber jazz, and collective improvisation, that’s a prime example of Fujii’s unclassifiable music making at its peak.

Fujii treats her bandmembers as equal contributors to the composition and gives them generous solo time. Schoenbeck’s unaccompanied solo displays a lovely sense of melody and a unique vocabulary of colors and textures. The drummers engage in a duet that is not so much a dialogue as a joint statement. Wadada Leo Smith offers up a small jewel of subtle sound manipulation and structural discipline. Bassist Lopez, also a master of extended techniques, elicits new sounds from his instrument, and his low tones create considerable heft and presence. In her solo spot, Ingrid Laubrock feeds off the energy of Lopez and the drummers, coaxing short phrases into a long flowing statement that weaves in and out of the rhythmic network of her accompanists. Mori organizes her distinctive electronic sounds into incidents that possess all the drama and feeling of melody, even though there rarely is one. Tamura’s solo combines absurdly comic sounds and bop-inflected lines into serious music that isn’t self-serious.

As composer and conductor, Fujii is always listening carefully and guiding and shaping the performance. She cues in closely voiced ensemble chords that well up around Schoenbeck and buoy her skyward toward the end of her solo. The band punctuates the drum duet, driving the music to an exciting climactic burst. She fashioned a colorful backdrop for Smith that complements his mastery of sound, silence, and instrumental color. She brings in the band to punctuate Laubrock’s solo, but soon the short bursts of notes expand into a jubilant collective improvisation. She has also penned some bristling themes full of surprising twists and turns. She brings in a snaky, swinging melody that draws the band together after an extended passage in which she deconstructs the ensemble into smaller units. And the entire band pitches in on a rocking theme that brings everything to a celebratory ending. 

Pianist and composer Satoko Fujii, “an improviser of rumbling intensity and generous restraint” (Giovanni Russonello, New York Times), is one of the most original voices in jazz today. “Fujii’s music troubles the divide between abstraction and realism,” Russonello continues. “Plucking or scraping the strings of the piano; covering them up as she strikes the keys…. All of this amounts to abstract expressionism, in musical form. But it’s equaled by her rich sense of simplicity, sprung from the feeling that she is simply converting the riches of the world around her into music.”

For more than 25 years, she has created a unique, personal music that spans many genres, blending jazz, contemporary classical, rock, and traditional Japanese music into an innovative synthesis instantly recognizable as hers alone. A prolific composer for ensembles of all sizes and a performer who has appeared around the world, she was the recipient of a 2020 Instant Award in Improvised Music, in recognition of her “artistic intelligence, independence, and integrity.”

New Music Releases: Oscar Peterson, Benny Carter, Francisco Mela with Cooper-Moore & William Parker, Fabiano Do Nascimento & Itibere Collective

Oscar Peterson - Hymn To Freedom

Over the course of the last century and beyond, there have been few songs that have stood the test of time and continue to inspire hope in times of adversity. Marking the 60th anniversary of the recording and composition of Oscar Peterson’s “Hymn to Freedom” (from his seminal album Night Train), Two Lions Records (released by Mack Avenue) has enlisted pianist Benny Green (Peterson’s protégé), bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton to pay homage to the composition while honoring the journey the song has taken as the unofficial anthem of the Civil Rights Movement, its performance on the United States Capitol steps during President Obama’s first inauguration and its performance by choirs worldwide 60 years after its inception. "What makes this one piece of music so special, so beloved? Perhaps its simplicity," reflects  Kelly Peterson (Two Lions Records). "It is a melody that reaches deeply into our cores and touches us all on a profound emotional level. This hymn carries with it the universal human longing for peace, love, and freedom. Its message and its melody are timeless. This is why today we are commemorating the 60th anniversary of the day Oscar Peterson composed 'Hymn to Freedom' with a new recording."

Benny Carter with André Previn, Shelly Manne, Barney Kessel and Ben Webster  - Jazz Giant

In May, Craft Recordings launched the Acoustic Sounds Series, which celebrates 70 years of Contemporary Records and highlights gems from legendary jazz label's extraordinary catalog and featuring artists who both defined and expanded the sound of West Coast jazz. Following reissues of Art Pepper’s +Eleven: Modern Jazz Classics and Barney Kessel's The Poll Winners, Craft releases Benny Carter's Jazz Giant on vinyl today. Jazz Giant features performances by André Previn, Shelly Manne, Barney Kessel and Ben Webster amongst others. First released in 1958 and recorded by legendary engineer Roy DuNann, this new edition features all-analog mastering from the original tapes by Bernie Grundman. The record is pressed on 180-gram vinyl at QRP and presented in a Stoughton Old Style Tip-On Jacket. The Acoustic Sounds Series continues on February 24, 2023 with the release of Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section, the altoist’s auspicious 1957 Contemporary debut pairing him with pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones, three-fifths of Miles Davis’ nonpareil quintet. The sixth album in the series is the September 15, 2023 release of Shelly Manne’s hugely popular 1956 trio session My Fair Lady with bassist Leroy Vinnegar and pianist André Previn, paved the way for hundreds of jazz albums dedicated to Broadway shows. 

Francisco Mela with Cooper-Moore & William Parker - Music Frees Our Souls Vol 2

There's a nice variation here to the previous album from Francisco Mela with this title – and that difference is pianist Cooper-Moore, who steps into the place that Matthew Shipp held in the previous trio – and brings all sorts of wonderful sounds and flavors into play! Mela's a great leader for the set – as his approach to the drums is as open and elliptical as the bass of William Parker and the piano of Cooper-Moore – who really has a way of circling around these sonic passages in a great way – almost slowly winding up, and pulling Parker and Mela along with him – then generating sparks that allows all three players to bristle with energy in all sorts of different directions. The set features two long tracks – "Musical Literacy" and "Mental Scenario". ~ Dusty Groove

Fabiano Do Nascimento & Itibere Collective - Rio Bonito

A wonderful record – one that takes off from the spare sound of earlier albums by guitarist Fabiano Do Nascimento, and adds in some smaller group instrumentation that really sends things over the top! Fabiano's still got all the amazing touches on his instrument – played at a level that's in a legacy of Brazilian acoustic right up there with Baden Powell or Luiz Bonfa – mixed this time around with a shifting palette of instrumentation that includes percussion, flutes, violin, cello, and tenor – all elements used in ways that are still spare, yet shade the music in wonderfully! While we've loved Fabiano's airy explorations in the past, we love him even more here – as the album's as full of color and scope as you'd guess from the image on the cover, or its evocative reference to Rio Bonito – on titles that include "Strings For My Guitar", "Coletivo Universal", "Kaleidoscope", "Retratos", "Theme In C", and "Emotivo". ~ Dusty Groove

New Music Releases: Shirley Davis & The Silverbacks; Luxury Soul 2023; Ava Cherry; Noah Preminger Trio

Shirley Davis & The Silverbacks - Keep On Keepin' On

Shirley Davis is centered, feet firmly planted and gazing right on into the future. The powerful soul singer takes no prisoners and holds no regrets on her third album, Keep On Keepin’ On. As Shirley Davis & The Silverbacks, Davis harnesses the power of soul mothers past as well as her own history to deliver a record that rollicks from soul serenade to rocking ballad, then brings it on home with hard stepping soul. Keep On Keepin’ On embodies the best of the modern soul tradition, while showcasing a unique voice in its growing canon. Conjuring classic soul and funk sounds of the 1960s and ’70s, as well as the mighty Sharon Jones – whose last words to Davis provide the album title — Shirley Davis & The Silverbacks’ latest is a highly personal tale of empowerment and self-realization, served up without losing an ounce of grooviness.

Luxury Soul 2023 – Various Artists

The UK’s No.1 independent soul label Expansion Records commences each year with the label’s most anticipated collection, “Luxury Soul”. The success of the series comes down to the quality of tracks sourced from independent soul music artists, often unsigned or with recordings previously unissued or on limited release elsewhere. Included on this unique collection are exclusives by Kloud 9 and Kenya feat. Noel Gourdin, first time on CD releases by Output/Input (Chaka Khan’s touring band), Julian Jonah, We Are One X-Perience, Royalty Duo, Brian Power, Lisa Dietrich, Alton McClain Scarborough, and others, including tracks previously No.1 or Top 10 in UK Soul Chart. 35 tracks in total, together at an amazing price. Release to coincide with the 20th Anniversary Luxury Soul Weekender in January 2023 and includes tracks by three artists performing live at the event.

Ava Cherry - Love Shines So Bright

Ava Cherry is a singer and model. Her breakthrough as an artist began in 1972 when she met David Bowie in New York City while Bowie was touring for 'The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars'. It began with a period of personal and artistic collaboration that heavily influenced the 'Young Americans' 'blue-eyed soul' era of Bowie. Following this, she struck out as a solo artist and background singer for musicians such as Luther Vandross and Chaka Khan. Ava Cherry's solo career has been long-running, with her first album 'Ripe!!!' released in 1980. Her solo work, known for its disco influence, has received a lot positive critical reception. Ava Cherry is still a recording artist and seems to not age at all. She sounds great, has incredible work ethics and has not lost any charisma as a person, singer and model. 'Love Shines So Bright' is a collaboration with writer and producer Rob Hardt and David A. Tobin. This exclusive production marks a new phase and brings along a modern Soul tune with a vintage touch. It will shine bright on all platforms and will become a sparkling diamond in every DJ set and playlist. ~ www.sedsoul.bandcamp.com

Noah Preminger Trio - Sky Continuous

With Sky Continuous, Downbeat Critics Poll Winner 2022 (Rising Star Alto Sax) Noah Preminger, presents his 3rd album as a leader for Criss Cross. Sky Continuous is an exceptionally compelling trio recital with bass virtuoso Kim Cass, who has performed on 10 of Preminger's 11 prior albums (including Criss Cross releases Genuinity and After Life) and drumset Bill Stewart, who had never before shared a bandstand with Preminger. The music, which includes eight Preminger originals, is logically structured but adventurous and open - ended. The Album was recorded November 9, 2021 at the Samurai Hotel Recording Studio in NY. Recording engineer Mike Marciano also did the editing, mixing and mastering at Systems Two in NY.

Ann Hampton Callaway Pays Homage to Peggy Lee on "Fever: A Peggy Lee Celebration!"

With her artist legacy series, pop/jazz vocalist and songwriter Ann Hampton Callaway paid homage to Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan on two critically-acclaimed CDs while staying true to her artistic aesthetic. Callaway continues that series with Fever: A Peggy Lee Celebration!, which highlights the songwriting talents of Lee, who wrote or co-wrote over 270 songs in her lifetime, and features two of Lee’s compositions that have never before been recorded. One, a poem written by Lee titled “Clair De Lune,” Callaway composed music for; the other, a premiere of “The Other Part of Me,” a song written by Lee and Paul Horner for the 1983 autobiographical Broadway musical, Peg. Featured on two tracks is special guest John Pizzarelli, another connection to Lee, whose favorite guitar player, after her husband, Dave Barbour, was John's father, Bucky Pizzarelli.

The recording came on the heels of Callaway’s show, Fever: The Peggy Lee Century, a 100th birthday celebration of the singer at the New York City supper club 54 Below for which she just received a BroadwayWorld nomination for Best Celebrity Show.

Callaway comes from an artistic background—her parents were John Callaway, a legendary TV and radio journalist, and Shirley Callaway, a pianist, performer and revered voice teacher. She writes in her liner notes: “I like to say I was raised on milk and 'Fever' because Peggy's iconic hit came out the year I was born and pulsed through our little Chicago walk-up like a welcoming heartbeat." Lee's many records were spinning on her parent's turntable, sparking Callaway's lifelong love of the pop/jazz icon.

As Callaway matured, she especially appreciated how Lee's less-is-more approach to her singing lent her songs beauty, mystery and vulnerability. And, when she discovered what a brilliant and prolific songwriter Lee was, she became an even more defining inspiration to her.

Curious and genetically-inclined to do her research like her father, who “knew more about the people he interviewed than the people themselves,” according to Callaway, she was inspired to explore beyond Lee’s world-facing persona and the hit songs such as “Fever.” She was also fortunate to have access to the deeply personal stories behind the music through her friendship with Holly Foster Wells, sole granddaughter of Peggy Lee and administrator for the estate.

Their friendship led to the enviable once-in-a-lifetime creative opportunity for Callaway, bestowed upon her by Wells, resulting in the recording debut of the two new Lee works, hidden gems entrusted by Wells to Callaway, that make this legacy project unique.

“Clair De Lune,” Wells says, was inspired by Lee’s fascination with the love affair between French composer Claude Debussy and a woman named Gabrielle "Gaby" DuPont. So intrigued, she even optioned the rights to a book that detailed it, wrote a screenplay and painted a picture of Gaby. “That screenplay meant so much to her,” Wells says. “I know that having the poem become a song would make my grandmother so happy.”

Lee wrote the lyric for “The Other Part of Me" for her late, estranged husband and father of her only child, Dave Barbour. According to Wells, her grandfather was the love of Lee’s life, but due to his alcoholism, they divorced. Just as they were contemplating getting back together, he suddenly died.

On being the first person to record Peggy’s homage to Barbour, Callaway says, ”What an honor to bring this magnificent love song into the world where it belongs. The love between Peggy and Dave can now be more fully immortalized.”

Callaway and Lee share several traits: both are songwriters, superb vocalists, mesmerizing storytellers and fearless. “They both have a way of really captivating an audience and casting a spell,” says Wells, who went on the road with her grandmother starting at six years old. “Ann has an incredible instrument and she is also a sensitive human being and performer. They are both spiritual people and that comes through their music.”

“Fever” kicks the album off with the stellar band she’s assembled, laying down a deep groove with an added piano track. Originally a simpler blues song that Lee wrote two additional verses to, Callaway didn’t want to “stray too far” from the original version, but added additional lyrics of her own, telling the story of the Lee-Barbour love affair. The affair plays a large role in the Peggy Lee live show and she felt strongly about referencing it in her version of the song.

Callaway says “Black Coffee" is one of the “greatest torch songs ever written.” Lee’s understated approach to singing was something she appreciated, and while many singers lean into the sexy reading of this song, Callaway opts for expressing the torment of being betrayed by one’s love instead.

“I Don’t Know Enough About You,” was the first song that Lee and Barbour wrote after Barbour was fired from Benny Goodman's band for "consorting with the girl singer," and Lee subsequently resigned. So, they left and started writing their own songs. “It’s A Good Day,” was also written by the husband-wife team in the “After Benny Time” as Callaway calls it. Callaway makes a medley of that with “This is a Very Special Day,” written by Lee for the 1953 film, The Jazz Singer. She wove the songs together to acknowledge what she regards as Lee's superpower through a challenging life—optimism.

Lee recorded “Till There Was You” on what Callaway calls her “second concept album,” Latin ala Lee!, and includes it on the album as a bossa nova simply because she felt it "expressed the feeling of the lyric describing love’s awakening and how it beautifully transforms the way we see the world."

The Kern/Hammerstein ballad “The Folks Who Live on the Hill,” arranged here by pianist Ted Rosenthal, is where Callaway echoes Lee’s heartbreak and disillusionment in her 1957 recording of the song on "The Man I Love" because her marriage and idyllic life have come apart. “You can hear the sadness in her voice,” says Callaway, who approached it from a contrarian reading, “putting higher stakes in the song” by becoming someone whose dream doesn’t come true.”

“Johnny Guitar” is a Victor Young-Peggy Lee collaboration written for the 1953 film of the same name, starring Joan Crawford. Callaway includes this melancholy and beautiful ballad as an homage to Barbour— Lee’s “Johnny” in real life.

“Sing a Rainbow” began as a note scribbled by Arthur Hamilton on a card tucked into flowers he sent Lee before a show. She called him afterward and told him what a beautiful title for a song and that he should write it. He did eventually when he wrote two compositions for the 1955 film, Pete Kelley’s Blues, which garnered Lee an Oscar-nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and featured a guest appearance by Ella Fitzgerald. Callaway believes that Lee’s heartbreaking performance of the song earned her the nomination, which she recreates in her live shows. “I love that he actually ended up writing that song as she suggested and that it made such an impact,” Callaway concludes.

With these 14 spellbinding tracks on Fever: A Peggy Lee Celebration, Callaway provides a deeper look into the prodigious songwriting talent of Lee, who some regard as the first female singer-songwriter, burnishing her legacy as a trailblazer for women in the music business.

“To me, Ann is helping to finish some of the work that my grandmother started,” Wells says. “She chose all of the songs for the album, and I think my grandmother would love how Ann focused so much on her songwriting, something she was very proud of."

2022-23 Tour Dates

• 12/10/2022 South Orange Performing Arts Center South Orange, NJ "Ann Hampton Callaway & Liz Callaway - Broadway the Calla-way!"
• 12/16-18/2022 Orchestra Iowa Paramount Theatre Cedar Rapids, IA "Ann Hampton Callaway - Holiday Spectacular w/ Orchestra Iowa Pops II"
• 1/6-13/2023 The Jazz Cruise 2023 Fort Lauderdale, FL "The Ann Hampton Callaway Trio"
• 1/15/2023 54 Below New York, NY "Ann Hampton Callaway - "Fever: A Peggy Lee Celebration! & "Ann Hampton Callaway Sings The 70's" - APAP Showcase
• 1/20/2023 Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts Wickenburg, AZ "Ann Hampton Callaway - The Linda Ronstadt Songbook"
• 2/18/2023 Sacred Heart University Community Theatre Fairfield, CT "Ann Hampton Callaway & Liz Callaway - Broadway the Calla-way!"
• 2/4/23 Fort Wayne Philharmonic Center Fort Wayne, IN "Ann Hampton Callaway - The Streisand Songbook"
• 2/24/23 The Purple Room Palm Springs, CA "Ann Hampton Callaway - Fever: A Peggy Lee Celebration"
• 3/2-4/2023 54 Below New York, NY "Ann Hampton Callaway & Amanda McBroom: Divalicious" 
• 4/7/2023 The Music Room Cape Cod West Yarmouth, MA "Ann Hampton Callaway - "Fever: A Peggy Lee Celebration!"
• 6/9-11/2023 Seattle Symphony Seattle, WA "Ann Hampton Callaway w/ Seattle Symphony - The Linda Ronstadt Songbook

Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club Features GRAMMY® Award-Winning NEW ORLEANS JAZZ ORCHESTRA with 3x-GRAMMY® Award Nominated Jazz Vocalist JAZZMEIA HORN

GRAMMY® Award-Winning NEW ORLEANS JAZZ ORCHESTRA Featuring 3x-GRAMMY® Award Nomination Jazz Vocalist JAZZMEIA HORN perform at Jazz & Blues Club on Friday January 20 at 7 & 9:30 P.M. 

The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra was formed in 2002 and was designed to celebrate and fortify the American Jazz portfolio while providing infrastructure for developing the New Orleans Jazz Industry. Led by GRAMMY® Award-Winner Adonis Rose, the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra band has an ever-increasing repertoire that exemplifies the influence of Jazz as the grandfather of all modern American music.

3x GRAMMY® Award Nominated Jazz Vocalist JAZZMEIA HORN, who is the Winner of both the 2013 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition and the 2015 Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Competition, joins the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra in their return to Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club.

Horn's most recent GRAMMY® Award Nomination was in 2021 for her album Dear Love. Garnering praise from critics and fans alike Dear Love is a recording that brims with the combination of her assured delivery and spoken world segments, deft arrangements, and fiery musical ideas. In 2018, Jazzmeia Horn was Nominated for a GRAMMY® Award ("Best Jazz Vocal Album") for her album A Social Call. Horn was Nominated for another GRAMMY® Award ("Best Jazz Vocal Album") in 2020 for her album Love & Liberation.

"We are very excited to have the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra return for a Special Performance at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club with outstanding jazz vocalist Jazzmeia Horn," said Suzanne Bresette, Managing Director of Programming at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club. "We have been working with Artistic Director Adonis Rose to bring New Orleans Jazz Orchestra back to Jimmy's since their first wonderful performance in early 2022. Their return with brilliant singer Jazzmeia Horn will make for another phenomenal night of Jazz music — and a rare, one-of-a-kind experience for jazz music enthusiasts at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club!"

Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club's 2022 Schedule of Shows included 9 NEA Jazz Masters, 52 GRAMMY® Award-Winning Artists, 46 Blues Music Award-Winners, and a comprehensive list of talented musicians with 575+ GRAMMY® Award Nominations amongst them. Tickets for the NEW ORLEANS JAZZ ORCHESTRA with JAZZMEIA HORN at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club on Friday January 20 at 7 & 9:30 P.M., as well as the current list of 2022 & 2023 shows, can be found on Ticketmaster and Jimmy's Online Event Calendar at: http://www.jimmysoncongress.com/events.

Pleasure’s Joyous Returns to Vinyl Exclusively Through Jazz Dispensary’s Coveted Top Shelf Series

Jazz Dispensary proudly announces the latest release in its acclaimed Top Shelf Series, Pleasure’s long out-of-print classic Joyous. Produced by Wayne Henderson (The Jazz Crusaders), the 1977 album delivers instant party vibes, thanks to a lively blend of soul, funk, disco and jazz. As with every title in the album-centric Top Shelf Series—which reissues the highest-quality, hand-picked rarities (all culled from Craft Recordings’ vaults)—Joyous has been cut from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and pressed on audiophile-quality 180-gram vinyl at RTI. The LP is housed in a tip-on jacket, featuring faithfully reproduced original designs.

Ahead of the holidays, Jazz Dispensary is also adding a groovy new colorway to its popular “Catnip” T-shirt. Perfect for all jazz cats, the design (now available in Granite or Ivory) features an original illustration by Favorite Vegetable. The Jazz Dispensary store also includes a variety of exclusive gifts, including a logo T-shirt and crewneck, a corduroy logo hat, a zeotropic slipmat from record animator Drew Tetz and a variety of bumper stickers, in addition to a curated selection of vinyl LPs.

Hailing from Portland, OR, Pleasure formed in 1972, blending the talents of two local acts: The Franchise (featuring drummer Bruce Carter, guitarist Marlon “The Magician” McClain and bassist Nathaniel Phillips) and The Soul Masters (keyboardists/brothers Donald and Michael Hepburn, saxophonist Dennis Springer, trombonist/guitarist Dan Brewster, vocalist Sherman Davis and percussionist Bruce Smith). Soon, the nonet’s electric fusion of soul, jazz and funk caught the ears of Jazz Crusaders co-founder and trombonist Wayne Henderson. Under Henderson’s wing, Pleasure signed to Fantasy Records (home to the likes of Creedence Clearwater Revival and Vince Guaraldi), where the soul jazz star would produce four of the band’s albums, including their 1975 debut, Dust Yourself Off, 1976’s Accept No Substitutes and 1977’s Joyous.

After spending months on the road, opening for the era’s hottest R&B acts (including Earth, Wind & Fire, Tower of Power, War, Natalie Cole, Bill Withers and B.B. King), the members of Pleasure were primed to deliver their most confident album yet. The result was Joyous, which offered a perfect, genre-bending example of their self-declared “360 degrees of music.” Marking the band’s final album with its original line-up, Joyous allowed each member of the group to shine—particularly when it came to songwriting. Among the highlights is the McClain-penned party anthem “Dance to the Music,” Brewster’s pop-forward “Let Me Be the One” and Michael Hepburn’s enduring hit “Joyous.” The title track, which opens the album, offers a six-and-a-half-minute-long funk-fueled jam that feels right at home on a disco floor. The song became the group’s first Top 40 hit on the R&B charts, helping to propel Joyous to No.34 on Billboard’s Top Soul Albums chart and No.113 on the overall album chart (Pleasure’s highest position at that point in their career). The album also featured a handful of chilled-out delights, including Donald Hepburn’s sultry “Sassafras Girl” and Nathaniel Phillips’ smooth-as-silk ballad “Tune In.” Dan Brewster’s “Only You,” meanwhile, delivers a soulful, socially conscious message.

Since its release, Joyous has only grown in its popularity and has become a sought-after favorite of DJs. Reflecting on the album, AllMusic called it “a classic that underscores Pleasure’s risk-taking nature.” The UK-based Soul and Jazz and Funk hailed it as “a must-own [LP] for jazz-funk enthusiasts,” while Soulstrut praised Joyous as “the apex of [Pleasure’s] sophisticated, matured sound.” Over the decades, several of the songs on Joyous have found new lives through samples—particularly the title track, which has appeared in releases by Janet Jackson, LL Cool J, Eric B. & Rakim, Sugarhill Gang and Daft Punk, among many others. “Let Me Be the One,” meanwhile, was also sampled in tracks by the likes of Public Enemy and Ultramagnetic MCs.

New Music Releases: It Hurts So Good; Matthew Halsall; Avram Fefer Quartet; Monday Michiru

It Hurts So Good – Various Artists

It doesn’t always hurt to hurt…Soul 4 Real’s first venture into the albums market is as compellingly essential as the label’s impressive singles catalogue. Its 11 tracks explore every lonely street and losers avenue that soul music has walked down since the early 60s, tempering essays of heartbreak and love lost with the occasional glimpse of positivity and happiness. “It Hurts So Good” is very much in the tradition of those great 60s soul compilations where diverse strands of black American music sat side-by-side with each other, and still formed a satisfying listening experience despite their apparent disparity because, in the final analysis, the music mattered most. This album showcases just under a dozen goodies by some very big names in soul. It may well be that one or two of the tracks might be less than familiar to you, but you will know the artists – and you will know, too, that they will never let you down. Originally unissued tracks by James & Bobby Purify and Walter Jackson blend seamlessly with early essentials from Aretha Franklin, Willie Hutch and the Main Ingredient (as the Insiders). Soul 4 Real has delved into the deeper parts of discographies of legendary artists like Marvin Gaye, Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight & The Pips and Esther Phillips to bring you songs and performances that are every bit as unforgettable as those that forged their reputations. And if you remain unmoved after experiencing the stellar offerings from the Soul Children and Lou Courtney, it may well be that you didn’t have a soul to begin with. In the song that gives this collection its title, the great Prince Phillip Mitchell wrote “it ain’t no good unless it hurts a little bit”. It’s true, and the ‘Hurt’ here really IS ‘So Good’…and then some…

Matthew Halsall - Changing Earth

Four sublime tracks from trumpeter Matthew Halsall – all of which work together to give this EP release all the spiritual power of his full length albums! Halsall has a sense of majesty here that's undeniable – the continuing evolution of that style that's grabbed us strongly for over a decade, mixed here with flute and saxes from Matt Cliffe, Harp from Maddie Herbert, piano from Liviu Gheorghe, bass from Gavin Barras, drums from Alan Taylor, and percussion from Jack McCarthy. The harp and flute are especially nice, and the work has a style that's meditative, but modal too – really moving forward with some great gentle grooves – on titles that include "Yogic Flying", "Upper Space", "Positive Activity", and "Changing Earth". ~ Dusty Groove

Avram Fefer Quartet w/Marc Ribot, Eric Revis, Chad Tahylor - Juba Lee

Guitarist Marc Ribot again joins the group of reedman Avram Fefer – a match that really seems to be a highlight in the recent careers of both musicians! Ribot's work in the group is maybe the most focused and meaningful we've heard from him in years – a really back-to-basics return to the strength of his sense of tone and timing – which also really seems to bring out a lot on Fefer too, especially when he hits these straight, soulful lines that come across with a richness that seems distinct from other projects. The rest of the group features the great Chad Taylor on drums – always a treat – and Eric Revis on bass – on titles that include "Juba Lee", "Sky Lake", "Love Is In The Air", "Gemini Time"- "Say You're Sorry", "Showtime", and "Bedouin Dream". ~ Dusty Groove

Monday Michiru - Free Soul Collection (2022 Japan Record Day Release)

Monday Michiru is one of the few contemporary artists to get the Free Soul treatment – but that's more than ok with us, given the depth of her work, and her near-classic sound! The collection brings together some of the most soulful and deeply flowing tunes by Monday from the past decade or so – numbers that sparkle with a sense of life and joy that you'd be hard pressed to find in most other soul singers, even those from the current Neo Soul underground! A few numbers are more uptempo and dancefloor-oriented, but these are offset by others that are gentler and more introspective – performed in a great range of instrumental styles that really keep things fresh. CD features a few special versions of tracks, and titles include "Loving You (acoustic live version)", "You Make Me (single version)", "Play It By Ear", "Conversations With Myself", "Sunshine After The Rain (radio edit)", "Leaf In The Wind", "Chasing After The Sun (barefoot n pregnant version)", "Tattoo My Heart", "Changes", "Mermaid", "Maiden Voyage – Gone", "Stop N Listen", "Thinking Of You", and "How Deep Is Your Love".  © Dusty Groove