New Music Releases from Gil Scott-Heron, Rubim de Toledo, Knoel Scott with Marshal Allen and Will Clements

Gil Scott-Heron - Legend In His Own Mind

An excellent double-length live set from Gil Scott Heron – recorded right in the middle of his classic years on Arista Records, and with an extended groove that shows just how great he could be in a concert setting! Many of these tracks are quite long, with both instrumental solos and a more freewheeling vibe from Gil – who seems to put even more power into the sorts of messages that always make his music so wonderful. The group features flute from Vernon James and tenor from Ron Holloway – and Gil himself plays plenty of great keyboards, including Fender Rhodes – which brings a very fluid vibe to his vocal presentation. Tracks include "We Almost Lost Detroit", "B Movie", "Better Days Ahead", "Washington DC", "Shut Em Down", "Winter In America", "Angola Louisiana", "Johannesburg", and a great 15 minute take on "The Bottle". - Dusty Groove

Rubim de Toledo - The Dip

Award-winning bassist, composer, and bandleader Rubim de Toledo continues to expand his fertile catalogue of original music with his exciting new release The Drip. On this beautiful new record, the Brazilian-Canadian musician delves deeper into his tropical roots, exploring sounds from Brazil, Cuba, the Caribbean, as well as Afrobeat, funk, and jazz music. De Toledo - a winner of multiple Western Canadian Music Awards (Jazz Artist of the Year 2018, Instrumental Artist of the Year 2021) - began his professional career in Edmonton, Alberta at the age of 17, performing with Albertan jazz legends Tommy Banks, PJ Perry and Clarence “Big” Miller. Since then, he has become a sought-after sideman and bandleader, releasing seven full-length recordings of original music and securing a position as one of Western Canada’s most celebrated musical artists. As a bassist, de Toledo has shared the stage with a long list of international jazz stars, including the likes of Mulgrew Miller, Terrell Stafford, Dick Oatts, Wycliffe Gordon, Peter Bernstein, Sean Jones, Jason Marsalis, Bob Mintzer, Ralph Bowen, and John Riley. For The Drip, Rubim has invited Edmonton-based songstress Karimah to join him as a collaborator on three songs alongside an all-star lineup of Western Canadian jazz stalwarts. The album features nine original world jazz pieces, each with its own unique story to tell. The Drip will be released worldwide on Friday, August 25th 2023.

Knoel Scott with Marshal Allen - CelestialK

A long-overdue debut as a leader from reedman Knoel Scott – a player most know for his work in the Sun Ra Arkestra, stepping out here in a magnificent quintet session that also features the great Marshal Allen from that famous ensemble! Scott plays alto and flute – often with a spiritual, modal vibe that's both in early Arkestra territory, and some of the modes that Yusef Lateef was expressing in his early years – matched with alto work from Allen, who also blows the very cool electronic wind instrument! The rest of the lineup features Charlie Stacey on piano, Chris Henderson on drums, and Mikele Montolli on bass – and titles include "Conversation With The Cosmos", "Makanda", "Blu Blues", "Celestial", and "Les Funambules".  - Dusty Groove

Will Clements - COMPASS

Vocalist Will Clements explores the themes of love through a queer lens on his third album, COMPASS. Having spent significant time in Montreal, Paraguay, and Vancouver, Clements brings influences from these cities into a new collection of compositions and arrangements, ranging from traditional swing music to South American-inspired sounds.The album’s stories have the common thread of being lost and found over a decade of maturing into adulthood. Clements was mentored through the songwriting process by Juno-nominated bassist Jodi Proznick; his originals, which comprise the majority of the album, weave through many moods and contain surprises while keeping root in mainstream vocal jazz. From its two lead singles – the optimistic standard “On a Clear Day” and a reworking of Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black” – COMPASS presents Clements in collaboration with a diverse band of Canadian musicians. Clements, also an adept arranger, invites featured guests Allison Au on saxophone, Rachel Therrien on trumpet, and Atley King on vibraphone to unveil a cross-section of the country’s rising talents from the younger generation. The addition of guitarist Alvin Brendan, pianist Miles Black, and emerging drummer Todd Stewart from the Vancouver scene forms an ideal, inter-generational rhythm section.

Alyssa Giammaria – In Time

In Time is Toronto vocalist and composer Alyssa Giammaria’s first full length album of original music. Half of these pieces (Conversations, Dream Life, For Now) were written in 2016, when Giammaria was first beginning to seriously explore her interest in writing music, while the other half were written in the months leading up to the  album’s summer 2022 recording session (The Only Part, In Time, What Are the Words, Mend). The end result is a potent mix of old and new: a lively sonic blend of fresh, energetic songs alongside a selection of more thoughtful and patient pieces. In Time is a beautiful portrait of an up and coming young artist’s creative process in action. 

Recorded live off the floor at Toronto’s storied Canterbury Music Company in August 2022, In Time features Giammaria’s quintet, with additional accompaniment from vocalists Aoife Louise-Doyle and Stephanie Sloss on three pieces. The band is also a contrast of old and new for Giammaria: she has been singing with Louise-Doyle and Sloss for ten years, while her band is a more recent creation, assembled while they were studying together at The University of Toronto. The band does so much more than simply accompany Giammaria’s singing – they deftly interact with the melodic shapes and harmonic moods of the songs as much as they interact with each other. 

While Giammaria has gone through different stages throughout her compositional process, there is a consistent thread that runs through the album: each piece was written  first and foremost to draw out the meaning behind the lyrics. The band effectively uses each song’s rich compositional material as a launching pad for their improvisations, with each member leaving their own distinct creative mark. The vocal melodies on In Time vary from airy and agile to bright and powerful, and are all delivered most memorably by one of the most exciting young singers on the Canadian jazz scene. 

New Music Releases from Olivia Maisel, Bellbird, François Bourassa Quartet and Andrew Rathbun

Olivia Maisel – A Moment in Time

Toulouse-born, Montreal-based vocalist Olivia Maisel’s debut album A Moment In Time is a reflection of decades of personal experience. Maisel chose the songs based on the story she wanted to tell: “A story of unity, a past we hold in common, a present we could experience together, and a future of hope and change.” Very early on in her process, Maisel created a storyboard for the album with the guidance of acclaimed, Grammy-nominated singer Kate McGarry. Those first steps set her on a path to create something truly personal. Maisel decided to tell her story using some of her favourite songs from the Great American Songbook, all while showcasing a few of her many different musical influences. The album evolved into a refuge and an outlet for her deepest feelings about her past. It stands as a tribute to relationships, love, loss, and life. For Maisel, the title of the album, A Moment in Time, is about learning to accept the present moment without needing to define it; acknowledging its existence, and letting it go. It is also a reminder that as time passes, feelings and perspectives inevitably change. Without giving too much away about her intentions behind the record, she hopes everyone will see a version of their own story here.

Bellbird – Root in Tandem

Bellbird’s debut album Root In Tandem is a culmination of several years of composing and music-making by tenor saxophonist Claire Devlin, alto saxophonist and bass clarinetist Allison Burik, bassist Eli Davidovici, and drummer Mili Hong. Recorded during the winter at a lakeside cottage in St Zenon, Quebec, the album represents a communion of four distinctive spirits putting all their creative weight into a shared artwork. The band is a collective, with each member contributing compositions for the album. While rooted in modern jazz, this music bears  influences from myriad musical styles, from moving folk melodies, to atonal counterpoint, to rock grooves that stretch the boundaries of the jazz medium. Moments of tension and collective improvisation in songs like Maybe I Won’t Go and Ten Dog are balanced by the catchy melodies of Bluff and If You Can’t Swim, Dance. The four members of Bellbird grew up in disparate situations, spanning three different countries and emerging from wildly different musical scenes. The quartet found each other in Montreal in 2021, and it took no time at all for them to realize that they’d found kindred musical spirits in each other. Capturing the ethos of the band, the music on Root In Tandem grows out of a mutual curiosity and creativity, with feelings of space and calm pierced by exhilarating solos and free improvisation, always keeping the listener on their toes. 

François Bourassa Quartet – Swirl: Live at Piccolo

Pianist François Bourassa—now with eleven albums of original music under his belt—has become an ambassador for Canada’s thriving jazz community at an international level. A paragon of both consistency and evolution, he continues to seek out new challenges for himself, his colleagues, and his growing community of listeners. After releasing his first solo piano album L’Impact du silence in 2021, Bourassa is back with Swirl, a new live quartet album that was released on July 7th, 2023. Bourassa’s talent was initially recognized by the Festival international de jazz de Montréal in 1985, kickstarting his trio’s recording and performance career throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. In 1996, Bourassa’s trio joined forces with saxophonist and flutist André Leroux. Bourassa’s eponymous quartet has been a staple of Montreal’s artistic landscape for 25 years. The band features founding bassist Guy Boisvert, saxophonist André Leroux, and drummer Guillaume Pilote, the most recent addition to the group. Swirl was recorded live at Studio Piccolo in Montreal on July 2nd and 3rd, 2022, capturing the energy and spontaneity that can only come from a live performance. The album features six original compositions by Bourassa, each showcasing the quartet’s versatility and passion for jazz. From the mesmerising motifs of Pooloop to the explosive coda of 15 Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, listeners can expect a rich and engaging musical journey. 

Andrew Rathbun – The Speed of Time

Saxophonist, composer, and Toronto native Andrew Rathbun has achieved a rare depth of lyricism and compositional intelligence in 20 years as a recording artist; Ben Ratliff of the New York Times described Rathbun as “an industrious saxophonist and imaginative composer-arranger.” Voted as a “Rising Star” in the 2018 and 2022 Downbeat Critics Polls, he has documented his stirring original music with a series acclaimed recordings, on the Challenge, Fresh Sound and Steeplechase labels, and has collaborated with musicians like Kenny Wheeler, Billy Hart, Ben Monder and Luciana Souza. His latest  Steeplechase recording The Speed of Timeis a compelling addition to an already impressive body of work. Reflecting on his newest recording, Rathbun remarked that “I’ve always been fascinated by how my perception of time can change, sometimes crawling at a snail’s pace, while at other times it races ahead with abandon. “The pieces on Speed of Time are all connected with how the world has unfolded over the past few years. They are not necessarily “pandemic pieces,” per se, but influenced by the strange fluctuations of my perception of time during that period and beyond. “I have been integrating more metric ideas into my writing, while maintaining a harmonic language that is evocative yet abstract. “These musicians are some of the most important players on the New York scene, and I feel very fortunate to have known and worked with them for such a long time. They brought all this music to life, and made vital contributions to this recording. Each one is a singular voice on their instrument and they all bring such creativity and spontaneity to everything that they play.”

James McGowan Ensemble – Reaching In

Reaching In is the first half of an extended story told through music, spoken-word program notes and visual art. It depicts a protagonist’s journey from struggles of isolation, low self-worth, social anxiety, addiction and loss, to finding peace, acceptance, belonging, and a sense of community. This multi-movement suite by composer and pianist James McGowan is created and performed in a fusion of classical and jazz styles, with other influences of free improvisation, hip hop and latin styles. Combining the Modasaurus jazz-fusion quartet with Despax string quartet at its core, several tunes also feature an enhanced ensemble with Petr Cancura and Mike Tremblay on tenor sax, Ed Lister on trumpet, and Mark Ferguson on trombone. 

Using powerful musical expression, tonal interconnections, recurring themes and several pervasive musical motifs, the 16-movement concept album conveys deep feelings and extra-musical meaning. Guided by the composer’s poetry, the omnipresent instrumental musical motifs acquire intentional signification as the pieces unfold. Like a soundtrack to an imaginary film, the music itself is a narrative voice. It invites the listening audience to experience the emotional richness of life even more fully through one’s own imagination and personal reflection. The CD cover/digital album art depicting An Nguyen’s painting of Reaching In,also contributes a visual dimension that adds meaningful metaphors to the overarching narrative. The poetry, art and music take us through a story of overcoming personal challenges to offer an uncertain, yet hopeful future. The album seeks to engage the listener with their mind, heart and soul.   

The continuation of this musical journey—and second half of the story—will be presented in the next album, Reaching Out to be released by the James McGowan Ensemble in 2024.

Will Bonness – Is This a Dream?

Is This a Dream?, the fourth album by pianist Will Bonness, takes listeners on an introspective journey through a range of emotions and mental states, using unique and varying combinations of instruments to set different moods. The cover art, inspired by the Rorschach inkblot test, along with the suggestive song titles, invites listeners to create their own story for each track. Through a combination of wordless vocals, clarinet, and arco bass, along with the familiar piano trio, each composition sets a distinct atmosphere and showcases Will’s musical voice.

Following up on the success of his JUNO-winning album Change of Plans, Bonness drew inspiration for the new album from his time in Toronto, where he met and collaborated with clarinetist Virginia MacDonald, bassist Daniel Fortin, and saxophonist Allison Au. Completing the ensemble are vocalist Jocelyn Gould and drummer Fabio Ragnelli, both of whom were featured on his previous record. Is This a Dreampresents a blend of original compositions by Will Bonness and covers by the great composers Hoagy Carmichael, Billy Strayhorn, Cole Porter, and Tom Harrell.

The winding, off-kilter rhythms and melodies of Round and Round are infused with Brazilian influences and feature a unique blend of bowed bass and clarinet. This contrasts  beautifully with the poignant pop-ballad arrangement of I Get Along Without You Very Well, featuring Jocelyn Gould on vocals. Bonness displays his virtuoso pianism on the exciting and complex samba Rapture, arranged for piano trio. Andrew Goodlett plays up in the bass’s high register on his arco intro to Reverie, and you could be forgiven for mistaking the bass for a cello! Odd Serenade features an odd yet singable melody with intricate counterpoint between the clarinet and vocals, as well as engaging solos by MacDonald and Bonness. The album concludes with a swinging rendition of Cole Porter’s Western classic Don’t Fence Me In, featuring an appearance by alto saxophonist Allison Au.

Is This a Dream, with its colorful harmonies, contrasting textures, diversity of genres, and virtuoso performances, has something for every jazz listener.

The Nimmons Tribute – Volume 2: Generational

Generational by The Nimmons Tribute is the second volume of a tribute project honouring the legacy of Canadian jazz legend Phil Nimmons (O.C., O. Ont.), who celebrates his 100th birthday in 2023. This album brings new life to vintage Nimmons compositions with brand new arrangements by Phil’s grandson, pianist, arranger and composer Sean Nimmons, who also contributes two beautiful new compositions of his own.

Generational features some of the finest musicians in Canada, including many JUNO Award winners. The Nimmons Tribute, led by Sean, is a group of Phil’s colleagues, former students, friends and family who have come together in a joyous celebration of Phil and his music. 

Phil Nimmons is a huge part of Canada’s cultural legacy. He is one of Canada’s pioneering composers, and one of a handful of musicians who helped solidly establish the country’s status in the jazz world. Phil also helped launch several major initiatives that continue to support Canadian contemporary music today.

Volume 2 – Generational builds on the band’s first album, while showing more of the range and diversity in Phil’s writing. This album is a more personal undertaking for Sean Nimmons. Generational is inspired by the interconnectedness of our collective human family tree. In music and life itself, we hear the echoing voices of those who have come before us.  By contributing our own voices to this dialogue, we join in an ongoing conversation that is united through our shared humanity, and further enriched by the unique quality of each new voice that joins in. Through careful listening and our own honest expression, we can honour our intergenerational similarities and differences, participating in the ever-evolving conversation of life. 

Laila Biali – Your Requests

Highly acclaimed musician Laila Biali is a force on the jazz scene in Canada and beyond. The JUNO Award-winner’s distinctive voice is typically on dazzling display in her original music. Now, after ten years recording her own material, Biali turns her attention to the Great American Songbook with Your Requests, her ninth album as bandleader. While showcasing her own impressive skill set, Biali gathers longtime collaborators for the outing: drummers Larnell Lewis (Snarky Puppy) and Ben Wittman along with bassist George Koller and tenor saxophonist Kelly Jefferson.

The shift back to more classic jazz material was inspired by Biali’s delight in fulfilling the song requests of her fans. When she asked her social media followers what tunes they’d like to hear her cover, more than 150 songs were submitted. Your Requests debuts the first collection of Biali’s dynamic and personal arrangements in response to her listeners, a “musical love letter.” 

Right from the first track, a smart and energetic take on Dixon & Henderson’s Bye Bye Blackbird, Biali’s arranging ethos and piano chops are in full force while Jefferson and Lewis trade blistering solos over Koller’s anchoring bass ostinato. Biali also teams up with several vocalists for enthralling duets. JUNO Award-winner Emilie-Claire Barlow features on an exhilarating take on Rodgers and Hammerstein’s My Favourite Things. Scat sensation and recent JUNO winner Caity Gyorgy charms on a lilting delivery of Pennies from Heaven, while Kurt Elling lends his bold and brilliant voice to My Funny Valentine. 

Biali also reinterprets the oft-playedBut Not For Me as a samba that showcases clarinet virtuoso Anat Cohen, Brazilian percussionist Maninho Costa, and Wittmanon drums. The final guest appearance belongs to harmonica master Grégoire Maret, featured on a lush delivery of Antônio Carlos Jobim’s Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars). For the final track, Biali takes a surprising turn with a fierce instrumental rendition of Jerome Kern’s All the Things You Are. The searing, cleverly reharmonized arrangement closes out the record, reminding listeners that if one wades into familiar waters, they best have something new to say.

SRG-ILS GROUP Proudly Launches New Sister Label, SRG JAZZ And Releases The SRG JAZZ Compilation Album

David Benoit

The SRG/ILS Group is excited to announce the launch of our new imprint, SRG Jazz! At its core Jazz has always been a multi-genre hybrid, and our foundation in Soul, R&B, Gospel, and Blues music has naturally led to this new endeavor.

SRG Jazz looks to continue the development of this innately American art form by partnering with musicians who want to fully participate in their careers and their recordings. We believe that artists must participate in the ownership of their own recordings so true partnerships can exist between creators and business.

With SRG/ILS’s long relationship with the Universal Music Group, SRG Jazz creates an international platform for artists to have their music heard and experienced.

The road to SRG Jazz started when the company signed Jazz saxophonist Mike Phillips and released his Hip Hop and R&B influenced album Pulling Off The Covers. In addition to the recent announcement of the signing of Jazz legend David Benoit, over the last three years there have been releases from Allen Hinds, Xavier Gordon, Damien Escobar, Jeff Bradshaw, and a new album from Mike Phillips.

In celebration of the debut of SRG Jazz they are releasing a compilation of the best tracks released by the label including Contemporary Jazz radio hits “City Lights” by Mike Phillips, “Taboo” by Damien Escobar, and “If You Want Me To Stay” by Xavier Gordon featuring Marcus Miller and Gerald Albright. Also included are classic tracks from Gino Vannelli, Take 6, and Eric Johnson.

SRG Jazz is a division of The SRG/ILS Group and The SoNo Recording Group partnered with Virgin Music (Universal Music Group) worldwide. CEO of both companies, Claude Villani, identified an opportunity within Jazz to not only work with some of the most talented musicians writing and performing today, but also to engage and challenge the genre. Principles involved are Claude Villani; CEO, Michael Cusanelli; General Manager, Mike Phillips; Senior Vice President, Bud Harner; Vice President of Promotion & A&R, Craig Davis Vice President of Radio Promotion, Jay Reason; Creative Director, Ra-Fael Blanco; Public Relations, Sydney Brown; Sales & Marketing, H “Bee” Boisseau; Project Manager, and Sander Shalinsky; Legal Counsel.

Duncan Hopkins – Who Are You? The Music of Kenny Wheeler

Who Are You? is British/Canadian bassist Duncan Hopkins’ seventh album as a leader. While his past recordings have consisted almost entirely of original material, his latest offering is a celebration of his mentor, the trumpeter and composer Kenny Wheeler (1930-2014.) 

The band employs two of Canada’s finest guitar players in Reg Schwager (C.M.) and Ted Quinlan, and is rounded out by Michel Lambert on drums and Hopkins on double bass. All four of these musicians worked with Ken Wheeler at some point in their careers, and know his music well. 

Most of the repertoire was sourced from Wheeler’s recordings, with the exception of the final three tracks: a suite by Hopkins himself, written at Wheeler’s suggestion. Hopkins had a hand written copy of a piece Wheeler wrote for a six guitar group from Buffalo, NY which had never been recorded. Scrawled on the first page was a message from Wheeler, written with his signature self-deprecating sense of humour: “This could be a part of the St. Catharines Suite, if it is any good.” Hopkins then took a piece of Wheeler’s from a 1976 CBC recording called Kitts – the nickname for the city they both grew up in, albeit forty years apart. He completed the suite with an original of his own called Montebello – the name of the park where Wheeler and Hopkins met at the end of Salina St. 

Hopkins has been working at the highest levels of jazz for almost thirty years. He has worked with luminaries including Norma Winstone, Bobo Stenson, Scott Hamilton, Houston Person, Warren Vache, Ed Bickert, Mark Murphy, Peter Appleyard, Bruce Barth, Bobby Watson, Jeremy Pelt, Byron Stripling, Dianna Krall, Kenny Wheeler, Sam Rivers, Harry Allen and Edward Simon to name but a few. He was the bassist for Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass for the final four years of the band, and was a member of the storied Canadian Jazz Quartet for twelve years. He can be seen on film in Where the Truth Lies featuring Kevin Bacon and Colin Firth. He can be heard on over fifty albums, numerous CBC, BBC and NPR recordings and has eight recordings as a leader or co-leader. He is a visiting professor of jazz at the Royal Academy of Music in London, U.K. and is a long standing tutor for the Global Music Foundation.

Mira Choquette – In Reel Time

“You had to be there,” the saying goes. But in the case ofIn Reel Time, the new album by Montreal vocalist Mira Choquette, you’ll feel like you were at the recording session even though you weren’t. The album has the intimate feeling of something happening in your living room. Or, more accurately, in someone else’s living room… because that’s where it was recorded. 

“We did everything live at my house in Toronto,” said bassist and producer Joshua Goldman. “All the musicians were in the same room, including Mira. The engineer, Timothy Doyle, was one room over.” Choquette said the entire session was spontaneous, noting that most of the songs on the album are first or second takes, recorded during three of the hottest days of the summer of 2022. That led to an interesting situation on the final day of recording…

“We did two days of everybody playing live,” said Goldman. “And then we decided to do some vocal overdubs, too. That day was even hotter, so Mira ended up doing all of her overdubs naked in the hallway.” Said Choquette: “I had to do [Stevie Wonder’s] Overjoyed, and there ain’t no way I can do Overjoyed with sweat beading down my back.”

Literal nakedness aside, the album also features real moments of emotional exposure. ”For me, half this album is a break-up album,” Choquette said. “We were recording a block away from what had been our house, my partner’s and mine. Ne me quitte pas was really hard to do, as I had also lost my father not long before the recording. So half the album is about loss and half the album is songs of joy and love. It was very real: the heat wave, the heartbreak, being a block away, just being in a weird place.”

The joy shines through on songs like Harry Belafonte’s Jump In The Line and a burning version of Cole Porter’s Just One Of Those Things, which features Farncombe’s piano to great effect, along with some first-class vocal improvisation from Choquette. There’s also an original called Love Crime, co-written by Choquette and Goldman, that recalls the slow-dragging swing of the Basie band. 

All in all, it’s an album that takes you on a ride, like the best records do. In Reel Time is proof that you don’t always have to be there. Sometimes, if you’re very lucky, “there” comes to you.

The Artie Roth Quartet – Resonants

Resonants is the third release by the Artie Roth Quartet, featuring 10 new compositions by Toronto composer, bassist and bandleader Artie Roth. Formed in 2013, the group is completed by top Canadian improvisors Anthony Michelli, Mike Filice and Sam Dickinson.

A trailblazing 21st Century jazz concept album, Resonants bristles with the sound of sympathetically resonating objects recorded within the studio setting. Lyrical melodies, catchy bass lines, driving rhythms and soaring guitars weave a daring, experimental tapestry of genre crossing music, seamlessly blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, ambient and folk. 

Building on the critical acclaim of their debut and sophomore releases Currently Experiencing (2015) and Discern (2017), the quartet reunited with the Brooklyn-based Juno Award-winning, Grammy-nominated producer Roman Klun. Resonants was recorded in the fall of 2022 at Grant Avenue Studio, the erstwhile studio of legendary Canadian producer and musician Daniel Lanois.

Derived from an unorthodox combination of the two words “resonance” and “tenants”, the album’s title is a neologism alluding to our existence as individuals empathically inhabiting a complex, evolving social landscape. The compositions on this recording were penned during the pandemic, when the best and worst of the human condition seemed on full display, especially with respect to the aspirational notions of empathy, cooperation and the collective greater good. With a post pandemic reality now in sight, the music on Resonants is offered to listeners as a hopeful gesture towards a bright journey forward together.

Melissa Pipe Sextet – Of What Remains

Of What Remains is Montreal baritone saxophonist and bassoonist Melissa Pipe’s first release as a leader. It explores ideas around temporality: the shifting of time, form and being. The pieces form a whole, joining together fragmentation, symbiosis, distillation, evaporation, and transience, while looking at what is left behind, or what remains.

“The sextet’s instrumentation allows me to write in both traditional jazz ensemble configuration (trumpet and saxes with the rhythm section) and in a “chamber jazz” format,” says Pipe about choosing the unique instrumentation and writing for her sextet. “The additional colour, timbre and orchestration possibilities of the bassoon and the bass clarinet are particularly effective in infusing elements of classical and folkloric music into the pieces”. 

Her compositions here range from moody, atmospheric pieces to more traditional styles like a minor blues, but most tend to be on the darker, introspective side. “I write what I hear. Sometimes it starts with a bass line, a progression. Sometimes it’s a melody. The pieces on this album use a variety of jazz and classical compositional devices and techniques, but beyond the theoretical framework that I use to build its structures, harmonies, textures, etc. the most important thing for me is that it has to have soul. It has to be something my ear wants to hear. At times that can be something more modern, and at others something steeped in the jazz tradition: to me it goes beyond genres, it’s all about the soul of the thing.”

In addition to leading her own group, Pipe also performs regularly with jazz, hip hop, indie, and classical ensembles as a freelancer. She also had the honour of interviewing Yusef Lateef, whose playing and compositional style have greatly influenced her, for an article about his double reed playing which was published in The Double Reed, as well as on Lateef’s website. In 2014, she was invited to perform her arrangements of Charles Mingus pieces for bassoon quartet at the Jazz Standard in NYC alongside Michael Rabinowitz, Paul Hanson and Mark Ortwein, as part of the International Double Reed Society conference.

CARLOS: THE SANTANA JOURNEY GLOBAL PREMIERE

On September 23, 24 & 27, be among the first to see the new movie CARLOS, including an exclusive introduction featuring director Rudy Valdez and Carlos Santana.

At the age of 5, in his native Mexico, he learned to play the violin. At 8, he developed a lifelong love for the guitar. At 14, he honed those guitar virtuoso skills and his performance style working as a street musician, starting his own band long after, while still a teenager. And at 22 — just before his first album was released to acclaim — Carlos Santana became one of the major discoveries of Woodstock, anchoring the famous festival’s second afternoon on August 16, 1969.

A music industry legend for 50 years and a 10-time Grammy-winning global sensation, Santana continues to be one of the music world’s premiere artists, blending jazz, blues, and the Mariachi sound with a rock n’ roll spirituality and a sense of connection to music’s primal connection to our deepest emotions.

The electric documentary CARLOS utilizes new interviews with Santana and his family alongside extraordinary, never-before-seen archival footage — including home video recordings Santana himself made; concert footage; and behind- the-scenes moments — as two-time Emmy-winning director Rudy Valdez creates an intimate, rich documentary about a man whose sound casts a spell on fans who love — as one of Santana’s famous titles says— “how his rhythm goes.”

General theatrical release begins September 29.

New Music Releases From Dhaivat Jani PLUS, Daniel Villarreal Featuring Jeff Parker & Anna Butterss, Projet Seb Parent and Todd Mosby

Dhaivat Jani PLUS – Sum // Parts

Dhaivat Jani PLUS is the brainchild of Toronto based composer, drummer and tabla player Dhaivat Jani. Originally hailing from Ahmedabad, India – the city of love, fun, food and heat – Dhaivat Jani and his group serve up original contemporary jazz music with a healthy dose of Indian classical music, rock and fluid improvisation. Sum // Parts represents the tally of Jani’s life so far, starting with his life growing up in India, to his migration to Canada, and everything in between: the struggles, the hustle, the joy, the tears, the fights, the victories, the ups, the downs, the spirit, and the smiles. Drawing inspiration from a diverse range of artists including Chris Potter, Brad Mehldau, Led Zeppelin, Trilok Gurtu, Radiohead, Brian Blade, and Tigran Hamasyan, Jani and his group emphasize storytelling and narrative in their performances, taking the audience on a deep musical journey. Day 21 and Peshkaar are driven by their distinctive North Indian rhythms; Unchain and It Might Rain fill the listener’s taste for rock without losing any of their improvisational edge; Kaleidoscope offers a novel listening experience with its polyrhythmic arrangement inspired by African rhythms. Sum // Parts is a beautiful and compelling musical statement from one of the most exciting young voices on the Toronto scene.

Daniel Villarreal Featuring Jeff Parker & Anna Butterss – Lados B

On October 15th and 16th, 2020, drummer Daniel Villarreal was joined by guitarist Jeff Parker and bassist Anna Butterss for two afternoons of recording in the backyard of Chicali Outpost in Los Angeles. For all three musicians, it was the first ensemble recording session they’d done in-person since the pandemic locked the world down just seven months prior. Some choice moments from these sessions made it onto Villarreal’s critically-acclaimed 2022 album Panamá 77, but most of the music remained unreleased. Lados B is a deep dive into the high-level spontaneous music made by Villarreal, Parker, and Butterss across those two days in 2020. Villarreal is heard leading the group through various rhythmic modes and structures for improvisation – flow as informed by the Latin funk of Fania Records as it is by the otherworldly humanity trance of Brain Records – while Parker and Butterss draw on their extensive experience playing free together (as heard on Parker's recently-released Mondays at the Enfield Tennis Academy, and the LA side of Makaya McCraven's 2018 LP Universal Beings) to build harmonic buoys for their spontaneous melodicism. The result is a beautifully vivid illustration of context, creativity, and collective composition from a particularly rich moment in history.

Projet Seb Parent

Projet Seb Parent is the eponymous debut album from 24-year-old Montreal drummer Sébastien Parent. While it was written with the rich tradition of big band music in mind, this music contains an eclectic range of stylistic influences from the genres that Parent grew up listening to, including rock, classical, neo-soul, country, trap and bossa nova. Each piece on the album represents a unique period in Parent’s young life. The album was recorded entirely during the depths of the Covid pandemic, between the summer of 2021 and winter of 2022. However, this was not a conventional studio recording: each of the 18 musicians recorded their parts separately, at home in isolation. For some artists, this process would seem impossible due to the lack of realtime communication, but Parent relished the challenge. Parent never intended for the album to be a showcase for his own playing first and foremost. This record is a celebration of 18 unique creative voices assembled together during a trying time. It doesn’t matter that the musicians recorded their parts separately: in fact, that distance only serves to reinforce the power that music has to unite people.

Todd Mosby – Place In The Sun

The playfully-titled "Place In The Sun", exudes the transcendent feeling of being in such beautiful natural environs-exudes a sense of spirituality and joyous mystery. The song features many musical keepsakes from Mosby's musical journey, including dreamy Sergio Mendes-style female vocals, a funk and Motown-like grooving rhythm section, and 1970s jazz-fusion musicality with Todd's lyrical but dexterous guitar playing. Todd Mosby is a musical storyteller and a landscape artist. His latest single from the soon to be released album, Land Of Enchantment, is a gorgeous sonic look at the visual, emotive, spiritual interactions Mosby experiences within the New Mexico borders. This tune also pays melodic homage to Tom Scott's "Tom Cat" album which was an early inspiration. A-list musicians include: drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, saxophone/aerophone Tom Scott, bassist Rhonda Smith, keyboard/synth Dapo Torimiro, vocalist Laura Vall, two-time Grammy winning producer Jeff Weber, and Emmy and Grammy-winning engineer Clark Germain.

Free Love" from Irreversible Entanglements, the Free-Jazz Quintet

Irreversible Entanglements proudly announced their signing to the legendary Impulse! label, as well as the forthcoming release of their new album, Protect Your Light, out September 8th. Additionally, they share the first single off the record, “Free Love.” The band will celebrate the release of Protect Your Light with a performance at Hudson’s Basilica SoundScape Presents festival on September 9th. “We are thrilled to welcome Irreversible Entanglements to the Impulse! Family,” says Dahlia Ambach-Caplin, SVP A&R and Artist Development at Impulse!/Verve Label Group, of the signing. “Their music is not only brilliant but also courageous and contemporary. Protect Your Light embodies so much of Impulse!’s history while also looking unassailably forward as well.”

Every once in a while, the world is blessed with a band that helps define an era. Its sound, purpose and energy speaks directly to the cultural moment. Its individual members mirror the community’s identities, perspectives and aspirations; and collectively, the group forms a supernova, a sign of how we might get to the future — its music, in fact, already spelling aspects of that future out. Usually, it is history that cements the names of these bands in the books, but occasionally we’re capable of glimpsing their majesty unfurl in real time. 

In 2023, that band is Irreversible Entanglements (IE), the free-jazz quintet with an experimental punk mentality. And Protect Your Light is the kind of artistic and social statement that simultaneously plugs into and tweaks the zeitgeist. Over the course of the record’s eight tracks the poet/vocalist Camae Ayewa (often known as Moor Mother), bassist Luke Stewart, trumpeter Aquiles Navarro, saxophonist Keir Neuringer, and drummer Tcheser Holmes unite to deliver an unconditional statement of intent and rhythm. IE’s improvisations are molded in the fire of the moment, while its songs are born in experience, where music and life are one and the same. There is no one remotely like them on the planet, and no recent album like this one.

Primarily recorded over three days in January 2023 at the historic Rudy Van Gelder Studios in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, Protect Your Light is the band’s most accomplished work to date, surpassing even the three already-classic records they cut for Chicago’s International Anthem. PYL features contributions from the greater members of IE’s community — pianist Janice A. Lowe, cellist Lester St. Louis and vocalist Sovei — who help illuminate the band’s musical dexterity and expand the breadth of its beautiful consciousness. The eight pieces were composed both individually and collectively, with some themes brand-new, and others rooted in IE’s spirited, wholly improvised live performances; with Ayewa adding words that elevate what she calls the band’s “in-communion” practices. Navarro is the primary force behind the groove of first single “Free Love,” which is heavy with the Panama-raised trumpeter’s fanfares, and with declarations of what the band calls a “universal message that provokes unity through a love that lives free, the love that lives in you.” That’s why Irreversible Entanglements makes the world feel blessed again. What defines this band, the beauty of Protect Your Light, and its representation of the moment, is a love of the people, of the Black musical tradition, of each other, and of playing it like they’re saying it. Get to that love on time — don’t force history to guide you.  

Justin-Lee Schultz's Take on the Eddie Harris Classic "Freedom Jazz Dance," w/Robert Glasper's Cameo

“My heart’s desire is to spread peace, love, positivity, and unity through my music and to be an inspiration to my generation,” declares 16-year-old multi-instrumental prodigy Justin-Lee Schultz. It is no wonder the South African born, LA based musician has prompted both Quincy Jones and Harry Connick Jr. to rave “This kid is something special” and Robert Glasper to exclaim “Justin is an older man in a boy’s body!! It’s so great to see somebody so young have such a vast love of ALL kinds of music!! He sounds amazing.” Down Beat Magazine declared Justin’s “Unique brilliance is undeniable.” Jazz has long attracted young and insanely talented musicians. Tony Williams was a mere 17 when he joined Miles Davis' ground-breaking and seminal quintet. Indonesian born pianist Joey Alexander made his auspicious recording debut at eleven, vocal sensation Samara Joy, 23, is currently riding high from multiple Grammy wins including 'Best New Artist' and the dynamic duo Domi & Beck (ages 23 and 20 respectively), continue to wow audiences following their recent NPR Tiny Desk and The Tonight Show performances. All these distinctive musicians have travelled their own paths but have searched for what Rahsaan Roland Kirk once called "your mystery note on the universal piano of life." For Justin, the pursuit for his eternal musical quest began as a toddler when he began playing with his father and bassist Julius and drum playing sister (four years his senior), Jamie-Leigh. The threesome even appeared on America’s Most Talented Family. “Music takes me to my happy place,” says Justin. “As soon as I start playing or listening to my favorite artists, any bad emotions fade away. I don’t see myself doing anything else other than music for the rest of my life.” On September 1, 2023, Justin-Lee Schultz will release his second solo album on Shanachie Entertainment, Just In The Moment. As the title suggests, the awe-inspiring multi-instrumentalist has arrived and his latest musical statement is imbued with soul, fire, and passion, asserting that he is one of the most talented young musicians to emerge in years.

“There are so many remarkable things about Justin - his virtuosity, his youth, his genius...But above all it's the depth, the joy, the beauty; and those inner qualities that make Justin so unique and wonderful,” states Shanachie Entertainment VP of Jazz A&R, Danny Weiss. Just In The Moment showcases all but one original and is produced by Grammy-winning guitarist Paul Brown. It features Grammy-winning pianist/producer Robert Glasper who is heard in the intro to the lone cover on the album, Eddie Harris’ 1960s hit, “Freedom Jazz Dance.” Grammy-winning saxophonist Dave Koz, who Justin will tour with this winter as part of his blockbuster star-studded Christmas Tour, as well as Grammy nominated saxophonist Richard Elliot, also make appearances on two album tracks. “I have a good relationship with all of them,” says Justin. “We speak often and it’s always fun playing or jamming with them!”

Just In The Moment opens to the sound of Robert Glasper’s voice leaving a message urging his ‘little bro’ to take on a version of Eddie Harris’ “Freedom Jazz Dance.” Justin takes heed and delivers a funky head-noddin’ affair featuring his flight of fancy on keys, vocals, horns, bass, lead and rhythm guitar. His sister Jamie holds it down on the drums and on most of the album. “I first heard ‘Freedom Jazz Dance’ when my piano teacher (Jeremy Siskind) gave me an assignment to learn it back in 2017, after that I never played it again until my big bro Robert Glasper suggested I do an arrangement of ‘Freedom Jazz Dance’ with the talk box.” “In the Moment” is a stunning mood-drenched number with a sweeping melody and pulsating groove that showcases Justin’s technical prowess in a joyful fashion. Dave Koz joins Justin for Justin’s composition “Fellowship.” Their sympatico relationship is evidenced on the track. “When I wrote the songs “Daybreak,” “Moonshine” and “Oasis,” explains Justin. “I was trying to express the way I was feeling. I hope it brings joy to whoever listens to these songs.” Justin takes his time with the simmering and funky “Daybreak” which shines a light on his ability to transport you with his harmonic wizardry, while “Moonshine” and “Oasis” (which features drum programming from Glasper’s son Riley), illuminates Justin’s adoration for R&B. “I have been listing to Anderson. Paak’s album Ventura. That album has been on repeat for me recently. Also, An Evening With Silk Sonic, D’Angelo’s album Voodoo and Robert Glasper’s Black Radio III and of course, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson’s entire discography,” muses Justin. “I’ve been listening to a lot to Talking Book and Off The Wall!

Justin and Jamie go to work and do some heavy lifting on “A Timeless Dream.” Justin says the following of his best friend and sister, “She’s the homie, Jamie’s my go to person when I first write a song or get an idea because she’s so honest and I trust her opinion on things. It’s great to be able to create with her because we’ve been playing together for over 10 years, we just get each other and can feed off each other’s energy.” Always a proponent of positivity, Justin-Lee Schultz stirs inspiration on his composition “Overcome” while the up-tempo romp “Downtime” unites him with the horns of Ron King and Greg Vail. You might be wondering what a 16-year-old who’s in the woodshed most of his waking hours and playing regularly with musicians nearly three times his age does on his downtime. “I love to play video games in my downtime, playing Spiderman or the occasional Mario Kart tournaments,” confides Justin. “But, even during my downtime, I’m always playing something (playing guitar while watching TV etc.) it’s hard to switch my brain off when there are always ideas coming in at any given moment!” They say that there’s a gift in remaining present and Just In The Moment rewards us from beginning to end. The joyous affair concludes with Justin’s smooth cruising “Switching Lanes,” featuring Richard Elliot. One thing is for sure, Justin-Lee Schutlz, has found his lane and is fast- tracking all the way into the horizon.

Justin and Jamie go to work and do some heavy lifting on “A Timeless Dream.” Justin says the following of his best friend and sister, “She’s the homie, Jamie’s my go to person when I first write a song or get an idea because she’s so honest and I trust her opinion on things. It’s great to be able to create with her because we’ve been playing together for over 10 years, we just get each other and can feed off each other’s energy.” Always a proponent of positivity, Justin-Lee Schultz stirs inspiration on his composition “Overcome” while the up-tempo romp “Downtime” unites him with the horns of Ron King and Greg Vail. You might be wondering what a 16-year-old who’s in the woodshed most of his waking hours and playing regularly with musicians nearly three times his age does on his downtime. “I love to play video games in my downtime, playing Spiderman or the occasional Mario Kart tournaments,” confides Justin. “But, even during my downtime, I’m always playing something (playing guitar while watching TV etc.) it’s hard to switch my brain off when there are always ideas coming in at any given moment!” They say that there’s a gift in remaining present and Just In The Moment rewards us from beginning to end. The joyous affair concludes with Justin’s smooth cruising “Switching Lanes,” featuring Richard Elliot. One thing is for sure, Justin-Lee Schutlz, has found his lane and is fast- tracking all the way into the horizon.

Just In The Moment is a follow up to Justin’s recording debut Gruv Kid released in 2020. The album debut at #1 in iTunes Jazz and hit Top 10 on Billboard’s Smooth Jazz Charts, making him the youngest musician to ever chart. In 2022 he collaborated with his sister Jamie and bassist Jaden Baker in the trio J3 called Opus 1. With the anticipated release of Just In The Moment, the sky is the limit for Justin-Lee Schultz. “Music has the power to bring people together. I’m always thankful when people come up to me and express their appreciation for what I do not only in Jazz but for all other genres. For me, improvisational music is freedom of expression.”

Chicago trio Hearsay announce brilliant, genre-defying "Glossolalia," forthcoming new album

Everything is in place here. Experimental / improvising trio Hearsay's new full-length, Glossolalia is unequivocally far out –– free rhythms and atonality are hallmarks of the recording. But interwoven with drums and cello are Allen Moore's profoundly physical turntablist acrobatics, Moore's contributions are the result of a radical process of casting records by hand, often incorporating found objects and materials and then "overlaying the ghostly sounds of the hand-cast records with echoes of voices from the Black Diaspora (friends, family, and prominent Black figures) and samples of Black soul, jazz and hip-hop." Here, chopped up soul singing voices blast in and interweave with Bill Harris's deeply intuitive drumming and Ishmael Ali's profound tone-texture-melody explorations. This music is out there but it is intriguing, inviting, and deeply pleasing –– perhaps even to a surprising degree. 

Expanding on the adventurous techniques that manifested their self-titled debut album, Chicago improvising trio, Hearsay returns with Glossolalia.

Comprised of visionary experimental sound artist Allen Moore, versatile cellist / guitarist / composer Ishmael Ali, and dynamic drummer Bill Harris, Hearsay cultivates a distinct and captivating aesthetic that traverses ethereal dimensions, gradually morphing rhythmic tapestries, and electrifying improvised soundscapes that bounce off of free jazz and textural noise music to land on a kind of wild and bounding avant-groove music that is as pleasing as it is avant-garde.

Their music elicits a mesmerizing blend of textures, as if conjured from another dimension, leaving listeners both spellbound and invigorated. Fractured but soulful blasts of uncanny soul emerge from Allen Moore's breathtaking, adventurous turntablist experiments to dance against –– and eventually with –– Bill Harris's propulsive drumming and Ishmael Ali's electrifying pursuits: he seems to discover melodies on his cello as much as create them. 

Glossolalia is a testament to the boundless creativity that emerged during their fruitful recording sessions. Pushing the boundaries of experimental music even further, this latest offering embraces a vast sonic palette, seamlessly interweaving timbres, grooves, and a compelling interplay that defies categorization but evokes familiarity and wonder. The results are difficult to categorize but will be well-loved by fans of contemporary sonic adventurers like Valentina Magaletti and Maria Chavez or fellow Chicagoan, the late jaimie branch's work in Anteloper, as well as those who turn regularly to the rich and wild depths of the ESP-Disk discography or that of the AACM.

Anthony Wilson | "Collodion"

Veteran jazz guitarist and composer Anthony Wilson made his 2022 opus The Plan of Paris (“Exceptional … old-fashioned in its verbal craftsmanship…” — DownBeat) with Joe Harley as coproducer. Their engineer was Pete Min, proprietor of the musical magic shop in Highland Park, Los Angeles known as Lucy’s Meat Market. During the mixing sessions for Plan, a light bulb went off and Min floated an invitation: Would Wilson like to make an album for Min’s recently formed label Colorfield?

The Colorfield mission statement promises: “Chaos and chance are a big part of the process.” That was indeed the case with Collodion, an outlier in the substantial Wilson discography: 11 tracks brimming with sonic exploration and surprise, an electroacoustic experiment on which Wilson plays all instruments (with contributions from special guests at a later stage). The idea was to show up on a given day with nothing — no song, no charts, not even any instruments. Min would supply those.

What unfolded was a curious mix of improvisation, composition and production, all more or less simultaneously. The goal for each daylong visit was to have one piece largely completed. “Anthony is so accomplished,” says Min, “and I thought he’d be a great candidate for this. It was incredibly fruitful — he understood the concept and went with it full force. He was able to take direction and his ability to execute was incredibly fast.”

Wilson speaks similarly of Min: “He’s such a no-nonsense person to work with, and he’s very fast. The studio is set up to be creative. You’re never sitting around waiting to get sounds or whatever. He’s really good at facilitating creativity. It’s all just ready to go.” Collodion was the right term: it sounds a bit like a musical instrument, but is in fact a viscous substance used in wet plate photography as well as theatrical makeup. When applied, it helps bring an image to life.

Wilson is the son of groundbreaking big band composer Gerald Wilson (1918-2014). His catalog of acclaimed work as a leader goes back to the mid ’90s, to say nothing of his extensive credits with Diana Krall, Paul McCartney, Ron Carter, Charles Lloyd’s Ocean Trio, Leon Russell, Mose Allison, Terri Lyne Carrington, Willie Nelson, Bobby Hutcherson, Al Jarreau and many more. In 2016, he ventured beyond instrumental music with Frogtown and again two years later with Songs and Photographs: he showcased himself as a singer, interpreting his own lyrics and songs, playing plenty of guitar, yet going for something unabashedly different and every bit as virtuosic and authentically expressive. The Plan of Paris is in that wheelhouse as well.

On Collodion, however, Wilson does no singing. He allows himself the childlike fun of playing with Min’s Morfbeats Gamelan strips, for instance, gathering ideas and outdoor found sounds that would become “Keeping,” track 3 of Side A. This half of the program is nearly all Wilson, until “Arrival at Kanazawa,” an evocation of rail travel in Japan, a piece that proved amenable to a horn arrangement for tenor sax, trumpet and trombone. The tenor in that choir, Daniel Rotem, is a Colorfield artist himself (Wave Nature, 2023), appearing on the opening prelude “Star Maiden” and the Side B opener “The Daughters of Night.” Trumpeter Julien Knowles is on hand for “Muse of Joy” at the end of Side B, his sound drifting alongside Wilson’s dreamlike synth harmonies and melodic gestures.

“Keyboard exploration is an essential element of my process,” Wilson says, “though I am not a keyboardist. I also like that there’s acoustic piano on this record — it exists in a beautiful relationship to the other sounds.” The title track, “Collodion,” begins with that stark piano, but right away brings in layered strings, played and orchestrated by the sought-after multi-instrumentalist Rob Moose. “I told Rob that I didn’t want something that tracks this slow elegaic theme, but rather things that kind of dance with it, and he got that right away,” Wilson says. “We both love how featured this string orchestration is, how prominent a part of the song and the album it is.”

There’s some strikingly guembri-like soloing in the latter part of “Planetary Glide” — this is Wilson playing a rubber bridge guitar, one of Reuben Cox’s creations out of the Old Style Guitar Shop in LA (a sound that has emerged in the music of Madison Cunningham, Blake Mills, Harrison Whitford and others). There is the deep and centered bass of Anna Butterss, also on the Colorfield roster (Activities, 2022), on two tracks of Side B, as well as drummer extraordinaire Mark Guiliana — also on Colorfield (Music for Doing, 2022) — laying it down with consummate soul and subtlety. “Heart Whispering,” an entity unto itself, is Wilson top to bottom, with ambient textures, enigmatic pulse and crisp, incisive guitar work that never dominates, but functions as part of the whole.

“I never brought in a guitar of my own the whole time,” Wilson says. “The thought of doing things with instruments that I knew well, I just felt that wasn’t where I wanted to go. Pete has a couple great [Gibson] 335’s, beautiful old Martins in incredible condition, he’s got a gorgeous [Fender] Jaguar, all kinds of stuff. If it was there, let’s plug it in. We just tried things. But it couldn’t be a traditional tone. We’d ask ourselves, ‘What does it need that will take it out of the realm of me just playing a guitar part?’ I tried to play in a way that wasn’t out of my hand habits, that wasn’t coming from the vocabulary I always play when I sit down to play. Automatically you go into the stuff you know. I was trying to be a little more uncoordinated, and intuit ways of playing that could add to this other sonic thing that we were doing. The whole experience brought out something very natural to me in terms of the way I hear music. But I don’t know that I ever would have come up with this way of doing it on my own. It’s opened up something else for me.”

-David Adler

Chicago's Joe Policastro Trio to release new album 'Ceremony'

There’s a lot to celebrate on Ceremony, the sixth album by Chicago-based bassist, composer, and arranger Joe Policastro, rounded out by guitarist Dave Miller and drummer Mikel Avery. Together, the trio have created Ceremony, a work of creative heraldry that showcases a band at the top of its game where unity, originality, and cohesion are paramount. Honoring Policastro’s non-hierarchical approach to music, it’s a democratic display of three distinct musical voices coming together as one.

Ceremony is defined as a formal act or series of acts prescribed by ritual, protocol, or convention. It’s a fitting title for the Joe Policastro Trio’s new record in more ways than you might expect. In the traditional sense, Ceremony celebrates union. Unified by the band’s highly personal, blended sound, the album combines delightfully unpredictable cover songs that are presented alongside their original compositions. Less predictably, Policastro also notes that “this band has its own language, its own customs.” A convention or ritual, if you will.

New Wave fans would be right to associate the album title and its first track with the New Order song of the same name from 1981. Policastro, Miller, and Avery tackle the tune, but don’t let the gimmick of a jazz band covering New Order get in the way of turning it into a thrilling composition. They blend straight ahead jazz grooves, pensive breakdowns, breakneck drum grooves, and even styles like krautrock into the performance. It builds off the original’s recognizable hook, but uses that structure as a launching point, not an anchor.

“Our take on ‘Ceremony’ began riffing on the song’s iconic bassline, but it evolved into something else very quickly,” Policastro explains. The arrangement interpolates composer Erik Satie’s “Gymnopédie,” recontextualizing the song, its mood, its meaning. This is the “ceremony” at the heart of the band’s process.

Four engaging originals—three by Policastro (“Poioumena,” “Scene Missing,” and “Possible Music”) and one by guitarist Miller (“Mojave Lifeline”)—display a breadth of range, style, and compositional prowess. Strong melodies and taut structures disguise the complexity of these compositions. “Pioumena” shows their inside/outside improvisational approach on an up-tempo swing number with changing phrase lengths. The folkish melody of “Mojave Lifeline” masks its unsettled harmony. Throughout these originals, the band seamlessly switches grooves and texture while flawlessly improvising over the eccentric compositions.

Interspersed among those are the remaining “covers.” Roy Orbison’s “Blue Bayou” sees the melody pass between players. It features an arco bass solo, a melodic drum solo, and breaks down into a collective free jazz romp before regaining its sea legs. They tackle Thelonious Monk’s notoriously difficult and rarely performed “Brilliant Corners.” Flexing its muscle on an up-tempo samba, the album closes with João Bosco’s “Bala Com Bala.”

The album is anchored by Policastro’s bass as it waxes and wanes in the texture, Miller’s wide-ranging guitar sounds, and Avery’s orchestral drumming. These dovetail into solo features and collective improvisations. “We make interesting choices in the music that we play, whether it's the originals or adapting music way outside of jazz,” Policastro explains. It all serves a purpose, and each choice the group makes is intentional. “There’s a purity of expression that I think is unique to this group, this project. It’s so cool to hear things in a totally different way, to study them through new lenses.” This, too, is part of their ceremony, their ritual.

Ceremony also celebrates sound itself.  It was recorded in triple-true stereo by legendary sound engineer Ken Christensen (Naim Label, Pro Musica) and mastered for vinyl by Bob Weston. “We have always been a live band. All of our albums have essentially been ‘live’ captures of the group, but Ceremony has added depth aurally and musically.”

This is the first truly “new” album by Policastro since 2019. In 2022 he released Sounds Unheard, a collection of unreleased tracks, outtakes, and a handful of new songs that documented the life of the trio from 2012-2022. The pandemic drastically changed the way and frequency that this band works. It ended their thrice-weekly steady gig at Pops for Champagne, the venue that gave birth to the group; their grassroots touring grinded to a halt; and drummer Avery now resides in Philadelphia. Sounds Unheard gave the band the opportunity to test the waters, tour again, and get back out on the road. Ceremony, by contrast, looks forward and pushes ahead.

“It's too unique of a group with a history that can’t be manufactured,” Policastro explains. He notes that, “This album feels like a real celebration of everything we do well and what we represent, and it really moves the ball forward. I feel like I get so much more out of the group now having been forced to take a step back, to take some time away.” With Ceremony, Policastro and his trio have achieved a remarkable thing. They’ve honored their past, are indebted to ceremony. At the same time, though, the future of this band, its next iteration, lives throughout the album.

Gard Nilssen's Supersonic Orchestra - The Healing Force Of The Trojan Horse

Norwegian drummer/composer Gard Nilssen debuts on We Jazz Records with his major new album ‘Family’ with the 17-piece Supersonic Orchestra.

A veritable who’s who of Scandinavian jazz (and beyond), the Supersonic Orchestra is one of the most exciting large groups in the current international jazz circuit. Captured at Mondriaan Jazz Festival in Den Haag, Netherlands, ‘Family’ presents the ensemble in top form across the 8 tracks, all of which are original compositions by Gard Nilssen and André Roligheten.

Supersonic Orchestra consists of 7 saxophones, 2 trombones, 2 trumpets, 3 double basses and 3 drum sets. Do the quick math and you’ll guess that the band spits fire when they need to, but that’s not nearly the whole story here. There’s a natural ebb and flow to the music, and the tunes are catchy to the bone. This is not free blowing just for the sake of it, but music that is borne out the love for the totality of the ensemble sound here, and even more so of the necessity to write and arrange music for this “family”.

Goran Kajfes, Signe Emmeluth, Maciej Obara, Mette Rasmussen, Petter Eldh, Ingebrigt Håker Flaten and Hans Hulbækmo are just a few of the names that feature here with the bandleader Nilssen and his in house arranger Roligheten. As you hear here, on stage Supersonic Orchestra is a festival of a band unto itself. Whether an all out dragon’s roar or a quiet whisper of a solo bass, this is a big band bear hug on all 17 cylinders.

From the liner notes by drummer Chad Taylor:

“To present music for a big band in today’s musical climate is no easy task. There are many logistical obstacles and financial realities to contend with. In addition one must take into consideration the great legacy of big band masters of the past. How does the music you present measure up to the music of Fletcher Henderson, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Chris McGregor, or The Globe Unity Orchestra? Does your music make people want to dance? Does your music have a full representation of musicians in today’s current scene? How is your music relevant?

What I find remarkable about Gard Nilssen’s Supersonic Orchestra is that it tackles all these questions with ease. How are they able to do this? Perhaps this has to do with its all-star cast of players, each player a distinctive voice within the ensemble. Perhaps it has to do with the outstanding collaboration between Gard and André in arranging and composing the material, and perhaps it has to do with the exceptional recording and mixing engineers Bård Ingebrigtsen, Jørgen Brennhovd and Marc Broer.

Whatever the case, this is music that needs to be heard.

The make up of Supersonic Orchestra is unique. For one there is no chordal instrument. While this might present some challenges it also presents opportunities. It opens up more options for creating different chords and harmonic directions for soloists. Another unusual feature is the rhythm section. There are three drummers and three bassists. Part of the inspiration behind this is the Kenny Clarke – Francy Boland Big Band who Gard discovered during the making of this album. It too at times featured multiple bass and drums.

Family is not defined by our genes, it is built and maintained through love and care, This music feels alive with hope, sincerity, joy and courage. The members of this ensemble all have strong personalities but they are united in their motive and intention. This music feels like family.“

'The Healing Force of the Trojan Horse' is mysterious number, which features all three drummers of the Supersonic Orchestra in the intro. A majestic chorale is played rubato over the driving percussion section. The momentum is continued by the flutes of Per "Texas" Johansson and André Roligheten.

'Family' will be released on 15 September by We Jazz Records.

Trombonist AUDREY OCHOA Presents: The Head Of A Mouse

Trombonist and composer Audrey Ochoa, a fixture on the Canadian music scene, possesses a unique magnetism and a recherché allure which has taken her to great heights and unexpected summits. Ochoa is a classically trained artist and possesses a voracious appetite for honing her craft in multiple genres. She is decidedly brash and original, with a spectacular compositional skill and talent on her instrument. These qualities and attributes have led Ochoa to sharing the stage with the likes of Hilario Duran, PJ Perry, and Tommy Banks; and with international legends Lew Tabackin, Marcus Miller, Chris Potter, the UNT One O’Clock Lab Band, Gordon Goodwin’s World Jazz Orchestra, an electrifying solo spot with The Dave Matthews Band (on their tune “Jimi Thing” at a sold-out show at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver), and featured in the touring company of Hadestown, which culminated in an appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden.

Her fourth album as a bandleader, The Head Of A Mouse (dropping September 29, 2023 on Chronograph Records), is the latest, and the freshest, representation of Ochoa’s brilliant artistic voice, conceived of during one of the most challenging periods in recent history-the COVID-19 pandemic. As she couldn’t freely perform the music from Frankenhorn live, she dove into the creation of this recording. The result immortalizes feelings of sorrow and desperation, and also of hope, creative energy and a renewed spirit. Ochoa’s desire is that current and future generations will experience this music as a unique musical creation that reflect the experiences of an artist during an unprecedented time. With The Head Of A Mouse, Ochoa’s most exciting and diverse work yet, with sounds spanning genres, modes and moods, she exemplifies an artist who has dedicated herself to expertise while remaining relevant and light-hearted. With a magnificent and fresh-faced approach, this album defies categorization and plants Ochoa’s flag firmly as a centrepiece of the Canadian, and international, music arena. Available worldwide on Chronograph Records, September 29th, 2023. 

Ochoa’s debut album, Trombone and Other Delights (2013), was widely acclaimed and spent three consecutive weeks as the number one Jazz album on the Canadian charts. Ochoa’s sophomore release, Afterthought (2017), an extension of her consummate understanding of arrangement and dedication to her craft – reached the #1 position on the Canadian jazz charts and broke into the top 20 in the U.S. Ochoa is a decorated award nominee, having earned recognition at the Western Canadian Music Awards, the Global Music Awards and a recent recipient of the Edmonton Music Prize, noting an outstanding musical contribution to the local arts scene. With significant momentum, Ochoa’s next recorded efforts were originally intended to feature duets with pianist Chris Andrew – which would be remixed by electronica DJ, Battery Poacher. As pre-production progressed, she found herself utilizing skills from other projects and arranging strings with horns and a rhythm section. The result was Frankenhorn (2020), an ambitious project that introduced strings into her previous configuration of trombone, piano, bass and drums, a mix of chamber music with contemporary and Latin jazz. The album reached #1 on both the Canadian (Earshot) and US (NACC) Jazz charts, and reached #8 across all genres on the Earshot National Top 50 chart in Canada. This release also led to Ochoa’s selection as the “2020 Jazz Artist of the Year” at the Western Canadian Music Awards.