Koma Saxo - Watten Koma (single)

Berlin-based Swedish bassist and producer Petter Eldh returns with a new Koma Saxo album ‘Post Koma’, out on We Jazz Records, 10 November.

The title Post Koma aptly describes the vibe of this one: The Koma Saxo sound continues its evolution, morphing into a holistic vision of jazz now and soon, where live instrumentation and repurposed sampling lose their boundaries.

Over the course of its three iterations (self-titled debut in 2019, LIVE in 2020, Koma West in 2022) Koma Saxo has sounded at times "liquid" and postproduced, at times raw and direct, at times acoustic and at other times oddly electronic (even while still being made with acoustic instruments). Post Koma is a culmination of this sonic study by Eldh, resulting in a music vision that never second-guesses throwing tasty hooks and everlasting melodies out the window after a mere bite of them. But fear not: there are even more new ideas just around the corner.

Eldh's compositions and ideas merge together in a way that just flows. There are quality musicians in the mix, including Koma Saxo live band members Sofia Jernberg, Jonas Kullhammar, Otis Sandsjö, Mikko Innanen, Maciej Obara and Christian Lillinger, but that's like saying that a cake includes flour and sugar. This music is not about playing, it's essentially about how the music is and how it takes its shape, so you quickly lose track of who did what, and that's all in the benefit of encountering this music as an entity that is constantly challenging itself while moving forward. The musicians are valued contributors, and an integral part of what's here, but this is far from traditional jazz playing where a band sits in a room playing takes after takes of compositions on sheet.

That being said, this is jazz to the fullest. That is, music that understands its past but always moves forward, and is never afraid of taking risks. Petter Eldh uses jazz as a starting point, not the end goal. This gives his music edge and mobility beyond what can be contained on one album. In a way, an album, then, becomes a snapshot of a creative process in constant flux and evolution.

'Watten Koma' is the first single taken from the album.

Roberto Vally | "Last Flight Home"

For a journeyman musician like bassist Roberto Vally, who has been touring for 44 years, there’s nothing like that last flight home as the sun sets at the end of a concert tour. And for Vally, that trip home could be anywhere in the world his family resides: from West Africa to Norway, from France to his Los Angeles residence. The destination really doesn’t matter. What does is re-uniting with loved ones. Vally’s new Woodward Avenue Records single, “Last Flight Home,” which began collecting playlist adds on Monday (September 11), captures the evocative emotional journey through warm melody, rich harmony and a robust groove.

Vally’s traveling companions on “Last Flight Home” are his cowriters: two-time Grammy nominated pianist David Benoit and Jeff Carruthers (Paul Brown, Boney James, Dave Koz). The bass player produced the track that features his pliable and lyrical bass lines along with scatted vocalizations. The flight team is bolstered by lush tenor sax embellishments added to the chorus by Billboard chart-topping tenor saxophonist Jeff Ryan and a nimble acoustic piano solo from Benoit, a seminal contemporary jazz artist who has a long history of collaborating with Vally. Another frequent collaborator, two-time Grammy winner Paul Brown mixed the track.

“Really everyone who plays on this track, I have extensive history of not only recording with them but having shared many chart successes together. The newest would be my labelmate, Jeff Ryan, and I just love the way he plays and knew that Jeff would bring something special to ‘Last Flight Home.’ And he did just that. I have many fond memories of playing and recording with David (Benoit). He wrote his part for this song, which really helped bring the entire thing to life,” said Vally, who will flank Benoit during the piano man’s famed “A Charlie Brown Christmas Tour” this coming holiday season.  

Brooklyn-born Vally was classically trained in the bass and music theory. He attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts (made famous in “Fame”) and The Juilliard School briefly during and after high school. His versatile repertoire spanning classical, jazz, Latin, funk, rock, hip-hop, pop, reggae and soul music was developed and honed through international touring during which he accompanied an array of jazz, R&B and pop greats. After being invited to join Spyro Gyra when he was just 27 years old, Vally then toured the globe with Michael Franks. From there, he served long tenures as musical director for Diane Shuur and Randy Crawford and spent 29 years playing in Bobby Caldwell’s band. Vally has played recording dates with George Benson, Al Jarreau, Patti Austin, Jeffrey Osborne, Boney James, and many others. 

More than a premier sideman and a first-call session player, Vally started writing songs for members of the contemporary jazz royalty who are his contemporaries. He’s penned Billboard number one hits for Brown, Bob James, Kirk Whalum and Richard Elliot. He’s also written tunes for Larry Carlton, Boney James, Rick Braun, Euge Groove, Carol Albert, Marion Meadows and Najee.

 

GEORGE - Letter To George

Letters to George (OOYH 018), released January 27, 2023, is the debut recording of drummer, composer, and bandleader-extraordinaire John Hollenbeck and his brand new band GEORGE, featuring Anna Webber, Aurora Nealand, and Chiquita Magic. Pre-GEORGE Hollenbeck had two main creative outlets for his composing and drumming (both still active to varying degrees): The Claudia Quintet, his long-standing band featuring Chris Speed, Drew Gress, Matt Moran, and Red Wierenga, has been redefining jazz for the last 25 years. And the GRAMMY-nominated John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble, a 19-piece big band assembled in 2005, whose lineup reads as a who’s-who of modern creative jazz (notable members are Theo Bleckmann, Matt Mitchell, Patricia Brennan, Tony Malaby, Anna Webber, to name just a few). So a new band, and the first one in 17-years, is kind of a big deal for Hollenbeck, and for jazz fans across the world. On a personal note, this is a very special album for me (Adam Hopkins) to have as part of the OOYH Records catalog. John has been a bit of a mentor to me since subbing for Drew Gress in the Claudia Quintet on a 2017 tour, when I saw firsthand what an incredible band leader he is, as well as his complete devotion to this music. I can say without hesitation that there is not a single element of this recording, or this new band, that does not receive the utmost attention to detail or careful consideration from John.

Hollenbeck formed GEORGE with three specific musicians in mind, all whom he admired and wanted to play with, but none of who knew each other well before they remotely recorded PROOF OF CONCEPT in March 2021. This track was essentially a test to see how the band sounded, and how they worked together (spoiler: it worked). The recording session for Letters to George took place in Montreal in January of 2022. It was the first time the quartet even set foot in the same room, and they immediately coalesced into what was very obviously going to be John Hollenbeck’s next trailblazing band. All four members of GEORGE are skilled improvisers without a doubt, but they come together from three different corners of the music world; Hollenbeck and Webber are very much a part of the same orbit from the Brooklyn creative music scene (they are the only two members of GEORGE with a prior musical history), Nealand is at the forefront of the revival of New Orleans Traditional Jazz, and Chiquita Magic’s solo releases are described as futuristic pop using microtonal synths, voice, and drum machines. The fruits of this exceptional combination of musicians proves Hollenbeck to be part of an esteemed lineage of jazz bandleaders, think Charles Mingus, Duke Ellington, and Miles Davis, who write for specific musical personalities to express their singular vision. To me, GEORGE draws more than a few parallels to the second great Miles Davis Quintet

(Claudia being the “first”). The sum is greater than the parts, but the parts (all bandleaders in their own right) each have a unique voice that shines brightly as part of the ensemble, and GEORGE is overflowing with the distinct musical personalities of each of its four members.

That all being said, calling GEORGE a jazz band misses the mark a bit. For starters, if you see GEORGE perform live you’ll notice that no one is reading music, a very conscious decision by Hollenbeck. On that, he says “The idea when I was writing was that [the compositions] could be taught without needing any notation, which greatly affects all different parts of the pieces. I know some people in the band don’t really even know what time signature [each piece] is written in. They have their own relationship to the music. So, that’s kinda cool. I love that.” When I saw GEORGE in Richmond on their first tour in March 2022, they presented the music very much as a rock band would, but with twists and turns touching on synth-pop, full-on extended jazz solos, super tight synth-bass/drum grooves, and anything else that might be a part of any one band member’s distinctive background. Is it jazz? Sure, but it is a whole lot of other things as well. What is important is that this music is new, it is futuristic, it will make you think but also make you dance, and it is a band that we can only hope will be making music together for the next 17-25 years. Letters to George is just the beginning for GEORGE.

Peripheral Vision – We’ve Got Nothing

Peripheral Vision is one of the most exciting and innovative jazz quartets on the international jazz scene. Based in Toronto, Canada, the group is co-lead by long-time musical collaborators guitarist Don Scott and bassist Michael Herring. They have assembled a synergistic musical unit designed to push the boundaries of jazz while engaging the listener with a grooving, toe-tapping immediacy. Their distinctive musical voice bridges tradition and innovation, with deeply felt influences ranging from jazz, rock, classical, and improv, with a focus on dynamic group interaction.

We’ve Got Nothing is Peripheral Vision’s 2nd live album, and 6th full length release. It is a thrilling celebration of the band’s 15 years together, and marks the first time in their long creative history that Scott and Herring have co-written music together. The project was conceived during the pandemic as a way to create collaboratively; thankfully, pandemic restrictions were lifted in time for them to work together in person. They were eventually able to debut their new music at the return of their long-running monthly series at The Tranzac, one of Toronto’s most important creative music hubs. The concert series was recorded over the course of four months between January to April 2023 by Peripheral Vision’s long-time co-producer/mad scientist Jean Martin (Barnyard Records). The album is a collection of the band’s finest performances from the series, with each piece accompanied by live video filmed and edited by Good Job Hi Five (the creative team of Brittany Farhat & Matt Fong).

Once again, Peripheral Vision has mined the intricacies of their collective neuroses for inspiration. We’ve Got Nothing is about the constantly pressing search for new sources of creativity – especially on the heels of the disruption of the pandemic. Scott and Herring drew on a range of influences for the record: Comedian Stewart Lee’s musings on lost creativity and his deft (and hilarious) incorporation of his anxiety into his routine; the influential bassist Dave Holland’s thoughts on achieving balance in life; and most importantly, the band’s 15 year history of playing and traveling together. The original working title for this project was Telling Tales Out Of School, a phrase they often use in their “Comedy Vehicle” (aka their tour van) while encouraging a policy of “Full Disclosure,” which may, on occasion, require invoking the “Cone Of Silence.”

Jocelyn Gould – Sonic Bouquet

Swing, blues and bebop are the core musical values of Jocelyn Gould’s new album Sonic Bouquet. With this record, the JUNO-winning guitarist builds on the success of her first two albums with a studio recording that captures the spirit and spontaneity of a live club performance. It was recorded in a single day, immediately after Gould’s return to Toronto from a six week, thirty-three concert tour of the United States. Gould and her internationally acclaimed band landed in Toronto together, just in time to start an electric, four-night run at Toronto’s storied Rex Hotel. The morning after their last show, they entered a studio in the heart of Toronto to capture the energy of these performances.

The title Sonic Bouquet refers to a musical process where each musician can add their own colour, timbre, and personality to a recording – much in the same way that a collection of individual flowers combines in a bouquet. The ensemble features an unconventional front line of two guitars and clarinet: this unique instrumentation was central to the writing and arranging process.

Gould has always put together world class bands for her recordings, and Sonic Bouquet is no exception. Featured musicians include drummer Quincy Davis from Texas, bassist Rodney Whitaker and guitarist Randy Napoleon from Michigan, pianist Will Bonness from Winnipeg, and clarinetist Virginia MacDonald from Toronto. The band, spanning 3 generations, brings decades of love and passion for jazz music to life.

Sonic Bouquet is full of swing, bebop, blues, jazz standards – both familiar and obscure – and original compositions. It is the result of Gould’s long-time desire to collaborate with Randy Napoleon, an old friend and one of her favourite guitarists. Both Gould and Napoleon contributed arrangements and original music written specifically for this collaboration. 

New Music Releases: Joey Alexander, Wayne Shorter, Bombino & Jesse Dietschi Trio

Joey Alexander - Continuance 

Pianist and composer Joey Alexander’s seventh album, Continuance, is the story of a critically acclaimed artist at the peak of his creativity, not only as a bandleader but as a celebrated composer. At 20 years old, Alexander has gathered his touring band, consisting of Kris Funn (bass) and John Davis (drums), to translate their unique improvisation on the stage to the studio with the help of trumpeter Theo Croker. Featuring five newly written original compositions and breathtaking renditions of “I Can’t Make You Love Me” (made famous by Bonnie Raitt) and the popular hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” Alexander is bound to make new waves on a global level.

Wayne Shorter - Odyssey Of Iska (HQCD pressing)

A very unusual album for Wayne Shorter – recorded right around that 1970 point when Duke Pearson was exploring formats for Blue Note artists that included larger, often electric arrangements, pointing the way towards some of the later 70s soul jazz work on labels like Kudu or CTI! This set, produced by Pearson, features Shorter as the main soloist on tenor and soprano sax – in a very hip group that includes Dave Friedman on vibes, Gene Bertoncini on guitar, Ron Carter and Cecil McBee on bass, and both Billy Hart and Alphonse Mouzon on drums. Tracks are long and complicated, with searching soulful arrangements that are part post-Miles fusion, part early 70s indie soul jazz – but balanced nicely without any sense of overindulgence at all. Shorter's soprano work is very nice, and much more angular than his playing on tenor – and titles include "Wind", "Joy", "Storm", and "Calm". ~ Dusty Groove

Bombino - Sahel

It's been quite a few years since Bombino's previous record – and in that time, it almost feels as if he's locked himself up somewhere and learned how to be even more amazing on guitar! His sense of sound, tone, and timing is incredible – and the record's one of those Tuareg sets that can easily stand next to Anglo greats from the years of psych and hard rock – but with that special sub-Saharan quality that also makes a player like Bombino so unique – as he spins out long lines of freedom and fuzz over plenty of driving rhythms! Titles include "Darfuq", "Alwane", "Tazidert", "Aitma", Si Chilan", "Mes Amis", "Ayes Sachen", and "Nik Sant Awanha".  ~ Dusty Groove

Jesse Dietschi Trio – Gradient

Gradient: a change in the magnitude of a property observed in passing from one moment to another. The term implies gradual transition on a continuous scale between two seemingly opposing elements. In Gradient, the Jesse Dietschi Trio travel along a continuum between modern jazz and contemporary classical chamber music, adjusting position as they navigate compositions that blend these styles. The progression of the album invites the listener on a journey from modern jazz soundscapes to chamber music aesthetics and back again. Leader, bassist, and composer Jesse Dietschi is an international touring and recording jazz artist who also serves as a top-call extra musician with both the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Canadian Opera Company. Joined by pianist Ewen Farncombe and drummer Ethan Ardelli, the compositions featured in Gradient draw from Dietschi’s extensive training in both the jazz and orchestral fields to create lush and colorful auditory narratives exploring a wide range of emotional responses. From joyful to melancholy, exciting to introspective, optimistic to angsty, Gradient uses both composition and improvisation to take listeners on a journey through the full gamut of human experiences.

Bassist Ciara Moser Explores on Her Journey as a Blind Musician on Her Modern Jazz Fusion Debut, "Blind. So what?"

As a professional bassist and someone who has been blind since birth, part of Dublin-born/Austria-raised/Boston-based Ciara Moser’s identity has shaped her unique journey through life and music in a profound way. Blind. So what?, Moser’s modern jazz fusion debut album, is centered around her experience as a blind musician while also raising awareness for the blind community.

The songs on Blind. So what?, available October 20, explore topics such as the art of memorizing, spatial sense for orientation, trusting others, and the different perceptions that blind people have on the world. The 27-year-old Moser, who plays virtuosic basslines on a Fodera electric six-string throughout the album, undoubtedly knows her way around groove-laden funk fusion and experimental contemporary jazz/world music.

While Moser pursued her master’s degree at the Berklee Global Jazz Institute, she was mentored by its director and multiple GRAMMY-winning Panamanian pianist Danilo Perez, who Moser has performed with around the globe, John Patitucci, Victor Wooten, Terri Lyne Carrington, Joe Lovano and others. Moser’s stint at Berklee not only heightened her playing and composing skills but she was also deeply inspired by the theme of using music as a vehicle for social change, thus inspiring her to pen compositions for Blind. So what? Each tune on the album is lyrically and instrumentally dedicated to one topic concerning music and blindness. The lyrics were written by Moser except for the poem “The Lady with a Green Cane.”

Moser’s insightful arrangements on Blind. So what? give each of the many of the album’s musicians, most of which all current and former Berklee students, a chance to showcase their artistry and add their individual flavor to the compositions. Moser is joined by drummer and vocalist Lumanyano MZI, percussionists Juan Sebastian Sanchez and George Lernis, keyboardists Warren Pettey, Stephanie Weninger and Anastassiya Petrova, guitarists Amaury Cabral, Liam Garcia and Isaac Romagosa, saxophonists Salim Charvet, Shahar Amdor and Lihi Haruvi, lead vocalists Aditi Malhotra and Nishant Shekar, backing vocalists Masa Vujadinovic and Shivaraj Natraj as well as several others who provide spoken voices.

Following an intro that a screen reader (software that translates what is displayed on the screen for a blind person) recites the album title in 16 languages, Moser, and the band lock into the tight funk groove on “I Trust.” Moser says the composition is dedicated to the “trust in sighted peers, friends, family and colleagues which is necessary for living in this visual world as a blind person. The first step to trust others is to be confident in yourself, let go of any fear and urge to control and open your heart and have faith in the people who help me to see.”

Moser says “Memory,” for which she won a 2023 Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers Award, “is about the art and structure of memorizing, which is crucial for a blind person. A blind person needs to memorize all the music they play, the ways they walk, where they put their belongings and many more things. The task of internalizing melody and chords of a song like a language or a code requires practice, discipline, patience, consistency, concentration, and energy and in contrast to reading it will help the player to express the emotion and message of the song.”

“The Call to See Beyond,” Moser says, is about “the visual first impression a person has of someone and a call to see beyond the physical appearance of a person. Open your heart, soul and see beyond because the person is the thing we care about and not the stereotypes that were put on them and what they look like by society. A blind person is not blinded by those things.”

“Different Ability” is a two-part composition in which the first part is “dedicated to the moment of realization that something is different, and we are being treated differently while entering school, kindergarten and growing up as a blind person,” Moser says. Part two of “Different Ability” outlines the importance of individuality and leads to the conclusion that being different is something special.

Moser plays a stunning two-minute bass intro before launching into the Latin-tinged “Humanity,” which she says speaks of the dark sides of humanity, “but that the belief in hope and its ability to strive will lead towards inclusion, unity and equality.” The composition features vocalists from India and South Africa who say and sing the words hope, unity and humanity in their mother tongues.

Moser’s composition “Developing Senses” looks at the higher use of senses that blind people need to compensate for lack of sight. “A sighted person relies on 90 percent of their perceptional information for seeing, which means that there is only 10 percent left for other methods of perception,” Moser says. “A blind person, however, makes far more use of the other senses, such as hearing and touch, and thus elevating these senses far beyond those of sighted individuals. In the piece each of the four senses a blind person uses to a higher extent is assigned a motive and the motives are extended and developed throughout the piece, which symbolizes the higher use of those senses.”

“Sixth Sense” is about the proprioception sense or kinesthesia, the sense of body awareness. The song contains spacy sounds and rhythms that symbolize the feeling of movement.

On the odd-metered song “Traveling,” Moser invites the listener into the world of traveling as a blind person with different smells, feelings, emotions, tastes and influences weaved into the composition to create a full sensory experience. “Along with the exciting 11/8 rhythms come catchy synth and guitar sounds and a Moroccan drone with an emotional and meditational improvisation bring the idea of traveling through music to a new level,” Moser says.

The album closes with “The Lady with a Green Cane,” a free improvisation performed along with a poem of the same name written by Fran Gardner. Moser says the poem was recorded first, and then everyone improvised over it one at a time. Each musician had only one take to improvise, which allowed for an honest and raw interpretation from every instrument.

Miles Spilsbury - Cyclamen/Tungsten

Saxophonist, composer and multi-instrumentalist Miles Spilsbury shares radio edits of ‘Cyclamen’ and ‘Tungsten’, 2 tracks taken from his debut solo album ‘Light Manoeuvres’, set to be released via Rush Hour Music’s New Dawn label in autumn 2023.

‘Light Manoeuvres’ may be Spilsbury’s first full-length as bandleader, but the Brighton-based artist brings more than a decade of experience to bear on this record. In addition to a list of collaborators which includes Carlos Niño, Iglooghost, Nate Mercereau, Surya Botofasina and Yasei Collective, Spilsbury has been a permanent member of celebrated avant-rock experimentalists The Physics House Band since 2018. He has performed at prestigious UK venues such as the Southbank Centre and the London Jazz Festival, and has toured extensively throughout North America, Europe and Japan.

‘Light Manoeuvres’ is about warmth, generosity and openness. The music which would become Light Manoeuvres was sketched in fragments, but began to take shape in earnest during a period of living under the Marseille haze in the South of France.

The specific character and opacity of the light in Marseille inspired the album title which imagines the movement of light passing over different subjects and spaces in intricate motion. Sand blows over from the Sahara on the Sirocco wind and is whipped up by the Mistral, the Marseille sky becomes golden and vapoured, then intermittently pastel blue. That image stuck while shaping this body of work, and became integral to the function of the compositions - which act as jumping off points for the players and myself, vehicles for improvisation and gateways to something else entirely.

‘Cyclamen’ and ‘Tungsten’ are now available for radio play, while full length album ‘Light Manoeuvres’ will be available as LP / Digital via New Dawn in November 2023.

Miles Spilsbury plays 91 Living Room (London) on 23rd September with Jake Long (Gary Bartz, Maisha, Snapped Ankles), Cameron Dawson (Vels Trio) and Oliver Cadman (Nubiyan Twist / John Carroll Kirby)

Brian McCarthy's AFTER|LIFE

Saxophonist, bandleader and composer Brian McCarthy found that idea a source of boundless inspiration as he conceived the music for AFTER|LIFE, the second album by his acclaimed Nonet. Out via Truth Revolution Recording Collective, AFTER|LIFE is the follow-up to McCarthy’s critically lauded The Better Angels of Our Nature, which explored the Civil War era and its music through stunning original compositions and brilliant reimaginings of vintage folk songs.

With AFTER|LIFE, the scope and ambition of McCarthy’s vision has expanded on a cosmic scale. While he originally pondered a series of pieces reflecting on different cultures’ concepts of life after death, he found himself compelled more by science than spirituality. The cyclical nature of the universe, the possibility that it will eventually collapse and then explode into a reborn reality – and the distinct possibility that this has already happened, perhaps many times – was enthralling enough to fuel an hour’s worth of adventurous, stargazing music that traces the life cycle of our solar system.

“The life that we're living is basically a form of whatever came before us,” McCarthy says. “In that sense, we exist in the after life. I’m fascinated by the fact that all the molecules that make up our bodies, our atmosphere, the planet that we live on and all the planetary bodies around us were once a part of the same giant structure. We are all inevitably connected, even at a molecular level, no matter how different we might think we are.”

As much as these grand ideas serve to fuel McCarthy’s creativity, he’s equally inspired by the stellar band he’s assembled. All but one member of the Nonet return from Better Angels, many of them collaborators since his days from his days at William Paterson University or in the band of legendary trumpeter Clark Terry. The group includes trumpeter and former teacher Bill Mobley, saxophonists Daniel Ian Smith, Andrew Gutauskas and Stantawn Kendrick, trombonist Cameron McManus, bassist Matt Aronoff, pianist Justin Kauflin and drummer Jared Schonig along with McCarthy on alto and soprano saxes.

“Knowing these players the way that I do, it's second nature at this point to tailor the music for their individual personalities,” he explains. “I know what situations they'll thrive in and I also know the situations that might make them a little uncomfortable but that will push them a bit. And I definitely use both of those.”

The final member of the ensemble is producer Linda Little, McCarthy’s partner in life as well as music, who brought a keen ear and a much-needed perspective to the sessions. “I completely trust Linda’s ideas and criticisms,” McCarthy says. “We may not always agree, but in the end the music ends up being better than either of us could have made by ourselves.”

AFTER|LIFE begins with “Nebula,” a brief introductory piece that captures the monumental stillness of the “vast, dense cloud of dust and gas that was motionless for hundreds of millions of years” and that eventually gave birth to the solar system. It segues into “The Beginning,” where a lively, ricocheting energy imagines the progression from chaos to order. The vibrant, chamber-like horns that open “Flux” provide a wondrous sense of the transfer and flow of energy, while a gentle melody orbits Matt Aronoff’s robust bass line to depict “Kepler’s Law” regarding planetary motion.

The centerpiece of AFTER|LIFE is the titular three-piece suite, the most ambitious composition in McCarthy’s repertoire to date. The piece is the evolution of the cosmos in miniature, beginning with a relatively simple, swinging melody that becomes increasingly complex over the course of the 18-minute suite, culminating in the frenetic pace of modern life. “Lucy” provides a searching postscript; the piece is named for NASA’s 2021 mission to study the formation of the solar system, which borrowed its name from our fossilized ancestor. The piece is built on the three-note motif that NASA sent out in a call to artists to create music inspired by the mission. 

AFTER|LIFE, which was awarded grants from the Vermont Community Foundation and the Vermont Arts Council, is also a direct result of its predecessor’s success, as the plaudits that greeted the release of Better Angels helped steer McCarthy’s trajectory in the direction of more conceptual works. But where the first album took elements from wartime songs and melodies, with AFTER|LIFE McCarthy had to start from scratch, somehow translating the very fabric of the universe into concrete musical ideas. He found parallels in the speculative nature of theoretical science itself, the need for scientists to make grand leaps in logic akin to those of science fiction authors in order to conceive new breakthroughs in understanding.

“Astronomers and physicists need to have an artistic view to bridge the gap between the observable universe and what lies beyond,” McCarthy says. “They need to have a firm grasp on both reality and artistic fantasy to make that come to life. It's unconventional thinking mixed with conventional physics that brings those ideas into reality.” 

Saxophonist, composer and arranger Brian McCarthy draws inspiration from the history of jazz while maintaining a modern awareness. His debut nonet project, The Better Angels of Our Nature, began with a Creation Grant from the Vermont Arts Council and was named one of the best albums of 2017 by the Huffington Post and DownBeatMagazine included the album in their "Best of 2017" lists. McCarthy is a Selmer-Paris and D’Addario Woodwinds endorsed saxophonist who has additionally released two albums of small group material: Codex (2017) which was awarded a grant from the Vermont Community Foundation, and This Just In (2013). Offstage, McCarthy has laid down roots in presenting and education as Saxophone Affiliate Artist at the University of Vermont and adjunct Director of Bands at Saint Michael's College.

 

Jeff Babko, Tim Lefebvre & Mark Guiliana | "Clam City"

When three friends get together, conversation, camaraderie, and cosmic communication can occur in the most special of cases. That unpredictable magic erupts every time keyboardist Jeff Babko, bassist Tim Lefebvre and drummer Mark Guiliana converge for a “hang," or in the case of Clam City, recorded live at the LA jazz venue Sam First, a musical evening of discovery.

“Friendship is vital. The spirit of camaraderie is crucial to a greater collective of shared ideas, laughter, and to be sure, music,” Babko writes in the liner for Clam City, available on vinyl and digital platforms via Sam First Records on November 10.

Babko states the bond between the three musicians, whose credits span from David Bowie’s album Blackstar and Donny McCaslin’s band, to TV appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live and motion picture soundtracks, is palpable within the grooves of Clam City. 

“To the casual listener and avid music participant alike, the music heard here reflects the magic that happens in a ‘real time’ moment with very little prejudice, expectation or direction,” Babko writes in the liner notes. “The music composed for Clam City is distilled to the most basic of notated data and the dream of what it can be when cast under the spell of my pals’ brilliant ears, hands, brains and souls. 

The album’s opener, “The Church of Bill Hilton,” suggests gospel, as does the title. “But if you saw the San Fernando Valley church where I was the organist as a teenager, there was an emphasis on suburban and less… urban,” Babko writes. “But growing up listening to Keith Jarrett, Ramsey Lewis, Billy Preston and Richard Tee nudged elsewhere. We end up somewhere in the middle. Bill Hilton was a kind pastor and man, regardless.”

Babko says “New Wave Theatre” takes the listener into the present and future. “Mark, Tim and I all keep one foot (and several additional toes) in contemporary music and enjoy exploring the production and compositional style of a post-1980 world,” Babko writes. (New Wave Theatre was a brilliant and bizarre local ‘80s TV show— its harmonica toting host Peter Ivers was mysteriously found dead in downtown LA.)

“New Jersey Ballad” was the one chart Guiliana brought in to play when Babko and Lefebvre first brought the drummer “out west” from the East Coast and played as a trio in 2012. “Its warmth and simplicity invite multiple visits a night and reminds us that Jersey is more than Secaucus and is indeed the Garden State,” Babko writes.

“This West” is a new folk melody with a soul vamp, Babko writes, and the fellas knew what to do with the music while Thelonious Monk’s “Boo Boo’s Birthday” was fun for the trio to run through at any given moment. “Monk’s music can be so playful and wide open and celebratory,” Babko writes. “It’s fun to ‘swing’ with [Mark and Tim], and I don’t think we ever really intended to go ‘all the way’ in that direction, but lo and behold…”

Babko says “Fugue Robotique” is what the title suggests, a Kraftwerk Berlin pulse with some harmonic visits from a few towns away where J.S. Bach might have strutted his stuff. “We seem to get lost in a video arcade along the way,” Babko says.

The album’s journey approaches conclusion with “Chongo’s Song,” aptly named after Babko’s wife, when his son couldn’t pronounce words. Babko says, “Thankfully for us, his unfamiliarity of the English language provided many song titles at the time. Tim and I recorded it on an album called Crow Nuts years ago and he seems to like continuing to play it, so we keep playing it. A ballad that proves that patience and space can inspire creativity and breath within the cracks, and like it or not, intensity can blossom.”

The album joyfully concludes with “New Jersey Ballad – Return to Jerz,” which Babko says is “lovely stopover before you return to your regularly scheduled programming.”

Babko and the trio thank Sam First Records for “catching and releasing” the sounds in a “safe and inspiring space for us to share these real time moments with those that want to join us on the ride.”

Nora Stanley & Benny Bock Share | "Distance of the Moon"

On their first album together as a duo, Distance of the Moon is a deep journey into acoustic, electronic, and improvisatory realms by Nora Stanley and Benny Bock. With a friendship dating back to high school in Berkeley, CA, the saxophone/ keyboard duo has been making music together for nearly a decade. Hikes through the Marin Headlands and Mt. Tam set the landscape for a long friendship that only deepened when the duo found themselves both living in Ohio, attending Oberlin Conservatory. Cross country road trips and weekend excursions through cornfields further solidified a connection both personal and musical that Nora and Benny have continued to build throughout the past four years despite being situated on opposite coasts. 

Nora and Benny share uncanny similarities in their upbringing including the music, art and cultures they were exposed to from a young age. These similarities are reflected in a parallel musical connection with the duo reacting on a deep instinctual level, completing each other’s musical sentences and drawing from a vast wealth of shared experiences, values and interests. The opportunity to convene at Pete Min’s studio, Lucy’s Meat Market, allowed the duo to finally document the powerful musical connection they have been developing with the help of many friends. Distance of the Moon brings together shared musical, literary, and cinematic influences. Improvisation, spontaneity and instinct make up the heart of the creation process for this record, which was co-produced by Min. 

The duo’s connection to and deep love for the natural landscape of the San Francisco Bay Area is present throughout the record and is referenced in songs like “Into The Flats” and “Hawk Hill”, which is also an homage to the late Pharaoh Sanders. Distance of the Moon features the duo on a plethora of instruments, capturing a variety of textures and sounds from pump organ and prepared piano to Oberheim Four Voice synthesizer and baritone guitar. 

Distance of the Moon features guests Abe Rounds, CJ Camerieri, Daphne Chen, Doug Stuart, Jacob Richards, Jeff Parker, Mark Giuliana, Myles Martin and Owen Clapp. This is the first full length release from Nora Stanley & Benny Bock and Benny’s second release on Colorfield Records. 

Nora and Benny draw influence from the duo recordings of Charlie Haden and Ornette Coleman as well as the playful and exploratory music of Argentinian composer Juana Molina. Other influences include LA artists Sam Gendel and Sam Wilkes, Keith Jarrett, Pharoah Sanders, composers such as Olivier Messiaen, Caroline Shaw, Arvo Part, and Indonesian Gamelan. 

New Music Releases: David Boykin Expanse, Tomorrow Comes The Harvest, Carlos Nino & Joe McPhee / Mette Rasmussen / Dennis Tyfus

David Boykin Expanse - Chicago – Featuring Lasana Kazembe

One of the most spiritual, most well-conceived sessions we've heard from reedman David Boykin in years – a single performance that runs for almost 30 minutes, featuring a totally hip lineup that includes Nicole Mitchell on flute, Joshua Abrams on bass, Jeff Parker on guitar, Eliel Sherman Storey on tenor, and Avreeyal Ra on drums! The key element here, though, is Lasana Kazembe – who delivers a powerful spoken passage at points – these righteous words about our fair city of Chicago, with a powerful message about the city and life within. Lawrence Jones adds congas to the proceedings, Zahra Glenda Baker sings a bit, and the whole thing resonates with a mix of jazz, spoken word, and spiritual message that takes us back to some of our favorite recordings of the 70s! ~ Dusty Groove

Tomorrow Comes The Harvest - Evolution

A very cool project – one that was initiated by the late Tony Allen in collaboration with Detroit keyboardist/percussionist Jeff Mills – and which is carried forth here by a trio with a really soaring, far-reaching vibe! Percussion is at the core – played both by Mills and by Prabhu Edouard, who adds in all this great work on tablas, which grounds the acoustic side of the record – as Jean Phi Dary plays keyboards along with Mills, and really sends the whole thing climbing to the skies! There's a mix of jazz and broken beat energy going on here – although the beats certainly aren't broken, and we're using that reference to indicate some of the best spiritual inspirations of the 4Hero generation. Yet these guys are definitely onto something new, and very much their own – on titles that include "Rising Water", "Words Of Wisdom", "Peace Pipe", and "Metamorphosis". ~ Dusty Groove

Carlos Nino - I'm Just Chillin – On Fire

We've been following the music of Carlos Nino for many years, and during that time he's never failed to take us on an amazing journey – yet despite that legacy, this set may well be his most visionary record in years – a tremendous summation of ideas that have been brimming around the edges of some of his more subtle projects, really given focus, and set off into some great new directions! Make no mistake, this is no all-out jamming session – Carlos is hardly "on fire" – yet his creativity burns with a new sensibility that's wonderful, as he opens the door for a lineup of guests that includes heavyweights like Kamasi Washington, Jamael Dean, Andre 3000, and Laraaji – while still acting very strongly as the spiritual leader of the whole proceedings! The music is seeded with wisdom and knowledge throughout – and titles include "One For Derf", "Woo Acknowledgement", "Spacial", "Am I Dreaming", "Mighty Stillness", "Flutestargate", and "Maha Rose North". ~ Dusty Groove

Joe McPhee / Mette Rasmussen / Dennis Tyfus  - Oblique Strategies

A really haunting setting for the great Joe McPhee – working here mostly on tenor, next to the alto of Mette Rasmussen, and a mix of percussion, voice, and tape manipulation from Dennis Tyfus – all of which make for a very different sounding record for Joe than usual! The resonances of both horns are fantastic – maybe qualities that just come from the performance, or the way they were recorded – although we're guessing that Tyfus also has a hand in opening them up in very cool ways, creating all these extended sonic passages that are surprisingly beautiful, and which really find a great balance between silence and action! Titles include "Sun Gore", "Death Or Dinner", "Destilled Edible", and "Light My Fire". ~ Dusty Groove

New Music: Twospeak - Keep The Aspidistra Flying; ENEMY - Neglecting Number One (single)

Twospeak - Keep The Aspidistra Flying 

Twospeak are band leader and saxophonist Ronan Perrett’s bold and dynamic four-piece that draw inspiration equally from the world of contemporary London jazz, bands like The Bad Plus as well as the 1970’s Canterbury scene of Soft Machine and Caravan, Hot Rats-era Zappa and Deerhoof-esque indie rock, putting this all together in a heady brew and sounding uniquely themselves.

Twospeak's name is derived from the balancing act between words used to get through day- to-day life and the language of emotion, mood and storytelling humans have been expressing through music for thousands of years. That delicate balancing act is re!ected in the distinctive music the group make.

Born in the contemporary jazz scene, the band consists of Ronan Perrett (saxophone), Mike De Souza (guitar), Joseph Costi (keys, synths) and Ben Brown (drums) - musicians from groups such as Waaju, Byron Wallen’s Four Corners, Caravela and Dizraeli

'Keep The Aspidistra Flying' is the first single from the band’s new album 'Fictions', their debut for None More Records and third LP overall, due out in November 2023. Built around an off-kilter groove and circling riff, the song builds and disintegrates in and out, building each time as a different member of the group stretches out. De Souza’s distorted guitar wash and Costi’s keys add an eerie atmosphere on top of the tight rhythms provided by Ben Brown.

This first single draws inspiration from George Orwell’s 1936 novel of the same name, as each song on 'Fictions' is based on a piece of non-musical art which include paintings, sculpture, literature and film.

Ronan says of the novel “I related to the main character’s struggle with finding a balance between compromising on his artistic integrity, in this case as a writer, and on the resulting consequences his decisions brought to his life.”

'Fictions' represents a huge step forward for the band, building on the previous albums 'Twoism' and 'Re!ector', really taking the band to new heights.

ENEMY - Neglecting Number One (single) 

ENEMY, the trio of drummer James Maddren, pianist Kit Downes and bassist Petter Eldh unveil new single 'Neglecting Number One', taken from their upcoming We Jazz Records debut titled 'The Betrayal', out 22 September 2023.

After their self-titled debut (Edition, 2018) and the follow up ('Vermillion', ECM 2022), the explosive yet lyrical trio is seeking new directions with the 12-track new record, arguably their strongest yet.

'The Betrayal' consists of all original material penned by Downes and Eldh. It's an album of "purposeful contradictions and a shedding of skin", a studio recording recorded within the scope of a single day, edited, produced and mixed by the band themselves. In their own words, the band "doesn't really rehearse, playing a lot live, taking risks, always writing new music, always playing as fresh as possible", and evolving in the process.

Careful listeners will quickly notice how different from 'Vermillion' the new album is. Where once was echo and reverb, is now rhythmic intensity and a more compact sense of sound. The band sounds closer, their movement seems more focused. If ENEMY would have a motto, it would be "no risk, no fun". True to this, The Betrayal has its sudden twists and turns, yet the trio never loses sight of what makes the music theirs. It wouldn't be fair to call them "experimental", at least for the sake of using such a vague word, but they do experiment, having fun while at it. Listen to the three albums in one serving and you'll surely hear many directions in music being suggested, tried out, perfected, thrown out, and taken into processing again. You can also hear it within a single track at times.

While being on the move at all times, they have a real "swing" in their sound, and there's always a bigger idea for the music than just playing it, whatever it might be at any given moment. Their music is natural, and why not, for it's based on long-time collaboration and friendship.

As Kit Downes once said: "Whatever the situation is, I'm always looking forward to meeting up with Petter and James again, discussing everything from W.G. Sebald, to Eels, to Mad Max (Fury Road) to East Croydon."

New Music Releases: Big John Patton, Spiritual Jazz 14, Black Market Brass and Todd Mosby

Big John Patton - Let 'Em Roll (180 gram pressing)

A wonderfully wicked meeting of the minds – and a legendary bit of soul jazz from organist Big John Patton! The core of the record features the usual Patton groove – with John on Hammond, Grant Green on guitar, and Otis Finch on drums – but added to that mix is Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, making a rare appearance on an organ jazz session, with some wonderful results! The combination of vibes and organ is especially haunting – jangling a groove with a really modal feel, and creating a sound that instantly made this one stand out from the pack! The whole thing's great, and tracks include "The Turnaround", "Let Em Roll", "Latona", and "One Step Ahead". (Part of the Blue Note Tone Poet series – heavy vinyl and cover!) ~ Dusty Groove

Spiritual Jazz 14 (Compilation)

Jazzman continues to dig further and further into the many-limbed history of jazz to bring you the finest, lesser-heard sounds. Their continued Spiritual Jazz series has become an invaluable resource for anyone looking to up their knowledge of this meandering sub-genre, but things are a little different on volume 14. This time the experts at the label have gone hunting around the clandestine world of private press records, recorded and released in true DIY fashion and extremely rare as a result. Unless you're avidly pursuing such hard to find records across the world, this is a gateway into dedicated groups, singers, players and hobbyists whose gifts deserve to be heard as much as the major players. Includes tracks from Erni Clark, Elysian Spring, Radam Schwartz, Mary Lou Williams, Carmelo Garcia, Black Is, Cullen Knight, Don Menza, Belair, Andrew McPherson, Almanac, Owen Marshall, Bobby Jackson, and Compass.

Black Market Brass - Hox

Maybe the coolest set so far from this excellent combo – a record that infuses their unique blend of Afro Funk with some slightly psychedelic currents – as you might guess from the cover! The record's not entirely in the territory of a group like the Heliocentrics, but there's certainly more fuzz than before – yet always balanced with the forward-moving rhythms that the group does so well, plus plenty of that soaring brass work that graces their name – horn lines that are in a fantastic tradition that includes both styles from New Orleans and Nigeria! Titles include "The Pit", "But At What Cost", "Aethervision", "Little Ghosts", "Hox C", "Echo AD", "A Web A Knot A Tangle", and "Doom Country". ~ Dusty Groove

Todd Mosby - A 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.

Elina Duni | "A Time to Remember"

A Time To Remember is a continuation of the special synergy that inhabited Elina Duni’s acclaimed Lost Ships and finds her regrouping with that album’s quartet of guitarist Rob Luft, Matthieu Michel on flugelhorn and Fred Thomas on percussion and piano. Over the course of the past years, the group’s rapport has grown more familiar, leading to greater interplay and a collaborative spirit. 

Elina: “I think this album is a reflection of our shared passion for musical storytelling, going beyond genre and language. After several years on the road touring together, the slightly unconventional lineup now sits comfortably, and inhabits its own, singular world of sound. It feels like the most cinematic album I’ve made to date, too, with every song suggesting a different film. It draws inspiration from our diverse, multi-lingual repertoire of traditional folksong.”

As the title suggests, the notion of ‘time’ – in a fleeting sense – pulls through the programme like a theme, connecting music from different parts of the world – traditionals, popular songs and original compositions – in performances of deep lyricism but also fleet-footed folklore. The repertory spans Albanian and Kosovan traditionals, American songs like the Broadway classic “I’ll Be Seeing You” and Stephen Sondheim’s musical ballad “Send In The Clowns” as well as originals by Rob and Elina.

 The lyrics of the opening piece “Évasion” are taken from the eponymous poem by the Belgian-Israeli poet Esther Granek, and have been set to music by Elina and Rob. The quartet renders the already pensive words in stark melancholy, as guitar, piano and trumpet, through arpeggiated patterns, suggest the ebbing and flowing tides of the sea, which is among the poem’s main symbols. 

Many of the original compositions on the album are heavily inspired by an extended spell Rob and Elina spent in the Sinai Desert and reference the Red Sea, desert climate and nature in general – naturally provoking the cinematic quality Elina hints at. “Of course these peculiar past years have provoked something more intimate – it has been a period of introspection for many. What’s more, the record draws from nostalgia, too, incorporating music like the Albanian song ‘Mallëngjimi’, which literally translates to ‘nostalgia’, or ‘I’ll Be Seeing You’. There was a willingness to go to the essence of things, to the core of the chosen songs, revealing something bare that seems to echo the Sinai Desert”.

 Rob and Elina’s musical bond is key to the group’s floating interplay and the development of the musical material. The two also tour as a duo and collaborate as co-writers throughout the album. “Rob has a sun-drenched, solar side to his playing and writing,” Elina explains, “while I tend to be drawn to darker musical colours. Combining these two contrasting elements can be a great challenge, but the result is equally rewarding. Finding the middle ground is a way for us to become sincere and authentic in our collective.” Commenting on the group’s last effort, Jazzwise said that “the sum of Duni and Luft’s work together seems greater than their individual achievements, where concept and conceptualisation have combined to produce a classic.” A Time To Remember should confirm that proposition and further expands on the qualities explored previously. 

After two acclaimed quartet recordings for ECM with pianist Colin Vallon, bassist Patrice Moret and Norbert Pfammatter on drums – 2012’s Matanë Malit and Dallёndyshe from 2015 – Swiss-Albanian singer Elina Duni presented her unique voice and striking range of musical influences and songwriting in a solo setting on Partir (2018). The album captured the vocalist accompanying herself on guitar, piano and percussion and interpreting songs from very diverse sources – spanning folk songs and chansons to singer-songwriter ballads. The French Jazz Magazine described the album as “transcendent, highlighting the pure and luminous voice of a particularly sensitive singer.”

The follow-up, Lost Ships (2020), was the debut of her quartet with Fred Thomas, Rob Luft and Matthieu Michel and garnered much praise. Jazz Journal said: “As ever with Duni, this is an album of craft and skill, of beautiful vocals and subtle instrumentation, performed with perfection. As ever, evocative and intensely moving.”

Matthieu Michel previously appeared on ECM as part of bassist Michel Benita’s quartet on Looking At Sounds (2020), and with Susanne Abbuehl on The Gift (2013).

Fred Thomas meanwhile has debuted his own leader recording for the label on the New Series, presenting his trio arrangements of Bach chorale preludes, vocal cantatas and orchestral sinfonias on Three Or One (2021), alongside violoncellist Lucy Railton and violinist Aisha Orazbayeva.

Son Little Joins George Porter Jr., Eddie Roberts, Robert Walter & Nikki Glaspie in New Single "Fall Right In"

Acclaimed indie-soul songwriter Son Little makes a guest appearance on "Fall Right In," the final single release of the forthcoming Floki Sessions: Boots in Place' album via Floki Studios. The all-star collaborative album features George Porter Jr. (The Meters), Eddie Roberts (The New Mastersounds), Robert Walter (Greyboy Allstars & Roger Waters), and Nikki Glaspie (The Nth Power) in a potent collective effort recorded at Floki Studios in the Fljót Valley on the mountainous Troll Peninsula in northern Iceland at Eleven Experience's Deplar Farm during the winter of 2021.

"Fall Right In" sees a merger between the studied funk prowess of the core quartet and Son Little’s smooth, bluesy vocal stylings over a quirky arrangement with lyrics detailing the underbelly of New Orleans. While performing a headlining show at The Bluebird Theater in Denver, CO in November 2022, Son Little connected with Eddie Roberts who recruited him to guest on the track and come into Color Red Studios to work on the arrangement. The final outcome presents the perfect follow-up to Son Little's recent Like Neptune album and a guest appearance on the Eric Krasno & Otis McDonald project King Canyon amidst a busy touring schedule that includes upcoming appearances at The Kennedy Center, The Peach Music Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, and more.

This inaugural edition of the Floki Sessions comes hot off the heels of The New Mastersounds’ The Deplar Effect which garnered acclaim earning the #1 spot on the Relix Radio Charts, reached the #24 spot on NACC’s 2022 R&B/Soul Charts, and editorial playlist support on Spotify & Apple Music. In addition to Roberts’ successes with The Deplar Effect and a recent run in Japan with The New Mastersounds, Walter has been the touring keyboardist with Roger Waters (Pink Floyd) and Glaspie has maintained an active schedule touring with Trouble No More, an all-star tribute to The Allman Brothers.

The full-length album produced by Roberts will also feature guest artist appearances by Erica Falls (formerly Galactic), Lamar Williams. Jr. (Trouble No More, The New Mastersounds & North Mississippi All-Stars), Tierinii Jackson (Southern Avenue), Eric “Benny” Bloom (Lettuce), and rising Chicago artist GreenTTea.

 

From Japan to NYC, Vocalist Masumi Ormandy' (84 Years Young!) Releases "BEYOND THE SEA"

After Japanese vocalist Masumi Ormandy released her debut album in 2016, Sunshine in Manhattan, a world of opportunities opened up for her. During the past seven years, she has released three CDs in Japan, performed recently with the “Father of Slovak Jazz,” Peter Lipa, in Slovakia, who invited her to participate in a concert tour to the Czech Republic, plus she has performed concerts in Japan, Italy, the USA and Vienna, where she was featured at the Viennese Ball in 2023. This was quite an accomplishment considering she is an astute businesswoman and educator who followed her dream to become a singer, making her debut album at the age of 77.

Ormandy’s adventurous heart, now 84 years young, yearned to return to where it all began in New York City to record a new album, Beyond The Sea, in June 2023. Roseanna Vitro produced once again along with master audio engineer, Paul Wickliffe. Vitro is an esteemed performer, clinician, recording artist, and jazz vocal instructor, who has released fourteen critically acclaimed recordings. Her album The Music of Randy Newman earned a Grammy Nomination for "Best Vocal Jazz Album." Vitro and Allen Farnham, longtime collaborator and renowned New York pianist and arranger, worked for two months creating a travelogue interpreting music of America and back to Japan in this inspiring new recording.

Ormandy is surrounded by a stellar cast of New York’s finest musicians, including Allen Farnham on piano and synth, Dean Johnson on bass, Tim Horner on drums, star tenor saxophonist Houston Person, trumpet great Bria Skonberg, master trombonist John Allred, the formidable Danny Bacher, who plays soprano sax and performed a vocal duet with Ormandy, guitar great Chiele Minucci, who’s known for his group Special EFX, the swinging guitarist Paul Meyers, tenor saxophonist Tim Ries (Rolling Stones), Anders Bostrom on flute, and Mino Cinelu on percussion. Star violinist Sara Caswell and cellist Jody Redhage Ferber are featured on the orchestral arrangements. Truly a dream team.

Ormandy’s jazz vocal career began when she came from Japan to New York to study with Vitro. Although Ormandy had music training at conservatories in Tokyo and San Francisco when she was young, she quit her studies when she met and fell in love with Ray, an American who was living in Tokyo and teaching at a university. Masumi and Ray overcame social taboos and married. Together they founded the Pacific Language School in Tokyo, which offers English language instruction for Japanese students of all ages. The school continues to be a major success and an important part of Ormandy’s life.

Throughout the years, though, music was never far from Ormandy’s mind. She began learning English when she was just ten years old and had immersed herself in American culture. She particularly loved American jazz—especially Ella Fitzgerald.

Beyond The Sea is an anthology of songs that frame Ormandy’s uplifting life view. She opens the album with "Beyond the Sea," the English-language version of the French song "La Mer” by Charles Trenet, popularized by Bobby Darin in 1959. While the French original was an ode to the sea, the English lyrics written by Jack Lawrence transformed it into a love song. “I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby" is a jazz standard by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields. It features Bacher in a Louis Armstrong inspired vocal duet with Ormandy complete with a New Orleans jazz-style horn section.

“Smile” appeared in Charlie Chaplin’s film, “Modern Times.” Chaplin co-wrote the music with David Raskin, a fellow filmmaker. The lyrics were the brilliant creation of songwriters John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons, and brings the promise, even when your heart is breaking, “You’ll see the sun come shining through, if you just smile.” Masumi was 6 years old when the nuclear bomb hit Hiroshima, 188 miles from her home in Kobe. She spent over a month in blackout conditions, living in fear of another bomb. For Masumi, sunshine has healing properties for the darkness humanity encounters.

“Like a River Flowing” is iconic in Japan, written by Akira Mitake with lyrics by Yasushi Akimoto. These inspiring English lyrics were written by Steve Sacks, NYC saxophonist and member of Ormandy’s Tokyo quintet.

“Here’s to Life” by Artie Butler and Phyllis Molinary, was the signature song of the late, great Shirley Horn. With Ormandy’s 84-year-old journey, the story easily flows forth with conviction. “Sentimental Journey” — the classic World War II era anthem with music by Les Brown and lyrics by Bud Green —is reminiscent of the Andrew Sisters’ joyful swing era.

“I’m Through with Love” was written by Gus Kahn, Matty Malneck and Fud Livingston. It features Houston Person on tenor sax, with Ormandy’s poignant vocal delivery of love and longing. “Tea for Two,” originally from the show “No, No Nanette,” by Vincent Youmans and Irving Caesar, found new life with the Farnham/Vitro arrangement. Ormandy was inspired to include “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” by George C. Cory, Jr. and Douglass Cross, because of her years spent in San Francisco as a young adult.

“It’s Only a Paper Moon” was written by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Yip Harburg and Billy Rose. “Ringo No Uta” (Apple Song) is a beloved Japanese song originally composed by Tadashi Manjyome, with lyrics by Hachiro Sato. English lyrics by NY pianist Jonathan Katz, Ormandy’s Tokyo bandleader.

Ormandy may have found her voice late in life, but her conviction and maturity make her music authentically compelling. With Roseanna Vitro at the helm and a band of A-list musicians, Ormandy’s artistry and commitment shine through. 

New Music Releases: Brian Jackson / Joaquin Joe Claussell; Norman Connors / Bembe Segue; Kaidi Thatham and Cinematic Orchestra

Brian Jackson / Joaquin Joe Claussell - Mami Wata: Sacred Rhythm & Cosmic Arts Remixes 

This new Brian Jackson package 'Miami Wata' brings together traditional African sounds and modern Latin house music in a captivating fashion. Jackson's rendition of a traditional African song draws on the sacred lands of the Dogan in Mali and the rich rhythms of Ghana, paying tribute to all the different African cultures that have made for such a diverse tapestry of world music. The original comes with serval remixes, dubs and cosmic reworks from the one and only Body & Soul man Joe Claussell who takes it into all new but equally spiritual realms. It makes for an epic double 12" from BBE. Full tracklisting: "Mami Wata" (Joaquin Sacred Rhythm version) (14:04);"Mami Wata" (extended album version) (12:11); "Mami Wata" (Joaquin House dub) (5:49); "Mami Wata" (Joaquin Sacred Arts Story version) (16:40); "Mami Wata" (Joaquin Deep dub) (6:02); and "Mami Wata" (Joaquin Cosmic Arts Future instrumental) (9:24).

Norman Connors / Bembe Segue - Mother Of The Future (reissue)

Expansion's focus right now is on reissuing classic tracks alongside a newer version of it. They are all coming on tidy 10" eco vinyl in mad limited numbers and next up is Norman Connors and Bembe Segue. Connors dropped his superb 'Mother of the Future' in 1975 and it is a mad jazz dancer with layer upon layer of Afro drumming, loose percussion and expressive vocal ad-libs. Flip it over and we're taken to 2008's live version of the same tune by Bembe Segue. It's a little less intense but no less busy, with silky jazz grooves and new vocals layering in some future soul.

Kaidi Thatham - The Only Way

Kaidi Thatham remains one of the truest artists in the field of broken beat and modern jazz, and his fifth album for First Word shows no signs of slowing down. There's a certain signature you know belongs to him when those nasty Moog synth lines start flexing around the groove, but there's such depth and variety to his expression at this point in time, it feels like the possibilities are endless. From rattling neo-funk get downs to blissful downtempo reveries and on to the killer hip-hop of 'The Only Way' featuring Uhmeer on mic duties, this is an album bursting with invention at every turn. Tracks include: Reason We're Here; Criss Ting; interlude; The Only Way (feat Uhmeer); Windus McGuntus; Confidence With Attitude; Feels Like I'm On My Own; Fricassee; Alien (feat Trian Kayhatu) It's On; and Not Suffering (feat Matt Lord).

Cinematic Orchestra - To Believe

Given the rise in popularity in new school jazz in recent years, it seems a fitting time to welcome back Ninja Tune stalwarts The Cinematic Orchestra. "To Believe" is not only their first album in some seven years, but also one of their strongest releases to date. Opening with the poignant neo-classical/soul fusion "To Believe", the set sees Jason Swinscoe and company attractively saunter between jazz-electronica fusion (Roots Manuva collaboration ("A Caged Bird/Imitations Of Life"), pastoral jazz epics (the sunset ready epic that is "Lessons"), gentle downtempo songs ("Wait For Now/Leave The World"), ambient jazz ("The Workers Of Art") and slowly unfurling dancefloor workouts (killer closing cut "A Promise"). In a word: stunning.