New music releases: Bob Marley & The Wailers / Catch A Fire 50th anniversary reissue, Fat Larry's Band, Reggae Funkyfied, and Ava Mendez & Devin Hoff Revels

Bob Marley & The Wailers / Catch A Fire 50th anniversary reissue

Bob Marley & The Wailers’ 1973 album Catch A Fire is being reissued on vinyl and CD for its 50th anniversary. The 3CD deluxe and 3LP vinyl + 12-inch packages contain the same audio which is the original studio album, a first official release for Live at The Paris Theatre, London and a Sessions disc which includes alternate/extended/instrumental versions of album tracks (including the two alternate versions of Stir It Up which were issued on a seven-inch single for this year’s Record Store Day. Three tracks performed at the Sundown Theatre in Edmonton, North London are appended to CD 3 and make up the content of the 12-inch single which comes with the vinyl box set. Both presentations feature booklets with new notes (by Chris Salewicz) and rare and unseen photos. They also feature both covers the original Zippo lighter on one side and Bob smoking his spliff on the other. A special D2C (Direct-to-Consumer) coloured vinyl edition is also available. Catch A Fire 50th anniversary will be released on 3 November 2023 via UMR/Island.

Fat Larry's Band - I Can Understand It

Fat Larry's Band was formed in Philadelphia in 1976 and fronted by drummer and vocalist Fat Larry James who also played drums in the iconic Philly soul bands The Delfonics and Blue Magic. Over the course of ten years, the group released nine albums and scored big with memorable hits such as "Act Like You Know," "Zoom" and "Lookin' For Love." The band did particularly well in the UK where "Zoom" reached number 2 on the UK singles chart in 1982. They also scored big in the UK with the hits "Center City," "Boogie Town" and "Looking For Love" - songs that attracted a large audience of funk and disco music fans around the globe. Unfortunately, the band folded in 1987 after the premature death of Fat Larry James from a heart attack at the age of 38. The most recent incarnation of the band includes hornman and original founding member Jimmy Lee, original vocalist Art Austin who has been with the band since 1979, and vocalists Dr. Salaam Love and Carl Gray. Recently, the band covered Bobby Womack's 1972 hit "I Can Understand It" and it became one of the stand-out tracks for their critically acclaimed "Memories" album. Recently, while working with legendary Philly soul music producer Butch Ingram, the band reworked the track, utilizing some additional musical performances and backing vocals, and remixed it into a more dynamic version for radio - and so, the resurgence of Fat Larry's Band rolls on...

Reggae Funkyfied (Various)

A killer collection of reggae remakes of famous soul and funk tunes – all served up from a later generation of the scene, which makes a nice change from some of the more ska and rocksteady collections of this nature! It's no secret that Jamaican music was initially given a strong inspiration from American soul – and even in this generation, when the Kingston scene had really found its own groove, other influences would still come into the music in a really great way – as you'll hear on these really cool reworkings of themes from Ohio Players, McFadden & Whitehead, Barry White, and others! The production of most of these cuts is great – different than some of the more disco-oriented material that would copy American work – more laidback, with some currents of lovers rock as well – and funky, but in a laidback way. Titles include "Midnight" by Willie Lindo, "Skin Tight" by Lloyd Charmers, "Strange Compulsion" by Sheila Hylton, "Moving On" by Leslie Butler, "Funky Rasta" by Ronnie Butler, "Crowded City" by The Messengers, "Chemistry Of Love" by Susan Cadogan, "Can't Stop Rasta Now" by Ras Midas, and "Deeper & Deeper" by Lloyd Charmers. ~ Dusty Groove

Ava Mendez & Devin Hoff Revels - Echolocation

A stunning set of punk jazz, and one that maybe hearkens back to key experiments of this nature from the 80s scene – particularly some of the more groundbreaking work on the New York downtown scene! Ava Mendoza plays electric guitar and Devi Hoff play electric bass – but the pair also work here with excellent tenor from James Brandon Lewis, whose presence really balances out the fuzzier electric energy in a great way – different lines, different sounds, and a balance that never has Lewis trying to match the guitars for ferocity, which is a real plus. The quartet also features great drums from Ches Smith – and titles include "The Stumble", "Interwhining", "Dyscalculia", "Babel 17", "New Ghosts", and "Ten Forward".  ~ Dusty Groove

Funkwrench Blues - Soundtrack For A Film Without Pictures

In his wide-ranging career, bassist, guitarist, arranger, composer, producer, and engineer Frank Swart has contributed to countless sessions covering a wide range of music, from rock and funk to psychedelic acid jazz. In recent times, under the Funkwrench Blues name, he has created and produced 146 singles (at the time of this writing) that have been released once every two weeks, featuring such major artists as Mike Stern, Charlie Hunter, John Medeski, Oz Noy, Fred Wesley, and the late Lucky Peterson. In addition, he has co-produced an extensive series of Folk/Americana seven-inch vinyl singles. Even with all of this activity, with the encouragement of his studio partner Brian Brinkerhoff, Swart decided to "follow his bliss" and make an adventurous modal jazz album.

“I always think about music in a cinematic way. Once we had amassed a full body of work, it was obvious to me that this was a soundtrack to a film without pictures; everything fit together. The pieces did not have permanent titles so I loosely nicked titles from Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth. The story starts with the character having an unremarkable lifestyle but then being called upon to experience a life-changing adventure and win an important battle before finally returning to share what he learned.”

The intriguing Soundtrack to A Film Without Pictures begins with the electronic groove of “The Life” which then bursts into a full funkfest, featuring Swart’s bass and guitar playing and Mars Volta's Thomas Pridgen’s virtuosic drumming, setting the introductory scene. Altoist Gary Bartz is featured on “The Call,” soaring above the rolling pensive background that is inspired by the jazz-rock fusion of the 1970s. Evan Hatfield’s sitar and Christopher Hoffman's cello create a discordant conversation on “The Refusal” which also features the crisp drumming of Whitefield Brothers' drummer/producer, Max Weissenfeldt. “The Meeting” includes a repetitive and forceful rhythm riff, admittedly inspired by Miles Davis’ Jack Johnson/Bitches Brew period, behind the fiery playing of the Fringe’s George Garzone on soprano. Warren Wolf’s vibes and Swart’s wah-wah effects and chordal bass co-star in ⅞ time on "The Crossing” while “The Test” has a Charles Mingus-ish theme played by a horn section that is worthy of a dramatic detective television show, including Chris West doing his best Eric Dolphy on bass clarinet.

The second half of the program begins with Bill Evans’ soprano showcased on the aggressive blues of “The Approach.” Idris Ackamoor’s tenor gives “The Ordeal” the anguish it needs including its nod to Mongo Santamaria’s "Afro Blue" in its closing. The thoughtful “The Reward,” features the emotionally rich contributions of cellist Mai Bloomfield and John Deaderick’s keyboard playing. “That track was inspired by Andrew Hill’s 'Illusion - Alternate Take'," Swart enthusiastically proclaims. “The Road Back” has jubilant ensembles, an eccentric and relentless groove, and passionate playing from Dave Liebman on soprano. “The Resurrection” is one of several pieces that feature fine contributions from Swart’s old friend and Junk/post junk trio bandmate saxophonist/flautist David “DR” Robbins, who co-wrote this piece along with “The Life”; Mike Clark’s juxtaposing swing and funk sections and the leader’s guitar are also important parts of the dynamic ensemble. The final section, “The Return,” is more peaceful and has Frank Swart’s bass featured along with Christopher Hoffman’s cello. As with any movie score, Soundtrack To A Film Without Pictures concludes with "The Credits."

It reimagines the electronic groove that introduced the album and then dissolves into a landscape of free sound consisting of Swart’s bowing and drumming, Hoffman this time on electric cello, and Robbins on flute.

Frank Swart remembers, “Because I had a clear sonic vision of what I wanted on this project, I did all of the bass and guitar work myself. After recording my parts, I was fortunate enough to get many of my favorite drummers including Derrek Phillips, Scott Amendola, Thomas Pridgen, Simone Pannozzo, Max Weissenfeldt, Mike Clark and a few others, telling them to simply be themselves. Due to the pandemic, many musicians who had previously been very busy were suddenly available, so I reached out to special guests who were featured on sections of the album.” Those include such greats as saxophonists Gary Bartz, George Garzone, Dave Liebman, and Bill Evans, and vibraphonist Warren Wolf.

Roger Eno announces "The Skies" Live Tour, New Album "the skies, they shift like chords"

New live dates have been announced for Roger Eno, who will be performing  in the US, UK and Europe in 2023/ 2024.  In this new live show, pieces from his upcoming DG sophomore album, the skies, they shift like chords (out on Friday), will be showcased for the first time, as well as highlights from his repertoire. These performances will feature both Roger playing solo piano, and also accompanied by his daughter, Cecily Eno on vocals, a string quintet and guitar and with an arresting backdrop of filmic visuals.

Returning after concerts last April including a sold out London live show at LSO St. Lukes, in November Roger will showcase his new show at the Kolarac foundation in Serbia. He will then go on to perform at the launch event of the much talked about new arts venue, the Fotografiska Museum in Berlin. With a stunning LED  backdrop, it will be a night to remember. Touring in 2024 begins in earnest at Vinterjazz, the winter edition of the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, before his exciting show at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, co-headlining with the rousing drone choir, NYX, who’s immersive performances combine electronics with extended vocal technique. This show will go on general sale on Wednesday 18th of October with a Southbank members pre-sale on Tuesday 17th. Roger will then head to the US to perform for the first time in over a decade, firstly at the well-regarded Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee on the 21st of March and then shows to follow at LA’s Masonic Lodge on the 27th and Brooklyn’s National Sawdust on the 29th with the fantastic American Contemporary Music Ensemble.

Tomorrow also sees the release of a performance video for “Arms Open Wide”, taken from the forthcoming album, the skies, they shift like clouds. A track that showcases the simplicity of Roger Eno’s solo piano, its gentle yet grounded feel has the power to transport the listener rapidly to a reflective space. This poignant, beautifully captured piece was filmed at the Norwich Arts Centre and directed by Dave Meyer -  a trailer is available to view here and the full video will be available to view Friday here.

Following on from his acclaimed, delicately orchestrated DG solo debut, The Turning Year (2022) and ephemeral tracks such as “Above and Below”, which has streamed over 21 million times, the skies, they shift like chords will be issued digitally worldwide, and in physical formats on 13 October 2023 (US LP release date - 17th of November). 

On this new album Eno describes the world in a dozen musical watercolors based on spontaneous sketches, tracing an evocative and thought-provoking path through sound and silence. “Most of my pieces are snapshots of things that were experienced in the moment,” he says. “How do you describe the world, unless it’s in an instant? You can’t fix anything because everything is in flux, it’s changing and mutable.” 

FORTHCOMING LIVE DATES:

• 04 Nov 2023  - Zadužbina Ilije M. Kolarca/ Serbia  
• 22 Nov 2023 - Fotografiska Museum / Berlin  
• 14 Feb 2024 - Copenhagen Jazz Festival/ Copenhagen 
• 25 Feb 2024 - Queen Elizabeth Hall / London (co-headline - NYX choir) -
• 21 Mar 2024 - Big Ears festival/ Knoxville, TN  
• 27 Mar 2024 - Masonic Lodge/ Los Angeles  
• 29 Mar 2024 - National Sawdust / Brooklyn, NY  

New Christmas Releases: Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme, Chicago, Jose James, and Samara Joy

Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme - That Holiday Feeling!

Real Gone Music have proudly represented Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme’s GL label for over a decade. But now, they are very, very excited to announce that they are working with Steve and Eydie’s son David Lawrence and his wife Faye to overhaul their entire catalog of recordings, offering updated annotation and fresh remasterings straight from the original tapes! Last year, they inaugurated their reissue campaign with their classic 1964 holiday release…and now they are very proud to announce that they are bringing That Holiday Feeling! to vinyl (green vinyl, that is)! You get 12 holiday favorites including solo Steve (“The Christmas Song,” “Let Me Be the First to Wish You Merry Christmas”), solo Eydie (“White Christmas,” “What Are You Doing New Years Eve”) and the duo’s trademark duet renditions (e.g. “Sleigh Ride”).They've included a personal note from David Lawrence with liner notes by Joe Marchese. Even if you already own this Christmas classic, the sound on this new edition—remastered for vinyl by Eric Boulanger under David’s Lawrence supervision—will indeed spark that holiday feeling. Limited to 750 copies!

Chicago - Christmas Hits

Chicago is lighting up the holidays with a new collection that combines songs from all three of its beloved Christmas albums. The festive compilation shines a spotlight on Chicago's unmistakable sound across 13 yuletide favorites, including "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow," "All Over The World," "Wonderful Christmas Time" (featuring Dolly Parton), and "Winter Wonderland." The tracks originally appeared on Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album (1998 ), What's It Gonna Be, Santa?(2003), Chicago XXXIII: O Christmas Three (2011), and Chicago XXXVII: Chicago Christmas (2019). Earlier this year, Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album and What's It Gonna Be, Santa? were both certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Jose James - Merry Christmas

Combining the jazz-crooner elegance of Frank Sinatra and Nat "King" Cole with the sophistication of Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway, Merry Christmas From José James raises the bar for the contemporary Christmas album. Covering 10 songs - including two originals by James and his partner Talia Billig - James breathes new life into much-loved holiday classics such as "The Christmas Song," "White Christmas" and "Let it Snow." Also included is a joyful rendition of John Coltrane's "My Favorite Things." featuring Marcus Strickland. Available on 180g black vinyl. Also includes: "This Christmas," "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm," "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,"and others.

Samara Joy - A Joyful Holiday

2x GRAMMY WINNER Samara Joy’s first collection of holiday material! “A Joyful Holiday” releases on October 27th, featuring 2 previously available holiday singles plus 4 new never-before-heard tracks! This release includes holiday staples like "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", "O Holy Night" plus “Twinkle Twinkle Little Me” featuring Sullivan Fortner. “The Christmas Song (Live)” features a duet with Samara and her father Antonio McLendon captured live in 2022.

Shuteen Erdenebaatar | "Rising Sun"

Motéma Music has released Rising Sun, the debut album by Munich-based pianist and composer Shuteen Erdenebaatar. At just 25, this rising star from Mongolia’s capital, Ulaanbaatar. Erdenebaatar is leading three world class ensembles and has accumulated an impressive array important prizes for young musicians on the European jazz scene including the Kurt Maas Jazz Award, the Music Scholarship of the City of Munich, the Young Munich Jazz Prize, the Biberach Jazz Prize and the BMW Young Artist Jazz Award. With the release of Rising Sun, Motéma proudly ushers this bright new talent onto the world stage, as backed by her impressive and dedicated young quartet.

The daughter of an opera director, Erdenebaatar was brought up surrounded by music - particularly classical. Accordingly, she studied classical piano and classical composition at the Music University of Ulaanbaatar before coming into contact with jazz through a program at the Goethe Institute. This “jazz lab” under the direction of Martin Zenker turned out to be a pivotal moment for the budding pianist-composer. "It was then that a whole new world opened up to me," she says. "Suddenly I had the freedom to play what I heard in my heart, not just what was written in the notes. With her bachelors degree in hand at only 20 years old, she yearned to explore the world of jazz, and eventually came to study at the conservatory in Munich. Mentored by Gregor Hübner, Christian Elsässer, Tizian Jost and Andreas Kissenbeck among others, Erdenebaatar earned two masters degrees (in Peformance and Composition), and most importantly was able to find and cultivate her own jazz voice.

That voice is undeniably present on Rising Sun. Whether on the lilting, lyrical opener “In A Time Warp” (released June 23 as an instant grat single ), the rhythmically challenging burner "Ups And Downs", the melancholic-dramatic solo piece "Summer Haze" or the climactic, nostalgia-fueled "Olden Days", Erdenebaatar’s singular approach stands front and center. The rest of Rising Sun includes the dramaturgically ingenious “An Answer From A Distant Hill” (carried by a beguiling flute melody); the powerful, blues-soaked title track, which takes cues from a Mongolian folk song; the touching ballad “Saudade;” and the surprising love song “I’m Glad I Got To Know You”, on which the rising pianist and her quartet really step on the gas.

Erdenebaatar’s classical foundation is unmistakable throughout, displayed by her technical brilliance, stylistic finesse, and thematic structure of her compositions. Enriched by expressive harmonies and rhythm variability, Erdenebaatar’s memorable melodies serve as a framework for her formidable band to stretch out. The quartet consists of a German cadre of fellow players from her university cohort, all now award-winning rising stars and bandleaders in their own right. Bassist Nils Kugelmann, whom Southern Germany’s leading daily paper The Süddeutsche Zeitung named “one of the best in his field”, is a rhythmically and melodically outstanding all-rounder, who also shines with moving arco work on Erdenebaatar’s “Saudade”. Drummer Valentin Renner is one of Germany’s busiest jazz drummers, currently the backbone of several notable jazz ensembles in the country. Finally, the creative and highly virtuosic Anton Mangold rounds out the ensemble on saxophones and flutes. The quartet’s charismatic interplay is a highlight of the album . "It helped me a lot to know everyone well. I already had in mind who was playing each part when I was composing,” Erdenebaatar shares.

The quartet recorded Rising Sun in MONTH, YEAR, soon after taking part in “Jazz Summer Week” at Munich’s Jazzclub Unterfahrt. During this week, the quartet had the opportunity to work out the program in front of an audience for five nights straight. Thus, unlike most of today’s youthful productions, the album was not created before, but rather following the live experience of the material, a difference that lends a powerful soulful connectivity to their already distinctive sound.

Rising Sun is a startlingly mature debut from a remarkable new talent. Shuteen Erdenebaatar’s signing to Motéma Music comes during their year-long, 20th anniversary celebration. "We have a small staff these days, and only put out a few albums a year, so, frankly, it's very rare that I have time to listen to unsolicited projects, but somehow Shuteen's email caught my eye. That she was Mongolian intrigued me and her beautiful smile led me to listen. Moved by what I heard, and seeing her many accomplishments, I recognized a contemporary jazz master on the rise.” Motéma is honored to introduce this debut, and also to work with Shuteen towards releases for her "Lightville" duo, and Chamber Jazz Orchestra albums which are in development,” shares Motéma founder and president Jana Herzen.

FlamenKora Bridges Traditional West African Music with Spanish Flamenco and American Jazz

Motéma Music, now celebrating its 20th year as one of the world’s premier jazz/world labels, will release FlamenKora, a self-titled debut album from a new trio that unites West African Mande music with authentic Spanish flamenco guitar and American and Euro jazz trumpet to create a transglobal collaboration unlike any other. FlamenKora features German-born, New York-based trumpeter Volker Goetze, Senegalese-born, Paris-based kora master and vocalist Ali Boulo Santo Cissoko, and the rising Madrid flamenco guitar sensation, Alejandro Moreno. 

FlamenKora first took root during Pandemic lock-down times, when renowned trumpet player and composer Volker Goetze immersed himself in writing sessions while studying virtually with the esteemed Madrid flamenco maestro Enrique Vargas (Les Paul, Paco De Lucia). Goetze had met Alejandro Moreno at the Theatro Flamenco Madrid in 2018 and the two later performed together in Salzburg, Austria during the “Zwischenräume” Festival (2020). “Studying deeply with Vargas, flamenco became an obsession,” Volker explains. In 2021, Volker struck up a collaboration with Ali Boulo Santo Cissoko and they recorded together as a duo in Paris (that fine album is slated for release on Motéma in 2024). It was during those Paris sessions that the trumpeter first explored incorporating flamenco scales and phrasing derived from the Arabic maqam tradition in his sound. Delighting in how well the Mande and Flamenco traditions effortlessly and beautifully danced together, Volker invited Alejandro to join the duo for a residency at the Jazz & The City festival (Salzburg), where they played to sold-out houses with ovations, and the programmers of the Budapest Music Center discovered the ensemble and booked them for a concert the following year. As the magic of their collaboration was clear, the group found time to record FlamenKora in Cologne in March of 2022.

Volker, who manages, produces and recorded the group, relates, “from touring the world for 12 years with kora master Ablaye Cissoko, recording our three duo albums and directing GRIOT (a film I produced about Ablaye’s life), I discovered so many subtleties in Mande music which I recently realized also includes some of the deepest African roots of flamenco.” He explains further that, “these music traditions have evolved separately for centuries until legendary artists Miles Davis, Paco De Lucia, and Chick Corea introduced the styles to American jazz. This debut is a very special moment for us as, through FlamenKora, we are having an opportunity to extend the work of these jazz masters. It’s the beginning of a grand new adventure.”

Volker’s decades-long investigation into Mande music via his film (GRIOT), his successful albums with Ablaye Cissoko (Sira, Amanki Dionti, Djalya), and via transposing West African Fulani Flute melodies to the trumpet along with his recent dive into flamenco, led him to look beyond the constructs of traditional music and develop a sound that’s entirely new with FlamenKora. The group pays respect to the origins of the 16th century kora, while fueling it with the fiery passion of flamenco, and refining it with the sophistication of jazz. At its core, FlamenKora is a sound of love, relaxation, and spirituality that is pure joy for listeners’ ears.“FlamenKora opens up possibilities for future generations,” says trio member Ali Boulo Santo Cissoko. “For Africa, Europe, the Americas…this is a new departure for the kora. Tradition remains, but we are free to explore and create.” Guitarist Alejandro Moreno adds, “FlamenKora has an original character. Ali’s voice and kora bring a strong energy charge while the warmth of the guitar and power of the trumpet create a great contrast that gracefully coalesces together.” The album drops May 19th. Tour dates t.b.a. Find further band bio information below.

Artist, composer and trumpeter Volker Goetze is renowned for his work bringing folkloric cultures into the jazz idiom. Goetze has extensively toured and recorded with Senegalese Griot and kora master Ablaye Cissoko and directed a feature-length documentary GRIOT about the life of Cissoko. GRIOT received rave reviews from The Globe and Mail UK (“Stunningly Beautiful”) and African News (“A Must-See Film”). Volker’s albums with Ablaye have garnered over 20 million streams worldwide and international acclaim with PRI “The World” naming Amanke Dionti “Best World Music Album (2012).” Volker also produced New York City's first Sound Sculpture Walk (Sonic Gates). (Find more info at volkergoetze.com)

Paris-based Mande Griot Ali Boulo Santo Cissoko is said to have been born “with the kora in his hands.” A native of Dakar, Senegal, he is a nephew of Soundioulou Cissokho “The King of the Kora.” Ali Boulo Santo's magical playing and singing have attracted collaborations with luminaries such as Tony Allen, Omar Sosa, Piers Faccini, Trilok Gurtu, and many others. He co-composed the musical “Kirikou and Karaba” with Youssou N’dour, Angélique Kijo, and Tété. Ali Boulo Santo is acclaimed for combining Mandingo music with Senegalese and Western influences.

Born in Madrid, Alejandro Moreno is a disciple of flamenco maestro Enrique Vargas. Alejandro began his professional career at the age of 16 in the various flamenco tablaos, colmaos, concert halls, and theaters of the Madrid capital. He collaborates with artists including Marco Flores, Manuel Reyes, Karen Lugo, Mariana Collado, Hugo López, Luis Peña, and Pedro Córdoba. Alejandro is currently among the most influential tablaos in Madrid such as Villa Rosa, Casa Patas, Las Carboneras, Torres Bermejas, and Teatro Flamenco de Madrid.

21st Annual Panama Jazz Festival | January 15-20, 2024

Featuring Billy Cobham, Danilo Perez, Alex Blake, Ron Savage, Bill Pierce, Global Jazz Womxn, Hijas del Jazz Orchestra; Berklee Global Jazz Institute 15 Anniversary with special guest Marion Hayden; Panamanian All Stars Trio with Billy Cobham on drums, Danilo Perez on piano and Alex Blake on bass.

In 2023, Panama Jazz Festival celebrated its 20th edition in a hybrid format. With over 40,000 people attending all events of the festival, the event was characterized by the sold-out outdoor show on the final day of the festival. Artistic Director Danilo Perez said, “It was a dream to see the central square of the city of knowledge, a place that was a USA military base during my childhood, completed packed this year. The Panama Jazz Festival 2023 commemoration ushered in a new era, and this coming year we must contemplate serving over 40,000 individuals, which is both a blessing and a challenge.” 

During this next edition, the Panama Jazz Festival will be honoring Panamanian jazz drummer Billy Cobham, who will be performing with his fusion group Spectrum 50; the trio with Danilo Perez on piano and Alex Blake on bass; and the Global Jazz Big Band composed of musicians from all over the world including Mike Rodriguez on trumpet, Brandon Wilkins on tenor sax, Marshall Gilkes on trombone, Gary Husband on keyboards, Cristian Galvez on bass, Rocco Zifarelli on guitar, directed by Guy Barker, and accompanied by distinguished Panamanian musicians including Carlos Agrazal, Luis Carlos Perez, and Samuel Batista.

“As a person born in Coco Solo Hospital in Colon, Panama,” Cobham says, “I never dreamed that I would have the opportunity to perform in front of my countrymen and women at 80 years of age. When I left Panama, I was 3 ½ years old; when I came back it was 2005. It is more than an honor for me to be presented in such a special place. Hopefully, for the time that I have left, I can contribute in some way. Not just playing at the jazz festival, which is a big plus for me, but to have a legacy that goes beyond the concert stage in the areas of education.”

Danilo Perez, who founded the festival in 2003 with his wife Patricia Zarate, says Cobham "is an essential figure in jazz history, and his influence can be evident in the work of today's most notable drummers. He is an important example of how, since its inception, Panama has been a hidden gem for jazz that must be included in its history. Because one of the many festival's contributions is to rescue and document our Panamanian Jazz history, it is with great pride and honor that we dedicate our XXI PJF edition to maestro Billy Cobham."

Other artists who will participate of the festival include the Ron Savage Trio with special guest Bill Pierce; Cuban drummer Calixto Oviedo; Global Jazz Womxn with Patricia Zarate (Panama/Chile), Lihi Haruhi (Israel), Zahili Zamora (Cuba), Ciara Moser (Austria), and Ivanna Cuesta (Dominican Republic) with special guests Afrodisiaco from Panama; the Brazilian duo Pablo Fagundes and Marcus Moraes, The Chilean band Orion Lion & Afroritual, Cuban violinist Tanmy Lopez, Guillermo Nojechowicz from Argentina, and distinguished national projects such as Hijas del Jazz Orchestra with special guest Director Sheila Del Bosque (Cuba) and panamanian singer Solinka.

A week of enriching concerts highlighting the great gala night held at the Anayansi Theater in Atlapa Convention Center on Wednesday, January 17, 2024. The same theater will present great live jazz performances on Thursday, January 18. Ateneo Theater, located in the City of Knowledge, will also present afternoon and night concerts; Villa Agustina, situated in the Old Quarter (Casco Antiguo), will hold night concerts and jam sessions every day of the week of the festival. 

The Panama Jazz Festival's signature educational events will happen at the City of Knowledge and will host distinguished institutions such as Berklee College of Music and the Berklee Global Jazz Institute, the New England Conservatory, New York Jazz Academy, and Conservatorio de Santiago de Chile, Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School and Zumix. The Berklee Global Jazz Institute will be celebrating 15 years with a special group lead by distinguished bassist from Detroit Marion Hayden. The festival will be celebrating the 12th Latin American Music Therapy Symposium, bringing together music therapists from Panama, Chile, the United States, Argentina, Uruguay, among other countries. Other important symposiums that will take place during the festival include the 3rd Symposium of Native Peoples and the 8th Symposium of the Culture and Music of Afro-Panamanians.

The 21st Panama Jazz Festival will have the City of Knowledge as its educational venue, and the official hotel will be the Marriot Panama Hotel. The festival will also feature hundreds of national and international musicians and many educational and artistic performances will also be streamed during the event on our social media.

 

Steve White’s (Style Council) jazz-funk supergroup TRIO VALORE 15th Anniv. Edition

Record Kicks presents the 15th anniversary edition of Return of the Iron Monkey, the legendary soul-jazz album from Trio Valore, the British supergroup that features Steve White (The Style Council) on drums, Damon Minchella (Ocean Colour Scene, Paul Weller, Richard Ashcroft) on bass and Seamus Beaghen (Madness, Desmond Dekker, Tom Jones) on Hammond organ. Originally released in October 2008, the album rapidly reached a cult status amongst mods, soul and rare groove fans and the vinyl has been sold out for a long time now. The 15th Anniversary reissue will be released on November 17th on limited edition Crystal Clear LP and digital deluxe edition with two bonus tracks: “Put Em Down (Muro Di Gomma mix)”, which originally appeared as B side of the “Rehab” 45, and a cover of Roy Budd’s classic “Get Carter”. 

Trio Valore has heavyweight roots in funk, jazz, soul and the modernist tradition combined with exemplary musicianship. Steve White joined The Style Council at the age of 17, and is considered by many to be the UK`s finest drummer of his generation, playing on 15 albums with the legendary Paul Weller. As a solo artist, Steve has released 4 albums. As a sideman, he’s been one of the founders of the Acid Jazz movement with Galliano and he played with The Young Disciples, JTQ and Working Week, through to New Orleans legend Dr John, the late great Ian Dury and Brit Pop icons Oasis. Recognized as the youngest musician to perform at Live Aid in Wembley in 1985, Steve has performed at Live 8 as well. Damon Minchella formed Brit Pop heroes Ocean Colour Scene, going on to sell over 3 million albums before leaving in 2004, has also been the first call bassist for Paul Weller for over 12 years. He has performed a with a whole host of other artists, including The Who, Dr John, Jimmy Page, Paul McCartney, Amy Winehouse and Carleen Anderson. Seamus Beaghen has played with a staggering list of artists including Iggy Pop, Morrissey, Supergrass, Babyshambles, Paul Weller, David Gray, Death In Vegas, Alabama 3, Madness, The Grid, Desmond Dekker, Barry Adamson and Tom Jones. 

Together as Trio Valore they sing a simple song, they preach a sermon of groove and carry the torch of a great legacy forward, aiming their music at the heart and the feet – a dance band in the old school style. The 12 tracks of Return of the Iron Monkey are full of floor-shaking Hammond grooves, heavy deep funk & super dancefloor mod-jazz tunes. Amongst the album’s highlights are the super hip versions of Amy Winehouse's “Rehab”, Jimi Hendrix's “Fire” and the Rolling Stones' “Paint It Black” alongside groovy original compositions such as the boogaloo soul number “Dam Square” or the dancefloor jazz album’s title track. 

The reissue of Trio Valore's album is part of Record Kicks’ 2023 initiatives to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Side by side with similar imprints like Daptone, Big Crown or Colemine Records under its motto "The explosive sound from Today's scene", Milan-based record label and music publishing Record Kicks, has been pitching the contemporary funk & soul scene since 2003. With over 250 releases under the belt, the label has released bands from all over the globe and earned support of VIP fans such as rap superstars Jay-Z, Tyler The Creator and Dr. Dre, who sampled the label’s catalogue.

New music releases: Kenneth Jimenez, Mike Reed, Twospeak, and Joshua Moore

Kenneth Jimenez -  Sonnet To Silence

Brooklyn-based bassist/composer Kenneth Jimenez presents his new work 'Sonnet to Silence' on We Jazz Records, 17 November. Consisting of 7 original compositions by Jimenez performed by his quartet including pianist Angelica Sanchez, drummer Gerald Cleaver and saxophonist Hery Paz, 'Sonnet to Silence' echoes the original fire of New York free jazz while stepping into a terrain of its own, boldly forward-thinking. Jimenez, originally from Costa Rica, has a knack at composing pieces that breathe naturally and take fight on the wings provided by the first-rate quartet, joining scene stalwarts and newcomers together as a coherent unit. "Since I was a kid I’ve had this reoccurring dream of running towards the edge of a mountain and suddenly discovering myself flying down to the valley, feeling weightless and fearless", say Jimenez. "This record is the materialization of that dream. The uncompromising voices in the band and our shared desire to explore the unknown make this music live and breathe. It feels that the possibilities become endless when creating with these master improvisers, and the only thing that matters is to take that initial jump into the abyss."' As a whole, the album lets the band loose at times, while the music maintains its natural flow. With 'Sonnet to Silence', Kenneth Jimenez establishes himself as a composer and bandleader with remarkably strong presence.

Mike Reed - The Separatist Party

Chicago drummer, bandleader, composer Mike Reed shares new single and video “Floating With An Intimate Stranger” off of The Separatist Party, his new album out October 27th on Astral Spirits/We Jazz. Highlighting the strengths of the group Reed assembled for the record – cornetist Ben LaMar Gay, poet and spoken word artist Marvin Tate, and members of Bitchin Bajas (Rob Frye, Cooper Crain, and Dan Quinlivan) – “Floating With An Intimate Stranger” is a sleek mid-tempo groover that brings an orchestral depth harkening back to Sun Ra Arkestra’s Chicago days of the 1950’s. Reed explains how while the song’s video “is simply scenes from the road, the song is there to help you get outside of your own body. Sometimes you meditate, sometimes you need substances, and sometimes you share the most intimate thoughts and desires with complete strangers . . . they’re different ways to be free.” With influences ranging from jazz legends like Pharoah Sanders and Don Cherry to the motoric rhythms of krautrock, the musicians “surge through grimy post-rock or drift into ethereal, odd-metered, electrified airspaces with whiffs of Ethio-jazz” (New York Times). These world-spanning influences meld into a propulsive brew that speaks to the turbulence of the times we find ourselves in.rating vital live music venues Constellation and The Hungry Brain.

Twospeak - For Henry Moore

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. Second single 'For Henry Moore (Reclining Figure 1984)' is a charged, dissonant, energetic bomb of a tune. Brown’s flipped-out rhythm and De Souza’s razor sharp guitar drives the band rattling through changes and gear shifts as Perrett’s sax runs freely over the top. Imagine Lunch Money Life covering Trout Mask Replica and you might be somewhere close. Ronan says of the inspiration behind the song “For Henry Moore is based on a captivating sculpture of a large golden reclining figure, coincidentally created in 1984. It immediately captured my imagination as I saw it rising up and striding off to cause chaos.”Born in the contemporary jazz scene, the band features musicians from groups such as Waaju, Byron Wallen’s Four Corners, Caravela and Dizraeli. Fictions will be available on LP and digitally from None More Records on November 17.

Joshua Moshe - Inner Search 

Joshua Moshe (FKA Josh Kelly/JK GROUP) share his debut album 'Inner Search', under his own name on La Sape Records. Following a challenging recovery period after chemotherapy in late 2021, Joshua Moshe embarked on a transformative musical journey, shedding his band persona and embracing a solo identity. The culmination of this artistic exploration is his debut album ‘Inner Search’, recorded six months after completing treatment. For this project, Moshe assembled a rejuvenated lineup of incredible collaborators: Felix Bloxsom, Erica Tucceri, Angus Radley, Cazeuax O.S.L.O., Phil Noy, Niran Dasika, James Bowers, Javier Fredes, and Matthew Hayes, whilst maintaining a strong partnership with long-standing producer, Lewis Moody. 'Inner Search' showcases an eclectic blend of influences drawing inspiration from Late Modal Jazz (Pharaoh Sanders, Joe Henderson, John Coltrane), Afro-Cuban Music, Jewish Music, Garage, Broken Beat, Nu-Jazz, and Modern Jazz. Such breadth of influence signifies a departure from the traditional dancey-crossover style, evolving the JK GROUP sound into something truly distinctive and extraordinary.

Hello, I’m Britti. — New Orleans Artist Emerges From Obscurity To Shine on Dan Auerbach-Produced Debut

Singer-songwriter Britti — born Brittany Guerin in Baton Rouge; reborn in and proudly repping New Orleans now — isn’t defined by genre as much as her effervescent spirit, which she will share with the world on February 2, 2024, with the release of Hello, I’m Britti., her aptly titled 11-song debut album on Easy Eye Sound. 

Produced and co-written by Dan Auerbach — lead singer of The Black Keys, founder of Easy Eye Sound, and the GRAMMY®-winning producer behind celebrated releases from Yola, Marcus King, Lana Del Rey, Valerie June, Dr. John and many more — Hello, I’m Britti. is a love letter to the place she calls home, a triumphant ode to fresh starts in the face of heartbreak, and the culmination of a years-long journey even Britti didn’t always know she was taking. 

The album (available for pre-order now) shows the many sides of a singular voice: pairing shimmering country-pop with bright trills (much like childhood favorite Dolly Parton) on “Back Where We Belong”; breathy purrs atop the hazy reverie of 90’s R&B on “Silly Boy”; and full-on bellows alongside sumptuous horns paying homage to her New Orleans home on “Save Me.” Ever the savvy producer, Auerbach enlisted a remarkable group of first-call players to uplift Britti’s formidable instrument, including percussionist Nick Movshon (Amy Winehouse, Wu Tang Clan), Jay Bellerose (Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Sharon Van Etten), guitarist Tom Bukovac (Sheryl Crow, Stevie Nicks), and keyboard wizard Mike Rojas (Yola, Miranda Lambert), among others.

Listen to Hello, I’m Britti.’s lead single, the stunning Sade-meets-second-line groover “Nothing Compares To You,” which blends slinky guitar and synth interplay with Britti’s featherlight vocals. 

Britti “grew up in the most musical environment in the world,” Auerbach observes. “It’s in her DNA.” Raised by her mother and grandmother — whom she dubs Brown Sugar and Cayenne Pepper, respectively — Britti was surrounded by music in the family home: classic soul and R&B, blues, zydeco, and more. Her uncle, the eminent jazz bassist Roland Guerin, invited her to attend his gigs with Allen Toussaint, Dr. John and others. Britti soaked it all in while nurturing her own talent at every turn: school chorus, church choir, harmonizing with the radio on long car rides. “Singing is my passion,” she says, “but it’s also my purpose.”

After earning a degree in music performance from Loyola University, Britti fantasized about being “discovered” and pursuing a life in music. Yet for the better part of a decade that life revolved around working in a music store, selling instruments to people pursuing their dreams, while deferring her own. The devastating end of a long-term relationship combined with a pandemic furlough prompted a moment of clarity. “I remember saying this out loud in prayer,” she recalls. “‘What if I actually try believing in myself?’ I had this whole dialogue with my ancestors, my spirit guide, and the divine like ‘What if I try?’” 

She began posting videos covering songs by some of her favorite artists, including Auerbach’s own “Whispered Words (Pretty Lies)” from his debut solo LP, Keep It Hid. Auerbach found the video online and within days the two were meeting in Nashville, discussing a collaboration. “I’m sure he’s great with everybody,” says Britti, “but we definitely vibe.”

Their shared interests and influences are on display throughout the album as each track tells its own compact story. The tunes span a range of sounds and emotions, with Britt’s unique vocal style the thread that runs through all of them. It’s a voice you won’t soon forget, and Hello, I’m Britti. is the perfect introduction.

 

New York drummer & composer Lesley Mok releases new album leading her 10-piece ensemble; 'The Living Collection'

Imagine taking your first breath. Feeling this strange, cold air fill your lungs for the first time, its invisible mass taking its place inside the body. Breathe in. It’s the infant’s first breath that is somehow the most enduring, propelling the innumerable yet finite number of breaths to follow, which go on and on until finally one day they stop. Is it an anxious, questioning gasp? Or is it a savored moment of pleasure, like a long drag of a cigarette that gets pressed out of tightly sculpted lips, the smoke dancing and fading out above. The breath of life.

In the context of music, breath is a concept filled with both technical and metaphorical meanings. A group that ‘breathes together’ is aware of the physicality of music-making and chooses to align these moments of rest. But ‘breathing together’ also suggests a broader, more poetic kind-of synchronicity within the ensemble, an ethic of unison and cooperation that undergirds all musical decisions. The members of the group no longer function as separate voices but instead flow like breath within a single body.

The Living Collection does and does not breathe together. Mok’s compositions resist the urge to always unite the ensemble, instead opting for fluid and complex structures that often emphasize the tension within ideas, letting the sounds from each player reflect against one another, creating a kaleidoscopic texture that exists somewhere between an array of distinct voices and an indiscernible whole. The body that is the ensemble is not simply a uniting force, but also the limit or boundary of its music, a membrane that contains within it the aging, varied relationships amongst its ten players. This is our Living Collection.

Jorie Graham’s poem ‘Scarcely There’ considers the openness of the natural world and the various modes of relating that exist within it, evolving over time and manifesting in a range of physical phenomena. Graham: it wants its furious place again, all floral and full of appearance, full of its fourth wall, its silvery after-tomorrow and ramping-up now quite a spectacular dusk.

In an ecosystem, individuals find themselves in a constant, evolving relationship with the world around them, forced to resonate with a flow of entities no matter how disparate, the particular always in view of the universal. Is this some kind of freedom? A bounded exploration, like a child playing with the toys in front of them, arranging and rearranging them to create new worlds of possibility, of breath and breadth. If anything is guaranteed, it is the promise of the next day that brings with it the light of a fresh, unfurling dawn. Breathe out. -Henry Mermer, January 2023

Buselli/Wallarab Jazz Orchestra– The Gennett Suite

On The Gennett Suite, acclaimed composer-arranger Brent Wallarab weaves a masterpiece from the music and history that birthed the recording industry.

To most people, the small town of Richmond, Indiana won’t ring a bell. But those attuned to the seismic events that occurred there a century ago will instantly conjure up such early jazz icons as Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke, and Jelly Roll Morton, surrounded by primitive recording technology in a converted piano factory – the setting for some of the most famous, pioneering jazz records made at the Gennett Studios, for one of the earliest successful record labels.       

The brilliant composer and Indiana University professor Brent Wallarab has long admired that music, and the story of how culture, politics, capitalism, and the 1920s thirst for freedom combined to place Gennett at an epicenter of 20th-century music. With The Gennett Suite, he captures that history in a monumental piece, for the Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra, that repurposes music from the Gennett label’s influential early records. The album will be released on June 9, 2023 on Patois Records, a scrappy little label of our own time, owned by veteran trombonist and educator Wayne Wallace.    

Using such classic compositions as “Dippermouth Blues,” “Wolverine Blues,” and “Star Dust” – the first recording of which took place in Richmond – Wallarab reimagines these legendary themes and personages for a new century. To do so, he has emptied his considerable toolbox of musical wizardry. He has extended themes, elasticized the time, turned ensembles into prisms, and applied a host of anachronic techniques – funkified bass lines, advanced harmonies, brilliant sonances, and plush ensemble textures barely imagined 100 years ago – to boldly bring these ancient compositions into the 21st century. 

But not at the expense of the original material; at their most modern, Wallarab’s reinterpretations lose neither sight nor sound of the source. “These are more than just ‘arrangements’ of the tunes,” he points out. “I tried to give each one its own character. . . . [Each] is a unique part of the overall narrative I want to tell.” 

Wallarab designed The Gennett Suite in four movements, each of which elevates one of the major jazz tributaries flowing into the Gennett studios in the early 1920s. The first movement, Royal Blue, celebrates some of the label’s earliest stars, tracing the evolution of jazz from an idiom of collective improvisation – represented by “Tin Roof Blues,” recorded in 1923 by the New Orleans Rhythm Kings – to a soloist’s art in the hands of Louis Armstrong. Wallarab illustrates this transition with an interlude that leads from “Tin Roof Blues” to the contemporaneous classics “Chimes Blues” and “Dippermouth Blues,” Gennett recordings made by King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band starring Armstrong, who had arrived in Chicago in 1922. 

The second movement, Blues Faux Bix, focuses on Armstrong’s white counterpart, cornetist Bix Beiderbecke, whose cooler sound and more measured approach provided a Midwest alternative to the sounds from New Orleans. (Beiderbecke was born and raised in Davenport, Iowa.) This movement combines several songs Beiderbecke recorded for Gennett with his band The Wolverines  – the early classics “Wolverine Blues” and “The Jazz Me Blues” – and Beiderbecke’s eidetic “Davenport Blues,” recorded under his own name and here starring Wallarab’s longtime band-leading partner, trumpet ace Mark Buselli. 

Movement 3, Hoagland, reminds us that one of the earliest architects of the Great American Songbook – Hoagland Howard (“Hoagy”) Carmichael – played his own role in the Gennett story, as a fledgling songwriter and confidant of other musicians on the scene. On Carmichael’s classic “Riverboat Shuffle,” Wallarab recombines sections of the melody to build suspense and create an irresistible propulsion. But the real highlight is Wallarab’s extraordinary recomposition – and saxophonist Greg Ward’s emotionally transcendent interpretation – of “Star Dust,” which many consider to be the greatest single American popular song. 

Carmichael first recorded “Star Dust” at Gennett in 1927. It grew out of his friendship with and admiration for Beiderbecke: Carmichael sought to capture the dreamy quality of the cornetist’s improvisations in this indelible through-composed melody. Given its pride among place in popular music, its inclusion would seem like a foregone conclusion, but Wallarab felt that wasn’t justification enough. “I went round and round on this,” he admits. “I mean, does the world really need another arrangement of ‘Star Dust?’ But I knew that if we were going to deal with Hoagy, it had to be reckoned with. So I decided that I would only submit a new arrangement if I could come up with a different approach.” 

He ended up with a fantasia based on the original theme, incorporating elements from European classical composers in subtle ways; once he’d decided on the treatment, Wallarab knew that it should be a vehicle for Ward, the Chicago jazz veteran who joined the Indiana University faculty in 2019. Ward is well known in new jazz circles for exploratory bands like his Rogue Parade, and for collaborations with “Beat Scientist” Makaya McCraven. As Wallarab points out, “We all know what an amazingly creative small-group improviser he is. But a lead saxophone player in a big band? It’s just among the best I've ever heard from anyone. His playing on ‘Star Dust’ is just breathtaking.”

The final movement, Mr. Jelly Lord, honors Jelly Roll Morton, the first notable jazz composer, whose 1923 Gennett collaboration with the New Orleans Rhythm Kings helped put the new studio and its fledgling label on the map of American recording. Morton’s early arrangements had a seminal impact on his peers and imitators; and in “King Porter Stomp,” he gifted the world with a classic composition that has inspired new treatments by artists from Fletcher Henderson to Gil Evans to avant-jazz guitarist Noël Akchoté.       

Although not a native Hoosier, Wallarab has spent the majority of his adult life in Indiana, and he has taken a keen interest in the state’s pivotal role during the early days of the recording industry. “Gennett’s importance in spreading jazz throughout the country and across the world has always been so inspiring to me,” he explains. His first attempt to commemorate that history in the form of a major composition came in 2003; but even after the piece was performed, “I knew that it wasn’t done yet,” he says. “It was OK, but it became the model for the current Gennett Suite.” He began to rewrite the project in 2017 and then, in early 2022, he committed to finishing the monumental piece before the end of the year.

“As far as I’m concerned, my job was to create this musical narrative of Gennett,” Wallarab continues. To help tell that story beyond the music itself, he enlisted acclaimed jazz historian John Hasse, Curator Emeritus at the Smithsonian Institution, whose astute historical essay contextualizes the milieu in which jazz and Gennett both took root; and also David Brent Johnson, author and nationally syndicated radio host at Bloomington’s WFIU-FM, to analyze Wallarab’s use of the source material for the work. The essays highlight the 60-plus-page booklet that accompanies the splendidly packaged double-CD.

In bringing the music of 100 years ago forward, Wallarab has fulfilled his long-held goal to commemorate Gennett and, more broadly, the state of Indiana’s vital and often forgotten role in the record business. A passionate educator, he has also made this a teachable moment, using the work to dust off and re-examine music that remains vital yet malleable to changing tastes. 

In 2023, “Gennett is not exactly an unknown,” Wallarab says, but neither is it high in the consciousness of modern listeners. In fact, “A lot of the musicians who played on the session had no idea about the label and his history.” But they surely do now. 

Trombonist and composer/arranger Brent Wallarab is the David N. Baker Associate Professor of Jazz Studies at Indiana University’s world-renowned Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington. In 1994, he and trumpeter Mark Buselli founded their eponymous jazz orchestra, which has developed into one of the most widely respected big bands in the country, while attaining an elevated position on the historically rich Indianapolis jazz scene. The Gennett Suite is their eighth album. 

 

Jacob Young | "Eventually"

Jacob Young’s fourth leader-recording for ECM not only presents the guitarist’s first pass at the guitar trio format, but moreover offers a broader view of his compositional pallet, as he, bassist Mats Eilertsen and drummer Audun Kleive explore a wide variety of pulsations, temperaments and styles, all tied together by Jacob’s always melodic embrace. On his last effort, 2015’s Forever Young, the guitarist was joined by Trygve Seim and the Marcin Wasilewski Trio, performing what The Guardian called, “a set full of undemonstrative surprises and contrasts”, where “the quality of the composing matches the formidable powers of the band.” Eventually continues that record’s gentle lyricism, while Audun Kleive’s percussive injections add counterpoint to Jacob’s in turns balladic and more rhythmically overt elaborations, lending this set its sharp edge. 

“Young often plays quietly and obliquely, but he likes grooves,” The Guardian has noted and these qualities are ever-present here, organised in constant juxtaposition with each other throughout the set. Long-time partner Mats Eilertsen, who appeared on Jacob’s label debut Evening Falls (2004) and Sideways (2007), contributes a confident foundation, simultaneously complementing and challenging his colleagues in a vivid, contemporary jazz programme. 

Jacob: “It took quite a while to make a new album after Forever Young, because I had to get older. I had to dare to just play with bass and drums – no piano or horns. When Mats and Audun agreed to do this recording with me in the classic guitar, bass and drums trio format, it was important for us not to go ahead and make ‘just another guitar-trio record’, but to make it sound fresh, like something we’ve never done before.”

 Part of the freshness here comes from the fact that Jacob doesn’t draw from obvious references to or quotes of the past guitar-greats he admires, but instead concentrates on developing his own voice as a composer and guitarist – one defined by subtle chord-melody harmonisations. Jacob: “When I am the only chordal instrument it gives me more freedom playing these harmonically dense pieces, because when playing single lines during an improvisation and only having the bass beneath more notes are available. Then I can throw in a chord that sounds good with the bass without having to adjust to a piano’s voicing and sound, or any other chordal instrument.” 

Jacob also emphasises the significance of his sidemen in the process of making the album: “We treated the material like equals. I was the leader in the sense that I composed the music, but more than anything, it’s about the interplay with these two masters. Mats and Audun make improvising easier for me – it’s one of their mutual abilities. To make other people sound better.” 

Whether it’s in the descending lines of the title track “Eventually”, the underlying groove of “I Told You In October”, the subtle balladry of “Moon Over Meno” or the more robust approach taken on bluesy “One For Louis” – Jacob calls the song his “personal take on ‘Rollover Beethoven’” – there’s indeed a particular, electric friction at play between the three musicians as they search for (and find) fresh modes of expression across nine inventive new originals by the guitarist-composer.

Jacob Young has previously released three recordings as a leader for the label: Evening Falls (2004), Sideways (2007) and Forever Young (2014), recorded in the company of ECM stalwarts like late drummer Jon Christensen, saxophonist Trygve Seim, Marcin Wasilewski and more. He was also part of Manu Katché’s group on Third Round (2010) and the drummer’s compilation album Touchstone for Manu (2014). 

Besides his role as an esteemed and in-demand sideman for numerous ECM projects – among them albums by Bobo Stenson, Tord Gustavsen, Mathias Eick, Trygve Seim or Wolfert Brederode –, Mats Eilertsen has released his own acclaimed leader-albums for the label, in quintet on Rubicon (2016) and trio on And Then Comes The Night (2019). 

Audun Kleive too shares history with ECM, going back to Terje Rypdal’s Chaser from 1985. He has appeared on over a dozen other recordings, often with Terje but also on Mathias Eick’s The Door (2008), Arve Henriksen’s Cartography (2010), with Jon Balke’s Magnetic North Orchestra on Further (1994) and Kyanos (2002) Marilyn Mazur’s Small Labyritnhs (1997) and more.

New music releases: Chakachas, Terri Walker, Stefano Cosi, and Allez Kiki Fermentation

Chakachas  - Discoteca Sudamericana (with bonus tracks)

A wonderful set of funky Latin grooves from Chakachas – an album that was recorded around the same time as their classic Jungle Fever record, but which is much more obscure overall! The set was originally only issued in Europe, and has a groove that's very similar to Jungle Fever – a mad messed-up blend of Latin, funk, and sleazy European grooves – delivered with a style that's part soundtrack, part US Latin – and all groovy all the way through! There's plenty of heavy percussion, funky basslines, and riffing guitar – and the record is filled with funky nuggets all the way through, with titles that include "Hot Hands", "Liza & Brook", "Mamadula", "The Walking Brass", "Turtle Soup", "Bugaloo", and "Super Cat". Reissue includes bonus tracks not on the original record – "Tengo Tengo", "Noche De Amor (voc)", and "Hot Hands (inst)". ~ Dusty Groove

Terri Walker – My Love Story

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Terri Walker is celebrating the 20th anniversary of her critically acclaimed 2003 album, ‘Untitled’, with the release of her highly anticipated new album ‘My Love Story’, out now via Wings of a Hummingbird Records/Believe UK. Produced by Konny Kon & Tyler Daley – widely recognised as Children of Zeus, who also co-wrote the album alongside Walker & Drs, the seven-track album showcases Terri’s unique blend of Soul and RnB. Following on from the release of singles ‘Finally Over You’ and ‘I’m Not The One’, ‘My Love Story’ is a testament to Terri’s growth as an artist over the past two decades. Speaking about the album Terri said: “My Love Story is an album that I made for myself. It has been one of accountability, and ownership – no blaming or assumptions. It’s an album where I didn’t worry that it didn’t meet mine, or other people’s expectations.

Stefano Cosi - Shine

Shine is the first work of Italian drummer and producer Stefano Cosi. The record, published in March 2023 by Groove It Records, includes nine tracks; the producer decided to collaborate with a different singer in each one of them, carefully choosing the voice best suited for each track. All the singers involved are internationally renewed and familiar with the sounds and styles adopted by Stefano, and are accompanied by a wide array of extremely talented and experienced musicians. The reason behind this choice lies in the fact that the producer believes that making music is above all a cultural matter, in the sense of being part of a certain space and time with those who share the same curiosity.

Allez Kiki Fermentation - Gusto Di Luce

Funky jazz nuggets with a mighty nice lineup – one that features plenty of vibes next to the keyboards, all resonating strongly over tight rhythms on acoustic bass and drums! There's almost a sunshiney vibe to the music at times that fits the image on the cover – not polished or slick, but this sort of shimmering quality that really lets you bathe in the warmth of the music – especially as the grooves are often laidback, yet still plenty darn funky! The drums are great, and the way they kick in with the vibes is wonderful – on titles that include "Estinto Omicida", "Hydromiel 2022", "Orso Pacifico", "Bourguignon", and "Saint Emilion". ~ Dusty Groove

Jessica Pavone | "Clamor"

Jessica Pavone has released Clamor, another distinctive ensemble album from the composer-violist and a continuation of the concerto form she developed on 2021’s "deeply affecting" (Pitchfork) Lull. 

First premiered in the fall of 2022, Clamor features four movements that each take their name from an invention that women created to circumvent obstructions to their freedoms. Two movements highlight Katherine Young’s unique bassoon style, while the others center ensemble communication. The ensemble for Clamor comprises eminent women and nonbinary musicians who each bring their own voices to the composition: violinists Aimée Niemann and Charlotte Munn-Wood, violists Abby Swidler and Pavone, cellist Mariel Roberts, and double bassist Shayna Dulberger.

Details for Jessica Pavone's release show have also changed. The concert will now take place on November 12th at Brooklyn art space Pioneer Works as a part of Second Sundays. 

In the 17th century, Korean women invented the standing see-saw to help them see what lay outside. These women weren’t allowed to leave their homes, so the see-saw gave them the ability to peek out the walls of their property, if even for just a second. Composer-violist Jessica Pavone came upon this history in January 2021 after writing a rhythm that swayed back-and-forth; she wondered what drew her to this see-saw-like pattern so she started researching its origins. This led her to want to find more stories of how women have worked around societal barriers and norms, and, in turn, to composing Clamor. Through her signature indeterminate and fluid style, Clamor reimagines the idea of “womens’ work,'' using women-made inventions as a starting point to craft powerful music.

First premiered in the fall of 2022, Clamor is written for a six-person ensemble and bassoon soloist Katherine Young and features four movements that each take their name from an invention that women created to circumvent obstructions to their freedoms. To find them, Pavone read feminist texts by Gloria Steinem and searched for women-made inventions from countries around the world and from across eras. The inventions she chose are the Neolttwigi, or the 17th century see-saw; Nu Shu, a secret language developed by Chinese women who were forbidden from going to school; and bloomers, which were created by Amelia Bloomer during the Victorian dress reform.

The music of Clamor is a continuation of the concerto form Pavone developed on 2021’s Lull. Two movements highlight Young’s unique bassoon style, while the others center ensemble communication. The ensemble for Clamor comprises eminent women and nonbinary musicians who each bring their own voices to the composition: violinists Aimée Niemann and Charlote Munn-Wood, violists Abby Swidler and Pavone, cellist Mariel Roberts, and double bassist Shayna Dulberger.

Clamor builds from a time-based score, in which Pavone instructs players to move from phrase to phrase at specific times. Each musician plays a specific pattern until they reach the designated clock marker that tells them to change; these loose dictations allow Pavone to foreground each musician’s intuition and individuality instead of creating a composer-performer hierarchy. Young’s movements in particular—“Nu Shu” parts 1 and 2—grow from her singular bassoon language. Pavone and Young have a long history of collaboration and friendship and these movements are born out of their mutual understanding. Throughout, Young showcases her fearless exploration, excavating the full dynamic, textural, and emotional range of her bassoon.

The other movements of Clamor drift between ensemble unisons and solo voices, watching as each instrument pops out of the fold or fades away. There’s democracy in this playing—no one musician feels like a leader or a follower. Rather, each passes their melody along to the other, letting every voice be heard. During “Bloom,” for example, a folksy melody branches out into a series of drones that flow with ease between consonance and dissonance, eventually erupting in one final howl. There’s a sense of empowerment that emerges from both these solo moments and the group’s melodies that braid together. At its heart, Clamor shows us the strength of individual and communal voices—demonstrating how womens’ work can be a space for both agency and collectivity.

New music releases: Kenny Thomas, Angel Bat Dawid, Barbara Mason, With Love Vol 2 - Compiled By Miche

Kenny Thomas – The Best Of Kenny Thomas

Cooltempo Records launches the first in a series of compilations and reissues starting with brit-soul icon Kenny Thomas. Containing the biggest hits, fan favourites, and previously unreleased material. Twice Brit-Award nominated Kenny Thomas is one of the UK’s most successful Soul singers of his generation, having had two Top 10 albums and numerous Top 40 singles over his illustrious thirty-year career. His debut album Voices, released in 1991, sold over a million copies worldwide, going double platinum in the UK alone and features the top 5 hit ‘Thinking About Your Love’. Most recently, Kenny appeared on the Top of the Pops BBC series to discuss his hits, having performed on the show no less than 9 times. During lockdown, Take That’s Gary Barlow invited him to sing for his Crooner Sessions with the video garnering over 4 million views. Kenny is set to embark on a UK theatre tour in support of the Best Of throughout November and December. The Best Of Kenny Thomas features his ’90s chart hits along with rare mixes and two previously unreleased tracks.

Angel Bat Dawid - Requiem For Jazz

An amazing piece of work from Angel Bat Dawid – music that's light years ahead from her recordings of just a few years back – and that's really saying a lot, given the strength of that material! The album features music from a large stage performance put together by Angel – partly inspired by the legendary film The Cry Of Jazz – done by director Edward Bland at the end of the 50s, with music by Sun Ra, and groundbreaking testament on the nature of jazz and black expression in America. The film has been a touchstone for us for decades – yet somehow, Angel finds a way to to channel all its power and explode its meaning and message into something even more powerful – directing a larger group of musicians and singers with a stunningly majestic quality – one that is sure to elevate Dawid into the upper reaches of jazz for years to come. An instant masterpiece, and a record that will become a touchstone for both jazz and contemporary music in general – with titles that include "Introit", "Dias Ire", "Rex Tremendae", "Recordare", "Confutatis", "Lacrimosa", "Kyrie Eleison", "Agnus Dei", and "Lux Aeterna". ~ Dusty Groove

Barbara Mason - The Ghetto

Very obscure work from the great Barbara Mason – a set that has a Buddah Records-era photo of her on the front, but which feels as if was recorded about a decade later – although it's a bit hard to tell, as there's not much detail in the notes! Yet despite that lack, there's some great material here – tracks that really showcase Barbara's maturing vocal approach, with a range that's much stronger than her late 60s hits – as she takes on a few soul tunes by others, redoes some of her classics, and throws in a few new tracks too! Titles include "Don't You Ever Take Your Love Away", "You Got Me Runnin", "People Make The World Go Round", "Feel Like Making Love", "Give Me Your Love", "Easy", "I'm So Proud", and "The Ghetto" – plus two different versions of the tunes "From His Woman To You", "Shackin Up", and "Yes I'm Ready".  ~ Dusty Groove

With Love Vol 2 – Compiled By Miche

Miche's at it again – and he's somehow managed to top the great sound of the first volume in the series – digging deeper into the past, coming up with more soulful numbers overall, then throwing in just the right touch of Brazilian grooves to even things out! As before, there's no unifying label or scene to these tracks – they're just brought together in celebration of a really joyous, positive, uplifting vibe – one possessed by each track alone, but which really steps out strongly as they all resonate together! Titles include "Save The Best For Last" by Alice Cohen & Fun City, "You & Me" by Mark Meadows, "Take To The Sky" by Mixed Generation Enterprize, "I Like What She's Doing" by Billy Boomer, "Straight Forward" by PJ City, "Realize" by Maxwell, "High On You" by Freedom, "Blow My Mind" by The Lost Family, "As" by The Family Tree, "A Luz Que Brilha Meu Viver" by Banda 22, "Misterio Brilhante" by Ze Da Lata, "Then I Reach Satisfaction" by Eleventh Commandment, and "Dame Solamente Amor" by Rogers Mitchell. ~ Dusty Groove