Omar Sosa’s 88 Well-Tuned Drums, the Award-Winning Documentary on the Life and Music of GRAMMY-Nominated Pianist and Composer Omar Sosa

GRAMMY-nominated pianist and composer Omar Sosa’s body of work as a composer, bandleader, and recording artist is a rich tapestry of styles and cultures, from solo piano to big band, from Mother Africa to Cuba – and the descendant communities of the Diaspora – and from jazz, Afro-Cuban, and an array of folkloric traditions to Western classical music. What’s more, Sosa often performs and records with synthesizers, samplers, and electronic effects, making it challenging to categorize his music, but providing so much of its originality and allure.

Omar Sosa’s 88 Well-Tuned Drums, the documentary directed by Soren Sorensen, captures much of Sosa’s oeuvre and the accompanying soundtrack LP of the same name reflects the artist’s chameleon-like sensibilities. Featuring artists born across five continents in conversation and performance, the film is a frenetic and nonlinear narrative that follows Sosa’s sinuous trajectory from his birth and upbringing in Camagüey, Cuba’s third-largest city, his education at the prestigious Escuela Nacional de Música in Havana, military service in Angola during that country’s long civil war, and eventual relocation to Ecuador where, for a time, he wrote, arranged, and performed commercial jingles. 

Sosa’s solo career began with a fortunate move to San Francisco in 1995 where he met manager Scott Price, who co-produced the film and its soundtrack. Sosa and Price forged a partnership that continues to this day. “For fans and newcomers alike,” Price said, “the film and soundtrack LP are a great way to enjoy Omar’s music better appreciate the artist and his creative process.”

The soundtrack features music from eight Sosa albums, including three GRAMMY nominees – Sentir (2002), Across the Divide (2009), and Eggūn (2013) – and will be released by Price’s Oakland-based label, Otá Records.

For Sosa, whose prolific career began nearly 30 years ago, looking back at his own life has been a profound – if unusual – experience. “Whatever I did before, it’s already in the past,” Sosa said. “Personally, I’m always paying attention to what I’m working on in the moment and looking for what comes next. I’m always so focused on what I’m doing now, trying to create. Sometimes I don’t even listen to what I do. So it’s gratifying to hear how other people feel about my music.”

Of the film’s numerous interviews with Sosa collaborators, journalists, and admirers, one moved Sosa to tears: celebrated pianist, composer, and arranger Chucho Valdés, who Sosa called a “mentor” and “one of the godfathers” of modern Afro-Cuban music. Sosa counts Irakere, the legendary Cuban group Valdés formed in 1973, among his earliest and most important influences.

Sorensen first interviewed Sosa in 2011 while writing and editing for Tribe, a short-lived arts and culture publication based in Providence, Rhode Island. It was immediately clear to Sorensen that Sosa’s story was worthy of a treatment more rigorous and thoroughgoing than a single magazine piece could allow. “Listening to Omar’s music and then talking to him so many times over the years has completely changed me,” Sorensen said. “Genres I listen to, when I listen, how I listen – it’s all been rearranged. I wasn’t ready for it as a musician, but as a filmmaker it all resonates in a different way.”

When Sorensen first approached Sosa about a documentary, Sosa was promoting Alma, his first album with Italian trumpeter Paolo Fresu. Sosa and Fresu released their third collaboration, Food, in 2023. “It’s hard to believe that our first shoot was over ten years ago,” Sorensen said. “But after that concert and those interviews, I knew we needed to go deeper and try to paint a more complete picture.”

Lacking the budget to follow Sosa around the world with a film crew, Sorensen and   cinematographer Jason Rossi, both based in Rhode Island, simply waited for Sosa to come to the U.S. “I think we turned a weakness into a strength. I hope we did,” Sorensen laughed. “Omar comes to Boston or New York a few times a year. But every time he comes back around, he seems to have a new sound and an unexpected group of brilliant collaborators.”

Omar Sosa’s 88 Well-Tuned Drums had its world premiere at the 2022 USA Film Festival in Dallas, TX. The film has since appeared at over 30 film festivals across North America and Europe, winning awards at Albuquerque Film+Music Experience in Albuquerque, NM; Hamptons Doc Fest in Sag Harbor, NY; Imaginarium Independent Film Festival in Louisville, KY; Massachusetts Independent Film Festival in Worcester, MA; ReelHeART International Film Festival in Toronto, Canada; and Rhode Island International Film Festival in Providence, RI. Los Angeles-based independent film distributor Indie Rights recently acquired worldwide rights to the film.

Youthful and energetic at 58 years of age, Omar Sosa still has a lot of music to make and life to live. “I’m proud and happy to have a documentary about my life,” Sosa said and added with a smile, “A lot of the time, documentaries don’t happen until someone passes away, so this is really a gift.”

New Music Releases: TRU, Toni Richards, Kat Fontaine, Jimmy Lee

TRU - All Over Your Face

Hailing from the Camden, New Jersey / Philadelphia area, a part of the country that became a breeding ground for great vocal groups such as The O’Jays, Blue Magic, and The Stylistics, three seasoned singers came together to form “TRU” - a highly versatile trio that brings the sweet sound of Philly Soul forward for a new generation. Back in 2022, the group reconvened with legendary Philly Soul producer Butch Ingram and his ultra-talented Society Hill Orchestra to create yet another great piece of modern soul in the full-length offering "Someday We'll All Be Free." One of the standout tracks from the album was the Johnny Ingram penned "All Over Your Face," originally a hit for Ronnie Dyson in 1983. “TRU” has completely transformed the tune, making it a much funkier affair, thanks to Ingram's forward-thinking arrangement. Included with this new exclusive single release is a previously unreleased instrumental version included as a bonus. Once again, “TRU” has not only carried on the tradition, but they have also proven that the sound and vibe of Philly Soul is very much alive and well, thanks to their determined efforts.

Toni Richards - Dancing In The Dark

Veteran producer Butch Ingram knew that Toni was ripe for the recording. So he assembled a cast of seasoned musicians that would compliment Richards’ sensitive and compelling voice, including local sax legend Don “Juan” Ward, key members of the Ingram Family Band and the legendary Society Hill Orchestra. Ms. Richards exquisite voice front and center in a fitting tribute to the timeless songs of the Great American Songbook performed by a gifted vocalist who deserves to be heard. Presented here is the lead single from the album, the classic standard "Dancing In The Dark."

Kat Fontaine - I Love You Anyway

In the past few years Fontaine has been working with the legendary Philly Soul producer Butch Ingram abetted by the awesome talents of the mighty Society Hill Orchestra. She released her first ever solo album to rave reviews and has been busy entertaining adoring audiences ever since. Hailed as one of the standout tracks from “This Time,” her debut album, Kat revisited Dee Dee Sharp’s chestnut, “I Love You Anyway,” originally released on the Philadelphia International label back in 1980. The Philly Soul vibe is still very much alive as Kat delivers a beautiful rendition of the much beloved tune and truly makes it her own. 

Jimmy Lee - Hold Back The Night

On May 17, 2016, Jimmy was inducted into The Legends of Vinyl Hall of Fame - R&B Artist category. He is currently touring with Blue Magic as a singer in the group’s front line, while continuing to perform as a solo artist. Jimmy is signed to SOCIETY HILL RECORDS & released a critically acclaimed full-length album with production by label head Butch Ingram. Here Jimmy Lee takes on Disco's most soulful vocal group who formed in Philadelphia in the 1960s, The Trammps, & their 1975 hit "Hold Back The Night," updating the timeless track featuring expert backing from the first family of Philly Soul, The Ingram Brothers Band.

Judy Whitmore | "Come Fly WIth Me"

Acclaimed vocalist, pilot, and best-selling author Judy Whitmore who will be releasing her third album Come Fly With Me on January 17th. With the album, Judy will release the enchanting music video for “I Thought About You,” a sweetly nostalgic update of Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Mercer’s classic about the power of the memory of love. P

Come Fly With Me fully unites two of Judy’s greatest passions: traveling the world and continuing the legacy of the Great American Songbook. Recorded with a full orchestra at EastWest Studios in Los Angeles, the album ultimately embodies a lavish elegance, immediately enveloping the listener in its lush and soaring sound. Over the course of 12 gorgeously orchestrated tracks, the Southern California-based vocalist’s third LP offers up something of a musical travelogue, bringing her beguiling voice to timeless songs set in far-flung places all across the globe. Not only informed by the lifelong wanderlust that’s found her climbing the Great Wall of China and taking in the running of the bulls in Spain (among countless other adventures), the album draws from Whitmore’s decades of experience as a jet pilot—a journey that began thanks in part to her former neighbor, famed folk singer John Denver. The result: a body of work as transportive, illuminating, and endlessly enchanting as travel itself. 

Produced, arranged, and conducted by seven-time Grammy®-nominated compose Chris Walden (Paul McCartney, Barbra Streisand, and Stevie Wonder,) Come Fly With Me serves as a stunning showcase for the sophisticated yet ineffably warm vocal work Whitmore has brought to the stage at such historic venues as Carnegie Hall. In creating the album, Whitmore also worked in close collaboration with her longtime vocal coach/mentor Peisha McPhee and pianist Josh Nelson (a musician/composer known for his work with Michael Bublé and jazz greats like John Pizzarelli), curating an eclectic track list encompassing everything from jazz standards to traditional-pop classics to early-R&B ballads.

Named after the legendary Judy Garland (a friend of her grandfather, who played violin in the MGM Studio Orchestra), Whitmore became infatuated with music as a little girl and later sang in a Mamas & Papas-inspired band formed by Capitol Records. Although she explored a number of vocational pursuits over the years—working as an independent theater producer and presiding over a regional theater company, starting her own private practice as a psychologist, authoring such titles as an illustrated retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet—Whitmore felt overwhelmingly compelled to return to her love of music. After co-founding a cabaret group called Act Three in 2014, she went on to build a bustling career as a solo performer and soon joined producer John Sawoski and Grammy®-winning composer Michael Patterson for the making of her debut album Can’t We Be Friends. 

Much like her musical endeavors over the past decade, Whitmore’s foray into flying took a tremendous amount of courage. “I was always afraid to fly, but during the time I lived in Aspen I became friends with John Denver and his wife Annie, and one day they invited me to New York on their private jet,” she recalls. “Right away I realized I wanted to learn to fly too, so I signed up for flying lessons. On my first lesson I was so scared and could feel my heart pounding, but the second the plane lifted up off the ground, I was in love with flying. Every bit of fear was gone.” Along with earning her commercial pilot’s license, Whitmore eventually began working search-and-rescue missions in the Rocky Mountains, and flew her own single-engine plane all over the country. As she reflects on her years as a pilot and her path as a musical artist, Whitmore reveals that each undertaking has fulfilled her thirst for adventure. “I have a Post-It on my computer that says, ‘Do something every day that makes you nervous,’” she points out. “I believe you’ve got to keep growing and exploring and creating new meaning for yourself every day, or else life can become very stale. Learning to fly is scary; performing onstage can be scary too. But great exhilaration and satisfaction comes from doing what challenges you, and I always try to remember that.”

 

Joe Henderson’s 1969 classic, Power to the People

Recordings and Jazz Dispensary proudly announce the first wide vinyl release of Joe Henderson’s 1969 classic, Power to the People, in over 50 years. Blending a socially conscious spirit with hard bop, jazz-funk, and electronic elements, the album finds the saxophonist entering a new creative dimension, as he performs such originals as “Isotope,” “Afro-Centric” and the first recording of his classic “Black Narcissus,” alongside such legends as Herbie Hancock (piano, Fender Rhodes), Ron Carter (electric and acoustic bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums), and Mike Lawrence (trumpet). 

Marking the latest title in Jazz Dispensary’s acclaimed Top Shelf series, Power to the People was cut from the original tapes (AAA) by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and has been pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI. The LP is housed in a gatefold tip-on jacket, replicating the album’s original packaging on Milestone Records. Power to the People arrives March  15th and can be pre-ordered now on JazzDispensary.com. 

During his four-decade-long career, tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson (1937–2001) was a prolific leader and a sought-after sideman who played alongside the biggest names in jazz, including Herbie Hancock, Kenny Dorham, Chick Corea, and Alice Coltrane. A virtuosic talent, Henderson began his professional career in Detroit while attending college. After a two-year stint in the Army, the horn player relocated to New York, where he quickly made a name for himself, performing on dozens of sessions for Blue Note Records, including those for Hancock, Horace Silver, Andrew Hill, and Lee Morgan.

As a band leader, meanwhile, Henderson stood out from his peers, thanks to an eclectic sound that frequently incorporated elements of avant-garde, Latin, and R&B. That versatile and adventurous spirit caught the attention of Orrin Keepnews, who signed the saxophonist to Milestone Records. Under the fledgling jazz label, Henderson took his career—and his sound—to the next level. 1969’s Power to the People, which marked Henderson’s third album for Milestone, exemplified this era of unbridled creativity.

“You can’t ask much more of a recording than that it presents a major voice in great form, with a wonderfully sympathetic context,” wrote DownBeat columnist Alan Heineman in his original liner notes. “[Henderson] is one of those very rare artists possessed of both fire and ice—emotional depth and a strong shaping intellect. . . . He can reach way into you because he has first reached into himself.”

Indeed, Henderson expresses the full breadth of his capabilities in the album’s seven tracks—from the delicate balladry of opener “Black Narcissus” to the raw power of “Power to the People.” The 1969 LP also finds Henderson making his foray into electronic instrumentation, including a Fender Rhodes—played with soul by Hancock on the above-mentioned titles, as well as on the up-tempo “Afro-Centric.”

There are also a variety of acoustic performances, including the Ron Carter-penned “Opus One-Point-Five.” Heineman notes that Henderson’s work on the reflective track is particularly impressive, as the saxophonist keeps listeners on their toes. “His second solo is spiritually audacious: a tightrope walk between lyricism and tightly coiled, barely suppressed aggressiveness. One slip in either direction, and the other mode will ring false as hell. Joe doesn’t slip.”

Another highlight is the fully improvised “Foresight and Afterthought.” The bluesy, seven-and-a-half-minute-long “impromptu suite in three movements” showcases the uncanny interconnectivity of Henderson, Carter, and DeJohnette in a trio setting. The saxophonist also revisits his popular track “Isotope,” which first appeared on his 1964 album, Inner Urge, and interprets one standard: Moross/Latouche’s “Lazy Afternoon.”

Nearly 55 years after its release, Power to the People still sounds as fresh as ever and remains a testament to Henderson’s talents as a composer, bandleader, and saxophonist. In the decades since its release, the album has only continued to grow in stature. In retrospective reviews, PopMatters declared Power to the People to be “A strong reminder of a player who never faltered,” while AllMusic noted that the album “has quite a few classic moments.” All About Jazz praised, “Henderson, clearly inspired by the potent playing of his bandmates, is in top form, spinning out long every-note-counts lines, varying his phrases from compact melodic cells to broad sweeping gestures that range up and down the horn; his tone, sometimes mellow and smoky, other times hoarse and gruff, perfectly complements his imaginative improvisations.”

 

Kevin Flournoy and Ronnie Laws | "Smooth It Over"

30 years as a powerhouse behind the scenes creative force for some of pop, R&B and contemporary jazz’s most iconic performers, multi-talented keyboardist, composer and producer Kevin Flournoy is quickly building momentum as an emerging artist in his own right. When he decided at last to turn the spotlight on himself, one of his driving missions was to reach out to the influential greats he has worked with throughout his career and incorporate their trademark vibes into the fresh tracks he is creating. 

His latest release, the melodically and rhythmically infectious, perfectly titled “Smooth It Over,” marks a special reunion with one of these legendary collaborators, saxophonist Ronnie Laws. 

Set to drop December 21, “Smooth It Over” is the third lead single from Kevin’s upcoming, highly anticipated independent debut album Vers•a•tility. It follows “Tell Me If You Still Care,” a re-imagining of the mid-80’s Jam/Lewis composed Top 5 R&B S.O.S Band hit featuring vocals by Phil Perry and Shannon Pearson; and the original Kevin-penned R&B/pop vocal track “You’re All I Need” featuring Filipino singer Orion Song, Anja Nissen (winner of The Voice Australia), and Christine Noel. The YouTube video of a live presentation of “Tell Me If You Still Care” has 2.5M+ views on YouTube and earned Song of the Year honors from the Orlando Urban Film Festival.

“The song ‘Smooth It Over’ is an extension of everything I’ve ever done musically and creatively, another true window into my writing in a style that’s not just pure jazz but includes many pop elements as well,” says Kevin. “The song has a hip-hop groove to it and fresh chord progressions. The vibe of ‘Smooth It Over’ made it the perfect one to have Ronnie play his soprano sax on.

“As a composer, I want to be able to write Whitney Houston style songs as well as traditional jazz pieces, and this instrumental is somewhere in the middle of those styles. Over time, I have developed an identifiable production style some folks I know say ‘sounds like Kevin.’ That’s always been my goal – to create a style where people know it’s me right away. It’s the foundation upon which I want to keep building.”

Kevin’s versatility as a keyboardist proficient in playing both pop and jazz made him the perfect fit in the wheelhouse of Laws, who has been fusing together elements of jazz, R&B and pop since the start of his career. In the early 90’s, a few years after graduating from UC San Diego and moving to Los Angeles, Kevin began touring the U.S. regularly with the saxophonist – including a performance at Carnegie Hall. He has been Laws’ first call keyboardist for gigs over the decades sincewhile recording and performing with countless other artists in many different genres. In 1998, Kevin produced the saxophonist’s Isley Brothers tribute album Harvest for the Worldfor Blue Note Records.

Kevin recorded the first tracks for “Smooth It Over” with a band at East West Studios, then later invited the late Ramon Stagnaro (Andrea Bocelli, Seal, Celine Dion, Patti Labelle) to another session to add his memorable foundational guitar part. Finally, the keyboardist had Laws come to a later session at United Recording on Sunset Blvd. to complete it with his soprano sax. He set up the mics and Laws recorded his parts in a single run through – while sitting down. Kevin provided a chart and initial direction on piano for the verses and hook of the tune, while the second half features Laws creating amazing ad-libs while vibing intuitively with the keyboardist’s sparkling, adventurousimprovisations. When Kevin suggested they play it through a second time, Laws replied that they already had the perfect take.

“Working with Ronnie on ‘Smooth It Over’ was a memorable experience in many ways,” says Kevin. “The roles were flipped from the way we usually do things, with me being able to direct him and tell him what I needed after years of me doing his music under his direction. As I always expect when working with artists of his caliber, he took the song to another level. It was so exciting to hear it come to life in ways I never expected and witness everything go down. Depending on the artists involved, studio work can often be a struggle, so to watch a legend create the perfect solo the first time he played the tune was a beautiful thing.” 

Starting with Laws, The Emotions and Teena Marie, Kevin has written, performed or recorded over the past three decades with Chaka Khan, Babyface, Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, Jeffrey Osborne, The Pointer Sisters, Jennifer Hudson, Howard Hewitt, Jamie Foxx, The Jazz Crusaders and contemporary jazz greats Boney James, Norman Brown, Kirk Whalum and Harvey Mason. In the 2000s, Flournoy toured with Donny Osmond for six years.

In addition to his work with these artists and working on numerous TV projects including American Idol, Kevin is the creator of an original video music-talk program called The K-Flow Show, a fresh take on the traditional music/talk show featuring organic live performances by celebrity and independent pop artists. Conceived as something of a mix between Hugh Hefner’s classic TV show Playboy After Dark, MTV Unplugged and Daryl Hall’s Live from Daryl’s House, The K Flow Show – which takes place in an intimate, living room type setting – will also spotlight instrumental performers and TV and film actors. Kevin has brought a live version of The K Flow Show to the Miracle Theatre in Inglewood, CA and in January 2024 will bring the special presentation to the Blues and Jazz Festival in Ghana, Africa.  

Kevin is also deeply involved in a philanthropic effort as producer of a celebrity recording compilation On a Very Special Note, which will benefit The Art of the Olympians and the World Harmony Run/Peace Run – a project that will ultimately benefit people all over the globe. The original songs for the project have been composed by Kevin for each celebrity participant. A very important strategic promotional alliance with the Peace Run organization was forged when Kevin was honored with the Sri Chinmoy-Torch-Bearer Award, given to individuals who support and contribute to making the world a better place. Previous recipients include Archbishop Kevin Tutu, Russell Simmons, Carl Lewis and Billie Jean King.

Japanese Jazz Master TSUYOSHI YAMAMOTO Announces New Trio Album: A SHADE OF BLUE

Famed for his light touch, exquisite musical sensitivity, and hard-swinging approach to the piano, jazz master Tsuyoshi Yamamoto (山本 剛) has enjoyed a long and storied career that has yielded over 50 albums, seen him play alongside American jazz legends like Dizzy Gillespie and Elvin Jones and witnessed him take the stage at many world-renowned music events, including Switzerland’s iconic Montreux Jazz Festival.   

Now, at the age of 75, Niigata Japan -born Yamamoto, who has no desire to retire despite his advancing years, opens a new chapter by joining the talent roster of the rising high-end label evosound, which is releasing the keenly anticipated A Shade Of Blue, a ten-track album and impeccably shot concert performance that the pianist recorded with his trio live in Tokyo’s Gotanda Cultural Center Music Hall. The album was expertly recorded and mixed by the award-winning, Hideo Irimajiri 入交英雄.

A Shade Of Blue is Yamamoto’s love letter to the piano trio format. It reflects his deep appreciation for the music of Erroll Garner, Wynton Kelly, and Red Garland, three immensely gifted American pianists who had a profound influence on the Japanese musician’s approach to the piano.

The album, his debut for evosound, is a trio album comprising ten tracks recorded live in Tokyo’s Gotanda Culture Center Music Hall. Featuring some of Yamamoto’s favourite tunes, it is almost like a greatest hits compendium; a trip through his back catalogue that features songs made famous by Tokyo-based Three Blind Mice label in the 1970s, which played a key role in bringing high-quality audio value to the Japanese jazz scene.

The trio that Yamamoto assembled for A Shade Of Blue is highly experienced, with a combined age of 215 years; drummer Toshio Osumi (大隅 寿男) is 79 and has been the heartbeat of Yamamoto’s trio since 1974, while the 61-year-old bassist Hiroshi Kagawa (香川 裕史) is the youngest member of the band. Such is the musical empathy between them that together in concert, they breathe, think, and feel as if they were one person.

A Shade Of Blue begins with a lively original number, the Yamamoto-composed “Speed Ball Blues,” a tune he first recorded on his fourth TBM album, 1975’s live LP Blues For Tee.

It is followed by “Speak Low,” a jazz standard written in 1943 by the great German-Jewish composer Kurt Weill (of “Mack The Knife” fame) with lyrics by the American poet, Ogden Nash. Yamamoto made it the title track of his 1999 album for the Venus label and revives it here as a jaunty swinger propelled by Kagawa’s fast-walking bass line and Osuma’s fizzing drum work.

The trio moves away from a revered jazz standard to a much-loved pop classic with their deeply yearning reading of “The Way We Were,” which was a career-defining song for Barbra Streisand. The way Yamamoto caresses the melody is simply sublime, revealing the depth of his musical sensitivity. He previously recorded the tune as a member of Yama & Jiro’s Wave, a trio comprising Yamamoto with Akira Daiyoshi and Tetsujiro Obara on the 1975 album Girl Talk for the Three Blind Mice label.

Beginning with a lush piano intro that recalls the florid style of Erroll Garner, “Like Someone In Love,” has been recorded almost 500 times, by everyone from the Rat Pack boss Frank Sinatra to the Icelandic alt-pop queen Björk. Yamamoto transforms the tune into a sparkling swinger.

“Black Is The Color” is a deeply emotive song indelibly associated with the American singer and pianist Nina Simone, who made it a showstopper in her stage repertoire. Yamamoto recorded the song previously, on his 1999 trio album, Speak Low, and in this new version uses it as a vehicle to display his twinkling, upper-register piano melodies.

Neal Hefti and Bobby Troup’s ‘60 pop hit “Girl Talk” was popularized by singer Tony Bennett and has been in Yamamoto’s repertoire since 1975. The pianist infuses the piece with his distinctive musical personality while finding the perfect balance between flawless technique and deep feeling. 

“Midnight Sugar” was originally written by Yamamoto as the title track of a 1974 album for Three Blind Mice. The tune is a slow, simmering late-night groove that opens with Kagawa’s slow-walking bass line and allows the pianist to reveal his fluency in the rich vocabulary of the blues, the African-American music that is one of jazz’s most important foundation stones.     

Yamamoto first recorded the seductive “Last Tango In Paris,” which highlights his delicately spun right-hand piano filigrees, with Brazilian guitarist Marco Bosco in 2014 on the album Live At The Brazilian Embassy In Tokyo. The Gato Barbieri-written tune first appeared on the soundtrack of the controversial 1972 movie of the same name starring Marlon Brando. 

The Japanese pianist brings a refined sense of elegance and good taste to his interpretation of Erroll Garner’s much-loved ballad “Misty,” which he has recorded several times throughout his long career; he cut it first as the title track of his third album for Three Blind Mice. 

A Shade Of Blue closes with a hard-driving take on the jazz standard “Bye Bye Blackbird,” originally a 1926 hit for pop singer Gene Austin. The Yamamoto trio’s effervescent version ends A Shade Of Blue on a deeply satisfying high note.

 Though he’s only five years away from his 80th birthday, Tsuyoshi Yamamoto shows with the stunning A Shade Of Blue that old age does not always equal decline, especially in the artistic sense. In fact, at 76, the Niigata Japan -born piano master displays a level of energy and creativity that would put someone half his age to shame. Above all else, his new album proves that like a well-preserved vintage wine, this Japanese master’s musicality and unique artistry just keep improving with time.

The eagerly awaited follow-up to his acclaimed 2021 album, Blues For K, A Shade Of Blue captures Tsuyoshi Yamamoto leading a trio featuring bassist Hiroshi Kagawa and drummer Toshio Osumi, recorded playing live at Tokyo’s Gotanda Cultural Center Music Hall. A well-balanced blend of timeless jazz standards (“Misty”), memorable pop tunes (“The Way We Were”) and striking original material (“Speed Ball Blues”), A Shade Of Blue is a stunning showcase for the pianistic brilliance of 76-year-old Yamamoto, who sparkles on up-tempo swingers and achieves a deeply glowing luminosity on his incredible renditions of slow ballads.

The album is available on 180-gram double vinyl LP, SACD - Hybrid Multi-Channel and MQA-CD on the 27th October 2023, and later in the year on MQA-CD + Blu-ray (Dolby Atmos + Stereo) and on an impeccably shot 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray (Dolby Atmos / Auro /Stereo).  

Hideo Irimajiri (Recording Engineer and Mixing Engineer) on the album: A Shade Of Blue was created as an immersive (3D audio) work. To capture this, we used eight microphones for the piano, three for the bass, twelve for the drums, and 16 for the whole tones.

The stereo and 5.1 channel products were mixed to incorporate the experience of the immersive recordings as much as possible so that when you listen to the album, it feels as realistic as possible - as if the Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio were performing right in front of you.

Born in 1948 on the Japanese island of Niigata, Yamamoto started playing the piano in elementary school. He was drawn to jazz after hearing the soundtrack to the 1959 French movie, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, which featured music by the renowned American hard bop group, Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers. His professional career began in 1967 when he toured with Mickey Curtis, a noted Japanese actor and musician. In 1974, he began recording for Takeshi Fujii’s iconic Three Blind Mice label and via a series of acclaimed albums, quickly established himself as one of Japan’s leading jazz musicians. A highly respected international figure who has played with US jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie, Elvin Jones, and Carmen McRae, Yamamoto was the house pianist for many years at the Tokyo club Misty and was also the musical director for the popular Japanese TV talk show Ryu's Bar, which ran during the 1980s and ‘90s. 

Giorgi Mikadze | "Face to Face: Georgian Songbook Vol. 1"

Pianist and composer Giorgi Mikadze (pronounced Gih-ohr-gih Mih-kahd-zeh) started out following a well-trodden path on the way to becoming a successful jazz musician: leaving home (in his case Tbilisi, Georgia) for the United States, studying at a prestigious music school (Berklee and the Manhattan School of Music under presidential scholarships), winning music competitions and jazz fellowships, and performing with many of the music’s legendary figures (a list that includes Jack DeJohnette, Roy Hargrove, Dave Liebman, Lee Ritenour and many others).

Then he deviated from that path, on a route that led him directly home again. “I started to ask myself, ‘Why should I play American standards when there are numerous melodies written by Georgian composers?’” Mikadze recalls. “I love the American Songbook – that’s how I learned to play jazz. But I would like to offer the world a Georgian Songbook and share all these beautiful melodies from my country.”

The beginnings of that endeavor have now taken the form of Mikadze’s stunning new album Face to Face: The Georgian Songbook Vol. 1. Due out February 2, 2024 via the French label PeeWee!, the album features pieces by seven of the Caucasus country’s most revered composers, most of them originally penned for film, animation and theatrical soundtracks. Mikadze adds three of his own compositions to the mix, suggesting that much like the American model, this new Songbook is one that invites a continual expansion and evolution.

Face To Face also marks Mikadze’s first venture on record into the traditional piano, bass and drums jazz trio. He’s joined by the stellar French rhythm section of bassist François Moutin and drummer Raphaël Pannier, who dive wholeheartedly into these robust yet unfamiliar tunes and emerge with inspired and rapturous improvisations.

“I love the freedom that you have in the trio setting, especially when the musicians are super sensitive about every note,” Mikadze says. “It has the intimacy of chamber music, but you can also achieve a massive sound. Besides, François and Raphael are simply amazing musicians.”

The trio format is a decided departure from Mikadze’s previous ventures into exploring Georgian music. He crafted an adventurous hybrid of Georgian folk music and microtonal jazz with the innovative guitarist David “Fuze” Fiuczynski on the 2020 album Georgian Microjamz. In 2017 he premiered his project “Georgian Overtones,” a combination of jazz, chamber music and Georgian polyphonic singing, at the Young Euro Classic Festival in Berlin, a combination he also investigated with his multi-genre project “Voisa,” featuring the Georgian state folk-singing ensemble Basiani.

Face to Face, though, is the first time that Mikadze has met his native land’s music on purely jazz terms, and the results are breathtaking. In the trio’s sensitive hands each of these compositions sounds like a long-lost standard, with the instant familiarity and emotional profundity that define those lasting compositions that have stoked musicians’ improvisatory imaginations for generations.

“Georgian classical composers of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s were heavily influenced by the harmony and freedom of jazz music,” Mikadze explains. “Jazz was kind of taboo at the time, but the Georgian people would try to crack old radios to listen to [broadcaster] Willis Conover on the Voice of America.”

The album opens with “Satchidao,” Mikadze’s thundering reimagining of a well-known melody traditionally sung during wrestling matches. That origin is evident in the muscularity of the trio’s playing and the taut, grappling back and forth of its raucous rhythmic surge. The pianist also contributes “Nana,” a tender evocation of a beautiful peak nestled in the Caucasus Mountains; and “After the Tale,” a response to “Igavi,” a Nodar Gabunia composition based on a Georgian folk tale. Mikadze’s crystalline playing on “To Nodar” pays homage to the late composer and concert pianist.

“Not Easy to Repeat” was written by David Toradze for the 1960 melodrama Last Day, First Day, which follows a postman on the eve of retirement as he shows his route to the young woman who’ll take it over. Mikadze vividly mines the beloved melody for poignant emotion in dialogue with Moutin’s eloquent bass and Pannier’s hushed brushwork.

The 1963 comedy Tojinebi itsinian is the source of “Dolls Are Laughing” by Sulkhan Tsintsadze, a composer best known for his acclaimed string quartets. The piece provides a showcase for Moutin’s nimble soloing, the gentle dance of which is immediately picked up by Mikadze’s sprightly piano. Shota Milarova’s “Same Garden” and “A Magic Egg” by Giya Kancheli, Georgia’s most distinguished composer, both hail from charming animated short films of the 1970s, while “Wind Takes It Anyway” is a lush expression of a beautiful pop song by Rusudan Sebiskveradze. “The Moon Over Mtatsminda” is a wistful ballad by the famed singer and composer Jansug Kakhidze, who conducted the Georgian State Symphony Orchestra for two decades.

"Kakhidze wrote all the most famous songs that you hear throughout Georgia,” Mikadze says. “I collaborate often with his son [conductor Vakhtang Kakhidze], who told me to make sure I listen to his father’s phrasing in order to play it properly.”

The subtitle of Face to Face: Georgian Songbook Vol. 1 hints at future volumes to come, a welcome promise given the rich and vibrant material mined by this thrilling trio.

Lisa Hilton | "Coincidental Moment"

"I love the way jazz tugs at our emotions in a way no other music can: it can calmly seduce your soul or prompt you to dance," states the award-winning composer and acclaimed pianist Lisa Hilton in the liner notes for her latest release, Coincidental Moment (Ruby Slippers Productions 1029), out December 1, 2023. “The music here reflects the cool energies and history of jazz, but definitely sounds like today.”

The nine original compositions and two cover tunes are laced throughout with rich blue tones augmented by modal flights all shimmering and swinging with Hilton's expressive touch on the piano. Coincidental Moment gracefully shares the spotlight with quartet mates Igmar Thomas on trumpet, Luques Curtis on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums and percussion.

Royston's drum mastery is evident throughout the album, but his delightful and catchy bongo rhythms are also featured on tracks Jagged Lil' Blues and Blue Tropics. Jazz traditionalists will enjoy the retro vibes of Happily Go Luckily and Anxiety Society with their cool grooves and snappy trumpet improvisations by Thomas. The entire quartet shines on the evocative Spanish-tinged Enigmatic Adventure and infuse Everyday Anthem with a stirring gospel energy.

The inclusion of the iconic Miles Davis/Bill Evans track Blue In Green shows the breadth of this band – Thomas's moody muted tones, contrasting but blending with Hilton's fluid piano, are underscored by Curtis's deep bass timbre and Royston's delicate touch on cymbals. An interesting choice was the inclusion of West Coast, written by singer/composer Lana Del Rey: the quartet easily turns this pop track into a darker and very expressive experience. Curtis is a vital contributor throughout, especially on the trio track Multiple Perspectives, which blends jazz rhythms and classical interludes with agility. Hilton's skill in composing intimate ballads is apparent on the title track - performed as a trio – and on Uncommon Poetry, which closes the album as an eloquent solo piano piece.

Saturated with lush harmonic ideas and brimming with textures and emotions, the album Coincidental Moment is jazz just right for any moment.

The music of Lisa Hilton draws on classic American jazz greats such as Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Horace Silver, and Count Basie, as well as blues heroes Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson. She is a prolific composer who records and performs with many of today's jazz luminaries. Her 27 albums sit regularly at the top of the Jazz Week and other radio/streaming charts for the last two decades, drawing millions of plays on streaming services and appearing regularly as an Amazon #1 New Jazz Release. Hilton has performed at venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Smithsonian Institution, UCLA's Royce Theatre, San Francisco Jazz, and Chicago's historic Green Mill. Hilton is also the creator and co-author of the popular children's book If Dinosaurs Were Alive Today (Price Stern Sloan), which she co-wrote with her sister, Sandra L. Kirkpatrick. The book was recently updated and published as a digital version by the same name. 

The Lisa Hilton Quartet 2024 Tour Dates:

• March  6, 2024 Raitt Recital Hall 7:30 pm at Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA
• March  7, 2024 SF Jazz 7 pm and 8:30 pm, San Francisco, CA
• March 12, 2024 The Jazz Showcase 6:00 pm, Chicago, IL
• March 13, 2024 Weinberg Center for the Arts/New Spire Arts 7:30 pm, Frederick, MD
• March 14, 2024 Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall 8 pm, NYC, NY
• March 15, 2024 Jazz Upstairs at Miller Symphony Hall, 7:30, Allentown, PA

Craft Recordings and Jazz Dispensary announce ‘Top Shelf’ reissue for Johnny Lytle’s ‘People & Love’

Craft Recordings and Jazz Dispensary are thrilled to announce the first-ever vinyl reissue of Johnny Lytle’s long-sought-after soul-jazz gem, People & Love. Full of soaring, funky jams and heady grooves, the latest release in Jazz Dispensary’s acclaimed Top Shelf series showcases the legendary vibraphonist’s talents as a songwriter, musician, and bandleader, as he guides his fellow musicians through five sublime tracks, including extended, soulful covers (“People Make the World Go ’Round,” “Where Is the Love?”) and groovy originals (“Libra,” “Tawhid,” “Family”). The 1973 session also boasts a stellar line-up of players, including Daahoud Hadi (formerly Butch Cornell) on the electric piano and organ, Bob Cranshaw on the electric bass, and harpist Betty Glamann.

As with all titles in the album-centric Top Shelf series—which reissues the highest-quality, hand-picked rarities—People & Love features (AAA) lacquers cut from the original tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and is pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI. Rounding out the package is a tip-on jacket, replicating the album’s original art. Out of print for half a century, People & Love makes its return on February 16th and is available for pre-order today—exclusively via JazzDispensary.com.

Touted by the great bandleader Lionel Hampton as “The Greatest Vibes Player in the World,” Johnny Lytle (1932 – 1995) began his career as a drummer, playing with the likes of Ray Charles, Gene Ammons, and Jimmy Witherspoon before switching to the vibraphone in the mid-’50s. By the end of the decade, he was leading his own group and caught the ears of producer/record executive Orrin Keepnews, who promptly signed the dexterous musician. A consummate showman, whose fast-paced performances earned him the title of “Fast Hands,” Lytle built a significant following in the ’60s—recording for Keepnews’ Jazzland, Riverside, and Milestone imprints, among others.

Brenda Russell returns with "What Will It Take"

In casual conversation reflecting upon Brenda Russell’s epic four-and-a-half- decade career as a multiple Grammy nominated singer/songwriter and Tony nominated and Grammy winning co-composer of The Color Purple musical, one of her songwriter friends casually uttered a phrase that captures the essence of her extraordinary multi-faceted artistry: Songpainter. Gearing up to record her highly anticipated first solo album in 20 years, Brenda knew that would be the perfect title – not only defining the impact her songs have had on the world over the years but forging a creative mission statement for all the dynamic works to come. 

The project’s first lead single “What Will It Take,” dropping November 17, is more than just another grand addition to her repertoire of infectious hit singles for herself and other iconic artists. Co-produced with Stephan Oberhoff, whose discography ranges from works with Burt Bacharach, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder and Al Jarreau to Brenda’s 2000 release Paris Rain, the song is an uplifting and unifying, globally conscious anthem for our time. 

Driven by a sonic fusion of pop, R&B, a rhythmic world music aesthetic and a rousing gospel-flavored backing chorus, “What Will It Take” is a clarion call for humanity to reach a higher consciousness that boldly asks, “What will it take for us to be as one?. . .One human race under a mighty sun/What will it take to let the children grow?. . .Into a world where love is all they know?” In the second chorus, Brenda sings lines that ring like both a universal prayer and demand for concrete action: “Let’s take the hate, the war, the poverty. . .and give it up for all humanity.”

The 2023 release of “What Will It Take” is one of those serendipitous cases of a song truly meeting the perfect moment in this post-pandemic era, where political strife has left people more divided than ever, there is a collective anxiety about our future as a democracy and our news feeds are dominated by two horrifying wars. Ironically, though Brenda’s incisive but hopeful message seems tailor made for our time, she originally wrote the song in the mid-90s, a few years after she hit the Billboard Hot 100’s Top Ten with her breakthrough trademark hit “Piano In the Dark,” which earned Grammy nominations for Song of the Year, and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. Her album Get Here was also nominated for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female; in 1991, Oleta Adams’ 1991 recording of the title track “Get Here” was a massive global hit, reaching #5 in the U.S. and #4 in the UK.  

Despite Brenda’s great career momentum at the time – which also included hitting the Top 30 in the UK with her 1993 album Soul Talkin’ – a young publisher who heard her demo for “What Will It Take” failed to appreciate its potential at the time. As she does with many of her songs, the prolific Brenda filed it away but never forgot it. A few years ago, when Brenda began talking about recording again, her astute assistant suggested she revisit some of her older great songs that she had never recorded. When the singer revisited her original home demo of “What Will It Take,” she knew immediately she had to record it - and called Oberhoff to bring his studio magic and develop it with her. 

“Stephan’s a genius and heard everything I wanted to do, with the way he added strings and filled out the production with so many amazing details,” Brenda says. “I feel as though I wrote it for the whole world and so the world music vibe fits beautifully. It reminds me of Peter Gabriel’s big, powerful productions that I’ve found so inspiring over the years, just that grand, powerful feeling of hope and positivity. Having enjoyed long careers, when Stephan and I feel something, we don’t doubt ourselves. We just go for what we know and create it first for ourselves and our own joy, with the hope that it will then lift and excite others. I hope ‘What Will It Takes’ inspires and touches people. That’s what I always love to do with my music.”  

Almost like an on-cue blessing from the universe, the gospel children’s choir element of the song – which features Brenda’s 11-year-old granddaughter Kailah Walker and kids from Brenda’s neighborhood in the Austin TX area – reached fruition through a seemingly chance meeting. Attending a Patti Labelle and Gladys Knight concert, the singer struck up a conversation with the lady next to her, who told Brenda that she was a local music teacher who worked with kids. Brenda ultimately chose four of them to elevate the session, which was coordinated by Brenda’s daughter, singer Lindsay Walker, who has toured with Smokey Robinson and is a member of the local group The Country Worms.   

One of the unique and enduring blessings of Brenda’s professional life has been her Tony and Grammy Award winning collaboration (with fellow hit songwriters Stephen Bray and the late Allee Willis) on the musical The Color Purple. The musical, whose original Broadway production ran from 2005 to 2008 and earned eleven Tony nominations, is based on Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize winning 1982 novel and its Steven Spielberg-directed 1985 film adaptation. Brenda earned a Tony nomination for Best Original Score. A critically acclaimed Broadway revival in 2015 earned two Tony Awards – including Best Revival of a Musical and Best Actress in a Musical (Cynthia Erivo). Brenda won her first Grammy for Best Musical Theatre album in 2016. 

Brenda, Stephen Bray and Grammy winning, twice Oscar nominated songwriter Siedah Garrett (taking over for the departed Willis) recently joined forces to work on updated versions of several songs (including “Shug Avery Coming ToTown”) for the upcoming musical film adaptation of The Color Purple. The film, set for a Christmas 2023 release, is directed by Blitz Bazawule and produced by Spielberg, Quincy Jones and the stage musical producers Scott Sanders and Oprah Winfrey. The film’s stars include Taraji P. Henson, H.E.R. and Fantasia Barrino, who is reprising the role she played on Broadway in 2007-2008. 

“Thirty-five years ago, in the middle of me doing my thing as a pop singer and songwriter, my mom suggested I write a Broadway show,” Brenda says. “I said, ‘Sure, mom,’ never thinking the opportunity would arise many years later. What a joy it was to work with Allee and Stephen. The most exciting part of being involved in The Color Purple was watching these young performers rehearse our songs and their dances. It was so amazing and exhilarating to watch them work so hard. It was also a major challenge compared to being a pop songwriter, because artists who want to record your songs don’t usually request constant rewrites and changes – and the art of rewriting is what Broadway composing is all about!”

When people assess Brenda’s overall career, her success as an artist – which began with her self-titled debut and Billboard Top Ten Adult Contemporary Hit “So Good So Right” in 1979 – and with The Color Purple often overshadows the songs she wrote that were hits for other artists. Beyond Oleta Adams’ “Get Here,” Brenda’s songs have been recorded by Luther Vandross (“If Only for One Night”), Donna Summer (“Dinner with Gershwin”), Babyface, The Manhattan Transfer, Patti Austin, Ruben Studdard and Ramsey Lewis. Her tunes have also been sampled by everyone from Janet Jackson and 2Pace to Chance the Rapper and Ariana Grande. In 2000, Brenda was tapped to write an English lyric to tune by Ivan Lins tune that was part of a Jason Miles produced all-star tribute album A Love Affair: The Music of Ivan Lins. The track, “She Walks This Earth,” earned Sting a Best Pop Vocal Grammy in 2001.

“As a singer, songwriter and musical composer, I want to be remembered for being uplifting. People have enough to be depressed about in this life and I just want them to hear my songs, feel good and rise up. I’m excited that ‘What Will It Take’ will now have the opportunity to do just that.”  

Jim Piela | "It Come With The Territory"

Alto and soprano saxophonist Jim Piela has explored the art of the quartet from a number of angles. His 2016 release Non Fiction paired saxophone and Fender Rhodes, while Out of Orbit and the four-track EP Force of Habit showcased him in a chordless environment with alto and trumpet. On his new outing, It Comes With the Territory, Piela enlists guitarist Mark McIntyre, whose full, clean-toned harmonies and burning lead work help ground this set of six original compositions, while also creating space within them. “Mark is the beating heart of this group,” Piela says. “His guitar speaks so clearly from his core. Once he joined the project, his unique musical voice permeated my entire concept for the record.”

Bassist Nick Jost and drummer Peter Kronrief complete a lineup that is versatile, alert, open to discovery. “Peter was the first hire,” Piela continues. “I’ve worked a lot of tour dates with him and I know he can meet any moment. And if Peter is the unstoppable force, Nick is the unmovable object. His playing has this amazing combination of lyricism and that deep rhythmic ‘thump’ that anchors the entire band. When I first heard him with Peter, I knew this was a special connection.”

For a good while, Piela had contemplated something like a love letter to Wayne Shorter’s 1966 Blue Note masterpiece Speak No Evil, and though the theme is somewhat disguised, It Comes With the Territory is that love letter. “It’s not a ‘cover’ or a tribute or a ‘reimagining,’ Piela clarifies, “but more like my guiding light.” The beautiful ballad “Crow Hill,” for instance, was inspired by the tempo, and only the tempo, of Shorter’s “Infant Eyes.” The arpeggiated intro to “Glass Cannon,” Piela explains, grew out of the intro to “Witch Hunt,” “but where ‘Witch Hunt’ is an exclamation point, I ended up coming from an intimate place. These little nods or interpretations are all over this record.”

Piela discerns a similar process at work in Shorter’s writing. The intervallic movement in “Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum,” for example, borrows from “Giant Steps,” but in a uniquely Shorterian way. Referencing the famous quote (attributed to Picasso) that “good artists borrow, great artists steal,” Piela muses: “There’s more to it than that, isn’t there? Great artists trust their process and their intuition enough that no matter the ‘input,’ the output will always be original to them.”

Many other, more personal elements inform the writing and playing on It Comes With the Territory. Piela’s home in Brooklyn, his upbringing in the Midwest, “the vibrant and the quiet parts,” Piela says. “I wanted to capture those moments with this music.” The “territory” in question, then, could be understood in a literal and metaphorical sense.

Having defined the territory, one may ask what is the “it”? Quite simply, it is “all of the sacrifices we make as creative professionals in New York, things that might seem totally at odds with the outside world,” Piela offers. Factor in the elusiveness of artistic inspiration and the challenges only mount. “It almost feels like structuring your life around potential energy,” adds the saxophonist. “There’s a dissonance in building future plans around something that’s not yet there, or standing on stage not knowing what’s going to happen next, of trusting yourself and your artistry. To many this dissonance is uncomfortable, even scary, but to creators that live it, it comes with the territory.”

Along with “Crow Hill,” the mellow and lyrical “Off Course” features the leader’s authoritative voice on soprano sax, with a powerfully centered bass solo from Jost leading off the rotation. Piela follows with the first of three standalone alto saxophone improvisations — short contrasting transitional pieces that set the stage for the yearning waltz “Hinterlands,” the aforementioned “Crow Hill” and the funky, rocking set closer “We’ll Burn That Bridge When We Get to It.” The playing throughout is solidly swinging, tonally rich, informed by sensitive listening and a unified band spirit.

“I knew I wanted to approach this record in a different way,” Piela says in sum. “Usually, I reflect on my hopes, on the world I want to see, and the player I want to be. Instead, for Territory, I wrote a single word at the top of all my charts: ‘Execute.’ Do what you do, play how you play, be who you are. It became a mantra of self-acceptance. Just execute — play the music I love to play. I had this very specific goal to stop thinking, stop trying to be overly technical. It Comes With the Territory speaks to loving who you are today, but knowing that there are infinite possibilities ahead: the next day is yet to be lived, just as the next phrase is yet to be played.”

R&B/jazz singer Erin Stevenson lights up the season with "Christmas Time With You"

R&B/jazz singer Erin Stevenson has a joyous holiday treat for listeners filled with cinnamon kisses and time spent with loved ones. The Innervision Records artist wrote and produced the finger popping, swinging, bluesy, retro sleigh ride “Christmas Time With You,” a cheerful new single boding to become a seasonal standard. Now available from iTunes, Amazon and other major retailers, “Christmas Time With You” which began collecting playlist adds on November 27.

All year round, Stevenson radiates the energy and excitement of Christmas morning thus composing and recording her own standard feels apropos. Inherent in her glee is a sense of gratitude, strong sentiments that permeate the single’s lyrics.

“‘Christmas Time With You’ offers a happy slice of real life packaged as a classic Christmas song guaranteed to make you smile and get you in the holiday spirit. It will make you feel a tad bit closer to the ones you love,” said Stevenson who recruited keyboardist Christopher Thomas, guitarist Kay-Ta Matsuno, bassist Keith Eaddy and drummer Arthur Thompson to decorate the festive track.

Stevenson has been working on her sophomore album, “CoverGirl Uncovered,” which is slated to drop next April. She jokes that “Justin is financing the album,” a reference to the breaks she takes from recording to perform with Justin Timberlake, one of the many A-listers she has toured and performed with, including Pharrell Williams, Duran Duran, Nicki Minaj, John Legend, Jennifer Lopez, Janet Jackson, Ciara, Rihanna and Camila Cabello. Her solo recording career has been on an upward trajectory, having most recently peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard chart with the single “Smooth Soul.”    

“My career has been taking off and I believe it’s primarily due to my live performances. I don't take for granted that my band is a critical component to that, which is why I put them on my records and in music videos. I'm happy, Christmas makes me happy, and my band makes me happy. That’s exactly what you get on ‘Christmas Time With You,’” said Stevenson.

Hailing from Houston and now based in Southern California, Stevenson debuted as a solo artist in 2006 with the Billboard top 5 dance music single “Sweat.” She dropped her first album, “Naked,” in 2017, paced by the British top 10 single, “Hangin’.” A series of singles followed – “Make It Last Forever,” “You Gotta Be” and “Never Too Much” - the latter of which won Stevenson a People’s Choice Indie Soul Award in 2021.       

Although she’s effervescent and jolly, Stevenson knows this time of year can be challenging for others. Her sense of empathy and compassion is why her message in “Christmas Time With You” resonates.

“For some, the holiday season is dreadful because everyone else is so doggone happy. Whether it’s a lack of finances, loneliness, or family problems, some people lose sight of the gifts right in their midst. It’s true, the best gifts in life are free - like time and living in the moment. I'm a strong believer that if you want to be happy, only do things and surround yourself with people who make you happy,” Stevenson said.

Spiritually grounded, Stevenson keeps sight of the true meaning of Christmas by maintaining a humble outlook that reflects her feelings of appreciation.

“Jesus will always be my reason for the season, but that also comes with lots of good food, good wine, and, of course, my family. Anything more is simply a bonus.”  

Jazz/R&B singer-songwriter Ashleigh Smith releases “I Can’t Help It”

The title of singer-songwriter Ashleigh Smith’s new single, “I Can’t Help It,” aligns with her identity as an artist. Her recordings are unapologetic and unabashed amalgams of straight-ahead jazz cadences and soulful R&B grooves with sophisticated pop appeal that when knitted together, result in genre-defying tracks best labeled modern vocal jazz. Her newly released TopCat Records single is an act of defiance in itself because there’s no question that it’s a straight-ahead jazz cut yet that radio format doesn’t release singles. That little detail wasn’t going to prevent Smith from issuing her version of the tune penned by Stevie Wonder and Susaye Greene, which she produced and arranged with bassist Nigel Rivers.

Clearly Smith is comfortable in her own skin. She studied classical music on a full scholarship in college, won the 2014 Sarah Vaughan International Vocal Competition, which demonstrates her remarkable skills as a jazz singer, and grew up in a musical household where she fell in love with classic R&B and pop as performed on “real instruments.” Each element adds to the distinctive alchemy that converges organically to form her own unique brand.

While “I Can’t Help It” is a song about romantic love, for Smith, the lyrics serve as affirmations, declarations empowering her individuality. Floating her emotive croon atop the brisk straight-ahead jazz rhythms constructed by Rivers’ elastic basslines and Mauricio Barroso’s staccato percussion beats, Smith’s single is illumined by the astute piano and Rhodes keyboards from Daniel Marandure and Pete Clagett’s probing trumpet. Adding melodic touches to the track are Max Townsley (guitar), Chelsea Danielle (vibes) and Jordache Grant (keyboards). Smith has been performing “I Can’t Help It” in her live set for years with many of the musicians on the recording.

“After years of performing it with my band, different sections and parts of the arrangements started to form organically. Honestly, it was only decided that it would be a single because of audience demand. After every show, fans ask where they could purchase that arrangement. So, I decided we would give the people what they wanted. One of the qualities that I’m most proud of when it comes to my music is that everything I do is always organic and natural. Even down to the musicians I choose to record with. The musicians on this record, and on all of my recordings, are musicians I play with regularly. They are people who have been a part of my musical journey from the beginning, so the synergy is a given. I love that everything I put out is made with love with people I genuinely love,” said the Dallas-based Smith who grew up in Augusta, Georgia.

“I Can’t Help It” previews Smith’s sophomore album, “In The Rain,” which is due to arrive next spring. Although this single is a reimagination, all the other songs on the collection are originals that Smith had a hand in writing. She debuted in 2016 with the “Sunkissed” album that was released by Concord Records, which offered a mix of originals and covers.

Drummer-Composer Reggie Quinerly Releases "The Thousandth Scholar"

The rich straightahead jazz of Reggie Quinerly gets an Afro-Caribbean spin with The Thousandth Scholar, to be released January 19 on his own Redefinition Music. Quinerly’s fifth album finds the drummer-composer seasoning his musical recipes with what Jelly Roll Morton called “the Spanish tinge,” a sometimes-subtle Latin flavor that he achieves without sacrificing his distinctive soulful sound—and with the help of an ace quartet including pianist Manuel Valera, bassist Matt Brewer, and percussionist Samuel Torres.

The form of the quartet, featuring both drums and hand percussion, is a crucial element of Quinerly’s exploration. It was inspired by two of his favorite albums—Herbie Hancock’s 1963 classic Inventions and Dimensions and Ahmad Jamal’s more recent (2012) masterpiece Blue Moon—both of which feature a similar quartet. “With every album, I explore different aspects of my influences,” Quinerly explains.

In the case of The Thousandth Scholar, that list of influences has Valera’s name near the very top. Quinerly worked closely with the Havana-born pianist, who arranged the drummer’s compositions and coproduced the album. “The connection between melody and rhythm is pretty profound in Afro-Cuban and African music,” says Quinerly, “and Manuel helped me with that.” Additionally, percussionist Torres is a native Colombian, providing another important perspective on the Latin jazz tradition.

Even so, those perspectives are not always easy to detect. Tunes like Valera’s “Invernal” and Quinerly’s “Children Song #10” make gentle use of clave beats and conga textures, while on the waltzing “Sam from Brooklyn” Torres’s whispery shakers are the only surface signifier of Afro-Latin influence. On other tunes, however, that influence is in no doubt: “Folk Song” is carefully built around the groove Torres establishes in his solo introduction, “Ray’s Tune” is a fierce mambo, and “Skain’s Blues” comprises a taut set of interlocking rhythms from all four musicians.

Some of the songs, as their titles suggest, are nods to influences of Quinerly’s outside the Latin jazz rubric. “I’m so fortunate to have been in the presence of so many great people,” he remarks. “I wouldn’t be who I am otherwise.”

“Sam from Brooklyn” expresses Quinerly’s fondness for an old mentor, drum and percussion teacher Sam Dinkins; “Ray’s Tune” celebrates the brilliant and steady hand of pianist Ray Bryant; and the harmonically complex “Skain’s Blues” gives the nod to trumpeter, composer, and educator Wynton Marsalis.

Ultimately, though, that combination of influences only goes so far. It’s Quinerly himself who integrated them into himself to forge a unique voice and musical conception. Even as they’re newly steeped in Latin rhythms and textures, it’s that voice and conception that are of course front and center on The Thousandth Scholar.

Reggie Quinerly was born November 16, 1980, in Houston, Texas, one of the garden spots of 21st-century jazz. Fittingly, he took an early turn in that direction. Lester Grant, who played drums in the Pilgrim United Church of Christ (where Reggie grew up), was a jazz master who became the young musician’s first mentor. Grant not only taught him to play but sent him on an odyssey of discovering the great musicians of jazz past and present.

The odyssey took Quinerly first to Houston’s famous High School of the Performing and Visual Arts, then to the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York, and finally to the Juilliard School for his Master’s in Jazz Studies. There, his circle of mentors widened to include Jimmy Cobb, Lewis Nash, and Kenny Washington.

Shortly after completing his degree at Juilliard, Quinerly recorded and released his first album, 2012’s Music Inspired by Freedmantown. It started him down a fruitful artistic pathway that has also brought forth 2015’s Invictus and 2018’s Words to Love, critically acclaimed albums that helped raise Quinerly’s profile in the jazz world. Last year’s New York Nowhere represented his farewell to the jazz capital and the start of a new creative chapter in Los Angeles. It was in the City of Angels that Quinerly conceived and developed the music that became The Thousandth Scholar.

The enigmatic album title, Quinerly explains, “represents the idea that the journey of learning and discovery is endless. The numerical concept represents the many musicians that have come before me. In acknowledging their sacrifices, I hope to be a continuation of their artistic excellence.”

Reggie Quinerly will be performing the music of The Thousandth Scholar at Sam First, 6171 W. Century Blvd. #180, Los Angeles (Live Stream tickets available on the website www.samfirstbar.com) on Thursday, 3/21/24.

R&B/jazz keyboardist Vassal Benford releases "Dedication Song"

R&B/jazz keyboardist, Vassal Benford, wrote and produced a new single, “Dedication Song,” that captures his feelings of appreciation. The Benford Jazz Label release mixed by Billboard hitmaker Greg Manning is the most added new single on Billboard’s Mediabase chart two weeks running.

Benford has played a role in the creation of more than 58 platinum-selling records as a Grammy nominated producer, songwriter, musician and record executive in pop, R&B, hip hop, rock and dance music. He’s worked with a veritable who’s who list of superstars, yet jazz remains his humble muse and he’s determined to put his distinctive imprint on the genre. Playing piano to foster feelings of intimacy and emotional connection, “Dedication Song” plays like a danceable and sensual R&B groove. Steamy undertones provide contrast to the poetic notes emoted eloquently from Benford’s melodic and agile piano. At its essence, the single is an offering of love reflecting thankfulness.

In the accompanying “Dedication Song” video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxrBmkdkdWM) that already has nearly 700,000 views in four days, Benford dedicates the song in loving memory to one of his mentors, the “Godfather of Black Music” Clarence Avant, along with an extended list of family members, friends and several of his longtime clients.

“‘Dedication Song’ is a heartfelt song for all occasions, but this year we’re bringing it out for the holiday season. While composing and tracking it in the studio, it filled me with immense feelings of gratitude, especially for my family and my loved ones. We are in strange times and every moment of love counts. Every act of love counts. I now find myself noticing every smile and recognize that each moment of peace is a blessing. The world needs love, so I dedicate this song to everyone with love,” said Benford about the second single from his forthcoming album, “Melody Man,” which is due to arrive in April.

Benford is a prolific producer of music, film, television, concert events, revolutionary technology and sporting projects that have generated billions of dollars and billions of spins, streams, downloads and views. He got his start as a teenager in Detroit writing songs for jazz legends Ramsey Lewis, Stanley Clarke and Nancy Wilson. His discography now boasts collaborations with DJ Diplo, Toni Braxton, NAS, Flo Rida, Queen Latifah, Mariah Carey, Rick Ross, Deborah Cox, Sheryl Crow, U2, Jade, Bobby Brown, New Edition, Lil’ Kim, Patti LaBelle, Faith Evans, Chanté Moore, Oleta Adams, Lisa Stansfield, Tramaine Hawkins, and The Fine Young Cannibals among others.

The Benford Company manages boxing champ Manny Pacquiao and Benford serves as the chairman of The B.B. King Estate. He is executive producing a documentary film about King and is assembling the accompanying soundtrack that features rapper Quavo of Migos. In movies, Benford is partnered with former studio head and blockbuster producer Mark Canton (“300”) on the “After” film trilogy (“After,” “After We Collided” and “After We Fell”), which has generated over $300 million at the box office, and created the television series “Power.” They currently have two Marvel films in the pipeline.

While making Hollywood megadeals is an everyday occurrence for Benford, at his core, his passion remains jazz and instrumental R&B music. Last year, he tested the waters by releasing the title track to “Melody Man,” which sounds totally unique and unlike anything in the contemporary jazz space. “Dedication Song” provides a second glimpse into what’s to come from what bodes to be an innovative collection that features Benford collaborating with Grammy-winning guitarist Norman Brown, eight-time Grammy nominated saxophonist Gerald Albright, and singer-songwriters Aloe Blacc and Moore.

R&B-Jazz saxophonist Shawn Raiford releases “Santa Baby”

Mesmerized by Eartha Kitt’s tantalizing and teasing performance of “Santa Baby,” R&B-jazz saxophonist Shawn Raiford has been playing his version of the holiday classic in his set for over twenty years. It’s become a perennial fan favorite, inspiring the Sacramento-based saxman to record and release his rendition. Grammy winner Derek “DOA” Allen (Lionel Richie, Janet Jackson, Tyrese) produced the single that began collecting playlist adds on Monday (November 20).

Raiford is a high-energy, award-winning concert performer and his recording projects are a blend of R&B, jazz, funk and soul. Yet his take on “Santa Baby” exhibits an entirely different sound and style. The track Allen crafted is a slow, deliberate and seductive straight-ahead jazz cut. Whereas Kitt’s voice flirts and seduces playfully, Raiford’s tenor sax warms, charms and comforts. Along with some backing sax sounds from Eddie Minnifield (Prince, Sheila E., Aretha Franklin), Allen decorated the track with bells and strings that add whimsical nuances, enhancing the childlike feelings of wonder at Christmastime.

According to Raiford, some Christmas magic took place in Minnifield’s recording studio while the single was tracked.

“We did it in one take and it’s the only song I’ve ever recorded in one take. We did a second pass but stuck with everything from the first take. I fell in love with that song since Eartha Kitt sang it. The way she acted out the song, it was electric! When we get around the holidays and I start playing ‘Santa Baby’ at our shows, we get so many raves from fans,” said Raiford who leads The Shawn Raiford Experience, a popular band on the NorCal scene that has opened for or performed with Teddy Riley, Yolanda Adams, Freddie Jackson, Pete Escovedo, Eric Darius and Jeff Ryan, and has been playing dates this year with R&B singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Chuckii Booker.

Raiford has been ramping up all year for the release of his second album, “The Next Step,” which Allen is producing. Thus far, he’s issued three singles to preview the set slated to drop in April – “Forever,” “Leave The Door Open” and “Vallejo.”

In addition to spending time with his family during the holidays, Raiford is a thriving entrepreneur who is committed to serving and giving back to his local community, which spans from Sacramento to his hometown, Vallejo.

“Every year, my company gives back. We give food and toys, and we do a lot for the community. We feed nearly two hundred people during Thanksgiving and Christmastime. I’ve always wanted to be able to give back and make sure that people have food and presents to unwrap,” said Raiford who plays at Yoshi’s in Oakland on December 18 and at The Palace Events in Dallas on January 13.    

Multi-Award Winning Songwriter-Producer, BRANDON WILLIAMS Releases 5-Track Project, "THE LOVER'S SUITE"

"The Lover's Suite," is a 5-track tastefully crafted sensual love-letter from us gentlemen to the ladies. It’s a symphony of desire, a collection of love stories, and an exploration of the most tender moments shared between two souls. It’s a sonic aphrodisiac and the perfect soundtrack for a late-night rendezvous. Let it guide you through the labyrinth of love.

Always on a mission to remind the masses that exceptional music exists in the current landscape, Brandon Williams intentionally crafted “The Lover’s Suite” as a 29 minute and 12 second aural experience. "To hear it in full, you must listen to the entire thing, but I decided to break each song out on its own and include an interlude so that people can choose what they want to experience moment to moment. I called in a cast of musical superheroes to assist on the journey," shares Williams.

The project includes appearances by Grammy-Nominated musicians, Robert Glasper and Taylor Eigsti, along with the exceptional talents of Brian McKnight Jr., Matt Cusson, Joe Poré, and Perry Hughes. "Brandon Williams is one of the greatest musical minds of this generation. While understanding and being well-aware of what’s current, he is influenced by the great history of music, and not just black music... all music! It was a true honor to be a part of this project, "says Robert Glasper.

One of the highlights of the EP is, "Everything & More" featuring Brian McKnight Jr. The beautiful ballad was written by Brandon Williams and Brian McKnight Jr. and produced by Brandon Williams. "Inspired by the thought of getting to make love to a woman for the first time after dating for a while. The longing to explore her more while she guides you through exactly what she likes. She’s the coach and you’re the player," says Brandon.

Another stand-out song on the project is the Brandon Williams produced and Matt Cusson penned track, "Gentle Breeze". "It was literally inspired by a woman saying, “I hope this breeze takes me somewhere.” It’s a love story of two people that met on a beach and fell in love despite speaking two different languages. The common and universal languages between them were music and love. This is a

song about the love and longing for someone that you absolutely can’t live without," adds Brandon.

Musical pioneer Teddy Riley was among the first to hear the album after its completion and he offered these words. “This album is a masterpiece and Grammy Award Winning material. You’re a genius, bro. Where would you like me to sit in your sanctuary?”

"It was told to me years ago to create the art you want to see in the world... create what you feel is missing and with The Lover’s Suite, I’ve done just that." Brandon Williams

Detroit bred Brandon Williams life has always included music in some capacity. First as a listener, then as a musician, and ultimately, as a producer. He is a musical architect that has made his name and stake as a front runner in the music industry with the release of his 2014 debut album entitled XII and his sophomore release, The Love Factor, featuring the likes of Robert Glasper, Alex Isley, Jean Baylor (formerly of Zhane’), Frank McComb, Nicholas Payton, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and more. The albums have received high praises from musical luminaries such as Teddy Riley, Jean Paul "Bluey" Maunick (Incognito), Chuckii Booker, Maysa Leak, Ledisi, Rahsaan Patterson, Marion Meadows, Dianne Reeves, Sinbad, Will Downing, Jill Scott and many others. He has also been personally endorsed as a great producer by the legendary Quincy Jones.