ANIMATION RE-IMAGINES "BITCHES BREW" WITH ASIENTO

Unconventional. Unheard of. Some might add unreal. Upon first listen, you’ll be struck by the startling freshness and flat-out nerve that have become hallmark sounds of Animation, the best rock & jazz mélange you’ve never heard of.

With two Grammy nominated Blue Note CDs, animation * imagination (1999) and re*animation LIVE! (2000), the group has raised the bar for experimental music, carrying with it infectious tinges of hip-hop, trip-hop, drum ‘n’ bass, fusion and whatever your own imagination might add with each new listen.

The journey continues with Asiento, the group’s long-overdue album to be released on the UK-based RareNoiseRecords. Spearheaded by music visionaries Bob Belden (producer/saxophone), Tim Hagans (trumpet) and Scott Kinsey (keyboard/synthesizer), as well as Matt Garrison (bass), Guy Licata (drums) and DJ Logic (turntables), Animation re-imagines the landmark 1969 Miles Davis release Bitches Brew.

A bit of history: In December 2006, as part of a series called “Reissue: Classic Recordings Live,” Belden led Animation into New York City’s famed and more classically oriented Merkin Hall for a rare show performed by his extremely happenstance, inconspicuous aggregate. That’s where they “re-imagined” Bitches Brew, and where the BBC, in tow, recorded the music for posterity.

No, you won’t find Bitches Brew played verbatim with this group. To the contrary, Animation proves that a group of musicians can distill the essence of a classic album while creating a unique musical fingerprint to make it a “new original.” Asiento showcases musicians taking liberties, reinventing a work of art from 40 years ago and reinterpreting and applying the original work to the parameters and context of the 21st century. Such now-classic material like “Miles Runs The Voodoo Down,” “Spanish Key” and the title track, as well as other tracks from the original album, are heard in a new setting with new and oftentimes radical perspectives.

And there could be no better person for the task of reinventing and “re-imagining” Miles Davis and Bitches Brew than Bob Belden. In 1998 he produced a four-CD box entitled The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions, which included not only the six tracks from the original 1969 double-LP, but an additional 15 different songs by more or less the same edition of the Davis ensemble that existed at that time. While working on this reissue, Belden profited from having a strong accord with Davis’ legendary producer Teo Macero. As producer for the original Bitches Brew sessions, Macero provided Belden with invaluable guidance on the work he did with Davis over the years.

Room does not permit going into too much detail about Belden’s personal catalogue. Suffice to say, he traces the evolution of the Animation group back to the late 1980s and his innovative Treasure Island big band, continuing on with material that’s had the main members of Animation on board to this day. His acclaimed releases – such as Black Dahlia, Strawberry Fields, Tapestry, Straight To My Heart: The Music Of Sting, When Doves Cry: The Music Of Prince, and Puccini’s Turandot - canvassed the 1990s musical terra firma and helped cement the foundation of his ever-changing musical aesthetic

And, along with Belden who were those musicians who added so much to the musical proceedings? Scott Kinsey, Matt Garrison, Guy Licata and DJ Logic all played major roles in the musical creation process.

Kinsey has been like an alter ego to Belden and Hagans, now making a name for himself with his innovative group Human Element and also having worked with such artists as the late Joe Zawinul (Kinsey was the only keyboardist Zawinul would share the bandstand with or let sub on gigs!), Tribal Tech with Scott Henderson, Bill Evans. Kinsey has also had soundtrack gigs with David Holmes for films such as Ocean’s Eleven through Ocean’s Thirteen.

Garrison, the son of the legendary bassist Jimmy Garrison, has worked with, among others, Jack DeJohnette, Joni Mitchell and Herbie Hancock and currently plays with Kinsey in Human Element. Additionally, Garrison recorded and toured in guitarist John McLaughlin’s project, The Heart of Things (Verve – 1997).

Licata’s credits include work with Bill Laswell’s Method of Defiance as well as Bernie Worrell and The Collective.

As for DJ Logic, the man’s credits run long and wide and include sizeable streaks with such names as Vernon Reid, John Mayer, Bob Weir’s Ratdog, and Medeski Martin & Wood. His background is loaded with work in and around hip-hop, funk, soul jazz and jazz.

It makes complete sense that RareNoise should be in on the production side. Co-founded by Giacomo Bruzzo and Italian musician Eraldo Bernocchi, RareNoise credits also include working with example fellow experimentalist Bill Laswell of M.O.D. Technologies. Yes, that same Bill Laswell, responsible for those radical late-’90s reconstructions and remixes of electric Miles Davis from the 1960s and ’70s.

Says Belden of RareNoise: “RareNoise is way into the music. For the first time I have a company that ‘gets it,’ and is into the music, the band and the musicians individually.” Speaking of Bruzzo, Belden adds, “He’s into progress and not nostalgia!!!”

As for the name of the album, Asiento, label-head Bruzzo says it “refers to a particular level of initiation within Santeria.” “And what is Santeria?” Bruzzo asks proverbially. “Santeria is a syncretic religion of West African and Caribbean origin. And a disciple who has passed the Asiento is considered, for the first time, a fully-fledged ‘Santero,’ a priest within the order. This point is both one of arrival and one of departure.”

Referring to the Merkin show and forthcoming album, Bruzzo concludes, “This title wants to honor the very personal importance of that evening’s performance, to declare that performance to be a point of arrival, but also a point of departure for Animation. Finally, it is to provide a reference to the music and their authors without being overly explicit or subservient.”

JUDI SILVANO – INDIGO MOODS

Storied jazz vocalist and composer Judi Silvano celebrates the 20th Anniversary of her recording career, with the release of her tenth album, Indigo Moods (Jazzed Media). What makes this release different from most of Silvano’s previous nine albums is that Indigo Moods consists entirely of familiar popular jazz standards delivered in an extremely intimate setting.

This album exemplifies the impact of the trio format with which the veteran singer has been working for several years, in venues across New York, Philadelphia and the Mid-Atlantic area, featuring pianist Peter Tomlinson and trumpeter Fred Jacobs.

“The reason that I did this album now, with these songs and with these musicians,” she says, “is because our musical communication felt so connected. Peter Tomlinson has a flowing and evocative touch and Fred Jacobs is a beautifully melodic player. It felt like the time was right to feature these songs that I have known virtually my entire life, with these musicians.”

The songs are mostly pieces that the trio has performed live on gigs, but, she elaborates, “There are always surprises when you get into the recording studio! We didn’t start with set arrangements. I led the session but with a collaborative attitude and because we are so attuned to each other, things would just spontaneously happen in intriguing places – I love that!”

A Philadelphia native who has lived in New York for most of her professional life, Silvano’s background was originally in dance and formal “classical” music. However, once immersed in Manhattan’s bustling “downtown” arts scene, she was invariably drawn to jazz and improvised music.

CAROL WEISMAN - JOURNEY

On her highly anticipated tenth recording, vocalist/pianist Carol Welsman invites us to tag along on a spirited yet intimate adventure. She explores 14 classic songs on Journey (Justin Time Records), all inspired by her lifelong love of traveling.

While jaunting from city to city can be somewhat draining for most people, Welsman enjoys the same sense of happy wanderlust that she had the first time she flew to Boston from her hometown of Toronto to attend the Berklee College of Music as a piano performance major. Since then, she has jazzed thousands of fans everywhere from Tokyo and New York to Italy and Brazil; lived for years in France, Italy and Los Angeles; and continues to be an iconic figure in her home country of Canada, where she has received five Juno nominations over the course of her 15 year recording career.

While her rich discography includes numerous acclaimed recordings showcasing her powerful skills as a songwriter, Journey follows in the tradition of Welsman’s previous thematic excursions, including Swing Ladies Swing! A Tribute to Singers of the Swing Era (1999), What’cha Got Cookin’, a set of jazzed up country standards produced by Pierre and Mary Cossette (2005), the Japan-released Benny Goodman tribute Memories of You (2008) and Welsman’s the tour de force I Like Men, Reflections of Miss Peggy Lee, which earned the singer her fifth Juno nod for Best Jazz Vocal Album of the Year in Canada and was named one of USA Today’s Top 5 albums of the year (alongside Barbra Streisand and Mark Knopfler) and #3 album of the year in Jazz Times.

Produced by Welsman’s longtime band members, guitarist Pierre Coté and drummer/percussionist Jimmy Branly, Journey also features Marc Rogers on bass and a guest spot by trumpeter Ron Di Lauro on “You Came A Long Way From St. Louis.” The musical and emotional centerpiece is, as always, Welsman’s piano and a vocal style that goes from sly and witty to seductive and sensual with the clever turn of a phrase or flip of the proverbial light switch. Though most songs are sung in her native English, she draws on her fluency in French for “Volons Vers La Lune” (an exuberant, coolly swinging adaptation of “Fly Me To The Moon”) and the hauntingly eloquent “Si J’étais Un Homme,” and sings Portuguese throughout the first part of a spirited romp through Jobim’s “Samba De Avião.”

The Journey of this extraordinary recording began with a simple suggestion by famed jazz journalist Don Heckman, who over dinner with friends one night casually asked Welsman if she would ever do an album of “travel songs.” She quickly warmed to the idea and started a folder on her computer to fill with suggestions of material-which came over a period of time from many musical colleagues and close friends, including legendary guitarist and Sergio Mendes musical director Oscar Castro-Neves (who produced Welsman’s 2003 Juno nominated The Language of Love) and famed Hollywood Squares host Peter Marshall. As Heckman later wrote in his thoughtful liner notes, “…the prime difficulty lay in having to answer the recurrent question, ‘Oh no! How can I leave that out?’”

The true joy in experiencing the 14 tracks that made the final cut comes not only from hearing Welsman swing a batch of obscure tunes that were new even to her (including “You Came A Long Way From St. Louis” and “Detour Ahead”), but also hearing her explore new harmonic possibilities and create deeper emotional worlds for familiar pop chestnuts like “By The Time I Get To Phoenix” and “On The Road Again.” Welsman takes sly and sensual turns with more obvious choices (“Route 66,” “Two For The Road”) and smartly picks some titles where the traveling is embedded in the lyrics, including “Never Make Your Move Too Soon” (a jazzy romp showcasing Welsman’s dynamic scatting style), Johnny Mercer and Jimmy Van Heusen’s “I Thought About You” and “Where Can I Go Without You”.

There were also a few (originally unintentional) winks back to Peggy Lee with “…St. Louis” and “Where Can I Go Without You,” whose lyrics were penned by the legendary singer. Journey closes with an elegant rendition of her friend Marian McPartland’s “Twilight World,” which Welsman performed as an instrumental piece many years ago in Canada. “She emailed me a song she had written with Peggy Lee and just as an extra item sent me an original lead sheet for ‘Twilight World’ with words,” the singer says. “I always loved the song but had no idea it had lyrics. It was a perfect fit for the new album.”

Beyond the compelling song list and Welsman’s unique interpretations, another fascinating element of this Journey is the fact that every tune was recorded in one or two takes, with the band recording 16 tracks in four days. Welsman prepared for the sessions with pre-production demos and, embodying the true essence of jazz, was open to changing course and improvising when the spirit of the song led the band in a different direction during the rehearsal session before recording. Her idea to drop the drums from “Route 66,” for instance, happened during the first run through the song in the recording studio.

“That’s the great thing about jazz, being open to making last minute changes to make every song and arrangement flow just right,” says Welsman. “I wanted to play with the intimacy of the music, which means there could be a sudden change of attitude, as in ‘Never Make Your Move Too Soon,’ which started out as a straight blues but seemed too forced that way. The result was that we were able to have a nice palette of colors with which to present this special array of songs. One of the key things was vibe. I didn’t want to be too over the top, but more on the quiet side so that you could put it on during dinner and then later it would lend itself to more detailed listening. Because we were drawing from so many sources and influences, I was amazed at the end that everything had an organic feel and was totally cohesive. All the themes connected as if we had somehow planned it that way. Dropping an instrument here and there definitely was part of the balanced approach we took.”

JIMMY AMADIE TRIO - SOMETHING SPECIAL

As simple and descriptive as it may seem, the title “Happy Man’s Bossa Nova” actually speaks volumes. One of two Jimmy Amadie originals contained on the pianist’s latest CD, Something Special, the tune is as joyful and celebratory as its name implies. Given the struggles and setbacks Amadie has faced on the path to recording this, his eighth album, it could easily be otherwise. But he is indeed, and indefatigably, a happy man.


“This is the best time of my life,” Amadie says. “I’m 74 years old and I’m getting better every day.”

Amadie’s story has been recounted often since his miraculous return to the piano bench in the mid-1990s, but it bears repeating. The North Philadelphia native was a promising young pianist in the fifties, accompanying the likes of Mel Torme, Woody Herman and Red Rodney, when his performing career was brought to an abrupt halt by severe tendonitis in both hands. Playing the piano suddenly became sheer agony, and Amadie was reduced to improvising only in his head for the next 35 years.

He managed to maintain an influential presence on jazz through those decades thanks to his own teaching (students included Kurt Rosenwinkel, John Di Martino and famed TV composer Edd Kalehoff) and the publication of two highly-regarded instructional volumes: Harmonic Foundation for Jazz and Popular Music and Jazz Improv: How To Play It and Teach It. His own belated recording debut finally arrived in 1995, thanks to a series of surgeries and his own indomitable fighting spirit, honed as a young man in the boxing ring.

That solo debut, Always With Me, was followed by a series of widely praised sessions on which Amadie was joined by legendary peers like Benny Golson, Phil Woods, Joe Lovano, Randy Brecker, Lee Konitz, and Lew Tabackin. Just as his luck seemed to be improving he was faced with a further setback. Following the 2007 recording of The Philadelphia Story, he was diagnosed with lung cancer; having reached the summit of one mountain, he suddenly found himself at the base of another.

Something Special is, in many ways, a direct result of that diagnosis. Most people are forced to reassess their priorities when confronted with a life-threatening illness; for Amadie, the cancer, which he continues to battle successfully, helped him come to the decision of recording his first trio session.

“I didn’t know if I was going to get another chance to play,” Amadie explains. “I decided to give it my best shot and play without holding back. I’m glad I did. I can’t tell you what I learned.”

There is one other trio recording in Amadie’s discography: In a Trio Setting (2002), with drummer Bill Goodwin, who returns for Something Special as he has on each of the pianist’s recordings, and bassist Steve Gilmore. But for the most part, that earlier album was produced in a very unusual way. Amadie painstakingly recorded his parts over a period of several years, as the pain in his hands allowed, and then turned the finished product over to Goodwin and Gilmore, who added their contributions during one marathon 14-hour session. Amadie was so moved by their creativity, however, that he couldn’t keep himself away from the keyboard, spontaneously laying down two more pieces in more traditional fashion.

Something Special, on the other hand, was recorded live from beginning to end, which shows in the spirited interaction of Amadie, Goodwin, and bassist Tony Merino. Nowhere is that cohesion more evident than on the classic “All the Things You Are.” The leader begins his solo with a sprightly exploration of the familiar melody, but the trio quickly takes off on a more assertive bent, adding intensity without ever sacrificing beauty.

“If I had the chance to pick any rhythm section in the world, that’s the rhythm section I’d pick,” Amadie says of his cohorts. “Bill Goodwin is one of the greatest musicians alive. His musicianship is immaculate. And Tony Merino’s playing is so robust. He can be so light and so heavy at all different tempos. Those guys make everything I do better.”

The range and individuality of Amadie’s talents are evident throughout Something Special. The blazing tempo of “Blues for Sweet Lizzy” and the percussive attack of “Get Happy” both bring out a more aggressive side of his playing, one rarely aired due to the stress it places on his hands – a factor that he never lets intrude into the studio. His tenderness emerges on “Fly Me To the Moon” and “Sweet Lorraine,” a tribute to pianist Dave McKenna whose achingly beautiful solo introduction becomes a gentle swing showcase upon the entrance of Merino and Goodwin.

“I want to do the kind of tunes that great players did,” Amadie says with regards to his choice of repertoire for the session. “You’ll hear the difference, because I don’t sound like any of them. I’ve got my own thing.”

Ultimately, it’s sharing that unique voice that drives Amadie to overcome what seem like insurmountable obstacles. He’s now looking forward to his first live performance for almost 50 years, scheduled for this spring at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. And he has new music and new collaborations always in mind.

“I think this is the best playing I’ve ever done,” he says of Something Special. “I keep getting closer. I’ll never get there, but I keep getting closer. That’s what keeps me alive.”

RALPH PETERSON - THE DUALITY PERSPECTIVE

The painting by Edward LaRose that graces the cover of The Duality Perspective, drummer/composer Ralph Peterson's new release and 16th as a leader, is a dynamic illustration of the album's driving principles. The yin yang symbol in the background represents the balance between the two ensembles that appear on the record, the young, next-generation Fo'tet and the more established Sextet. The names of the members of each group are spelled out on the branches of a tree, the Sextet side fully flowering while the Fo'tet side is still budding; the tree's roots are inscribed with the names of elders and mentors including Art Blakey, Elvin Jones, and Bill Fielder.

At the center of all of this is a portrait of Peterson himself, the locus of the enterprise both musically and spiritually. It is Peterson that nurtures this living, growing entity so that buds will bloom, branches will grow and thrive, and roots will delve ever deeper and stronger.

The Duality Perspective thus embodies youth and maturity, past; past, present and future; and diverse stylistic approaches based on a common language. In a bit of word association, Peterson characterizes the young, hungry Fo'tet as "dry ice, so cold it'll burn you," and the all-star Sextet as "richly rooted, one foot in the tradition, the other foot in tomorrow." But as he acknowledges, "Each has a distinct sound and approach, yet they have a commonality at the core."

Of course, as Peterson is quick to point out, there are more than two sides to his musical identity. ("Later on there might be a record called The Multiplicity Perspective," he muses.) Besides his incomparable talent behind the drumkit, which has led to collaborations with the likes of Terence Blanchard, Branford Marsalis, David Murray, Roy Hargrove, Jon Faddis, Michael Brecker, Steve Coleman and Betty Carter over a nearly thirty-year career - not to mention being hand-picked by Art Blakey as the second drummer in the legendary bandleader's Jazz Messenger Big Band until Blakey's 1990 death - Peterson is an agile trumpeter and a respected educator.

Celebrating Peterson's fiftieth birthday, The Duality Perspective is the veteran drummer's 16th album as a leader and the second release on his own Onyx Music label, following last year's acclaimed Outer Reaches. Turning 50, Peterson says, has been accompanied by some positive adjustments in his lifestyle. "These changes helped me to be the best person I can be," he says, "and the best person will always produce the best music. I think this is one of my best records because it very much says where I am right now."

The importance of unifying distinct elements into a distinctive whole springs directly from Peterson's martial arts training. A third-degree black belt and Buddhist, Peterson has studied tae kwon do on and off for more than two decades. "As I continue my martial arts training," he says, "Asian philosophical concepts like yin and yang become more important to me and I'm able to fuse them back into my other artistry, my music art. It also helps me stay physically fit, so I can play with the vigor of my youth but add to it the maturity and wisdom I've gotten through my experiences."

The latter role, in particular Peterson's professorship at Boston's prestigious Berklee College of Music, is well represented in the Fo'tet, the members of which are all current students at the school. Originally conceived in 1989, this serves as an introduction to the band's new incarnation. The new album's "4 in 1" represents a torch-passing, as founding Fo'tet member Bryan Carrott plays marimba alongside current vibraphonist Joseph Doubleday. It has become a mentorship program along the lines of Blakey's talent-fostering Jazz Messengers.

"I treat them like grown folks and I allow them to not be," Peterson says of his role in the Fo'tet. "Musically, when they're demonstrating the measure of how much they have to learn, I don't beat them up for it. I try to share with them similarities that I can find in my own experience."

The growth and replenishment of the album cover's family tree is vividly evidenced by the current membership of Peterson's Sextet, most of whom were in the budding stage themselves when Peterson began working with them. Trumpeter Sean Jones was a student at Rutgers University, who then introduced Peterson to saxophonist Tia Fuller; saxophonist Walter Smith III was a student in one of Peterson's clinics at Berklee prior to his professorship; the drummer taught bassist Luques Curtis and played in the senior recital of his brother, pianist Zaccai Curtis.

The fact that all of them have gone on to be celebrated and in-demand players on the current jazz scene - a testament to Peterson's gift as a talent scout and mentor, a legacy passed on directly from Blakey. It's also an added incentive to keep a close eye on the lesser-known (for now) members of Peterson's younger band.

The Fo'tet receives the honor of the CD's first half, opening with the gritty groove of "One False Move." In his liner notes, Peterson refers to the piece's down-and-dirty sound as "Swunk," a hybrid of swing and funk that perfectly captures its gut-level momentum, propelled by the meaty bass sound of Alexander L.J. Toth. The aforementioned "4 in 1" offers an exotic arrangement of the Monk classic contributed by Indonesian musicians Sri Hanuraga and Elfa Zulham.

The lullaby lilt of "Addison and Anthony," featuring Felix Peikli's winsome bass clarinet, was inspired by Peterson's grandchildren, while "Bamboo Bends in a Storm," honors Peterson's wife Diane and her resiliency of their marriage, characterized by the insistent, driving percussion of Reinaldo Dejesus. The final Fo'tet piece, the joyously darting "Princess," reprises a piece from Peterson's second release dedicated to his daughter Sonora Tiye - now 23 years old.

Tia Fuller's silken soprano opens the Sextet half of the disc with "Coming Home," a piece from Peterson's leader debut that begins to smolder with the addition of the leader and the Curtis brothers. The Afro-Cuban rhythms of "Impervious Gems," penned by Peterson's student Jonathon Pinson, provide a showcase for Sean Jones' agile trumpet and the huge, soulful tenor sound of Edwin "Eddie" Bayard.

The title track is appropriately meditative, encompassing the broad-minded harmoniousness at the album's core. Walter Smith III navigates the piece with a deeply-felt, introspective solo, followed by Fuller's searching, upward-reaching alto. Peterson illustrates the title's inter-generational concept by drawing inspiration from both elders and peers, particularly the work of Wayne Shorter, longtime friend Terence Blanchard, and Sextet member Tia Fuller. "How does the saying go? Good writers borrow, great writers steal. I've added a third part: Genius writers steal and hide it right under your nose," Peterson concludes with a raucous laugh.

"You Have Know Idea" is the album's second tribute to Peterson's wife, this one more seductive and playful. "Like her," Peterson writes of his better half, "the groove is sensual and elegant."

The album's closer, "Pinnacle," corrals the ensemble for a breakneck burner, powered by Peterson's high-octane fuel. As always throughout the album and throughout his career, Peterson refuses to hog the spotlight, but renders himself essential to the overall musicality of the undertaking. "I'm a musician who plays the drums," he says - a simple statement but one, in the spirit of the album's dualistic perspective, that speaks volumes.

Ralph Peterson · The Duality Perspective
Onyx Music · Release Date: June 19, 2012
RalphPetersonMusic.com
OnyxMusicLabel.com

LAURA NYRO - THE FIRST SONGS

Laura Nyro had just turned 19 when she recorded this album in 1966. This debut is such a mature piece of work, glistening with alluring pop melodies and fashionable ’60s arrangements, yet so fresh and gorgeous it sounds as beautiful, sophisticated and modern as it did nearly 45 years ago. The bare-bones simplicity of her singing is disciplined, careful, and exquisite and on track after track she delivers a performance equal with any of the top female pop singers of the day – her singing is riveting and unforgettable.

Laura Nyro was a genius songwriter and musician, and the album features the majority of her most famous and revered compositions and her own interpretation of several pieces that would be hits for other artists – Blood Sweat and Tears – ”And When I Die” (US #2), The 5th Dimension – ”Wedding Bell Blues” (US #1) and ”Blowin’ Away” (US #21), and Barbra Streisand – ”Stoney End” (US #6).

On this album, Nyro shows off her awesome talent, a potent and diverse mix of folk rock, jazzy cabaret stylings, blues, r & b, gospel and pure, delicious girl-group pop, to which she adds a lyrical intelligence not to be found elsewhere – Nyro knows each of theses genres as if she’d been performing in them for decades. It’s just breathtaking how it all effortlessly tumbles forth.

She began so young and was lost to the world before her time. She is one of the most overlooked and greatest of the female ”confessional, ”poetic” and hit making songwriter/singers of that generation. She belongs up there among the best, with Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Judy Collins, Janis Ian, Roberta Flack and Rickie Lee Jones.

NOTE: The album was released as More Than A New Discovery at the beginning of 1967and reissued, with a revised track order in 1973 as The First Songs. In 1999, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.



”…one of the most original and brilliant artists in popular music.”

Mastered by Kevin Gray

Track Listing:

SIDE ONE

1. Goodbye Joe

2. Billy’s Blues

3. And When I Die

4. Stoney End

5. Lazy Susan

6. Flim Flam Man

SIDE TWO

1. Wedding Bell Blues

2. Buy and Sell

3. He’s a Runner

4. Blowin’ Away

5. I Never Meant to Hurt You

6. California Shoeshine Boys

Thinkindie.com

GARLAND JEFFREYS - THE KING OF IN BETWEEN

Co-produced by Larry Campbell (Grammy-winning producer with Levon Helm), The King Of In Between marks a return to the more rootsy sounds of Jeffreys’ earlier work. According to The New Yorker, The material is as uncannily fresh and forceful as the songs on his début record, from 1973. The Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, native specializes in an endearing snarl over an insistent, sinuous beat, and when he sings “twenty-two stops to the city,” on the new song “Coney Island Winter,” you’re on that train.

Long known for his amazing roster of supporting musicians on every record, with names such as Dr. John, Sonny Rollins, James Taylor, Linton Kwesi Johnson, and Sly and Robbie, The King Of In Between doesn’t disappoint. Among the contributors are Duncan Sheik, with caterwauling guitar on “I’m Alive,” and old friend Lou Reed on the somewhat ironic, insinuating doo-doo-doo backing vocals on “The Contortionist.” “My fourteen-year old daughter Savannah came to the studio and laid down a doubling vocal on top of Lou’s part. I don’t think she understands how cool that really is-yet,” muses Jeffreys.

Track Listing:
1. Coney Island Winter
2. I’m Alive
3. Streetwise
4. The Contortionist
5. All Around the World
6. ‘Til John Lee Hooker Calls Me
7. Love Is Not a Cliché
8. Rock and Roll Music
9. The Beautiful Truth
10. Roller Coaster Town
11. In God’s Waiting Room
12. (Hidden Bonus Track) Rock On

http://www.thinkindie.com/

THE FILTHY SIX - THE FOX

I'm a huge fan of the UK's Jazz FM and this week their Jazz FM Album of the Week is The Fox by The Filthy Six. The Filthy Six are a cut above your average Organ Jazz combo. They look to the blueprint of the late '60s Organ groups for inspiration and then add Soul-Jazz, Funk and Boogaloo to create an intoxicating musical brew.

Signed to Acid Jazz Records and led by trumpeter Nick Etwell (Tom Jones/Jill Scott/David Axelrod), the band recorded this second album almost completely live in the studio. On this stylish mixture of originals and a few well chosen covers, the front line is dominated by Brendan Reilly's soulful vocals and Etwell’s crisp solos, Mark Brown’s masterly saxophone, Pete Whitaker’s bluesy organ and Nigel Price’s nimble guitar work. The rhythm section of Dan Drury and newcomer Simon Lea provide the flexible support and rhythmic dexterity that this sort of music demands.

‘The Rum Diary’, a cooking slice of Latin soul, is a tribute to the Hunter S Thompson novel. The covers are, by coincidence, both Michael Jackson-related. ‘Girlfriend’ from ‘Off The Wall' gets a funky revamp while the Jackson 5 track ‘Never Can Say Goodbye’ is given a stunning instrumental makeover with Price taking the lead as if paying tribute to the great balladeering style of Boogaloo Joe Jones.

The band tour the UK in April, here are the full dates:
Tue 17th April - London, The Social **ALBUM LAUNCH**
Thur 19th April - Cardiff, Cafe Jazz
Fri 20th April - Bristol, Mr Wolfs (+ Thee Ones)
Sat 21st April - Exeter, Cellar Door
Thur 26th April - Limerick, Nancy Blakes
Fri 27th April - Belfast, Hudson Bar (Communion Night)
Sat 28th April - Dundalk, Spirit Store (+ The Trampz)
Sun 29th April - Dublin, Academy 2 (Communion Night)
Mon 30th April – Galway, Roisin Dubh (Communion Night)

JazzFM

MOLE - WHAT'S THE MEANING?

It was nearly eight years ago that Mexican born pianist-composer Mark Aanderud joined forces with Argentinian drummer Hernan Hecht. Their chemistry was immediate and natural. "The first things we did were all related to free music, with electronic elements or not, but always with the idea of creating songs or forms in the moment," says Aanderud. "We do have some incredible magic going on, inasmuch as we can play concerts or record without ever speaking of music, and never repeating ideas or stifling development. This actually hasn't changed over the years."

From their initial encounter, the two kindred spirits progressed to the formation of Mole (pronounced Mo-Lay), an exhilarating quartet that is breaking new ground in its approach to contemporary jazz with their auspicious RareNoiseRecords debut, What's The Meaning?. "I think this project is an inevitable spot in my career," says Hecht, who is also a member of the RareNoiseRecords band Brainkiller. "It is our version of contemporary jazz, the sum of all the things we've heard and experienced in our lives related to jazz and everything else we have acquired; sounds of other music, other arts, the sense of song. It's a freedom of expression, not determined by traditional jazz or directly from any line of traditional language learning. I am interested in music that is broad, not determined by a style."

Though both Aanderud and Hecht would cringe at the prospect of being labeled a fusion band, Mole does indeed fuse a variety of music styles, from jazz and rock to classical, funk and hip-hop. "I don't really like the fusion concept, but of course with all the groove and electronic elements in our music it's natural to think it sounds like fusion a little bit," says Aanderud. "But I see us more in the same line as groups like Phronesis, e.s.t. and Kurt Rosenwinkel and in terms of electronic music, groups like Sigur Rós, Massive Attack and Radiohead."

After a few years of exploring their chemistry together, Aanderud and Hecht began inviting other musicians into their inner circle to see how it affected their music. "We always considered the possibility of working with more people to achieve different characters, sounds and experience new artistic possibilities," says Hecht. "So I instigated tours and recordings with Tim Berne, Rick Parker, Eli Degibri, Jonathan Kreisberg, Marco Renteria, Aaron Cruz and many more musicians, always with the desire of novelty."

For their super-charged What's the Meaning?, Aanderud and Hecht recruited New York guitarist David Gilmore, whose impressive list of credits includes tours and recordings with the likes of Wayne Shorter, Trilok Gurtu, Don Byron and Steve Coleman's Five Elements. "When we decided to tour with someone else from New York, to have new sounds and pressure to work with someone already recognized internationally, someone from which to learn with a shared philosophy and professionalism, we automatically thought of David Gilmore," says Hecht.

Adds Aanderud, "There is probably no other guitarist as diverse in groove, time and the free approach as him. So it was easy to know he was the one we were looking for."

Rounding out the quartet is Mexican upright bassist Jorge "Luri" Molina, whom Aanderud met years ago in their native country. "I've known Luri since I started playing jazz music," says the keyboardist who is currently based in Prague. "We were still kids and we were starting to dig this music. He was a very straight-ahead player but he became one of the most charismatic and strong rhythm players I know, and an incredible musician who just understands any musical situation."

Throughout the course of the eight pieces on this dynamic RareNoiseRecords release, Hecht shifts gears from surging swing to slamming backbeats to driving drum 'n' bass and sensitive, coloristic rubato playing. "My approach to the instrument is completely determined by a lot of different influences, says Hecht, who has resided in Mexico City for the past 16 years. "Many drummers are important in my training, but I'm not one of those musicians who listens only to the instrument they play. What I like is the music and the depth of communication, not just my own instrument. I like the relationship between all the instruments, so it is possible that my playing is more influenced by a pianist than a drummer."

The opener, "PB," begins with free-form textural improvisations before segueing to the cascading theme, played at odd intervals between Aanderud's Wurlitzer electric piano and Gilmore's warm-toned electric guitar. Molina grooves this piece with his steady, full-toned upright bass sound as Hecht plays loosely and melodically around the kit. Gilmore offers remarkably fluid six-string work, showcasing Wes Montgomery-styled octave playing on his stellar solo. Hecht is turned loose at the end of the piece, traversing the kit with boundless energy and a flood of ideas. The hard-hitting "Stones" is fueled by Hecht's kinetic drum 'n' bass pulse while Aanderud layers on classically-inspired lines on grand piano. The moody "Trees And The Old New Ones" opens with Molina's bowed bass setting a droning ambient tone. He is soon joined by guest cellist Dorota Barova, who creates a chamber-like latticework pattern of sound in tandem with Molina's bass. Aanderud reveals his classical roots on this waltz-time number, which is underscored by Hecht's sensitive, swirling brushwork and Gilmore's deliberate, warm-toned guitar lines.

"Flour Tortilla Variation" is a rock-tinged workout marked by Aanderud's forceful piano motif and underscored by Hecht's sizzling drum 'n' bass groove. Gilmore kicks in an aggressive guitar solo that will thrill six-string connoisseurs. The darkly droning title track deals in minimalism while also showcasing the indelible nature of Aanderud's rhythmic hookup with partner Hecht. Mark brings a calming quality with his restrained piano solo while Gilmore elevates the proceedings with rare fretboard abandon, bringing this dynamic offering to a cathartic peak.
"Greenland" is a hypnotic jam featuring torrents of challenging unison lines by Aanderud and Gilmore on top of an insistent groove laid down by Hecht and Molina. Gilmore turns in another distortion-laced solo that adds heat to this throbbing jam and Aanderud follows with a chiming Wurlitzer solo that brings the piece to another level. For the accelerated finale, "Grubenid," Gilmore breaks out some of the taut, odd-metered James Brown-meets-Fela funk lines that he cultivated as a member of Steve Coleman's Five Elements. Hecht feeds the funk with slickly syncopated backbeats as Molina anchors the tune with his bubbling bass groove.

Hecht and Aanderud have made a giant leap in their longstanding partnership on Mole's audacious debut, What's the Meaning?

Mole · What's The Meaning?
RareNoiseRecords · Release Date: May 15, 2012
RareNoiseRecords.com

STEVE GADD AND FRIENDS LIVE AT VOCE

One of the most recorded drummers of all time, Steve Gadd has worked with everyone from Chick Corea to Paul Simon, Maynard Ferguson to Eric Clapton. When it comes to his own projects, Gadd loves to play good-time groove music that has the danceable qualities and bluesiness of the best R&B along with the adventurous solos and impeccable musicianship of jazz. On Live At Voce (Deluxe Edition), Gadd is joined by Joey DeFrancesco (arguably the World's greatest organist), the passionate baritone-saxophonist Ronnie Cuber, and the versatile guitarist Paul Bollenbeck. Together they create grooves and hard-driving swing that are reminiscent of the best organ groups of the 1960s including an early George Benson band that featured Cuber. The infectious rhythms, catchy material, and colorful ensembles make this band impossible to resist.

For this project the quartet, which has been together since 2007, is heard at a popular club in Scottsdale, Arizona. “Watching The River Flow,” which is based on “Swanee River,” has exciting solos by all four musicians. The one-chord vamp “Way Back Home” gives Ronnie Cuber a chance to preach on his horn. “Undecided” is taken at a burning tempo that is perfect for the musicians, with DeFrancesco showing why he is considered the master of his instrument. “Bye Bye Blackbird” starts out with a surprising duet between Gadd on brushes and DeFrancesco, who is heard on a muted trumpet a la Miles Davis. “Them Changes” finds the group rocking out on an R&B groove that alternates with some furious straight ahead jamming. Cuber is featured on a heartfelt rendition of “Georgia On My Mind.” “Back At The Chicken Shack” has the Gadd band returning to the blues, really digging into the music. Horace Silver's “Sister Sadie” is given quite a ride by the musicians, with this being the most stirring performance of the heated set.

As a bonus, the deluxe version of Live At Voce concludes with a pair of intriguing duets (“Here I Am Now” and “Down”) by Gadd and singer/songwriter Edie Brickell. Gadd and Brickell lead the newly formed band, The Gaddabouts, featuring Andrew Fairweather Low and Pino Palladino. About The Musicians:

Steve Gadd has had a remarkable career during the past 40 years, and there are no signs that he plans to slow down. He began playing drums when he was three, sat in with Dizzy Gillespie at the age of 11, and became a major studio drummer in 1972. Since then his countless number of recordings include important sessions with Chuck Mangione, Bill Watrous, Jim Croce, Joe Farrell, Bette Midler, Chet Baker, Phoebe Snow, Bob James, Hubert Laws, Herbie Mann, George Benson, David Sanborn, Paul Simon, Tom Scott, Chick Corea, Grover Washington Jr, Jim Hall, Maynard Ferguson, Al DiMeola, Carla Bley, Judy Collins, Stanley Clarke, Stuff, Joe Cocker, the Brecker Brothers, Dave Grusin, Charles Mingus, Eddie Daniels, Weather Report, Lee Ritenour, Michael Franks, Carly Simon, Steely Dan, Al Jarreau, Grover Washington Jr, the Manhattan Transfer, Paul McCartney, Frank Sinatra, Diana Ross, James Brown, the Manhattan Jazz Quintet and Natalie Cole plus the Gadd Gang. Just in the past year, Gadd has toured and recorded with Eric Clapton, James Taylor, Alain Clark and Edie Brickell.

Joey DeFrancesco is largely responsible for the Hammond B-3 organ making a comeback in the 1990s. The son of organist Papa John DeFrancesco, Joey began sitting in at his father's gigs when he was just six. He learned from the masters, befriended Jimmy Smith, and toured with Miles Davis right after his high school graduation in 1988. His brilliant playing and enthusiasm led to the organ, which had been neglected in favor of electric keyboards, being restored to its former place of prominence. His success has led to many other young organists entering the scene, but Joey DeFrancesco still ranks at the very top.

Baritonist Ronnie Cuber, whose deep guttural tone is influenced by the late Pepper Adams, has been a major force on his instrument since the 1960s. His stints with the Maynard Ferguson big band and with George Benson made him well known in the jazz world. In recent years he has often been heard with the Mingus Big Band.

Guitarist Paul Bollenback started playing music when he was seven. Originally a rock player, he changed his musical direction after hearing Miles Davis. He has been associated with Joey DeFrancesco off and on since the early 1990s and has also worked with Mark Murphy, Gary Thomas, Ron Holloway, Joe Locke, Houston Person, Geoff Keezer, Jim Snider, Jack McDuff, and Tony Monaco. Steve Gadd's Live At Voce lives up to its great potential, resulting in bluesy music that is both accessible and superbly played by four master musicians.

bfmjazz.com

LUIS CONTE - EN CASA DE LUIS

Luis Conte can play virtually any style of music and has performed with a very wide range of major artists, including James Taylor, Madonna, Barbara Streisand, Phil Collins and Pat Metheny, to name a few. Conte is also an important bandleader, and a very skilled songwriter and singer. His many musical talents are on display throughout En Casa de Luis, his seventh recording as a leader.



On En Casa De Luis, Conte welcomes such talented players as guitarist Barry Coates, trumpeter Walt Fowler, bassist Jimmy Johnson and (on “Dance Of The Firefly”) pianist Larry Goldings. Each of the musicians adds color and their own personality to the music, under the guidance of the leader. Luis Conte is heard on congas, timbales, shakers, guiro, cajon, djembe, claves, bongos, cowbells, pandeiros, maracas and many other percussion instruments. On “Conga Melody” he also plays bass, accordion, and keyboards. In addition, Conte is the composer of six of the 11 selections and he takes three personable and spirited vocals.


The music ranges from exciting percussion displays and instrumentals for the Latin jazz quartet to a few particularly unique performances. The opening “En Casa De Luis” has a likable and memorable melody that Conte sings along with three background vocalists over his percussion. “The Last Resort” is an Afro-Cuban jazz piece that has a very good trumpet solo by Walt Fowler. The chant piece “El Rumbero Mas Chevere” features several vocalists including guest Hector Crisantes. “Water Pots,” a duet with Coates that has a catchy riff, puts the focus on Conte's percussion. “Sticks And Stones” gives the core quartet an opportunity to stretch out.



Luis Conte's interpretation of the Peggy Lee hit “Fever” is one of the most unusual ever heard of this standard, featuring his chanting and percussion. He also takes the vocal on the brief but hypnotic “Conga Melody.” On “Eden,” Conte is heard on all of the instruments (including electric bass) except for the guitar, which is prominently played by Coates. “Dance Of The Firefly” has Conte in a supportive role, setting a relaxed groove for the rhythm section of Larry Goldings, Barry Coates and Jimmy Johnson. The same group, with Walt Fowler in Goldings' place, plays the moody instrumental “There's Only Love” before Conte and Daniel Willy conclude the memorable set with some percussion fireworks on “Mi China.”

JAZZ SOUL SEVEN - IMPRESSIONS OF CURTIS MAYFIELD

Curtis Mayfield ranks among the most important and influential artists of the past century, the definition of soul both as leader of the Impressions and as a solo artist. As a singer and musician, his pure tone melted hearts and as a songwriter, he was peerless, a voice of African-American pride as well as a man whose insights into the ways of the heart spoke to generations.

Mayfield’s impact on artists of all persuasions is incalculable, and jazz musicians have long found much in his words and melodies to inspire new interpretations. Impressions of Curtis Mayfield  is a new collection of a dozen reimaginings of some of the late, great soul man’s most potent compositions, recorded by a collective of jazz aces calling themselves the Jazz Soul Seven: Terri Lyne Carrington–-drums, Russ Ferrante—piano, the late Master Henry Gibson—percussion, Bob Hurst—bass, Wallace Roney—trumpet, Phil Upchurch—guitar, and Ernie Watts—saxophone. Each of these players is a giant in his or her own right, who brings to these timeless songs a lifetime of experience and knowledge. Produced by Brian Brinkerhoff, co-produced by Upchurch, and recorded by Andy Waterman at The Bakery in North Hollywood, California, Impressions of Curtis Mayfield forces a rethink of just how rich and durable is the catalog of Curtis Mayfield, who passed away in 1999, more than nine years after suffering a paralyzing accident that never stopped him from spreading his message.

As it says in A. Scott Galloway’s liner notes that accompany the CD, “Curtis Mayfield is a peerless prophet of American popular music, a gentle giant who walked this earth with enough third eye insight and empathy for his fellow man to tower above us all. Instead, he stood among us, an iconic artist with an unwavering sense of purpose that made a conscious choice to remain earthbound and ever accessible.”

That juxtaposition of power and empathy is palpable in such tunes as the album-opening “Freddie’s Dead,” “Amen,” “People Get Ready,” “Keep On Pushing,” “Superfly,” “I’m So Proud” and “Gypsy Woman,” the song that first put Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions on the musical map more than 50 years ago. Even sans vocals, these new takes on the Mayfield canon express vividly the beauty and honesty inherent in his work.

Writes Galloway, “As a subject for tribute and exaltation, Curtis Mayfield is undeniable. And for a tribute steeped in the freedom and complex expressiveness of jazz, the man proved to be an unexpected natural…What better music than jazz to expand Mayfield’s messages of freedom, unity and uplift in less linear directions? In jazz, the musicians are the message! This band really would have brought a smile to Curtis’ lips.”

http://www.bfmjazz.com

EDDIE GOMEZ - PER SEMPRE

Acoustic bass giant Eddie Gomez ensures his place as one of the truly great musicians working today with his newest recording – Per Sempre, to be released by BFM Jazz on May 1, 2012.

Recorded in Bologna, Italy while on tour in winter 2009, Per Sempre is a luminous jazz disc destined to stand the test of time, showcasing an amazing ensemble. Gomez brings originals—by himself and members of his quintet—to the table, along with one evergreen, “Stella by Starlight.” One of "Per Sempre’s" haunting melodies, “Arianna,” is a stunning ballad “exemplified by the gorgeous, plucked Gomez solo at its center” — Jazz Times.

Coming off his recent triumph Further Explorations (with Chick Corea and the late Paul Motian) in which Gomez celebrated the 50th anniversary of legendary pianist Bill Evans’ classic album Explorations, Per Sempre furthers Gomez’ stature as consummate bassist, inspirational leader, composer and cultivator of musicianship.

Eddie Gomez’s career kicked into gear in the early 1960s and there are more than twenty albums under his rubric. Per Sempre features a host of talent and original composition. Gomez’s conception is like his career, spanning the mainstream (Miles Davis, Gerry Mulligan, Dizzy Gillespie, Bill Evans, Benny Goodman, McCoy Tyner, Hank Jones, Freddie Hubbard) to fusion (Steps Ahead, The Gadd Gang) to classical (Tashi, The Kronos Quartet, Richard Stoltzman). His recent recording Duets, co-led with Carlos Franzetti on piano, won Best Instrumental Album at the 2010 GRAMMY® Awards.

Per Sempre is rich with breezes wafting from the Mediterranean and the Caribbean; exquisite chamber jazz – soulful and swinging. Gomez’s bass is, as usual, resolute as a heartbeat and delicate as a raindrop.

The Quintet Members are: Marco Pignataro, saxophone Matt Marvuglio, flute Teo Ciavarella, piano Massimo Manzi, drums.

GRAMMY®-winning, legendary bassist EDDIE GOMEZ has been on the cutting edge of music for over four decades. His impressive resumé includes performances with jazz giants such as Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Gerry Mulligan and Benny Goodman. Eddie’s distinctive sound and style can be heard on hundreds of recordings spanning the worlds of jazz, classical, Latin jazz, rhythm & blues, popular and contemporary music. At age 21, Eddie became the bassist with the Bill Evans Trio – and rose quickly to prominence. For 11 years, he played an integral role in the Trio’s sound and evolution, and played on many recordings including two GRAMMY®-winning albums.

A sought-after educator, Eddie is Artistic Director of the Jazz Program at the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico, and is frequently artist in residence at schools across the U.S. and throughout Europe. As a composer, many of Eddie’s compositions are featured on his recordings as well as on those of his contemporaries. Today, Eddie tours and records with his own group, and performs around the world in collaboration with some of the great musicians of our time. His recent recording Duets, co-led with Carlos Franzetti on piano, won Best Instrumental Album at the 2010 GRAMMY® Awards. His latest recording Per Sempre will be released by BFM Jazz on May 1, 2012.

http://www.eddiegomez.com/
http://www.bfmjazz.com/

e.s.t./ESBJORN SVENSSON TRIO - 301

ACT Music has announced the release of 301, a full album of previously unheard material by e.s.t. (Esbjörn Svensson Trio), available on May 8. The album is a follow up to e.s.t.'s 2008 effort, Leucocyte, and is the group's second album following pianist Esbjörn Svensson's tragic death (prior to Leucocyte's release).

Heralded as one of the most exciting jazz bands of the decade, the seven-track album features Svensson with his longtime band mates, drummer Magnus Öström and bassist Dan Berglund.

In January 2007, e.s.t. was on tour in Asia and Australia performing shows in Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama, Jakarta, Perth and Sydney. It was their third tour of Japan and their second time on the continent; and the venues and audiences had become noticeably bigger.

Only a few weeks before, they had finished their triumphant tour of Germany, including a legendary performance in Hamberg which resulted in Live In Hamburg (ACT, 2007), awarded "Album of the Decade" by the London Times. It was undoubtedly the prime time for the style-defining jazz band of the 2000s.

The group decided to rent the famous "Studio 301" in Sydney for their off-days in the middle of the Australian tour and jammed for two consecutive days to develop new songs and material. Altogether they recorded nine hours of music. Leucocyte became the first release from these sessions and has been praised by critics and fans alike as a ground-breaking work that leads into a new musical universe.

Very soon after the recording, Svensson had edited much of the material down to two albums. And so the plan at the time was to release either a double album or two consecutive albums from this recording. Svensson's tragic passing on June 14, 2008 (as a result of a scuba diving accident) disrupted this undertaking and only one of the albums, Leucocyte (ACT, 2008), was released at the time.

Three years later, in October and November 2011, Berglund and Öström revisited the material from that recording session and together, with the band's regular sound engineer Ake Linton, made their own edit for an album which is now called 301, on the basis of the name of the studio where the album was recorded.

e.s.t. was a phenomenon: A jazz trio, that saw itself as a pop band that plays jazz, which broke with the tradition of leader and sidemen in favor of equality within its members, which not only played jazz-venues but also venues usually reserved for rock bands, which used light effects and fog-machines in their live shows, which got a whole audience to sing-a-long to jazz-standards as eg. Thelonious Monk's "Bemsha Swing", is a trio that goes beyond the scope of the usual classic jazz trio.

Their music was found in the pop-charts and their videos played on MTV Scandinavia. With their unique soundscape, combining jazz with drum 'n' bass, electronic elements, funk rhythm, and pop and rock as well as European classical music, e.s.t. won an audience spanning from the classic jazz fans to the younger hip hop fans. Critics and audiences worldwide agree: e.s.t. was one of the most innovative jazz bands of the 21st century.

e.s.t./Esbjörn Svensson Trio · 301
ACT Music · U.S. Release Date: May 8, 2012
Esbjörn Svensson / piano, electronics, transistor radio
Dan Berglund / double bass, electronics
Magnus Öström / drums, voices, electronics

TRACK LIST:
All songs composed by Esbjörn Svensson, Dan Berglund and Magnus Öström.
1. Behind The Stars (3:44)
2. Inner City, City Lights (11:45)
3. The Left Lane (13:37)
4. Huston, The 5th (3:34)
5. Three Falling Free Part I (5:49)
6. Three Falling Free Part II (14:30)
7. The Childhood Dream (8:02)

DAVID BENOIT - CONVERSATION

Pianist and composer David Benoit has something to say. It’s clear from his multi-dimensional body of work across three-and-a-half decades, and his deep jazz roots that still allow room for forays into classical, Latin, pop, world music and a range of other sounds. The connections and associations he has made along the way have resulted in a fascinating and ongoing interplay between musics, musicians and musical philosophies. Simply put, Benoit is engaged in a conversation – a dynamic and ongoing act of communication that results in a sound that’s consistently engaging and entertaining.

Benoit takes the discussion to a new level of creative exchange on Conversation, his new album set for release on May 29, 2012, on Heads Up International, a division of Concord Music Group.

“When I started making records, I never conformed to a specific format,” says Benoit, whose recording career began with the release of Heavier Than Yesterday in 1977. “Mostly my records were just me writing and playing my own music, directly from my heart. I’ve come back to that on this record, but using some orchestral colors this time. As a composer, I’ve stretched a bit, and this really represents where I am right now as a pianist, as a musician, as a composer. It’s a very good snapshot for people who have been following me for a while. This is where I am right now. I’m not pandering to radio. I’m just doing what I love to do, and that’s what’s been so much fun about it.”

Benoit gets assistance along the way from musicians representing a broad cross section of styles: electric guitarist Jeff Golub, acoustic guitarist Pat Kelley, guitarist David Pack, flutist Tim Weisberg, classical pianist Robert Theis and a cadre of young classical players who are fearless about taking their music to less traditional and more adventurous and exploratory places.

“As a writer, I really wanted to dig deep on this and try some things with people who weren’t afraid to try them with me. It’s actually one of the most fun and relaxed records I’ve made in at least a couple years. It was just nice to not have any kind of agenda. The title of the album really sums it up. There’s a lot of conversation going on with this record.”

The discussion starts with the sweeping and cinematic “Napa Crossroads Overture,” a track co-authored a couple years ago by Benoit and David Pack, GRAMMY Award winning co-founder, guitarist and main vocalist for the band Ambrosia, who appears on this version. “I knew it would fit perfectly on this record,” says Benoit. “It’s reminiscent of the lush, orchestrated sound of some of my earlier recordings, and it was a lot of fun to revisit that sound.”

Further in, Benoit has some fun with “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” the rollicking, Vince Guaraldi-esque theme music composed by Theodore Shapiro for the 2010 movie of the same name. Benoit gets assistance on this track from his 11-year-old daughter June, a up-and-coming (but by no means wimpy) violin student. “Our engineer brought his rig to my house, and we recorded it right in my living room so June could play on the last verse,” he says. “I made sure Jeff Golub put in a crunchy guitar solo to add another layer of fun to it.”

The quieter and much more melodic “Sunrise on Mansion Row” is one of Benoit’s favorites in the entire set, “and one of the few that I wrote just sitting at the Steinway,” he says. “I wanted to get a little bit of that French sound into it, as a nod to influences like Debussy and Ravel. We brought in a string quartet, with a cello player who plays a really nice line. The song represents where I am as a composer right now. I’m writing some pretty stuff, but trying to make it interesting and evocative, too.”

The swaggering “Let’s Get Ready” features a compelling sax solo from David Sills in the 12-bar blues section. “The title helps define the track,” says Benoit. “It’s a prelude to something else. It’s more of a traditional jazz piece, designed to flow right into the more adventuresome closing track.”

And that closer is the title track, “Conversation,” which is actually the third and last movement in a suite that Benoit wrote several years ago called Music for Two Trios. “I hired Robert Theis, who won the International Prokofiev Piano Competition in 1995, to play on it,” says Benoit. “It’s the first time I didn’t play all the piano parts on my own record. It’s a conversation between classical and jazz, between a melodic pianist like Robert and a blazing guitarist like Jeff Golub. That’s really what this song and the entire record are about – conversations between musicians coming from different realms and finding common ground.”

The discussion may be intense and filled with many voices, but the overriding message remains simple. “My primary goal on this recording – just as it is on nearly all of my recordings – is for people to come away from it feeling good,” says Benoit. “Or maybe it will take them to a place they’ve never been. Maybe they’ll feel something a little bit deeper than they might feel with other CDs, or maybe they’ll want to put it on and have a cocktail and dance the bossa nova. In the end, I want them to take away whatever they want to take away. The main thing is that they enjoy it, and they experience a little bit of what I experienced making it.”

PATRICK BRADLEY - UNDER THE SUN

For Under The Sun, Patrick Bradley teamed up producer Jeff Lorber for this project, along with a stellar cast of top notch musicians, includingf saxmen Dave Koz and Eric Marienthal, flugelhorn and trumpeter Rick Braun, guitarists Dwight Sills and Michael Thompson, bassists Alex Al and Nate Phillips, drummers Tony Moore and Dave Weckl, horn section work from David Mann, and the sultry voice of Irene B.

Bradley harnessed a variety of influences and inspirations for Under the Sun, on which he played piano, keyboards, organ and Moog synthesizers. Bradley refers to the deep-pocketed “Straight Path,” the first track to be serviced to radio stations, as his “life verse” as it is about trusting the Lord for guidance. A lilting and joyous celebration of love with a cascading piano hook, “Into the Sunset” was written for his wife, Lisa. Koz and Irene B. add seductive elements to the R&B ballad “Just Let Go.” Bradley is a passionate road cyclist and he offers a taste of the adrenaline rush experienced while descending in a pack on “Slipstream,” which includes a lead-out from Braun’s horns. The unpredictability of life is the focus of “Time and Chance,” which delivers the message to live life to the fullest while being unafraid of taking chances. “Crows on the Lawn” swings. The poignant “Tears from the Sky” was written after his father’s passing and it’s an expansive, emotional piece both mournful and celebratory. “Rush Street” and the majestic “The Empress of Dalmatia” explode into aggressive progressive rock-jazz fusion jams ignited by Sills’ incendiary guitar pyrotechnics.

As for the album title, Bradley said, “The idea behind this record is to enjoy life and celebrate all it offers during the brief time we have under the sun. No matter what life dishes up, we should keep our dreams alive and pursue our passion, hopes and aspirations. The last few years have been challenging for all of us as we find ourselves in times of change and uncertainty. Seasons of change hit home for me personally when my parents passed away. I found myself in a period of reflection. These songs were written in times of joy, sorrow and triumph, yet with an eye on eternity. Life is speeding by. My hope is that we all will take the time to prioritize and tend to the important things and important people and relationships, and not just chase the mad pursuits of this life.”

A self-taught musician who started playing piano at age eight, Bradley’s musical endeavors have spanned jazz fusion, smooth jazz, gospel, rock, progressive rock, and classical. The Southern California native debuted in 2007 with Come Rain or Shine, an international seller that spawned the title track single, which peaked at #26 on the radio chart. Bradley is assembling a band to perform music from Under the Sun live in support of the album release. Outside of music, Bradley serves as a regional president of the Whole Foods Market southern pacific region.

The songs that comprise Bradley’s Under the Sun are:
“Straight Path”
“Into the Sunset”
“A Message”
“Just Let Go”
“Slipstream”
“Time and Chance”
“Crows on the Lawn”
“Tears from the Sky”
“Rush Street”
“Under the Sun”
“The Empress of Dalmatia”

patrickbradley.net

ROCIO GUITARD - JAZZDANCE

Whether belting out lyrics like a powerhouse or interpreting sensitive ballads, Rocío Guitard is a superb singer. Her latest CD, JazzDance, is a revelation for she reinvents standards in surprising ways, and shows that jazz can be both creative and accessible, danceable yet quite unpredictable.

Born in Germany and raised in Spain, Rocío remembers hearing Beatles songs in her parents’ car. She learned virtually every Beatles song by heart, sang along and, when she was bored with that, she harmonized. Rocío started playing the recorder when she was three, moved on to other instruments when she was six, and at eight began studying piano and music theory at the Royal Conservatory in Madrid, graduating when she was 13. She taught herself to play guitar at 15 and began writing songs of her own.

Rocío played piano in her high school band when she was 14. “The band had a singer who couldn’t read music and he had to learn a new song. I agreed to sight read it for him, and at that moment the bandleader walked in and heard me sing. He thought that I should do the song instead, and I have been singing ever since.” When she moved to Germany to attend college (earning a Masters Degree in Mathematics from the Ludwig Maximilian University), she started singing in professional a-cappella groups and choirs. Soon Rocío was singing lead and solos. “By the time I graduated college, I was making a living singing, so I decided to turn my passion into my profession. Unfortunately there was not enough exposure, enough genres, enough musicians, or enough everything in Munich. I decided to sell everything that I owned and come over to the United States, arriving in the San Francisco Bay area in 1998 with two suitcases and a phone number for a voice coach.”

Rocío opened a teaching studio soon after her arrival and became a widely respected vocal coach. “Some teachers had given me some bad habits and then there were others who gave me a lot of good habits. One way for me to give back to the singing community, especially the younger generation, was to compile the things that work. I am a working performer. I do voiceover work, I teach 4-6 hours a day, and then I go out and perform or record. I use my voice constantly yet I never lose my voice, so what I am doing is healthy.” Rocío is an international lecturer and is involved in seminars, workshops and private lessons. She visits Central Europe twice a year and has worked with hundreds of singers for the Jazz Academy in Graz, Austria, the Green Voice Institute in Munich, the Theater Academy of Krakow, Poland and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in San Francisco. “I work with beginners as well as seasoned and touring veterans from all genres. I teach them to sing in all ranges with power and no effort. The reward that I get is seeing a student’s face light up when they realize that high notes are a breeze to sing if you just know how.”

In addition to her teaching, Rocío has participated in a countless number of studio sessions and performed at clubs, restaurants and festivals since her move to San Francisco. Her eclectic tastes in music are reflected by her experiences which include performing rock and pop with One Velvet Down and Hip Affair, Latin music (Salsa Profundo), R&B and soul with Silicon Vibe, classical music (Grupo Cervantes) and jazz with such groups as The Funny Valentines, CrossCurrent, The Mirabai Ensemble and Jazz By Design.

In 2002 Rocío Guitard recorded her first CD as a leader (Mosaique) which featured her songs in a variety of styles including jazz, pop and world music. Windows, a set of neo-soul originals followed in 2008. JazzDance is a departure for it mostly features Rocio coming up with strikingly new renditions of jazz standards.

Bothered that jazz was considered background music by many listeners, Rocío wanted to make a difference. “I went to see a concert at Yoshi’s by a well known pianist. The band was phenomenal but not a single foot was tapping, not a single head was bobbing, and nobody in the room was moving to the music. Jazz used to be the music that people went out to dance to in the 1940s before it became this intellectual art form. We lost much of the audience because the average person cannot relate anymore; it became music for musicians rather than for the general audience. So for JazzDance, we took songs from that time and a little later and gave them a contemporary treatment. I treated the songs as if they had never been recorded before, infusing them with a little bit of pop, soul, latin and funk without losing their essence. My goal was to strike a healthy balance between what audiences today are used to and the improvisational approach. I want to get people moving again to jazz.”

JazzDance was recorded by Rocío with her regular band, musicians who she has been performing with during the past few years. The group consists of keyboardist and co-arranger/co-producer Greg Sankovich, bassist Jerry Burdick, drummer Carlos Almeida and saxophonist Lincoln Adler with guests Ross Wilson (doubling on trumpet and trombone), cellist Kris Yenney, and percussionists Michael Spiro and Alex Marino.
JazzDance opens with a brief unaccompanied “Intro” that has Rocio welcoming listeners to the CD. Along the way there are many exciting moments. “Foodie Toonz” is a humorous and ultimately logical mixture of “Frim Fram Sauce,” “Peel Me A Grape” and “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction.” Charlie Parker's “Confirmation” is stretched out beyond bebop. “Respect” is atmospheric, exuberant and jazzier than other versions while Cole Porter’s “Night And Day” is given a complete transformation, sounding like a recently composed ballad. Rocío’s catchy “Just Because,” a contemporary love song, deserves to become a standard. Bob Dorough’s “Devil May Care” is slowed down and, during its wild climax, Rocío’s wordless sounds interact with the other musicians. Annie Ross’ “Twisted” is always performed in a conventional bebop fashion, but this time it is outfitted with funky rhythms that divorce the song from bop and turn it into a lowdown blues, giving it fresh life.

“Put The Blame On Mame,” which Rita Hayworth sang in the film Gilda, starts out sounding like an old record before it becomes quite soulful. The late 1940s r&b hit “Harlem Nocturne” is turned into an atmospheric ballad while “Sing Sing Sung” is quite a tour-de-force for Rocío. She sings all of the parts on the classic big band hit “Sing Sing Sing,” from string bass to high note trumpets. Finally, “Weathered Coffee” finds a great deal of common ground between “Black Coffee” and “Stormy Weather”, and “Reprise” serves as a perfect summation for the memorable set.

For the future, Rocío Guitard’s main goal is to expose the wider public to the music she loves, and to make listening to jazz a fun experience. With her remarkable singing and teaching talents along with her infectious spirit, her impact on the contemporary music and jazz scene will be felt for many years to come.

“Few other singers could put on such a display so successfully. (…) Throughout JazzDance, Rocio Guitard shows that she is quite a powerhouse, one who has a wide range, a beautiful voice, and the intuitive ability to be a major jazz singer. This set is highly recommended.” Scott Yanow, author of ten books including The Jazz Singers, Swing, Jazz On Film and Jazz On Record 1917-76

“Rocio Guitard is an extremely creative and exciting vocalist on the jazz scene today. Her innovative arrangements and wide spectrum of expression stand heads above the army of typical jazz interpreters. Listen to her.” Jeffrey Wood, Fantasy Studios

“Breathlessly agile, wonderful, and brilliant.” Sueddeutsche Zeitung

“An amazing artist.” Mark Phillips, Ultimate Audio

“Rocio Guitard is what music is all about.” Joe Kelley, WVOF

“Fantastic job on the album, and we look forward to more of your music.” Mark Stanley, SoundTraxx.com

~ gethermusic.com

GROOVE:55 - A LA CARTE

Groove:55. are four band members who bring decades of music experience to the project having worked with Oliver Jones, Gregory Charles, and Zachary Richard to name but a few. So it seems almost fitting that they would come together as a unified collective to share in their many years of creative experience and knowledge to create their second album À la carte.

The Groove:55 members consists of Yves Adam (alto, tenor & soprano sax) a graduate of McGill’s music faculty in jazz performance as well as teaching saxophone at The Montreal International Jazz festival Blues Camp.

Jacques Mignault (Keyboards) studied alongside Art Roberts at Montreal’s Concordia university; he would later go on to win the inaugural grand prize of the Roland Synthesizer music contest among hundred’s of entrants spanning over 22 countries that was judged by the late great Oscar Peterson.

Yves Nadeau (bass) is a veteran of the Montreal Jazz scene, having played hundreds of shows on stages all over Quebec with his bands Solstice & Expresso.

Rounding out the Montreal quartet is Daniel Lemay (drums), winner of the 1985 Individual Championship of Quebec in snare drum, and 15th in the world in the same competition. He won in 1986 the Inter-Collegial Grand Prize in percussion. Daniel has played with Richard Beaudet, François Richard, Ivanoe Jolicoeur, Roger Walls, Ron DiLauro, André Leroux, Normand Guilbault and Normand Deveault, to name a few.

Together they make up Groove:55 the number that has the remarkable property of being the 10th number of the Fibonacci suite and the sum of the numbers 1 to 10. The most important part is its groove and this band has it in spades with their new album À la carte.

The critics have responded with thumbs up reactions throughout…
"À la carte ... stands out as one of the most consistent and viable pop/jazz albums you’re likely to hear in 2012. Groove 55 knows what sounds sell, on 'À la carte' theymanage to imbue that sound with originality and energy... The depth here will surprise you."
Wildy Haskell

"Groove:55 is a contemporary music group with a jazzy soul and instrumental ear for the best jazz music today. The mix of keyboards, drums, and saxophone accompaniment are keys to high-quality jazz music.”
Matthew Forss

"The stylishly laidback, jazzy-cool meanderings of Groove 55 are kind of like David Sanborn’s output, or like the easier side of Ian Carr or Brian Auger. The horns sway and wave, the percussion lays down a relaxed backbeat, and the entire number saunters by with a smooth, approachable groove…like it doesn’t have a care in the world; that’s Canada’s Groove 55 in a nutshell. Their latest album, À la carte, is a splendid array of well-done, well-developed soft jazz pieces. "
Mike DeGagne

STREET CORNER RENAISSANCE - LIFE COULD BE A DREAM

Reclaiming the innocence of the past with new passion, the a cappella ensemble Street Corner Renaissance’s Life Could Be A Dream, is just that… a dream! Group founder, Maurice Kitchen, successful insurance professional, quit his job and joined forces with Torre Brannon Reese (community youth advocate), Kwame Alexander (minister), Tony Snead (legal assistant) and Sonny Banks (transportation worker). “I just didn't want to die, a claims adjuster.” The only claim Maurice is making these days is, “We’ve closed the generation gap for vibrant Baby Boomers who dare to dream the impossible dream yet again.” Together they have created their unique style of Doo Wop, R&B and Jazz.

Life Could Be A Dream a feel-good album featuring 17 songs with a special guest appearance from Wally Roker (bass singer from The Heartbeats). From the title track (also known as “Sh-boom”), “Hit the Road Jack,” and “Earth Angel” to more contemporary songs like “Billy Jean” and “Love Train,” to the Gospel anthems “Change Is Gonna Come” and “Jesus Gave Me Water,” these five talented gentlemen will leave you transfixed by their flawless harmonies and contagious whimsy. After all, they’re “theme” uses the melody from “Meet The Flintstones.” The group thrills audiences throughout the U.S. at festivals, arts centers, cruises and nightclubs. Sharing the stage with Take 6, George Duke, Patti Austin, Kool and the Gang and Boyz II Men. Look forward to the past with Street Corner Renaissance!
~ Scott O’Brien // Smoothjazz.com

DARREN RAHN - SPEECHLESS

Canadian smooth jazz saxophonist Darren Rahn became popular as producer of Warren Tisdale's "Ain't No Stopping Us Now". Since then he is an in-demand producer for artists like Najee, Dave Sereny, Jay Soto, Eric Darius and many more. His official debut album Once In A Lifetime (2007) was soon followed by Talk of the Town (2009), both released on nuGroove Records.

His newest album Speechless (2012) is his third and the first one on Trippin' N Rhythm Records. Darren is joined by Mel Brown (bass), Paul Brown (guitar), Matt Godina (various instruments), Nate Harasim (keys), Maxine Hardcastle (vocals), Frank Selman (guitar) and more.

"Wave of the Future" introduces into the new album and sets the signal on Go. Pulsed by a conjuring beat Darren expands his melody line on sax. "Into the Light" smiles with an emotional touch dedicated to best live appearance.

"Magical" features R&B singer Joshua taking lead and direction. This crossover to R&B is one of Rahn's intriguing aspects. Since July 2011 Darren and Paul Brown join forces live as "The Producers". It's only natural that both created the mellow "Give 'n' Take". They share the song on soprano sax and Gibson guitar bringing a new sound into the term romance.

When compositional talent, excellent musicianship and instrumental knowledge comes together, that is "Magnetic". Darren Rahn shines however on tenor sax, his favorite instrument. Darren's polished horn arrangement on "Revelation" can really compete with greats like Greg Adams or Tom Scott.

"Studio 54" was a world renowned discotheque from 1977 until 1981 when it was sold by founders Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager. Darren's tribute features saxophonist Najee on flute. Many elements of the song recall the Disco style of that time. Speechless presents Paul Hardcastle's beautiful daughter Maxine Hardcastle, better known for her qualities as top-dj. But this girl can sing!

With "One Step Ahead" Rahn presents popular smooth jazz with new electronic sound. Key wizard Nate Harasim knows to top this experience with his musical extravaganza on "Euro Trippin". " Flashback" is a little wink to the legendary disco time featuring Dave Koz on alto sax, while Darren perfectly intertwines on tenor sax. "The Healing" is a well conceived and epic composition with the great sentiment of a home comer.

Darren Rahn is a young producer, which has already succeeded in creating his own signature sound. With a great label like Trippin' and Rhythm in the back Speechless is just another step to a breathtaking level of musical genius.

Tracks:
01 Wave of the Future [3:51]
02 Into the Light [4:11]
03 Magical (Featuring Joshua) [4:00]
04 Give 'n' Take (Featuring Paul Brown) [5:23]
05 Magnetic [4:43]
06 Revelation [4:10]
07 Studio 54 (Featuring Najee) [4:08]
08 Speechless (Featuring Maxine Hardcastle) [5:18]
09 One Step Ahead [4:21]
10 Euro Trippin [3:31]
11 Flashback (Featuring Dave Koz) [5:01]
12 The Healing [4:39]

~ Smooth Jazz Daily