ZAC GREENBERG'S Jazz-Fusion Album ‘UNEXPECTED JOURNEY’ Inspired by Cancer

For an album about cancer, Zac Greenberg’s “Unexpected Journey” is unexpectedly upbeat.

Certainly, some parts are slow and somber; others are intense and unnerving. After all, the project was inspired by a disease that terrifies, leaving survivors in a state of perpetual uncertainty, wondering if and when it will return. But overall, this jazz-fusion concerto is captivating, ambitious and optimistic.

“This album tells a story that most patients can relate to, in terms of what they go through, with diagnosis and treatment,” Greenberg said.

The idea for “Unexpected Journey” grew out of Greenberg’s personal experience. His grandmother, Joyce Elkus, lost her husband, Dr. Fred Elkus, and later, her companion, Dr. Stanley Kaplan, to cancer. Greenberg was close to both men, who were prominent in the Cincinnati medical community. At his grandmother’s suggestion, Greenberg composed “Unexpected Journey” in their memory, and to raise money for charity. A portion of the proceeds from digital downloads will support cancer-related organizations.

“Unexpected Journey” consists of four movements: “Life,” “Diagnosis,” “Treatment” and “Beyond,” each evoking a different mood. “Life” begins peacefully, with positive energy and a sense of predictability. “Diagnosis” comes crashing in with shrieking electric guitars and tenor saxophone, thumping bass and thunderous drums. It is meant to be shocking. “Treatment” begins with a rhythm that suggests the monotony of chemical drips and radiation, eventually increasing in tempo, as if to suggest an urgent desire to hurry up and finish the unpleasant medical procedures. Finally, “Beyond” represents the completion of treatment and the uneasy, but hopeful wait-and-see period that follows. It is intentionally anti-climactic, leaving the listener contemplating the future. (Part of “Unexpected Journey” can be seen here: https://youtu.be/p1u_qB8vA6o)

Before writing “Unexpected Journey,” Greenberg spent time interviewing doctors, social workers and cancer patients, to better understand their experiences and thought processes.
“One of the things I heard echoing through all of my cancer research was how quickly and unexpectedly patients’ lives change, once they are diagnosed,” Greenberg said. “This music is a study into the human reaction in the face of unexpected unknowns and mortality.”

Greenberg’s musicians on “Unexpected Journey” are superb, and although relatively young, bring impressive experience to the table. Saxophonist Dave Engelhard has toured with the Zac Brown Band, and has performed on stage with the likes of Gregg Allman, Tom Scott, Shelly Berg, John Mayer, Grace Potter, Scott Weiland and others. Guitarist Amos Rose is a New York-based performer, teacher, recording engineer and producer. He has performed throughout the United States, as well as in Brazil, China, France and Qatar. Guitarist Kevin Wunderlich began studying with renowned session musician Joe Beck while in high school, before moving to New York City to study in New York University’s jazz program. He has since become a fixture on the NYC experimental and avant-heavy music scene, performing and recording regularly with experimental artists Epistasis, Voice Coils and Couch Slut. Drummer Bennett Eiferman studied with legendary musicians in New York including Joe Lovano, Ari Hoenig, Jean Michel Pilc, Steffon Harris, Dafnis Prieto and more.

Greenberg, meanwhile, studied music at Idyllwild Arts Academy in California, New York University and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. He has studied under many established artists, including Jack Casady, Jorma Kaukonen, Fareed Haque, Stanley Clarke, Dave Pietro, Rich Shermaria, Drew Gress and more.

Featured on The Jazz Network Worldwide This Week: Vintage Jazz Era Vocalist Roberta Donnay & the Prohibition Mob Band’s New Release, “Bathtub Gin”

On the heels of their beloved A Little Sugar release comes their second Motéma Music release, Bathtub Gin – the CD, like A Little Sugar, mines 1920s gems but also takes the listener on a stroll into the 1930s. Award-winning vocalist and songwriter Roberta Donnay is that rare species of musician who almost lives in another time, as she and her Prohibition Mob Band exist to revive the Jazz Age of America.

A seductive vocalist, Donnay and her band swing mightily with this authentic collection of vintage jazz, blues and swing that introduces listeners to the swing era with its jump-swing rhythmic horn sections and new dances. Donnay also includes four party-rousing shout-chorus originals that evoke and revive the open spirit that birthed jazz.

She says of the era's music, "I think it's in everybody's DNA. Our grandparents listened to that music and somehow it filtered down inside of us.” How far can the Prohibition Mob Band go?  "To the moon," she says, laughing.

Honoring the tradition of such seminal singers as Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, Sippie Wallace, Louis Armstrong, Ethel Waters, Billie Holiday and Josephine Baker, Donnay’s spitfire is on display from the moment the original title track “Bathtub Gin” opens the set.  Following is the song, also original, “Throw Your Heart” (Over The Fence).

Roberta Donnay’s background in roots jazz music came from listening to records, singing with the legendary Dick Oxtot’s Golden Age Jazz Band and more obscure jazz and jazz-folk bands bands. Donnay continues to produce, write, record, and perform as an independent artist. Her goal is to produce many more records and continue to bring this great music to the people. “Bathtub Gin” is Ms. Donnay’s 8th independent release. The “Oh Papa”video from Donnay’s CD “ A Little Sugar” is a brilliant example of the style of presentation Donnay presents.

Donnay has shared the stage, opened, or performed with Ernestine Anderson, Bob Dorough, Herbie Hancock, Joe Sample, Christian McBride, Lewis Nash, Dr. John, Diana Krall, George Benson, David Sanborn, Leon Russell, Dan Hicks, Bonnie Raitt, David Grisman, Bruce Forman, Rickie Lee Jones, Big Walter Horton, John Hammond, Lee Ritenour, Booker T., Tuck & Patti.

Donnay's voice could make any classic material sound wondrous and timeless, but the fact that she digs so deep into American musical history -- and works with some of the Bay Area's top jazz musicians (under the guise of the Prohibition Mob Band) -- makes A Little Sugar not only sweet, but a recording that will stand the test of time.~ All Music Guide

With her singularly enticing sound, few contemporary vocalists are as well suited to dustily vintage material as jazz-blues stylist Roberta Donnay. She affectively proved so three years ago when, teamed with her Prohibition Mob Band, she surveyed standards from the 1920s and ’30s on the charming “A Little Sugar”. Now she’s back for more. ~ Jazz Times 2015

Donnay takes old school jazz, makes it new cool and most of all makes it fun. It swings and it swings hard. Old school has never sounded better and Roberta Donnay is certainly a name to remember! (5 stars) ~ Critical Jazz blog

This jazz baby makes the '20s roar again and swings out '30s tunes buoyantly enough to float away even the Great Depression...She's backed by top-notch musicians and the results are gloriously entertaining. ~ San Jose Mercury News

“ROBERTA DONNAY & the Prohibition Mob Band bring back the true essence of the Roaring '20s... when music and class went hand and hand, no wonder DownBeat gave “Bathtub Gin” four stars! says Jaijai Jackson of The Jazz Network Worldwide.

A festival favorite, Donnay's group appeared as a guest artist at many shows and festivals, including the Exit 0 Jazz Fest in N.J., Whiskey Fest in Portland, San Jose Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, Jacksonville Jazz Festival, Mustard Mud & Music Festival and the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and are currently seeking festival bookings for the 2016-2017 calendar.

Roberta was asked to be a part of an event very close to her heart which is the memorial for the legendary jazz producer and Jazz Master Orrin Keepnews at Yoshi’s in Oakland, CA on November 29th, 2015 where she will pay homage to their musical relationship.

Visit THE JAZZ NETWORK WORLDWIDE "A GREAT PLACE TO HANG" at: http://www.thejazznetworkworldwide.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_networkntact

UK jazz musician NAT BIRCHALL'S sixth studio album and first for Jazzman Records - INVOCATIONS

The music of Nat Birchall joins with a long-flowing conversation in jazz. His chosen tongue is that of the spiritualised musical discourse whose vital source can be found in the sacred testaments of John Coltrane, and which was channelled most directly by his fellow travellers Albert Ayler, Pharoah Sanders, and his wife Alice. Many others followed where Coltrane led, giving voice in music to the esoteric renewal of the soul and mind that lent spiritual strength to the black counterculture, and complemented the political radicalism of the late 1960s and 1970s. This rich vein of spirit music has rarely been tapped by British jazz musicians, and Birchall is one of the few to have been drawn to it with the conviction of heart that it demands. For these are the sonic and spiritual spaces where the colossi of an earlier age declaimed and confessed with sacrificial passion, from within the flames of revolution. 

Ultimately, it has been the sonic pathways offered by jazz that have provided Birchall with the clearest way to channel the resonances of the higher heights, wherefrom timeless musical messages might be revealed. 'It seems to me that's it's the most direct way of tuning in to this higher source. That music seems to me to display this connection to whatever this higher source, this higher energy, might be. It seems to connect to it the most, more than other music. You can hear it in other musics to a certain degree sometimes, but this seems to be almost purely of that nature. That's what really motivates me the most.'

All music is a spiritual communion - it is a talking in tongues, a present conversation with the past and the future, a dance with technology, a branch held out to a stranger. It speaks to the old and the young in a language that is beyond language, it expresses and elicits emotion and thought at once, it is both bodily and mental, noise and silence, intention and accident: it is the dissolution of opposites, the fleeting noise made eternal prayer, the transubstantiation of spirit into sound. Music is the expression of unity, in which difference is both accepted and resolved, and from which a mended world might be born. To make music is, as Roland Kirk observed, to talk with the spirits. We are lucky that the music of Nat Birchall allows us to hear the sounds of their world once more.

Featured This Week On The Jazz Network Worldwide: Singer Katherine Farnham aka “Kool Kat” showcases her new LP “Vintage” on National Peace Day

Singer-songwriter-pianist Katherine Farnham, has channelled her intense passion into an album combining elements of jazz, R&B, Latin jazz and adult contemporary. “VINTAGE” has a humanitarian thread for peace, hope and enlightenment combining a multi-octave voice with world-class musicianship and a poet’s heart that possesses both charisma and substance.

“Vintage” is a stunning and smoking-hot collection of songs featuring Grammy-winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum (“The Gospel According To Jazz”), Latin Grammy winning flutist Nestor Torres and four-time Grammy-Nominated guitarist Denny Jiosa, as well as a world-class production team that has worked with some of the biggest musical legends in the industry.

“I feel deeply humbled and blessed to have the opportunity to work with such an incredible team. Nestor’s lines are insanely accurate and exploding with passion.  Denny’s guitar danced, sang and cried and said a thousand words.  I’m truly still pinching myself that Kirk came to record with us. What a human being. He embodies the qualities of focus, greatness and cool and somehow manages to make it all look easy.” 

She has been compared to Barbra Streisand, Norah Jones, and Joni Mitchell. and was named 2014 Los Angeles Music Awards “Female Singer/Songwriter of the Year”.

Kool Kat's single, “Necessary Groove” features powerful vocals, strong songwriting and impressive piano playing. The lyrics place the need for music right along with necessities like food, clothing, and shelter, its a universal language that unites humanity.   A deep sense of humanity flows into “My Shoes Are Leaking”, a soaring ballad and Veterans Tribute.  With gorgeous vocals and heartfelt lyrics of a couple separated by military deployment, the track features a engaging swing feel that effortlessly merges the classic with the contemporary.

“I really enjoyed ‘My Shoes Are Leaking’  What a cool title, what a lovely voice. I'm honored to be recording with you..." ~ Grammy-Winner Kirk Whalum

An active humanitarian, she has encouraged music's role in improving inter-cultural relations and tolerance by creating Music for Peace International. “One of the greatest joys of my life is helping to ease the pain of others.”   Having mentored Los Angeles inner-city youth and served for two consecutive years as Celebrity Judge for the Los Angeles Music Center's Annual Spotlight Awards.  Finally, she organized and sponsored six concerts benefiting music education and ethnic unity. Her courage and abounding love for music have set the bar, inspiring fans and fellow artists alike.

“I am pleased to learn that you are working to unite the community through music...sounds like a perfect example of how the arts can pave the way to reach a variety of groups and influence them to unify in spirit and deed...I applaud you in the efforts to unify all through a cultural endeavor.” –Neil C., National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences

Other tracks like “Epic Love”, ”Round the World in a Jukebox", "Mermaid", "My Funky Valentine", and "Peace On Earth, Goodwill to Men" make this an exciting collection that is inspiring, entertaining and thought-provoking. Vintage is a well-crafted portfolio of original material.  The classically-trained artist creates music expressing deep longing, passion, adventure and a sense of mystery which has resulted in rave reviews in three languages. No wonder she is considered at the forefront of the jazz singer/songwriter movement.

  

"Her lyrics are heavy and meaningful, but her vocalizing is soaring." ~ All Music Guide

A third-generation musician, her mother was a concert pianist and Director of New England Conservatory’s Wellesley Branch. Her father toured with The Boston Pops and played under musical legends Stravinsky and Hindemith. After conservatory study, she received a scholarship to Berklee College of Music. In Boston.  International press and commercial airplay followed, including a MIDEM prediction that she was in fact “The New Voice of the World.” ~ Toninho S., Latin Grammy Consultant, Journalist, Radio Host, Sao Paulo

Farnham has inspired audiences at national athletic events, including The Ericsson Open (the only female artist), The Miami Marathon and NASCAR Las Vegas, Dallas and London and has toured throughout the US and abroad. She has appeared on Good Morning America, NBC 6 and Telemundo and performed with Latin jazz greats Tito Puente Jr and Celia Cruz.  

“The Jazz Network Worldwide is honored to be promoting Katherine Farnham’s “Vintage” release. It seems apropos that it ‘just so happens to fall on Peace Day’. It is a true testament of an artist who has a story to tell as an originator offering the best of who she is to her audience. My heart tells me that jazz festivals and radio stations worldwide will be embracing her talent for she truly has a ‘smash’ on her hands” says Jaijai Jackson of The Jazz Network Worldwide Social Network.

She’s without a doubt a gutsy artist with a sunny future just like the laugh she’s known for. Kool Kat is taking her ‘Necessary Groove’ all the way.   

Visit THE JAZZ NETWORK WORLDWIDE "A GREAT PLACE TO HANG" at: http://www.thejazznetworkworldwide.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

"Doors: Chicago Storylines," New CD by Alto Saxophonist/Composer Caroline Davis

Caroline Davis Doors Chicago Storylines Following the release of her much-praised 2012 debut, Live Work & Play, alto saxophonist and composer Caroline Davis relocated from Chicago to New York City and got to work on an ambitious project that had been germinating for seven years. To honor her eight-year residency in Chicago, she combines spoken stories and original compositions on her new CD Doors: Chicago Storylines, which will be released by ears&eyes Records on November 6.

Joining her on Doors are longtime members of her Chicago-based quartet. Mike Allemana (guitar) and Matt Ferguson (bass) were both collaborators of the late tenor saxophone legend Von Freeman. Drummer Jeremy Cunningham, whom Davis met at Freeman's famed New Apartment Lounge session, adds an energetic counterpart to the rhythm section. "It was important for me to have a band that played together for a while, improvising and exploring new directions," Davis states. "You can hear that we really know each other."

The inspiration for Doors first came in 2007 while Davis was teaching a course on the history of Chicago jazz at Northwestern University. She found that 1980 to 2000 was "virtually uncharted territory," Davis says. Eventually she conducted interviews with 15 musicians she'd found helpful and influential when she was coming up on the Chicago scene (including Art Davis, George Fludas, Bobby Broom, and Von Freeman, one of her mentors) to talk about their experiences during that time. "Hearing these storylines was a joy for all of us," she says, "and sparked a desire in me to take a journey with my compositional muse."

"Jazz is a collection of oral histories," Davis adds. "We should strive to share more of them."

On Doors, she pairs samples of musicians telling their favorite stories with her original compositions, some inspired by themes, others by spoken phrases. "Storylines have their own ebb and flow," she says. "I hear texture, tone, tension, release, and variety in them, and I aim to write my pieces in the same way." For the album, which was recorded in Chicago in 2013, the band recorded both long pieces and short interludes, uncertain of how it would all come together. But, with the help of masterful engineer Brian Schwab and hours of editing in post-production, the interviews and music melded brilliantly.

"Golden Era," which opens the album, is a repeating theme that illustrates all these musicians' '80s and '90s heyday, a time when everyone was part of a community. On "Lincoln Land," the band sails through a triumphant melody, finally settling into a vamp that zones in on Lincoln Avenue, site of many clubs once active in the jazz community. "Lin," one of Doors' most intimate pieces, features pianist Ron Perrillo. The piece pays tribute to the great Chicago tenorman, Lin Halliday, who played extensively in the '80s and '90s.

Born (1981) and raised in Singapore of European expatriate parents, Caroline Davis spent early school years in Atlanta, became musically enriched living in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and blossomed in Chicago as a professional musician. After acquiring both a Bachelor of Music in Jazz and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Texas at Arlington, she bridged those areas in acquiring a Ph.D. in Music Cognition at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

In her dissertation, Davis, who counts Wayne Shorter, Charlie Parker, and Chicago native Lee Konitz among her prime musical influences, looked at the intricate collaborations musicians form in a scene, and related those connections to the ways they hear music.

Her experiences paved the way for her impressive and eclectic list of projects. From the folk sounds of Orso to the reggae grooves of Fatbook, the hip-hop and R&B adventures of Maitri and Deep Fayed, and the unique flow of Whirlpool, Davis has been keeping busy. In New York she holds a steady gig with drummer Billy Kaye.

Her CD release shows include the Jazz Gallery in NYC, 11/5; Constellation, Chicago, 12/5 (10pm); and Andy's, Chicago, 12/4-5 (early sets), as New York-Chicago Collective.

BRIAN AUGER'S OBLIVION EXPRESS FEATURING ALEX LIGERTWOOD LIVE IN LOS ANGELES

This is the first new live Oblivion Express album since the classic 'Live Oblivion' album on RCA Records, recorded at the Whisky-A-Go Go in LA in 1974. One of its main selling points is that the original Oblivion Express vocalist Alex Ligertwood is back in the band. The album features some of the groups classic repertoire plus some extras including: Freedom Jazz Dance, Straight Ahead, Bumpin’ On Sunset, Inner City Blues, Whenever You’re Ready, Truth, Don’t Look Away, Look Around, Second Wind, I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know, Future Pilot, Compared To What, and Brain Damage. The bands second European tour of 2015 starts on September 30th - with 5 Uk dates including album launch show at the Jazz Cafe, London. Below is a listing of the full tour dates:

09/30/2015 - Hamburg, Germany

10/01/2015 - Syke, Germany

10/02/2015 - Herford, Germany

10/04/2015 - Fürth, Germany

10/05/2015 - Dresden, Germany

10/06/2015 - Halle, Germany

10/08/2015 - Ahlen, Germany

10/09/2015 - Hannover, Germany

10/10/2015 - Geldern, Germany

10/11/2015 - Dudenhofen, Germany

10/12/2015 - Verviers, Belgium

10/14/2015 - Rüsselsheim, Germany

10/16/2015 - Zürich, Switzerland

10/17/2015 - Baden-Baden

10/18/2015 - Bonn, Germany

10/19/2015 - Weinheim, Germany

10/21/2015 - Kaiserslautern, Germany

10/22/2015 - Wiehl, Germany

10/23/2015 - Bergkamen, Germany

10/24/2015 - Burglengenfeld, Germany

10/25/2015 - Waldkraiburg, Germany

10/26/2015 - München, Germany

10/28/2015 - Vienna, Austria

10/30/2015 - Forli', Italia

10/31/2015 - Alessandria, Italia

UK DATES

11/02/2015 - Jazz Cafe, London, UK

11/03/2015 - Band On The Wall,Manchester, UK

11/05/2015 - Glasgow, Scotland

11/06/2015 - Newcastle, UK

11/07/2015 - The Wardrobe, Leeds, UK

NEW RELEASES: VERBAL KENT – ANESTHESIA; JOE MAGNARELLI – THREE ON TWO; CECILIA STALIN / KHARI CABRAL SIMMONS – THE STORY OF LOVE

VERBAL KENT – ANESTHESIA

Rugged independent hip hop from underground Chicago classicist MC Verbal Kent – a master of clearly focused rhymes and spat with dexterous skill, be it straight forward storytelling or verbal acrobatics! VK is in as fine of form as we've ever heard him, backed by his most impressive roster of guest voices and producers, including Oh No, Marco Polo, Freddie Gibbs, Kaz 1, Torae, Apollo Brown and more. Tough, brilliant work from underrated voice. Includes "September", "Suit Case Switch" feat Freddie Gibbs, "Notes", "Add Anesthesia", "Is This My Life", "Cyclops Muscle" feat Torae, "Save Face" feat Red Pill, "Are You Ready" and more. ~ Dusty Groove

JOE MAGNARELLI – THREE ON TWO

A killer from trumpeter Joe Magnarelli – an artist we've already begun to appreciate a lot for his recent work on the Posi-tone label – but a player who really wins us over with this sweet little set! The record sparkles right from the start with contributions from key labelmates – the mighty Brian Charette on Hammond, Mike DiRubbo on alto, and the great Steve Davis on trombone – all players who leap into the fray with Magnarelli right from the start, and come up with these lines that are sophisticated, but always swinging too – stunningly soulful at all the best moments, with a nice sort of sparkle,b ut no too-commercial polish. Solos are great, and Magnarelli writing is very nice on the album's original tracks – and titles include "Easy", "26 2", "Central Park West", "Paris", "Outlet Pass", "Clockwise", and "My Reverie". ~ Dusty Groove

CECILIA STALIN / KHARI CABRAL SIMMONS – THE STORY OF LOVE

We've always loved vocalist Cecilia Stalin, no matter what the setting – but here, she might be in the best company ever – working with jazzy backings from Khari Cabral Simmons and other members of the Atlanta scene – on a record that's drenched in soul from the very first note! Stalin hails from London, was born in Sweden, and worked with Koop and other overseas acts – but she's also got this strongly soulful quality that's always made her a favorite with American listeners too – and here, working with Khari, she's almost returning the favor by giving a special sort of Atlanta spin to her music! The music's based on strong basslines from Simmons, and features lots of warm keyboards – and all the rhythms are live, with a spontaneous jazzy undercurrent that works perfect with Cecilia's lovely vocals. Our only complaint might be that we would have loved a full record from the duo – but the four songs here offer maybe more than most other full LPs. Titles include a great reworking of Jon Lucien's "Sunny Day", plus "He Loves You", "The Story Of Love", and "Norwegian Wood".  ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: DANNY GRISSETT – THE IN BETWEEN; BRIAN ELLIS GROUP - ESCONDIDO SESSIONS; LUCIANA SOUZA – SPEAKING IN TONGUES

DANNY GRISSETT – THE IN BETWEEN

Pianist Danny Grissett decided to name his fifth Criss Cross recording The In-Between to evoke the experience of flying back and forth between New York, where he is a first-call sideman for, among others, Jeremy Pelt and Tom Harrell, and Vienna, Austria, where he has lived with his wife and small son for several years. Joined by tenor saxophonist Walter Smith, an acquaintance since both attended the Thelonious Monk Institute in the early aughts, bassist Vicente Archer, a partner of long-standing, and great drummer Bill Stewart, Grissett offers a mix of five originals, four personalized standards, and a lovely ballad by his wife. ~ Amazon

BRIAN ELLIS GROUP - ESCONDIDO SESSIONS

A contemporary set from the west coast scene – and one that's got a similar feel to the soaring, spiritual sounds we've heard from some of the projects of Carlos Nino – but a quality that's maybe a bit more tripped-out overall! All tracks are long, and very jamming – with loads of cool keys from Brian Ellis – including Fender Rhodes, Hammond, Wurlitzer, and Moog – in a group that's also very heavy on percussion, which creates a wicked organic rumble next to the electric elements! Patrick Shiroishi plays alto and soprano sax – soaring out nicely and giving the tunes a bit of a soulful current – and titles include "Via De Mi Rancho", "Too Late For Georgia's", "On Peterson's Corner", and "Memories Of Pubby".  ~ Dusty Groove

LUCIANA SOUZA – SPEAKING IN TONGUES

Maybe the coolest album we've ever heard from Luciana Souza – a set that mixes her wonderful vocals with some very rhythmic grooves played by a combo that includes Kendrick Scott on drums and percussion, and Lionel Loueke on guitar! The music has lots of the touches you'd expect from either musician – a very forward-thinking approach that weaves together both melodic construction and rhythmic progression – which Souza then echoes with her vocals, often in modes that are a bit scatted, but in a very special sort of style! Titles include "At The Fair", "Free At Last", "A Pebble In Still Water", "AM", "No One To Follow", and "Straw Hat".  ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: HARRY CONNICK JR. – THAT WOULD BE ME; DENISE DONATELLi - FIND A HEART; CARLOS HENRIQUEZ – THE BRONX PYRAMID

HARRY CONNICK JR. – THAT WOULD BE ME

Multiple Grammy and Emmy-award winning musician Harry Connick, Jr. presents his new album That Would Be Me. For the first time in his career, Connick took a step outside his musical comfort zone to work in the studio with two "external" producers on this album the acclaimed Eg White (Sam Smith, Adele, Florence And The Machine) and Butch Walker (Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Pink). That Would Be Me was recorded in London with White and Nashville with Walker. The result is a carefully crafted record full of surprises and stirring musical conjurations, delivering 11 new songs and new insights into his artistry. Additionally, the album art also represents a departure from his other covers, showcasing a portrait of his face created entirely from musical objects. That Would Be Me includes infectious gems like the White-produced "(I Like It When You) Smile," which includes an impromptu-hand clap and Connick serving up a one-of-a-kind-scat-rap-of-a-vocal that heats up mid-song and never lets down. Walker-helmed songs include the percolating "(I Think I) Love You A Little Bit," the sultry/funky "Songwriter" and the catchy first single, "(I Do) Like We Do." ~ Amazon

DENISE DONATELLi - FIND A HEART

Denise Donatelli is a mesmerizing jazz vocalist, in command of her expressive instrument while offering her heart and soul with each note. Joined by a company of Los Angeles jazz session players, Donatelli takes the forefront with style and panache, providing illuminating vocals that gently walk the line between energetic jazz-singing and luminous balladry. She accomplishes a warm balance with her singing, offering something for everyone. There is a thread of kind-heartedness and sincerity running throughout the diverse and unique set list, which allows a true sense of artistry to emerge at any tempo or dynamic level. Featuring the arranging talents of Geoffrey Keezer once again and the artistry of Brazilian guiartist Leonardo Amuedo, Jay Leno drummer Marvin “Smitty” Smith and others, Denise Donatelli delivers one elegantly beautiful jazz album. ~ Amazon

CARLOS HENRIQUEZ – THE BRONX PYRAMID

Carlos Henriquez's The Bronx Pyramid marks the Bronx-born, Nuyorican bassist's first album as a leader and the emergence of a fully fledged Latin jazz master. Joined by guest stars Rubén Blades and Pedrito Martinez and band members including drummer and fellow Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra member Ali Jackson, Henriquez expertly blends modern jazz with Latin rhythms, demonstrating why he's been performing with greats like Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, and Celia Cruz since he was 14. When Henriquez's high school band won the inaugural Essentially Ellington competition in 1996, he came to the attention of Wynton Marsalis, who took the bassist on the road shortly after he graduated high school. Since then, Henriquez has toured the world with the Wynton Marsalis Septet, Chris Botti, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. On THE BRONX PYRAMID, Henriquez expertly combines the best of the Latin and jazz traditions into an infectious album that will make you move no matter your favorite genre. ~ Amazon

Guitarist JOHN SCOFIELD releases PAST PRESENT

GRAMMY-nominated guitarist and bandleader John Scofield will release his new album Past Present on September 25th via Impulse!/Universal Music Classics. The album, picked by the New York Times as one of the highlights of the fall season, is Scofield's first with an update of his "elastic, swinging" (NY Times) early-90's quartet of Joe Lovano, Bill Stewart and Larry Grenadier (who steps in for Marc Johnson and the late Dennis Irwin) since the quartet released the acclaimed album's Meant To Be, Time on My Hands and What We Do on Blue Note Records. Scofield will celebrate the album release with a six-night run of shows at the venerable Blue Note club in New York City from October 13-18 (bassist Ben Street will sit in for Grenadier during this run).

Past Present is also one of Scofield's most personal albums, with a number of songs written during the illness and death of his son Evan in 2013 following a fast and furious battle with cancer. Buoyed by Grenadier's ebullient, recurring bass line and Stewart's delicate swing, Scofield describes Past Present as "futuristic blues," on which he and Lovano craft unison melodies before the two separate then intertwine invigorating improvisations. 

Scofield's 40 year professional career has seen him work with an incredibly diverse list of artists - Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Charles Mingus, George Duke, Herbie Hancock, Gary Burton, Joe Henderson, Mavis Staples, John Mayer, Dr. John, Brad Mehldau, Medeski Martin & Wood, Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead, Taj Mahal, Gov't Mule, Charlie Haden and more. In 1998, the Montreal International Jazz Festival gave Scofield its prestigious "Miles Davis Award," and he was also awarded Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France.

A Love Supreme: The Complete Masters from impulse!/Verve Celebrates 50th Anniversary Of John Coltrane's Magnum Opus

On December 9th, 1964, John Coltrane and his classic quartet (Elvin Jones, Jimmy Garrison and McCoy Tyner) went into the legendary Van Gelder Studio in New Jersey and recorded A Love Supreme--the four-part suite that has influenced musicians and reached generations of fans far beyond the jazz world. Far less known is the fact that Coltrane, his classic quartet and two additional musicians--the legendary saxophonist Archie Shepp and second bassist, Dr. Art Davis--returned to the studio the next day to cut the opening part of the suite again. Until now, the complete picture of what happened on those two days, including all takes, overdubs, and even studio chatter, has been unavailable.

That will change on November 6th when Verve Music Group proudly releases A Love Supreme: The Complete Masters, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the release of this seminal recording. It will include this alternate version, taken from reels from the personal collection of John Coltrane and originally recorded in incredible sonic detail by Rudy Van Gelder, along with revised notes and detailed information on these amazing lost sessions. This release will kick off a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Verve label, which will include myriad catalog releases, digital exclusives and box sets through the end of 2016. (Verve includes the catalogs of legendary imprints like Impulse!, Decca, MGM, Blue Thumb and many more.)

With the availability of long-lost session reels, A Love Supreme: The Complete Masters brings together all existing recordings and written outlines for the first time to paint the most comprehensive and accurate picture of the A Love Supreme story. It reveals how Coltrane's masterpiece came together, from its initial conception as a nine-piece performance--it turns out the original plan was for a nine-piece band, including three Latin percussionists--to how it changed and developed in the studio. While the 2002 edition of A Love Supreme did include some of the music recorded at the second session, The Complete Masters is the first to feature all six takes of "Acknowledgement," the opening section of the suite, in their entirety, providing a deeper understanding and appreciation of how Coltrane would allow music to mature in the studio. The box also presents takes one and two of the track "Acknowledgement" from the sextet sessions in stereo for the first time.

A Love Supreme: The Complete Masters will be available in two formats: a 2-CD set, including the original best-selling album, along with unreleased mono "reference" versions of two tracks, owned by Coltrane himself, and seven unreleased performances from the two sessions. A 32-page booklet features an extensive essay by Ashley Kahn, noted producer, instructor and author of A Love Supreme: The Story of John Coltrane's Signature Album, rare photographs from the sessions and all of Coltrane's surviving musical sketches and written elements for the groundbreaking, four-part suite, including the words that would become the poem, "A Love Supreme."

A 3-CD "Super Deluxe Edition" of A Love Supreme: The Complete Masters adds what is currently the only documented live recording of the album, a spirited, impromptu performance from the Festival Mondial du Jazz Antibes in July 1965, which had been previously available on a 2002 edition of the album. This 3-CD set is presented in a larger format that includes additional information about the live material and a personal introduction by Carlos Santana.

A Love Supreme was Coltrane's most pre-conceived, meticulously planned musical recording: "This is the first time I have everything ready," he famously told his wife Alice after composing the suite in their Long Island home. It was also his most successful, a high-water mark in Coltrane's career and popularity in 1965-generating two GRAMMY® Award-nominations, and earning him top position in various polls that year. That A Love Supreme remains a permanent fixture in lists of Greatest and Most Important musical recordings of the modern era--Rolling Stone magazine places it at No. 47 in its "500 Greatest Albums Of All Time"--speaks to the enduring significance of Coltrane's music and his message of spirituality.

In 2015, John Coltrane's recordings continue to be studied and celebrated by musicians and music fans alike; the overwhelmingly critical success of the 2014 release of Coltrane's 1966 concert recording, Offering: Live At Temple University, which garnered a GRAMMY® Award for its liner notes, stands as further proof of the timeless reach of Coltrane's musical innovations.

As Kahn writes in the essay to A Love Supreme: The Complete Masters: "Fifty years after its release, voices that speak of divine light and supreme love have trouble being heard. Lines that divide people run deep. At odds with itself, the world lacks the spirit to ascend and is needful once again of a spiritual recharger like A Love Supreme. The sound and message of John Coltrane remain more relevant than ever."

Stylin' 700 Presented by Ennio Styles features soul, jazz, hip hop, future bass, funk, modern funk, house, boogie, electronic, afro, latin, techno, and acappella

Melbourne tastemaker Ennio Styles follows up Stylin' 500 and Stylin' 600 with another massive collection of free music representing the diverse and soulful sounds of his Stylin' radio show, which clocks 14 years and 700 episodes this August on the legendary 3RRR-FM.

Since BBC's Gilles Peterson made Stylin' 600 his album of the week two years ago, Ennio has been joined on the show by the likes of George Clinton, Robert Hood, Lonnie Jordan (War), Steve Spacek, Chris Dave, De La Soul, Derrick Hodge, Joey Negro, Soil & Pimp Sessions, Thrupence and Hiatus Kaiyote, as well as having live-to-air performances and mixes from Kirkis, Frank McComb, Jordan Rakei, A Guy Called Gerald, Mr Scruff, Harvey Sutherland, Silent Jay/Jace XL, Basic Soul Unit, Ghost Mutt, Oisima, Sauce81 aka N'gaho Ta'quia, I'lls and Queen Magic. The last three of these are featured on this new compilation.

Stylin' 700 again shows how close Ennio keeps his ear to the underground, with many unreleased and under-the-radar tracks that could have been the rare grooves of the future if he wasn't playing them now. The music comes from Australia, New Zealand, UK, Japan, France, Spain, Portugal and no less than 13 US states. Amongst the selections there are surprising versions of James Blake, Bobby Womack, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, James Brown and Ann Peebles. Digging further beneath the surface of these tunes will reveal producers and musicians with credits extending to everyone from Horace Andy, Robert Glasper, Butcher Brown, Roy Hargrove and Eddie Palmieri to Carl Craig, MF Doom, Tall Black Guy, Drake, Thundercat, Chance the Rapper, Louie Vega, Miles Bonny, Ayatollah and Q-Tip.

Moppa Elliott's Mostly Other People Do the Killing Introduces New Quartet Lineup On Eighth Studio Album - Mauch Chunk

Hot Cup Records is proud to present Mauch Chunk, the first release by the new quartet lineup of Mostly Other People Do the Killing including Ron Stabinsky on piano.  Mauch Chunk contains seven new compositions by bassist/bandleader Moppa Elliott and returns to the hard-bop roots of the ensemble. Deeply rooted in the tradition of the post-bop small ensembles of the 1950s and 60s, Mauch Chunk presents a unique approach to jazz in the 21st century.  Unlike many other contemporary artists, Mostly Other People Do the Killing continue to base their music on swing and what Jelly Roll Morton referred to as "the Spanish Tinge."  Perhaps this is the logical outcome of an ensemble whose history contains multiple projects in which the members of the quartet transcribed and emulated music from the storied period of the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Over the past twelve years, Moppa Elliott's Mostly Other People Do the Killing have earned a place at the forefront of jazz and improvised music performing in a style that is at once rooted in the jazz tradition and highly improvised and unstructured.  Their initial string of albums explored the intersection between common practice hard-bop style compositions and free improvisation, incorporating a wealth of other influences from pop music to the classical European repertoire.  In 2010, bandleader and composer Elliott expanded the group's framework and began exploring specific eras of jazz resulting in 2011's Slippery Rock (an investigation of smooth jazz and fusion styles) and 2012's Red Hot (featuring an expanded lineup recalling the jazz and blues recordings of the late 1920s and early 1930s).  2014 saw the release of Blue, a note-for-note recreation of Miles Davis' classic album, Kind of Blue.  This project, ten years in the making, evoked a wide range of strong responses from both the public and critics and will likely be a part of the discussion of the state of jazz in the 21st century for years to come.

Mauch Chunk combines historical jazz lineage and the 21st century perspective of MOPDtK's members.  To emulate the sound of classic jazz recordings of the 1950s and 60s, the release was recorded and mixed on analog tape. The project also embraces the traditional idea of albums being under 50 minutes long.  The classic albums of the jazz canon were constrained by the LP format, but benefit from their conciseness and focus.

Each of the compositions on this album bears a dedication to an individual who influenced the compositional process in some way.  Some of these influences are musical, while others pertain to places in Pennsylvania or specific towns that relate to the dedicatee.

 "Mauch Chunk is Jim Thorpe," dedicated to Henry Threadgill and his composition "Spotted Dick is Pudding," is a harmonically rich minor-key shuffle with a major-key bridge a whole step lower than the initial theme.  Stabinsky's piano solo is over the minor key section of the form that changes to the major under Irabagon's saxophone solo and recalls the harmony of "All of Me." After a return of the initial theme, the tune ends with an improvised section that includes references to composer Conlon Nancarrow and a spontaneous Picardy third.  This performance encapsulates the MOPDtK approach to ensemble interplay, balancing "conflict and collaboration" between the members of the quartet.

"West Bolivar," dedicated to Brazilian musician and activist Caetano Veloso, is a bossa nova with several rhythmic alterations and mixed time signatures.  The melody of the first section repeats and develops through several tonal centers, while the secondary theme includes fragments of Veloso's composition, "Cobra Coral."  During the ending vamp, Stabinsky wryly quotes Elliott's "Hop Bottom Hop" from the album Shamokin!!!, as well as The William Tell Overture.

"Obelisk," an odd-metered minor-key composition inspired by the music of Dave Holland, contains some of Stabinsky's finest recorded solo work.  The piano solo begins in the minor key and gradually accelerates, before leading to the B section based on dominant 7th chords. The solo concludes with a transition from Wayne Shorter's "Juju" to Van McCoy's "Do the Hustle."  Irabagon's solo begins in the relative major and the composition ends with an improvised section that incorporates the music of both Philip Glass and Cream.

Saxophonist, educator, and inspiring human being, Will Connell passed away in 2014 and his memory inspired the composition, "Niagra," named after the club in Alphabet City where he gave Mostly Other People Do the Killing their first gig.  The tune is a slow waltz with irregularly phrased melodic sections alternating with simple two-chord vamps.  Connell's alto saxophone was a constant presence every Wednesday night at Niagra where he would curate sets by up-and-coming artists, as well as host a jam session that sent all participants home with the best possible vibes.  He is sorely missed.

The great pianist Sonny Clark was born and raised in Herminie, PA and his music, specifically his harmonic tendencies inspired the composition named after his hometown.  The form alternates between a vamp in F minor with a "Spanish tinge", and a blusier form that moves through several key centers.  Irabagon and Stabinsky spar throughout the piece, resolving to the only written ending on the album.

The fact that there is a place in Pennsylvania called "Townville" was brought to Elliott's attention by dancer/activist Brieane Beaujolais.  "Townville" is a companion piece to "Biggertown" from 2008's This Is Our Moosic.  Both pieces are three separate tunes, each a major third apart in tonality as a nod to John Coltrane's harmonic experiments.  Whereas "Biggertown" was three separate rhythm changes compositions, "Townville" is three blues heads, each utilizing the same melodic content.  In each melody, the same figure occurs in the break on the same pitch, creating a contrasting harmonic color in each of the three keys.  Each melody is preceded by a four-measure cue to allow the ensemble to move into and out of each written section from freely improvised sections. The improvised ending catches everyone, including the performers, off-guard.

"Mehoopany," the obligatory boogaloo, is dedicated to Elliott's neighbor in Queens, Frank Fonseca, an semi-professional singer in a doo-wop group "The Mandells" in the late 1960s who scored a minor radio hit with a tune called "Lulu Bugaloo" in 1967.  The steady rhythm of the tune is punctuated by Shea's chaotic snare drum work, and after two solos over the form the ensemble explodes into chaos before ending the tune with a live-performance fade-out.

Pianist Ron Stabinsky first joined MOPDtK in 2013 as part of a project at the Bimhuis in Amsterdam commemorating the anniversary of Eric Dolphy and Booker Little Live at the Five Spot.  After collaborating on this and the subsequent Blue project, Stabinsky's presence in the group was solidified. In addition to his work with MOPDtK, Stabinsky is an accompanist in virtually every possible context from classical recitals, to community choirs, to improvised music, jazz, pop and everything in between.  Stabinsky fits into the aesthetic of the group perfectly contributing virtuosic solos packed with the same irreverence that MOPDtK is known for as well as musical non-sequitors, quotations, and references to everything from Philip Glass and Conlon Nancarrow to Billy Joel and earlier MOPDtK material. Stabinsky lives in Plains, PA and is a member of the Peter Evans Quartet and Quintet, Charles Evans Quartet (no relation), and recently recorded his first solo album to be released on Hot Cup Records in January 2016.

The drumming of Kevin Shea bears special mention.  Few other drummers of his generation are as recognizable and idiosyncratic.  His chaotic propulsiveness drives the band and creates the unique swing feel that has become a hallmark of MOPDtK.  Named "Best Drummer in New York" by the Village Voice, Shea regularly tours with the noise-rock-improv duo, Talibam!, and recently released a third album with the band People featuring Mary Halvorson.

Jon Irabagon exclusively plays the alto saxophone on this album for the first time since 2006's Shamokin!!! His sound is distinctive, and with this recording, Irabagon firmly reestablishes himself as one of the most respected and individual performers on the instrument since winning the 2008 Thelonious Monk competition.  His use of extended techniques blend seamlessly into the collage style of MOPDtK and his mastery of all aspects of the instrument is on full display.  When not playing with MOPDtK,  Irabagon works with Dave Douglas, Mary Halvorson, and Rudy Royston in addition to leading his own ensembles. He recently showcased his versatility by releasing a daring solo sopranino saxophone recording and a straight-ahead jazz quintet recording on his Irabagast Records Label.

Bassist Moppa Elliott teaches music at St. Mary's High School in Manhasset, NY and double bass and trombone at the Long Island Conservatory.  He also produces and releases albums on Hot Cup Records including his upcoming solo bass release Still, Up in the Air to be released in January 2016. 

 

Pianist Romain Collin offers a bold reimagination of the piano trio on his new album with Luques Curtis and Kendrick Scott

Two words can be enough to change an artist's life - especially when those words come from such an authority on art, life and the cosmos as Wayne Shorter. Such was the case when the legendary saxophonist shared a succinct but profound nugget of wisdom with pianist Romain Collin. Musing on people who spend their whole lives talking about plans, ideas, or dreams without ever seeming to take action, Shorter fell briefly silent before bursting out with an urgent commandment: "Press enter!"

"I started laughing, but I thought the wording was genius," recalls Collin, who had the unique opportunity to spend time gleaning advice and direction from both Shorter and Herbie Hancock while touring India and Vietnam with a band from the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. "He encapsulated such a clear concept practically, intellectually and emotionally. It felt so compelling in just two words, that idea of doing something and not just conceptualizing it."

Collin took that advice to heart to such an extent that it provides the title for his third release as a leader, Press Enter, due out in the US on October 2, 2015 via ACT Music. The phrase offers not just a title, but a guiding mantra, as the French-born pianist vigorously seizes on his widely-varied inspirations to create an inventive and lyrical take on the piano trio tradition. For Collin, the freedom to follow his muse is so deeply rooted that even the potential of its being taken away provides a spark of inspiration: the profoundly moving "Event Horizon" incorporates the actual voices of wrongly incarcerated prisoners freed through the efforts of The Innocence Project.

Press Enter is Collin's second album recorded by his incredibly gifted trio with bassist Luques Curtis and drummer Kendrick Scott, following their acclaimed 2013 release The Calling. Both were fellow students of Collin's at the Berklee College of Music during the early '00s. "Kendrick is like a painter on the drums," Collin says. "You never hear a drummer when he plays; you just hear music. He's incredibly sensitive and has such width and depth in his knowledge of what he can express on that instrument. Luques is a great friend and he plays the bass like a bass should be played. Everything he plays feels really, really good and just the way it should to support the trio and the music."

Collin is an experienced composer of film music with multiple orchestral soundtrack credits to his name, so it should come as no surprise that he draws upon the visual world when dreaming up his music. There's no one-to-one correspondence between a piece of art or environment that he responds to and a particular composition; it's simply Collin's method of tapping into the rich vein of human expression.

"I follow a totally indirect route to inspiration," he explains. "I feel that the music is already there, I just need to unearth it. The way I figure that out is to expose myself to a lot of stimuli, a lot of art. I'll watch movies, go to museums, drive around and look at scenery, watch people and the city, listen to a ton of music that's not particularly related to what I create. Any human endeavor that stems from a very strong and singular vision will help in the compositional process."

One thread that runs through the pieces on Press Enter is the concept of a repeating, pulse-like, almost obsessive ostinato, a musical theme that recurs in different permutations on multiple tracks. It's there in the nervous, Steve Reich-influenced minimalism of "99," the frantic texture underlying "Clockwork," the strident bass lines of "Webs," or the aching heartbeat of "Raw, Scorched and Untethered." The latter, inspired by a painful break-up, uses that insistent throb to undergird a hauntingly romantic theme evoking a rock-era Rachmaninoff. It also swells ominously in "The Line (Dividing Good And Evil Cuts Through The Heart Of Every Human Being)," which draws its title from a quote by writer/philosopher Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. The same obsessive rhythmic idea spreads throughout the entire trio on "The Kids," which features a simple three-note melody whistled by master pianist Jean-Michel Pilc, who often utilizes whistling in his own work.

Collin pairs this fascination with minimalist precision with a love for simple, expressive melody. This is most obvious on tunes like "San Luis Obispo," which paints a portrait of the California city the New York Times called "The Happiest Place in America" with a heartfelt, folk-like melody. It's also represented in the trio's intimate, wistful interpretation of Bon Iver's "Holocene." Lastly, it emerges in the elegiac gospel inflections of Collin's solo take on Monk's immortal "'Round Midnight," which closes the album. "Event Horizon" brings the album to an emotional climax with a simple, mournful tune (supplemented by crucial contributions from vocalist Megan Rose and cellist Laura Metcalf) framing the tragic stories of prisoners freed from decades-long jail terms or death sentences by the Innocence Project, the non-profit organization dedicated to exonerating the wrongly convicted with DNA evidence.

Collin came to the US to attend Berklee College of Music, where he studied performance with the likes of Dave Liebman and Joe Lovano while majoring in Music Synthesis. In 2007, the pianist graduated from the Monk Institute, where he not only toured with Hancock and Shorter and shared the stage with artists such as Marcus Miller, Jimmy Heath, and Terence Blanchard, but also studied with Larry Goldings, Russell Ferrante, Ron Carter, Charlie Haden, Mulgrew Miller and Wynton Marsalis.

In 2009, Collin released his first effort as a leader, The Rise and Fall of Pipokuhn (Fresh Sound), a work described by All About Jazz as "an astonishingly mature and ambitious debut that secures Collin a placeholder in the continuing evolution of the grand tradition of the piano trio" (Phil DiPietro). His second record, The Calling (Palmetto, 2012) was described by the Washington Post as "distinctly personal and creative" (Mike Joyce) and hailed by The Revivalist as an album that "presents listeners with a work of art that is worthy of being held onto for generations to come" (Eric Sandler).

While touring internationally as a leader, Romain continues to explore various musical genres as a sideman, performing and/or recording alongside artists such as Mike Stern, John McLaughlin, Christian McBride, Gregoire Maret, Lauryn Hill, Tim Green or Joe Sanders. Collin has also composed orchestra scores for motion pictures including Ombline de la Grandiere's five-part 2014 documentary Le Bresil par la Cote, Vlada Subotic's About Me (2010), Gleb Osatinski's award-winning Pisces of an Unconscious Mind (2011), The House at the Edge of The Galaxy (2013) and The Quantified Self (2015), Yaara Sumeruk's Ringo (2012) and Parliamo Italiano (2013) and Lauren Fritz's Gallina (2015).

Pianist Oscar Perez Presents Prepare a Place for Me, "a Real Playing Record" Featuring the Rhythm Duo of Thomson Kneeland & Alvester Garnett Plus Alto Saxophonist Bruce Williams

After two albums that emphasized the composing side of his ever-burgeoning art, Oscar Perez - who JazzTimes has described as "a pianist of impeccable technique and fluency" - presents his "blowing" side with the album Prepare a Place for Me, which he calls "a real playing record." To be released October 13, 2015, by Myna Records, the album sees the native New Yorker team with the rhythm duo of bassist Thomson Kneeland and drummer Alvester Garnett, plus alto saxophonist Bruce Williams on five of the nine tracks.

Perez and company essay seven of the pianist's glittering, grooving originals, as well as an intoxicating, flamenco-tinged recasting of Thelonious Monk's "Round Midnight" and a lovely interpretation of the Hoagy Carmichael ballad "The Nearness of You." Reviewing his septet album Afropean Affair in 2011, JazzTimes praised Perez as "an extraordinary composer who blends the rhythmic complexity of Latin American music with the elegant harmonies of jazz," while DownBeat chimed in by marveling over the music's "wondrous interaction of piano and band." With Williams, Kneeland and Garnett alongside, Perez will play album-release shows on October 8 at Trumpets in Montclair, NJ, as well as on October 26 at Cornelia Street Café in Manhattan.

Perez - a protégé of Danilo Perez and Sir Roland Hanna - won 2nd prize in the venerable Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition in Florida last year, with his personal rendition of "The Nearness of You" standing out. "I've always considered myself a composer as much as a player," he says. "But I played the competition and wanted to make playing the focus of my next album. Recording with cats I've performed live with for awhile was really important to the feel of this record. There's a lot of listening and interplay in the trio with Thomson and Alvester - the music tends to simmer, with solos developing in a slow burn. Bruce is a kindred spirit, too, and his playing tends to push the harmony, but in a soulful way."

Prepare a Place for Me kicks off with a straight-ahead jazz version of "Just Everything," an engaging Perez tune originally cast as a Spanish-titled bolero ("Solamente Todo") on his quintet debut album, Nuevo Comienzo, from 2005. The album's originals also include the aptly titled "Snake Charm" and

Williams-led swinger "Headin' Over" (with Perez's writing on that tune influenced by Cedar Walton), as well as the intricate "Message to Monterey." Then there are "Prepare a Place for Me," the absorbing, gospel-inspired title track, and "Mushroom City," which is built on an infectious Brazilian baiao groove. Perez's personal favorite is the closer "Song for Ofelia," about which the pianist says: "It has a special place in my heart. I wrote it after the passing of my grandmother Ofelia Betancur. She was the matriarch of the entire family and showed incredible strength through many of life's difficulties. My daughter Ofelia has her same spirit."

Throughout Prepare a Place for Me, Perez's playing sparkles and dances with melodic interest and rhythmic verve, intertwined with his bass/drum partners and the long-breathed lines of Williams. About their interaction, the pianist says: "When you're younger, you're out to impress with your playing, aiming to turn heads. But now I feel that the emphasis is on just making the music all it can be - not concentrating on sounding as impressive as possible as an individual but on trying to make the other players sound great. I want the vibe to be as communal as can be, and I think that's when music - especially jazz improvisation - thrives."

Pianist-composer Oscar Perez was raised in Queens, NY, on his father's Cuban folk music, with piano lessons and playing in the church band a key part of his young life. He attended New York's "Fame" academy of LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts, studying with classical teachers. He later graduated from the Jazz Performance program at the University of North Florida, already composing there for small groups and big band. His fascination with the beautiful energy of Latin music took him to New England Conservatory in Boston to study with Danilo Perez, an enduring influence. Oscar completed his Master's Degree at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, studying there with Sir Roland Hanna. While at Queens College, he married his love of jazz improvisation with the classical piano literature. Perez's early twenties saw him share stages with such jazz icons as Bunky Green, George Russell, Curtis Fuller and George Garzone.

Since moving back to the New York area, Perez has spent recent years on the road with such jazz confreres as trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, bassist Christian McBride, trumpeter Eddie Allen, saxophonist Mike Lee, trombonist Steve Turre, guitarist Dave Stryker, vocalists Melissa Walker and Charenee Wade, and saxophonist Adrian Cunningham. Perez also toured as a pianist for vocalist Phoebe Snow, performing in such top pop venues as The Theatre at Madison Square Garden and Webster Hall. He has served as music director for St Edward's Church in Harlem. His longstanding commitment to church music has been embodied in the gospel music he explores as accompanist for the Nightingale/Bamford Gospel Choir. Perez has toured across North America, Latin America and Europe, as well as through Russia.

A devoted educator, Perez joins the Jazz Piano faculty at New Jersey's Montclair State University this fall. He has had close associations with the Kupferberg Center at Queens College, Juilliard School, Carnegie Hall, New York Pops, JazzHouse Kids and Jazz at Lincoln Center. He received a 2006 ASCAP/IAJE Commission in honor of Billy Strayhorn, with Perez's group featuring alto saxophonist Antonio Hart premiering the work at the 2007 International Association of Jazz Education Convention. In 2014, Perez won Second Prize in the Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition.

Perez's debut album, Nuevo Comienzo (2007), featured a New York quintet featuring such special guests as trombonist Wycliffe Gordon and guitarist Peter Bernstein, with the leader's compositions blending Latin music and jazz in innovative arrangements. The pianist's second album, Afropean Affair (2011), was the result of a New Works Grant by Chamber Music America for an extended composition to be performed by his septet Oscar Perez Nuevo Comienzo. Balancing poise and power, the group features Stacy Dillard (tenor and soprano saxophone), Greg Glassman (trumpet and flugelhorn), Anthony Perez (bass), Emiliano Valerio (percussion), Jerome Jennings (drums) and Charenee Wade (vocals).