NEW MUSIC: MAX MERSENY - WORLD TRAVELLER; DJANGO BATES AND FRANKFURT RADIO BIG BAND – SALUTING SGT. PEPPER; MARK MURPHY - MILESTONES

MAX MERSENY - WORLD TRAVELLER

A good five years ago alto saxophonist Max Merseny had a sensational debut at age 23. His first album 'Thank Ya' All' was presented and praised in the major German press, and nominated for the Jazz Echo prize, as was the follow-up album 'Everlasting' (comparable to the US Grammy). Something of a German David Sanborn, Max Merseny revitalised American Soul jazz of the Eighties, modernized with elements of Rhythm & Blues and hip-Hop - his other two musical passions. And this with a virtuosity and a groove which nobody had expected from a German. His CD 'Word Traveller' follows this line rigorously, this time with the help of keyboard player Federico Gonzàlez Pena, who came on board as producer, co-author of three titles and as ingenious sound creator on diverse keyboards and synthesizers. The group is completed by well-versed guitarist Ferdinand Kirner, plus guests such as Grammy nominated rapper Phonte, vocalist Tami Samantha Hayes, guitarists Mike Scott and Wah Wah Watson, percussionist Alfredo Mojica and drummer Gene Lake. Rapper/turntablist Roger Reckless is at the turntables.

DJANGO BATES AND FRANKFURT RADIO BIG BAND – SALUTING SGT. PEPPER

Django Bates, in collaboration with the Frankfurt Radio Big Band and Eggs Laid By Tigers, reimagines the seminal Beatles album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The opportunity to celebrate the 50th anniversary of an album that is a landmark musically and culturally was a challenge Bates couldn't resist. Holding on to the original structures and keys, he gracefully folds his own colors, rhythms and sound into the music, resulting in a thoroughly kaleidoscopic examination of this iconic album.

MARK MURPHY - MILESTONES

Mark Murphy was the finest, hippest male jazz singer I ever heard. And I heard him a lot. Okay don't take my word for it. Dusty Springfield, Scott Walker, Peggy Lee, Betty Carter, Sammy Davis Jr and Matt Monro can also be listed among his close admirers, while Ella Fitzgerald was moved to declare: "He is my equal". The recipient of the 1996, 1997, 2000, and 2001 Down Beat magazine readers jazz poll for Best Male Vocalist of the Year, the six-time Grammy nominee was also popular with the British record-buying public, and in the world section of the annual Melody Maker poll, Mark was voted runner-up to Sinatra in 1965 and 1966. Enjoy this superb 2CD compilation including Milestones, My Favourite Things and Why Don't You Do Right?

NEW MUSIC: JOWEE OMICIL – LET’S BASH; PETER BERNSTEIN – SIGNS LIVE; (U)NITY – (U)NITY IS POWER

JOWEE OMICIL – LET’S BASH

Sweet reeds and plenty of Fender Rhodes – a set that has Jowee Omicil blowing soprano sax, alto, flute, and clarinet – over a set of tunes that move along with a gentle sort of groove! The album's got a nice polish, but is also hipper than smooth jazz too – with some rootsier currents from time to time, and just the right sort of use of electric elements, so that they never overwhelm the acoustic sound of the leader. Songs are dedicated to Ornette Coleman, Tinariwen, Roy Hargrove, and others – and titles include "Sur Le Pont D'Avignon", "A Si Pare", "Love & Honesty", "Something Clear", "Twa Groove", and "Pipillita".  ~, Dusty Groove

PETER BERNSTEIN – SIGNS LIVE

A strong double dose live set for Smoke Sessions led set by guitarist Peter Bernstein – in a quartet setting with Christian McBride on bass, Brad Mehldau on piano and Gregory Hutchinson on drums – reconvening the the line-up that recorded Bernstein's Signs album on Criss Cross back in the mid 90s! It's wonderful for several reasons – for one, in getting these amazing, incredibly busy players back together after all these years – and for fleshing out the material so greatly in a live setting! The Signs tunes really breathe here, with lots of air and space for each player to shine, most tracks running nice on long on the 2CD set. They're all Bernstein originals save for 3 Thelonious Monk numbers, and the titles include "Blues For Bulgaria", "Hidden Pockets", "Dragonfly", "Jive Coffee", "Pannonica", "Useless Metaphor", "Let Loose", "All Too Real", "Resplendor", "Crepuscule With Nellie/We See" and "Cupcake".  ~ Dusty Groove

(U)NITY – (U)NITY IS POWER

Unity through diversity from (U)nity – conceived as a 5-piece band in the mid 00s, and coming to expansive fruition a decade later as a far-reaching, yet strongly united collective! At the core, players Michael Valeanu, Axel Tosca, Chris Smith, Max Cudworth and Amaury Acosta bring a strong backdrop of Afro-Cuban inspired percussion, exciting early fusion-flavored electric guitar, sax and spacey keys, and with a huge group of contributors bring a lot more to the table – deeper layers of the core elements and more – from cosmic hip hop, to Latin, to deep soul and beyond! Largely instrumental, but with some strong vocal material, too, titles include "FEAR (Forget Everything And Rise)", "Perception", "Avenue 15" feat Pino Palladino & Petrito Martinez, "(U)nity Theme Song" feat Lauren Desber, "Penelope Ana (Love Interlude)", "New Cuba" feat Petrito Martinez, "Retrograde", "everlasting Belief" feat Jhoard, "Can I Get A Dollar", "Guarapachanga", "Ache" and more. ~ Dusty Groove

GUITAR VIRTUOSO TYLER REESE TAKES ON THE BIG APPLE, HEADLINING HIS FIRST NYC SHOW AT CLUB BONAFIDE WEDNESDAY AUGUST 9

The Multi-Talented 24-Year-Old Performer, Who Has Studied With Pat Metheny and Played With Music Legends Prince, Ernie Isley and Craig Morgan, Broke Through Earlier This Year with Reminiscence, Which

Debuted at #5 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Albums Chart

  

Tyler Reese recorded his first album in his mid-teens, studied with jazz legend Pat Metheny and has played with everyone from Prince and Ernie Isley to country great Craig Morgan. Now, still riding the accolades and buzz of his 2017 breakthrough album Reminiscence – which debuted at #5 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Albums chart - the multi-talented 24 year old guitar virtuoso is set to make his NYC debut as a headliner at the famed Club Bonafide Wednesday, August 9.

Tyler and his band, featuring bassist Gary Grainger (John Scofield, Acoustic Alchemy), drummer Toby Fairchild (Victor Wooten) and keyboardist Chris Fischer (Stevie Wonder, Temptations) are playing sets at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $15, plus at $1.95 fee. Club Bonafide, which is co-owned by famed Cameroon born jazz bassist Richard Bona (John Legend, George Benson, Herbie Hancock, Chaka Khan), is located at 212 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10022

“When the opportunity to book my first ever New York gig playing my own music came up, I was obviously very excited, but didn’t realize till later that Club Bonafide is owned by Richard, whom I’m a huge fan of from his work with so many great artists,” says Tyler, who previously played with another band at The Friar’s Club in NYC. “Getting to play at Richard’s club my first time in the city is really cool, and I’m looking forward to our road trip up from the D.C. area and having fun playing with these guys, engaging the fans and meeting other great musicians.:

Tyler’s set will feature songs from Reminiscence, which was co-produced by Tyler and Jeff Silverman (Rick Springfield, Hiroshima, Tim Weisberg, The Allman Brothers Band). The album’s first radio single, the uplifting acoustic song “Moving On,” earned a Hollywood Music in Media Award (HMMA) nomination in the jazz category. Another track, the scorched earth electric guitar and brass fired “2 Funk,” received an HMMA nod in the production category. Tyler and the band will also mix in favorite classic jazz fusion numbers like Tony Williams’ “Proto-Cosmos,” written by Alan Pasqua.

Up until a recent move back to his hometown of Fredericksburg, VA, Tyler was a busy, first call Nashville based session player and touring guitarist who performed over 250 shows per year. During this period, he opened for Scotty McCreery, Joel Crouse, Bo Bice, Martin Sexton, Ron Holloway and Linwood Taylor while participating in numerous showcase events and festivals, including The Listening Room, Celebrate Virginia, Fontanel, Loretta Lynn’s Ranch, the IEBA, Wild Horse, 5th & Porter, Tin Pan South and the Country Music Hall of Fame.

While studying classical piano, his first instrument, from the age of 3 to 18, Tyler received his first guitar, a Squier Stratocaster, at 10 and became a serious student of guitar at 13. He released his first full length CD Risus21, an exploration of progressive rock with dark, heavy riffs and high energy guitar, in 2010 at the age of 15. His discography also includes Because I Can (2011), a series of contemporary arrangements of traditional jazz standards with aspects of funk, rock and blues; and Life in 20, which he co-wrote with Prince backup singer Elisa Fiorillo-Dease and was produced by Silverman.

CRAFT RECORDINGS TO RELEASE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION OF LEGENDARY BLUES MUSICIAN JIMMY REED’S SIDES FOR THE VEE-JAY LABEL

Craft Recordings is pleased to announce the forthcoming release of Mr. Luck: The Complete Vee-Jay Singles, celebrating the defining body of work of one of the most influential and popular blues musicians of the 20th century, Jimmy Reed. Due out August 4th, the 3-CD collection spans Reed’s most prolific period – from the early 1950s to the mid-1960s, and includes not only his biggest hits – all remastered in their original mono format – but also several rarities from newly discovered master tapes that have never been released digitally. An annotated discography, plus detailed session notes and liner notes have been meticulously compiled by the album’s GRAMMY® award-winning producer, Scott Billington, who, as a music historian and blues musician, offers deep insight into Reed’s artistic process. 

Jimmy Reed’s lazy drawl, paired with his unique harmonica stylings, and highly-accessible lyrical hooks are part of the bedrock of American roots music. Yet the musician’s story is also that of an unlikely hero. Born to Mississippi sharecroppers in the 1920s, Reed moved north to Chicago in search of work, and, despite suffering from epilepsy, slowly transformed himself from a street musician to one of the most popular blues artists in America, crossing over to the pop charts with songs like “Big Boss Man” and “Baby What You Want Me to Do.”

With his simple, yet effective songs, the self-taught musician influenced hundreds of artists on both sides of the Atlantic. Over the years, a wide range of acts have covered Reed’s compositions, including The Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Sly and the Family Stone, Etta James and Elvis Presley. In his notes, Billington muses “Of all the blues musicians who began recording in Chicago in the late 1940s and early 1950s, Jimmy Reed might have seemed least likely to succeed … Yet, until B. B. King’s run of best-selling records in the late 1960s, no post-war blues artist sold more records or showed up as often on the Billboard R&B and pop charts. Jimmy Reed’s music was approachable and, at least on the surface, easy for other musicians to play.”

Mr. Luck: The Complete Vee-Jay Singles will be available on CD, as well as across all digital retailers and streaming sites.

Four-time GRAMMY-Nominee BONEY JAMES Celebrates 25 Years With New Release HONESTLY Featuring Vocalists Avery*Sunshine & Eric Roberson

It’s been a full quarter-century since a young saxophonist and composer released his debut recording as a leader, Trust. Now, on September 1, 2017, Boney James will release his 16th album, this one titled Honestly. If you sense a direct line between those titles, you’ve already come a long way toward understanding what motivates the four-time GRAMMY nominee and multi-platinum-selling musician.

“I’m fighting the good fight to be my own artist and not be pigeonholed,” says the genre-blurring James. “With a record’s title I always try to find something that will communicate the feeling I get when I listen to it. The feeling I get with this music is a sense of sincerity and intimacy. The word ‘honestly’ really reflects how I aspire to live my life and create my music. One of the great things about music is how powerful it is. It can totally transport people. These are interesting times we are living in and the one thing I can do with the skills that I have is to make music that evokes a feeling and takes people somewhere… to do what I can to try and make the world a more pleasant place.”

Honestly follows futuresoul, James’ 2015 release which spent eleven weeks at #1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart. The New York Times raved, “Boney James performs with panache...His arc as a soloist is emotional...he can paint a scene.”

Honestly, says James, is quite different sounding than the previous record. “It’s more exposed,” he says of the 10-track collection. “Some of the arrangements are not as dense. A number of the songs have a more buoyant, cheerful, happy quality to them.” James produced the record and co-wrote all but one track, his interpretation of the Johnny Mercer-Hoagy Carmichael classic ‘Skylark.’

James recruited collaborators and musicians whose work he admires, including chart-topping vocalists/co-writers Avery*Sunshine (on the title track) and Eric Roberson (on ‘If I Can’t Hold You’).

Each track on Honestly reflects a different side of James’ musical personality. “Songs like ‘Kicks’ or ‘Up All Night’ are much more boisterous sounding than the last couple of records,” he says. “Then there’s ‘Skylark,’ a song that I have always loved…a standard which I’ve never recorded before. The track Honestly (and first Urban Adult single) featuring Avery*Sunshine is straight up R&B.” Regarding Avery, James says, “I heard her at a festival we were both playing and then I heard her #1 single ‘Call My Name’ on the radio. I was instantly a fan and just waiting for the right song for us to collaborate.”

First instrumental single ‘Tick Tock,’ one of four songs co-written and co-produced with Jairus Mozee (Anthony Hamilton, Robin Thicke) is one of several on the album featuring a horn arrangement by Jerry Hey, who worked on Michael Jackson’s greatest hits, amongst others. “It’s a very funky track with an insistent groove and the arrangement goes places you don’t expect it to go,” says James.

 Although each track on the album has its own definitive feel, James points directly toward some of his greatest influences as having provided inspiration. “I think about Stevie Wonder, Steely Dan and Earth, Wind & Fire,” he says, also mentioning such iconic R&B and contemporary jazz artists as the Brothers Johnson, Tower of Power and Grover Washington Jr. as having impacted him. “These are the bands that I grew up loving and the thing that they had was this method of arranging so the music is a character itself. That’s something I aspire to create on my records. The bass line can be a hook, or a horn line or keyboard riff that you sing in your head—that’s what I’m trying to create on the record. A tapestry of sounds that puts you in another world.”

James plays all of the tenor and soprano saxophone parts on Honestly and contributes keyboards and drum programming to several of the tracks. But his career might have turned out a lot differently had a music store in his native New Rochelle, New York, had his first choice in stock the day he walked inside. “I wanted to play trumpet but when we went to the store to rent a trumpet all they had were clarinets, so I went home with a clarinet. Two years later I guess I was the best clarinet player in a band full of clarinets and the teacher wanted a sax player so he leaned on me to pick up the saxophone. I didn’t want to do it because it was a much heavier case I’d have to carry. But as soon as I switched I loved it and it pretty quickly became my favorite thing to do. It still is!”

By the time he entered his teens, James was gigging with bands, and he turned pro at 19. He apprenticed as a sideman for artists like Morris Day and the Isley Brothers, picking up pointers on how to present himself onstage and off, and didn’t cut his first album under his own name until he was 30. The independently released Trust led immediately to a major label deal and a string of increasingly successful recordings and live dates.

His skill as a performer as well as a recording artist garnered this notice from the Boston Globe, “James swaggered across the stage like a blacktop hero draining treys on an overmatched opponent. He even weaved his way through the audience, never missing a beat and all but daring the crowd not to have a good time."

Over the years, James has racked up sales of more than three million records, four RIAA gold albums, four GRAMMY nominations, a Soul Train Award, nominations for two NAACP Image Awards and 10 CDs atop Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. In 2009, Billboard named him one of the Top 3 Contemporary Jazz Artists Of The Decade along with Kenny G and Norah Jones.

 With Honestly, as with futuresoul and the GRAMMY-nominated The Beat before it, Boney James is making some of the most stellar, wholly realized music of his career. “I’ve just grown up, personally and musically,” he says. “I’m a lot calmer now when I approach making music and have more confidence. I’m a “give-110 percent” kind of person and I’m enjoying the process more now. I think that comes out in the music. Maybe that’s why this new record is so much fun to listen to. There are parts on the record that still make me smile.”

James lives in Los Angeles with his wife of 32 years, Actress/Director Lily Mariye and has written scores for her film projects.

ALFA ANDERSON, Former Lead Singer of Chic Releases MUSIC FROM MY HEART

Alfa Anderson is a soul and dance music icon whose voice defines an entire era of popular music. As one of the original lead vocalists in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame-nominated group, Chic, she helped producers Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards build a mountain of gold and platinum albums with hits like "Le Freak," "Good Times," and "I Want Your Love." To the delight of fans all around the world, Alfa's "soulful, sensitive delivery" (Billboard) takes center stage with the release of Music From My Heart (2017), her very first full-length solo album.

Music From My Heart spotlights an impressive range of songs that Alfa wrote and co-produced with the multi-talented Bert Price. The album's first single "When Luther Sings" features Alfa's rousing, heartfelt tribute to her longtime friend Luther Vandross, while powerful ballads like "Sending You Love" and sizzling club tracks like "Dancing Is My Release" add the exclamation point to Alfa's long-awaited solo debut, which she celebrated with a standing room-only album release show at Joe's Pub (NYC) on July 7, 2017.

A celebrated New Yorker by way of Augusta, Georgia, Alfa Anderson began her professional singing career alongside some of the industry's most talented vocalists and musicians. She had a featured role in Cannonball Adderley's Big Man (1976), which premiered at Carnegie Hall, and also starred in Lincoln Center's production of Children of the Fire, a piece scored by legendary trumpeter "Hannibal" Marvin Peterson. Throughout the '70s, she recorded background vocals for a variety of artists, including Nat Adderley, Ray Barretto, Odyssey, Major Harris, and Roy Buchanan. Alfa also sang on the Quincy Jones-produced soundtrack to The Wiz (1978) and Atlantic Records' Live at Montreux (1978) album produced by Arif Mardin and Herbie Mann.

Alfa Anderson's life changed when Luther Vandross invited her to a vocal session for Chic. At the time, Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards had just formed the group with Tony Thompson on drums and Norma Jean Wright on lead vocals. She sang background on Chic's first two singles for Atlantic Records, "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)" and "Everybody Dance," which both brought Chic to the top of the dance charts for seven consecutive weeks in 1977. After joining Chic on tour, Alfa was promoted to lead vocalist, a role she and Luci Martin shared from 1978-1983.

 The group's second album, C'est CHIC (1978), was a critical and commercial tour de force. It featured Anderson's two solo numbers, "At Last I Am Free" and the gold-selling single "I Want Your Love." Alfa and renowned session vocalist Diva Gray both sang lead on "Le Freak," Rodgers and Edwards' ode to Studio 54. The song not only became Chic's most successful single but, for more than 30 years, was the biggest-selling single in Atlantic's history. "Le Freak" topped the Hot 100 for three weeks and went to number one on both the R&B and disco singles charts, quickly earning gold and platinum certifications. C'est CHIC was later named "1979 R&B Album of the Year" by Billboard after it topped the R&B chart for eleven weeks.

 Risqué (1979) continued Chic's influence across all genres of music and spawned another number one pop and R&B hit, "Good Times." The song brought hip hop to the mainstream when it was sampled on "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugar Hill Gang. Alfa maintained a lead role in Chic on Real People (1980), Take It Off (1981), Tongue in Chic (1982), the Soup for One (1982) soundtrack, and Believer (1983). Between her many appearances with Chic on Soul Train, The Midnight Special, Top of the Pops, and New Year's Rockin' Eve, Alfa lent her vocals to Chic-produced sessions for Sister Sledge (We Are Family, 1979), Diana Ross (diana, 1980), and Johnny Mathis (I Love My Lady, 1981).

After Chic dissolved, Alfa Anderson continued her singing career with a variety of solo artists, most notably Luther Vandross. From 1982 through 1987, she was a member of Vandross' touring band and performed at Wembley Stadium, among many other prestigious venues around the world. Throughout the '80s and '90s, Alfa sang on albums by Bryan Adams, Gregory Hines, Mick Jagger, Teddy Pendergrass, Jennifer Holliday, Billy Squier, Sheena Easton, Jody Watley, Bryan Ferry, and Jonathan Butler. 

In the late-'90s, Anderson and her husband Tinkr Barfield formed and produced Voices of Shalom, a group who explored spiritual themes through uplifting original compositions. They released two full-length albums, Messages (1999) and Daily Bread (2002), as well as a single called "What A Spirit" (2005), which featured guest vocals by Lisa Fischer and Keith Anthony Fluitt. Meanwhile, Alfa's voice continued to introduce the music of Chic to younger listeners through feature films like Shrek 2, Toy Story 3, Up in the Air, 54, Roll Bounce, and Spike Lee's Summer of Sam.

Alfa reunited with Chic vocalists Luci Martin and Norma Jean Wright in 2010 on "My Lover's Arms." The trio was also joined by Lisa Fischer, who'd previously sung with Alfa in Vandross' band and Voices of Shalom. Produced by Tinkr Barfield, "My Lover's Arms" appeared on Tinkr B. & Lu-Fuki's It Is What It Is (2011). The album included Alfa's lead vocals and songwriting contributions on "Money, Power" and "The Song That Captures Your Heart," laying the groundwork for her first solo single, "Former Lady of Chic" (2013), written and produced by Eluriel (Tinkr) Barfield, Eluriah Barfield, and Taurie Barfield.

"Former Lady of Chic" sparked a surge of interest in Alfa's career. Author James Arena devoted an entire chapter to Alfa in his best-selling book First Legends of Disco (2014), which led to Alfa's acclaimed appearance with Norma Jean Wright and Luci Martin at the "First Ladies of Disco" concert in Palm Springs. That same year, Alfa performed at Central Park SummerStage (NYC), the Grand Opera House (Wilmington, DE), The Cutting Room (NYC), Joe's Pub (NYC), and the opening of the Hard Rock Hotel in Ibiza, where she was a surprise guest during the venue's inaugural concert by Nile Rodgers.

Ibiza-based production team Aristofreeks produced a series of songs for a trio that Alfa formed with Norma Jean and Luci called Next Step. Featuring guest vocalist Kathy Sledge, "Get On Up" brought Next Step to #8 on Billboard's Dance Chart in May 2016 following the trio's headlining performance with Cirque du Soleil at Mandalay Bay (Las Vegas). Nile Rodgers also invited Alfa and Luci to sing on the first new Chic single in 23 years, "I'll Be There" (2015). Released on Warner Bros., the song topped the U.K. charts and bridged two generations of Chic Organization vocalists. While "Le Freak" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, Alfa received the G.E.M.A. Foundation's "Golden Mic Award" (2014) and a Citation from the City of Philadelphia that recognized her many contributions to music. 

NEW MUSIC: JOSH LAWRENCE – COLOR THEORY: JON DAVIS – HAPPY JUICE; WALT WEISKOPF – FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH

JOSH LAWRENCE – COLOR THEORY

Maybe the first album we've ever seen from trumpeter Josh Lawrence – and a set that will definitely have us looking out for more! Lawrence composed almost every tune on the set, and works with a sense of color that really lives up to the title – on lines that are sometimes nicely compressed and subtle, and blown on flugelhorn – sometimes bold and vibrant, soaring out in the company of an excellent group that includes Caleb Curtis on some especially nice alto and flute! The keyboards shift throughout – as Orrin Evans plays acoustic piano on five titles, and Adam Faulk handles Fender Rhodes on seven more – creating a nice shift in color that furthers the spirit of the tunes, driven by rhythm work from Madison Rast on bass and Anwar Marshall on drums. Titles include "Black", "An Uptown Romance", "Yellow", "Presence", "The Conceptualizer", and "Green".  ~ Dusty Groove

JON DAVIS – HAPPY JUICE

Top shelf jazz trio from pianist Jon Davis – an artist who might look pretty laidback, sipping wine on the cover – but who serves up some great original material as well as key takes on some classics! Working with bassist Boris Kozlov and drummer Mark Ferber on this one, Davis earnestly sets out to pay homage to the 60s modern piano jazz genius of his five favorite players – and also manages to really show some of his own best work – a really impressive feat! The originals shine brightly – including "Happy Juice", "Slant Six", "As We Know", "Bred On Read" and "Mostly Minor" – and fit in seamlessly with the nods to classics by Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, McCoy Tyner and Keith Jarrett – including "The Two Lonely People", "Tones For Joans Bones", "Speak Like A Child", "Search For People" and "Rainbow". Wonderful stuff!  ~ Dusty Groove

WALT WEISKOPF – FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH

Walt Weiskopf is fast becoming one of our favorite contemporary tenorists – a musician who's not just strong on his own instrument, but able to place himself amidst a very fresh setting with each new release! This set has Walt working with a top-shelf lineup of Positone labelmates – including the great Behn Gillece on vibes, Peter Zak on piano, Mike Karn on bass, and Steve Fidyk on drums – musicians who do a really great job of soaring along with Weiskopf's sound, and finding all the right stops along the way! The blend of vibes, piano, and tenor is wonderful – Gillece is also one of our favorite contemporary players – and Walt's got this soulful presence that offsets the other two instruments beautifully. Titles include "Echoes Of The Quiet Past", "Backstage Blues", "Petal", "Hot Dog Days", "Heads In The Clouds", and "Double Date".  ~ Dusty Groove

Jazz Bassist Brad Cheeseman is set to release his new album, The Tide Turns, on Friday August 25, 2017

The album includes nine tracks, eight of which are new contemporary jazz compositions from the Hamilton bassist/composer. Joining Cheeseman on this album are frequent collaborators Robert Chapman (guitar), Sam Kogen (piano) and Marito Marques (drums), as well as JUNO award-winning saxophonist Kelly Jefferson. The CD will be available at performances, as well as digitally through Bandcamp and iTunes.

The album comes on the heels of Cheeseman winning the coveted Grand Prix de Jazz for his band’s performance at the 2016 Montreal Jazz Festival, which included a week of studio time at Montreal’s Studio 270. “It was a huge honour to win the Grand Prix, and a catalyst to document an important time in my life through music,” explains Cheeseman. “This is a very personal record for me, and is based on a year full of change, self-discovery and reinvention. There’s a lot of heart in this music.”

Brad Cheeseman is a jazz bassist, composer and educator that has been performing since the early 2000s. His lyrical bass playing and melody-driven compositions have earned him a reputation as an in-demand emerging artist in the thriving Toronto jazz community and beyond.

He has released three all-original albums as bandleader—including 2016’s Figurants EP (featuring compositions based on the landmark novel Infinite Jest), 2015’s Brad Cheeseman Group, and 2013’s Mixed Messages EP—and is currently planning a fourth to be released Summer 2017. These albums have received airplay across Canada, won two Hamilton Music Awards and have been nominated for several others. In 2016, Brad Cheeseman was honoured to win the prestigious TD Grand Prix de Jazz at the Montreal Jazz Festival with his acclaimed Brad Cheeseman Group ensemble.

In addition to his work as bandleader, Brad regularly performs with both the Brownman Electryc Trio (feat. Brownman Ali and Colin Kingsmore) and On Topic (feat. Aubrey Dayle and Kim Ratcliffe). As a sideman, Brad has had the privilege of  performing with many great Canadian jazz musicians, including Colleen Allen, Bruce Cassidy, Terry Clarke, Don Englert, Adrean Farrugia, John Macleod, Mike Malone, Reg Schwager and Nancy Walker.

Brad is an Honours graduate of both Mohawk College (’09) and Humber College (BMus ’13) and completed his MA in music composition at York University (’15).

Pianist Laszlo Gardony Offers Balm and Fuel for Troubled Times on His Latest Solo Piano Sojourn, the Joyously Thoughtful Serious Play

Great artists can’t help but respond to the world around them, absorbing the tensions, angst and joys vibrating throughout society. At the same time, musicians provide energy for the necessary struggle, “washing away the dust of everyday life,” as drum legend Art Blakey said, describing jazz’s transformative power. This double duty is at the core of pianist Laszlo Gardony's new solo album Serious Play. He created most of the music spontaneously in the studio, with a few soulful reimaginations of beloved standards added, providing a potent reminder that the longtime Berklee College of Music professor is one of jazz’s most emotionally trenchant and melodically inventive solo piano practitioners. His 12th album and 9th recording for Sunnyside, Serious Play is slated for release on July 14, 2017.

Possessing a ravishing touch and a singular style that draws on the post-bop continuum, various strains of folk music and his Central European classical training, he “went into the studio with two goals that went hand in hand,” says Gardony, who couldn’t help but carry with him an acute sense of rising anxiety in the country. “One goal was to sit down and improvise for an extended amount of time,” revisiting the compositional approach that led to Clarity, his celebrated 2013 solo piano session. "The other was to organically connect that soul-baring material to soul soothing arrangements of beloved standards.

“In the studio, I asked Paul, the sound engineer, to keep the recorder running. There was the sense that this is again the right time to let spontaneous improvisation unfold and express my feelings about our times and my responsibilities in it, thereby adding my voice to our collective conversation."

  

He opens and closes Serious Play with familiar standards reimagined, what Jackie McLean called “new wine in old bottles.” He starts his journey with a sublime meditation on Hoagy Carmichael’s “Georgia On My Mind” that builds on a melody that drips with longing. He follows with the album’s longest track, a caressing exploration of Coltrane’s sublime ballad “Naima” that builds between meditation and tension with his rumbling left-hand figures driving his solo, contrasting with his peaceful statement of the melody. 

The album’s title track - the first of the improvised pieces - is something of a mission statement, a headlong slalom that seems to pick up momentum without gaining speed. The resounding bass chords keep the tune serious, while his frolicking right hand exalts in a swerving broken-field sprint. The spirit of it is active and positive - a musical call to action. The brief and contemplative “Night Life” is the first of several brief tracks that serve as a thematic bridge to the next statement, the polyrhythmic “Forward Motion,” which develops from a 5/4 groove, and has the feel of wheels in motion, literally and figuratively. 

The brief and reflective “Watchful Through the Night” continues the emotional journey and hints at Gardony’s love of prog rock with its concluding diatonic harmony, while “Folk at Heart” evokes a community of people who stand together in their demand for a more compassionate, humane tomorrow. The tune naturally leads to the relentless syncopated energy and almost dissonant harmonies of “Truth to Power,” a song that suggests a clean sweep, a tidal purge of the negative, manipulative forces that attempt to sow dissonance in our hearts. Gardony closes the album with a breathtaking version of Harold Arlen’s chestnut “Over the Rainbow.” Brief and reharmonized, the rendition is haunting -  a sound-vision of a place that ill will cannot touch.

As Gardony writes about recording this album, “music has a direct effect on our emotions and also on our well-being. What we need at all times - but perhaps now even more - is a clear mind, so we can assess our reality accurately, energy, so we can take positive and protective action, and of course, courage, fearlessness…With this CD my focus was on strengthening us so we can be resilient and resistant, and also on washing away any fatigue, doubt, or desperation we may feel." 

Born in Hungary, Gardony took to the piano not long after he started to walk. He wasn’t much older when he started improvising, devising little tunes inspired by the blues, pop and classical music he heard around the house. Immersed in the European classical tradition while growing up, he was drawn to progressive rock as a teenager, and spent countless hours improvising blues-based music at the piano. He investigated gospel and studied jazz, a passion that soon overshadowed his classical pursuits. While there weren’t many jazz musicians around “there were some very knowledgeable people and a lot of records,” he recalls.     

After graduating from the Bela Bartok Conservatory and the Science University of Budapest, Gardony quickly earned a reputation as one of the continent’s most accomplished accompanists. He also started recording as a leader. Possessing a powerful sense of swing, a strong feel for the blues and a firm command of post-bop vocabulary, he gained invaluable insight by sharing festival stages with acts like Art Blakey and Abdullah Ibrahim. After several years on the road, Gardony decided he needed to deepen his knowledge of jazz. 

In 1983 a full scholarship to Berklee brought Gardony to the United States. Miles ahead of most of his fellow students, he was hired by Berklee to teach upon graduation. He made his US recording debut with the acclaimed 1988 album The Secret (Antilles) featuring Czech bass great Miroslav Vitous and drummer Ian Froman, but it was his 1st place win the following year at the Great American Jazz Piano Competition that catapulted him into the national spotlight.     

He seized the moment with 1989’s brilliant release The Legend of Tsumi (Antilles), a trio session with bassist Dave Holland and drummer Bob Moses focusing on Gardony’s lyrical originals (“Being with Dave and Miroslav was such an education,” Gardony says. “If you really immerse yourself in those moments, it can change you.”) The album earned rave reviews. Over the years he’s collaborated with saxophone greats like David “Fathead” Newman and Dave Liebman, but his subtle and rhythmically intricate pianism has meshed particularly well with jazz’s most inventive guitarists, including Mick Goodrick, John Abercrombie, John Scofield, Mike Stern and the late Garrison Fewell. 

His primary vehicle for most of the 21st century has been his state of the art trio with bassist John Lockwood and drummer Yoron Israel, an ensemble first documented on the 2003 Sunnyside release Ever Before Ever After. One of the finest working trios in jazz, the group performs and records regularly, exploring Gardony’s extensive book of originals as well as the occasional standard and jazz classics by the likes of Horace Silver and Billy Strayhorn.  

  

No band has stretched Gardony more than The Wayfaring Strangers. A long-time fan of Gardony’s who credits the pianist’s first solo album Changing Standards with opening his ears to modern jazz, violinist Matt Glaser initially recruited him to perform on one track of 2001’s Shifting Sands of Time (Rounder), contributing a haunting solo to Ralph Stanley’s elemental rendition of “Man of Constant Sorrow.” By the release the project’s second album, 2003’s This Train (Rounder), Gardony was an essential member of the ensemble. The group continues to perform, exploring its singular synthesis of bluegrass, Appalachian roots music, and jazz. Like every other profound musical experience under his belt, some of the Wayfaring Strangers has shaped Gardony’s expression in straight ahead contexts. With Serious Play, he’s once again extended his creative purview, capturing the emotional pitch of the moment with a timeless statement.

  

“I always have a reason I make an album,” Gardony says. “It has to be something new. When I was a kid I really appreciated progressive rock, Bartok, folk music, and of course jazz and blues. With all of those musics, people never step into the same river twice.” 

At a time of hunger for reason and thirst for peace of mind, Serious Play arrives like an energizing meal, accompanied by a tall drink of pure, clear water.  

Saxophonist Paul Jones melds the passion of jazz, the storytelling of hip hop and the intricacy of minimalism on his innovative second album - Clean

Saxophonist and composer Paul Jones draws from influences as diverse as contemporary hip hop, 20th-century minimalism and leading-edge jazz on his second album as a leader, Clean. Both heady and heartfelt, Jones' compositions may be sparked by a literary turn of phrase or the unexpected passing of a close friend, always finding unique ways to overlay the emotional onto the intellectual.

Clean (due out August 4 from Outside In Music) unfolds with the evocative narrative flow of hip hop groundbreakers like Kendrick Lamar while building on the unique architecture of minimalist pioneers such as Philip Glass and Steve Reich. This singular music is realized with the help of Jones' core sextet, a group of distinctive artists who are all leaders and composers in their own right: alto saxophonist Alex LoRe, guitarist Matt Davis, pianist Glenn Zaleski, bassist Johannes Felscher and drummer Jimmy Macbride. They're joined at various times by a woodwind octet that brings together The SNAP Saxophone Quartet and a chamber group (clarinetist Mark Dover of the Imani Winds, oboist Ellen Hindson, bassoonist Nanci Belmont and cellist Susan Mandel) as well as genre-blurring duo The Righteous Girls (flutist Gina Izzo and pianist Erika Dohi.

The music on Clean was birthed at the picturesque Banff Creative Arts Centre in Alberta, Canada, where Jones sequestered himself in January 2016 to begin devising the follow-up to his well-received 2015 debut, Short History. With the sounds of austere minimalist compositions ringing in his ears and his love of hip hop reignited by the release of Lamar's landmark To Pimp a Butterfly, Jones set to work finding ways to unite these seemingly disparate passions.

"I used to listen to a lot of hip hop in high school, and Kendrick's album reminded me of my love for the music," he recalls. "One of the things that a lot of hip hop albums do that jazz albums don't do as much is try to tell a story from start to finish. I wanted to try to do that by using different song lengths and textures, and I thought that using woodwinds in the style of Steve Reich and Philip Glass would provide interesting sonic breaks between the jazz songs."

In challenging himself to find new sources of inspiration for his music for Short History, Jones invented a method of assigning different musical notes to each letter of the alphabet, then using different words or phrases to generate melodic material. On Clean he developed that technique further, adding a random number generator that gave a wider range of notes as well as intervals. As mathematical and complex as that may sound (and no doubt is), Jones never loses sight of the emotional core of his music, also dipping into the well of personal experience to deepen these uniquely-devised melodies.

Nowhere is that more striking than on the brief "Romulo's Raga," a dizzying chamber interlude sparked by the murder of Romulo Herrera, the longtime chef at the well-known Cornelia Street Café, where Jones worked by day. "Hearing the news of this incident was almost incomprehensible to me," Jones writes in his liner notes. Composed in the wake of the tragic news, "Romulo's Raga" became the leaping-off point for several other chamber pieces interspersed throughout the album, including opener "Ive Sn Th Gra Md," "It Was Brgh Cold," and "Im Prety Uch Fkd."

Those aren't typos - each of those titles are borrowed from the opening lines of classic novels, with each letter allowed to occur only once. The first is a slight misquote from Allen Ginsberg's era-defining poem "Howl" ("I've seen the [great] minds of my generation destroyed by madness"), the second from George Orwell's ever-timely Nineteen Eighty-Four ("It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen"), and the last from Andy Weir's The Martian (you can guess it). "I Am An American" is the first line of Saul Bellow's The Adventures of Augie March, though with all those A's intact.

"The Generator," though a shimmering ballad in execution, references Jones' "nerdy compositional method" explicitly, as does, albeit in a more self-deferential fashion, "Alphabet Soup." The technique serves two purposes: it takes care of the ever-present challenge of coming up with new song titles while mandating a unique genesis for each piece. "A lot of people just sit down at the piano and expect magic to happen," he explains, "and we all end up coming up with the same ideas over and over again. I wanted to find a way to get at different harmonic and melodic ideas."

The process doesn't stop there, however. Though initially generated by the letters in the two names of its title, "Buckley vs. Vidal" bristles with the adversarial tension of the infamous televised debates between the celebrity intellectuals. "Hola, Amigo" takes its title from a sign spotted in Canada - with a phrase that no native Spanish speaker would ever utter, suggesting, especially as it follows the ambiguous "I Am An American," the fraught territory of cultural difference and miscommunication - especially timely given recent political developments.

The album's title and its namesake track, while hinting at the fastidious intricacies of Jones and his stellar ensemble, simply echoes his own nickname from Maine's Camp Encore/Coda, where he is a faculty member. It's humorously bookended by the jerky rhythms of "Dirty Curty," the less appealing sobriquet of an old friend who went without showering for three months - during which time he met the love of his life. "Centre in the Woods" tips its hat to the scenery of the Banff Centre, while the frenetic "The Minutiae of Existence" tallies the banal necessities of daily life.

His unique blend of jazz, classical and pop music influences unite Jones with a cohort of young innovators on the modern NYC scene. They include artists with whom Jones has worked, including Matt Davis' Aerial Photograph, Nicholas Biello's Vagabond Soul with Clarence Penn, R&B singer-songwriter Eli "Paperboy" Reed, Leon Boykins and Jonathan Parker. While a student at the Manhattan School of Music, Jones also had the opportunity to perform alongside such greats as Randy Brecker, Dave Liebman and Joe Lovano. He's also taught privately at CenterStage, Harrison School of Music, Needham Music, PS-290, and the Rye Arts Center, and given master classes at the Contemporary Music Institute in Zhuhai, China and the Gimcheon School of the Arts in Korea.

www.paulthejones.com

Trumpeter John Vanore Pays Tribute to Legendary Composer/Arranger Oliver Nelson with All-Star Large Ensemble Album - Stolen Moments

Though he was only 43 years old when he passed away suddenly in 1975, Oliver Nelson left behind a body of work that is staggering in its breadth and depth. More than 40 years later, his influence as a composer and arranger is still felt, though Nelson's name isn't mentioned as often as his innovations might merit. Bandleader/composer John Vanore is determined to change that with Stolen Moments: Celebrating Oliver Nelson, the first large ensemble recording of Nelson's music in decades.

Named for Nelson's best known composition, Stolen Moments (due out August 18, 2017 via Acoustical Concepts) revisits nine pieces that were either composed or arranged by Nelson over the course of his prolific career. Not even the most iconic jazz artists can boast such a wide-ranging resume: Nelson is revered for his work with jazz greats like Thelonious Monk, Count Basie, Clary Terry, and Jimmy Smith; his own classic albums, The Blues and the Abstract Truth (1961) and Afro/American Sketches (1962); as well as soundtrack work for TV (The Six Million Dollar Man, Columbo) and movies (Alfie, Last Tango in Paris). "Oliver Nelson must be revered as one of the major jazz composers," Vanore insists. ""My charge was to reimagine and arrange for a unique ensemble in the spirit of Oliver, and invigorate the repertoire."

For Vanore, this mission - and the resulting album - is deeply personal. Nelson played a pivotal role in determining the bandleader's path in life. Though he'd played the trumpet since the second grade, Vanore was convinced that working-class guys from Delaware County, PA, couldn't become successful musicians. "That was like saying you want to be a Hollywood actor," Vanore laughs. But then he encountered Nelson's music first-hand one summer via the National Stage Band Camp at Indiana University in Bloomington, with Nelson himself conducting the band.

"I'd never heard anything like that," Vanore recalls, obviously still dazzled almost 50 years later. "It was just unbelievable. It was that kind of moment where you're just taken by everything about it. His writing was never bombastic big band writing; there was so much more content, and that touched all my buttons as an analytical thinker. That was the turning point for me."

As of that moment, Vanore was no longer an engineering student with a future in the sciences; he was a musician destined to arrange thoughtful, inventive large ensemble music. When he founded his own band in the early '80s, he named it Abstract Truth after Nelson's best-loved album. Vanore never strove to sound like his idol, though, which would have run counter to the spirit of Nelson's ground-breaking and constantly evolving life's work. "His main influence was have your own identity and be original," Vanore says.

Through the decades Vanore has rigorously adhered to that message, following his own path in music and performing his own compositions almost exclusively. His Philadelphia-based band Abstract Truth has a unique make-up, with French horn and just two saxophones in place of the usual woodwind arsenal, a line-up replicated with the all-star ensemble he's assembled for Stolen Moments (adding a second French horn): saxophonists Steve Wilson and Bob Malach; trumpet players Tony Kadleck, Augie Haas, Jon Owens and Dave Ballou; Adam Unsworth and George Barnett on French horns; trombonists Ryan Keberle and Dave Taylor; and the rhythm section of pianist Jim Ridl, bassist Mike Richmond, drummer Danny Gottlieb, guitarist Greg Kettinger, and percussionist Beth Gottlieb. Vanore left the podium to take a heartfelt trumpet solo on the title track. This solo is, in many ways, the culmination of Vanore's musical journey, a thanks to the man who inspired it all.

Though the album is dedicated to Nelson, it also maintains that insistence on originality and identity.  Necessary ingredients were instilled in Vanore through study with the great Philadelphia teacher Dennis Sandole, whose most noted student was John Coltrane. Instead of replicating Nelson's charts, Vanore reorchestrated the music in his own voice, taking an approach similar to the one that Gil Evans famously applied to Miles Davis' Sketches of Spain and Porgy and Bess. "I would never take Oliver Nelson's arrangements and record them," Vanore says. "This isn't a ghost band. I kept the identity and essence of Oliver's music but made them my own. I'm trying to tell his story with my words."

The repertoire Vanore chose ranges from throughout Nelson's career. "Repertoire was key," he explains. "I wanted to create an impactful collection of material that would demonstrate Oliver's various points of view." The album opens with the cool swing and powerful explosiveness of "Self-Help is Needed" from Nelson's 1969 album Black, Brown and Beautiful, which offered Vanore, a life-changing introduction to Nelson's compositional abilities. The same album is also the source for "I Hope in Time a Change Will Come," on which Steve Wilson's performance evokes a timeless cultural cry. The much-recorded '60s pop standard "A Taste of Honey" is followed by the immortal title track; the rare treasure "El Gato" was written in homage to Argentinean saxophonist Gato Barbieri. Taken by Vanore's band at a poignantly eloquent slow pace, W.C. Handy's classic "St. Louis Blues" was an obvious choice for St. Louis native Nelson, while the title cut from Blues and the Abstract Truth is a prime example of Nelson's ahead-of-its-time modernism. Vanore masses the horns to lead into the timeless folk song "Greensleeves," which Nelson recorded on 1968's The Sound of Feeling. Finally, "Reuben's Rondo" - the song that changed Vanore's life those many years ago - closes out the album with jaunty, muscular swing.

For Vanore, the title Stolen Moments has a dual meaning. On the surface, of course, it tips its hat to the jaw-droppingly beautiful, achingly expressive tune that will forever be Oliver Nelson's most lasting legacy. But it also carries the bittersweet acknowledgement of the legendary composer's life, cut far too short.

"This year would have been his 85th birthday," Vanore says. "A lot of great jazz artists are still active at 85. When you consider the book he wrote, you have to wonder what his output could have been if he had lived."

www.johnvanore.net

Israeli-born, New York-based Saxophonist Uri Gurvich Proudly Announces the Release of His 3rd album, KINSHIP

Uri Gurvich's new album,  Kinship (available September 8 on the Jazz Family label), presents original work influenced by Gurvich's multicultural heritage as the son of Argentinian immigrants in Israel, and by his global quartet featuring musicians from around the world. A celebration of many traditions, Kinship deals with tribal and familial connections between different cultures and individuals, representing "kinship" in various forms.

The quartet, which has been performing together for the past decade, features some of the most prominent voices on the international jazz scene: Argentinian pianist Leo Genovese, known for his work with Esperanza Spalding; Bulgarian bassist Peter Slavov, a member of Joe Lovano's Us Five; and the Cuban drummer Francisco Mela, who holds the much-coveted drum chair in the McCoy Tyner's trio.

On the song "El Chubut," Gurvich invited Bernardo Palombo, an Argentinian folklore master and torchbearer of Latin culture and arts in New York City since the 70's, who has worked with Mercedes Sosa, Phillip Glass and Pete Seeger, among others, to sing and write lyrics to Gurvich's theme.

This album finds the quartet recording at its peak after performing at venues such as the Village Vanguard, Town Hall and numerous festivals in the U.S. and abroad, sharing their message of global unity.

The music on the albumdeals with the different meanings of "kinship", whether celebrating family and folkloric traditions ("Song for Kate", "Im Tirzti", "Kinship", "Ha'im Ha'im") or reflecting on various aspects of kin relations ("El Chubut"). In addition, the music deals with differences, divisions or uniqueness in society due to belonging to a certain group or tribe ("Dance of the Nanigos", "Twelve Tribes", "Go Down Moses", "Blue Nomad").

Song for Kate- the album opener, and a song that Gurvich wrote for his wife celebrating marriage and the bond between two people.

Dance of the Ñañigos- A song dedicated to Cuban culture influenced also by Gurvich's drummer, Francisco Mela. The ñañigos are members of the secret Afro-Cuban Abakuá society. Ñañigos was also a word used to describe the street dancers of the society. The Abakuá was a secret and hermetic society for 160 years till some of their secrets were revealed in the 19th century.

El Chubut - "I wrote this composition for my grandmothers who were born in Argentina and immigrated to Israel in the 70's. Chubut is a desert province in southern Argentina," said Gurvich. Chubut was also the home to one of the most famous prisons for political prisoners during the dictatorship (late 70's-mid 80's). The poem, 'Vamos Andando' (meaning - "we keep going") starting the song is written by one of the prisoners and was found in a notebook that was smuggled out by a visitor. Additional lyrics were written and sung by special guest Bernardo Palumbo.

Twelve Tribes- is a Middle Eastern and Balkan influenced composition inspired by Gurvich's bassist, Peter Slavov. Humans have come together to form tribes since the ancient past, celebrating common lineage, traditions, language, way of life, etc. The name comes from the twelve tribes of Israel.

Im Tirtzi- a love song by one's of Israel most important folk composers, Sasha Argov. (Translation - 'if you would like an orange', or 'can I offer you an orange?'). "Im Tirtzi" is a well-known song in Israel, especially popular during the 70's-80's. "For me, it is an optimistic song I grew up hearing on the radio and TV and celebrates bonding with family," commented Gurvich.

Go Down Moses- "a song celebrating multiple traditions," said Gurvich. "First off as an African-American spiritual describing the struggle from slavery to freedom, and also for me it's a song sung during Passover telling the story of the Israelites in the land of Egypt, from slavery to freedom. I found common ground in these two histories, dealing with oppression and division based on race and religion. Of course this story is very relevant in today's society as well."

Kinship- the title track of the album explores a play on major and minor keys, dealing with both ends of the emotional spectrum associated with kin relationships - happy/sad, bright/dark, positive/negative, etc. - but ultimately prioritizing the warmth and calmness one feels once they're part of a family, tribe, etc.

Blue Nomad- the melody is influenced by Middle Eastern modes while the groove is influenced by Latin rhythms. Gurvich explains, "I was trying to connect these cultures that are both central to my own identity. In addition, the form is based on the Blues, so ultimately I was trying to create an affinity between these three different worlds."

Hermetos- influenced by the music of Brazil's Hermeto Pascoal, who among other great national composers captures the sound of their culture/region (similar to Sasha Argov). "I think that these composers are able to beautifully transmit the connections between music and their local culture/heritage in their compositions," said Gurvich.

Ha'im Ha'im- another song by Sasha Argov. This is a classic song of the 'old Israel'. Gurvich elaborated, "I tried to give it a twist influenced by the John Coltrane composition, 'Spiritual'. I find some of Argov's music to have the same folk, blues and gospel sensibilities of the music that Coltrane was influenced by during the early 60's."

NYC CD Release Celebration: August 25 & 26 @ The Stone

Uri Gurvich Quartet

Feat. Luis Perdomo, Peter Slavov, Johnathan Blake

& special guest Bernardo Palombo

55 W 13th St. New York, NY 10011

Uri Gurvich's Other Upcoming Tour Dates:

September 11, 2017 @ B-Flat, Berlin

Uri Gurvich Quartet

September 14th, 2017 @ Jaffa Jazz Festival, Jaffa, Israel

with Billy Cobham Ensemble

October 21st, 2017 @ Puffin Cultural Forum, Teaneck, NJ

Uri Gurvich Quartet

October 25th - November 5th, 2017 - European Tour

With Kenneth Dhal Knudsen's Téte

Oct. 25th - Zmiana Klimatu, Bialystok, Poland

Oct. 26th - 12on14, Warsaw, Poland

Oct. 27th - B-flat, Berlin, Germany

Oct. 28th - Jazztochowa, Czestochowa, Poland

Oct. 30th - Drewsens, Silkeborg, Denmark

Oct. 31st - Utzon Center, Aalborg, Denmark

Nov. 1st - Master class, Koge, Denmark

Nov. 2nd - Jazzhus Montmartre, Copenhagen, Denmark

Nov. 3rd - Pashkevich Jazzclub, Riga, Latvia

Nov. 4th - The Jazz Cellar, Vilnius, Latvia

Nov. 5th - Recording - Republica, Lubzka, Poland

 

November 7th, 2017 @ Sunset/Sunside, Paris, France

Uri Gurvich Quartet - Parisian CD release celebration!

January 9th - 14th, 2018 @ The Stone

Uri Gurvich's Residency at The Stone, feat. various bands

www.UriGurvich.com

Bassist OR BAREKET Connects With His Roots On His Debut Recording - OB1

Born in Jerusalem and raised in Buenos-Aires and Tel-Aviv, bassist, composer and bandleader, and first-call sideman for the likes of Ari Hoenig, Jean-Michel Pilc, Leon Parker, Aaron Goldberg, Sam Yahel, Yotam Silberstein, Camila Meza, Dida Pelled, Nitai Hershkovits, Cyrille Aimee and many others, Or Bareket has established himself as one of the most versatile and sought-after bassists on the NYC scene. Winner of the 1st prize at the International Society of Bassists' jazz competition in 2011, Bareket's multiculturalism informs his unmistakable sound.

Bareket's approach to improvisation and composition, magnificently displayed on his debut album, OB1, is informed by Mediterranean, South American and North African folklores, all interpreted through his deep knowledge and appreciation of the American Jazz tradition. However these traditions took time to connect and conspire. Bareket found a missing part of his musical DNA in 2014, when he embarked on his first trip back to Buenos Aires as an adult, to perform at The Buenos Aires Jazz Festival. Bareket explains, "for me, that experience of being in Buenos Aires affirmed and brought to light the source of a lot of my musical choices - rhythmically, melodically and texturally - aesthetics that I felt attracted to but didn't know their origin, so I just chalked them up as being idiosyncratic. Being in Buenos Aires caused me to realized where they had come from and it was a very strong affirmation of my musical instincts and intuition. This opened up a process through which I could just write - for the first time in my life I could just let the music come out and just let it be what it is. Amazingly, after I had a body of work ready to go, the band pretty much presented itself." The result is the compelling music on his debut recording, OB1.

The process of writing OB1 started with the realization for Bareket that as an artist you can create your own folklore, tell your own story, with whatever life puts at your disposal. After years of playing as a sideman with many of his musical heroes and mentors, he felt that it was time to start developing his own musical world, where he feels perfectly at home, and all of his intuitiveness as a bassist are in alignment with the way the music is written. 

Bareket elaborates, "throughout 2014-2015 I started collecting musical ideas from different parts of my life- daydreams, emotions too subtle or ambiguous for words, folkloric rhythms and forms from my grandparents' homelands of Morocco, Iraq, Israel and Argentina. I let those ideas grow into songs and gradually started playing them with my friends and peers. I finally decided to record this music when I found the right band for it - Shahar Elnatan-guitar, Gadi Lehavi-piano and Ziv Ravitz-drums/mixing & mastering, had the perfect sensibility for my compositions-they are all deeply intuitive and soulful musicians. Beyond their ability to resonate with the way I hear rhythm and harmony and bring my ideas to life, they also added new colors and dimensions to the music-ones I couldn't have imagined when I wrote it. The same goes for the special guests on the recording, Keita Ogawa-percussion and Victor Gonçalves-accordion."

Music has always been a physical, primal experience for Bareket, more than an intellectual or even an emotional one. Growing up between different places, and with a mixed cultural heritage, the bassist/composer has become comfortable moving, adapting to new situations and flowing with the changes life brings. "I have never really felt completely at home anywhere, never had a distinct sense of what my own roots are. The only place where I always felt a complete sense of belonging was while being immersed in music, or more specifically, in rhythm. First as a child listening and later as a musician performing. That moment of being fully present, connected, vibrant and still at the same time, is where I feel most at home. The music on this album, OB1, comes from this place, and was written with the intention of sharing it with the performers and listeners," Or Bareket.

Bareket started playing the electric bass at age 16 after hearing Jaco Pastorius. At 18 he took up the double bass and began studying with Teddy Kling (principal bass at the Israeli philharmonic), and later with Professor Michael Klinghoffer (former assistant to maestro Gary Karr). Simultaneously Bareket began working extensively on the Israel jazz scene and studying with bassist Avishai Cohen, among others. Bareket was the winner of the 1st prize at the International Society of Bassists' jazz competition in 2011

Since moving to New York, Bareket has performed, recorded, and toured with a wide array of artists all over the world. Notable names include Ari Hoenig, Jean-Michel Pilc, Leon Parker, Aaron Goldberg, Sam Yahel, Yotam Silberstein, Camila Meza, Dida Pelled, Nitai Hershkovits and Cyrille Aimee. He has also worked with Gilad Hekselman, Peter Bernstein, Hamilton De Holanda, Banda Magda, Eli Degibri, Chris Potter, Mike Moreno, Billy Hart, Victor Lewis, Don Friedman, Elliot Zigmund and others.

Or is a multiple-time recipient of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation scholarship for outstanding performers and the Eubie Blake Fellowship. He has participated in Betty Carter's "Jazz Ahead" at the Kennedy center, The Steans Institute Ravinia Workshop, and the Banff Workshop for Jazz and Creative Music.

This album is dedicated to my father, Ofer Bareket (1954-2016) - thank you for raising me to be the man and the musician I am, and for teaching me that only a broken heart can be an open heart - Or Bareket, New York City, 2017

  

OB1 is Bareket's Debut Recording & Features Shahar Elnatan-guitar, Gadi Lehavi-piano, Or Bareket-bass, Ziv Ravitz-drums/mixing & mastering, with Special Guests Vitor Gonçalves-accordion & Keita Ogawa-percussion. Available October 6, 2017 on Fresh Sound

Pre-Release Celebration: Or Bareket Quartet

 August 2 @ Smalls - 10:30 PM-1 AM

Feat. Nita Hershkovits (piano), Shahar Elnatan (guitar), Jeremy Dutton (drums)

183 W 10th St. NYC, click on www.Smallslive.com for more info

Other Upcoming Tour Dates:

August 3-7: Or Bareket Residency at Black Cat, San Francisco, CA

August 10: w/LeBoeuf Brothers @ Twins Jazz, Washington, D.C.

August 12-14: w/Le Boeuf Brothers + Strings Res. @ Garth Newel Music Center

Hot Springs, VA

www.orbareket.com