Saturday, October 15, 2011
DEODATO - ORIGINAL ALBUM CLASSICS (PRELUDE/DEODATO 2/IN CONCERT)
Three classic Deodato albums in nice 3=CD set! Prelude was a million-seller, but also a record that no home should be without – and easily one of THE greatest keyboard albums of the 70s! The album's the one that features Deodato's remake of "Also Sprach Zarathustra" into the funky "2001" – soaring with Fender Rhodes lines that set a new standard for the instrument, with a funky undercurrent that few would have expected for the tune. Other tracks are nice too – and include a great bossa-y version of "Baubles Bangles & Beads", plus "Spirit Of Summer", "September 13", and "Carly & Carole". Deodato 2 delivers funky keyboards galore – and one of the greatest records ever from the legendary Brazilian jazz talent! It's built on long-flowing tunes that rise and fall with a wonderful sense of rhythm – a sublime electric piano groove that's quite different than anything Deodato recorded before – and possibly never realized this perfectly again after his CTI years. Other players include Stanley Clarke on bass, Billy Cobham on drums, and Hubert Laws on flute – and titles include the massive Latin funk track "Super Strut", plus the tunes "Pavane For A Dead Princess", "Skyscrapers", and a great version of "Nights In White Satin". Plus, this CD features 3 bonus tracks – "Venus", "Do It Again", and "Latin Flute"! Also included is the excellent live set – with percussion by Airto, guitar by John Tropea, and vocals by Flora Purim – and all tracks are long and complicated. The funkiest number is "Tropea", which has a nice long 8 minute groove – and the set also features a cover of Steely Dan's "Do It Again", plus the tracks "Parana" and "Branches". (CDs come in mini LP-style sleeves.) Source: Dusty Groove.
Friday, October 14, 2011
RENE MARIE - BLACK FREUDIAN SLIP
It is hard to believe that Marie didn’t sing professionally until after she turned 40. But in fact, the Virginia native, married at 18, mother of two by 23 and a member of a strict religious group with her then husband only occasionally sang in public while she was focused on raising a family. It was in 1996 that Marie’s eldest son Michael urged her to take the plunge to pursue a career. “He told me that was exactly what I needed to do” she explains. Two years later following an ultimatum by her husband to either stop singing or leave their home, she chose to leave after 23 years of marriage.
Unmistakably honest and unpretentious while transforming audiences worldwide Rene Marie has drawn a legion of fans and music critics who find themselves not only entertained, but encouraged by her performances. The Washington Post says "best jazz concert ...deeply soulful voice and unique repertoire", "Exquisite" adds the Miami Herald, and "in the very top level of performers" says LA Times. Marie has received several awards including Best International Jazz Vocal CD by the Academie Du Jazz (Paris, France) and has graced the Billboard Charts multiple times propelling her to headliner status at major festivals in the US & abroad including the prestigious Women In Jazz Festival at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC, the Edinburgh Jazz Festival (Scotland), Shanghai Jazz Festival (China) among many others. Black Lace Freudian Slip will be Marie's second release on Motema Music this year. Her earlier album Voice of My Beautiful Country an ambitious celebration of Americana gained national attention this summer -hitting #10 on the Billboard Jazz Chart.
Blacl Lace Freudian Slip Track List:
1. Black Lace Freudian Slip
2. This For Joe
3. Wishes
4. Thanks, But I Don't Dance
5. Free For Day
6. Ahn's Dream
7. Gosh, Look At The Time
8. Rim Shot
9. Fallin' Off A Log
10. Deep In The Mountains
11. Serenity Prayer
12. Rufast Daliarg
13. Tired
DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER - MIDNIGHT SUN
Midnight Sun is a collection of love songs from throughout Grammy and Tony Award-winning artist Dee Dee Bridgewater’s critically acclaimed career. A love letter of sorts, Midnight Sun, produced by Tulani Bridgewater-Kowalski, is the ultimate mixed tape, traversing landscapes of melodically mournful tales of love lost, heartrending ballads about forever afters and sultry promises of bliss. Midnight Sun is the fourth release on Bridgewater’s own label, DDB Records.
Ever the fearless voyager, explorer, pioneer and keeper of tradition, the three-time Grammy-winner (who just won a 2011 Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album for Eleanora Fagan (1915-1959): To Billie With Love From Dee Dee) with producer/manager Tulani Bridgwater-Kowalski (daughter) selected and oversaw re-mastering (by Doug Sax and Sangwook “Sunny” Nam of The Mastering Lab, Ojai) of the eleven tracks on Midnight Sun, which were culled from her Grammy-winning and nominated CDs Dear Ella, Keeping Tradition, This Is New, J’ai Deux Amours, Love & Peace: A Tribute To Horace Silver and Eleanora Fagan. Including such classics as Kurt Weill’s “Speak Low,” Sammy Cahn’s “I'm A Fool To Want You/I Fall In Love Too Easily,” Johnny Mercer’s “Midnight Sun,” Alan Jay Lerner’s “Here I’ll Stay,” Charles Trenet’s “Que Reste-t-Il?” and Billie Holiday’s “Good Morning Heartache" and interpreting them as only she can, Bridgewater has created a song cycle that traces the arc of a love affair in all its natural stages. Also included on the CD is “L’Hymne à l’Amour,” a track previously released exclusively as a bonus track in Japan.
“For years my fans and family have been asking me to compile a CD of my favorite love songs,” says Bridgewater, “and Midnight Sun is my ode to them. Love in all its glory – for better or for worse – as expressed by some of the most amazing songwriters of our time. Come take a soothing walk down memory lane and revisit romantic moments of my musical past, a past brought to the present through this elegant compilation, presented to you in the name of love by my daughter and manager, Tulani Bridgewater-Kowalski. Relax and bathe yourself in the music of the Midnight Sun.”
Over the course of a multifaceted career that has spanned forty years, Grammy and Tony Award-winning Jazz diva Dee Dee Bridgewater has risen to the top tier of today’s vocalists, putting her own unique spin on standards, as well as taking intrepid leaps of faith in re-envisioning jazz classics. Bridgewater’s career has always bridged musical genres. She earned her first professional experience as a member of the legendary Thad Jones/Mel Louis Big Band, and throughout the 70’s she performed with such jazz notables as Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon and Dizzy Gillespie. After a foray into the pop world during the 1980’s, she relocated to Paris and began to turn her attention back to Jazz. Signing with the Universal Music Group as a producer (Bridgewater produces all of her CDs), Bridgewater released a series of acclaimed titles beginning with Keeping Tradition in 1993. All but one of them, including her wildly successful double Grammy Award-winning tribute to Ella Fitzgerald, Dear Ella - have received Grammy nominations.
Bridgewater has also pursued a parallel career in musical theater and won a Tony Award for her role as “Glinda, the good witch of the South” in The Wiz in 1975. Her other theatrical credits include Sophisticated Ladies, Black Ballad, Carmen and Lady Day, a Billie Holiday tribute for which Bridgewater received the British Laurence Olivier Nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. She also became the first African-American actress to play the role of Sally Bowles in Cabaret, a production staged at the Mogador Theatre in Paris.
THE CURTIS BROTHERS - COMPLETION OF PROOF
Brothers Luques (bass) and Zaccai (piano) Curtis follow in the rich family tradition of jazz. The music has often been the beneficiary of sibling bonds. Look no further than the Adderley brothers (Cannonball & Nat), the Heath Brothers (Percy, Jimmy, and Albert (Tootie), the Brecker Brothers, or more recently the Roney brothers (Wallace & Antoine), the Parrott sisters (Nicki and Lisa), and the Jensen sisters (Christine & Ingrid). Jazz music has frequently been the family tie that binds. And as with the Curtis Brothers those are also siblings that recorded and performed together. Based on the brilliance of Completion of Proof, clearly Luques and Zaccai Curtis have joined that auspicious tradition. Significant clues to the Curtis Brothers desire for self-determination can be found in not only the declarative title of this date - Completion of Proof, but also in the bold moniker they've chosen for their record label, Truth Revolution. There is an obvious sense of the Curtis Brothers on a quest for artistic truth, and in the case of their label they're just as obviously seeking freewill in the business side of their recorded life as well. In this time of artists eschewing the tired, old pie-in-the-sky sense of waiting for a mythical record "deal," Luques and Zaccai have clearly set out on a path of autonomy on the recorded side of their respective and collective careers.For Completion of Proof, the Curtis Brothers have enlisted a powerhouse crew of musicians - many of whom serve as mentors to the Curtis Brothers - including drummer Ralph Peterson, Jr., Brian Lynch on trumpet, and their Artist Collective mentor, Jimmy Greene on saxophones. The date also includes alto saxophonist, "Big Chief" Donald Harrison. It was Harrison who gave the Brothers their first touring band experience. "He really showed us how to act, play, and what not to do on the road," says Zaccai. The underrated fire-breathing saxophonist Joe Ford "has always been an influence from a very early age." The brothers play in Lynch's band and alongside Ford with Jerry González Fort Apache Band as occasional subs for Andy González and Larry Willis. Percussionists Rogerio Boccato, Pedro Martinez, and Reinaldo De Jesus help bring further folkloric Pan African flavor to the date. In developing this venture the brothers had this group of mentors in mind. "We wrote all the music to fit this band," says Zaccai. "We thought of the sound of each band member and tried to feature each one in the music. We set a date and nailed the music at the studio; no rehearsals and all within 1 or 2 takes! These guys are really the best jazz musicians alive, and we are honored to be blessed with their presence on this recording."
Throughout this recording there is a strong drum feel, which is echoed in Russ Musto's authoritative liner notes suggesting an Art Blakey Jazz Messengers atmosphere. Zaccai confirms this impression."The music revolves around the drummer. We designed the music specifically for Ralph Peterson to play drums. Ralph has such an extensive grasp of the complete jazz language and, like Art Blakey and Tony Williams, always pushes the rest of the band to push themselves. I added the other drums (bata, Afro-Brazilian percussion, and Barrilles) because I knew that Ralph also has extensive knowledge of Latin music." The original music of Completion of Proof speaks in clear, unified tones; each track is carefully plotted out thematically, and delivered with the kind of high artistry one would expect from this impressive cast of musicians. A brave man who literally took on the Chinese army alone inspired the brisk opener "Protestor". The clarion call urgency of the horn-rich theme statement is bold and declarative. They follow that with a song for their niece "Madison"; if you listen carefully at the end of each 'A' section the horns speak Madison's name! All eight tracks bear a sense of fresh originality in their conception. "The Wrath," "Mass Manipulation," and "Manifest Destiny" comprise a Manifest Destiny suite. These are carefully programmed and plotted selections that continue to bear fruit and further reveal themselves with each listen.
The brothers have recorded with a notable discography of cohorts, including Gary Burton, Orrin Evans, Donald Harrison, Sean Jones, Brian Lynch & Eddie Palmieri, and John Santos among others. They dubbed their 2010 debut brother act Blood - Spirit - Land - Water - Freedom (Truth Revolution). Completion of Proof is another title whose definition is omni-directional. Quizzed on how the title Completion of Proof compliments the sumptuous music they serve up, Zaccai informed: "The title has a lot to do with how this project turned out. We had our hypothesis, completed the experiment which was a success in many ways... Q.E.D. or Completion of Proof." The disc crackles with a vigor rooted squarely in the hard bop tradition, though most assuredly with diverse 21st century generational twists and turns. The Curtis Brothers artistic journey began in Hartford, Connecticut. There NEA Jazz Master Jackie McLean and wife Dollie's exceptional urban cultural development center the Artists Collective nurtured the brothers' early musical impulses, "then David Santoro at the Hartford Academy of the Arts," says Zaccai. Eventually both brothers continued their studies in Boston, Zaccai at the New England Conservatory, and Luques at Berklee College of Music.
Asked how their background and upbringing influenced the sundry aspects of Completion of Proof, Zaccai referred to the date as "American Classical Music in every way. Jazz is an interesting study to me. It is a science in all respects, but "soul" is the base. We named the CD Completion of Proof or in Latin Q.E.D. - quod erat demonstrandum - because this is how scientists indicated that they have proved their theory correct." For the Curtis Brothers, Completion of Proof is an affirmation of the basic root sources of jazz. Their music is rife with the blues, swing rhythms in recognition of the Africa-Caribbean-New Orleans lineage, and the basic core elements that make the music such a spicy, hard bop melting pot. In many ways the music on Completion of Proof is for the Curtis Brothers a refutation of what they view from some of their peers as a denial or dismissal of those root sources. "Fast forward to today's modern jazz and you are lucky to hear just one of those elements come from a performance or recording. Blues harmonies seem to be replaced with simplified classical harmonies. Drums and rhythms have been mixed down in the modern recording so you can barely hear them! Swing has been ripped from the music. In most cases there are no elements of the jazz language... never mind bebop!
"This CD is a response to this modern, swing-less, no-language - 'jazz' - that the labels are pushing, just like the Hard Bop response to Cool Jazz in the 50s and 60s," declares Zaccai. The brothers view Completion of Proof as more of a different facet of their approach than an advance on their evolutionary scale. For them this release represents how they grew up under the influence of music ranging from salsa and jazz, to classical and funk. Completion of Proof bears a strong Latin signature, though according to Zaccai not quite as vivid as expressed on Blood - Spirit - Land - Water - Freedom. "That music was a Latin Jazz project, but defined for a smaller band," the pianist suggests. Completion of Proof is a free spirited project. "The music was meant for us to go where we want with it. It's great to play with the masters on this recording and to see how they bring it to life! We hope each CD gets better as we grow older and study more. We are patient though, we know you can't fake experience."
The Curtis Brothers • Completion of Proof
Truth Revolution Records • Release Date: October 25, 2011
Thursday, October 13, 2011
ERIC ROBERTS – MY BRAZILIAN HEART
Guitarist Eric Roberts' latest EP, My Brazilian Heart, contains six of his Smooth Jazz and Brazilian compositions that were written around the same time as his previous CD, In A Silent Place but he never got around to recording them to his satisfaction. Looks like the delay was well worth the wait as this release is definitely a killer EP of both mellow and cookin’ jazz licks played by Roberts and his guest artists. He was initially attracted to Brazilian music upon hearing the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim and the song "Samba Do Avio", arranged by his guitar instructor, Jack Greenhouse, at the New York State Music Camp. What a revelation that was and from that moment on, he was hooked on nylon string guitar. The CD was recorded at "Studio Unicorn", owned by Paul Avgerinos, Grammy nominated bassist, guitarist, and composer who has performed with Buddy Rich, Charles Aznavour, Liza Minelli, Jean Pierre-Rampal, Isaac Stern, Jewel, Willie Nelson and countless others. Bill Harris, on woodwinds, has performed with Chaka Khan, Steve Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Jose Feliciano, the Brecker Brothers and many more. Nick Bariluk, on keyboards, has performed with Jon Lucien, Brian Keane, Michael Urbaniak and others. Barbara Merjan, on drums/percussion, has performed with James Taylor, Harry Belafonte, Carol King and more. Incidentally, both Bill Harris and Barbara Merjan were his classmates at Ithaca College School of Music, and this recording was the first time they had played together in more than 30 years. http://www.ericroberts.org/
RICK BRITTO – FOR YOUR LOVE
Rick Britto is not a new comer on the jazz scene. He is an established multi-faceted instrumentalist, recording artist, educator, producer, publisher, ajudicator, clinician, web designer who is an innovative composer that created an intellecutual form of music that is designed in a fashion for the avant garde audience. Rick's latest recording projects For Your Love with featured vocalist Joani Taylor and Conversations with Erik & I with Erik Van Dam, released on the TrineArc Music label in 2011 are being featured this week on The Jazz Network Worldwide social network. "It's hard to keep up with Rick, he's so talented in so many facets that his mind is constantly creating. He has his hand on the pulse, not only with his impeccable teaching abilities but has the wherewithall to produce it, perform it and execute it all with a confidence that opens your ears to new musical horizons" says Jaijai Jackson, creator of The Jazz Network Worldwide.It is, without a doubt, one of the most original jazz releases of the year. Conversations with Erik & I is a unique experiment, two saxophonists engrossed in discussion, one that is told through the sounds of the instruments. The gentlemen in question are Rick Britto on tenor sax with Erik Van Dam on tenor/alto sax. Together they argue through the outré sonic landscapes created by their playing or sometimes even chill with a laid-back groove. The results are provocative and never predictable, high-I.Q., edgy jazz at its finest. ~ All About Jazz.
Rick has performed with artists from jazz to R&B and Popular music including being double billed with such jazz notables as Ray Brown, Monty Alexander, Rosemary Clooney, Dave McKenna, The Artie Shaw Band, The Buddy Rich Band, and Count Basie's Orchestra to the The Drifters and The Tuneweavers to Tavares and Queen Latifa. As a well known jazz educator from the New England area and graduate of Berklee College of Music, Rick found a home as a faculty member at both the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and Wheaton College instructing private lessons for saxophone and jazz piano, directing music ensembles and teaching Jazz Theory and African-American Music History.
He's enjoyed working with artists as Karl Berger, Santi Debriano, Harold Jones, Freddie Redd, Kate McGarry, One O'clock Jump, Royal Hartigan, Wes Brown, Armsted Christian, Jim Robitaille, Semenya McCord, Marcelle Gauvin, John Harrison, Chris Poudrier, Bruce Gertz, Dave Zinno, Herb King, Kenny Wensel, Lou Columbo, Frank Wilkins, Alon Yavnai through his current performance schedules. Britto truly believes in younger students by assisting band directors for both New Bedford and Old Rochester Regional High School Bands. He has also adjudicated many concerts, clinics and competitions in school districts in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.
Owning a recording studio, Saurus Studio, affords him the opportunity to produce numerous projects for radio & television as well as engineering, recording and mastering recordings for many local artists. His back to back releases Conversations with Erik & I released in June 2011 and a Contemporary Jazz CD entitled, For Your Love released in August 2011 were both recorded in his studio. Rick digitally restored and mastered old recordings for "The Music of South India" published by Prof. Matthew Allen of Wheaton College for Oxford University Press and scored music for "Jazz Consciousness Music, Race, and Humanity" by Prof. Paul Asterlitz for Wesleyan University Press.
http://www.rickbritto.com/
http://www.thejazznetworkworldwide/.
CLIFF RICHARD - SOULICOUS
Soulicious is a 15-song collection of new and old soul songs, produced by legendary Motown songwriter Lamont Dozier and also by soul legends Ashford and Simpson. The album features a number of duets between Cliff Richards and some of the greatest voices ever in soul music, including Billy Paul, Brenda Holloway, Candi Staton, Dennis Edwards and The Temptations Review, Freda Payne, Percy Sledge, Roberta Flack and Valerie Simpson. Cliff has had a life-long passion for soul music and the chance to work with such esteemed artists was a dream come true and a new challenge in his seven-decade, hugely successful career: a chance to cement his position as one of the greatest, most distinctive British singers of all-time. In support of the album, Cliff Richard is planning an eagerly awaited tour in October which will feature material from his new soul duets album Soulicious. "I'm looking forward to presenting some great artists, some of who sang with me on my CD and, just as excited at the prospect of performing a lot of my biggest hits. My fans bought them and I want to sing them!!" Cliff said.
Lamont Dozier (Why Can't We be Lovers?), Freda Payne (Band of Gold), Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr. (Aquarius, Let the Sunshine In) and Percy Sledge (When a Man Loves A Woman) are all now confirmed as performing some their own hits and then singing their recent duets with Cliff from the Soulicious album which was released on October 10th. In addition, James Ingram (Just Once) has joined the line-up of US guests and Britain's own Jaki Graham (Could It Be I'm Falling In Love ) completes the final guest line-up - both will be performing hits of their own in addition to duetting with Cliff on a track from the Soulicious album. "I want to present a balanced show of the old favourites and this terrific group of singers helping me to perform songs I recently recorded in America". Cliff added "being on the road is going to be fun and they will be singing the songs that made them such great soul legends".
Soulicious Track Listing
1. Saving A Life - with Freda Payne
2. Go On & Tell Him - with Dennis Edwards and the Temptations Review
3. Do You Ever - with Brenda Holloway
4. Teardrops - with Candi Staton
5. When I Was Your Baby - with Roberta Flack
6. Are You Feeling Me - with Deniece Williams
7. Oh How Happy - with Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr.
8. Every Piece of My Broken Heart - with Valerie Simpson
9. How We Get Down - with Russell Thompkins, Jr. & The New Stylistics
10. This Time With You - with Candi Staton
11. Don't Say You Love Me (It'll Ruin My Day)
12. She Looked Good - with Dennis Edwards and the Temptations Review & Lamont Dozier
13. I'm Your Puppet - with Percy Sledge
14. Always and Forever - featuring Billy Paul
15. Birds of a Feather - with Peabo Bryson
Tour Dates & Venues:
October 15 – Capital FM Arena, Nottingham, UK
October 17 - MEN Arena, Manchester, UK
October 19 – Echo Arena, Liverpool, UK
October 22 – LG Arena, Birmingham, UK
October 23 – LG Arena, Birmingham, UK
October 25 – O2 Arena, London, UK
October 26 – O2 Arena, London, UK
October 28 – Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle, UK
WALTER “SPICY” BLAND & CLIMATE CHANGE – SWEET GUMBO
Climate Change is taking its place on the jazz scene with their new international release, Sweet Gumbo. “I want to explore the synthesis of different music with jazz and different art forms.” says Bland. “I want to be engaged in the arts globally and to make a difference socially. I teach piano and composition and enjoy how today’s technology offers that possibility. I love the flower garden of cultures, I have collaborated with painters, writers, dancers, and poets. I love it all. I want my music to connect the right opportunities so that I can become what I want in my heart without compromising my soul.” It is about finding the 'right synergy' . “The Jazz Network Worldwide is excited for Walter’s new project for it truly has a potpourri of flavors that capture a multi-genre layering that blends with a signature all its own” says Jaijai Jackson, creator of The Jazz Network Worldwide.
http://www.walterblandmusic.com/
http://www.thejazznetworkworldwide.com/.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
WYNTON MARSALIS – SWINGIN’ INTO THE 21st
As Pulitzer and 9-time Grammy Award®-winner Wynton Marsalis eases into his 50th birthday on October 18, 2011, he casts his memory back a dozen years to 1998-99. With the new millennium on the way, Wynton began to lay plans with Columbia Records and Sony Classical for an unprecedented release of nine major album projects that would eventually span 1999 and 2000. A timely name was given to the campaign, "Swinging into the 21st!" and the artist dedicated himself to the immense task ahead. Now in honor of Wynton's 50th birthday, those nine albums – plus his career-defining masterpiece All Rise (a double-CD, recorded in Los Angeles three days after 9/11, and released in 2002) will be packaged together in a deluxe box set as an extremely limited edition direct-to-consumer exclusive. From chamber music to studio and live dates with his septet, jazz and blues tributes, film music, scores for ballet, modern classical and orchestral works, to some bonafide swing, Wynton's musical universe opens up on Swingin’ Into The 21st. Individually, the 10 album titles are as follows:A Fiddler’s Tale (released March 1999)
Standard Time, Vol. 4: Marsalis Plays Monk (April 1999)
At The Octoroon Balls: A Fiddler’s Tale suite (June 1999)
Big Train (July 1999)
Sweet Release & Ghost Story (August 1999)
Standard Time, Vol. 6 – Mr. Jelly Lord (September 1999)
Reeltime (November 1999)
Selections From The Village Vanguard Box (March 2000);
The Marciac Suite (August 2000);
All Rise (October 2002).
"That entire year," Wynton writes of 1999 in his illuminating liner notes essay, "from January 1st to the performance of All Rise with the New York Philharmonic on December 29th, I worked every day from 5 in the morning until 1 or 2 the next morning. I was music, music, music." In conjunction with the box set, a special 14-track single-CD sampler will also be issued, with selections personally chosen by Wynton. Selections From The 21st will be available through all standard retail outlets on the same date as the box.
All the motifs that are found throughout Swinging Into The 21st are ideas that had been explored in one way or another during Wynton's first two decade period with Columbia Records and Sony Classical. Indeed, since his signing to CBS Records in 1981, and virtually single-handedly commandeering the new 'Young Lions' school of jazz neo-traditionalists, Wynton had covered enormous territory. By the time he parted with Sony Music in 2002, he had released over 40 jazz albums on Columbia and nearly 20 titles on the classical side. No major artist, hands down, has ever come close to that output.
Yet, as prolific as Wynton was – and still is – there were many projects that could not be accommodated with an album release. The "Swinging into the 21st!" campaign was a high-profile method of bringing a bounty of those projects to his public, in what turned out to be less than 18 months' time. (Hard-core fans could obtain a specially-printed d.i.y. cardboard box to house eight of the first nine titles, with their contiguous spine designs.) "Each release featured a different ensemble and style of music," Wynton goes on to write, "and a unique set of musical challenges. The one unifying factor was jazz, which is the foundation of all that I do and hope to do." Most of the works had one fact in common: they had been performed in concert at least one time before the studio recording. Standard Time, Vol. 6 – Mr. Jelly Lord, for example, the Jelly Roll Morton tribute, was a theme-time concert first presented at Jazz at Lincoln Center in 1989, long before it was recorded in 1999. At The Octoroon Balls was premiered on May 7, 1995 at Alice Tully Hall by the Orion String Quartet, prior to its 1998 recording. A brief recap of each album title follows, with more detailed track listing and personnel information at the end:
A Fiddler’s Tale: This two-part suite is based on 20th century classical composer Igor Stravinsky's L'Histoire du Soldat, which Wynton confesses, "I have loved since first hearing it as a 15 year old." Where Stravinsky's soldier sold his soul, Wynton re-casts the main character as a young violinist who sells her soul (to a record company!). Wynton's story line is scripted by the eminent Stanley Crouch, and narrated by the multi-talented Andre De Shields. To create the same small ensemble as Stravinsky, Wynton employs members of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (which included Edgar Meyer and Stefon Harris back in 1998, when this was recorded). Says Wynton: "This composition demonstrates the kinship between Stravinsky's harmonic and rhythmic language and the language of modern jazz with a New Orleans accent."
Standard Time, Vol. 4: Marsalis Plays Monk: The fourth entry in Wynton's popular Standard Time series is a straight-ahead tribute to jazz pianist-composer Thelonious Monk. It was recorded in sessions with Wynton's [now all-star] septet lineups of 1993-94 (see below), with whom he had toured "all over the world." To his credit, he does not cover 'Monk's greatest hits,' but instead delves deeper into his repertoire. "A good example," Wynton notes, "is 'Evidence,' which uses the syncopation of broken silences to feature the always inventive [drummer] Herlin Riley."
At The Octoroon Balls – A Fiddler’s Tale Suite: As described, Wynton's first composition for string quartet, At The Octoroon Balls, recorded in 1998 by the "fabulous" Orion String Quartet, "explores the American Creole contradictions and compromises – cultural, social, and political – exemplified by life in New Orleans." The liner notes essay by Leon Wieseltier (literary editor of the New Republic) elaborates: "The balls that give their name to these stringent, voluptuous movements were institutions of old New Orleans, at which Creole men chose Octoroon women for their mistresses – vivacious rituals of mixture, in which the terribilities of race collided jubilantly with the terribilities of sex." At The Octoroon Balls shares this CD with the instrumental (no narrations) version of A Fiddler's Tale, recorded at the same sessions as the full-length version above.
Big Train: It's no secret that Wynton hates flying, and would rather hop a train like all the great bandleaders used to – Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and the big Trane, John Coltrane, that is. Wynton composed and recorded this collection in 1998 for his son Jasper who was living in Los Angeles at the time, while Wynton lived in New York. As the wyntonmarsalis.org website notes, "spiritual engineers and conductors, Wynton and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra invite you to join their gang of rail riders on a journey that crisscrosses the landscape of America transported by its greatest art form, jazz."
Sweet Release & Ghost Story: Here are scores for two ballets from "totally different choreographers." Sweet Release was composed for Judith Jamison with the world famous Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and was recorded at Tarrytown (NY) Music Hall in 1996 with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, among whose members are Wynton's septet mates. It tells the story "of a man and a woman, represented by the trombone and trumpet, and the temptations that threaten their romance." Ghost Story was commissioned for Zhongmei Li's (then) newly established dance company, who wanted a more spare, minimalist work. It was recorded in 1998 at Lincoln Center's Rose Studio by a hand-picked quintet who, as Stanley Crouch's liner notes affirm, "aptly describe a protean ghost, a fore of trickery and an agent of the heartbreak that from having been duped all the way to the bottom of the bucket of the blues."
Standard Time, Vol. 6 – Mr. Jelly Lord: Similar to Standard Time, Vol. 4 (above), this is a straight-ahead tribute to the songs and wit of Jelly Roll Morton, beloved icon to the New Orleans-raised (or influenced) cats in Wynton's inner circle. The genesis was a concert Wynton played at Jazz at Lincoln Center in 1989; this album has the distinction of being the first in the box set actually recorded in 1999 (January). Wynton brought a handful of New Orleans veterans to join his quintet for the sessions – Lucien Barbarin, Michael White, Donald Vappie, and check out Harry Connick, Jr. on "Billy Goat Stomp"! The closing "Tom Cat Blues" was actually recorded on century-old equipment at New Jersey's Thomas Edison Laboratories, a National Historic Site.
Reeltime: "In essence," Wynton says, "what many writers have discovered is that when you look closely at a small town, you will see the human species at its best and brightest and darkest and lowest." The ever-observant Wynton applied his talent to the Rosewood massacre of 1923, when a primarily black Florida town was razed to the ground by white racists bent on lynching. At least six blacks were killed and their town was abandoned and forgotten until the 1980s, leading to state reparations and the 1997 film by John Singleton. Wynton's evocative score, recorded in 1996, includes bluesy vocals by Cassandra Wilson on the title track, a gospel choir fronted by Shirley Caesar, bluegrass fiddling by virtuoso violinist Mark O'Connor, a taste of Claude Williams' New Orleans fiddle, the cool jazz of Miles & Gil, and much more. The score was not used for the film, but fortunately was preserved as an important entry in Wynton's discography.
Selections From The Village Vanguard Box: The '90s proved that there was a vigorous jazz market for multi-disc anthologies devoted to one artist, especially live material. Released December 1999, Wynton's 7-CD box set Live at the Village Vanguard might have been sub-titled A Week at the Village Vanguard because of its CD sequencing. That is, Monday on CD 1, Tuesday on CD 2, and so on. In fact, it melded material recorded by three Septet lineups at sold-out gigs in the jazz club during 1990-94, so that each CD was a multi-year entity unto itself. In March 2000, this single-CD compilation captured the seven-night feel, and became the first of the year 2000 releases in the "Swinging into the 21st!" campaign.
The Marciac Suite: Wynton's Septet was an established presence at the annual summer jazz festival in the beautiful medieval town of Marciac, France, long before he decided to record this tribute. Like he showed on the Rosewood score, Wynton is expert at capturing the essences of small town life, the characters and situations, flavors and aromas that make it special. With colorful titles like "Jean-Louis Is Everywhere,' "Mademoiselle D'ascony," "Armagnac Dreams," "Marciac Moon," "D'Artagnan," "Guy Lafitte," and "B Is For Boussaget (and Bass)," you can practically inhale the fragrance of Marciac. Recorded in February, this was the second of the "Swingin'" projects to actually be recorded in 1999, after Standard Time, Vol. 6 (above); and the second of only two albums to be released by Wynton in 2000 (after Selections From The Village Vanguard Box, above).
All Rise: It's all here in Wynton's penultimate masterwork, and his swan song at Columbia Records. Echoes of Ellington, Mingus, Stravinsky, and Copland inform the piece, profoundly American in its scope, from blues and gospel to New Orleans and New York. The 2-CD, 106-minute opus spreads over 12 tracks, 12 movements that emulate the 12-bar blues. It is an extraordinary work on the scale of Wynton's Pulitzer Prize-winning oratorio of 1997, Blood On The Fields. The grandeur of All Rise is best introduced by Wynton's own massive 4,200-word annotation and Stanley Crouch's 1,100-word liner notes essay. Historically, All Rise was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic and premiered at Lincoln Center in December 1999. Almost two years later, it was set to be performed at the Hollywood Bowl on September 14, 2001, by Wynton, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic with Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting, and three choirs totaling 100 voices. The events of 9/11 turned All Rise's performance and recording that week into a national elegy.
After the performance and recording in Los Angeles, the suspension of air travel forced Wynton and his LCJO crew into a bus for a 27-hour schlep to Seattle, for their next show. "Our concert was scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m.," Wynton writes. "We entered the city limits at 7:00 p.m. Out on the stage we received an extended standing ovation from a sold-out house that had waited patiently to be, in the words on one patron, 'reminded of who we are.' The LCJO was back on the road. We heard that some acts chose to cancel their tours following September 11th. We chose, and still choose, to swing."MARLENA SHAW: FROM THE DEPTHS OF MY SOUL (EXPANDED EDITION)
Here for the first time on CD (and digitally remastered) is the second album from jazz and soul songstress Marlena Shaw, recorded for Blue Note label back in 1973. After her 1960’s tenure with Cadet Records, Shaw became the first female vocalist to be signed to Blue Note. From The Depths Of My Soul was the follow-up to her label debut Marlena. It was recorded in May of 1973 in New York City, and the album was produced by noted jazz music executive Dr. George Butler who assembled a cast of great musicians including Ron Carter (on bass), Grady Tate (drums) and guitarists Hugh McCracken and Cornell Dupree. The song selection on the album runs the gamut from R&B hits of the day such as The Main Ingredient's "Just Don't Want To Be Lonely" and "Wildflower," popularized by The O'Jays to "I Know I Love Him" (from the Andrew Lloyd-Weber/Tim Rice musical Jesus Christ Superstar) and Randy Edelman's "The Laughter And The Tears." The liner notes by Darnell Meyers-Johnson include 2011 quotes from Marlena, whose global appeal continues close to 50 years after she began performing and recording. From The Depths Of My Soul Tracklist:
1. Prelude/I Know I Love Him
2. Hum This Song
4. Easy Evil
5. The Laughter And The Tears
6. The Feeling's Good
7. Wildflower
8. Just Don't Want To Be Lonely
9. Waterfall
10. Say A Good Word
11. Time For Me To Go
SERGIO MENDES DANCE MODERNO REVISTED BY BRAZILIAN LOVE AFFAIR PROJECT
Brazilian Love Affair Project has revisted the classic Dance Moderno album from Sergio Mendes – a set that some folks claim is the first-ever bossa jazz recording, as they replay the cuts, in order, but give them a slightly contemporary twist – still keeping things in the core jazz mode of Mendes' early combo, but also using some slight rhythm arrangements, and sweet keyboards that weren't on the original set! The group is led by Stefano Colombo's Touch and Elio Baldi Cantu – and titles include "Olhou Para Mim", "Oba La La", "Love For Sale", "What Is This Thing Called Love", "Tema Sem Palavras", "Outra Vez", and "Diagonal.” Dance Moderno, recorded in 1961, was the first album by Sergio Mendes and it's a purely instrumental album. It was highly acclaimed but never released in US. The original album includes the accompaniment of great Brazilian musicians, such as: Ed Maciel (trombone), Durval Ferreira (guitar) and Bebeto (sax, flute and bass). Carlos Monteiro de Souza and Armando Pittigliani directed the set.For most of the second half of the '60s, Sergio Mendes was the top-selling Brazilian artist in the United States, charting huge hit singles and LPs that regularly made the Top Five. His records with his group, Brasil '66, regularly straddled the domestic pop and international markets in America, getting played heavily on AM radio stations, both rock and easy listening, and he gave his label, A&M, something to offer light jazz listeners beyond the work of the company's co-founder, Herb Alpert. During this period, he also became an international music star and one of the most popular musicians in South America.
His early music, represented on albums like Bossa Nova York and Girl from Ipanema, was heavily influenced by Antonio Carlos Jobim, on whose recording Mendes worked. Mendes liked what he had found on his visit to New York and in 1964, he moved to the United States, initially to play on albums with Jobim and Art Farmer, and formed Brasil '65 the following year. The group recorded for Capitol without attracting too much notice at first. In 1966, however, Mendes and his band — renamed Brasil '66 — were signed to A&M Records and something seemed to click between the group and its audience.
The group, consisting in its first A&M incarnation of Mendes on keyboards, Bob Matthews on bass, João Palma on the drums, Jose Soares as percussionist, Lani Hall (aka Mrs. Herb Alpert and A&M's co-founder) on vocals, and Janis Hansen on vocals, was successful upon the release of its first album for the label, with its mix of light jazz, a bossa nova beat, and contemporary soft pop melodies. Their self-titled debut LP rose to number six nationally, propelled by the presence of the single "Mas Que Nada." Their second album, Equinox, yielded a trio of minor hits, "Night and Day," "Constant Rain (Chove Chuva)," and "For Me," but their third, Look Around, rose to number five behind a number three single of the group's cover of the Beatles' "Fool on the Hill," and an accompanying hit with "Scarborough Fair," based on the Simon & Garfunkel version of the folk song. Crystal Illusions, from 1969, featured a version of Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" and the hit single "Pretty World." Depending upon one's sensibilities, these covers — especially "Fool on the Hill" and "Scarborough Fair" — were either legitimate, internationalized pop versions of the originals, or they were "elevator music."
During this period, Mendes also made several recordings for Atlantic Records separate from his A&M deal, principally aimed at a light jazz audience, and several of them in association with Jobim. Art Farmer, Phil Woods, Hubert Laws, and Claire Fisher were among the jazz figures who appeared on these records, which never remotely attracted the same level of interest or sales as his records with Brasil '66. Mendes successfully walked a fine line between international and domestic audiences for most of the late '60s until the end of the decade. Ye-Me-Le was notably less successful than its predecessors, and its single, "Wichita Lineman," was only a minor hit. Mendes seemed to lose his commercial edge with the turn of the decade, and his next two A&M albums: Stillness, a folk-based collection that contained covers of Joni Mitchell's "Chelsea Morning" and Stephen Stills' For What It's Worth, and Primal Roots, an album of traditional Brazilian music, failed to make any impression on the charts whatsoever.
The group moved to the much smaller Bell Records label in 1973, and then Mendes jumped to Elektra for his first official solo album, Sergio Mendes. He relaunched his recording career two years later with Sergio Mendes & Brasil '77 to little avail, and then, after a five year layoff from the public eye, Mendes returned to A&M in 1982. His 1983 comeback album, Sergio Mendes, was his first Top 40 album in nearly a decade-and-a-half, and was accompanied by his biggest chart single ever, "Never Gonna Let You Go," which hit number four. Since then, Mendes has had limited chart success with the single "Alibis" and the LP Confetti. He remained a popular figure internationally, even when his record sales slumped in America, as evidenced by the fact that his entire A&M catalog (and much of his Atlantic work) from the '60s has been reissued on CD in Japan. Indeed, his popularity in the rest of the world, versus America, was even the basis for a comic vignette in one episode of the television series Seinfeld.
During the '90s, Mendes performed with a new group, Brasil '99, and more recently, Brasil 2000, and has been integrating the sounds of Bahian hip-hop into his music. In 1997, A&M's British division released a remastered double-CD set of the best of Mendes' music from his first seven years on the label. Most of Mendes' back catalog was reissued as the 21st century dawned, and in 2006, Concord Records released Timeless, his first album of newly recorded material in eight years. A mere two years later, Encanto appeared, including co-productions from will.i.am of Black Eyed Peas. A third album on Concord, Bom Tempo, was released in 2010.
Sergio Mendes Dance Moderno Revisted By Brazilian Love Affair Project Tracks:
1. Oba-la-la 2. Love for Sale13
3. Tristeza De Nos Dois
4. What is This Thing Called Love?
5. Olhou Pare Mim
6. Satin Doll
7. Tema Sem Palavras
8. On Green Dolphin Street
9. Outra Vez
10. Nisa
11. Nica's Dream
12. Diagonal
MILES DAVIS - BLUE FLAME
Blue Flame is the first completely fan-generated Miles Davis album, is available today. This digital only collection includes 10 of his greatest recordings, all chosen by fans who also designed the album artwork and submitted testimonials to create this release. Davis’ music, in all its periods from bebop to fusion, continues to speak to legions of fans and musicians alike, so this unique initiative asked fans to select their favorite tracks from 40 selections offered on the Miles Davis Facebook page. According to the label, more than 20,000 “Likes” had already been tallied by mid-August, with some songs grabbing more than 2,500 “Likes.” In addition, fans were invited to create artwork and contribute personal testimonials as to what Davis’ music has meant to them. The release of Blue Flame coincides with the 20th anniversary of Davis’ passing on September 28, 1991 at 65 years of age. Another recent release is The Miles Davis Quintet – Live in Europe 1967: The Bootleg Series Volume 1, which is the very first title in a series of rare and previously unreleased live recordings. Bootleg Vol. 1 premieres tracks from gigs in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany and Sweden covering a wide stylistic repertoire.
Here is the final track listing, as voted by the fans:
1. 'Round Midnight
2. Bye Bye Blackbird
3. Summertime
4. So What
5. All Blues
6. My Funny Valentine
7. Miles Runs The Voodoo Down
8. Black Satin
9. Go Ahead John
10. Human Nature
RAHSAAN BARBER – EVERYDAY MAGIC
The dynamic saxophonist and flutist Rahsaan Barber has emerged as a musical force in his hometown of Nashville, and now he’s reaching for a wider audience with his terrific new CD, Everyday Magic. The CD, which Barber produced, and for which he wrote and arranged the repertoire—debuts his powerhouse band, also called Everyday Magic. Besides Barber on tenor, alto, and soprano saxophones and flute, the ensemble is comprised of four top Nashville musicians: guitarist Adam Agati, pianist Jody Nardone, bassist Jerry Navarro, and drummer Nioshi Jackson. Trombonist Roland Barber, Rahsaan’s twin brother, is a guest on two tracks, as is percussionist Giovanni Rodriguez (co-leader, with Rahsaan, of the Latin-jazz septet El Movimiento). “When I tell my New York friends there are all these fantastic jazz musicians in Nashville, they say, come on, really?” says the 31-year-old saxophonist, active in the Music City’s scene as a performer, studio musician, and educator. “I’m really hoping to help bring more attention to them.” In fact, Barber has formed a new label, Jazz Music City Records, with that goal in mind. Everyday Magic is the enterprise’s first release, with future projects planned for El Movimiento, pianist Bruce Dudley, vocalist Stephanie Adlington, and a hip-hop brass band called the Megaphones. STAN GETZ – THE COMPLETE COLUMBIA ALBUMS COLLECTION
It was not long after tenor saxophonist Stan Getz (1927-1991) rose to fame during his late 1940’s stint with the Woody Herman band that he came to be known as “The Sound.” Few sobriquets have been so apt, for in his nearly half-century career, Getz retained an instrumental tone that, in blending an ethereal sonority with muscular heft, became both a jazz trademark and the inspiration for generations of horn players. Combined with his effervescent swing and a gift for lyrical melody making, Getz became one of the most popular and influential jazz musicians the music has known. A teenage prodigy, Getz had already played with such illustrious Swing Era bandleaders as Benny Goodman before establishing himself as a star soloist in the Herman band’s celebrated “Four Brothers” saxophone section; Getz’s brief but beautiful turn on “Early Autumn” in 1949, catapulted him to stardom, an exalted position in the jazz universe he held until his death in 1991. Initially influenced by the airy sonority and melodiousness of saxophone legend Lester Young, Getz quickly developed his own instantly recognizable stylistic voice. A renowned player throughout the bebop era of the 1940s and 50’s, Getz achieved his greatest popularity in the early 1960s when his Jazz Samba and Getz-Gilberto albums, and the subsequent hit single, “The Girl From Ipanema,” ushered in and defined the bossa nova craze. Getz, displaying the craving for new musical interest that characterized his entire career, then began working with adventurous younger players including Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Dave Holland and Fred Hersch. Never resting on his laurels, Getz, while maintaining his stature as the foremost mainstream saxophone stylist, continued to explore diverse musical paths. “The Sound” still rings clearly two decades since his passing.
Available now is the most complete package to date of Stan Getz’s Columbia albums – a set featuring 8 great albums! covering the period 1972-1979, most produced by Stan himself . Each individual album is packaged in a replica mini-LP sleeve reproducing that album’s original cover art. Includes the classic best-selling albums Captain Marvel w/ Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Tony Williams and Airto, and The Best Of Two Worlds, a Bossa Nova reunion with Joao Gilberto featuring several classic songs by Antonio Carlos Jobim and three bonus tracks .4 of the albums have never been on CD in the U.S. -- The Master, Another World, Children Of The World plus Forest Eyes, a rare soundtrack to a Dutch film which has some gorgeous sounding Getz . Also includes a bonus disc of Stan in superb form reprising some of his classic early hits at Carnegie Hall for the 40th anniversary of the Woody Herman band, plus never on CD outside of Japan rare performances from the 1977 Montreux Jazz Festival and the historic 1979 Havana Jam festival plus a booklet with full discographical info., photos, and liner notes Albums included:
Captain Marvel (1972) w/ Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Tony Williams
Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto: The Best Of Two Worlds (1975)
The Master (1975)
Stan Getz/ Jimmy Rowles: The Peacocks (1975)
Another World Children Of The World
Forest Eyes (music composed, arranged & conducted by Jurre Haanstra) CBS (Holland)
Bonus Disc (U.S. Only): includes selections from Woody Herman Carnegie Carnegie Hall 40th Anniversary Concert, Montreux Summit, and Havana Jam.
http://www.popmarket.com/
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
LENORA ZENZALAI HELM – I LOVE MYSELF WHEN I’M LAUGHING
On this CD, Helm - who lives in Durham, North Carolina, where she is a Visiting Instructor in the Jazz Studies Program and Music Department at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) - is supported by an impassioned and impressive core rhythm section featuring drummer Larry "Q" Draughn, Jr., bassist Lance E. Scott, Jr., and pianist Ryan Hanseler. They lay down a sensitive and swinging magic carpet for Helm to soar as she works her moving and velvet soprano as it weaves its spell -forged in the aching embers of Billie Holiday and Abbey Lincoln.
The primal, percussive "Huntress," inspired Sam White's book of poems: The Goddess of the Hunt Is Not Herself; the haunting, cymbal-shimmered "Beauty," a tribute to Helm's maternal grandmother Helen Amelia Graine Faulk, a legendary matriarch and Chicago cosmetologist; and the dancing lead track, "Tears Are A River That Take You Someplace" - a line taken from Zora Neale Hurston's novel Their Eyes Were Watching God - are three selections from Journeywoman: A Work in Progress, Helm's five-part suite, written as a result of winningthe 2004 Chamber Music America/ Doris Duke Foundation's New Jazz Works grant for jazz composers - making her the first African-American to win that award.
The moving and midtempo title track, augmented by an ethereal vocal choir arrangement, is another Hurston-inspired gem titled after an anthology of her works. "Begin Again" is a wistful vocal/piano duet based on Rudyard Kipling's poem "If," and Alice Walker's The Way Forward is with a Broken Heart, featuring NCCU piano professor, Ed Paolanotino. Helm's aural alchemy is equally phenomenal with her stunning renditions of jazz standards. "Skies of Bud (Blues Skies/Suddenly (In Walked Bud)" was birthed from her conversations with Chicago griot/jazz historian Donald "Poppa" Meade, and stays true to Thelonious Monk's "In Walked Bud," laced with lyrics by Jon Hendricks and Helm's lyric to Irving Berlin's melody. Helm's reading of three books - Ross Russell's Bird Lives, Duke Ellington's Music Is My Mistress and J.C. Thomas Takin' The Trane, with the writings of Neale Donald Walsch and become "Charlie Parker's Tale, "I Didn't Know About You," and "A Conversation with God (Dear Lord)," with vocalist Michael Hanna, grandson of piano giant Roland Hanna.
Helm also delivers a moving rendition of Joni Mitchell's version of the immortal Charles Mingus elegy to Lester Young, "Goodbye Porkpie Hat," with Brian Horton's serpentine soprano sax solo, and "Sampson's Nemesis (Delilah)" is an inventive reinterpretation of the Victor Young standard "Delilah" made famous by trumpeter Clifford Brown. Her take on Jason Moran's Capetown-cadenced, "Ripples (RFK in the Land of Apartheid)" from the 2011 PBS documentary - based on a speech Robert F. Kennedy made when he toured South Africa in 1966, dances with the kind of message-oriented, Motherland pulses that are a vital part of the jazz continuum. The CD closes with a stirring, solo performance of the hymn, "Great Is Thy Faithfulness," inspired by her surviving a car crash during the making of this CD. Her friend, vocalist Nnenna Freelon, who just lost her mother, asked Helm to sing it at a memorial service, and the piece also evokes the eternal spirit of Helm's maternal grandmother.
Lenora Zenzalai Helm's infinite variety of musical experiences originate from her birthplace, Chicago, where she was born into a musical family. At the age of eight she started singing and later learned to play trumpet, organ, piano, and guitar. After moving to New York in 1987, she worked with a number of artists including saxophonists Dave Liebman, Antonio Hart and Branford Marsalis, and pianists Donald Brown and Andrew Hill. She was the first African-American woman to receive a B.A. in Film Music Composition/Voice from Berklee School of Music in Boston in 1982. In 1994, she won Best New Jazz Artist from the syndicated Jazz in the City radio program. Her previous recordings as a leader include Awakenings (Baoule Music, 1997), Spirit Child (J Curve, 1999), Precipice (Baoule Music, 2002), Voice Paintings (MidLantic Records 2003/2007) and Chronicles of a Butterfly (Zenzalai Music, 2009).
Helm's jazz suite, Journeywoman: A Work in Progress, was written as a result of winning Chamber Music America's New Works: Creation & Presentation Award for Jazz Composers in 2004 and the Encore Award in2007. She also received awards from other organizations including Meet the Composer and a coveted Composer Fellowship from the MacDowell Colony, the oldest artist's colony in the United States. Her film music composer credits include After Life by writer/director Lana, previewed and awarded in 2007 at the Arizona Black Film Festival and the Village D Cinema festival in Lisbon, Portugal. Helm's extensive educational credentials include a MA in Jazz Performance form East Carolina University, and work as a teacher/clinician at numerous schools and institutions including The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Long Island Performing Arts High School, and Carnegie Hall/Link Up.She served as a Jazz Ambassador for the United States State Department and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts 1998-99. She currently serves as a Visiting Instructor in the Music Department at North Carolina Central University.
All of Lenora Zenzalai Helm's broad artistry and experience make I Love Myself When I'm Laughing ... And Then Again When I'm Looking Mean and Impressive the wonderful masterpiece that it is. As Lana Garland writes in the CD liner notes, "I Love Myself When I'm Laughingis a barefoot walk around the human experience and the tourguide, Lenora Zenzalai Helm, makes us listen, ponder, swing a little, listen and thenswing some more! Grasping all the nuances, colors, and details of this well-crafted worktakes time. It is a treasure that must be listened to over and again and as Henry Millersuggests, you will forget yourself."
http://www.lenorahelm.com/
GREG INHOFER – MUSIC FOR THE UPRIGHT WALKING
Gregg Inhofer is a true music man, reminiscent of Billy Joel or Elton John. The new album offers a collection of 11 hook-filled, personal, witty and sometimes-wondrous original tunes. Plus, there’s a tribute to Jimi Hendrix with a piano-driven rendition of “Manic Depression.” Inhofer’s elastic tenor voice leads through jazz, rock and blues arrangements. From beautifully crafted vocal harmonies (“Problems”), to Saturday Night Live-style saxophone licks (“Let Me Be the One”) and even some spoken-word verses (“Spread the Word”), there’s an entertaining variety of sounds. And whether it’s the mind-boggling polyrhythm of “The Broken Bossa” or the humbling “If I Wore a Hat” - written for friend and fellow-musician Jeff Hill who passed away in 2009 - all of these songs have a fascinating back-story. But what holds the album together is the all-embracing positive vibe. Gregg puts it best himself: “I used to think of myself as a musician. Now, I’m a human being. Music is just something I do. I write songs and try to connect with people in a positive way. That’s exactly what this album and these songs are about.”
Gregg Inhofer has played a significant role in the Minneapolis music scene as an in-demand pianist throughout his career. Most notably, he played keyboards on Bob Dylan’s album Blood on the Tracks, which ranked number 16 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Music for the Upright Walking is Inhofer's second album as a solo artist and is available on October 20, 2011.
Pre-listen to Gregg's new album now:
http://gregginhofer.com/guest/MFTUWFULLPREVIEW.html
LALAH HATHAWAY – WHERE IT ALL BEGINS
Lalah Hathaway, one of contemporary R&B’s most prized artists and in-demand vocalists will release her sixth solo album and second for Stax Records, Where It All Begins on October 18th, 2011. The versatile, critically acclaimed musician, songwriter, vocalist and producer found creative regeneration and newfound energy making this record, an artistic re-birth she’s eager to share with anyone willing to listen. “Everybody is an artist in some way,” Hathaway enthuses, “I wanted to explore what that really means. For me it meant walking into being the artist I’ve always wanted to be. It was an opportunity for me to embrace my independence as an artist through my music and connection to my fans.” Hathaway brings that message home splendidly on the gorgeous title track, penned by her and Ernest Green. “If you say what you mean/And mean what you say,” she croons at the beginning of “Where It All Begins”, showcasing her sensual alto over a languid, hypnotic groove.
In addition to Green, Hathaway recruited other esteemed kindred spirits to either co-write or contribute tailor-made tunes. The list includes Lewis Williams, Lee Hutson, Jr., Errol Cooney, James Day, James Fauntleroy, Rahsaan Patterson, Terrence Lilly, Jonathan Richmond, Mike City, Dave Young, Bryan Sledge, Eddie Serrano, Rich King,Andre Harris and Vidal Davis. Recruiting such top-tier songwriters – some of who have penned hits for Alicia Keys, Jill Scott, Bilal, Babyface, Musiq Soulchild, and host of others, demonstrates Hathaway’s long-held status in contemporary R&B. This album contains several up-tempo gems that are sure to heat up urban radio stations and nightclubs. For example, check out “If You Want To,” the album’s thumping, synth-driven first single, penned with Patterson, Richmond, and Lilly and the effervescent “My Everything,” which she co-wrote with Jonathan Richmond. The slinky groove of Hutson, Jr.’s “Small of My Back” is also undeniable.
Where It All Begins comes on the heels of Hathaway’s most successful album to date, 2008’s Self Portrait, her first record for legendary soul label Stax Records. The album reached the top ten on the Top R&B Albums chart and included the Grammy® nominated (Best Female R&B Vocal) song “That Was Then.” Indeed, Hathaway intoxicates as a storyteller. Even though her voice brims with magnetism, she never overpowers it to point of drowning out the lyrics. As with previous albums, Where It All Begins comes loaded with enduring songs that sound personal yet easily relatable, touching upon affairs of the heart as well as the everyday joys of life.
The disc comes on strong from the get-go. Andre Harris and Vidal Davis’ gutsy “Strong Woman,” is a sassy cautionary tale, urging lotharios to step up to the plate and stop taking their devoted female lovers for granted. Naturally, the singer hasn’t abandoned her R&B roots. Where It All Begins includes luxurious slow jams such as “This Could Be Love” (co-written with Green and Lewis), on which she sings of joys and fears of truly falling in love with that someone special, and City’s bittersweet “Always Love You,” which hints of the sadness leaving an unfulfilling romantic relationship.
Hard-core fans will certainly be delighted with the newly arranged and recorded “I’m Coming Back,” a Quiet-Storm jewel, written by Gary Taylor, which appeared on her 1990 eponymous debut. It’s a song that’s remained a highlight of her live shows for two decades. “No matter, where I go – churches, festivals, Japan, South Africa – people love that song,” Hathaway says, “This version has a different arrangement, because it’s morphed over the years. I decided to rerecord it. We added vocalist Rachelle Ferrell at the end, which is really sublime.” When it comes to honoring her predecessors, perhaps there’s no other greater example on Where It All Begins than with her spellbinding take on “You Were Meant For Me,” a chestnut that her late father – the incomparable Donny Hathaway recorded.
DEAN MARTIN - COOL THEN, COOL NOW
Dean Martin’s latest release include a new 60+ page hardcover book and musical collection titled Cool Then, Cool Now. Never before seen photos compiled from personal collections and family archives Cool Then, Cool Now goes behind-the-scenes to capture the spirit and life of one of the most unique, and by far coolest entertainers, Dean Martin. Featured inside is a 2-CD, 28-song collection, spanning Dean Martin’s musical career featuring a host of hits including “Everybody Loves Somebody,” “Mambo Italiano,” “That’s Amore,” “Sway,” “Volare,” and rarities such as “Any Man Who Loves His Mother” from the original film soundtrack to Robin and the Seven Hoods. Some selections, like the “L.A. Is My Home” (Dean first ever video show on MTV back in the early 80’s) have never been released on CD before until now. This is being hailed as a one-of-a-kind collection showcases Dean as The Entertainer, The Family Man, The Sportsman, The Man-About-Town, and The Movie Star providing a behind-the-scenes look of the legendary Dean Martin in the studio, on stage, and from sets of films including The Caddy (1953), Artists and Models (1955), Rio Bravo (1959), Oceans 11 (1960), Airport (1970) and many more. Photos included, from personal collections and family archives, are highlighted by pictures of Dean with many of his closest friends. The book features heartfelt tributes from some of the people that knew him best including; comedian and co-star Jerry Lewis, Academy Award winning actress and co-star Shirley MacLaine, and legendary golfer Arnold Palmer, as well as admirer and global star Robbie Williams, and others. “I was fortunate to work with Dean from the very start, he was always the consummate professional, instantaneous and funny,” said Lewis. “He was magic to be around and had the exquisite ability to know what was funny.” Recalled MacLaine, “Dean was the man-about-town that everyone wanted to spend time with. He was kind, funnier than anyone else, and adorable in all ways.” Dean Martin Cool The, Cool Now Tracklist:
Disc One
1. Ain't That A Kick In The Head
2. Mambo Italiano
3. Little Ole Wine Drinker Me
4. I'm Sitting On The Top Of The World
5. (Open Up The Door) Let The Good Times In
6. Snap Your Fingers
7. C'est Si Bon
8. Everybody Loves Somebody
9. That's Amore
10. Memories Are Made Of This
11. I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face
12. You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You
13. You'll Always Be The One I Love
14. Gimme A Little Kiss, Will Ya, Huh?
Disc Two
1. Sway
2. Volare (Nel Blue Di Pinto Di Blu)
3. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone [Featuring Robbie Williams]
4. Bumming Around
5. L.A. Is My Home
6. Welcome To My World
7. King Of The Road
8. Who's Got The Action?
9. Five Card Stud
11. Side By Side
12. The Glory Of Love
13. Any Man Who Loves His Mother
14. Red Sails In The Sunset
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