DIANA KRALL'S NEW ABLUM ' GLAD RAG DOLL' DUE SEPT 25

Diana Krall's extraordinary new album, Glad Rag Doll (9/25, Verve Records) is an exhilarating and adventurous exploration of new sounds, new instrumentation and new musicians. It stars a singer and piano player, filled with mischief, humour and a renewed sense of tenderness and intimacy.The record reveals itself at that remarkable vanishing point in time where all music; swinging, rocking and taboo, collide with songs of longing, solace and regret. All are made new again in a vaudeville of Krall's own imagining. It is at once a major departure and a natural progression for the gifted musician. Diana simply calls the album, "a song and dance record".

"We all just went in there as if the songs were written yesterday. I didn't want to make a period piece or nostalgia record," said Krall.In fact, these are songs that Krall has spent a lifetime contemplating. Both her childhood home and her current address are stacked with 78rpm records and song folios filled with precious and unpolished gems, songs that have not worn out their lustre from repetition. If any of these songs could be identified as "20's or 30's music", then they are 20's or 30's songs as imagined for the 21st Century.

The same could be said for a startling rendition of the Pomus classic, "Lonely Avenue", first cut in the 1950s. The contemplative, contemporary reading of the old Gene Austin recording of "Let It Rain" finds a sympathetic echo in Krall's exquisite rendition of Buddy and Julie Miller's more recent ballad of spiritual longing, "Wide River To Cross".

Working for the first time with renowned producer T Bone Burnett and engineer Mike Piersante, Krall revels in a fresh sonic playground captured in the vivid grain and deep resonant focus of analog tape. Burnett has assembled a distinguished cast of remarkable men to complement Krall's piano contribution at an 1890s Steinway upright. From the hushed to the howling, Marc Ribot's poised and sympathetic solo guitar accompaniment on the title track contrasts beautifully with a range of surprising sounds and colors.

As ever with a Diana Krall record, her distinctive feel and unique sense of time is crucial. She has established a new and exciting rhythmic rapport with drummer Jay Bellerose and bassist Dennis Crouch that has let loose some of her most joyous piano playing heard on record to date. Among the new elements brought into the spontaneous arrangement process are the mysterious, sometimes comedic commentaries coming from the keyboards of Keefus Green.

The album will be released worldwide on Verve Records September 25th

Musicians:
Marc Ribot (Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, 6 String Bass and Banjo),
T Bone Burnett (Guitars),
Howard Coward (Ukulele, Mandola, Tenor Guitar, Harmony Vocals),
Jay Bellerose (Drums),
Dennis Crouch (Bass),
Bryan Sutton (Guitars),
Colin Linden (Guitars, Dobro)
Keefus Green (Keyboards, Mellotron).

Track Listing:
1. We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye (Woods)
2. There Ain't No Sweet Man That's Worth the Salt of My Tears (Fisher)
3. Just Like a Butterfly That's Caught in the Rain (Dixon/Woods)
4. You Know I Know Ev'rything's Made for Love (Sherman/Tobias/Johnson)
5. Glad Rag Doll (Ager/Dougherty/Yellen)
6. I'm A Little Mixed Up (James/Johnson)
7. Prairie Lullaby (Hill)
8. Here Lies Love (Rainger/Robin)
9. I Used to Love You But It's All Over Now (von Tilzer/Brown)
10. Let it Rain (Kendis/Dyson)
11. Lonely Avenue (Pomus)
12. Wide River to Cross (Miller/Miller)
13. When the Curtain Comes Down (Hoefle/Lewis/Sherman)

~ Verve Music

LUCIANA SOUZA - THE BOOK OF CHET

The Book Of Chet is Luciana Souza's inspired interpretation of trumpet player and singer Chet Baker.  An iconoclastic musical figure, Chet has a unique and lyrical approach to singing - informed by his superb musicianship, his singing was heartfelt, yet detached. " It is a well known fact that musicians like Joao Gilberto were listening alot to Chet Baker and the sounds coming out of the West Coast of the US.  That kind of quiet, introspective singing was started by Chet while Miles' was playing, tone and sensibility ended up influencing many musicians in Brazil."

On this recording (Luciana's first exclusive recording of American standards), Luciana reveals why she has been considered on of the most important Jazz singers of her generation - able to unveil the drama of the lyric and allow for intimacy with the listener, all the while creating an inventive and deeply personal recording.  Her collaborators on this collection are West Coast greats Larry Koonse on guitar, David Piltch on bass, and Jay Bellerose on drums.  Included on the CD are such unforgettable Baker-inspired tracks as "I Fall In Love Too Easily", "The Thrill Is Gone", "He Was Too Good To Me" and "Forgetful".

The Grammy winning Souza is on of Jazz's leading singers and interpreters.  Born in Sao Paolo, Brazil, in the last 60s, she grew up in a family of Bossa Nova innovators - her father, a singer and songwriter, her mother, a poet and lyricist.  Luciana's work as a performer transcends traditional boundaries around musical styles, offering solid roots in jazz, sophisticated lineage in world music, and an enlightened approach to classical repertoire and new music. 

The Book Of Chet will be released on August 28.

ISLES OF WONDER - MUSIC FOR THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES

A stirring selection of the music created and curated for the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony is available digitally now, and will be released physically in the U.S. on August 28th.

From the moment the specially-commissioned 23-ton bell (the largest harmonically tuned bell in the world) chimed, the Olympic Stadium came to life with music. The emotional punch and strength of two brand new compositions from Music Directors Underworld provided two of the most stirring moments of the night. From the majestic beauty of the LSO's On Track Orchestra's performing Elgar's 'Nimrod' to performances from Mike Oldfield, Frank Turner, Arctic Monkeys, Dizzee Rascal, Emeli Sande and Sir Paul McCartney, the entire Opening Ceremony celebrated the global impact of British music.

The music for Danny Boyle's Opening Ceremony was overseen by Music Director Rick Smith, of the electronic duo Underworld. Smith composed two original pieces of music for the Ceremony as well as producing all the music elements of the three-hour extravaganza.

The two new Underworld compositions were 'And I Will Kiss', which accompanied the sequence 'Pandemonium' celebrating the industrial revolution, lasting 15 minutes, and 'Caliban's Dream' which announced the arrival of the Olympic Torch in the stadium, and the subsequent lighting of the cauldron.

Rick Smith said: "Music is Britain's cultural heartbeat; it's a perpetual act of revolutionary thought. From William Blake to the Beatles via The Clash and The Chemical brothers, the soundtrack to our lives fizzes and hums all around us like a stray signal from a radio dial that your internal antenna just can't help but tune into."

The Opening Ceremony also featured performances from Emeli Sande with 'Abide With Me', Dizzee Rascal performing 'Bonkers', Arctic Monkeys with 'I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor' and a cover of The Beatles 'Come Together' and Sir Paul McCartney with 'The End' plus an inspired accompaniment to the army of NHS nurses and children from Great Ormond Street Hospital by Mike Oldfield. His live reworking of the classic 'Tubular Bells' and 'In Dulci Jubilo' was yet another uniquely British showstopper.

Danny Boyle, Artistic Director of the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, revealed in January that the Ceremony theme had been inspired by The Tempest's 'Isles of Wonder' speech – from which the title of the album has been taken, and starred cast of more than 10,000 performers.

In December 2011 it was announced that LOCOG had appointed Underworld, the British electronic music duo, as Music Directors of the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony. Underworld's Rick Smith and Karl Hyde had previously worked with filmmaker Danny Boyle on film soundtracks such as 'Trainspotting', 'The Beach' and 'Sunshine', and most recently on the Olivier-nominated music for 'Frankenstein' at the National Theatre.

The Olympic Games is regarded as the world's foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate. The celebration of the Games encompasses many protocols, symbols, such as the Olympic Flag and Flame, as well as the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. As the Host City, London has showcased itself to the world, with an estimated viewing audience of up to 1 billion people.

Full Tracklisting:
CD1 - Isles of Wonder
1. Frank Turner - I Still Believe
2 .Four Nations Choirs - Jerusalem, Flower of Scotland, Danny Boy, Bread of Heaven
3. LSO On Track Orchestra & Francois-Xavier Roth - Nimrod
4. Underworld feat. Dame Evelyn Glennie and the Pandemonium Drummers - And I Will Kiss
5. Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells / In Dulci Jubilo
6. LSO - Chariots of Fire
7. Blanck Mass & LSO - Sundowner
8. Dizzee Rascal - Bonkers - Radio Edit
9. A.R. Rahman feat. Jaspreet Jasz - Nimma Nimma
10. Emeli Sande - Heaven
11. Emeli Sande - Abide With Me
12. Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor (Live)
13. Arctic Monkeys - Come Together (Live)
14. Underworld feat. Dockhead Choir, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Only Men Aloud, Elizabeth Roberts, Esme Smith and Alex Trimble - Caliban's Dream

CD2 - Welcome
1. Chemical Brothers - Galvanize
2. High Contrast - Moon Watcher
3. Underworld - Always Loved A Film – Instrumental
4. Underworld - Dark & Long (Dark Train) (Remix)
5. Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls
6. Underworld - Minneapolis (High Contrast Remix)
7. High Contrast - Reach
8. High Contrast - Ghost Dance
9. Underworld - Confusion The Waitress (Darren Price & High Contrast Remix)
10. Wretch 32 feat. L - Traktor
11. F Buttons - Olympians (High Contrast Remix)
12. High Contrast - Can't Stop This Fire
13. Underworld - Moon In Water (Instrumental Remix)
14. Underworld - Crocodile (High Contrast Remix)
15. U2 - Where the Streets Have No Name (High Contrast Remix)
16. High Contrast - For Years
17. Underworld - Dirty Epic (Darren Price & High Contrast Remix)
18. High Contrast - The Long Way Home
19. Underworld - Dark & Long (Darren Price & High Contrast Remix)
20. Underworld - Rez (High Contrast Remix)
21. David Bowie - Heroes
22. Chemical Brothers - Galvanize

The album is released by Decca Records, housed within Universal Music (official music licensee for the London 2012 Olympic Games) with the support of The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG).

KURT ELLING - 1619 BROADWAY - THE BRILL BUILDING PROJECT

Concord Jazz has announced the release of 1619 Broadway ‒ The Brill Building Project, the new album from the foremost jazz male vocalist, Kurt Elling. With 1619 Broadway ‒ The Brill Building Project, Elling honors the legendary location that the London Telegraph called "the most important generator of popular songs in the Western world." Even for the ceaselessly inventive GRAMMY®-winning singer-lyricist, it’s a hugely unexpected step, and one guaranteed to further solidify his reputation for bold innovation and superb craftsmanship. The 11-track collection features renditions of classic songs that came out of the Brill Building and is available September 25, 2012.

“Having done so many projects about my love for Chicago,” Elling says, “I wanted to make something that spoke of my love for New York.” The two cities define his career. Elling developed his craft in Chicago, and recorded several of his early albums there – including his debut, Close Your Eyes, which catapulted him onto the national stage and earned the first of his many GRAMMY® nominations. (All told, every one of Elling’s nine albums has been nominated for at least one jazz GRAMMY® – a streak unequalled in GRAMMY history.)

But in fact, Elling and his family have lived in Manhattan since 2008, and 1619 Broadway – The Brill Building Project is his response to that experience.A honeycomb of offices and claustrophobic studios at 1619 Broadway, in the heart of midtown Manhattan, the fabled Brill Building at its peak served as the creative home for more than 160 tenants associated with the pop-music industry.

“I didn’t want to cover any of the New York songwriters jazz people usually go to: the Gershwins, Rodgers and Hart, Cole Porter, all of whom I love; I wanted to reach out for something different. The vast collection of songs coming out of The Brill Building seemed like a gold mine.”

Some of the tunes on 1619 Broadway – The Brill Building Project were actually written years after their composers had left the Brill entirely. For example, Elling explains, “Carole King, like many other signatories to ‘The Brill Sound,’ never had an actual office at the Brill. So it doesn’t pay to be too didactic about any of this. The Brill is both a physical reality and a mental construct; and because of that, I felt comfortable casting a wide net.”

Track after track, Elling and longtime collaborator/arranger, Laurence Hobgood, illustrate the creative fireworks that have marked their work together from the start. Some tracks, such as “On Broadway” and “You Send Me,” glow with atmospheric reharmonizations (either audacious or subtle), unexpected rhythms, and jazz sensibility. Others, such as “I’m Satisfied” and “A House Is Not A Home,” artfully distill the essence of the original through a jazz filter. But all of them manage to strike a balance of tradition and modernity that will by now be familiar to Elling’s longstanding admirers, on a program of songs guaranteed to bring new fans to the party.

Tracklisting:
1.On Broadway (Jerry Leiber-Barry Mann-Mike Stoller-Cynthia Weil)
2.Come Fly With Me (Sammy Cahn-James Van Heusen)
3.You Send Me (Sam Cooke)
4.I Only Have Eyes For You (Al Dublin-Harry Warren)
5.I’m Satisfied (Barry Mann-Cynthia Weil-Ernie Freeman)
6.A House Is Not A Home (Burt Bacharach-Hal David)
7.Shoppin’ For Clothes (Jerry Leiber-Mike Stoller-Kent Harris)
8.So Far Away (Carole King)
9.Pleasant Valley Sunday (Gerry Goffin-Carole King)
10.American Tune (Paul Simon)
11.Tutti For Cootie (Duke Ellington-Jimmy Hamilton)

NEW RELEASES - PAUL HARDCASTLE, FUNKSHONE, DANNY GRISSETT

PAUL HARDCASTLE - THE CHILL LOUNGE VOLUME 1

Having long been the purveyor of laidback atmospheric sensuous sides, once again Paul Hardcastle beckons you to follow him to places where swaying palms, crystalline water and picturesque sunsets await with The Chill Lounge, a collection of adventurous head and body trips slightly chilled and ready for transport. This is where Hardcastle is at his very best, creating sonic soundscapes that allow you to be taken to a place where you want to go to devoid of your worldy cares, where mood and relaxation are the key components. Nobody does it better. "Lounge" digs deep into the vast Hardcastle archive and combines classic mood altering favorites from the past dotted with a few re-mixes and a pair of fresh new sides like "East to West" one of the albums high points and "Ibiza Dub", with its strong reggae undertones, making for a multi-ethnic full spectrum multisensory experience par excellence. Melt into your favorite lounger, pour your favorite beverage, add a few cubes of ice and prepare to be chilled, the Hardcastle way. Not shaken, but stirred. ~ Amazon

FUNKSHONE - 2

British retro groove merchants Funkshone’s second album (functionally titled 2) doesn’t try to reinvent the tone wheel where funk is concerned. Yet there is a sure progression in the group's own musical journey: away from the roughness of debut Shining, towards increasingly cinematic, orchestral sounds. Soul-funk vocals like Darling Dear and Heaven Shine (utilizing lyrically light but tonally delightful new vocalist Jaelee Small) bump hips with swaggering, no-frills workouts such as Getting It Together. More intriguingly, however, a crate digger’s love of filmic instrumentals inspired by the scores of Lalo Schifrin, Roy Budd and Quincy Jones (and even long-forgotten library tracks) is brought into play. Imaginary cops enter opium dens to the heady wooziness of Persuasion. Chase the Dream's dulcimer intro starts an aggressive battle: the horn section, comprising Patrick Kenny, Tom Mcleod and Alex Bezzina, wheels and swoops in aerial dogfights with guest flautist Kaidi Tatham and some vicious strings. Drummer, foundation, and former Mother Earth member Mike Bandoni (who co-produces with keyboardist Nino Aurrichio and bassist Danny Huckridge) is omnipresent yet seems happier to lead from behind. ~ Angus Taylor

DANNY GRISSETT - STRIDE

On Stride, his fourth Criss Cross leader date, pianist Danny Grissett returns to the trio format he navigated with such panache and imagination on his first two outings for the label. Longtime bass partner Vicente Archer and top-of-the-class drummer Marcus Gilmore join Grissett in a fluent three-way conversation on a reflective program that incorporates the American Songbook, the European canon, original tunes by trumpeters Nicholas Payton and (his current employer) Tom Harrell, and three heady Grissett originals. As always, the leader's playing is melody-driven, harmonically acute, swinging and focused; he again proves himself one of the major voices on his instrument among the under-40 crowd. ~ Amazon

NEW RELEASES - LEELA JAMES, GETATCHEW MEKURIA & THE EX, CHRIS BYARS OCTET

LEELA JAMES – LOVING YOU MORE...IN THE SPIRIT OF ETTA JAMES

A set done in the spirit of Etta James, but with a vibe that's definitely Leela James all the way through! There's definitely a rasp to the album that echoes the spirit of James' generation – enforced by a crispy sound of a stylus hitting a record at the start of the CD – but the backings are definitely contemporary, and in that bouncy, bubbly style that makes Leela's vocals slide out soulfully! Leela may not sound like Etta – but honestly, the results are much better than if she was just doing some sort of Etta remake record. Titles include "It Hurts Me So Much", "I Want To Ta Ta You Baby", "At Last", "Sunday Kind Of Love", "It Hurts Me So Much", "Something's Got A Hold On Me", and "Soul Will Never Die". ~ Dusty Groove

GETATCHEW MEKURIA & THE EX – Y’ANBESSAW TEZETA

A brilliant meeting of talents – legendary Ethiopian saxophonist Getatchew Mekuria, and the ever-amazing Ex – paired together in a set of work that's even better than their previous collaboration! This time around, it The Ex feel even more like an Ethio-inspired group – often serving up spare but complicated rhythm patterns that are a perfect fit for Mekuria's tenor – letting him really stretch out in the lead, and direct most of the energy of the music with a tone and sense of timing that are soulful in ways that go beyond expectations! Titles include "Aha Gedawo", "Ambassel", "Tezeta", "Bati", "Ene Eskemot Derese", and "Zerafewa/Eregedawo" – and package also features a full bonus CD, with live material by The Ex with Mekuria and the ICP Orchestra! ~ Dusty Groove

CHRIS BYARS OCTET – MUSIC FOREVER

The songs of Freddie Redd – re-arranged wonderfully by tenorist Chris Byars – and played by an octet who really make some new magic with the music! Redd's one of our favorite talents from the late 50s/early 60s scene – a budding modernist who also never failed to swing – a quality that Byars clearly admires too, and shows strongly in the way he opens up and grooves these great tunes! Even the larger lineup of trumpet, trombone, alto, and baritone can't hold things back – and instead, give the tunes more punch than we remember – strong leads that explode into tight solos – driven on nicely by the comping piano work of Sacha Perry. Titles include "The Thespian", "Old Spice", "Emily Reno","Just A Ballad For My Baby", "Minor Interlude", and "Somewhere/Music Forever". ~ Dusty Groove

BRECON JAZZ FESTIVAL 2012

The world-famous Brecon Jazz Festival, set in the Brecon Beacons in beautiful mid-Wales, returns between the 10th-12th August. This year’s fantastic line-up combines top UK talent such as Ginger Baker, Gwilym Simcock, The Neil Cowley Trio, Claire Martin, Stan Tracey, Andy Sheppard, YolanDa Brown, Kit Downes and Soweto Kinch with some major international names including Dionne Warwick and Roy Ayers.

Here are some of the festival highlights:

Huw Warren, Thomas Strønen, Peter Herbert

Friday 10th August: 18.00: Brecon Cathedral: WOMEX

A unique international collaboration devised by Brecon Jazz 2012 artist in residence Huw Warren, one of the most eclectic composers / musicians in the UK, with the Welsh pianist teaming up with some of the most creative and innovative players on the international jazz scene. Thomas Strønen is at the forefront of the vibrant Norwegian scene on drums, percussion and electronics, working solo and with Meadow, Humcrush and Food (duo with UK saxophonist Iain Ballamy on Saturday at Brecon), and eclectic Austrian bassist Peter Herbert

Ginger Baker’s Jazz Confusion: Friday 10th August: 18.30: Theatr Brycheiniog

Legendary rock drummer, Ginger Baker, renowned for his work with Cream and Blind Faith, teams up with tenor saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis, bassist Alec Dankworth, and African percussionist Abass Dodoo for some progressive jazz originals in a Thelonious Monk style with exciting African rhythms.

Neil Yates: Five Countries Friday 10th August: 20.00: Brecon Guildhall

Trumpeter Neil’s music has been described by Jazz UK as “fresh, vibrant and original,” as “a rare sound innovator” and “a discreet virtuoso” by The Guardian. Five Countries was released in 2011 on Cardiff’s Edition Records to great acclaim. Brecon Jazz 2012 will see Yates performs evocative music from the album in an intimate trio with Hungarian/Romanian acoustic guitarist Zsolt Bende and Jim Hart on vibraphone and percussion.

Kit Downes Quintet Friday 10th August: 21.00: Brecon Cathedral

Described by The Observer as ‘Everyone’s favourite young pianist… unpretentiously brilliant and full of subtle touches,’ Kit’s debut album ‘Golden’ received a Mercury Prize nomination, he is a gifted composer and sparkling improviser, whose music has a cinematic, storytelling quality that draws the listener in.

Dionne Warwick Friday 10th August 2012 : 20.30 : Brecon Market Hall

‘Scintillating’, ‘soothing’ and ‘sensual’ best describe the familiar and legendary voice of this cornerstone of American pop music and culture. Warwick’s career this year celebrates 50 years, and has established her as an international music icon and concert act, with more than sixty charted hit songs and over 100 million records sold. She began singing professionally in 1961 after being discovered by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. She had her first hit in 1962 with ‘Don’t Make Me Over’ and followed up with classics such as ‘Walk On By’, ‘Anyone Who Had a Heart’ and ‘Say A Little Prayer’.

Indigo Kid: Saturday 11th August: 15.00: Brecon Guildhall

“An encounter between two generations of musicians that makes us think back to how much there is to discover in the British scene.” All About Jazz. Indigo Kid’s leader is guitarist/composer Dan Messore, a player with a warm, full, tone and a talent for moderately paced but fluid single note runs. He shares the frontline with tenor saxophonist Trish Clowes, whilst rhythmic foundations are provided by bassist Aidan Thorne and drummer James Maddren. The quartet has an acute sense of dynamics and pace, giving Messore’s compositions a vibrancy and emotional connection that heightens their impact.

Trio Libero: Sat 11th August: 18:00: Brecon Cathedral

‘The coolly moody tunes seep through your speakers like a series of poetic mists. Performing the graceful trick of being both airy and weighty, it’s a wintry treat’. The Metro. Trio Libero is British saxophonist Andy Sheppard, French bassist Michel Benita and British drummer Seb Rochford. From Rochford’s part in Polar Bear to Benita’s collaborations with Archie Shepp and Lee Konitz, Trio Libero is shaped by three leading individuals from today’s jazz scene.

Lighthouse: Saturday 11th August: 19:00: Theatr Brycheiniog Jazz4Jed

The FT said: ‘Three remarkable musicians with an uncanny unity of thought and feeling. Virtuosity may be taken for granted nowadays, but this music demands it.’ The hugely successful trio punch deep into exciting groove-based tunes, inspired Celtic rhythms and an eclectic mix of Chick Corea, Bill Bruford, Yellowjackets, John Coltrane, and DJ Carl Cox. Grammy winner Tim Garland and Mercury-nominated pianist Gwilym Simcock are two of the most outstanding composers of our time in both Jazz and classical genres and are regarded as among the very best in the world on their respective instruments. They are joined by Asaf Sirkis on drums and percussion. This concert is a tribute concert to Jed Williams, one of the founders and the long-time Artistic Director of the Brecon Jazz festival, and a fundraiser for Jazz4Jed, the bursary established in his name to help Jazz talent in Wales.

Paula Gardiner Trio: Saturday 11th August: 20.00: Brecon Guildhall

‘… a remarkably wide sonic palette for a trio’ The Jazzman.com One of Britain’s most lyrical and melodic bass players, Paula Gardiner is also an accomplished classical guitarist and flautist. Her presence on the Welsh Jazz scene and with Brecon in particular, has been an inspiring one, having played at Brecon Jazz since 1986, Paula also heads up the Jazz course at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, and is the Honorary President of the Swansea-based organisation, Women in Jazz.

Roy Ayers: Saturday 11th August: 21.00: Market Hall

Vibraphonist/vocalist Roy Ayers is among the best-known, most-loved and respected jazz/R&B artists on the music-scene today. Now in his fourth decade in the music business, Ayers, known as the Godfather of Neo-soul, continues to bridge the gap between generations of music lovers. His music has been sampled by industry heavyweights including Mary J. Blige, Erykah Badu, 50 Cent, A Tribe Called Quest, Tupac and Ice Cube.

Claire Martin: Saturday 11th August: 21.30 : Brecon Cathedral

The New York Times said of Claire: ‘In an era when young jazz singers tend to sound far too much like their idols, there is no mistaking the voice of Claire Martin who combines a cool, burnished tone with the ear of a born musician’. Claire’s trademark cocktail of standards, sass and swing has her marked down as one of the finest female British jazz singer of her generation, and she is the voice of BBC Radio 3’s weekly Jazz show ‘Jazz Line Up’.

Food: Sunday 12th August: 14.00: Brecon Cathedral

Jazzwise called Food: ‘A stylistic match made in minimalist heaven’. The groundbreaking group features British saxophonist Iain Ballamy and Norwegian percussionist Thomas Strønen creating thought provoking improvised music of great depth and beauty, incorporating juxtapositions of sound, space and texture.

YolanDa Brown: Sunday 12th August 2012 : 14.30 : Theatr Brycheiniog

‘An animated saxophonist who sounds as if she listens to Sonny Rollins as much as to the soul-sax tradition, Brown has a big, lustrous sound and considerable subtlety.’ The Guardian. Double MOBO Award-winning saxophonist Yolanda is one of the most exciting, in-demand live performers, widely regarded as the emerging voice of mainstream Jazz in the UK. She has toured with The Temptations, Errol Brown, Courtney Pine and Diana Krall and collaborated with artists such as Mica Paris, Soweto Kinch and as part of Jools Holland’s Rhythm & Blues Orchestra.

The Joe Webb Trio: Sunday 12th August: 15.00: Brecon Guildhall

Fronted by young Welsh jazz pianist, Joe Webb, the band was formed in 2009 when Joe met bassist Huw V Williams and drummer Lloyd Haines whilst studying at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. The band have played around the country through various different projects and earlier this year they recorded for the first time featuring all Joe’s compositions on an album called ‘Night Song’.

Alan Barnes Duo: Sunday 12th August 2012: 13.30: Brecon Cathedral

Jazz Review said of Alan: “Barnes underlines his position as a key figure on the UK scene. He is a fluent, inventive improviser on a number of horns who can swing with the best of them.” Alan came to our attention through the Pasadena Roof Orchestra, the Jazz Renegades, and for a decade ran the Pizza Express Modern Jazz Sextet with Gerard Prescencer and Dave O’Higgins. He has worked with the leading big bands, and is a member of Guy Barker’s Orchestra. In 2001 and 2006 he received the prestigious BBC Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year award. He appears at Brecon with long-time collaborator, the pianist and composer Dave Newton, who has been voted Best Jazz Pianist six times in the British Jazz Awards.

Stan Tracey and Bobby Wellins Play Monk: Sunday 12th August: 16.30: Brecon Cathedral

“Stan really is a national treasure. In his 80s, he’s playing better than ever.” Jazzwise. The collaboration between Stan Tracey and Bobby Wellins, which began in the early Sixties, has produced some of the finest jazz this country has ever heard, including the classics ‘Under Milk Wood Suite’, ‘Alice In Jazz Land’, and a host of other recordings since then. Stan Tracey and Bobby Wellins, as part of a quartet featuring Andy Cleyndert and Clark Tracey, will perform the music of Thelonious Monk, a major influence on them, at the majestic Brecon Cathedral.

The Soweto Kinch Trio: Sunday 12th August: 18.30: Theatr Brycheiniog

The Guardian said of Soweto: “It’s a clever and entertaining juxtaposition of idioms that kicks pure Jazz and authentic rap into a brave new world.” Soweto Kinch is one of the most exciting and versatile young musicians to hit the British Jazz and Hip Hop scenes in recent years, whose appeal traverses the underground and mainstream audiences of both genres. Fortunate in counting Courtney Pine OBE and Gary Crosby as mentors, as a saxophone player, Soweto rapidly developed his own rich, energetic and dynamic sound. Soweto’s ‘Conversations With The Unseen’ was nominated for a Mercury Music Prize and he has earned a clutch of awards over the years, including the MOBO Award for Best Jazz Act 2003.

Black Mountain Jazz: Sunday August 12th: 20.00: Brecon Guildhall

Black Mountain Jazz presents The Sarah Gillespie Quartet featuring Kit Downes (piano), eclectic Jazz sounds with lyrics influenced by Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and Bessie Smith. The quartet features pianist Kit Downes, who appears elsewhere on the Brecon programme. The quartet also has the versatile and creative Enzo Zirilli on drums and the great rhythmic drive of Ben Bastin on double bass.

The Neil Cowley Trio: Sunday 12th August: 20.30: Brecon Cathedral

“A smart splicing of punchy themes and chord–‐belting, rock–‐piano climaxes… it’s hard to resist its eager warmth, and invitation to dance.” The Guardian. A dazzling composer, pianist Cowley creates deeply engaging, and dynamic music that journeys between poetic and poignant, pomp and splendour to powerful rip-roaring riffs. It is instrumental music that references Debussy and Steve Reich as much as Spiritualized and Arcade Fire, and is powerful enough to break down standard perceptions of genre. Its sheer emotion and energy touch lovers of all music.

Tickets for all shows will be available from www.breconjazz.com from Saturday 9th June. The box office telephone number is 01874 611622 (Theatr Brycheiniog) and the 24-Hour telephone booking number is 0844 858 8521.

~ Jazz Fm HERE

NEW RELEASES - SOUL BRAZA, SAOCO!, FUNKCOMMUNITY

SOUL BRAZA: BRAZILIAN 60s & 80s SOUL PSYCH VOLUME 2 (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

Soul and psych from 60s & 70s Brazil – material that's for the most part quite obscure, though it does feature a few well known names –and songs that fuse the Brazilian eclecticism of this wildly creative period with global psych and soul! Includes numbers by O Incrivel Manito, Os Diagonais, Toni Tornado, The Youngsters, Roberto Carlos, Fernando Mendes, The Pops, Miguel De Deus, Red Snakes and more. As the title indicates, there's quite a bit of global soul at play, but it's a pretty diverse set! 16 tracks in all: "Teme De Kiko" by The Youngsters, "Atras Do Sorriso" by Os Diagonais, "Nao Ha Dinheiro Que Pague" by Roberto Carlos, "Represalia" by Parada, "Reginela" by Arnaut Rodrigues, "You Make Me A Fool" by Red Snakes, "Tucks Theme" by O Incrivel Manito and more. ~ Dusty Groove

SAOCO! THE BOMBA & PLENA EXPLOSION IN PUERTO RICO 1954-1966

A treasure trove of 50s and 60s music from Puerto Rico – and a killer compilation centered around the pioneering work of percussionist Rafael Cortijo and singer Ismael Rivera! Essentially, this a blueprint for the global salsa, tropical and Latin scenes to come – and it's invigorating, tightly grooving and wonderful stuff all the way! Wall-to-wall Afro and West Indian-indebted percussion and rhythms, with tight horns and incredible vocals. It's filled pioneering work, but this is hardly a history listen – it's a fun set, and a sprawling one at that! Includes "Cortaron a Elena" by Cortijo (as Canario & Su Grupo con Raful), "En Orbita" by Baltazar Carrero, "Habla Cuembre" by Los Caballeros Del Ritmo, "El Plenero" by Mon Rivera Y Su Orquesta, "Dejalo Que Suba" by by Cortijo (as Canario & Su Grupo con Raful), "Belinda" by Chivirico, "Cucala" by Cortijo Y Su Combo con Ismael Rivera, "Ron Con Coco" by Mon Rivera Y Su Orquesta and more. 30 tracks on 3LPs! ~ Dusty Groove

FUNKCOMMUNITY – CHEQUERED THOUGHTS

Kiwi funk and soul from Funkommunity – a modern collective that's anchored by the duo of producer Isaac Aesili and soulful singer Rachel Fraser – and they deliver a very promising debut here for Melting Pot! Funkommunity has a far more distinctly modern vibe than their more throwback-styled peers in the international funk scene – Rachel's vocals are purely soulful, but the overall sound features layers of synths and beats that range from boogie soul to spacey hip hop-styled. There's also quite a bit of live instrumentation in the mix – guitars, horns, bass and Rhodes in particular. Nice stuff! 9 tracks on the vinyl: "Pass It On", "What You Give", "The Light", "Dandelion", "Sorceress", "Yeah", "Liquefaction", "Make It That Way" and Start Again". (Vinyl version includes code for full album download.) ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - NORTHERN SOUL COLLECTIONS & SOULFUL ANTHEMS

SOUL GALORE ! THE NORTHERN SOUL OF BRUNSWICK: 26 CLASSICS & RARITIES FROM CHICAGO’S FINEST (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

Seller soul singles on Brunswick – nearly all of which come from the prime mid-to-late 60s period at the legendary Chicago label – with Jackie Wilson, Billy Butler, Barbara Acklin, Gene Chandler, Erma Franklin, Lavern Baker and many more! There's a tight focus here on mid-to-late 60s Brunswick – all of them great – and many are quite rare. There are some modest or regional hits in the set, but most might have been forgotten if not for the devotion of the Northern Soul scenes to come. It's got a number of uptempo stormers, midtempo groovers and some sweet surprises. Soul galore, indeed! Includes "Soul Galore" by Jackie Wilson, "Have More Time" by Marvin Smith, "Oh Linda" by Leroy Taylor, "I'll Bet You" by Billy Butler, "There Was A Time" by Gene Chandler, "Sweet, Sweet Revenge" by Alvin Valentine, "A Strange Way" by The Loreleis, "Just Ain't No Love" by Barbara Acklin, "I'm The Only One To Do It" by Lavern Baker, "California Montage" by Young-Holt Unlimited and many more. ~ Dusty Groove

FOR NORTHERN SOUL COLLECTORS VOLUME 1 (VARIOUS ARTSTS)

A sprawling, double-sized set of Northern Soul singles – compiled by Richard Searling and with a focus on the pivotal mid 60s period – from the vaults of labels/imprints both big and small! It's got great singles issued at the time on Roulette, Capitol, United Artists, Sue, Veep, Minit, Liberty and more – mostly from '65-'68 – with some fairly famous names and comparably forgotten ones. Most of these tunes became rarities quite soon after they appeared – and it's s a massive set, too – with 50 tracks on 2CDs! Includes "Better Use Your Head" by Little Anthony & The Imperials, "Dance Dance Dance" by The Casualeers, "I'll Do Anything" by Doris Troy, "He Always Comes Back To Me" by Clydie King, "Movin' Away" by Kenny Lynch, "The Drifter" by Ray Pollard, "Breakout" by Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels, "My Dear Heart" by Shawn Robinson, River Of Tears" by by Barbara Banks, "She Blew A Good Thing" by The Poets, "I'm On My Way" by Dean Parrish and more. ~ Dusty Groove

INSPIRED! 2012 BLOOD SWEAT & CHEERS (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

An inspired set of soulful anthems put together by Harmless UK – one that's not so subtly inspired by the 2012 London Olympic Games – with a pretty deep selection of classic era Northern Soul, uptempo R&B, funk and otherwise driving, dancefloor-ready soul! The heart of the 2CD set is beating with old school sounds, but it's got a handful numbers from the past decade-or-so – and there are no clichéd jock jams to be found! Great stuff by Curtis Mayfield, Archie Bell & The Drells, Roscoe Shelton, Linda Jones, Alice Clark, The Inciters, LTG Exchange, Bettye Swann, Sly & The Family Stone, GQ, Kleeer, Aretha Franklin and more – plus more recent numbers by The Heavy, Des'Ree and others. 42 tracks on 2CDs! "Turnin' My Heartbeat Up" by The MVPs, "You Can't Take It" by Linda Jones, "Ride Your Pony" by Lee Dorsey, "Speed Up" by Betty Moorer, "Walk With A Winner" by Gene McDaniels, "Keep On Trying" by LTG Exchange, "Runnin' Away" by Sly & The Family Stone, "Standing Ovation: by GQ, "Jump To It" by Aretha Franklin, "Step By Step" by Joe Simon, "How You Like Me Now" by The Heavy and more. ~ Dusty Groove

TIA FULLER - ANGELIC WARRIOR

"Fuller is a modernist who incorporates touches of funk, gospel and R&B into her sound. Nevertheless, it's all articulated through a language that is rooted in postbop." - JazzTimes

Tia Fuller's third release on Mack Avenue Records, Angelic Warrior, marks her deep-rooted evolution as an instrumentalist, composer and bandleader. After five years in Beyoncé's band, the pop diva's attention to detail in the studio rubbed off on Fuller. She has since developed a heightened focus in the editing, mixing and mastering process of Angelic Warrior, as the producer. And as the Assistant Musical Director for Esperanza Spalding's Radio Music Society touring band, Fuller applies her pop and jazz chops on behalf of some of the hottest artists in music today.

On Angelic Warrior, Fuller makes an aesthetic statement that's fully her own. The album celebrates the peaceful demeanor of the 'angel' and the drive and determination of the 'warrior' spirit within. Fuller says, "While writing this album, I was balancing different aspects in my life and career...trying to pull from the 'warrior' energy, while remaining graceful in my spirit. We can all celebrate the Angelic Warrior within ourselves by trusting in our vision, doing the work and maintaining a level of peace." In addition, Angelic Warrior pays homage to the angels in Fuller's life: her family and friends. "I wanted to celebrate core individuals who serve as pillars of inspiration," she says.

shift in the texture of Fuller's front-line on Angelic Warrior is further evidence of her expansion as an artist. Instead of sharing the front-line with trumpet, this time it is with John Patitucci on piccolo bass (which can easily be mistaken for guitar).

"It was an exciting challenge for me, because I was expanding upon a new concept to utilize the electric bass as both a melodic and harmonic voice...playing contrapuntal lines with me," Fuller states. Patitucci's virtuosity and versatility is heard throughout, such as on "Royston Rumble" where he plays both melody and bass lines.

The piano and drum chairs are held by Fuller's sister Shamie Royston, and her brother-in-law Rudy Royston respectively, both to whom the first number "Royston's Rumble" is dedicated. Fuller calls the opening part of the song a "beautiful duel." She considers them role models because they set an example of work ethic and perseverance in the course of a marriage approaching two decades-"I wanted to celebrate their unconditional love for each other."

Drummer Ralph Peterson, Jr. is the inspiration for "Ralphie's Groove," a sultry song with a sexy beat derived from Peterson's "Surrender," itself inspired by a creative synthesis of Ahmad Jamal's "Poinciana" and Tony Williams' "Sister Cheryl."

The album's third track, "Angelic Warrior" is inspired by elements of Terri Lyne Carrington's GRAMMY® Award- winning recording, The Mosaic Project and the Beatles' "Blackbird." On the title track, the melody line on soprano soars as the drums play a military beat-Fuller "wanted to sonically portray the 'angel' in the melody and evolve to the 'warrior' element, reflecting the feeling of going to war. On a daily basis, we, as people, deal with so many things that require us to tap into that warrior spirit." Carrington is the inspiration for this song, "She encompasses the graceful, yet warrior spirit, who has blazed the pathway for many musicians and female instrumentalists," Fuller says.

Carrington explains, "From playing with great horn players like Wayne Shorter and Stan Getz, I just wanted to help and encourage her. I fell in love with Tia's playing. She has a lot of respect for the history of the music and has done her homework."

"Lil' Les," composed at the request of Leslie Browder, is a calming song that evokes the innocence of a children's tune. Fuller conceived it for Browder's then-unborn child, Lesleigh Marie Browder. "This song was actually the first that I wrote for the album. As a 'toy playing' theme for Lesleigh."

Fuller's father would call for "Body and Soul" when they'd gig together back in Colorado, her birthplace. "Here I'm paying homage to my mom and dad, the body and soul of the family. I wanted to incorporate a solid bass line to represent my father [bassist Fred Fuller] and feature master vocalist, Dianne Reeves, to celebrate my mother [vocalist Elthopia Fuller]. What a dream come true to have Dianne featured on this arrangement."

Fuller wrote her originals over a period of five months while on the road. For example, she sang the melody and bass line of "Descend to Barbados" into her voicemail when about to touch down in Barbados. Dedicated to good friend Mimi Jones, Fuller states, "Having come from Barbadian parents, Mimi has 'Descended from Barbados,' and serves as the ultimate groove master."

Structurally, "Ode to Be" is at the midpoint and end of the recording. Musically, she says, it's "a musical pause, allowing the album to breathe. The title has a dual meaning: an ode to Beyoncé spurred by a song she sang in a dream, and an ode to just 'being'."

"So In Love With All of You" is felicitous melding of two Cole Porter compositions. Carrington's arrangement, reminiscent of Thelonious Monk's "Evidence," inspirits the intro to this Porter tribute. The sax, bass and drum trio allows the longtime musical kinship between Carrington and Patitucci (having both played with Wayne Shorter) to be explored further. Fuller improvises on top of Carrington's cymbals like a surfer riding a wave as Patitucci provides a rhythmic and harmonic seabed.

"Tailor Made" is a rock-out backbeat tune Fuller penned for lifelong friend, Ed Legin. "We always talk about how you have to tailor-make your life for you. He loves R&B from the '70s." What better way to pay nostalgic homage to R&B than with a head-bopping groove inspired by another good friend, Esperanza Spalding and her song "Winter Sun." The short ballad "Core of Me" is a "celebration of the self, coming to a place of reflection and being comfortable in your own skin. Embracing who you are." "Simpli-City" begins basic, with sweet swing. Then urban complications enter, thus capturing the "duality: simple vs. complicated." For "Cherokee," Carrington's crafty arrangement grounds the rhythm in a hybrid jungle beat. "Terri Lyne and Rudy were playing simultaneously with this version. Two drummers plus a drum track! Merging the experience of house music meets jazz tradition," reflects Fuller.

Of Fuller's saxophone performance, Carrington says: "She plays with the kind of aggression that men do. My dad says, Tia's a woman playing that horn like it's supposed to be played. He's old-school. I understood what he meant." You will too when hearing the searing bite and intelligence-grounded-in-feeling of Fuller's alto and soprano sax. On alto, she's like a warrior-her fire and punch, as well as rhythmic freedom and drive are obvious to listeners. Furthermore, her soulful soprano sax styling is the angelic voice in her sound spectrum.

Fuller's aesthetic statement on Angelic Warrior is grounded in a jazz mode of expression that embraces both the classic and the contemporary sounds surrounding her. It's no mistake that artists from Ralph Peterson, Jr. and Esperanza Spalding to Terri Lyne Carrington and Beyoncé include her instrumental voice and vision in their work. With this recording, Tia Fuller surfaces clearly, rising to the top of her generation of musicians. Fusing traditions, styles, and unafraid of genre boundaries, Fuller's music transgresses the musical frontiers of today, manifest to last well into the future. Release Date: September 25, 2012

Angelic Warrior - Track Listing/Personnel
1. Royston Rumble (Tia Fuller) - 6:26
2. Ralphie's Groove (Tia Fuller) - 6:34
3: Angelic Warrior (Tia Fuller) - 5:53
4. Lil' Les (Tia Fuller) - 5:41
5. Body and Soul (feat. Dianne Reeves) - 7:00
6. Descend to Barbados (Tia Fuller) - 5:02
7. Ode to Be - Interlude (Tia Fuller) - 1:01
8. So in Love w/ All of You (Cole Porter) - 5:47
9. Tailor Made (Tia Fuller) - 7:08
10. Core of Me (Tia Fuller) - 2:32
11. Simpli-City (Tia Fuller) - 5:59
12: Cherokee (Ray Noble) - 3:47
13, Ode to Be - Outro (Tia Fuller) - 1:26

Tia Fuller: Alto Sax, Soprano Sax, Flute
Shamie Royston: Piano, Fender Rhodes
Mimi Jones: Acoustic Bass
Rudy Royston: Drums
Shirazette Tinnin: Percussion Track 2, 6, 9

Special Guests:
John Patitucci: Electric/Piccolo Bass Tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, Acoustic Bass Track 8
Terri Lyne Carrington: Drums Track 3, 8, 12
Dianne Reeves: Vocals Track 5

Upcoming Tia Fuller Appearances:
+ Indicates performance(s) with Tia Fuller Quartet
** Indicates performance(s) with Esperanza Spalding Radio Music Society

August 3 / Martha's Vineyard Jazz Festival / Oak Bluffs, MA (w/Terri Lyne Carrington Quartet)
August 11 / San Jose Jazz Festival / San Jose, CA
+ August 12 / Levitt Pavilion / Pasadena, CA
** August 21 / Humphrey's Concerts by the Bay / San Diego, CA
** August 22 / Hollywood Bowl / Los Angeles, CA
** August 24 / Wells Fargo Center for the Arts / Santa Rosa, CA
** August 25 / Paramount Theatre / Oakland, CA
+ September 1-3 / Detroit Jazz Festival / Detroit, MI (also w/Mack Avenue Super Band)
** September 7 / The Artiste 2012 / Seoul, South Korea
** September 9 / Tokyo International Forum Hall / Tokyo, Japan
+ September 14 / Cornell Concert Series - Bailey Hall / Ithaca, NY
** September 23 / Monterey Jazz Festival / Monterey, CA
** September 25 / Boulder Theater / Boulder, CO
** September 26 / The Ogden Theatre / Denver, CO
September 29 / BeanTown Jazz Festival / Boston, MA (sets w/Terri Lyne & Mosaic Project & Ralph Peterson Sextet)
** September 30 / State Theatre / Minneapolis, MN
+ October 3-6 / Dirty Dog Jazz Café / Grosse Pointe, MI
** October 8 / Orpheum Theater / Wichita, KS
+ October 10 - 12 / Madison Jazz Society / Madison, WI (Solo appearance 10 &11)
** October 19 / Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center / Atlanta, GA
+ ** October 20 / Clearwater Jazz Holiday / Clearwater, FL
** October 23 / Ferguson Center / Newport News, VA
** October 26-27 / Apollo Theater / New York, NY
** October 30-31 / Sala BBK (Club) / Bilbao, Spain
** November 2 / Frieburg Theatre / Frieburg, Germany
+ November 15 / Strathmore - Music in the Mansion Series / North Bethesda, MD
+ February 2, 2013 / TBD / Kalamazoo, MI
February 12-14, 2013 / Duke University (Residency) / Durham, NC

tiafuller.com

AMIKAEYLA - BEING IN LOVE

The big, broad, joyful musical vision of jazz vocalist and renaissance woman Amikaeyla is conveyed with grace and soulful authority on her new CD, Being in Love, which will be released on August 28 by RootsJazz Records.

Last year’s Eva Cassidy tribute CD on Patois Records, made with her singing partner Trelawny Rose, introduced national audiences to Amikaeyla’s glowing mezzo-soprano pipes and her embrace of unexpected repertoire choices. On Being in Love, those choices range from Lionel Hampton, Tom Jobim, and Bill Withers compositions to a traditional capoeira song and a Southern hambone, as well as several affecting originals—seemingly disparate styles unified by her poised, forward-looking artistry.

“I really do feel a deep connection to so many types of sounds,” says Amikaeyla. “Currently in the music industry, where you have to kind of pocket yourself in one genre, it’s really challenging for me because I want to be a part of all the things that make me happy sonically. Jazz is Roots music,” she adds, “and when you feel the music of, say, jazz and hambone, you realize that they are really part of the same tradition.”

Recorded in both Washington, DC and Oakland, Being in Love finds Amikaeyla surrounded by an all-star cast of world-class musicians. Members of Trio Globo—pianist, harmonica virtuoso, and pennywhistle blower Howard Levy, cellist Eugene Friesen, and percussionist Glen Velez—are present, individually and together, on all but one of the songs. Other contributors include bassist Esperanza Spalding, percussionists Sheila E., her brother Peter Michael Escovedo, John Santos, and Michael Spiro, guitarists Ray Obiedo (who co-produced the CD) and Theresa Perez, and singing percussionist Linda Tillery.

Born Amy Marie Gaston in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1968, Amikaeyla moved with her family to Potomac, Maryland, at age 6. She’d already begun piano studies with her mother, Dr. Marilyn LuAnne Hughes Gaston, and continued with a private teacher in Maryland, performing youth recitals with the National Symphony through high school.

Her father, Alonzo DuBois Gaston, played bass and conga drums with such artists as James Brown, Fats Domino, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk before becoming a professor at Howard University. There he served as the university’s liaison to Africa, and often the whole family went along on trips to Africa as well as Israel, Greece, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, and Mexico.

Dr. Gaston, a pioneer in screening children for sickle cell disease, served as Director of the Bureau of Primary Health Care in the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration from 1990 to 2001, working under three Surgeon Generals. “These are people who were always in my life and in my thinking, which is why music as medicine plays such a strong role in my life,” Amikaeyla says.

As a young woman, Amikaeyla performed around the DC area with West African, R&B, South Indian, Celtic, straight-ahead jazz, and Americana folk groups, winning eight Washington Area Music Association Awards in the process. In a 1999 Washington Post review of a CD by Bottomland, an R&B band in which she was featured, Mike Joyce wrote, “…best of all, singer Amikaeyla Gaston’s sinuous voice, sultry and spirited by turns.”

In 2003 in Michigan, Amikaeyla encountered five white men who screamed racial epithets at her, then ran over her with a truck, crushing her ribs into her lungs and causing third-degree burns over 70 percent of her lower body. She spent three months in intensive care, following by nearly a year in recovery. “I died and came back,” she says.

Musician friends from many cultures gathered in her room at Bethesda Naval Hospital to play and pray for her recovery. “The blessing of all that is it allowed me to explore medicine in a way that was larger than what I’d been exposed to as a child, which was just Western medicine,” she reflects. “I experienced the power of music as medicine and I experienced the power of intentional prayer. It changed my life.”

Amikaeyla recorded her debut album, Mosaic, in Washington in 2004 following her recovery, and since 2007 has been dividing her time between Washington and Oakland. In 2006, she traveled to New Delhi, India to sing for His Holiness the Dalai Lama at his request and founded the International Cultural Arts and Healing Sciences Institute shortly thereafter. She has since traveled throughout the world on its behalf. In 2010, she worked in the Middle East with Iraqi and Palestinian refugee children to help alleviate the pain and trauma caused by war. This year, she traveled to Sierra Leone, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan.

“I’m so blessed to travel as a cultural ambassador,” says Amikaeyla. “I’ve seen people coping with the stress of living and keeping their families together through war, poverty, and so much more yet we always connected through music. Music and love are always present.”

Amikaeyla brings her own music to Kuumbwa Jazz in Santa Cruz 8/24 and to Piedmont Piano Company in Oakland 10/12. She’ll also be performing at an Eva Cassidy tribute concert in Bethesda 8/16, with Trelawny Rose. European dates are being scheduled for the fall.

BRUBECK BROTHERS QUARTET - LIFETIMES

Since the early 1970s, Chris and Dan Brubeck have performed and recorded frequently with their father Dave in Two Generations of Brubeck, the New Brubeck Quartet, and Trio Brubeck. Now, on the Brubeck Brothers Quartet's new CD LifeTimes, they and "honorary brothers" Mike DeMicco (guitar) and Chuck Lamb (piano) have chosen to honor Brubeck père by reimagining a number of his best-known songs.

"Dave Brubeck's music is rich with challenging chord progressions and beautiful melodies," says Chris. "Dave is one of the biggest inspirations in all our lives, and we all thought it was time to salute his compositions, adding the BBQ's fresh approach to some of his most enduring tunes."

Those would be "Jazzanians," which first appeared on Trio Brubeck (1993) and was written in honor of the like-named multiracial South African student band led by eldest brother Darius Brubeck; "Kathy's Waltz," introduced on Dave's Time Out (1959) and named for his only daughter; "My One Bad Habit," inspired by a remark Ella Fitzgerald made to Dave ("My one bad habit is falling in love") and first sung by Carmen McRae on Dave and Iola Brubeck's 1961 all-star album The Real Ambassadors; and "The Duke," an Ellington tribute first recorded by Dave in 1955 and heard here in an arrangement with "a little bit of half time and double time from the first bar," says Dan, "with those grooves alternating throughout the track."

Also included is Dave's biggest hit "Take Five" (composed by Paul Desmond), which Dan kicks off with a second-line New Orleans groove in 5/4, along with two originals by pianist Lamb ("Go Round," "The Girl from Massapequa") and one by guitarist DeMicco ("Prezcence").

LifeTimes, BBQ's fourth CD and their first since 2008's Classified, is the latest chapter in the brothers' near-lifelong series of collaborations. Chris (b. 1952) and Dan (b. 1955) benefited from early exposure to the family business: the Brubeck Quartet regularly rehearsed at the Brubecks' Connecticut home, and drummer Joe Morello would leave his practice set behind. "He let me bang around on 'em," Dan recalls. "I used his drums all through high school."

Chris, who started on piano at age 5 and trombone in fourth grade, met Trummy Young, Louis Armstrong's trombonist, while Young and Armstrong were working with his parents on The Real Ambassadors and years later, as an adult, got to know Young. "He and Paul Desmond really shaped my ears," says Chris.

In addition to recordings and performances over the years with their illustrious father, Chris and Dan have recorded together with pianist Andy LaVerne (for Blackhawk); made two albums with brother Darius featuring Larry Coryell; and pursued their own very different individual paths. Chris, a self-taught arranger and composer, has had compositions commissioned and performed by orchestras around the world, including the Boston Pops, Baltimore Symphony, and Czech National Symphony Orchestra; he also tours and records with the blues-roots group Triple Play. Dan's résumé includes work with Coryell, Roy Buchanan, the Band, and the Dolphins, a group he co-founded with Mike DeMicco. Mike and Chuck Lamb first played together 30 years ago in Chuck's fusion group, Dry Jack. The intertwining pasts of the BBQ have helped them to forge a unique musical bond.

The Brubeck Brothers Quartet is touring this summer in support of LifeTimes, with shows scheduled as follows: ME; 8/2 Rockport (ME) Opera House (second half of concert: BBQ will perform Chris's Vignettes for Nonet with the Bay Chamber Concerts woodwind quintet); 8/25 Vancouver (WA) Wine & Jazz Festival; and 10/5 Fredfest, Fredericksburg, VA. (Photo of Chris and Dan by Stephane Colbert.)
On 9/12, the Quartet will embark on a two-week tour of Russia, co-sponsored by the U.S. State Department. The group will be performing by themselves as well as with the Russian National Orchestra (at Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow) and with various guest artists including saxophonist Igor Butman, flutist Maxim Rubstov, and trumpeter Vladislav Lavrik.

At the Tchaikovsky Hall concert, on 9/17, the group will perform selected tunes with the Orchestra, and Chris Brubeck and Vladislav Lavrik will play Chris's trumpet and trombone concerto, From the Blues to Beyond. Other dates include: 9/14 Igor Butman Jazz Club, Moscow; 9/19 Town Hall concert, Efremov; 9/21 Music School concert, Samar; 9/22 Moscow Conservatory Great Hall; 9/25 Mariinsky Concert Hall, St. Petersburg.

www.brubeckbrothers.com

ERIC VAUGHN - MINOR RELOCATION

Eric Vaughn has devoted most of his life to jazz, but recognition for his distinctively personal music has long eluded him. Vaughn's luck can be expected to turn, however, with the release on August 7 of Minor Relocation, the 58-year-old pianist/composer's first nationally distributed album.

The new CD, released on his Vaughn Music label, serves as an introduction to a fresh and intriguing voice on the piano. Vaughn describes his music, which fuses elements of Thelonious Monk, Art Tatum, McCoy Tyner, and others, as "hard bop to modern-esque." "I've definitely learned from the traditional players," he says. "I've taken from a little bit of everybody and I've taken some classical and I've put it all in there."

The "minor relocation" of the disc's title refers to the pianist's 2009 move back to the Bay Area from Seattle, where he'd resided the previous 12 years. Vaughn recorded the CD over a three-year period in both locales, working in Seattle with bassists Nate Omdal and Mark Bullis and drummers Nicholas Quitevis and Jamiel Nance, and in the Bay Area with tenor saxophonist Bob Kenmotsu, bassist John Wiitala, and drummer Kent Bryson. "I hadn't seen them in 35 years," Vaughn says of the three latter musicians, with whom he once worked in San Francisco's North Beach.

Most of the CD's repertoire consists of Vaughn's striking originals, including the swinging title track, the minor-blues-based "Tune for Trane," and the bossa ballad "Joyce," as well as his takes on "Stella by Starlight," "Alone Together," and "On Green Dolphin Street."

Bronx, NY-born Eric Vaughn grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut, where he moved at age 7 with his mother and stepfather, a semi-professional musician. When Eric was 9, both he and his stepdad began taking piano lessons from Sal Mosca, the Lennie Tristano disciple noted for his recordings with Lee Konitz, among others. The younger Vaughn continued his studies till he was 14, when basketball became a primary focus.

A basketball scholarship brought Vaughn to the University of San Francisco, but knee injuries thwarted his athletic ambitions. He applied for, and won, a music scholarship, despite having been away from his musical studies for nearly five years. Vaughn went on to earn his Bachelor's degree in music and a Master's in music performance, both from USF. Several years of classical piano lessons during this time "influenced my technique for sure and my ideas as well," he says now. "It's useful for improvising and my chops and reading."

Vaughn spent two years in the early '80s playing in Europe with bassoonist Michael Rabinowitz, another former Mosca student, then moved to Oakland and became part of a circle of avant-garde players that included saxophonists Ghasem Batamutu and Julius Hemphill, trumpeter Rasul Siddik, and bassist James Lewis. In 1985 he moved to Vancouver, BC and remained there for 12 years, performing regularly at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival and working a steady club engagement with trumpeter Gabriel Mark Hasselbach. He also spent two years in the early '90s touring as a member of former B.B. King bassist Russell Jackson's blues band.

During his years in Seattle (1997-2009), Vaughn played with his own groups and those led by tenor saxophonist Bert Wilson and conga drummer Billy Poindexter (son of Pony Poindexter). He recorded three little-noticed albums -- a solo piano date titled Reflections: Past and Present; the trio session A New Beginning; and The Chaotic World We Live In, on which he overdubbed piano and melodica parts. With Poindexter's quartet, he recorded Live at the Birkshire (2007).

Vaughn's "minor relocation" back to the Bay Area in 2009 marks an exciting new chapter in his musical life. A Kickstarter campaign is supporting the release of his new CD, and higher-profile gigs are coming his way. To celebrate the release of Minor Relocation, Vaughn and his quartet (Bob Kenmotsu, John Wiitala, Kent Bryson) will be performing at 142 Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley on Thursday 8/9 at 8pm. He's also set to appear at Rasselas, San Francisco, on Wednesday 8/15, 8pm, and at Piedmont Piano Company in Oakland on Saturday 10/13, 8pm, with more bookings in the works.

www.ericvaughnjazz.com

MELVIN TAYLOR - SWEET TASTE OF GUITAR

Melvin Taylor was born in 1959 in Jackson, Mississippi. His musical roots however have always been in Chicago, where he moved with his music-loving, guitar playing family when he was just three years old. Melvin started playing guitar himself at a very young age and was inspired and influenced by some of the world's greatest blues players - many of whom lived in or near his Chicago neighborhood.

By the time he was a teenager, Melvin's incredible ability and unique style was already grabbing attention on Maxwell Street. And indeed when Joe Willie Pinetop' Perkins needed a great guitarist to play his European tour, he invited Melvin to join the Legendary Blues Band. Melvin made an immediate impact on the European circuit, and while he was in France, he cut two albums - Blues on the Run in 1982, and Plays the Blues for You in 1984.

Following his return to the United States, Melvin recorded four additional CDs through Evidence Music - Bang That Bell in 1999, Dirty Pool in 2002, Melvin Taylor & the Slack Band in 2003, and Rendezvous With the Blues in 2004.

Melvin's recent burst of creativity has resulted in two new CD's, Beyond the Burning Guitar (2010) and Sweet Taste of Guitar (2012). Beyond the Burning Guitar contains 23 original, instrumental guitar songs plus Melvin's arrangement and adaptation of Beethoven's Fifth.

Melvin's 2012 release, Sweet Taste of Guitar is a splendid accomplishment for this virtuoso - he composed, arranged, produced and recorded 10 songs. What really makes this project unique is that Melvin plays all of the instrument on the CD. Both of these are available on iTunes and other digital sites.

With new management now in place, Melvin Taylor continues his musical journey into the 21st century. His unique sound and outstanding performance skills continue to thrill and entertain audiences around the globe.