NEW RELEASES - GENE AMMONS, GEORGE WALLINGTON, HANK CRAWFORD

GENE AMMONS - THE SOULFUL MOODS OF GENE AMMONS

A pair of soulful gems from tenorist Gene Ammons – back to back on a single CD! The Soulful Moods is beautiful beautiful work from tenorist Gene Ammons – and an album that really demonstrates that during the 60s, one of Ammons' strongest suits was his work with a mellow tune or ballad! The tracks here are wonderfully laidback, but never sleepy – very soulful, and solidly put together in that Ammons-made gentle-blown way – using just a few notes to send the message out with a powerful punch, without ever overdoing things the way that a few of his tenor contemporaries might be tempted to do! The group's a great fit too – with the lovely Patti Brown on piano, plus bass from George Duvivier and bass from Ed Shaughnessy – and titles include "Two Different Worlds", "Skylark", "Three Little Words", "Street Of Dreams", and "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To". The second album is Nice & Cool, but not in a west coast way – and instead a set that's got Gene Ammons working some wonderfully soulful magic on a set of gentle ballads! The set's got a brilliant late nite sort of feel – one of those tenor albums that seems to sound even better in the space past midnight – as the warm glow from Ammons' horn seems to sparkle even more strongly in the dark – standing out with that stark, spare approach that always makes his ballad work so special – and unlike just about anyone else. The group here is nice and cool too – with Richard Wyands on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and JC Heard on drums – and titles include "Someone To Watch Over Me", "I Remember You", "Willow Weep For Me", and "Till There Was You". ~ Dusty Groove

GEORGE WALLINGTON - THE NEW YORK SCENE

George Wallington's New York Scene is a very sharp one – touched by the fire of George's earliest bop influences, but expanded out here with a nice degree of late 50s modernism! The group has a drum-tight performance throughout – with Phil Woods on alto and Donald Byrd on trumpet providing an especially strong frontline – every bit as sharp as the best heard on Woods' seminal records from the same generation, but touched a bit more by some of Wallington's more introspective modes of later years. Rhythm is by Teddy Kotick on bass and Nick Stabulas on drums – and the album strikes a perfect balance between modern expression and personal interpretation – on titles that include "In Salah", "Up Tochickon Creek", "Dis Mornin", "Indian Summer", and "Sol's Ollie". ~ Dusty Groove

HANK CRAWFORD - SOUL CLINIC

One of the most highly-regarded albums of Hank Crawford's 60s run on Atlantic Records – a set when everything seems to come together just right – and provide an even better showcase than usual for Hank's soulful lines on alto sax! The set also features tenor from David Newman – easily a perfect companion to Crawford for the record – and the rhythms have a nicely laidback, easygoing vibe – almost more Prestige Records soul jazz than the usual Atlantic style of the time. The set's got some warm mellow instrumental versions of blues classics, plus a few originals like "Lorelei's Lament", "Blue Stone", and "Playmates". ~  Dusty Groove

BOZ SCAGGS ANNOUNCES TOUR DATES IN SUPPORT OF NEW ALBUM - MEMPHIS

Grammy Award-winning rock legend Boz Scaggs has put the finishing touches on his latest studio album titled Memphis. The multi-platinum selling musician just signed with 429 Records which will release the album on March 5th. On Tuesday, February 26th, Boz and band will perform " Cadillac Walk " on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. Showcasing both original songs and choice covers, Memphis was produced by Steve Jordan ( John Mayer ) and was recorded at Willie Mitchell's legendary Royal Studio in Memphis, where the late Mitchell recorded Al Green and other Hi Records artists. Joining Scaggs on MEMPHIS are Willie Weeks (bass), Ray Parker Jr. (guitars), Spooner Oldham (keyboards), the Memphis Horns, Lester Snell (string arrangements) and Steve Jordan (drums). Memphis will be available everywhere on March 5th.

William Royce "Boz" Scaggs began a long and storied career in 1965 with the release of his first solo recording Boz. Scaggs quickly developed into an iconic singer/songwriter cutting his teeth playing with Steve Miller on several highly successful projects and honing his rock and R&B chops working with the likes of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and Duane Allman . Scaggs hit it big in 1976 achieving multi-platinum success with Silk Degrees and its follow ups. Scaggs continued on a lauded and multi-genre musical journey to the present day. He and his band continue to tour worldwide and Scaggs also performs alongside Donald Fagan and Michael McDonald in their band billed as The Dukes of September.

BOZ SCAGGS 2013 TOUR SCHEDULE
March 21 - Modesto, CA - Gallo Center of the Arts
March 22 - Napa, CA - The Uptown Theatre
March 24 - Airway Heights, WA - N. Quest Casino - PendO'Reille Pavilion
March 26 - Palm Desert, CA - McCallum Theatre For the Performing Arts
April 05 - Dover, DE - Dover Downs Hotel & Casino – Rollins Ctr Ballroom
April 06 - Bridgeport, CT - The Klein Memorial Auditorium
April 08 - Worcester, MA - Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts
April 09 - Buffalo, NY - Univ. of Buffalo Center For the Arts
April 11 - Minneapolis, MN - State Theatre
April 12 - Saint Charles, IL - The Arcada Theatre
April 13 - Windsor, ON - Caesars Windsor
April 15 - Newport News, VA - Ferguson Center for the Arts
April 17 - Greenville, SC - Peace Center For the Performing Arts
April 19 - Meridian, MS - Riley Center for the Performing Arts
April 20 - Biloxi, MS - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
April 21 - Lafayette, LA - Heymann Performing Arts Center
April 23 - Midland, TX - Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center
April 24 - Dallas, TX - At&t Performing Arts Center - Annette Strauss Square
April 26 - Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater
April 27 - Houston, TX - Arena Theatre
June 16- San Francisco, CA – Stern Grove Festival

THE BRYAN FERRY ORCHESTRA - THE JAZZ AGE

It’s not uncommon now for artists of stature to rework standout moments from their canon. Recently Jeff Lynne revisited ELO’s catalogue, and Tori Amos re-recorded old songs with an orchestra. Some deem such moves a lazy admission that fresh ideas have expired; others relish seeing masterpieces in new light.
Yet Bryan Ferry, never averse to a re-make/re-model (as his lifelong parallel career as a covers-crooner of "ready-mades" has established), has cooked up something completely unexpected and unprecedented here. Not least because he doesn’t sing on it.

The Jazz Age is an instrumental set in which numbers spanning from Roxy Music’s Virginia Plain to Reason or Rhyme from most recent solo album Olympia are radically reimagined. Some are only faintly recognisable. His hits and cult items are fashioned as they might have been in the Paris of the Roaring Twenties, or the Gatsby ballrooms of F. Scott Fitzgerald (a poster-boy of doomed romanticism to whom Ferry has never struggled to relate).

Names like Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke and Duke Ellington will be bandied around. In fairness to Ferry, this isn’t a dilettante detour: he has always, since the time of Roxy’s 1972 debut, when it was far from cool to do so, named these artists as influences. Now with musical director Colin Good (who oversaw the 1999 standards album, As Time Goes By) arranging, another Ferry fantasy world emerges. Such is the devotion and sincerity (and musicianship) that it’s not an "easy"listen at all: the once supremely-stylised Do the Strand is now loose and freeform, while Avalon wafts blithely in and out of its melody.

Love Is the Drug sounds completely transformed without its bass hook, yet still wickedly alluring; Slave to Love becomes a strangely jaunty jitterbug. There is cheek as well as chic here. Yet, crucially, as the pining Just Like You (his most underrated song) displays, that trademark air of desire remains. A peculiar concept then, with Ferry now, almost Warhol-like, sagely mute to one side while collaborators silkscreen his own icons. As fascinating as it is perplexing, anything but obvious, and therefore to be applauded.

~ Chris Roberts / BBC

NEW RELEASES: THE WORLD NEEDS CHANGING: STREET FUNK & JAZZ GROOVES. KAI WINDING, CLARKEE-BOLAND BIG BAND

THE WORLD NEEDS CHANGING: STREET FUNK & JAZZ GROOVES 1967-1976

The world needs changing – and plenty of these tunes may well do it – thanks to infectious grooves and some very righteous message-oriented lyrics! The set's a great document of the positive, progressive energy going down in soul music during the heady days of the late 60s and early 70s – a time when the country was changing heavily, and the music was as well – moving into new styles, themes, and ideas – expressed here by a hip batch of cats who were working on some of the best indie labels of the underground! This set offers up a great mix of cool cuts from a variety of sources – a few gems from the Flying Dutchman label, some other obscure 45s, and even a few southern soul numbers that fit surprisingly well with the northern vibe of most of these numbers. Titles include "Walk Tall" by Esther Marrow, "Get Ready/Uptight" by Little Eva Harris, "All Power To The People (part 1)" by Joe Savage & The Soul People, "Soul Patrol" by The Original Soul Patrol, "Do It (inst)" by Johnny Griffith, "The World Needs Changin" by Hank Jacobs & Don Malone, "Sea Saw Affair" by Cesar 830, "Love Tones" by Melvin Sparks, "That's The Way It Goes" by Elaine Armstrong, "This Is The Me Me" by Brenda Jones with Groove Holmes, "Sissy Strut N American Woman" by The Willard Posey Reunion, and "Rudypoot" by Huck & The Soul Patrol. ~ Dusty Groove

KAI WINDING - SOUL SURFIN'

Some of the coolest work Kai Winding ever recorded – two very odd albums, back to back on a single CD! Soul Surfin is hardly the trombone jazz outing you might have guessed from Kai's famous work with JJ Johnson – and instead, an electrified set that's got plenty of cool 60s touches! Winding does play trombone, but the group also features lots of guitar from Kenny Burrell, electric piano from Paul Griffin, and ondioline from Jean Jacques Perry – who really gives the whole thing a cool sort of watery sound – making the guitar and trombone sound wonderful together! Burrell's at his boldest too – almost surf-ish in parts – and titles include the album's hit version of "More", plus "Gravy Waltz", "China Nights", "Pipeline", "Sukiyaki", "Tube Wall", "Sinner", and "Hearse Ride". Mondo Cane 2 is a sweet return of the cool sounds that Kai Winding cut on his Soul Surfin album – not really jazz, but a wicked hybrid of groovy 60s modes – set to larger orchestrations this time around, but still featuring some great ondioline from Jean Jacques Perry! Perry's instrument is really unique – gliding out here in ways that make the instrumental tunes cross over to worlds that Winding might never have touched before – augmented by great arrangements from Claus Ogerman, Charlie Calello, Billy Byers, and Winding himself! The set features guitar from Les Spann – and titles that include "Python", "Mondo Cane #2", "The Gospel Truth", "Warm", "Theme From The Medic", "The Struggle", and "Portrait Of My Love". ~ Dusty Groove

CLARKE-BOLAND BIG BAND - HANDLE WITH CARE

One of the first great moments from this legendary 60s ensemble – a brilliant pairing of American and European players – heard here in one of their pre-MPS sessions! Group founder Gigi Campi is well-placed at the helm – as both producer and supervisor – giving the ensemble the vital energy that made them different from so many other groups of previous years – a quality that almost has them hitting like a small combo, especially on the breakout solo moments on the set. Players include Benny Bailey and Idrees Sulieman on trumpets, Sahib Shihab and Derek Humble on reeds, and Fats Sadi on vibes – not to mention core rhythms from Francy Boland on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums. The group's inventive style of writing and arranging is already in place – and titles include "Long Note Blues", "Speedy Reeds", "Sonor", and "Om Mani Padme Hum". ~ Dusty Groove

THE BILL HORVITZ EXPANDED BAND - THE LONG WALK

Eight years after his brother's untimely death, guitarist and composer Bill Horvitz pays homage to Philip with his latest release, The Long Walk, set for national release, April 2. Special tribute performances are being planned for the SF Bay Area (March) as well as New York (June).

The Long Walk is a suite of eight pieces composed by Bill Horvitz for the 17-piece Bill Horvitz Expanded Band as a tribute to his youngest brother Philip Horvitz, who passed away suddenly of a heart failure in 2005 at the age of 44. Philip was an inspired writer, director, actor, dancer, and choreographer, who worked primarily in San Francisco and New York. The music includes a wide range of styles drawing on jazz, funk, folk, and new music. The compositions are tightly composed and arranged and contain sections of conducted improvisation. Each piece relates in some way to a part of Philip's life.

After Philip died, Horvitz wanted to compose music as a tribute to him, and about a year after his death, began hearing the beginnings of new compositions that felt in different ways related to Philip's life. As Horvitz worked tirelessly on his compositions, the music evolved and he began adding instruments. The resulting pieces are a collection of jazz, rock, folk, classical, and funk-influenced works that have come out of the enormous range of emotions Horvitz has felt since his brother's untimely death, "I did not compose this music with literal ideas about Philip in mind, but found elements that related to him as each piece grew." For example, "Child Star" with all the appropriate fanfares, refers to a time very early in Philip's life when he often performed for his family, "Philip would create theatrical pieces, command performances based on Broadway musicals, for which he printed and sold tickets. He would dance in the living room and lip sync or sing along with recordings, all highly choreographed and rehearsed to a tee."

Bill Horvitz has spent nearly 40 years combining composition and improvisation and expanding the voice of the guitar in both large and small ensembles. Between 1978 and 1988 he lived and worked in New York City, where he worked with a long list of composers and musicians. Horvitz' lengthy and varied experience in the realms of jazz, rock, classical, folk, and new music have resulted in an entirely original compositional voice-a voice that is forceful and innovative, yet always intelligently accessible. As a guitarist, Horvitz stretches the boundaries of guitar music and points it in new and exciting directions. He fuses traditional and extended techniques in a most inventive way; his strikingly personal instrumental vision endows his music with an infinite array of tonal color.

The pieces in The Long Walk combine through-composed, tightly arranged music with a variety of settings for improvisation. Exercising his creative writing abilities with his Expanded Band proves to an exhilarating experience for Horvitz, "The instrumentation includes brass, winds, strings, and rhythm section and enables me to shift between a traditional jazz sound and something less conventional." The Expanded Band includes a stellar line-up of some of the San Francisco Bay Area's (and beyond) finest musicians, who add an enormous amount to the music already on the page as excellent readers, interpreters, and improvisers.

The improvised portions commonly begin with one or two soloists and build from there as directed by conductor Omid Zoufonoun. Hailing from a renowned family of Persian musicians, instrumentalist and composer Zoufonoun studied conducting in Vienna for three years.

When performed live, Horvitz introduces the pieces with brief stories about Philip, connecting the music to him. These stories have a profound impact on the audience as well as the musicians. The stories are poignant, evocative, and often quite humorous. Band members play the music with increased passion, and following the concerts, audience members speak of being deeply moved, sharing similar experiences of loss of their own. This, for Horvitz, is the most significant part of the project-how the combination of story and music touches people, uniting all in the human experience. Writer David Templeton said, "The program has universal appeal, beautifully illustrating how the loss of someone very close can be turned into a work of healing, acceptance, and love."

The first Expanded Band performances came in the fall of 2006 in San Francisco and Sebastopol, California. The original ensemble included twelve musicians, and by the spring of 2007, the ensemble grew to 20 and performed the music in New York City at Roulette. In 2009 Horvitz had yet another vision for his Expanded Band, opting to revise the music extensively, add a new piece, and slightly alter the instrumentation. From this the ensemble came into existence as it is today, with 17 musicians and a conductor. The music was recorded in 2011 at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, CA.

In addition to leading and playing in The Bill Horvitz Expanded Band, since 2004, he has sung and played guitar, banjo, and ukulele with TONE BENT, a folk duo with his wife, composer, musician and singer Robin Eschner. Their first release, Say What You Will, has been described as "a roaring ride through the heartland of human experience." They're second release Angels In the Kitchen will be released in the spring of 2013. Horvitz also leads and composes for the instrumental trio, The Skerries, with bassist Scott Walton and drummer Tom Hayashi. He is a founding member of Take Jack, a nine-member vocal and instrumental band and has composed music for theater, film, dance, art installation, and spoken word.Upcoming Bill Horvitz

Expanded Band Appearances:
March 22 / Duende / Oakland, CA
March 23 / The Glaser Center / Santa Rosa, CA
June 30 / Roulette / Brooklyn, NY

www.billhorvitz.com

MARK LOCKHEART - ELLINGTON IN ANTICIPATION

Over 30 years, tenor saxophonist Mark Lockheart has steadily built up an impressive and eclectic discography. Alongside albums on which he is leader – this is the eighth – he has been a member of such groundbreaking groups as Loose Tubes, Perfect Houseplants and Polar Bear. He’s also guested on classic records like Prefab Sprout’s Steve McQueen and Radiohead’s Kid A.

To record Ellington in Anticipation, Lockheart selected a star-studded group including his Polar Bear bandmates bassist Tom Herbert and drummer Seb Rochford plus piano ace Liam Noble.

Alongside Lockheart are Finn Peters on alto sax and flute, clarinettist James Allsopp and violinist Emma Smith. That instrumentation gave Lockheart a versatile palette which he’s exploited to produce a rich variety of moods and textures. The album’s 11 tracks include such well-loved Duke Ellington pieces as Mood Indigo and Creole Love Call alongside four Lockheart originals which borrow from and pay homage to Ellington.

Though Lockheart has been an Ellington fan for 40 years, this is not a tribute album of faithful recreations. Each piece has been rethought and radically remodelled to create vibrant new music. The end results are Ellington for the 21st century. So, the version of Take the A Train only includes an impressionistic reading of its distinctive horn riff. This piece is used as the basis for a loose, free-flowing improvisation with notable contributions from piano, drums and all three reeds.

In contrast, Lockheart’s My Caravan begins loosely as a percussion-driven improvisation which evolves gradually until closing with a full-blooded rendition of the refrain from Ellington’s own Caravan. Above all, Lockheart is a first-rate composer and arranger, with Ellington’s knack of deploying individual players to give pieces distinctive characters. His full-bodied tenor playing impresses throughout, both as a soloist and in conjunction with Finn and Allsopp.

Noble’s piano playing repeatedly commands attention, notably on Beautiful Man where he is joined by Smith’s violin to create an appealingly meditative mood, and solo on the hauntingly beautiful closing track Indian Summer. Ellington in Anticipation seems sure to appeal equally to fans of Polar Bear, Lockheart and the Duke.

~ John Eyles / BBC

CLINTON FEARON - HEART AND SOUL

During the roots reggae heyday of the 1970s, several noteworthy groups made it onto the roster of major labels. The Gladiators were one of the greatest reggae harmony trios to be signed to Virgin Records. Their signing may have come about partly because lead singer Albert Griffiths had a similar tenor range to Bob Marley’s, but regardless of the particulars, The Gladiators crafted many fine albums during their tenure at Virgin.

Bassist/guitarist Clinton Fearon was the perfect foil to Griffiths, his rich baritone a superb counterpart to his bandmate's high tenor. Fearon’s work in The Gladiators can be likened to that of Jerry Butler’s in The Impressions, or Mick Jones’ in The Clash – he did not sing lead very often, but when he did, both his lyrics and vocal delivery really stood out.

Fearon moved to Seattle during the 1980s, and launched his solo career there. Yet he has managed to retain the same level of authenticity on his newer albums as heard of his Jamaican works, and this is true of Heart and Soul. This album follows his unplugged touring in the US and Europe. His association with Earl ‘Chinna’ Smith’s Inna Di Yard project has proved invaluable in shaping Heart and Soul, which recasts great Gladiators tracks in a solo acoustic setting.

Let Jah Be Praised retains its power to move. In fact, with only a few guitar chords to frame it, the lyrics penetrate the listener on an even deeper level. Likewise, Chatty Chatty Mouth, which was aimed at a particular Jamaican politician, conveys a heavy message in a deceptively simple form. Untrue Girl and Jah Almighty simply sound glorious, as does the rest of the disc.

This UK edition has a couple of bonus tracks as well, not present on a slightly earlier French release, which only add to this already excellent album’s appeal. With exceptional live performances complementing this studio output, it’s clear Fearon’s lost none of his magic. 

~ David Katz / BBC

JOE COCKER- FIRE IT UP

Fire It Up finds Joe Cocker continuing the commercially rewarding partnership he struck up with producer Matt Serletic on 2010’s Hard Knocks. And as with its predecessor, Serletic’s highly selective production ensures everything is exactly where you’d expect it to be. The redemptive swell of Hammond organ, a sweet soothing trill from backing vocalists, snap-crack snare drums, rootsy guitar breaks and, on occasion, jabs of well-drilled brass are all present and correct.

In opting for such a clean and tidy approach, and doing away with any potentially unsightly loose ends, Serletic’s formulaic plan ensures there’s nothing in the way of surprises, fireworks or serendipity – the very elements which were such a distinctive hallmark of Cocker’s earliest successes. Not being a renowned songwriter himself, Cocker is largely defined by the songs he sings, and as such is necessarily judged by company he keeps in the present rather than the laurels of the past.

Fire It Up is uncontentious stuff whose anodyne drift is exemplified in the by-the-numbers air-punch of Eye on the Prize. It’s not so much a song as a catchy chorus waiting for the movie sync rights to be optioned. Perhaps the best of the 11 slender songs that comprise Fire It Up is I Come in Peace, blessed as it is with a driving bluesy bounce and useful groove, atop which Cocker deploys his strangulated growl with something approaching passion.

Yet for much of the record, he seems content to be merely skim over exquisitely manicured settings without ever digging in to find anything that feels like home. Whilst this is undoubtedly an accessible set, the price for Cocker sounding so innocuous is to end up being something of a tourist on his own record.

~ Sid Smith / BBC

NEW RELEASES - ESTEREO, LISA TAYLOR, NANCY WILSON

BOMBA ESTEREO - ELEGANCIA TROPICAL

The best album so far from this up-and-coming Colombian group – a great mix of rootsy elements and more electronic production – served up in the forward-reaching style we've come to love in recent projects from the Soundway label! Bomba Estereo are easily one of the most contemporary groups to hit the imprint of late – and they've got no trouble at all moving between upbeat, soulful styles and more earthy levels of instrumentation – all fused together with the kind of warmth and joy we might expect in some of the older productions from Luaka Bop, but with a bit more edge too. Titles include "Bosque", "Bailar Conmigo", "Pa Respirar", "Mozo", "Pajaros", "Pure Love", and "Caribbean Power". ~ Dusty Groove

LISA TAYLOR - LET LOVE SHINE

From the Big Island of Hawaii, Lisa Lehua Taylor has been singing her entire life. Growing up in a household where she was exposed to Theatre at a very young age and her parents played everything from Led Zeppelin, Joni Mitchell and The Beatles to Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, she was always encouraged to pursue her love of music. Lisa finally started performing at the age of 10 and hasn't stopped since! After years of making a living as a Vocalist in her home state, and performing with some of the best musicians the State has to offer, she's also performed in Japan, Korea and Singapore. Since moving to Santa Cruz, California 8 years ago, Lisa has quickly built a name for herself on the Central Coast and Bay Area. On top of all of the performing, She has lent her vocal talent to many recording projects and completed her debut album "LT" in 2010. Her highly anticipated album "Let Love Shine" was released February 1, 2013. Lisa's main musical influence is, Prince. Other artists that she's inspired by are Kimbra, Andy Allo, Corinne Bailey Rae, Jill Scott, Faith Evans, Justin Timberlake, The Fleet Foxes, Grace Potter, A Perfect Circle.


NANCY WILSON - HELLO YOUR LOVERS

Signed by Capitol in 1960, Nancy Wilson enjoyed her first hit with Guess Who I Saw Today, a single that would prove to be the first of several major hits for the singer. By 1962 Nancy was rightfully regarded as one of the best female singers around, mixing Dinah Washington's jazz stylings with Sarah Vaughan's jazz tone, a mix that proved irresistible on Nancy's collaborative album with Cannonball Adderley. Later the same year Nancy released Hello Young Lovers, her fourth album for Capitol. With arrangements by George Shearing, the album continued her hot streak, hitting #49 on the Billboard chart and earning her a number of monikers, of which Fancy Miss Nancy would appear to be the most apt. ~ CD Universe

ANDREA PIZZICONI AND THE ORIENTE LOPEZ JAZZ ENSEMBLE - LEARNING TO LIVE

It all started with a bet. Andrea Pizziconi has been a long admirer of Big Picture Learning and their pioneering work to sustain innovative schools that foster real-world learning environments for economically challenged youth around the world. Last fall over lunch, friend and co-founder of Big Picture Elliot Washor said, "Record a jazz album for us, and I'll put together the team to create our first arts-oriented charter school in Harlem, New York." It was an offer Andrea couldn't refuse. From there, Andrea had the great fortune of enlisting Grammy Award-winning jazz pianist and composer Oriente Lopez and his fabulous musical colleagues -- Julio Botti (saxophone), Itaiguara Brandi£o (bass), and Mauricio Zottarelli (drums)-- to lend their talents to an album and a concert, suddenly: SCHOOL IS IN SESSION!

This album was put together to support a deep passion we all share to create schools where performance is a measure of not just what you know, but also where you have been and who you are. As you listen, you will hear musicians who have worked thousands of hours to achieve their sense of self, and who have become accountable to themselves and their community. The great jazz composer and pianist Ramsey Lewis said, "When you get to the top, don't forget to send the elevator back down." The musicians performing on this album "send the elevator back down" by helping our young people understand just how much dedication and mentoring it takes to really master something. The songs chosen for this album are a tribute to great jazz musicians like Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Phyllis Hyman, who spent decades crafting their musicality even as they continued to share their talent with the public to great esteem. Like the students in our Big Picture Schools, they spent their entire careers being mentored by the great musicians who came before them. Eventually they become the mentors and masters, and sustain the next generation. Big Picture students learn in the same way and are also assessed by what they can do in real-world contexts. They are learning to live. The proceeds of this album support a new Big Picture School in Harlem, where each student will be mentored to pursue personal interests and achieve life goals. Connecting jazz and real-world learning underscores Big Picture Learning's philosophy-marrying inspiration and impact. Enjoy! ~ CD Universe

MICHAEL BUBLE TO RELEASE NEW CD - TO BE LOVED

Michael Bublé's highly anticipated new studio album "To Be Loved" is scheduled to be released on April 23rd in the US (April 15th internationally). The first single, "It's A Beautiful Day," co-written by Bublé, is scheduled to be released February 25th. "To Be Loved," Bublé's sixth studio album, follows his "Christmas" CD which sold seven million copies internationally and was the number two biggest selling album of 2011 (after Adele).

"To Be Loved," produced by Bob Rock, was recorded in Vancouver and Los Angeles and includes a mix of standards as well as four original songs all co-written by Bublé. "After All," one of the four originals, was co-written and performed by fellow Canadian Bryan Adams. The new album also includes hits previously recorded by some of Bublé's musical heroes including the Bee Gees hit "To Love Somebody," Dean Martin's "Nevertheless (I'm In Love With You)", the Jackson 5 early '70s smash "Who's Loving You," Jackie Wilson's "To Be Loved" and the Elvis Presley classic "Have I Told You Lately." Bublé is joined by actress Reese Witherspoon on the classic Frank and Nancy Sinatra duet "Something Stupid."

"My new record is about love, happiness, fun and yummy things. Getting to work with my friend and longtime collaborator Bob Rock ('Call Me Irresponsible,' 'Crazy Love' and 'Christmas') who produced the entire album was very exciting. We're a good team. I love the songs we selected this time out. It was also terrific working once again with my songwriting partners," commented Bublé. Later this year, Bublé is scheduled to perform 10 sellout shows at London's O2 Arena beginning June 30th.

WOBEONFEST AUSTIN WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL TO FEATURE ANGELIQUE KIDJO, FATOUMATA DIAWARA, COLLIE BUDDZ AND OTHERS

Several more stars have joined the lineup for WobeonFest, a two-day international music celebration taking place in Downtown Austin on April 6 and 7, 2013.

Fatoumata Diawara, recently cited by NPR as one of the breakout stars of NYC's globalFEST, has been gaining buzz for her crackling performances and socially-conscious lyrics. From civil-war torn Mali, her music is representative of the modern African musician.

"We're incredibly excited," says WobeonFest founder Jakes Srinivasan. "Malian music has influenced so much of the world’s modern music – including blues and jazz. Fatoumata Diawara is such a powerful voice for women, for musicians, for human rights,… and she’s just riveting to watch live."

Bomba Estéreo is a Colombian band who gained favor with Austinites during their electric South by Southwest® (SXSW®) festival showcases in 2009 and 2010, and the Austin City Limits® (ACL) festival in 2011. Organized by Simon Mejía and fronted by Liliana Saumet, their music is a joyful, frenetic mash-up of electronic dub and hip-hop, and is known for drawing tremendous crowds.

Also joining the roster are La Santa Cecilia, a vibrant, modern-day hybrid of Latin culture, Rock and World music (from Los Angeles, who recently also performed at globalFEST); Mohammed Alidu, an acclaimed musician from Ghana who leads his band through heart-pumping grooves with his spiritual voice and talking drum; and Colombian singing sensation Duina del Mar who is teaming up with Austin-based Brazilian-Rock-Fusion band Suns Of Orpheus.

Wobeon®Fest - co-hosted by the United Way for Greater Austin who will receive a portion of the proceeds - will be held in Downtown Austin at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center. Angelique Kidjo (Afropop; from Benin) is the April 6 headliner, while Collie Buddz (Reggae; from Bermuda) will headline April 7. Other performers announced previously and confirmed to date include Dubtonic Kru (Reggae; from Jamaica), MAKU SoundSystem (Afro-Colombian; from Colombia/NYC), and Atash (Middle-Eastern; from Austin).

THE LIONS - THIS GENERATION

Inspired by reggae, sound system culture and the myriad of musical styles influenced by Jamaican music old and new, The Lions’ sound is firmly placed in soul music.

“All the guys in The Lions grew up on classic Jamaican records so since we began we have wanted to give our records that same edge and roughness that we grew up hearing on LPs by The Upsetters, Soul Syndicate, The Rockers Band and Roots Radics. The rhythm section was all recorded to tape, the Hammond buzzed a little, fuses blew and good mistakes were left in. We basically made the dusty reggae soul LP WE have been wanting to hear for years.” – Dan Ubick (producer)

The band draws together a dozen or so of LA’s elite reggae and soul forerunners who loosely coalesced as The Lions in 2007. Members of the legendary ska band Hepcat, Deston Berry and Alex Désert, form half of the vocal team, and the latter also has a successful career on screen, including roles in the films Swingers and High Fidelity. The other half is the sweet falsetto of Malik Moore and DJ stylings of Black Shakespeare, the charismatic cousin of Robbie Shakespeare (of Sly & Robbie fame) and co-runner of the i&i Sound System, a customised ice cream van bringing bass to the streets of the west coast and featured on the cover of both Saul Williams’ self-titled album and an issue of XLR8R Magazine.

Other members include guitarist Dan Ubick, formerly of Breakestra, Macy Gray co-writer and collaborator Dave Wilder on bass, plus musicians who have played with the likes of De La Soul, Barrington Levy, Beck, Raphael Saadiq, Big Daddy Kane and Black Eyed Peas.

"Like Daniel, I would step into The Lions’ den for this sound! Yes they are fierce – the kings of the jungle” – Jeremy Sole, KCRW

The album The Lions “This Generation” (Stones Throw) is going to be released March 1, 2013.

~ grooveattack.com

NEW RELEASES - ELVIN JONES, CHICO HAMILTON, EDDIE HENDERSON

ELVIN JONES - MR. JONES

A overlooked gem in Elvin Jones' Blue Note career – and an album that's virtually the blueprint for the Stone Alliance sound forged later in the decade by bassist Gene Perla and reedman Steve Grossman! Both players are working to full effect on this smoking little set – mixing some of the more spiritual modes of other group members with their own sharper-edged, funky-leaning styles – all held together perfectly by both Jones' tight work on drums, and his expansive musical vision! Other players are great too – and include Pepper Adams on baritone sax, David Liebman on flute and tenor, and Jan Hammer on acoustic piano – an instrument he handles with surprising subtlety and soul. Many cuts have a hard, choppy groove – and titles include a remake of "Gee Gee", plus "One's Native Place", "Mr Jones", and "What's Up – That's It". ~ Dusty Groove

CHICO HAMILTON - CHICO HAMILTON & THE PLAYERS

Chico Hamilton in the 70s just can't miss – he's really changed loads from his mellow 50s work in LA, and has a tendency to go for a hard grooving sound – but also one that's slightly left of center than the work of most other 70s jazz drummers – and we mean that in a good way! This cooking set for Blue Note is a great example of that offbeat approach – a tight set of fusion tracks with a warm finish and an edgey approach to the rhythms – awash with some really compelling numbers that will have you hunting down the rest of Chico's work from the decade! The group's got a great mix of acoustic and electric musicians – including Steve Turre on electric bass, Arthur Blythe on alto, Rodney Jones on guitar, and Abdullah on congas – and titles include the massive groover "Abdullah's Delight", plus the cuts "Ode to Miles", "Sex Is A Cymbal", "Mr Sweets", "First Light", and "Adair". ~ Dusty Groove

EDDIE HENDERSON - SUNBURST

Funky fusion doesn't get any funkier than this – and the album's one of the greatest 70s recordings by jazz funk trumpeter Eddie Henderson! The album's got a harder edge than a lot of Eddie's other records of the decade – razor sharp rhythms crackling away underneath a sublime space-heavy mix of keyboards, bass, saxes, and Eddie's funky trumpet. The group includes work by Bennie Maupin on reeds, George Duke on keyboards, Julian Priester on trombone, and Harvey Mason on drums – and the great Skip Drinkwater is at the production chair, cutting the grooves here with a lot more fire than in some of his later work! The whole thing's great – and titles include "Galaxy", "Kumquat Kids", "Involuntary Bliss", and "Explodition". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - BOBBY HUTCHERSON / CARMEN MCRAE / EARL KLUGH, BLUE NOTE NOW, HORACE SILVER

BOBBY HUTCHERSON / CARMEN MCRAE / EARL KLUGH - BLUE NOTE MEETS THE L.A. PHILHARMONIC

An oft-overlooked gem from 70s Blue Note – and a great little record that's especially nice for the Bobby Hutcherson material! As you'd guess from the title, there's a larger orchestra working with the artists here – and in Hutcherson's case, this creates the same sort of soulful, sophisticated feel as his excellent Conception The Gift Of Love album – vibes mixed with strings, underscored by hip rhythms, and coming off as a wonderful extension of Bobby's earlier 70s work. His group features Manny Boyd on tenor and soprano, and George Cables on piano – and arrangements are by Dale Oehler, on tracks that include "Now", "Slow Change", and "Hello To The Wind" – all numbers co-penned with Eugene McDaniels, but done here as instrumentals. Carmen McRae sounds great in the setting too – similar to her other excellent Blue Note sides of the mid 70s – with Bill Holman arrangements on tunes that include "With One More Look At You", "Star Eyes", "The Man I Love", and "Sunday". Earl Klugh rounds things out with his own sweet guitar, plus keyboards from Onaje Allen Gumbs – set to Dick Hazard arrangements of "Angelina", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", and "Cabo Frio". ~ Dusty Groove

BLUE NOTE NOW - VARIOUS ARTISTS

Blue Note Now – and Blue Note Then – a cool little set that mixes contemporary grooves from the Blue Note catalog with some of the older gems that made the label great back in the 50s, 60s, and 70s! In truth, some of the contemporary cuts go back more than a few years – but come together nicely on CD1, to show the way the label's really grown in the past decade or two – moving into great soulful territory with tracks like "Little B's Poem" by Quasimode, "Freedom Dance" by Lionel Loueke, "It's All Over Your Body" by Jose James, "Black Radio" by Robert Glasper Experiment, "Soin Something" by Soulive, and "Time After Time" by Cassandra Wilson. CD2 features loads of older killers – including "Feel Like Makin Love" by Marlena Shaw, "Harlem River Drive" by Bobbi Humphrey, "Kathy" by Horace Silver, "Adams Apple" by Wayne Shorter, "Afrodisia" by Kenny Dorham, "Black Byrd" by Donald Byrd, and "Speedball" by Lee Morgan. ~ Dusty Groove

HORACE SILVER - SILVER 'N' PERCUSSION

An excellent 70s album from Horace Silver – one that's often overlooked, but which yields of listening joy, once you open it up! The set's got some wonderful modal/spiritual numbers – in a mode that would make the record highly prized if it were issued on Strata East, and which is pretty darn great for Blue Note at the time – easily one of Silver's most righteous moments of the late 70s! The percussion promised in the title really stands out – and helps shape the rhythms with an even more exotic feel than usual – but the set also cooks with some great horn solos too – trumpet by Tom Harrell and tenor by Larry Schneider – both players whose arcing lines really help add a lot of color to the grooves. The whole thing's great – proof that Silver never stopped growing as an artist – and titles include "The Aztec Sun God", "The Mohican & The Great Spirit", "The Gods Of The Yoruba", and "The Spirit Of The Zulu". ~ Dusty Groove

ROBERT HURST - BoB: A PALINDROME

Bassist Robert Hurst is an M.V.P. -- a long-standing member of Diana Krall's and Chris Botti's touring bands, an esteemed colleague of jazz stars like Branford Marsalis and Robert Glasper, and most recently a key player on Sir Paul McCartney's Grammy-winning Kisses on the Bottom. But Hurst's own recordings, with his compositions and his bands front and center, are especially welcome events in the jazz world. On March 12, BoB: A Palindrome, an all-star Hurst date and the fourth release on his Bebob label, will be released after an unusually lengthy gestation.

Recorded in October 2001, the CD features a stellar lineup including Marsalis and Glasper as well as Bennie Maupin and Marcus Belgrave (Detroiters like Hurst), Jeff "Tain" Watts, and Adam Rudolph. It immediately follows a pair of simultaneously released, critically praised 2011 albums: Unrehurst, Volume 2, an electrifying live piano trio date recorded in 2007 featuring Robert Glasper and Chris Dave (Unrehurst, Volume 1, featuring Glasper and Damian Reed, came out in 2004), and Bob Ya Head, a politically tinged, radio-friendly studio work that delves into Afro-pop and electronica.

In 2004, Hurst became an Associate Professor of Music, now tenured, at the University of Michigan. It was a positive development that required a reordering of his career priorities. He had hoped to release BoB: A Palindrome by then, but in the days following 9/11, it was difficult to find time to put all of its pieces together. Between flying back and forth between Los Angeles (where he was a member of the Tonight Show band) and Michigan, and recording and touring with Diana Krall and Chris Botti, he also needed more time to complete Bob Ya Head, which he began working on during 2007.

With originals written as far back as 1985, BoB: A Palindrome draws warm inspiration from people who have played important roles in Hurst's life, and the sessions proved to be an exercise in spiritual healing. The jaunty and elegant "3 for Lawrence," which begs for a big band treatment, pays tribute to Lawrence Williams, a drummer and composer from Detroit who set an important example for Hurst before his untimely death. The patiently unfolding, powerfully climactic "Big Queen" and sweetly reflective "Little Queen" were written for Hurst's wife (and manager) Jill and daughter Jillian. "Tigers on Venus" commemorates a day on which Tiger Woods and Venus Williams both triumphed, a doubly proud moment for African Americans.

Then there's "Middle Passage Suite," a lyrical, three-part meditation on black history inspired in part by Charles Johnson's prize-winning novel, Middle Passage. And the Headhunter-like "Jamming (Ichabad)," a fusion-y workout that, as literary sleuths can deduce from the parenthetical reference, has no head.

Robert Hurst was born in Detroit and took up bass as a young boy after seeing the Modern Jazz Quartet perform and meeting Percy Heath. Trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, a Detroit icon, was an early mentor for Hurst, who began working professionally with Belgrave at 15. After meeting drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts on a gig, Hurst was recommended by Tain to his boss, Wynton Marsalis, whose group the bassist joined after college at the University of Indiana and with whom he recorded seven albums for Columbia.

In 1985, the year he made his recording debut on Out of the Blue, a Blue Note Records project featuring a group of young lions including Kenny Garrett and Ralph Peterson, Hurst began touring with Marsalis. He stayed with the band (which initially included brother Branford and pianist Marcus Roberts) for three years, appearing on such classics as Live from Blues Alley and J Mood. "That was when I started to take myself seriously as a jazz musician and began feeling a real sense of pride in being one," he recalls.

In 1989, Hurst began working with Branford Marsalis and remained for five years, again recording for Columbia. Hurst continued on with Branford to California to begin work on The Tonight Show. When Marsalis left leadership of the show's band in 1994, Hurst stayed on for another six years.

The bassist debuted on record as a leader in 1993 with Robert Hurst Presents: Robert Hurst (DIW/Columbia), featuring Kenny Kirkland, Branford Marsalis, Marcus Belgrave, Ralph Jones, and Jeff "Tain" Watts. Most of the music on the disc was specifically written with this exact personnel in mind. The following year, Hurst released a trio session, One for Namesake (DIW/Columbia), with Kirkland and Elvin Jones.

In support of BoB: A Palindrome, the Robert Hurst Ensemble will be appearing Fri. 4/5 as part of the Detroit Chamber Winds' Nightnotes Series, at Hagopian Carpets in Birmingham, MI; and Fri. 5/3 in the WEMU/Sesi Motor 501 Series at the Ravens Club in Ann Arbor. Hurst is also scheduled to headline the Detroit Jazz Festival on Labor Day weekend. More dates are in the works.

HERBIE HANCOCK, AL JARREAU, WAYNE SHORTER, GEORGE DUKE AND OTHERS HEADLINE ALL-STAR CONCERT IN ISTANBUL



Herbie Hancock

 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director-General Irina Bokova, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Intercultural Dialogue Herbie Hancock, Turkey's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ahmet Davutoglu and its Minister of Culture and Tourism, Ömer Çelik, have announces that the main event for the second annual International Jazz Day will be hosted by Turkey in the city of Istanbul.
Held every year on the 3th of April, International Jazz Day brings together communities, schools and groups from across the world to celebrate jazz, learn about its roots and highlight its important role as a form of communication that transcends differences.

This year, the main concert for International Jazz Day will be held in Istanbul, Turkey. UNESCO's Director-General, Irina Bokova, stated, "I am delighted to announce that Istanbul will serve as the Host City for the 2013 International Jazz Day celebration on 30thApril. A meeting place of global cultures, Istanbul is an ideal location to highlight the extensive influence of jazz. Official celebrations, concerts and educational programs will take place in Istanbul and around the globe, expanding on the tremendous success of last year's inaugural International Jazz Day."

Al Jarreau

 Taken forward in partnership with the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, International Jazz Day was adopted by UNESCO Member States on the initiative of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock, in order to encourage and highlight jazz's unique power for advancing intercultural dialogue and understanding across the world. International Jazz Day is recognized on the official calendars of UNESCO and the United Nations. Its programs and events will be coordinated with all 195 Member States of UNESCO.

"International Jazz Day is a means to highlight, support, and leverage the unifying attributes of music through worldwide celebratory events and activities on 30thApril each year," said Herbie Hancock. "On International Jazz Day, jazz is celebrated, studied, and performed around the world for 24 hours straight. Collaborations abound among jazz icons, scholars, composers, musicians, dancers, writers, and thinkers who embrace the beauty, spirit, and principles of jazz, freely sharing experiences and performances in our big cities and in our small towns, all across our seven continents."

Turkey's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ahmet Davutoglu and its Minister of Culture and Tourism, Ömer Çelik, stated: "Turkey welcomes the opportunity to host UNESCO's International Jazz Day on 29-30 April, 2013, in Istanbul. On this occasion we shall celebrate jazz music not only as a global language of the human soul, but also as that of more inclusive societies, mutually enhancing civilizations and UNESCO ideals."


George Duke

Tom Carter, President of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, said, "The Institute is pleased to partner with UNESCO and the Republic of Turkey to present the second annual International Jazz Day. Last year's celebration reached more than one billion people through educational programs, performances and media coverage. This is a phenomenal figure that we believe will be surpassed in 2013."

Celebrations in Istanbul will kick off with a special early morning performance for high school students conducted by Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and others. The evening concert at Istanbul's famed Hagia Irene will feature performances by stellar musicians from around the world, including pianists John Beasley, George Duke, Robert Glasper, Herbie Hancock, Abdullah Ibrahim, Keiko Matsui and Eddie Palmieri; vocalists Al Jarreau, Milton Nascimento and Dianne Reeves; trumpeters Hugh Masekela, Imer Demirer and Christian Scott; bassists James Genus, Marcus Miller, and Ben Williams; drummers Terri Lyne Carrington and Vinnie Colaiuta; guitarists Bilal Karaman, John McLaughlin, Lee Ritenour and Joe Louis Walker; saxophonists Dale Barlow, Igor Butman, Jimmy Heath, Wayne Shorter and Liu Yuan; clarinetists Anat Cohen and Husnu Senlendirici; violinist Jean-Luc Ponty; Pedro Martinez on percussion and other special guests to be announced in the weeks ahead. John Beasley will be the event's musical director.

Dating back to the 4th century, the Hagia Irene, located in the outer courtyard of Topkapi Palace - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - is regarded as an international treasure for music lovers because of its brilliant atmosphere and enchanting acoustics. The concert will be streamed live on the internet via the UNESCO, U.S. State Department and Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz websites, and will be taped for future broadcast on public television stations around the world.

Wayne Shorter

In addition, the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz will work with UNESCO and its 195 Member States, national commissions, UNESCO networks, UNESCO Associated Schools, universities and institutes, public radio, public television, and NGOs to organize and promote Jazz Day events worldwide. Libraries, schools, performing arts centers, artists and arts organizations of all disciplines throughout the world will be encouraged to celebrate the day through presentations, concerts, and other jazz-focused activities.

To date, nearly 80 events have been organized in more than 30 countries, including Argentina, Australia, the Republic of Korea, France, Gabon, Malaysia and Trinidad and Tobago. In Armenia, the Municipality of Yerevan is organizing an open-air concert and will introduce jazz history and jazz performance in several schools around Yerevan. In Mexico, more than ten jazz concerts are scheduled throughout the country. Denmark will host "Jazz as a Verb" in Copenhagen, a day seminar and evening concert for both Danish and international musicians. In India, Jazz Goa in will celebrate the Day with a mega event featuring jazz artists from all over the world. In Swaziland, a special program "Jazz across Borders and Cultures" will include workshops, jam sessions, and concerts over three days. Additional events are being confirmed each day.

NEW RELEASES - MARGARET WHITIING, BARBARA & ERNIE, JOHN LEE & GERRY BROWN

MARGARET WHITING - THE WHEEL OF HURT (DELUXE EDITION)

Margaret’s first album for London — remastered from the original stereo master tapes — incorporated contemporary and country influences (to which she was no stranger, having charted with all those Jimmy Wakely duets in the ‘40s and ‘50s) into her sound and scored a Top 40 hit with the title track in 1966. Real Gone Music has added a full 13 rare single sides including her German-language version of “Wheel of Hurt” for a total of 25 tracks, all on CD for the first time! Includes notes by Will Friedwald and photos from the Whiting family’s private archive. ~ realgonemusic.com

BARBARA & ERNIE - PRELUDE TO...
Totally obscure, utterly beguiling and shockingly relevant to today’s music scene, this 1971 pairing of guitarist Ernie Calabria and soul singer Barbara Massey is a good example of why reissue labels exist. Prior to this recording, Calabria had played on sessions for Harry Belafonte, Nina Simone and Anita Carter, while Massey had sung backup for Jimi Hendrix, Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock and Cat Stevens among others. With those influences, the duo made exactly the kind of album you might expect—a funky, folky (!), psychedelic soul gem graced with a stellar list of sidemen (e.g. Joe Beck and Keith Jarrett) that vanished without a trace in the more stratified world of early ‘70s music retail. Nowadays, of course, the record’s mix-and-match blend of styles sounds amazingly current—thanks in part to disco pioneer Eumir Deodato’s orchestrations—and its oft-sampled sound has won devotees from the jazz, soul, psych and funk factions of crate diggers worldwide.  Nevertheless, this Real Gone release marks its first legitimate release on CD, with added liner notes by Pat Thomas. For starters, check out the slow-burning version of Jefferson Airplane’s “Somebody to Love”—you’re gonna fall instantly in love with this album. ~ realgonemusic.com 

JOHN LEE & GERRY BROWN - STILL CAN'T SAY ENOUGH  

Great work from John Lee and Gerry Brown – a pair of fusion stalwarts who added key help to a number of classic 70s sessions for other artists – and got to make a rare few albums like this on their own! Lee's on bass and Brown's on drums, and the pair are in perfect time throughout – working with Skip Drinkwater production, which helps them find even more focus than before, and shake off some of the more jamming aspects of their rock-fusion performances with others – a move that helps them come up with a wonderfully soulful sound in the process – very much in the best Drinkwater soul jazz style of the time! Some cuts have vocals that get nice and soulful – from Donald Smith, CP Alexander, and Tawatha Agee – and titles include the brilliant "Love The Way You Make Me Feel" – plus "Freeze It Up", "Breakin", "Rise On", "Funky Now", "Strut N Get Up", and "Down The Way". ~ Dusty Groove

EMILIO TEUBAL - MUSICA PARA UN DRAGON DORMIDO

Argentinean pianist/composer Emilio Teubal has recently recorded his complex and beautiful third album as a leader, Musica Para Un Dragon Dormido, to be released on April 1, 2013 on Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records. The album features some of Teubal's longtime collaborators, Moto Fukushima, Sam Sadigursky and John Hadfield, plus special guests Erik Friedlander and Satoshi Takeishi. This recording is Teubal's follow up to his previous critically acclaimed CDs, La Balteuband (2006), and Un Monton de Notas (2009), which Jazzchicago.net called "one of the strongest Latin jazz albums of the year . . . highly recommend for listeners looking for something new."

"Without being too superstitious about it, Musica Para un Dragon Dormido (music for a sleeping dragon), is a reference to the Chinese horoscope as we contemplate 2012, the year of the Dragon. During 2012 I became the father of a little 'dragon', and being an older dragon myself, this event made think about the strong connection with this new creature, and the huge footprint that year left on my being," said Teubal. When the pianist released previous recordings he defined the music as "Argentine jazz", which to him meant, original compositions using elements and rhythms from Argentinean music, plus improvisation. He feels that, "this label it's not accurate for this album. Of course I hear a lot of Argentinean influences on it: Un simple Objeto has a strong Chacarera flavor (chacarera is a folkloric Rhythm from the north of Argentina). The Constant Reinventor has a 'bordoneo,' (a guitar-like figure very common in Tango music) and several other typical things from Tango music, etc," explained Teubal.

For Teubal, however, the stylistic accuracy of these Argentinean elements is not the goal on Musica Para un Dragon Dormido, it's just one of the many habitants coexisting in the music. That artistic clarity gave him the freedom to include elements from other world music, and also kept him wide open to what these amazing musicians heard in his music, without being stylistically rigid about it. "I am very happy with the final result. The music still sounds Argentinean but it has a strong cosmopolitan New York sound in it, with strong hints from other world music. At the end of the day we are all coexisting in this city, and on this album, bringing our own influences to the palette and creating a new sound fed by all those influences."

Un Simple Objeto (a simple object) makes reference to a peculiar compositional event that can trigger an endless flow of other ideas, sometimes more interesting than the initial motif. It's fascinating that sometimes the original idea ends up being left out of the tune. The Constant Reinventor was composed at the beginning of 2011 as a way to motivate myself and to keep my band alive in the middle of a dark NY winter. El Tema de Ludmila is a tune I composed for my niece Ludmila when she was born. It's also the title of beautiful song by whom I consider to be the best songwriter from Argentina, Luis Alberto Spinetta; unfortunately also in this year of the Dragon, Spinetta passed away, so this tune is my homage to one of my all time idols. El Acrobata is a chamber- like piece with a very atmospheric vibe. This tune really came alive when I heard Erik blowing on it, and it was composed for him. The title track, Un Dragon Dormido,is a great platform for a nice collective improvisation, and a tune that gave me the confidence to let go and realize that when you are around superb improvisers, the music finds its way by itself. La Espera: (the wait) was composed in the summer of 2010 right after Argentinean soccer team got eliminated once again from the world cup. Nikko: I composed this tune with ECM artist Nik Bartsch in mind. The tune has a coda that is one of my favorite moments of the whole album; somehow it differentiates from the Nik Bartsch style and jumps into a more balkanic vibe. La Perla (the pearl): I start composing this tune in The Pearl, Qatar, while doing a month-long 'forgettable' gig back in May 2011. I always liked duos and trios of clarinets and flutes, and I felt that with Sam Sadigursky I had the perfect guy for doing this, as he would play/read/interpret anything I wrote. In Spanish we make reference to la perla (the pearl) as kind of the fruit on the cake; that last magic touch. The coda is the pearl of this tune, and the tune is the pearl of the record. Milonga para Terminar (milonga to finish): Milonga is the faster cousin of the Tango and has an Afro influence derived from its other cousin, el Candombe (from the Rio De la Plata-Uruguay-Argentina). The idea for this tune came to me the day before a gig while I contemplated what to play if they asked me for an encore; so since then it has become the perfect finale with all the requirements for an encore, a collective solo, a drum solo, and a super fast ending in the style of Hermeto Pascoal. It also worked nicely to finish the CD (with some humor), leaving no doubts that, it's OVER.

Pianist/Composer Emilio Teubal was born in Madrid, Spain in 1976. At that time, his parents were in exile from the dictatorship government in Argentina. After a year in Spain, the whole family moved to Mexico City where they spent five years. In 1984, with the return of the democracy, his family moved back to Argentina. Once in Buenos Aires, Teubal started playing the piano at the age of nine. He studied at the National Conservatory, and composition, arranging, and orchestration with private teachers. He was a very active performer in the tango and jazz scene of Buenos Aires until 1999, when he relocate to New York City to continue his musical studies, earning a BFA in Music from the City College of New York, graduating Magna Cum Laude. He also received the Bushwick Composition Award for two consecutive years. At CCNY his teachers included prominent jazz figures such as Marc Copland, Scott Reeves, Bruce Barth, Mike Holober, John Patitucci, Cliff Korman and Ron Carter.

Emilio has performed as a leader in some of the most prestigious venues in New York City, among them the Iridium, Joe's Pub, the Knitting Factory, BAM cafe , Cornelia Street Cafe, the 55 Bar, as well as major jazz festivals. In 2007, Emilio was awarded Meet The Composer's prestigious Van Lier Fellowship, which provides support for talented, culturally diverse young people who are seriously dedicated to a career in the arts.

His credits include performances and recordings with artists like the Grammy award winners Raul Jaurena and Fernando Otero, Erik Friedlander, Hector del Curto, Bob Mover, John Benitez, Lucia Pulido, Pedro Giraudo, Lisandro Adrover, Miguel Bertero, and Astor Piazolla's legendary violinist Fernando Suarez Paz. Teubal has also been a steady member of different New York based bands like Sebastian Cruz's Coba, and Los Chantas Tango Group, and the Marta Gomez Group, with whom he has toured the U.S., Mexico, Spain and Argentina.

ALBERT KING'S BORN UNDER A BAD SIGN REISSUED WITH BONUS TRACKS

Any list of seminal 1960s electric blues albums is incomplete without Albert King’s Born Under a Bad Sign positioned near the top. The Indianola, Mississippi-born “King of the Blues Guitar,” who cut his professional teeth as a resident of the St. Louis suburb of Lovejoy, Ill., cemented his legacy with his Stax Records debut album. While he’d recorded for labels like Vee-Jay, Parrot and Bobbin, it was his chemistry with the Stax team — label executives Al Bell, Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton, songwriters Booker T. Jones and William Bell, and backing from Booker T. & the MGs and the Memphis Horns — that put King on the blues map.

The Stax Remasters deluxe edition of Born Under a Bad Sign will be released by Stax Records, a unit of Concord Music Group, on April 2nd, 2013. Music historian Bill Dahl wrote the new set of liner notes.

King was influenced by pre-World War II bluesmen Lonnie Johnson and Blind Lemon Jefferson, and post-war artists T-Bone Walker and Howlin’ Wolf. He came to Stax by way of Al Bell, a Little Rock native who’d met King when he played shows in the area. King’s first Stax recording was “Laundromat Blues,” included on this album, backed by Booker T. Jones on piano; Duck Dunn, bass; and Al Jackson, Jr., drums; plus the Memphis Horns (Wayne Jackson and Andrew Love) and Raymond Hill (sax player on Jackie Brenston’s “Rocket 88”). The song had come by way of an unsolicited songwriting demo that Stax co-founder Estelle Axton correctly believed could be a hit for King.

“Crosscut Saw” is one of King’s best-known recordings as yet dated back to 1941 when Delta bluesman Tommy McClennan recorded it for Bluebird, and Willie Sanders & the Binghamton Boys cut it in ’63. A.C. “Moohah” Williams, a veteran DJ at Memphis R&B station WDIA-AM, brought it to King’s attention.

Booker T. Jones and Stax soul singer William Bell came up with the thundering bass riff that defined the title track “Born Under a Bad Sign.” The song notched #49 on the R&B chart in 1967, and was covered in short order by Cream on its 1968 Wheels of Fire album. Soon King himself was playing venues like the Fillmore Auditorium to young white rock audiences.

Another one of the signature tracks, “Oh, Pretty Woman,” written by WDIA DJ Williams, required the steady presence of Steve Cropper’s rhythm guitar to augment King’s lead licks. King received songwriting help from David Porter, on leave from his usual collaboration with Isaac Hayes, on “Personal Manager,” which was the B-side of the title track single.

Born Under a Bad Sign was also notable for its selection of covers. King gave the Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller R&B standard “Kansas City” an urban blues treatment. He’s right at home with Fenton Robinson’s “As the Years Go Passing By.” Ivory Joe Hunter’s “I Almost Lost My Mind” is a rare King ballad with countrypolitan overtones and jazz flute, an unlikely showcase for his rich baritone.

For this special reissue Stax Records has reached into its vaults to provide previously unissued bonus tracks in the form of alternate takes of “Born Under a Bad Sign,” “Crosscut Saw,” “The Hunter,” “Personal Manager” and an untitled, never-before-released instrumental.

According to annotator Dahl, “Thanks to Born Under a Bad Sign, Albert King became a full-fledged blues luminary, masterfully bridging the gap between the Chitlin’ Circuit and the rock arena. He would make more great Stax albums, but he’d never top this one.”

Albert King will be posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on April 18, 2013.

NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL ADDS MARCUS MILLER TO LINE-UP

Marcus Miller, the stellar composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist best known as a bassist, has been added to the Saturday, August 3, line-up of the Newport Jazz Festival® presented by Natixis Global Asset Management, which takes place August 2 - 4 at the International Tennis Hall of Fame and Fort Adams State Park. Miller, who by the age of 15 was already playing bass and writing songs for flutist Bobbi Humphrey and keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith, is the personification of the Newport Festivals Foundation's mission of presenting the best of emerging and established artists.

Raised in a musical family that includes his father William Miller (a church organist and choir director), the jazz pianist Wynton Kelly and rapper Foxy Brown, Miller has put his stamp on hundreds of jazz, R & B, fusion and rock recordings for more than 30 years. His credits as a sideman on albums cross the spectrum of musical styles: rock (Donald Fagen and Eric Clapton), Jazz (George Benson, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Sample, Wayne Shorter and Grover Washington, Jr.), pop (Roberta Flack, Paul Simon and Mariah Carey), R&B (Aretha Franklin and Chaka Khan), hip hop (Jay-Z and Snoop Dogg), blues (Z.Z. Hill), new wave (Billy Idol), smooth jazz (Al Jarreau and Dave Koz) and opera (collaborations with tenor Kenn Hicks and soprano Kathleen Battle).

As a producer, writer and player, Miller was the last primary collaborator of Miles Davis, contributing the composition and album "Tutu" to the catalog of contemporary jazz music. His collaborative talents have been showcased in his work with Luther Vandross, contributing to more than half of the singer's albums as a producer, composer and/or player on a string of hits including "Power of Love/Love Power" for which Marcus won his first Grammy, 1991's R&B Song of the Year. He also left an unforgettable mark on David Sanborn's distinctive sound.

In 2008, Marcus co-led the all-star bass trio S.M.V. with Stanley Clarke and Victor Wooten for an album (entitled "Thunder") followed by an extensive world tour. The following year, he put together a new band of young musicians for "Tutu Revisited" - a project that started as a special one night only event that culminated with the CD/DVD "Tutu Revisited" featuring Christian Scott. In 2011, he co-led the trio DMS, a funk-jazz collaboration with George Duke and David Sanborn. Last summer, Marcus conceived of and produced "Tribute to Miles," a 9-city tour of Europe with fellow Davis alumni Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, in which they presented their unique vision of every era of Miles' music. (Shorter celebrates his 80th birthday with Hancock as special guest at the Newport Jazz Festival also on Saturday, August 3.)

Miller's 2012 album, "Renaissance," is his eighth studio project since his 1983 debut, "Suddenly." The compilation includes special guests Gretchen Parlato, Ruben Blades and Dr. John and covers of hits by The Jackson Five, WAR, Ivan Lins and Janelle Monae.

The bassist, who started his career as a young sideman, now finds himself as an elder to many of today's younger artists. He tells ebony.com, "Well, I was always the youngest guy in the group, by far. All of a sudden, one day, man, I looked up, and I've got these guys who are like, in the same position that I was. I'll tell a story about somebody like Miles Davis or Dizzy Gillespie, who they only read about ... and they're all looking at me with really big eyes. And I realize, oh wow: I'm that guy, now. I'm the connection for these guys to the history of this music."

The Newport Jazz Festival presented by Natixis Global Asset Management features Natalie Cole and the Bill Charlap Trio with special guest Freddy Cole, at the International Tennis Hall of Fame at the Newport Casino (194 Bellevue Avenue) on Friday, August 2, at 8:00 pm. The festival continues on Saturday, August 3, on three unique stages from 10:30 am - 7:00 pm at Fort Adams State Park (90 Fort Adams Drive). The roster includes Wayne Shorter's 80th Birthday Celebration: Wayne Shorter Quartet featuring special guest Herbie Hancock and Danilo Perez, John Patitucci & Brian Blade; Marcus Miller; Esperanza Spalding - Radio Music Society; Michel Camilo Sextet; Terence Blanchard Quintet; Robert Glasper Experiment; Gregory Porter; Edmar Castañeda; Ray Anderson Pocket Brass Band; Amir El Saffar Two Rivers; Bill Charlap Trio with guests Bob Wilber and Anat Cohen; Mary Halvorson Quintet; Rez Abbasi Trio, among others.

On Sunday, August 4, the music continues at Fort Adams at 10:30 am with Chick Corea & The Vigil with Christian McBride, Tim Garland, Marcus Gilmore and Charles Altura; Eddie Palmieri Salsa Orchestra; Roy Haynes Fountain of Youth Band featuring Jaleel Shaw, Martin Bejerano and David Wong; Dizzy Gillespie™ Big Band under the direction of Paquito D'Rivera; Hiromi: The Trio Project with Anthony Jackson and Steve Smith; Joshua Redman Quartet; Jim Hall Quartet featuring Julian Lage; Jon Batiste & Stay Human; Dee Alexander: Songs That My Mother Loved; The Dirty Dozen Brass Band; Lew Tabackin Quartet with Randy Brecker, Peter Washington and Lewis Nash; Donny McCaslin Group; Steve Coleman Projects: Five Elements, Talea Ensemble and Duo with Tyshawn Sorey; David Gilmore & Numerology featuring Claudia Acuña, Miguel Zenón, Luis Perdomo, Christian McBride, Jeff "Tain" Watts and Mino Cinelu; and others.