HALIE LOREN NOMINATED FOR 13TH INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS

An award-winning jazz singer/songwriter who brings a classic feel yet entirely fresh perspective to songs ranging from American Songbook standards to re-thought pop hits to original compositions, Halie Loren of Eugene, Oregon joins nearly 400 exceptional self-released and independent label artists named by Music Resource Group (MRG) as Nominees in The 13th Independent Music Awards (The IMAs), the influential awards program for independent artists and fans.

The nominations in more than 80 Album, Song, EP, Music Producer, Music Video and Design categories were culled from thousands of submissions from North America, South America, Asia, Africa, Australia, Greenland and Europe.

Loren has two original songs nominated from her 2013 CD release, Simply Love - 'Cuando Bailamos', co-written with Larry Wayne Clark, nominated in the Jazz Vocal category and 'Simply Love', co-written with Benita Hill, is nominated in the Acoustic categories.  Says Loren, "I feel so honored that my songs are being considered in this year's IMAs! It's a thrill to be recognized alongside such a talented and diverse array of other artists and writers, and to be able to say to my always-generous and sweet fans "Please vote for my songs in the Independent Music Awards!" Somehow that phrase just never gets old, and I sure am thankful to be able to say it again this year!"

The 13th IMA Nominees represent an eclectic mix of established and rising talent including Melissa Ferrick, Vienna Teng, Suzzy Roche & Lucy Wainwright Roche, and Elizabeth Mitchell are among many other deserving artists whose recordings were released during the 13th IMA program eligibility period.

Winners will be determined by a panel of influential artist and industry judges including Ann Wilson & Nancy Wilson, Sharon Jones, Laurie Anderson, Suzanne Vega, Meshell Ndegeocello, Chiddy Bang, Shelby Lynne, Joshua Redman, G. Love, Aoife O'Donovan, Jim Lauderdale, Chris Wood & Oliver Wood, Band Of Skulls, Judy Collins, Raul Midon, Bernie Worrell, Dennis Diken, Arturo Sandoval, Alan Light (Live From The Artists Den), Terry McBride (Nettwerk Music Group), Kevin Lyman (Vans Warped Tour), Jason Olaine (Jazz at Lincoln Center), Anthony DeCurtis (Rolling Stone), Hillary McAndrew Plate (Lincoln Center) Bob Ludwig (Gateway Mastering), Bruce Iglauer (Alligator Records), Evan Schlansky (American Songwriter), Delphine Robertson (Playtone Productions), Benji Rogers (PledgeMusic), Megan West (SoundCloud) and others.

In addition to industry-determined Winners, music fans from around the world have until Friday, July 18, 2014 to cast their votes at The IMA Vox Pop Jukebox to determine the fan-selected program winners. The Independent Music Award Winners will be promoted to nearly 1 Billion music fans worldwide. Details and complete list of Nominees and Judges available at: TheIndependentMusicAwards.com

HalieLoren.com

Justin-Time.com

NEW RELEASES: STELVIO CIPRIANI - CONCORDE AFFAIR '79; MIKE MARSHALL & THE TURTLE QUARTET; JONATHAN SIGEL - HARD WATER

STELVIO CIPRIANI - CONCORDE AFFAIR '79 ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK

A really great little soundtrack – one that's got a sound that's as sexy and sophisticated as you might guess from the cover and title – served up by Italian 70s genius Stelvio Cipriani! Stelvio proves himself to be a giant both on the funky numbers and the mellower moments – the former done with these cool stepping basslines mixed with really sweet keyboards – the latter served up with slinky strings that echo some of the best Italian erotic styles of the time, complete with some great watery touches on the production! This masterful reissue really expands past the original 12 track album – to offer up an addition 15 bonus cuts, wrapped up in a lovely-looking package as well. Titles include "Affaire Theme", "Danger Call", "Martinica Feeling", "Soft Dream", "Safe Landing", "Concorde Combo", "Percussion Theme", "Life Alert", and "Suspense Drums". ~ Dusty Groove

MIKE MARSHALL & THE TURTLE QUARTET

A really beautiful setting for the mandolin of Mike Marshall – a set that features his lead instrument alongside the Turtle String Quartet! The group themselves are very open to new ideas, but also bring a very different vibe to the record than some of Marshall's other albums – not entirely a sense of classicism that would normally be associated with their format, but maybe a deepening of Marshall's Americanist vibe. Yet the group also adapt nicely to one of Mike's other loves, too – the music of Brazil – as they provide great accompaniment on a "Brazilian Choro Medley", and also a composition by Egberto Gismonti as well. Titles include the extended "Interplay" suite, plus "House Camp", "Loro", "Egypt", "Gator Strut", and "Crossroads". ~ Dusty Groove.

JONATHAN SIGEL - HARD WATER

Sweet soulful trumpet from Jonathan Sigel – an artist who's got a really great ear for the best fusion styles of the 70s – particularly work by some of the more R&B inflected trumpet players of the time! The grooves are awash in warm keyboard lines, and sometimes feature either a bit of vocals or sax – and although the record's an indie production, it's got this warm glow that takes us back to crossover classics by Herb Alpert or Chuck Mangione in the late 70s – with maybe some echoes of Freddie Hubbard's more R&B work too! Titles include "Partido", "Mr Why", "Orange Blossom", "Darkness & Light", "Journey To Plex", and "Agua Dura". ~ Dusty Groove

ARTURO O'FARRILL & THE AFRO LATIN JAZZ ORCHESTRA - THE OFFENSE OF THE DRUM

The new album, O’Farrill says, ”serves as a medium for changing the perception of big band music and Afro Latin Jazz by incorporating hip-hop, DJ techniques, and spoken word.” The 75-minute recording ”is a collection of the great new commissions we’ve been working on from our annual Symphony Space season,” he explains. Special guests on the recording include Vijay Iyer, DJ Logic, Edmar Castañeda, Donald Harrison, Pablo Mayor, Miguel Blanco, Antonio Lizana, Jason Lindner, Christopher “Chilo” Cajigas and others, all of whom infuse the recording with the music of New York City, Spain, Colombia, Cuba and New Orleans, all regions that gave birth to the jazz aesthetic.

The Offense of the Drum examines the role of the drum as a vehicle for resistance and liberation, with references to the oppressive policies set forth by New York City police in the ’90s. Regarding the title of the album, Arturo notes, “The drum is an amazing communication tool. It’s a way to connect diverse communities, and is really the heartbeat of our cultures. So, the drum can be seen as offensive to those in power, who try and control our freedom of expression.” A two-part title suite, “The Offense of the Drum: The Oppressor & The Liberator,” is the flagship composition on the album inspired by drum circles in NYC being outlawed, and reflecting the idea that the drum is so politically charged as a means for change.

O’Farrill’s latest recording spotlights percussion from almost every corner of the world, featuring 35 different types of drums: the taiko drum from Japan, djembe from Africa, barriles and bombas from Puerto Rico, tumbadoras from Cuba, bombos from Colombia, cajons, maracas, bongos, shekeres, claves, cowbells, cuicas, tambourines, timbales and turntables. The Offense of the Drum is part of an ongoing commitment by the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, an eighteen-piece big band, to expand the very definition of Latin Jazz, with the drum taking center stage. O’Farrill notes, “Jazz is practiced best in the presence of drums, and enhanced by the presence of drum work. Jazz has really moved away from this, but the drum sets the spirit soaring. In fact, with this album we’ve overcome many constraints of jazz. We are embracing multiple cultures with the use of the drum, while introducing a contemporary exchange of innovative new music.”

”Trying to put into words the multitude of sounds on this album is a difficult task,” says executive producer Kabir Sehgal. “Arturo is many things: maestro, composer, pianist, bandleader, father, son, husband and friend. Most of all, he displays a mighty spirit, enshrined with generosity and love. This album is as much a sacrament of his soul — as it is a meditation on the drumbeats of life.”

The Offense of the Drum is co-produced by O’Farrill, Todd Barkan, Eric Oberstein and Kabir Sehgal, and will be nationally released by Motéma Music in May 2014 in connection with the Apollo Theater performance.

The Apollo Theater Commissions New Work from Arturo O’Farrill:

Harlem’s legendary Apollo Theater has enlisted O’Farrill to present newly commissioned work as part of its 80th anniversary program. Coinciding with the 65th anniversary of his father, Afro Latin music pioneer Chico O’Farrill’s (1921-2001) historic ”Afro Cuban Jazz Suite” – a centerpiece of the Afro Cuban Jazz repertoire — Arturo will feature this seminal work along with the world premiere of his “Afro Latin Jazz Suite” at the Harlem Jazz Shrines Festival @ the Apollo Theater on Saturday, May 10, 2014. Just as the original score of Chico’s piece included the greatest jazz upstarts of the time, including Charlie Parker, Buddy Rich and Flip Phillips, Arturo’s band will showcase today’s equivalents such as Guggenheim fellow Rudresh Mahanthappa, NEA Jazz Master Randy Weston, saxophone legend Billy Harper, master drummer Lewis Nash, Afro-Peruvian percussion maestro Freddy ”Huevito” Lobatón, and Brazilian percussionist Café. Also part of the Apollo Theater programming is Randy Weston’s “African Sunrise Suite,” which was composed by Weston, and arranged by Melba Liston. The evening serves as the CD release event for Arturo O’Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra’s latest recording, The Offense of the Drum (Motéma Music: May 2014).

MONTY ALEXANDER, PIANIST, COMPOSER, AND BANDLEADER, CELEBRATES 70th BIRTHDAY WITH RELEASE OF HARLEM-KINGSTON EXPRESS VOL. 2: THE RIVER ROLLS ON

Throughout a career spanning six decades, the New York-based artist Monty Alexander has garnered acclaim for bridging American jazz, popular song, and the music of his native Jamaica. The New York Times recently described him as “an effervescent pianist and one of Jamaica’s proudest musical exports.” The Wall Street Journal has by turns called him “maybe the first—and certainly the most successful—musician to combine Jamaican music with North American jazz” and said that, “Alexander’s blend of jazz and reggae makes for an outrageously good time.” On April 8, just before Alexander celebrates his 70th birthday, Motéma Music will release Harlem-Kingston Express Vol. 2: The River Rolls On, the most seamless integration to date of Alexander’s dual musical heritage.

Although it accomplished a (seemingly) simple musical hybridization, the eponymous first release from the Harlem-Kingston Express was not a concept album—at least not deliberately so. The recording came about serendipitously: It is a 2011 concert at Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola in New York City, for which Alexander merged his jazz trio with a full Jamaican rhythm section, recorded for broadcast on Sirius XM. Jana Herzen, founder of Motéma Music, was so moved by the set that she arranged to release it on her label. The album turned out to be one of the most acclaimed entries in Alexander’s vast body of work, which includes over 70 recordings with Alexander as leader. Harlem-Kingston Express elicited an equally warm embrace from reggae and jazz fans and critics, and was nominated for a 2012 GRAMMY for Best Reggae Album.

For the new album, Alexander convened the band for its first studio recordings—primarily at New York City’s Avatar and Dubway. In addition to band members from the project’s first volume—Alexander (piano), Hassan Shakur (acoustic bass), Karl Wright and Obed Calvaire (drums), Andy Bassford and Yotam Silberstein (guitars)—the collection features the keyboardist Earl Appleton, the electric bassist Joshua Thomas and the percussionist Courtney Panton. They perform a mix of Alexander originals (which are themselves steeped in both Caribbean music and American jazz and R&B) and Alexander interpretations of classics, from the soul hits “People Make the World Go Round” and “What’s Going On” (here with the alias “Wa’a Gwan”) to Jimmy Cliff’s reggae landmark “The Harder They Come.” Alexander’s wife, the French-Italian chanteuse Caterina Zapponi, joins him and the band on the album’s title track.

The album also includes Alexander’s “Love Notes,” featuring his friends George Benson, Ramsey Lewis and Joe Sample; a live version of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song,” recorded live in 2005 with vocalist Wendel Ferraro; and previously unreleased live recordings of the Jamaican folk song “Linstead Market” and Alexander’s “Regulator (Reggae-Later),” both from the original 2011 Harlem-Kingston Express concert at Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola.

Harlem-Kingston Express Vol. 2: The River Rolls On at once encapsulates the current moment in Alexander’s singular career and finds him returning to its earlier stages: both his teenage years, when he played on sessions helmed by pioneering reggae producers Clement “Coxsone” Dodd, Duke Reid and Chris Blackwell, and his first decades in the U.S., when he had the occasion to record and perform with icons such as Frank Sinatra, Milt Jackson and Ray Brown, among countless others.

Born on D-Day (June 6, 1944) and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, he took his first piano lessons at age six, although he is largely self-taught. As a teenager, he witnessed concerts by Louis Armstrong and Nat “King” Cole at Kingston’s Carib Theater. These artists had a profound effect on Alexander’s aspirations. He formed Monty and the Cyclones in the late 1950s and also recorded on sessions with the musicians who would catapult Jamaican music to international recognition as The Skatalites (Bob Marley’s first backing band).

Alexander and his family came to the United States at the end of 1961. Less than two years later, while playing in Las Vegas with Art Mooney’s orchestra, he caught the eye of New York City club owner Jilly Rizzo and his friend, Frank Sinatra. Rizzo hired the young pianist to work in his club, Jilly’s, where he accompanied Sinatra and others. There he met Modern Jazz Quartet vibraphonist Milt Jackson, who hired him and eventually introduced him to former Charlie Parker collaborator and legendary bassist Ray Brown. Alexander recorded and performed with the two jazz giants on many occasions. Jazz’s greatest luminaries welcomed Alexander to their “musical fraternity” in the mid-1960s. Among these earliest enthusiasts for his playing were none other than Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Miles Davis.

Monty Alexander’s collaborations span multiple genres, styles, and generations. His projects have been as varied as assisting Natalie Cole in her tribute album to her father, Nat “King” Cole in 1991 (the resulting album, Unforgettable, won seven Grammy awards), performing George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” under the direction of Bobby McFerrin at the Verbier Festival in Switzerland, and recording the piano track for the film score of Clint Eastwood’s Bird, a movie about the life of jazz titan Charlie Parker.

In August 2000, the Jamaican government awarded Monty Alexander the title of Commander in the Order of Distinction for outstanding services to Jamaica as a worldwide music ambassador.

In Hal Leonard’s 2005 book The Fifty Greatest Jazz Piano Players of All Time, Alexander was listed among the top five Jazz pianists of all time.

Alexander maintains a rigorous touring schedule worldwide, playing in jazz clubs, concert halls and playing at international Jazz Festivals in the USA and across continents; from Europe to Asia; in Montreux, Switzerland; Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa; and Japan, Russia, New Zealand, Australia, etc.

To date Monty Alexander has recorded over 70 albums as a leader. His collaboration with Telarc label yielded trio sessions (Impressions in Blue) and live concert recordings (Goin’ Yard). In the late summer of 2005, Alexander traveled to Bob Marley’s Tuff Gong Studio in Kingston, Jamaica, and teamed up with Jamaican top session players to record Concrete Jungle, a set of twelve compositions penned by Bob Marley and reinterpreted via Alexander’s jazz piano-oriented arrangements. The resulting union of musical perspectives digs deep into the Marley legend and brings together the two worlds that Alexander most treasures, building the musical bridges that are the very essence of his craft.

As a testament to his versatility, The Good Life, on Chesky Records is a collection of songs written and popularized by one of his all-time favorite artists and good friends, Tony Bennett. His second release on Chesky, Calypso Blues, is tribute to another one of his heroes, Nat “King” Cole.

In 2008, with the invitation of Wynton Marsalis, Alexander conceived and directed the acclaimed program Lords of the West Indies at Jazz at Lincoln Center, broadcast nationally on BETJ. Alexander returned to Jazz at Lincoln Center in 2009 with a new program, Harlem Kingston Express in which he merged classic Jazz with rhythms and vibrations of his native Jamaica.

In the winter of 2008 American singer and icon, Tony Bennett personally invited Monty to record as the featured pianist on his Christmas album, A Swinging Christmas, with the Count Basie Orchestra. Monty can be spotted on the album cover, holding a turkey next to Tony Bennett.

Two collections were released in 2011 that capture the excitement of Monty Alexander’s live performances around the world: Uplift, a trio album on JLP Records, and Harlem-Kingston Express on Motema Music.

Harlem Kinston Express: Live! was singled out by both the recording industry and fans and received a Grammy award nomination in 2012.

Between Uplift and Harlem-Kingston Express: Live! Monty Alexander has officially dominated the US radio charts with three number 1 spots in 2011, as not only Uplift remained at number 1 for several weeks but Harlem-Kingston Express: Live! rose to number 1 on Jazz charts and on World Music charts concurrently.

In the summer of 2012 Monty Alexander was awarded the prestigious German Jazz Trophy, “A Life for Jazz” and in November 2012 he received the Caribbean American Heritage Luminary Award from the Institute of Caribbean Studies in Washington, D.C.

 

RUFUS REID - QUIET PRIDE: THE ELIZABETH CATLETT PROJECT

The inspiration for the epic, large ensemble work, Quiet Pride was Reid’s fascination with the sculptural work of Elizabeth Catlett, the great African American artist and civil rights activist, whose works can be found in the collections of the White House, the Museum of Modern Art, and of private collectors such as Bill Cosby, Oprah Winfrey, and jazz impresario George Wein. “You know how you can spend hours in a gallery, just letting the images sink in? I found myself responding to the shapes and lines in Elizabeth’s work. While there is no ‘absolute’ correspondence, I do feel that she inspired me to mix my own shapes and lines,” explained Reid, whose suite movements are inspired by Catlett’s sculptures Glory, Mother & Child, Recognition, Singing Head, and Stargazer, each of which are pictured in the detailed CD booklet.

Among the 20 stellar players in Reid’s handpicked ensemble are Herlin Riley (drums), Steve Allee (piano), and Vic Juris (guitar), Tim Hagans, Ingrid Jenson, Freddie Hendrix, and Tanya Darby, (trumpets); Steve Wilson, Erica von Kleist, Tom Christensen, Carl Maraghi, and Scott Robinson, (reeds), Dave Taylor, Ryan Keberle, Michael Dease, and Jason Jackson, (trombones), and John Clark and Vincent Chancey (French horns). Reid chose acclaimed vocalist Charenee Wade to bring the challenging vocal lines of his suite to life. Speaking of their collaboration, Wade noted, “Rufus Reid is like the musical uncle that I always wanted.”

Interestingly, the February 11, 2014 release date of Quiet Pride coincides with Reid’s 70th birthday (on February 10), and marks his 50th year in the music industry.

As a bassist, Rufus Reid’s signature sound has graced the music of countless jazz giants including Eddie Harris, Thad Jones & Mel Lewis, Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, Benny Golson, J.J. Johnson, Jack DeJohnette, and Nancy Wilson. As an educator he is sought after internationally and is the author of the acclaimed instructional book and DVD, “The Evolving Bassist”– the definitive bible for every jazz bassist and the industry standard since 1974. He also served for twenty years as the Director of Jazz Studies and Performance Program at William Patterson University.

Upon retiring from William Patterson, Reid set about fulfilling his desire to compose. In short order, he began winning awards and commissions: the BMI Composers Workshop, Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Prize, two Chamber Music America’s New Works grants, The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship for Composition, and the Mellon Jazz Living Legacy Award, to name but a few. His dream to compose for the large ensemble was made possible by his winning the prestigious Raymond and Beverly Sackler Composition Competition Prize in 2006 for his original four-movement suite, Quiet Pride. A fifth movement was completed and added in 2012, leading to this recording.

Of the recording process (which is nicely documented on the enhanced CD), Rufus explains, “It’s pretty amazing to have something in my subconscious of how I want a piece to sound. Then for really creative individuals to come in and render it and take it completely to another place that I couldn’t have even imagined — it’s thrilling. There were times I actually had goose bumps and said ‘Damn, I really wrote this!’”

Drummer/composer, Dennis Mackrel (Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Count Basie Orchestra), conducts the orchestra. Akira Tana, Reid’s co-producer and longtime colleague, comments, “I think we’re hearing the fruits of his life in music because you hear all the influences of all the different groups he’s played with and it’s coming out in his writing. It’s something very special.”

Noted jazz percussionist Francisco Mora-Catlett (Sun Ra, Max Roach’s M’Boom) initially connected his mother with Reid. Elizabeth was genuinely surprised to hear such an ambitious musical project inspired by her sculptures. She was delighted to learn of and endorse the multi-disciplinary program for universities exploring “how art inspires art.” (Reid coordinates special programs in which multiple university departments (art, women’s studies, black studies, and music,) collaborate to bring in gallery showings of Elizabeth Catlett’s sculptures and university orchestra performances of Reid’s Quiet Pride, as conducted by Rufus Reid. Such programs have happened so far at The University of Connecticut at Storrs, CT, in Baton Rouge at the Shaw Center for the Arts with the Louisiana State University Jazz Ensemble and at Bucknell University.

“My purpose in recording Quiet Pride – The Elizabeth Catlett Project was to create a definitive, professional recording, for people who love art and who love music, explains Rufus. It will also be an excellent educational tool as I continue my residencies and performances at colleges and universities internationally. Quiet Pride has enriched my life about what I do and why I do it.”

Grammy-winning journalist Bob Blumenthal, who provides the insightful liner notes, comments that this music comes from “a life lived at the highest level of creativity and an undimmed willingness to face and meet new challenges.”

www.rufusreid.com 

www.motema.com

NEW RELEASES: DAVE REMPIS / DARREN JOHNSON / LARRY OCHS - SPECTRAL; DAVE REMPIS / LASSE MARHAUG - NAANCORE; EVOLUTIONARY MINDED: FURTHERING THE LEGACY OF GIL SCOTT-HERON

DAVE REMPIS / DARREN JOHNSON / LARRY OCHS - SPECTRAL 

Wonderfully complicated reed lines from the team of Dave Rempis on alto and Larry Ochs on tenor and sopranino sax – augmented here by trumpeter Darren Johnson, whose instrumental tones are a perfect fit for the record! The style of the set's a bit like some of Ochs' early material with Rova Sax Quartet – especially the way all three players are very interested in finding a sonic space in which they can resonate together, then burst out with very individual inspiration. The tracks all feel very improvised, but with a strongly conscious quality that makes each new sound a delight! Titles include "Traction", "Wrinkle Wrankle", "Iterated Integrals", "The Drop", and "Cheek & Bones".~ Dusty Groove

DAVE REMPIS / LASSE MARHAUG - NAANCORE

Dave Rempis really goes over the top here – and Lasse Marhaug provides some bold electronics to match! Rempis turns in some of the most frenetic work we've ever heard him do on alto sax – and Marhaug races to keep up and collaborate with him on a range of electronic flourishes – bits of noise, static, and other transmissions – which often blow out from the speakers at a level that feels like a meaner, nastier version of what Dave is doing with his reeds! Each side of the album features a long improvisation from the pair – and titles include "Skinning The Poke" and "Strategikon". (Limited to 300 copies. Includes download.) ~ Dusty Groove 

M1, BRIAN JACKSON & THE NEW MIDNIGHT BAND - EVOLUTIONARY MINDED: FURTHERING THE LEGACY OF GIL SCOTT-HERON

Soul satisfying grooves, vocals, rap and spoken word swirl together with socio-political visions on Evolutionary Minded, a star-studded collaboration of hip-hop, jazz and soul A-Listers including Dead Prez, Chuck D, Gregory Porter, and Azar Lawrence. Talented new producer Kentyah collaborates here with original Midnight Band keyboardist/composer Brian Jackson to brilliantly build upon and expand the legacy of Gil Scott Heron, forefather of socially-conscious rap. Tracks include: Offering; All We Got feat M1, Martin Luther; Voice of the People Juma Sultan; Liberation Psychology feat Bobby Seale, M1; Opponent feat Dead Prez, Martin Luther; Winter In America feat Martin Luther, M1;. It's a Time Warp;. Go Ahead On feat Bobby Seale;.  Recurring Cycles feat M1;. Losin' Our Minds feat Gregory Porter;  Headhunters;. Occupy Planet Earth feat Chuck D, M1, Gregory Porter; Tradition feat Abiodun Oyewole; and Song of the Wind feat Gregory Porter.

RENE MARIE RELEASES ALBUM TRIBUTE TO EARTHA KITT - I WANNA BE

René Marie – singer, actress, writer. Earth Kitt – singer, actress, writer. Never before has there been a vocal recording tipping the hat to the divine Ms. Kitt and her fiery, sensual and clever interpretations of songs. With her incredible range of vocal ability, her powerful emotional resonance and strong independent streak, René is the right artist to conceive of this historic project, out November 12 on the adventurous, multi-Grammy®-nominated label Motéma Music. I Wanna Be Evil (With Love to Eartha Kitt) is René’s third recording for the label and her 10th career album.

Eartha Kitt’s daughter Kitt Shapiro, who maintains her mother’s legacy via EarthaKitt.com and the company Simply Eartha, expressed her appreciation.

It's wonderful that such a talented artist like René Marie has recorded the first tribute album to my mother, helping to keep her memory and spirit alive. These classic songs deserve to be heard and loved by all generations.

This brilliantly entertaining album burnishes René’s reputation as the most provocative risk-taker among today’s jazz divas. Featuring star turns by trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, trumpeter Etienne Charles and Australia’s Adrian Cunningham on saxophone, clarinet and flute, I Wanna Be Evil opens with a cackle of mischief. Then René tears into “I’d Rather Be Burned As A Witch,” a powerhouse song that immediately signals the melding of the spirits of two audacious women. She changes gears dramatically with a sly arrangement of “C’est Si Bon,” one of the songs most associated with Eartha. Lesser-known gems “Oh, John” and “Let’s Do It” follow, both of which René imbues with sultry affection. She puts her scintillating touch on “Peel Me A Grape” – featured on her 1998 recording debut – before giving a classic rendition of “My Heart Belongs to Daddy.” The title track is another barnburner that showcases René’s playfulness. The little-known Caribbean-tinged “Come on-a My House” – featuring a percussion turn by Charles – leads into probably Eartha’s best-known song, “Santa Baby.” René’s slow burn version is sure to become a new holiday favorite. She closes with her haunting original, “Weekend,” a favorite with fans, who adore René for her ability to enthrall. Produced by René and veteran producer/writer/programmer Mark Ruffin, I Wanna Be Evil features René’s longtime band: Quentin Baxter (drums, percussion, washboard); Kevin Bales (piano); and Elias Bailey (bass).

Eartha Kitt is one of America’s strongest iconic figures. She was an inspiring artist, a strong woman and an essential activist in different ways. She was homeless when she first moved to New York City yet became a star. She was a sensual and powerful woman in a man’s world at a time when most women were background not front and center. She was a black actress in Hollywood at a time when most black actors were given subservient roles yet here she was – Catwoman. She challenged President Johnson on the Vietnam War and paid a price for her outspokenness. She unabashedly shared her sensual self and her fierce self and was just herself – simply Eartha. That alone, I have learned, can be the most radical act, especially if you are a woman. As Eartha states in one of her famous ‘Kittisms’: The price you pay for being yourself is worth it.

René too is unabashedly herself, winning many fans for her audaciousness but also receiving strong criticism. Her well-known medley of “Strange Fruit” and “Dixie” wowed many but also stirred the pot on America’s history of slavery and Southern race relations. Her choice to sing the black national anthem, “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” (set to the melody of the “Star Spangled Banner”) when the Mayor of Denver John Hickenlooper asked René – one of Denver’s high profile resident artists at the time – to open the State of the City address in 2008 spurred a significant backlash, right wing criticism and even death threats.

Yet René stood strong. Her daring makes her one of America’s most interesting and compelling artists. So do her influences. Her style incorporates a distinctly American mélange of jazz, soul, blues, folk and gospel and an innate theatrical ability to interpret a song deeply and live its truth. An actress as well as a vocalist, René will be seen Off-Broadway October 12-13 and 18 and 20 as part of the One For All Festival at the Cherry Lane Theatre in a touring one-woman play she wrote, directed and stars in. In typical fashion, she raises eyebrows just from the title itself – “Slut Energy Theory – U’Dean.” The meaning becomes clear and intensely significant as the audience – and critics alike – find themselves transformed by her play about U’Dean, a woman on a painful yet sometimes funny journey from sexual abuse to self-esteem.

René also is a woman of great strength and humor who walked a similar journey. Married at 18, a mother of two by 23 and a Jehovah’s Witness, she only occasionally sang. When her husband of 23 years issued an ultimatum to stop singing or leave, she chose music over the turbulent marriage and self-released her debut Renaissance in 1998 and toured as Ella Fitzgerald in a regional play. She began experiencing a whirlwind of success rarely seen in the jazz world, winning over critics; receiving awards such as the Best International Jazz Vocal CD (besting Cassandra Wilson and Joni Mitchell) by France’s Academie Du Jazz; gracing the Billboard charts multiple times; and becoming a headliner at major international festivals. A gifted songwriter, her previous Motéma release, Black Lace Freudian Slip, features blues-heavy originals. Her label debut, Voice of My Beautiful Country, is an ambitious celebration of Americana and a striking display of her incredible ability to forge connections between songs most would never think to merge.

For René Marie, success means shining attention on important issues in America and on bold artists like Eartha Kitt who helped change America’s landscape for the better. René has become one of those bold artists. It’s hard to believe it all started after she turned 40.

TRACK LISTING

1. I'd Rather Be Burned As A Witch

2. C'est Si Bon

3. Oh, John

4. Let's Do It

5. Peel Me A Grape

6. My Heart Belongs To Daddy

7. I Wanna Be Evil

8. Come On-A My House

9. Santa Baby

10. Weekend

DAVID WEISS - WHEN WORDS FAIL

For trumpeter, composer, arranger, bandleader David Weiss music is everything, his raison d'etre. So, after a year of profound loss, he came to the conclusion that writing music was perhaps the best, perhaps the only, solution for him to express his feelings for his suffering friends, and for his own losses; a way to reflect on what transpired during this difficult time. It is Weiss' hope that with When Words Fail (out on Motema Music, May 20, 2014) he and his bandmates could tap into the possibility of their music to express empathy, and harness the opportunity to take the listener on a journey; providing some solace along the way. Perhaps, When Words Fail can be embraced as an elegy of sorts. A lament that is about the pain, desolation and hopelessness of loss, felt throughout the jazz community last year, albeit with a robust strain of hope intertwined in the compositions.  

Weiss elaborates, "the last year or so has been a time of profound loss for me and a lot of my close friends and acquaintances. Some of these losses have been very public and horrific. These were the themes that were swimming through my head as I put the final touches on the music for this CD and began to rehearse it. But, ideally, it's also about lifting one out of that world, so it should also be about rebirth, hope and finding your way back. The music on When Words Fail is about acknowledging your pain but also about finding a way out, or at the very least, providing a temporary escape. I don't want to say that this is what I strive for or set out to do when composing, but I do hope that this is what the end result of my endeavors will encompass."

David Weiss, born in New York City, has been a major catalyst and creator of some of the most critically acclaimed and respected jazz to have been released over the years. In his various roles of trumpeter, composer, arranger, producer, talent-scout, historian and bandleader - he currently leads The Cookers, The New Jazz Composers Octet, Endangered Species, Point of Departure, and the David Weiss Sextet - it is certainly not an exaggeration to call Weiss a jazz renaissance man. Weiss, featured on over eighty recordings, was also the creative force behind the revitalized careers of Freddie Hubbard, Charles Tolliver, and others. Not to mention his affiliation with many esteemed members of the avant-garde community, including Muhal Richard Abrams, Kenny Wheeler, Butch Morris and John Zorn.

When Words Fail is the latest project from the prolific bandleader who has really hit his stride lately, releasing more than nine critically acclaimed albums by five singular ensembles in the past six years: The New Jazz Composers Octet -The Turning Gate (Weiss' 2008 Motema debut); three tour-de-force albums by the jazz supergroup, The Cookers -Warriors (JLP 2010), Cast The First Stone (Plus Loin 2011) and Believe (their Motema debut in 2012); David Weiss & Point of Departure's two live albums on Sunnyside, Snuck In (2010) and Snuck Out (2011), and the band's studio album, Venture Inward (Posi-Tone 2013); and most recently, Weiss' stunning tribute to Wayne Shorter ("One of the best records, jazz or otherwise, of 2013"-eMusic), Endangered Species: The Music of Wayne Shorter (Motema 2013).  In addition to the release of When Words Fail, 2014 will see the continued ascent of The Cookers, with a highly anticipated Motema release coming this September to be supported by a major international tour.

For the recording of When Words Fail the award-winning, artist reassembled his "original band", The David Weiss Sextet, featuring his original band-mates (once fledgling artists, and now proven jazz stalwarts), Marcus Strickland, Myron Walden, Xavier Davis, Dwayne Burno, and E.J. Strickland (plus guitarist Ben Eunsen making his recording debut on two tracks). When Words Fail is the David Weiss Sextet's first album in almost ten years, and the long-awaited follow up to The Mirror (which John Kelman of AllAboutJazz called, "A masterpiece by any definition . . . an album that is heady in both senses of the word - intelligent and exhilarating - Weiss emerges as one of the finest artists to mine the post bop arena . . . "). This recording also marks the first time in almost a decade that Weiss has released a CD consisting mainly of new, original compositions.

Tragically, When Words Fail will stand as the last recording of the late, highly influential bassist Dwayne Burno, who passed away at age forty-three, just a week after delivering yet another stellar performance on record. "Dwayne's passing came as a shock to all of us. He was one of my co-conspirators from the beginning and was an important part of my first two bands, this one and my first, which was more of a collective, The New Jazz Composers Octet. Dwayne was one of the great talents of our time and raised the level of every bandstand he was on. He was a very supportive player who always found ways to make your music sound better. He constantly challenged you to be on top of your game and to always strive to improve yourself and as a result, he made all around him better musicians," said Weiss (in his moving liner notes which describe the details of this project in poetic fashion.)

About The Music on When Words Fail: Weiss has never dedicated a tune to anyone before but at a certain point, he explains, "it became clear to me that I had to acknowledge my time with Freddie Hubbard. The Intrepid Hub, a play on words on the classic Hub composition The Intrepid Fox, "describes Freddie to a tee as fearless and adventurous were certainly two of his many qualities," said Weiss. When Words Fail is for Dwayne Burno. In Weiss' words, "when we finished rehearsing this tune for the first time, Dwayne made a gesture towards his music and sort of nodded. This was high praise indeed from Dwayne and the only such gesture from him that day so I dedicate this one to him. MJ is about a different kind of loss entirely. It's about being too young to know what's important and when to fight for something. Wayward is a part of a much larger Weiss composition that was commissioned by the American Composers Forum's Jerome Composers Commissioning Program for Weiss' The New Jazz Composers Octet. At it's core however, was this tune, the main theme of the entire suite. "White Magic is a tune written by the British pianist John Taylor, based on the Herbie Hancock composition, Riot.

Other highlights on When Words Fail include Loss, written for Motema Music founder Jana Herzen who lost her father, Professor Leonard A. Herzenberg, this past year; Lullaby for a Lonely Child is a composition by Karl Jenkins; and the closing tune, Passage Into Eternity, dedicated to Jimmy, Nelba and Isaiah Greene, who's beautiful daughter was lost in the Sandy Hook tragedy. Weiss explains, "They have suffered one of the most horrible loses imaginable and there is no way possible for me to have even the slightest clue as to what they must be going through. The Greene's are incredibly strong and brave people of faith who are now making a difference in this world (please visit anagraceproject.org). Passage into Eternity is a phrase I borrowed from something they wrote soon after their daughter's death."

www.DavidWeissMusic.com

COMPOSER TERENCE BLANCHARD IS SEEKING SUPPORT (VIA INDIEGOGO) FOR THE RECORDING OF HIS FIRST OPERA, CHAMPION: AN OPERA IN JAZZ

Champion debuted at Opera Theatre St. Louis in June 2013 to sold-out audiences and great national critical acclaim.  As a modern opera, Champion explored the human condition, its triumphs and tragedies through the life of famed boxer Emile Griffith, who died in a New York nursing two weeks after the opera closed. Champion has been given life and a promising future with interest from the Washington National Opera, Opera Paralléle in San Francisco, and Opera Philadelphia. Additionally, the opera is now represented worldwide by Boosey & Hawkes (www.boosey.com). Most recently, Champion has been nominated by the 2014 International Opera Awards for best 'World Premiere,' and is the only modern American opera nominated.

With your support, Champion will be captured and distributed to audiences worldwide. All befitting the first-time performance of Terence Blanchard’s first opera-- a unique and momentous occasion in the history of opera and jazz. A great first landmark.

The Story of Champion:

“I kill a man and most people understand and forgive me. I love a man, and to so many people this is an unforgivable sin" - Emile Griffith

Based on actual events, Champion recounts the story of world welterweight champion Emile Griffith and his 1962 bout with Benny "The Kid" Paret, which ended in Paret’s death. After Paret hurls a gay slur at Griffith (who is closeted), they find each other months later in the ring—face to face. The result of the fight plagues Griffith’s thoughts for decades as his misery and guilt build up into his later years. The irony of Griffith’s absolution after delivering fatal blows to Paret and ostracism after being outed as a gay man presents the psychological complexities that fueled Griffith’s emotional torture.

Recording Details

• The date of the recording session will depend on the success of our fundraising efforts, but we are shooting for June 2014.

• The live recording will include the original cast of Champion as well as members of the St. Louis Symphony.

• We have made the project more scalable by securing reductions in fees from St. Louis Symphony, along with gratis usage of Powell Hall for the recording.  

http://igg.me/at/ChampionRecording

 

GEOFF MCBRIDE - JOURNEY TO THE SOUL

You’ve heard him on “The Voice.” Now get ready to hear the true voice of Geoff McBride as he takes a deeper, more expansive Journey To The Soul on his new independent full length recording.

Two years after the powerhouse singer blew away millions of viewers – and judges Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green, who quickly swiveled around - with his explosive twist on Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” during the blind auditions phase of NBC’s mega-hit talent competition, McBride delivers on the promise and praise while taking listeners on an adventure that goes beyond strict genre boundaries and showcases the depth of his artistry.

“With this album, I want to convey the essence of who I am as a vocalist and an artist,” the singer says, “and my love for a variety of different kinds of music, from pop and R&B to gospel and rock. I connect deeply with each of these songs because they convey true life facts about love, happiness and human relationships. Though my foundation is in soul music, I am not just a soul singer. I believe that all music transcends together.”

McBride, whose rough video demo of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Goin’ On” got him in the door and who sealed the deal singing “Drift Away” for the show’s executive producers, never viewed his time on the show as a competition - but rather an opportunity to share his gift. Having only returned to singing live professionally a few years ago after some years away from the industry, McBride’s rekindled passion inspired his exciting decision to become a recording artist once again. A key part of this was the on-screen encouragement of Aguilera, who snagged McBride for her team in the Battle Rounds after a mini-battle for him with Green, and guest mentor Lionel Richie, who helped him master “Chain of Fools.”

Immediately after the singer wrapped “Higher Ground,” Aguilera enthused, “The very first note you hit blew me away!” She also emphasized her amazement at his “amazing level of energy” that brought the audience to its feet. Richie was also dazzled by McBride’s incredible vocal abilities. “When Geoff walked in…BOOM!” Richie exclaimed excitedly. “His delivery was unbelievable. It was not coming out of a microphone. There was no speaker. I love it.” Judges Blake Shelton and Adam Levine echoed their colleagues with admiration for McBride after each of his appearances.

With a rich vocal palette that taps as deeply into the church music traditions of his youth as it does the romantic power of legends like Seal, Luther Vandross, Marvin Gaye and Al Green, the North Carolina raised, Florida based singer brings his uncanny storytelling ability – in the tradition of another of his heroes, James Taylor – to a collection of ten hand-chosen songs that convey where his musical heart thrives in 2014.  

Showcasing a multi-layered sense of artistry that McBride only hinted at on “The Voice,” these songs speak to the heart as celebrations of life, love, the human spirit while exploring the inner complexities of our relationships. In addition to creative re-imaginings of the Todd Rundgren penned “Love Is The Answer” (currently a rising sensation on urban jazz radio), “At Last” (which sneaks in a cool segue to Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me”) and “Feelin’ Alright” (originally by Traffic, later popularized by Joe Cocker), Journey To The Soul features a sparkling batch of originals penned by Grammy winning songwriter Jerry Peters (the inspirational ballad “Wipe Away Your Tears”) and two time Dove Award winner Sam Mizell, who wrote “My Angel”, “You Got Lips”, “When You Got Love”, “Walk Away”, and “Need”.

McBride, who lives with his wife Lisa and four children in Santa Rosa Beach on Florida’s Panhandle, has been working with the Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center for a number of years, performing at various benefits, including two with Oscar winning actor Morgan Freeman. Founded in 1998, the Center – whose mission is to prevent child abuse and neglect, protect children and restore the lives of child abuse and neglect victims – is using “Wipe Away Your Tears” as a call to action song, posting McBride’s video on its website; proceeds from the track will benefit the organization. McBride will also be giving away copies of Journey To the Soul and T-shirts to those who donate $35 or more – with a goal towards getting a million people to donate in 2014.

Journey To The Soul was produced by renowned music industry studio veteran, keyboardist and recording artist Trammell Starks, owner of Studiomagic Recording Studios in Alpharetta, Georgia. Nearly two decades after they had last worked together, Starks reached out to McBride to sing on his cover version of “Summer Breeze.” Their work on the track, which was released as a single in 2013, led to a deeper collaboration that accelerated with the singer’s appearances on “The Voice.” When the two decided to start a new album for McBride, the singer originally wanted to record some material he had written. Ultimately, in the service of choosing the best potential hit songs, he opted to “step out of the way” of his own ego to choose a group of songs that would best highlight the depth of his talents.

If McBride seems very confident, self-assured and seasoned for an emerging talent, it’s because he brings a unique history as a onetime Arista recording artist to the mix. After spending his teens in his small town near Lexington, North Carolina as front man for the popular Top 40 band Whisper Wind, he was inspired by a performance by the legendary Al Jarreau at a local venue called The Mosque to forgo college (and his initial dreams of being a pediatric surgeon) and head to Atlanta to pursue a musical career.

A demo he worked on found its way to the brass at numerous labels, and McBride soon had offers for recording deals from Motown, Atlantic and Arista. Signing with Clive Davis’ label, he soon found himself mingling with a roster that included Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Teddy Pendergrass and Lisa Stansfield. He also appeared on the competition juggernaut of its time, “Star Search.” The lone album he recorded for the label, Do You Still Remember Love? was produced by the late Gerald Levert and spawned the Billboard R&B chart hit “No Sweeter Love.” The singer later began recording a second project in the studio at Eddie Murphy’s Bubble Hill mansion. Ultimately, however, McBride chose to leave Arista when he realized his vision for where he wanted to go as an artist wasn’t matching up to the label’s commitment.

During a handful of years outside the industry, McBride worked at an Ace Hardware store, then started his own construction business. As if a talent like his could ever be on the sidelines for long, he eventually found his way back to music and started doing jingle work while performing regularly at Café 290 in Atlanta – a venue that was frequented often by member of Earth, Wind & Fire and jazz/gospel singer Jonathan Butler.

The most important change in his life was meeting and marrying Lisa (in 2001) and starting a family. An opportunity for McBride to sing with the youth group BigStuf led him to move his family to the Panhandle in 2006. Since then, he’s performed for locals and tourists alike at popular elite restaurants and clubs, including regular gigs at the The Vue, La Playa, The Ocean Club, 723 Whiskey Bravo, and many others.

“Looking back on those early career experimentations,” McBride says, “I was probably more interested in finding myself than the type of music I would eventually claim as my own. Although I didn’t understand it at the time, those years of personal and professional discovery were a necessary part of my growth as an artist that, only now, I find paying off in this season of my career.

My dad passed away when I was very young, and he was a gentle soul who used to sing to my mom in the kitchen. I learned from them about the power of music to heal and inspire as the universal language. With Journey To The Soul, I want to get back out there and tell the world that there is still real music sung by real singers. We’re still around and still have the chops – so brace yourselves!”

DRUM LEGEND TERRY BOZZIO PRESENTS A SOLO MUSICAL PERFORMANCE ON WORLD'S LARGEST TUNED DRUM AND PERCUSSION SET ON 2014 TOUR

Photo: Andre Ozga

Drum legend Terry Bozzio, known for his work with Frank Zappa, Jeff Beck, UK and his critically acclaimed solo ventures, celebrates the 50th anniversary of his first drum lesson with “An Evening With Terry Bozzio” coast-to-coast North American tour! During the course of this tour, Terry Bozzio will hit over 40 cities from San Diego to Jacksonville to Montreal to Vancouver to Los Angeles and everywhere in between. This will be a night of solo drumming and include compositions from throughout his career, as well as improvisation. It is by no means a clinic or a workshop. Enjoy an intimate evening of Terry Bozzio and his monster sculpture of a drum kit together for the first time in seated venues across North America.

“TERRY BOZZIO - An Evening of Solo Drum Music” is a unique, intense, dynamic, spiritualistic, melodic, orchestral, atmospheric, and musical performance on the largest tuned drum & percussion set in the world. Unless you have seen Terry, you have no idea what you are in for. Bozzio is an enigmatic, evocative, and engaging musician whose instrument just happens to be the drums. Terry Bozzio is able to accompany himself with bass note patterns and, at the same time, melodically solo on top with highly developed coordination skills to express a complete musical statement on the drum set alone. Drawing from jazz, classical, & ethnic percussion styles from around the world, Terry Bozzio is “a storyteller,” able to weave a hypnotic spell over audiences and enthrall them with an eclectic experience filled with contrast, variety, intimacy, excitement, & passion.

Terry has had tremendous success with his last two Terry Bozzio solo drum performance tours in Europe (2012 included his headline show at the Jazz Festival Frankfurt – the oldest jazz festival in the world – and 2013 which included sold out performances in Sweden, Germany, Eastern Europe, and France). Please note that this is not a bombastic 2 hour drum solo. This is MUSIC on drums, “an evening with Terry Bozzio.” In most of Bozzio’s works, he accompanies himself with bass lines while soloing over it melodically on the tuned toms. There is space, classical forms & structures, ambient electronic loops, and atmospheric percussion effects, as well as some exciting & fiery drumming that brings audiences to their feet!

An Evening with TERRY BOZZIO North American Tour Dates:

Aug 15, 2014 - Mexicali, BC, Mexico - Lob Bar (Bol Bol)

Aug 17, 2014 - Phoenix, AZ - MIM Music Theater

Aug 23, 2014 - Denver, CO - Soiled Dove

Aug 26, 2014 - Tulsa, OK - The Vanguard

Aug 28, 2014 - Conroe, TX - Dosey Doe

Aug 29, 2014 - Fort Worth, TX - McDavid Studio

Aug 31, 2014 - Austin, TX - One World Theater

Sept 04, 2014 - Orlando, FL - Plaza Live

Sept 05, 2014 - Largo, FL - Largo Cultural Center

Sept 10, 2014 - Washington, DC - The Hamilton

Sept 11, 2014 - Wilmington, DE - World Café

Sept 13, 2014 - Asbury Park, NJ - The Saint

Sept 14, 2014 - New York City, NY - Iridium (2 shows – 8pm & 10pm)

Sept 15, 2014 - New York City, NY - Iridium (2 shows - 8pm & 10pm)

Sept 16, 2014 - Stafford Springs, CT - Stafford Palace Theater

Sept 19, 2014 - Richmond Hill, ON, Canada - Cosmopolitan Music Hall

Sept 21, 2014 - Buffalo, NY - Nietzches

Sept 24, 2014 - Nashville, TN - 3rd and Lindsley

Sept 26, 2014 - Newport, KY - The Southgate House Revival

Sept 30, 2014 - Little Rock, AR - Juanitas

Oct 05, 2014 - Chicago, IL - Martyrs

Oct 06, 2014 - Chicago, IL - Martyrs

Oct 14, 2014 - Calgary, AB, Canada - Orpheus Theatre

Oct 16, 2014 - Vancouver, BC, Canada - Imperial

Oct 17, 2014 - Vancouver Island, BC, Canada - Tidemark Theatre

Oct 19, 2014 - Seattle, WA - The Triple Door

Oct 20, 2014 - Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater

Oct 23, 2014 - Oakland, CA - Yoshi´s

Oct 25, 2014 - Los Angeles, CA - Catalina´s

Oct 26, 2014 - Los Angeles, CA - Catalina´s

In other news, Over the last four decades, drummer Terry Bozzio has built an extraordinary legacy based on his unique approach to rhythm and the diverse and acclaimed recordings to which he's contributed. On April 18, 2014 he'll go beyond genres into new mediums with the release of an art collection titled [RHYTHM] + [SKETCH]. Available exclusive at www.terrybozzioart.com, the collection is a fusion of artwork crafted over the last three decades mixed with new abstract visuals made from capturing rhythm.

A project that began a year ago, [RHYTHM] + [SKETCH] is a highly limited release of artwork on canvas. The collection's visuals are a unique fusion of ink sketches Bozzio has made throughout his career, as well as his take on the new medium of rhythm-on-canvas, a process of creating abstract artwork through the documentation of rhythmic performance and light movement. To build the collection, Bozzio joined Los Angeles art team SceneFour in the creation process. SceneFour is the team responsible for the rhythm-on-canvas movement, working exclusively with the world's finest drummers to craft abstract artwork from performance. “Terry's collection is a remarkable step forward. His style is so unique that once captured the arcs and techniques he's mastered become crystal clear to a discerning viewer,” SceneFour's Co-Founder Cory Danziger states. “The fusion of Terry's sketches into the rhythmic creations is a natural. His work behind the kit has similarities to the artwork done by hand. It's very telling of how his creativity is consistent even as it crosses platforms.” In total, twelve different works are featured in Bozzio's collection, with a limited number of each piece available to the public on April 18, 2014. Each piece is numbered and signed individually by Bozzio. To join the interest list to learn more and see it before the release, sign up at www.terrybozzioart.com. Terry's stage setting for his upcoming solo drum tour will include large pieces of his [RHYTHM] + [SKETCH] work as a backdrop on the stage.

"I just want to make music on the drums." - Terry Bozzio

www.terrybozzio.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CroX237dzfY#t=36

INCOGNITO - AMPLIFIED SOUL

“Amplified Soul”, the 16th studio album from Incognito, consists of 16 new recordings soaked in soul, coated in jazz with more than a twist of funk and dance. Or as Bluey puts it: “This is a labour of love, a gift to those who have supported us over the years”.

Recorded and mixed at the legendary Livingston Studio in North London where The Buena Vista Social Club‘s eponymous multimillion selling first album was mixed and also Björk‘s 1993 debut album recorded and mixed, this album features singers Tony Momrelle, Vanessa Haynes and new addition Katie Leone who provide some of the best vocal performances ever recorded by the band. They are joined by legendary singer songwriter Carleen Anderson and Connecticut born funkstress Deborah Bond and the return one of the Incognito fans favourite Imaani, with the addition of a totally fresh voice on the scene in the form of the soulful 22 year old Australian debutant Chiara Hunter.

Guitarist, main producer and band leader Bluey once again leads his tight rhythm section of Francis Hylton on bass, Matt Cooper on keyboards, Francesco Mendolia on drums and the young percussion sensation Joao Caetano to create a bed of soulful funky irresistible grooves that are punctuated by the trademark Incognito horns. At times on this album the band navigates towards a darker sound than on their previous works offering the listener a new adventure with wonderfully crafted songs wrapped in warm tones. At other times they just get joyously funky!

There are guest performances by original Jamiroquai drummer Nick Van Gelder on two cuts, the awesome alto saxophonist Nigel Hitchcock, synthesizer wizard Ski Oakenfull, Elements Of Life percussionist Roberto Quintero, and Incognito regular contributor Richard Bull and many more. From the plaintive opening number “Amplify My Soul” you get echoes of a classic era that could be easily associated with Marvin Gaye or Stevie’s offerings from the 70’s, to the bubbly, bouncy, catchy number that is immediate and infectious “Hats (Make Me Wanna Holler)”, the album unites all of Incognito’s best character traits. If ever Incognito had a festival crowd anthem, then “Hands Up If You Wanna Be Loved” is it!

Tracklist:

1. Amplify My Soul (Part 1)

2. I Couldn't Love You More

3. Rapture

4. Hands Up If You Wanna Be Loved

5. Hats (Make Me Wanna Holler)

6. Silver Shadow

7. Deeper Still

8. Amplify My Soul (Part 2)

9. Something bout July

10. Day Or Night

11. Wind Sorceress

12. Another Way

13. I See The Sun

14. Never Known A Love Like This

15. The Hands Of Time

16. Stop Running Away

~ Amazon UK