PIANIST AND KEYBOARDIST DAN SIEGEL RELEASES HIS 20TH ALBUM - INDIGO

Having recorded a catalogue of Top 10 albums in a vivid spectrum of jazz hues with topflight musicians for 35 years, Dan Siegel only emerges when he has something engaging to say with his poetic piano and crafty keyboards. Back with his first new statement in five years, Siegel’s DSM record label will release “Indigo” on October 14, a set comprised of ten new compositions that he wrote, arranged and shared production chores with Grammy-nominated bassist Brian Bromberg.   

On his 20th album, Siegel creates right up the spine of the jazz dichotomy allowing the melodies, improvisational soloing and grooves to unfold and flourish unencumbered by restrictive genre borders and polarizing labels. His cerebral compositions traverse the expansive jazz terrain, but do so with heart rendering them instantly accessible. The keyboardist has a gift for writing inviting, emotionally-evocative material that connects soulfully.   

"My tendency is it to overwrite, which can make it challenging for the listener.  I believe the emotional allure of the music on this album (“Indigo”) transcends its compositional complexity," said the Irvine, California-based artist who was born in Seattle, Washington and raised in Eugene, Oregon.
 
The beating heart and soul heard on “Indigo” in part comes from the live production tracked in the cozy confines of Bromberg’s home studio in the valley just over the hill from Los Angeles. Siegel and Bromberg have an easy rapport and level of trust that dates back several decades from playing and recording together. Bromberg’s 300-year-old acoustic bass provides the rhythmic bottom end on tracks anchored by the deft drum beats from Yellowjackets veteran Will Kennedy. Bob Sheppard plays a prominent role using a variety of saxophones and impassioned play to echo Siegel’s piano and keyboards leads as well as emote his own scholarly theses. Allen Hinds and Mike Miller are afforded ample room to dispense thoughtful guitar riffs and do so with finesse. Lenny Castro’s percussion and Craig Fundyga’s vibraphone embellishments add texture, color and shadow in all the right places while two different horn sections appear on a total of six tracks providing power and depth. The cumulative result of such masterful players animating Siegel’s poignant piano pieces is a warm and plush album that will be serviced for airplay at straight-ahead jazz (full album) and contemporary/smooth jazz outlets (title cut).      

Siegel inked his first record deal in 1979 with Inner City Records, which issued his debut disc,

“Nite Ride,” featuring guitar great Lee Ritenour. Siegel’s sophomore session, “The Hot Shot,” went No. 1 on the Radio & Records chart and spent ten weeks in the Top 10 on the Billboard jazz chart. A couple years later, Siegel moved to Los Angeles to focus on composing film and television scores. Subsequently, he signed with Epic Records and altered his sound from fusion to collections that spanned contemporary jazz, electronic, worldbeat and R&B. Over the years, he has played and recorded with Herbie Hancock, Boney James, Larry Carlton, Joe Sample, Ernie Watts, John Patitucci, Bela Fleck and Ottmar Liebert in instrumental settings; Glenn Frey, Chaka Khan, Berlin and Philip Bailey (Earth, Wind & Fire) in the pop world; and amassed an array of television and film credits that boasts Oscar-winner “The Usual Suspects.” For more information, please visit www.DanSiegelMusic.com.

The songs contained on “Indigo” are:
“To Be Continued”
“By Chance”
“Indigo”
“Beyond”
“Far and Away”
“If Ever”
“Spur of the Moment”
“First Light”
“Consider This”
“Endless”

Jamie Cullum Celebrates New Relationship With Blue Note Records at Blue Note Jazz Club, September 29

Photo by McVirn Ettiene

Blue Note Jazz Club is presenting celebrated song-writer and musician Jamie Cullum for a special one-night performance on Monday, September 29 (two shows, 8:00PM & 10:30PM). Billed as "Jamie Cullum Interlude...The Jazz Tour," the evening will celebrate his new relationship with Blue Note Records, as the legendary label just announced that it will serve as the new U.S. home for the British jazz star. 

The pair of intimate shows will provide a special sneak preview to Cullum's upcoming album, Interlude. He will play the album in its entirety with his core band augmented by choice local players so not only will the audience see him in much smaller space than usual, but with a much bigger band to boot! 

  

Interlude marks a rare focus upon largely straight-ahead jazz and a return to interpretation from an artist who has made a habit of bending genres, writing original material and bringing new sounds and new listeners to the music. Inspired by the music and musicians he's featured on his award-winning UK jazz radio show over the last few years and his own crate digging tendencies, the album's twelve tracks avoid cliché with a fistful of less obvious songs from the American songbook along with a couple modern surprises and pair of amazing duet guests in Gregory Porter and Laura Mvula.

Released next month in his native UK via Island Records, the album will be coming in the US from Blue Note Records later this winter and more details will be forthcoming in the coming weeks.

Jamie Cullum @ Blue Note Jazz Club, 131 W. 3rd Street, New York, NY / Monday, September 29: Two Shows: 8:00PM and 10:30PM

THE TOURÉ-RAICHEL COLLECTIVE, COLLABORATION BETWEEN ISRAELI POP STAR IDAN RAICHEL AND RENOWNED MALIAN MUSICIAN VIEUX FARKA TOURÉ, RELEASES THE PARIS SESSION

The formation and success of The Touré-Raichel Collective, the band led by Israeli keyboardist and songwriter Idan Raichel and Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Touré—icons in their own countries and abroad—is a reminder of the unique power of music to bridge geographic, ethnic, political and religious differences. As a follow up to their acclaimed 2012 debut, The Tel Aviv Session, the group will release a new album, The Paris Session, September 30 on the Cumbancha label. The Touré-Raichel Collective will tour the U.S. this fall; please see below for an itinerary.

Although a collaboration between an Israeli Jew and a Malian Muslim has unavoidable political implications, what inspired Touré and Raichel to work together was not the potential to make a statement; they simply connected as artists and friends seeking to find musical common ground.

They met for the first time by chance, in 2008 at the Berlin airport, where they expressed mutual admiration and a desire to get together and play. Touré’s father, the late great Ali Farka Touré, was one of Raichel's musical heroes and inspirations. Raichel invited Touré to Israel, where they assembled a few musicians and convened an unscripted, improvised jam session. The chemistry between Touré and Raichel was instant and profound. They assumed the name The Touré-Raichel Collective and used the material from that first gathering as the basis for an album, The Tel Aviv Session, which found poignant, musically beautiful common ground between the artists’ cultures.

Since they recorded their first album in Tel Aviv, the plan was to make the follow-up in Bamako. But the latter was deemed too risky at the time, so the artists traveled to France to record. For three days Raichel, who produced, and Touré sequestered themselves at Studio Malambo in the outskirts of Paris where they were joined by a number of special guests. While The Paris Session is the result of the same freeform approach that was used in the first album, this time around they decided to feature more songs with vocals, a wider range of instrumentation, and appearances by musician friends such as Senegalese artist Daby Touré on bass, Israeli trumpeter Niv Toar, Malian singer Seckouba Diabate and others. Touré and Raichel have honed their interplay over the course of multiple tours together, but the album possesses the same spontaneous, heartfelt magic as its predecessor.

Due to popular demand, The Touré-Raichel Collective has undertaken multiple international tours and performed on some of the world's most prestigious stages. In June of this year, Touré returned to Israel to join Raichel's band The Idan Raichel Project in a performance at Masada, an archeological site of immense significance in Jewish history. 

One highlight of the recording is a rendition of the song “Diaraby,” written by Ali Farka Touré and featured on his landmark collaboration with Ry Cooder, Talking Timbuktu. Raichel says that there was a period of six or seven years during which he had listened to the song nearly every day. Upon sharing a stage with Vieux for the first time, Raichel suggested they play the elder Touré’s song together, and doing so brought tears to Raichel’s eyes. He describes feeling “a big, big circle from Ali Farka Touré in Niafunke to me in Tel Aviv, then going back to Ali’s son.”

More broadly Raichel says of his collaboration with Touré, “I’m a musician from Israel, and I will always make Israeli music. And Vieux Farka Touré for me represents the spirit of Mali. I think world music artists by definition are people who reflect the soundtrack of the place they come from. I think that this collaboration between Mali and Israel—and remember we don’t even have diplomatic relations between the two countries—creates a new imaginary island located somewhere between Bamako and Tel Aviv.”

Touré says, “Idan comes from Israel, he’s Jewish. I come from Mali, I'm a Muslim. This project shows the point where there are no real differences between us. Working on these recordings we learn a lot about each other.”

It all works, first and foremost, because Touré, Raichel and their guests manage to make singular music. Reviewing The Tel Aviv Session for NPR’s “All Things Considered,” Banning Eyre wrote, “If Raichel and Touré had planned a collaboration, it's hard to imagine that they could have topped the casual charm of this impromptu encounter.” Hosting the Collective on WNYC’s “Soundcheck,” John Schaefer called the debut recording “one of the year’s most surprising and infectious world music releases.” Wall Street Journal rock and pop music critic Jim Fusilli has described the collaboration as “not so much cross-cultural exercise as an exploration of common ground.”

The Touré-Raichel Collective U.S. Tour Dates

NOV 07 @ The Valley Performing Arts Center – Northridge, CA [LINK]

NOV 08 @ Nourse Theater – San Francisco, CA [LINK]

NOV 09 @ The Center for the Arts – Grass Valley, CA [LINK]

NOV 11 @ Musical Instruments Museum – Phoenix, AZ [LINK]

NOV 12 @ Boulder Theater – Boulder, CO [LINK]

NOV 14 @ Peery’s Egyptian Theater – Ogden, UT [LINK]

NOV 15 @ Meany Hall – Seattle, WA [LINK]

NOV 18 @ Symphony Space – New York, NY [LINK]

NOV 19 @ Weinberg Center for the Arts – Frederick, MD [LINK]

NOV 20 @ Quick Center for the Arts – Fairfield, CT [LINK]

NOV 21 @ Koerner Hall – Toronto, ON [LINK]

NOV 22 @ Swyer Theatre at The Egg – Albany, NY [LINK]

NOV 23 @ Zoellner Arts Center – Bethlehem, Pennsylvania [LINK]

Vieux Farka Touré is often called “The Hendrix of the Sahara.” Despite his father's wishes that he join the army, Vieux taught himself guitar in secret and stubbornly chose to pursue his dream of a career in music and further his father's legacy. After earning his undergraduate degree from Mali's Institute National Des Arts and a graduate degree from The Conservatory of Bamako, Vieux quickly emerged from his father's shadow and established himself as an innovative, world-class musician and activist in his own right. In his young career he has released seven critically acclaimed albums, toured the world many times over and collaborated with some of the world's biggest musical stars, including Dave Matthews, Lauryn Hill, Derek Trucks and Ry Cooder. In 2010 he was invited to represent Mali at the opening ceremony of the World Cup in South Africa, where he performed to a cumulative global audience of over one billion people. In 2013 he released his latest solo album, Mon Pays, as a direct, peaceful and uplifting response to the violent invasion of his homeland by foreign, extremist militants in 2012 and 2013. The album was roundly praised around the world and topped the CMJ World Music Chart for 2013. A tenacious philanthropist throughout his career, Vieux has worked diligently to assist his fellow Malians through his Fight Malaria campaign and by raising money throughout his tours for the refugees of the recent conflict in Northern Mali. Most recently he founded AMAHREC-SAHEL, a charitable organization providing crucial resources and assistance to impoverished children in the Sahel region of West Africa.

Since 2003, when his song “Bo’ee” became an instant crossover hit that catapulted Idan Raichel and his group The Idan Raichel Project to the top of Israel's pop charts, the keyboardist, songwriter and producer has been a household name in his native land. In 2006, the U.S.-based record label Cumbancha released an eponymous collection of songs from the group’s first two albums, bringing the artist even more international renown. The Idan Raichel Project has headlined some of the world’s most prestigious venues, including New York's Central Park Summer Stage, Apollo Theater, Town Hall and Radio City Music Hall, Los Angeles’ Kodak Theater, the Sydney Opera House, Zenith and Bataclan in Paris, London’s Royal Albert Hall and many international festivals. Raichel has toured and recorded with GRAMMY-winner India.Arie, including performances at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. for President Obama and his family on the first Martin Luther King, Jr. Day after Obama’s election as well as at the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, Norway. Last year, Raichel perform a private concert for President Obama during his official visit to Israel. In July 2014, Raichel joined Alicia Keys for a special duet during her sold-out concert at Nokia Stadium in Tel Aviv. One month later, Raichel shared the stage with French star Patrick Bruel. Cumbancha released the Idan Raichel Project's latest album, Quarter to Six, in 2013, which featured guest appearances by Portuguese fado singer Ana Moura, Palestinian-Israeli singer Mira Awad, German counter-tenor Andreas Scholl, Colombia’s Marta Gómez, Vieux Farka Touré and some of Israel’s top emerging singers and musicians.

NEW RELEASES: AUCTION PROJECT WITH MIKE STERN - SLINK; BLUE-EYED HAWK - UNDER THE MOON; GOLDEN DAWN ARKESTRA EP

AUCTION PROJECT WITH MIKE STERN - SLINK

The Auction Project is a union of musicians and composers made up of Arturo O'Farrill (piano) Carlo De Rosa (bass) Vince Cherico (drums) Heather Martin Bixler(violin) David Bixler (saxes). The material is the strength of their friendship love and musical creativity shared by the ensemble, Special guest Mike Stern. Liner Note Author: Arturo O'Farrill. Recording information: Avatar Studios, New York, NY (2014-02-20_2014-02-21&2014-). Photographer: Jon Macapodi. Personnel: David Bixler (alto saxophone); Heather Martin Bixler (violin); Arturo O'Farrill (piano); Carlo DeRosa (acoustic bass, electric bass); Vince Cherico (drums, cymbals). Audio Mixer: Katherine Miller. ~ Cd Universe

BLUE-EYED HAWK - UNDER THE MOON

Blue-Eyed Hawk is the co-operative London based quartet that brings together vocalist Lauren Kinsella, trumpeter Laura Jurd, guitarist Alex Roth and drummer Corrie Dick. Taking its name from a line in W.B. Yeats s poem Under the Moon, their debut album is the sum of a colloborative process that bursts with the youthful energy, vision and integrity of all four members. The result is music that is emotive, lyrical, dark, inspiring and at times unexpected. but most of all it is an honest depiction of the perceptions voiced through four highly talented and engaging performers. Integrating a wide open improv sensibility in to its melodic and richly textured original material, Blue-Eyed Hawk s music dips into a diverse and eclectic world of rock, jazz, minimalism and electronic soundworlds. With the writing pooled between all four members of the band, Under the Moon is very much a communal effort of craftmanship and expression. Using lyrics by E.Y Harburh, W.B Yeats, Armand Silvestre and Seamus Heaney as a source of inspiration, this isn t a jazz album nor a art-rock album but a refreshing genre defying and boundless approach to music making at its most creative and original. So brilliant. Everyone in the room was spellbound . BBC RADIO 3

GOLDEN DAWN ARKESTRA EP

Wonderful work from this fuzzy, funky group – a project headed by Adrian Quesada, who you'll know for his mix of modes on projects like Ocote Soul Sounds, Brownout, and the Brown Sabbath record! This set's maybe mostly like the latter – in that it draws inspiration from fuzzy rock as well as funk – but there's also some unusual exotic elements at play, too – as befits the cover image – slight traces of cosmic energy that help keep things interesting – especially on the keyboards and acoustic percussion. Titles include "Selemat", "Saharan Knights", "Oasis", "Dimensions", and "Afropocalypse". ~ Dusty Groove

TALIB KWELI PLAYS THE BLUE NOTE JAZZ CLUB, SEPT. 18-19, 2014

Blue Note Jazz Club is presenting world-renowned hip-hop artist and activist Talib Kweli, Thursday and Friday, September 18-19. Kweli appears in support of his most recent album, Prisoner of Conscious (released in mid-2013).

Over the past five years, Blue Note Jazz Club has put a prime focus on showcasing special hip-hop programs. Recent shows have included Kweli & DJ Hi-Tek (2009), Lauryn Hill (2011), Yasiin Bey (with special guests Lupe Fiasco and Kanye West - 2011), Rakim & The Roots (2011), Questlove (2011), and Big Daddy Kane (2013), among others.

Brooklyn-based rapper Talib Kweli earned his stripes as one of the most lyrically-gifted, socially aware and politically insightful rappers to emerge in the last 20 years. He travels around the globe as one of rap's most in-demand performers combined with his conversations with political activists and his genre-straddling work with Idle Warship and others caused Kweli to realize that he was limited in a sense, a prisoner of sorts of his own success as one of the world's best rappers with something significant to say. Whether working with Mos Def as one-half of Black Star, partnering with producer Hi-Tek for Reflection Eternal, releasing landmark solo material or collaborating with Kanye West or Madlib,  Kweli commands attention by delivering top-tier lyricism, crafting captivating stories and showing the ability to rhyme over virtually any type of beat.

"My music has been associated with those types of causes, with positivity, spirituality, intelligence and being thought-provoking and such," he says. "I think sometimes people get caught up in that part of me as an artist and don't necessarily understand the musicality or fully appreciate the music and the entertainment value behind what I do. I tried to stretch my wings a little bit and bring something that was less beholden to the world of hip-hop and more existing in the world in general."

The result of this artistic growth and exploration arrives with Kweli's dynamic 2013 release, Prisoner Of Conscious AKA P.O.C., an artistic tour de force that signals the start of the next chapter of Kweli's remarkable career. The BK MC spent more time working on Prisoner Of Conscious than any of his other albums, a three-year journey that found him exploring new vibes, joining in some unlikely collaborations and taking him to foreign lands.

Produced by Symbolyc One (Kanye West, Ghostface), the title track's alternatively rap and rock-based beat provides a distinctive platform for Kweli to deliver rhymes that detail his artistic awakening, while producers Sean C & LV (Jay-Z, Raekwon) created a Marvin Gaye-esque vibe for "Come," a cut featuring Miguel that showcases Kweli trying to convince a series of women to do things his way.

Talib Kweli appeatrs on Thursday & Friday, September 18-19; Two shows nightly at 8:00PM & 10:30PM / Blue Note Jazz Club, 131 W. 3rd Street (between 6th Ave and MacDougal St.)

New York City / www.bluenotejazz.com

PIERS FACCINI & VINCENT SEGAL ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM - SONGS OF TIME LOST

Piers Faccini and Vincent Segal met in Paris in the late 1980s and have been friends ever since. Songs of Time Lost is their first joint album. Using voice, guitar and cello and a variety of languages (including English, Neapolitan dialect and Creole), the album brings together original compositions, traditional songs and some covers. “It feels like a reunion,” says Vincent, “even though we never really lost touch over the years.”

At the time of their original meeting, Piers was a painter and student at the Paris Beaux-Arts and Vincent had just left the Conservatoire. Vincent was immediately taken by Piers’ vocals: “I wanted to find ways to support his voice, to envelop his words.” Piers later went on to launch his first solo album in 2004, Leave No Trace, which Vincent produced. His many subsequent solo releases have drawn rave reviews from critics around the world, including his most recent album, Between Dogs and Wolves, which was released in North America by Six Degrees Records in 2013. Meanwhile, Vincent started to develop his band Bumcello, as well as a myriad of other projects, including the popular album, Chamber Music, recorded with kora master Ballaké Sissoko.

Songs of Time Lost weaves together many musical strands, made up of both artists' diverse influences. There is the blues that Piers first heard from Mississippi John Hurt (“Make Me a Pallet on Your Floor”), a composition by Alain Peters from the island of La Réunion (“Mangé pou le coeur”), a country waltz by Townes Van Zandt (“Quicksilver Daydreams of Maria”) and an instrumental theme by the Berlin composer Friedrich Holländer (“Wenn ich mir, was wünschen dürfte”). There are also the melodies of the traditional Neapolitan repertoire, which are favorites of Piers, who is of Anglo-Italian lineage (“Jesce sole,” “Villanella di cenerentola,” “Dicitencello vuje,” “Cicerenella” and the contemporary “Cammina cammina” by Pino Daniele).

Both musicians also draw from their own repertoires for the album. This includes two songs dating back to 1996, which Piers originally wrote for a film soundtrack (“A Half of Me” and “The Closing of Our Eyes”). There are also two recent compositions by Vincent (“Cradle to the Grave” and “Everyday Away from You”), which Piers added lyrics to. The first has a New Orleans-style riff that would not feel out of place on an old Allen Toussaint record and the latter seems to conjure up the soft refrains of Brazilian guitarist Luiz Bonfá.

In short, Songs of Time Lost is a fine balance between inspiration and influence. It is the meeting point of the music one inherits from the great masters and the music one writes oneself.

  

Tracklisting:

JESCE SOLE (R. de Simone)

THE CLOSING OF OUR EYES (P. Faccini – Cello arrangement V. Segal)

CAMMINA CAMMINA (G. Daniele)

CRADLE TO THE GRAVE (P. Faccini – V. Segal)

QUICKSILVER DAYDREAMS OF MARIA
(T. Van Zandt)

VILLANELLA DI CENERENTOLA (R. de Simone)

A HALF OF ME
(P. Faccini – Cello arrangement V. Segal)

MANGÉ POU LE COEUR (A. Peters)

CICERENELLA (R. de Simone)

WENN ICH MIR,
WAS WÜNSCHEN DÜRFTE (F. Holländer)

EVERYDAY AWAY FROM YOU (P. Faccini – V. Segal)

DICITENCELLO VUJE (E. Fusco – R. Falvo)

MAKE ME A PALLET ON YOUR FLOOR (traditional)

 

NEW RELEASES: SOUL TOGETHERNESS 2014: 15 MODERN SOUL GEMS; REBELLUM - THE DARKNESS; RAHSAAN PATTERSON - LIVE AT THE BELASCO

SOUL TOGETHERNESS 2014: 15 MODERN SOUL GEMS (COMPILATION)

Wonderful work from the Soul Togetherness team – a collection that links together their love of vintage soul with the warmer sounds of the contemporary underground! This time around, most cuts are relatively recent, but often have a feel that takes us back to the modern soul years of the late 70s – or some of the mellow-stepping modes from a few years before – and our collective hats are off to the Soul Togetherness folks for doing such a good job of rooting out cuts like this – as the set includes a fair bit of gems that we might have missed otherwise! Plenty of real soul going on here – the kind of work you might think they don't make anymore – and titles include "Better Than This (Soul Talk rmx)" by Paul Johnson, "No Worries" by Noel Gourdin, "So Be It (Soul Talk rmx)" by Lisa Stansfield, "Furture Teller" by Joe, "Harriet Jones (Cool Million rmx)" by Eric Benet, "Listen (Drizabone rmx)" by Soulutions, "I Can't Let This Good Thing Get Away" by Linda Clifford, "Superstar (Reel People voc mix)" by The Company, and "Get My Life Back (Galactic Soul mix)" by Tyrone Lee. ~ Dusty Groove

REBELLUM - THE DARKNESS

A blistering blend of righteous sounds, funky jazz, and knowledge – very much in the best Burnt Sugar tradition, but served up here by their Rebellum offshoot! Lyrics and beats are from the mighty Greg Tate – and definitely reflect his long connection to progressive cultural experiments – but the full sound is a heady brew of saxes, drums, and guitar from the group – plus plenty of guests on added instrumentation and vocals as well. The whole thing's got a very collaborative vibe – in the best Burnt Sugar tradition – and titles include "Spankalick", "Guelph", "Young Fankenstank", "Heartseed", "Trelle To The Lew", "Somebody To Love You", "Ten Times Left", and "Chains & Water/No Coloureds Allowed". ~ Dusty Groove

RAHSAAN PATTERSON - LIVE AT THE BELASCO (DVD)

The musical charms of Rahsaan Patterson get a great visual showcase here – during a sweet live set recorded at LA's Belasco Theater – with guest appearances from Lalah Hathaway and Shanice Wilson too! Patterson's a heck of a showman – with a vibrancy that's maybe even stronger than some of his recent studio albums – and the tracks stretch out nicely, with a relaxed quality that's different than those records too. Titles include "Burnin", "Crazy", "Spend The Night", "Can't We Wait A Minute", "Feels Good", and "Where You Are". (There is no indication, but we are assuming this is an NTSC format, Region 1 DVD.)  ~ Dusty Groove

SAXOPHONIST ALEX WEISS AND OUTHEAD RELEASE SECOND ALBUM - SEND THIS SOUND TO THE KING

Send This Sound to the King is the second CD from saxophonist Alex Weiss and Outhead.  They are an arthouse quartet blending the free-minded jazz of Ornette Coleman, Archie Shepp and Roland Kirk with the post-beat sounds of the Lounge Lizards and Morphine. It will be released onOctober 14 on Chahatatadra Music.

The group - alto/tenor saxophonist Alex Weiss, baritone saxophonist Charlie Gurke, double-bassist Rob Woodcock and drummer Dillon Westbrook - has a low-slung, roughhewn aesthetic that's equal parts free-jazz and art-punk, brimming over with vim and vigor.  Guest guitarist Peter Galub provides spiky six-string atmosphere to several tracks, and multiple voices are heard, male and female. Send This Sound to the King is the sound of both edge and allure.

Outhead - the quartet of alto/tenor saxophonist Alex Weiss and baritone saxophonist Charlie Gurke with double-bassist Rob Woodcock and drummer Dillon Westbrook - pursues a low-slung, roughhewn aesthetic that's equal parts free-jazz and art-punk, brimming over with vim and vigor. Outhead's second album - Send This Sound to the King, to be released October 14, 2014 via Chahatatadra Music - juxtaposes catchy melody and swinging grooves, headlong caterwaul and dreamy spoken word. Guest guitarist Peter Galub provides spiky six-string atmosphere to several tracks, and multiple voices are heard, male and female. Send This Sound to the King is the sound of both edge and allure.

Outhead's new album is the follow-up to the band's 2008 release, Quiet Sounds for Comfortable People, which was a favorite of Downtown Music Gallery's Bruce Gallanter for its "inventive dynamics" and "fabulous groove." He heard a kinship with Ornette Coleman's two-sax band with Dewey Redman, while Weiss lists Archie Shepp and Roland Kirk as further references, for both their stentorian roar and the theatricality of their '60s work. The sly humor and sheer accessibility of Send This Sound to the King makes Outhead akin to John Lurie's iconic downtown New York band the Lounge Lizards, while rock fans may even hear echoes of the baritone-driven, post-Beat stylings of vintage indie-rock trio Morphine at times. Yet for all its hip influences and antecedents, Outhead is above all an individualist outfit, playing music that isn't quite like anything else out there.

During its Bay Area beginnings, Outhead rocked store fronts and improvised soundtracks to nature films, along with playing the coolest clubs. With band catalyst and Send This Sound to the King producer Alex Weiss now resident in Brooklyn, Outhead operates on both coasts; basic tracking was done by the quartet in Oakland, with Weiss overseeing overdubs in New York. Weiss was a protégé of free-jazz pioneer John Tchicai and a longtime member of the ensemble at the famed St. John Coltrane Church in San Francisco. What he learned at the elbow of Tchicai helped feed his philosophy for Outhead. Weiss says: "John Tchicai had a level of playing and feeling music that was very high, but he had this great open-mindedness about playing with all kinds of people, valuing real connection between musicians. He was also out to push the envelope in terms of sound - he always felt that experimentation was essential to an artist's growth. Those are the sorts of values that Outhead is about."

The loud, raw energy of punk rock was another keen influence on the ideas of the young Weiss about what a band could sound like. By the time he ingested his first free-jazz album - New York Eye & Ear Control, with Tchicai, Albert Ayler, Don Cherry, Roswell Rudd, Gary Peacock and Sunny Murray - "it made perfect sense to me," he says. "Free-jazz and punk rock shared a primal sonic energy. I also felt a kinship between punk and free-jazz in that they were both about standing your ground about what you think is right - aesthetically, socially, politically. Both genres took a firm stance against the conventional wisdom of the majority view. I eventually figured out that I could translate the energy of punk to my saxophone and ideas about the unconventional to a jazz band."

If the captivating blend of Weiss and Charlie Gurke's saxophones sounds like second nature, it's because the two musicians have played together in myriad ensembles over the years, from a big band to a saxophone quartet, and even salsa groups. "We tag-team together really well with our lines and improvisation," Weiss says. "Without keyboard or guitar, we're free of any harmonic constraints and can be really inventive melodically, and harmonically. Our compositions complement each other, too, I think, with Charlie's more rooted in jazz tradition and mine a bit more unorthodox. We're lucky to have this hard-grooving, heavy-hitting rhythm section to play over. Rob and Dillon are a real opposites-attract combination, with this Wagner enthusiast of a bass player meets a construction worker-poet as a drummer. But they're like bedrock together."

Weiss leaves it up to that drummer, Dillon Westbrook, to sum up Outhead: "The band is a bit of a happy accident, as all four members come to the core idea of chord-less quartet from different places: Alex from long association with various acoustic improvisers on both coasts; Charlie from study of a wide range of music, including the tradition of saxophone quartet composition and arranging; Rob from straight-ahead jazz, classical music and his studies with Mark Dresser; and me from growing up on 1980s and '90s New York downtown music, along with noisecore and straight-ahead jazz. Somehow or other, the configuration of Ornette Coleman's second great band, with Dewey Redman replacing Don Cherry, became a charmed meeting place for us. The group managed to mold its own identity within this framework, bringing out the best of each of us."

Outhead's second album kicks off beautifully with the majestic, melody-rich "Ode to John Denver, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying About Death," a woozy rubato spiritual by Weiss in a classic Albert Ayler mode, with a droning foundation of harmonium and arco bass for an East-meets-West feel. Next comes "The Chairman," a laconically catchy tune by Gurke that's blessed by Woodcock's grooving, textured bass playing and guest electric guitar by Peter Galub, who lends a rock'n'roll feel to the track - particularly with his fantastically wild, wailing solo near the end. Weiss' "The Palimpsest" makes a nod to John Zorn's Masada songbook; the composer's alto leads with the faintly Middle Eastern melody and a cry in his tone, though Gurke's baritone soon entwines serpentine around it for their characteristic sax blend.

"Glass Houses and Gift Horses" is a headlong rocker by Weiss, with a deceptively sophisticated form. The composer plays tenor, while Gurke's solo takes advantage of multiphonic effects and the overtones possible on the baritone. Westbrook, who has a Masters in Fine Arts degree in poetry, wrote the music and verses for the artfully produced soundscape "A Made Truth," with the sexual subtext of the words made plain in the initial sly recitation by Sarah Horashek and then undercut oddly and humorously by Eunjin Park's less-native way with the same lyrics. "Trotsky" is a groovy free-bop number by Charlie in the early Ornette Coleman manner, the harmolodic icon being a prime influence on every member of the band. The album's offbeat closer, "Uncle Ho," features music by Charlie and words by Alex, with a chorus of women's voices taking a key role. Roland Kirk's Volunteered Slavery is a key influence here, though with more demented humor in the words than political fire. The sound of Alex and Charlie's twinned saxophones is a textural highlight, as on the entire album.

http://alexweissmusic.com

NEW RELEASES: GREGORY PORTER - ISSUES OF LIFE: FEATURES AND REMIXES; A HOT DAY IN HARLEM; RICARDO SILVEIRA ORGAN TRIO

GREGORY PORTER - ISSUES OF LIFE: FEATURES AND REMIXES

A great companion to all the full length albums from the mighty Gregory Porter – as this special set brings together his side projects, appearances with other artists, and remixes as well! We love Porter's own records – and honestly feel that he's one of the freshest jazz vocal talents to come along in years – but he's also great when working in new formats too, and really brings his a-game to just about any other setting he approaches! Most of the music here is still in the jazz-based style of Porter's other records, but a few tracks are a bit more groove-heavy too – yet never in a way that's disrespectful of the vocals, or Gregory's core contributions. Titles include "About The Children" and "Be My Monster Love" done with David Murray, "Moanin (radio)" with Paul Zauner's Blue Brass, "Issues Of Life", "She's Gone", and "Just In Time" with Zbonics, "Song Of The Wind" by M1/Brian Jackson – plus remixes that include "1960 What (Opolopo kick & bass rerub)" and "She Danced Across The Floor (Automart rmx)". ~ Dusty Groove

A HOT DAY IN HARLEM (COMPILATION)

Funk, soul, and plenty more too – a massive batch of work from the legendary All Platinum label – the pre-hip hop chapter of the Sugar Hill Records scene! The work here nicely runs the gamut – as the set features lots of the great funk you'd find on All Platinum 45s, mixed with some warmer soul tunes, and even a few ballads too! We love the label (and all it's related imprints) to death – and it's been years since anyone's brought out so many gems like this from the New Jersey powerhouse of soul. And even though the title is oddly misleading – this isn't really a Harlem collection at all – we love the results of the whole thing – a smashing array of 70s soul cuts that includes "Ton Of Dynamite" by Frankie Crocker, "Beautiful Summer Day" by Mother Freedom Band, "Stand In For Love" by Pandella Kelly, "Home" by Gloria Barnes, "3 Minutes 2 Hey Girl" by George Kerr, "Hot Day In Harlem" by Rimshots, "Chance With You" by Brother To Brother, "She Comes Up" by Storm, "Too Sweet To Be Lonely" by The Internationals, "Young Bird" by Soul Generation, and "The Prime Of Love" by BBP. ~ Dusty Groove

RICARDO SILVEIRA ORGAN TRIO WITH VANESSA RODRIGUES AND RAFAEL BARATA

A whole new side of the talents of guitarist Ricardo Silveira, and a great one too – a Hammond-oriented trio outing that's quite different than any of his previous projects to date! We've grown to love Silveira for his sensitive shadings in Brazilian or acoustic projects – but he's a very different player here in an electric setting – maybe even more inventive and expressive, with a range of sounds and care of phrasing that's completely sublime – as is the organ work from Vanessa Rodrigues, a player we've really got to learn more about, because her waves of soul and blocks of sound here are really tremendous – and a very fresh take on this decades-old instrument. The group's completed by Rafael Barata on drums – a nicely subtle player who really lets the guitar and Hammond handle most of the record's creativity – and the 2CD set presents one studio session from the group, and one live outing too – with titles that include an incredible version of "Canto De Ossanha", plus "Cochise", "A Medida Do Meu Coracao", "Batucada", "Amazon River", "Polo Pony", "Eu E A Brisa", and "One Eyed Monster". ~ Dusty Groove

2-Disc Live Set by Charles Lloyd, "Manhattan Stories," Available from Resonance Records Today

In the words of a classic TV show, there are eight million stories in the Naked City. Resonance Records uncovers a pair of long-untold tales from New York City's fabled jazz past on Manhattan Stories, due for release today. These two performances capture the always-extraordinary saxophonist and flutist Charles Lloyd in 1965, leading a remarkable and previously unrecorded quartet featuring three jazz giants: guitarist Gábor Szabó, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Pete La Roca. 

The story told by these two concerts is one of an already-distinctive voice at the outset of a now-legendary career. In 1965, when these sets were recorded at the now-defunct venues Judson Hall and Slugs', Lloyd was fresh from his stint with drummer and bandleader Chico Hamilton, where he'd first crossed paths with Szabó. Lloyd already had two albums to his name; both Carter and Szabó are heard on his second for Columbia, Of Course, Of Course, from which two titles on these new dates are culled. Within a year he would form his groundbreaking quartet with Keith Jarrett, Cecil McBee, and Jack DeJohnette.

  

Szabó himself was on the verge of cementing his name in the jazz canon, starting his acclaimed run of Impulse! releases the next year. Carter was midway through his stint with the second great Miles Davis quintet, while La Roca had already worked with a host of names from the music's pantheon, including John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Bill Evans, and Joe Henderson.

Charles Lloyd  Photo by Lee Tanner ©  Lisa Tanner Photography

"It was a specific time and place," Lloyd told Manhattan Stories annotator Don Heckman. "We all felt like the boundaries were being dissolved and we could do or try anything. This is a music of freedom and wonder -- we were young and on the move."

Together, the band embarks on a series of adventurous excursions through pieces like Lloyd's classic "Sweet Georgia Bright" and "Dream Weaver" as well as Szabó's "Lady Gabor," originally recorded by the Chico Hamilton Quintet. Nothing on either disc clocks in at under ten minutes, allowing every member to stretch out and fully explore this mesmerizing material. Manhattan Stories showcases, with more than 80 minutes of music, a truly expressive group interaction that remains otherwise undocumented.

"The first time I heard these recordings, I was blown away and knew immediately how special they were," says co-producer Zev Feldman. "This just might be the holy grail for longtime Charles Lloyd fans like myself who think they've heard it all. No way. Not yet! There have been archival recordings released over the years with the classic quartet featuring Jarrett and DeJohnette, but there's never been a release with this group before -- and not just a group, but a group with four legendary masters. The music and spirit are very exciting.

Charles Lloyd & Gabor Szabo / Photo by Hank Parker courtest Sony Music

The interplay between Charles and Gábor alone is a testament to their genius. It's a real gift for us to share this with the world."

  

The Judson Hall recording comes from the archives of Resonance founder George Klabin, whose trove has previously yielded treasures from Bill Evans and Jimmy Giuffre. In fact, the first disc included here was recorded on a festival date shared with Giuffre that was released this year on the Elemental Music label. The occasion was Charlotte Moorman's Avant Garde Festival of New York, produced by saxophonist and jazz critic Don Heckman, who contributes an essay to Manhattan Stories.

Klabin, then a 19-year-old student at Columbia University, had recently been appointed head of the jazz department at university radio station WKCR-FM and sought to present original recordings as part of his show. He recorded the Judson Hall show with up-close microphone placement techniques and state-of-the-art engineering -- well ahead of 1965 standards. The Slugs' performances were recorded by Bjorn von Schlebrugge, who accompanied Lloyd to his Manhattan gigs.

In 2009, Feldman brought Klabin's tapes to Lloyd's California home to play for the saxophonist, who raised the ante with his own recordings of the quartet. Those tapes, which comprise Disc 2, were made the same year at Slugs', which Feldman calls "one of the most important jazz shrines there ever was. I wanted to celebrate the memory of that club as well." The release thus received not only Lloyd's blessings, but his wife, Dorothy Darr, signed on as co-producer.

For Record Store Day last month, Resonance offered a limited-edition pressing on orange, marble-colored 10-inch, 140-gram vinyl of Live at Slugs', designed to be a collector's piece for fans and as a pre-release teaser of the full release to come. The 10-inch featured two cuts from Manhattan Stories.

Manhattan Stories features the pristine sound quality, extensive liner notes, and meticulously designed artwork that have become Resonance Records' trademarks. In addition to Heckman's reminiscences, the set includes liner notes by Feldman, Willard Jenkins, Stanley

Crouch, and renowned producer Michael Cuscuna (who shares executive producer credit with Klabin on this project). The music, which was mixed at Resonance's Los Angeles studios, will also be available as a 2-LP set pressed by audiophile-respected R.T.I. (Record Technology Inc.). It was mastered for CD and vinyl by Bernie Grundman.

"I was determined to build perhaps the most exciting package for Charles ever assembled for one of his releases," Feldman says. "I think we've accomplished that in a way that truly celebrates this master." Manhattan Stories showcases stellar music in an ideal setting -- much as those two NYC venues did on a pair of unjustly forgotten evenings nearly fifty years ago.  

"The Mike Longo Trio Celebrates Oscar Peterson Live," With Bassist Paul West & Drummer Ray Mosca, October 7

Mike Longo Trio Celebrates Oscar Peterson Live Pianist Mike Longo had the distinct privilege of studying, for six intense months in 1961, with his idol Oscar Peterson in Toronto. Among several key principles imparted by Peterson to his pupil was the importance of "not playing like anyone but yourself," says Longo. "He told me that people who are trying to play like Art Tatum are making a big mistake in that they are trying to be Art Tatum instead of trying to be as good as Art Tatum. 'So don't make the mistake of trying to play like me, Mike.'" 

Longo plays for Peterson on the terrific new The Mike Longo Trio Celebrates Oscar Peterson Live, to be released October 7 by his CAP (Consolidated Artists Productions) label. Recorded on June 25, 2013, at the John Birks Gillespie Auditorium in the New York City Baha'i Center with onetime Gillespie bassist Paul West and former Peterson drummer Ray Mosca, the disc finds Longo playing very much like himself in a well-chosen set of tunes the prolific Peterson had recorded over the years. Six were composed by jazzmen: Duke Ellington's "Love You Madly," Thad Jones's "A Child Is Born," Fats Waller's "Honeysuckle Rose," Nat Adderley's "Work Song," Thelonious Monk's "52nd Street Theme," and Clifford Brown's "Daahoud." The remainder come from the Great American Songbook: "Sweet Georgia Brown," "Always," "Fascinatin' Rhythm," "Love for Sale," "Yesterdays," "Tenderly," and "I Remember You." 

Mike Longo Longo enjoyed a 27-year association with Dizzy Gillespie, one of Peterson's major musical influences and one of Longo's as well. He held down the piano chair in Gillespie's quintet from 1966 to 1973 (following Kenny Barron) and became Dizzy's music director, composer, arranger, and devoted blood brother, continuing to work with the man long after going out on his own.

By the time he'd joined Gillespie, Longo pretty much had the entire history of jazz and related idioms at his fingertips. Born in Cincinnati in 1939, he taught himself to play boogie-woogie at three. As a teenager in Fort Lauderdale, where the family had moved when he was in the third grade, he spent a year playing gospel piano at a black Baptist church. After earning a bachelor's degree in classical piano at Western Kentucky University, in 1959, Longo spent two years touring with the Salt City Six, the Dixieland group, and was hired at the Metropole Café in New York as one of the club's house pianists. In his two shifts a day, he backed Coleman Hawkins, Gene Krupa, and Henry "Red" Allen, among many others.

Gillespie, who first heard the young pianist at the Metropole, hired him in 1966. Longo went on to make nine albums with the trumpet legend, beginning with Swing Low, Sweet Cadillac in 1967, and has also recorded with Astrud Gilberto, Lee Konitz, Buddy Rich, and Moody, to name just a few. He cut the first album under his own name, A Jazz Portrait of Funny Girl, in 1962, and has since done two dozen more. The last 18 have appeared on CAP, a musicians' cooperative label managed by Longo and his wife. The catalog now boasts some 150 releases, with four volumes of Gillespie at Ronnie Scott's London club in 1973 due out shortly.

Mike Longo Since January 6, 2004, the anniversary of Gillespie's death, Longo has presented concerts every Tuesday evening in the Gillespie Auditorium of the New York City Baha'i Center, where his new CD was recorded. He has booked such jazz greats as Charli Persip, Benny Powell, and Annie Ross and appears regularly with his own three groups: the Mike Longo Trio, the 17-piece New York State of the Art Jazz Ensemble (with four CAP CDs to its credit and 160 of his own charts in the band book), and the six-member Mike Longo Funk Band (playing material from the pianist's three highly collectable fusion albums for the Mainstream, Groove Merchant, and Pablo labels in the '70s). He also has enjoyed a successful second career as an educator and creator of instructional books and videos.

"One of the most important things I've learned was discovering the place inside you where real music comes from," says Longo. "You don't really compose something, you uncover it. Dizzy used to say music is out there, waiting for someone to come get it."

WebSites: jazzbeat.com, mikelongojazz.com

Blue" the new album from Mostly Other People Do the Killing is a note-for-note re-creation of Miles Davis' classic 1959 recording, Kind of Blue

The audacious project, first conceived by Moppa Elliott and Peter Evans in 2002, intends to challenge the way people listen to jazz. By transcribing and recording what is arguably the greatest jazz album of all time, Mostly Other People Do the Killing affirms the greatness of the original while questioning the direction of jazz in the 21st century. The thought-experiment-cum-album forces to listener to examine what makes jazz actually jazz and brings the non-notatable elements music to the foreground: timbre, articulation and the ineffable nature of tone and feel. Standing in for Davis' classic band are Peter Evans on trumpet, Jon Irabagon on alto and tenor saxophone, Ron Stabinsky on piano, Moppa Elliott on bass and Kevin Shea on drums.

  

Mostly Other People Do the Killing's new album Blue is a note-for-note re-creation of Miles Davis' classic 1959 recording, Kind of Blue. Moppa Elliott and Peter Evans first conceived of the idea for this project in 2002. The liner notes are by the Argentine author, Jorge Louis Borges, who explored similar themes in his writing. Moppa Elliott is available for interviews should you have any questions about this recording or its creation.

"Is there a jazz outfit as delightfully funny and fearless as Mostly Other People Do the Killing?" asks Paul de Barros in DownBeat. MOPDtK has resoundingly answered that question. Founded in 2003 the group has six previous highly acclaimed albums to its credit. "Šthey rip up history and make it anew," writes Tom Hull in the Village Voice. While previous efforts have affectionately skewered diverse genres from smooth jazz to '20s and '30s jazz, MOPDtK has tried a different tack with the directness of Blue. Still, the band's love and deep understanding of jazz tradition shines through no matter the style. "One never gets the sense that MOPDtK is making fun of hot jazz," writes Steve Greenlee in a JazzTimes review of Red Hot. "Rather, they're having fun with it. You will be too."

Mostly Other People Do the Killing was founded by bassist/composer Moppa Elliott in the fall of 2003 as a quartet including Peter Evans, Jon Irabagon, and Kevin Shea. Their eponymous debut album was released in 2004 on Elliott's Hot Cup Records label and was followed by the 2006 release of Shamokin!!! - the first of many albums named after towns in Elliott's native Pennsylvania. After garnering critical praise and embarking on several tours of the Northeast US, MOPDtK began to appear in DownBeat Critics' polls, winning in the category "Rising Star Ensemble" in 2008. In 2009, the quartet was invited to perform at the Moers Jazz Festival in Germany and began regularly touring Europe and Canada performing at the North Sea, Oslo, Enjoy Jazz, Vancouver, and Banlieues Bleues Jazz Festivals, to name a few. Their two most recent releases, Slippery Rock and Red Hot, feature compositions by Elliott based on the music of specific historical periods, late '70s smooth jazz and fusion and late '20s small ensemble jazz, respectively.

Trumpeter Peter Evans performs in a wide variety of musical styles and contexts from solo improvisation to new music ensembles such as the International Contemporary Ensemble. His quartet and quintet both record for the More-Is-More label and will be releasing a new album Destination: VOID in 2014. Evans frequently performs with Evan Parker, Mary Halvorson, Mats Gustafsson and many others and he is the composer in residence at Issue Project Room in New York for 2014.

Saxophonist Jon Irabagon works with a number of outstanding bandleaders such as Dave Douglas, Mary Halvorson, and Barry Altschul in addition to leading his own ensembles. He was the winner of the 2008 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition and the artist in residence at the 2013 Pietz Jazz Festival.

Pianist Ron Stabinsky lives in Plains, PA and works as a pianist in every capacity from accompanist to soloist.  He is a member of the Peter Evans Quartet and Quintet as well as Charles Evans' Quartet (no relation) in addition to performing and teaching at Wilkes University, Westchester University, and many others.

Bassist Moppa Elliott teaches music at St. Mary's High School in Manhasset, NY and double bass at the Long Island Conservatory. He also produces and releases albums on Hot Cup Records including those by artists such as the Danny Fox Trio, Jon Lundbom and Big V Chord, and Bryan and the Haggards.

Drummer Kevin Shea was named "Best Drummer in New York" by the Village Voice in 2012 and regularly tours with the band, Talibam! Shea has just released a third album with the band People, 3xaWoman featuring Mary Halvorson and Kyle Forrester.

http://hotcuprecords.com/

http://www.moppaelliott.com/

Michael Feinstein Covers Christmas Classics with GRAMMY® Award-Winning Pianist Alan Broadbent on A Michael Feinstein Christmas

Concord Records is delighted to announce the release of A Michael Feinstein Christmas, available in stores and online October 14th, 2014. Feinstein, accompanied by venerable GRAMMY® Award-winning jazz pianist Alan Broadbent (Charlie Haden, Diana Krall, Natalie Cole), puts his signature styling on a selection of holiday standards. Now available digitally and in retail stores nationwide, these sought-after recordings were previously part of a limited release and out of print for over ten years.  No stranger to spreading holiday cheer, Feinstein’s popular annual holiday concert in New York City is touted by the New York Times to be “as much a Christmas season ritual as catching the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall or visiting the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree,” making A Michael Feinstein Christmas a true gem for Feinstein fans as it is the only recorded collection of yuletide songs by the singer.

Long recognized as one of the world’s finest singers and pianists, Feinstein is also celebrated for his tireless efforts to preserve, protect and promote the songs and songwriters that shaped the Golden Age of American music. Feinstein founded the Great American Songbook Foundation, which strives “to bring the music of the Great American Songbook to young people today and to preserve it for future generations.” The foundation is headquartered in Carmel, Indiana at The Center for the Performing Arts, where the Midwest-born Feinstein serves as Artistic Director.

Over the course of his non-stop, 30-plus year career, Michael Feinstein has wowed millions of fans with his cabaret and concert hall performances, earned five GRAMMY® nominations, two EMMY® nods, and has released nearly an album a year—the majority of which pay tribute to his heroes—Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Webb, the Gershwins and  most recently, André Previn, with 2013’s Change of Heart: The Songs of André Previn on Concord Records. The prolific performer also hosts a nationally syndicated public radio show, Song Travels, and hosted the PBS show Michael Feinstein’s American Songbook. Last summer, Michael was honored to be named the Principal Pops Conductor at the Pasadena POPS in Southern California, where he will follow in the footsteps of the great Marvin Hamlisch—certainly a position in which Michael can continue to share his limitless passion for music with the world.

  

Track Listing:

1              The Christmas Song (5:04)

2              Sleigh Ride (3:47)

3              There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays (4:40)

4              Winter Wonderland (2:51)

5              White Christmas (5:26)

6              I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm (3:21)

7              Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (5:28)

8              Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (3:12)

9              Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow (3:04)

10           A Christmas Love Song (4:55)

11           The Christmas Waltz (3:40)

12           Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (2:34)

13           It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas (3:16)

14           I'll Be Home for Christmas (5:00)

15           What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? (4:55)

Mack Avenue Records' Brightest Stars Jazz Up the Holiday Season with It's Christmas on Mack Avenue - Available October 28

Mack Avenue Records has assembled a stellar family of artists over the last fifteen years, and what better time is there to gather the family together than the holidays? It's Christmas on Mack Avenue (due out October 28, 2014) features some of the season's best-loved songs reimagined in the inimitable style of the label's unparalleled roster of artists, including Christian McBride, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Sean Jones, Aaron Diehl, Warren Wolf, Cyrille Aimée, Sachal Vasandani, Tia Fuller, and the Hot Club of Detroit.

"There's a long tradition of jazz interpretations of holiday music," says producer Al Pryor, Mack Avenue's Executive Vice President for A&R. "This is our contribution to that tradition."

"Material that stands the test of time is always material that's open to wonderful interpretive ideas by artists," Pryor says. "If a tune is a great tune, there are going to be many different ways to interpret it but still have it retain its power. Audiences can learn a lot about an artist's individual style and their compositional and improvisational take on things by hearing them do material that we already know. When we hear how they handle something that we're familiar with, it's intriguing and it lets us know something about that artist and their personality. They're all, in some way, characteristic - these versions, I think, shed more light on the artists performing them than they do on the tune itself."

Christmas is deeply rooted in tradition, of course, but traditions evolve and are constantly reinvented from one generation to the next - a claim that can also be made for jazz, making the two as perfect a pairing as egg nog and candy canes. Mack Avenue has proved itself a home for artists who remain rooted in the music's tradition while pushing it forward in their own individual ways. It's Christmas on Mack Avenue allows these musicians to each spin their own particular twist on Yuletide cheer. 

Pryor points in particular to the Christian McBride Trio's rollicking take on James Brown's "Santa Claus is Coming to the Ghetto." Over the tune's soulful groove, the bassist implore Saint Nick to visit his old neighborhood of West Philly, citing a few blocks that tend to get avoided by the flying reindeers on Christmas Eve. The rest of the trio - drummer Ulysses Owens, Jr., and pianist Christian Sands - get in on the act, and a few other Mack Ave headliners drop by as well, with Quincy Davis, Warren Wolf, and Cécile McLorin Salvant all putting a word in for their own 'hoods.

Then there's Cyrille Aimée's winsome "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" Sunny enough to withstand the harshest blizzard, Aimée's hand-clapping rendition conjures a green Hawaiian December with Michael Valeanu's tropical guitar work. "Cyrille explores a number of different approaches within the same tune," Pryor says. "It's a wonderful, very fresh approach."

  

On the other end of the spectrum is Warren Wolf's lustrous "Carol of the Bells," which evokes the resonant pealing of church bells on a wintry night via the shimmering tones of Wolf's solo vibes. Together with pianist Aaron Diehl, Wolf also nostalgically recalls everyone's favorite Christmas special with Vince Guaraldi's classic "Christmas Time is Here," the theme from A Charlie Brown Christmas. The Peanuts crew also gets a gypsy-jazz update thanks to the Hot Club of Detroit, who render the Charlie Brown Christmas favorite "Skating," with Django-esque guitars and accordionist Julien Labro spinning figure-eights with saxophonist Carl Cafagna.

  

Diehl revisits another holiday-season TV staple with his solo version of John Williams' "Christmas Star," from the soundtrack to Home Alone. His unique approach retains the familiar melody but reconfigures it with a hint of Harlem stride. Diehl then picks up the pace on his brisk, rhythmically playful exploration of "Sleigh Ride," a trio outing with bassist David Wong and drummer Quincy Davis that becomes a lengthy workout for the pianist leading into a sleigh bell-accompanied solo showcase for Wong.

  

Cécile McLorin Salvant, who netted four awards in this year's DownBeat Critics Poll (including Jazz Album of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year), closes the album on a soulful note with her "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," a holiday wish offered with the singer's malleable melodic twists and theatrical range.

One of the holiday's most beloved carols, "Silent Night," becomes a lush ballad in the hands of the McBride's trio, who approach the piece with the delicate hush of newfallen snow. Sands' piano solo beautifully captures the song's poignant reverence for the first Christmas night. Vocalist Sachal Vasandani doesn't so much walk as swing through a "Winter Wonderland," with a finger-snapping, classically hip version.

  

Trumpeter Sean Jones leads off the celebration with a fanfare for the jolly old elf in the red suit. His hard-driving "Santa Claus is Coming To Town" features pianist Orrin Evans, saxophonist Tia Fuller, bassist Luques Curtis and drummer Jerome Jennings, generating a hard-bop holiday spirit to set the tone. Fuller steps into the spotlight with a "Little Drummer Boy" that lets the leader's sinuous soprano be the gift, while drummer Kim Thompson and percussionist Khalil Kwame Bell replace the pa-rum-pum-pum-pums with interweaving rhythms that prove far more exotic and engaging.

  

It's Christmas on Mack Avenue is the label's third holiday album, following two volumes of Jazz Yule Love released in the last decade. Like an annual family Christmas card, it's a snapshot of a label that has matured and grown with the passing years, albeit a snapshot full of some of modern jazz's most renowned artists.

"Part of our mantra at Mack Avenue has always been to try to retain the best of the tradition while trying to be at the forefront of the new opportunities of the digital era," Pryor says. "You don't always have to break with tradition to be fresh and new."