British violinist Thomas Gould to release major new album "Live In Riga"

‘Live in Riga’ is the major new album from the celebrated 31 year old British violinist Thomas Gould.  Recorded live in concert with Sinfonietta Riga on April 11th 2014 at the Great Guild Hall in Riga, Latvia, it confirms Gould’s enormous potential as one of the most inventive and colourful instrumentalists of his generation.  Gould is no ordinary classical musician but one of a new generation who refuse to be defined by a single genre.  He has developed impressive jazz credentials, but it is in this environment as soloist/director of classical repertoire where he really excels.  The Times recently described Gould as “intent on becoming the Nigel Kennedy of his generation”.  Gould, however, is incomparably his own musician.  Bold and courageous enough to forge his own path and follow his singular vision, he steps outside the footsteps of the greats.

‘Live in Riga’ is a defining album for Gould, his first disc of a three-album deal with forward-thinking British jazz and classical record label Edition Classics.  Over the last decade he has been in demand as a soloist with major orchestras worldwide, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Hallé Orchestra and LA Phil New Music Group.  He is also much in demand as a leader/director, working with Britten Sinfonia, Aurora Orchestra, Mahler Chamber Orchestra and the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s ACO2, but it’s when he brings these disciplines together that the magic happens.  As Gould explains, “It means that everyone plays in a more engaged way. There is a group commitment to making it work, so the process is much more collaborative than when working with conductor.”

Sinfonietta Riga is an orchestra with a story to tell.  Formed in 2006, their vision is as bold as Gould’s.  Equally happy to play in concert dress or T-shirts they are intent on building new audiences for the music while reaching for the highest artistic standards.  Their collaboration is a perfect match and a unique experience for both the orchestra and for Gould.  This live concert recording bears witness to this special musical symbiosis.

To release an album featuring Beethoven’s Violin Concerto and Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending is a bold decision.  As two cornerstones of the violin repertoire, there are plenty of performances to compare, but Gould’s versions demonstrate a brilliance of tone and colour that demands attention.  His flexibility and breadth of musical interests is fully evident.  Gould’s playing has the clarity you would expect from any major performer but radiates a freedom in its expression as though improvised with an immediate elegance and poise.

For Gould it’s all about achieving the right balance.  Whether it’s jazz or classical, written or improvised, as soloist or director, Gould is right in the eye of the storm.  If the dark clouds gathering in the wider music world imply that the days of the single-minded virtuoso are coming to an end; if to succeed in that brave new world we need to attract more diversity and brighter colours, then in Thomas Gould we may have found the lightning conductor to spark a new generation.

~ Edition Records

Clarinetist-Saxophonist Anat Cohen Sings and Swings as She Explores a Glowing World of Music on "Luminosa"

Onstage or on record, the music of Anat Cohen positively glows - with virtuosity, with charisma, with the sheer joy of creation - and never more brightly than on her seventh album as a bandleader, Luminosa. To be released by Anzic Records on March 3, 2015, Luminosa sees the clarinetist-saxophonist play singing, dancing originals, interpret Brazilian classics by the likes of Milton Nascimento, and even re-imagine electronica as acoustica with an ingenious arrangement of a Flying Lotus tune. Members from Anat's touring quartet - keyboardist Jason Lindner, bassist Joe Martin and drummer Daniel Freedman - appear on the album, as do guest guitarists Romero Lubambo and Gilad Hekselman, percussionist Gilmar Gomes and the Brazilian players of her new band Choro Aventuroso. Anat - born and raised into a musical family in Tel Aviv, Israel, and a resident of New York City since 1999 - has been named the top clarinetist in both the readers and critics polls in DownBeat, the jazz bible, for multiple years running. And her fluency in the jazz tradition is utterly at one with her flair for Brazilian music. As the Brazilian Press has declared: "Anat is an Israeli who seems like a Brazilian when she plays samba." A true citizen of the world, Anat speaks a universal language through her horn. 

About the album, Anat says: "The sound of Luminosa reflects my musical life in New York City. I flow between modern and traditional jazz, between samba and choro - all maybe in a week's time." She recorded the album at Avatar Studios in Manhattan, producing the album with Lindner and Oded Lev-Ari (her longtime friend and label partner, who arranged and produced her acclaimed 2007 album Noir for the Anzic Orchestra). Oded says: "The goal in the studio was to create an atmosphere where it was like a session in Anat's living room, with people dropping by - her quartet is there, some choro guys show up, Romero comes by to play guitar, Jason brings in an electronica tune. It was like a party where everyone felt free to interact, have fun and create." 

Luminosa kicks off with "Lilia," the first of the album's three songs associated with Brazilian icon Milton Nascimento. In 2013, Anat led her quartet in a full evening of Nascimento at Columbia University's Miller Theatre, including his compositions "Lilia" and "Cais" and his interpretation of Edu Lobo's "Beatriz," all on Luminosa. "I first heard Nascimento's Clube da Esquina album in the '90s when I was at school in Boston - just the sound of his voice drew me in," she says. "I adore the expressiveness of his singing, and his songs are like short stories. He's from Minas Gerais, where they have a sound that's distinct from Rio or Bahia, less traditional - the harmonies go to different, unexpected places. I play 'Cais' and 'Beatriz' on bass clarinet, which mirrors his vocal range. " 

With her original "In the Spirit of Baden," Anat pays tribute to another Brazilian musical hero: guitarist-composer Baden Powell. "Every year, the Choro Club in Brasilia pays homage to a different composer, and last year when I played there, it was Baden Powell," she explains. "His music is very melodic and danceable, so I wrote something in that spirit." Guitarist Romero Lubambo, from Rio de Janeiro, is a key guest on this track and several others, including his own Bach-meets-baião piece "Bachiao."

Choro - the irrepressible urban popular music style born in Brazil - has long been a passion of Anat's, with the genre inspiring her return to the clarinet as a student after years of focusing on saxophone. She recorded the 2007 album Nosso Tempo for Anzic as a key member of the Choro Ensemble, and she has headlined shows in New York with the Choro Ensemble and her new band Choro Aventuroso, with Vitor Gonçalves (accordion), Cesar Garabini (seven-string guitar) and Sergio Krakowski (Pandeiro). Teamed with those players on Luminosa, she interprets K-Ximbinho's "Ternura" ("Tenderness") and Severino Araujo's "Espinha de Bacalhau" ("Spine of the Codfish"), pieces by two top clarinetists. 

"Choro is fabulous music," Anat enthuses. "Like early jazz, it often features the clarinet. It's very challenging for the player - choro players are masters of their instruments. Choro means 'cry,' and the interpretation and personalization of melodies is the point, as in jazz. Expressing the soul of a melody is the holy grail in choro. There's also a constant conversation in choro groups, an ensemble polyphony that's complex. But there should also be a lightness to it, a feel-good grooviness. That's a challenge and thrill to achieve. Whether it's choro or samba, Brazilian music makes me feel alive and full of emotions. In this day and age, jazz can sometimes feel like it belongs to the musicians. But when I first went to Brazil, I immediately felt that music there belonged to the people. I like that." 

The album's left-of-center inclusion is its reimagining of "Putty Boy Strut," the catchy number by electronica innovator Flying Lotus. "Jason brought that tune in - he's always introducing me to new sounds," Anat explains. "The original was just so non-acoustic that at first it was, like, 'What do we do with this?' But there's something not only grooving about it, but also kind of humorous. It was really fun to imitate electronic music with acoustic instruments instead of the other way around, as it usually is. Jason is so good at translating grooves and sounds that now it feels like it was written for us." 

Another of Anat's originals on Luminosa is the pensive ballad "Ima" ("mother" in Hebrew). "I've lived so much of my life now away from home," she says. "I was thinking of my mom when I wrote this piece, missing her." The emotional flipside is her infectious "Happy Song." Anat explains: "When I write, I tend toward minor-key themes, so I challenged myself to compose something upbeat, with major chords. And I'm happy with it!" The album's closing original and jazziest number is "The Wein Machine," featuring Anat on tenor sax (as well as up-and-coming Israeli guitarist Gilad Hekselman). It's a tribute to George Wein, indefatigable impresario of the Newport Jazz Festival. Anat was first invited by Wein to play the Newport Jazz Festival in 2007; last year, she was music director of the Newport Jazz Festival Now 60! all-star band that toured the U.S. for the festival's 60th anniversary. "The tune's title comes from the sign that's on the golf cart George drives around the festival grounds," she explains. "He's 89, but never stops - he loves jazz and keeps opening the door for young artists, searching for honesty in the music. He's inspirational." 

Oded Lev-Ari, who has known Anat since they were at school in Tel Aviv together, sees Luminosa as a key album in her evolution. "Anat has always been a versatile musician, able to bounce between multiple aesthetics. Her familiarity with the styles she plays goes deep, though - she doesn't only play Brazilian music, for instance, she also speaks Portuguese. So whether it's choro or traditional jazz, her relationship with the art is cultural, with reverence for the history of the music. These various styles have often been a bit segregated in terms of Anat's recorded output, but this album is different. This is not Anat's 'Brazilian Album.' To me, it is Anat's 'Anat Album.' Beyond being an extraordinary instrumentalist, she is able to communicate pure emotion to the listener. That's what is front and center on this album." 

For her part, Anat sums up the album this way: "The title Luminosa is Portuguese for luminous - something shining, especially in the dark. To me, music is a luminous experience. Whenever I'm immersed in it, life lights up for me, no matter what else is going on. Whether it's performing a concert with my quartet or sitting in with my peers, enjoying musical conversations at home with my brothers or hanging and playing choro with my friends - sharing moments in that bright space of music are the happiest times."

Whether playing clarinet or saxophone, Anat has delighted the most knowing of jazz sages: Nat Hentoff praised her "bursting sound and infectious beat," Dan Morgenstern her "gutsy, swinging" style, Ira Gitler her "liquid dexterity and authentic feeling," and Gary Giddins her musicality "that bristles with invention." 

As a leader, Anat launched her Anzic discography with 2005's Place & Time, a quartet/quintet session named one of the year's best debuts by All About Jazz. Her two ambitious releases of 2007 - Noir (presenting Anat with a jazz orchestra) and Poetica (a chamber-jazz feature for her clarinet) - led The New York Times to call her "one of the brightest, most original young instrumentalists in jazz." Notes from the Village, released in 2008, was a showcase for her multi-reed virtuosity mostly in a quartet setting. In 2009, she became the first Israeli to headline at The Village Vanguard, the setting for the most hallowed live recordings in jazz history; the occasion yielded the 2010 release Clarinetwork: Live at the Village Vanguard, which captured Anat leading a hard-swinging band with all-stars Benny Green, Peter Washington and Lewis Nash. In its review of Anat's 2012 album as a leader - the wide-ranging Claroscuro - All About Jazz declared: "She's one of a kind." 

Anat has also recorded four acclaimed albums as part of the 3 Cohens Sextet with her brothers, saxophonist Yuval and trumpeter Avishai: 2003's One, 2007's Braid, 2011's Family and 2013's Tightrope. The 3 Cohens band has twice headlined for a week at The Village Vanguard along with playing Carnegie Hall. The three siblings were featured on the cover of the January 2012 issue of DownBeat, and in its review of Tightrope, the Financial Times marveled over the album's "emotional sweep." 

ANAT COHEN: Luminosa

1. "Lilia" (Milton Nascimento)             

2. "Putty Boy Strut" (Steven Ellison a/k/a Flying Lotus)

3. "Ima" (Anat Cohen)              

4. "Bachiao" (Romero Lubambo)              

5. "Cais" (Milton Nascimento & Rolando Bastos)

6. "Happy Song" (Anat Cohen)

7. "In the Spirit of Baden" (Anat Cohen) 

8. "Ternura" (K-Ximbinho)          

9. "Espinha de Bacalhau" (Severino Araujo)

10. "Beatriz" (Edu Lobo & Chico Buarque) 

11. "The Wein Machine" (Anat Cohen)

Anat Cohen: clarinet, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone

Jason Lindner: piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, analog synthesizer

Joe Martin: bass

Daniel Freedman: drums

Gilmar Gomes: percussion (1, 2, 4, 5, 7)

Romero Lubambo: guitar (4, 5, 7, 10)

Gilad Hekselman: guitar (11)

Choro Aventuroso - Vitor Gonçalves: accordion; Cesar Garabini: seven-string guitar; Sergio Krakowski: Pandeiro (8, 9)

UPCOMING APPEARANCES:

FEB 21: Nordstrom Recital Hall, Seattle, WA

FEB 22: Kirkland Performance Center, Kirkland, WA

FEB 27: Troy Music Hall, Troy, NY

FEB 28: Longwood Square, Kennett Square, PA 

MARCH 1: Shea Center for the Performing Arts, Wayne, NJ 

MARCH 2: Johnson Theatre, Durham, NH 

MARCH 4-8: The Jazz Standard, New York, NY

MARCH 18: The Rex Hotel, Toronto, Canada 

MARCH 19-20: Dazzle, Denver, CO

MARCH 21: Musical Instrument Museum, Phoenix, AZ 

MARCH 22: Sculpture Garden at The Jewish Community Center, Tucson, AZ

MARCH 23: The Auditorium at TSRI 

 MARCH 25: Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz, CA 

MARCH 28: Sante Fe College Fine Arts Hall, Gainseville, FL

APRIL 9: Cliff Bell's, Detroit, MI

APRIL 10: City Winery, Chicago, IL

APRIL 11: Orpheum Theatre, Galesburg, IL 

APRIL 12: Dakota Jazz Club, Minneapolis, MN

 APRIL 16-17 & 19: Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola

APRIL 18: "We Always Swing" Jazz Series House Show, Columbia, MO

APRIL 25: Centrum, Port Townsend, WA

 MAY 15: Sanders Theatre, Cambridge, MA

MAY 22: Sendesaal, Frankfurt, Germany 

MAY 23: Funkhaus Halberg, Saarbrucken, Germany

www.anatcohen.com

CHRIS LIGHTCAP'S BIGMOUTH TO RELEASE MUCH ANTICIPATED NEW CD EPICENTER

When Chris Lightcap - a celebrated composer and bassist who has lent his huge sound, propulsive groove and creative vision to a wide-ranging array of artists including Marc Ribot, Regina Carter, Tomasz Stanko, Joe Morris and Matt Wilson - first assembled his own group over ten years ago, he had no idea it would develop into a viable entity. "I just put us all together to amuse myself and see what would happen," he recollects. Four acclaimed CDs and countless sold-out shows later, Bigmouth has evolved into one of today's most accomplished creative music ensembles.

Epicenter, the band's much anticipated follow-up to 2010's Deluxe, a critically lauded recording that was on twenty of the year's "best of" lists (including the New York Times, NPR, and JazzTimes), will be released March 4, 2015 on Clean Feed Records.

Bigmouth features two profoundly original tenor saxophonists, Tony Malaby and Chris Cheek, the multifaceted genius of keyboardist Craig Taborn, and the creative powerhouse drumming of Gerald Cleaver. The band is, in effect, a "supergroup" within the contemporary world of creative music. Despite each member's outsize musical personality, together they create a cohesive whole, resulting in grand collective statements of driving, ethereal beauty.

Lightcap was recently awarded a prestigious Chamber Music America New Jazz Works grant, which commissioned the original compositions featured on Epicenter. He wrote pieces inspired by various touchstones and cultural landmarks of his adopted home, New York City. Drawing on his love of West African music, classic pop hooks and great composers across the entire spectrum of jazz, Lightcap creates memorable melodies and harmonic landscapes for the group to delve into. Beginning with the driving declaratory statements of "Nine South," Lightcap sets a musical landscape that reflects the city's most sublime, strange, and sometimes frightening elements. From the hard-swinging freedom of the title track to the ambient interwoven layers of "White Horse" to the off-kilter groove and slow build of "Stillwell," Lightcap's music displays the breadth of his unique compositional vision.

Although the members of Bigmouth are very busy working with dozens of other artists, each manages to carve out time to perform with the band on a regular basis. Lightcap adds, "I'm so happy that everyone has remained enthusiastic about the group. Every time we get together, they show up ready to engage, support each other, throw down, and deliver the goods. We never know how it's going to turn out but it's always a great journey."

Capping off the CD is a raucous take on Lou Reed's "All Tomorrow's Parties," originally heard on the groundbreaking, New York rock classic, Velvet Underground & Nico of 1967. Bigmouth's rendition of this song was one of the most talked about highlights of the 2014 New York Winter Jazz Fest. As Evan Haga wrote in his JazzTimes review, the song "hit the spot for this festival. It was jazz, it was bohemian pop and it was New York City to the bone."

NEW RELEASES: MAHALIA BARNES & THE SOUL MATES - OOH YEA: THE BETTY DAVIS SONGBOOK; ADAM NITTI - NOT OF THIS WORLD; MICHAEL WALDROP BIG BAND - TIME WITHIN ITSELF

MAHALIA BARNES & THE SOUL MATES FT. JOE BONAMASSA - OOH YEA: THE BETTY DAVIS SONGBOOK

Powerhouse singer Mahalia Barnes, one of the most impressive female vocalists to come out of Australia, and her band The Soul Mates have teamed up with American blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa to release an album of Betty Davis covers called Ooh Yea! The Betty Davis Songbook. Scheduled for release on 2/24/15, it explores tracks from Davis sexy, raw funk records of the early 70s. Betty Davis s unique story is still fairly unknown. She married Miles Davis in the late 60s, influencing him with psychedelic rock, and introducing him to Jimi Hendrix. Later, she released three genre-busting albums, 1973's self-titled debut, 1974's They Say I'm Different and 1975's Nasty Gal that have since influenced artists like Outkast, Prince, Erykah Badu, Rick James, The Roots, Ice Cube, Talib Kweli and Ludacris. Mahalia Barnes, eldest daughter of Australian rock legend Jimmy Barnes and recent contestant on The Voice Australia, has been around music her whole life but has always been most heavily influenced by soul, blues and rock n roll. ~ Amazon

ADAM NITTI - NOT OF THIS WORLD

Adam Nitti has been establishing his own voice amongst his contemporaries as both a bassist and recording artist for almost two decades. He has released five solo recordings to date on his own Renaissance Man label which have drawn international acclaim, but he has also been notably involved as a sideman and contributor on a variety of projects across multiple genres. As a recording bassist, he has also appeared on three Grammy-winning albums and another Grammy-nominated album to date. Adam has worked with the Dave Weckl Band, Steven Curtis Chapman, Jeff Coffin Mu'tet, Susan Tedeschi, Lincoln Brewster, the Justice League (featuring T Lavitz, Jimmy Herring, and Richie Hayward), Angie Aparo, Scott Henderson, Jon Anderson, Peter Erskine, Heather Headley, Al Green, Keith Carlock, Shane Theriot, Mike Stern, Chris Tomlin, Casting Crowns, Kirk Covington, Wayne Krantz, Marco Minnemann, the London Symphony Orchestra, Joe Beck, and many others. ~ CD Universe

THE MICHAEL WALDROP BIG BAND - TIME WITHIN ITSELF

Hearing this crackling big band recording -- so full of swagger and conviction and transcendent playing throughout - it's hard to believe that it's drummer and composer Michael Waldrop's debut as a big band leader. No newcomer to the game, he paid dues as a working musician in New York and Chicago before pursuing an academic career, earning a masters at the University of Memphis and his doctorate at North Texas, where he played in the famed One O'Clock Lab Band. He also put in ten years with Jack Cooper's Memphis-based Jazz Orchestra of the Delta, developing the relationship that would lead Cooper to lend his prodigious arranging skills to Waldrop's set of originals for this recording. ""..this auspicious debut bristles with a visceral post-Weather Report energy that brings big bands into new light."" - Bill Milkowski

NEW RELEASES: MARC CAREY – RHODES AHEAD VOL. 2; BEN WOLFE - THE WHISPERER; RANDY BRECKER WITH THE DEPAUL UNIVERSITY JAZZ ENSEMBLE - DEARBORN STATION

MARC CAREY – RHODES AHEAD VOL. 2

Electro-Acoustic keyboard wizard Marc Cary, (#1 Rising Keyboardist in DownBeat’s 2014 Critics Poll), celebrates his 20th anniversary as a recording artist with Rhodes Ahead Vol. 2, a powerhouse follow-up to his seminal 1999 release Rhodes Ahead Vol. 1. Keeping the original heavyweight trio of Cary, Terreon Gully and Tarus Mateen intact, Cary’s fierce new project puts the iconic Fender Rhodes sound front and center, fusing drum n’ bass, EDM and acoustic jazz, funk and rock influences, creating yet another visionary project to follow up his triumphant 2013 releases For The Love of Abbey and Four Directions. As the original Rhodes Ahead introduced Marc Cary as one of his generation's greatest innovators, heralding the electro-acoustic jazz sound that became prevalent in the 2000’s, Rhodes Ahead Vol. 2 is a testament to Cary’s prolific and forward-thinking vision, versatility and creativity. ~ Motema

BEN WOLFE - THE WHISPERER

Listeners everywhere are encouraged expand their horizons and open their ears to "The Whisperer, as bandleader bassist Ben Wolfe bravely embarks on an ambitious course with his first record for Posi-Tone. This quartet date features front line performances by saxophonist Stacy Dillard and pianist Orrin Evans moving freely over the solid harmonic foundation of bassist Wolfe and the explosive metrics of drummer Donald Edwards. Many jazz fans may already be familiar with much Wolfe's earlier work, but now the time has come to go travel beyond the past and listen to "The Whisperer." Ben Wolfe's music will surely bring delight to the ears of serious listeners everywhere, as they navigate steadily away from the known and familiar to uncover a new sound in time and space. ~ Amazon

RANDY BRECKER WITH THE DEPAUL UNIVERSITY JAZZ ENSEMBLE - DEARBORN STATION

A dynamic and brilliant performance by jazz trumpeter Randy Brecker with the acclaimed DePaul University Jazz Ensemble, beautifully captured in a 'live' recording at Chicago's

legendary Jazz Showcase. The unparalleled intensity and swagger of featured trumpet soloist Randy Brecker combines with the critically acclaimed DePaul University Jazz Ensemble in a dynamic 'live' concert performance at Chicago s legendary Jazz Showcase. The brilliant performance of trumpeter/composer Randy Brecker and the DePaul Jazz Ensemble is beautifully captured, with the audience at the venerable jazz club adding to the electricity and excitement of the moment. Randy Brecker is featured as trumpet soloist and composer with the exceptional DePaul University Jazz Ensemble. Brecker solos on six selections, demonstrating his brilliant technique and harmonic ingenuity. Particularly notable is the dynamic, up-tempo performance of It s You On No One, with Jazz Ensemble director/trumpeter Bob Lark and Randy Brecker exchanging heated solo trumpet phrases. Student soloists of note include tenor saxophonists Corbin Andrick and Andrew Janak; alto saxophonists Brent Griffin and J.T. Teichert; pianist Scott Williams; and trombonist Brian Scarborough. ~ Amazon

Alabama Shakes announce new album "Sound & Color" / Highly anticipated follow-up to 2012 debut

Alabama Shakes announced today that they will be releasing the highly anticipated follow-up to their 2012 Grammy-nominated debut. The new album is titled Sound & Color and will be released on April 21, 2015.

“We took our time to write this record, and I’m really glad we did,” says Brittany Howard, lead singer and guitarist of Alabama Shakes, about the band’s new album Sound & Color. “We were able to sit down and think about what’s exciting to us, explore all the things we wanted to on our first album. This record is full of genre-bending songs—it’s even harder now when people ask, ‘What kind of band are you?’ I have no clue.”

The album’s twelve songs reveal a band honed by years on the road, and drawing from a wide range of influences. The bluesy groove of “Shoegaze” or the garage-rock freak-out on “The Greatest” give way to the psychedelic space jam  “Gemini.” The gently swaying, chiming title song opens the album with what Howard calls “more of a visual thing, I think of this whole scene going on,” then explodes into the urgent, tightly-coiled funk of “Don’t Wanna Fight.” Long instrumental intros and passages create hazy atmosphere, and then the intensity of Howard’s vocals snaps everything back into riveting focus.

Tracklisting - Sound & Color:

01 Sound and Color

02 Don't Wanna Fight

03 Dunes

04 Future People

05 Gimme All Your Love

06 This Feeling

07 Guess Who

08 The Greatest

09 Shoegaze

10 Miss You

11 Gemini

12 Over My Head

Alabama Shakes 2015 Tour Dates:

02-19 London, England - Islington Assembly Hall

03-11 New York, NY - The Beacon Theatre  *

03-12 New York, NY - The Beacon Theatre  *

03-14 Chicago, IL - The Chicago Theatre  *

03-15 Milwaukee, WI - The Riverside Theater  *

03-17 Madison, WI - Overture Center for the Arts  ^

03-18 Champaign, IL - The Virginia Theatre  ^

03-20 Memphis, TN - Minglewood Hall  ^

03-21 Knoxville, TN - Historic Tennessee Theatre  ^

04-02 Newtown, Australia - Enmore Theater  $

04-03-04 Byron Bay, Australia - Byron Bay Bluesfest

04-08 Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre  ~

04-10 Indio, CA - Coachella

04-11 Berkeley, CA - Greek Theatre  #

04-17 Indio, CA - Coachella

04-18 Las Vegas, NV - Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas  ~

05-15 Brighton, England - The Great Escape Festival

06-06 Toronto, Ontario - Fort York & Garrison Common

06-07 Hunter, NY - Mountain Jam

06-12 Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo

06-27 Beuningen, Netherlands - Down The Rabbit Hole

07-10 Rotterdam, Netherlands - North Sea Jazz Festival

8-16 Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Ampitheatre @

* with Songhoy Blues

^ with Promised Land Sound

$ with Charles Bradley

~ with Allah-Las

# with Neko Case

@ with Drive-By Truckers

Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc.™ Celebrates GRAMMY Awards for Festival Impresario George Wein and Several Newport Jazz Festival® Artists

 George Wein, Wayne Shorter, Neil Portnow // Photo by Michal Kovax/WireImage)

The Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc.™ continues the celebration of its Chairman, George Wein, who received the Trustees Award at the 57th Annual  GRAMMY® ceremonies in Los Angeles on February 7 and 8.  The Special Merit Award recognizes Wein's outstanding contributions in areas other than performance, including the founding and production of the Newport Jazz Festival®, Newport Folk Festival® and New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival®.

The tribute was especially exciting when the ceremony host, hip-hop artist/actor LL Cool J gave a special shout out to the honoree:  "George Wein defined what musical festivals could be with the Newport Jazz Festival, Newport Folk Festival and New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. He's a great guy. More than anyone, George set the stage for what great festivals today look like. Festivals like Coachella, Bonnaroo - he made this possible. George is 89 years young and strong and still playing piano beautifully ... everybody say hi George!" 

Three artists who will perform at this year's Newport Jazz Festival presented by Natixis Global Asset Management also celebrated GRAMMY wins at last night's ceremony:

BEST LATIN JAZZ ALBUM

"The Offense of the Drum," Arturo O'Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

BEST ARRANGEMENT, INSTRUMENTS AND VOCALS 

"New York Tendaberry," Billy Childs, arranger (Billy Childs Featuring Renée Fleming & Yo-Yo Ma)

  

BEST MUSIC FILM

"20 Feet from Stardom," Lisa Fischer, Darlene Love, Merry Clayton & Judith Hill

In addition, Chick Corea's "Trilogy"  won Best Jazz Instrumental Album, on which Christian McBride is the bassist.

The Christian McBride Trio with Christian Sands and Ulysses Owens takes the Newport stage on Friday, July 31, while Ms. Lisa Fischer & Grand Baton perform on Saturday, August 1. Billy Childs' Jazz-Chamber Ensemble and Arturo O'Farrill's Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra with special guest Rudresh Mahanthappa play on Sunday, August 2, all at Fort Adams State Park.

The 2015 edition of America's first annual jazz festival will feature Chris Botti, Cassandra Wilson, Jamie Cullum, Snarky Puppy, Maria Schneider, Arturo Sandoval, Kenny Garrett, Fred Hersch, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Jon Batiste, Kneebody, Hiromi, Michel Camilo, Jon Faddis, James Carter, Bill Frisell, Mike Stern/Bill Evans Band, Ambrose Akinmusire, Tom Harrell, Pat Martino, Matana Roberts, John Hollenbeck,  Dr. John and many others.

Seven-man crew NATURALLY 7 releases HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT: VOX MAXIMUS VOLUME 1

In a music world rife with technological tricks of the trade, one vital commodity is getting lost in the shuffle: the beauty of the human voice. Enter Naturally 7.

This seven-man crew is more than just your average singing group. Its members have perfected an intriguing a cappella style they’ve branded as “Vocal Play”— singing as instruments. In its quest to celebrate the voice, Naturally 7 not only sings but also creates every backing instrument heard on its songs. We’re talking drums, bass, guitars, horns, flutes ... even down to turntables.

The R&B, soul and pop group has released its U.S. album debut, the aptly titled Hidden in Plain Sight. Subtitled Vox Maximus Vol. 1, the 14-track set snaps, crackles and pops with riveting vocal gymnastics and rich, sparkling harmonies infusing a palette-pleasing menu of songs as wide-ranging as the group’s growing audience.

The first single is “Fix You,” a cover of the Coldplay hit that’s become an audience favorite at Naturally 7’s live shows. The group gives a nod to its spiritual influences by sampling Mahalia Jackson’s gospel classic “Trouble of the World” on the beautiful and raw “Mahalia.” Scoring a musical coup, Naturally 7 samples Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” on “Galileo.” Wham’s infectious “Everything She Wants’’ provides the impetus for “Life Goes On“ while Art of Noise’s “Moments In Love” finds the group imitating all of the song’s instruments and singing its own song to the mix on “Moments (I’ve Been Loved).” Among the set’s eight original tunes are “Keep the Customer Satisfied” and “Rhapsody of the Queen.”

Rock Steady & Ska giants The Bluebeaters will release their new album on April 13, 2015

Record Kicks will be releasing the new album of one the most exciting Blue Beat and Jamaican Ska bands ever existed, The Bluebeaters. After six years from their last full length “Combo” released on Universal Records, The Bluebeaters release their fifth studio album “Everybody Knows” on RK. The full-length will hit the streets next 13 of April on LP, Digipack CD, Digital plus on super LTD edition 45.  The BB landed on Record Kicks in September 2014 with the ltd edition 45 Toxic (One Drop Version) / Catch That Teardrop. 

Active since 1994 and with several gold records on V2 and Universal Records under the belt, during the last 20 years of their career the've headlined festivals like Rototom Sun Splash and International Ska Fest. Amongst their fans, there are folks like David Rodigan and the legendary late lamented Lloyd Knibb (The Skatalites). Digital and Physical Promos will be available nearer to the release date. The teaser of "Everybody Knows" is available down here.

Blessed by Ken Booth, during the last 20 years of their career the've headlined festivals like Rototom Sun Splash and International Ska Fest in 2012. Amongst their fans, there are folks like David Rodigan and the legendary late lamented Lloyd Knibb (The Skatalites). The Bluebeaters will be on tour from mid March, first Italian dates announced are:
 20.03 - Roma - Rising Love
27.03 - Firenze - Viper Club
03.04 - Trieste - Etnoblog
11.04 - Torino - Hiroshima
18.04 - Rimini - Velvet

09.05 - Livorno - The Cage

 

Trombonist MARSHALL GILKES Releases KÖLN FEATURING THE WDR BIG BAND

On February 10, 2015, trombonist and composer MARSHALL GILKES proudly releases his fourth album as a leader, simply titled for the home base of The WDR Big Band, KÖLN. This set of stunning compositions marks Gilkes first recording fronting a big band, but he is no stranger to this setting, being a regular member of Maria Schneider's Grammy Award-winning orchestra, (Schneider describes him as, "one of those musicians who continually just drops my jaw and leaves me shaking my head in disbelief"), and also due to his four years (2010 - 2013) as a full-time member of the Grammy Award-winning ensemble featured on Köln, The WDR Big Band. 

Köln (to be released on Gilkes' label, Alternate Side Records, marking the label's eighth release) features seven original compositions from Gilkes that exhibits the artist's astounding ability to blend his many influences and experiences into a singular, distinctive voice. The compositions, and Gilkes arrangement of the standard, "My Shining Hour", combines the spontaneous invention of jazz with the elegant architecture of classical composition; straight-ahead swing with adventurous modernism; and virtuosic technique with passionate emotion. It's a rare combination that has made Gilkes an in-demand performer, composer, sideman, and clinician since his arrival in New York City in the late 1990s. 

The origins of this album started with Gilkes joining The WDR Big Band (he has since resigned to engage in leading his own bands and high profile sideman work). After a long audition process that included several weeks of performances, Gilkes received an invitation to be a full-time member - a rare opportunity that he accepted immediately. In addition to first-class musicianship, Gilkes explains, "the WDR Big Band rehearses in a fully operational recording studio with full-time engineers and copyists - a truly unique operation. When the band plays in the Kölner Philharmonie, it is generally sold out, all 2,000 seats, with enthusiastic fans." As a WDR band member, he performed his final concert in December 2013, but, at the request of the band's producer, he returned the following month for a farewell concert of the material heard on Köln. Calling the experience "one of the highlights of my career," Gilkes eventually titled the album after the city where he lived during his four-year tenure with the WDR. "It is a vibrant city," he notes, "with an incredible music scene for such a small town. The jazz scene is booming, and young jazz musicians can be heard playing music at a very high level almost every night of the week." 

"My Shining Hour" is a tune that Gilkes would often practice, up-tempo, in all 12 keys as well. "I decided to write a big band arrangement of it that sort of ended up being a bit of a 'theme and variations on My Shining Hour'", said Gilkes. Solo: Marshall Gilkes (trombone) 

"Vesper" was written during a period of Gilkes having to make difficult decisions. He elaborates, "I would come home and write in the evening during this period and find it to be good therapy. I decided to call it 'Vesper' which is an evening prayer", said the artist. Solos: Frank Chastenier (piano), John Marshall (flugelhorn)

  

Gilkes composed "4711 Special" specifically with the WDR Big Band in mind. The piece was originally titled "Gill-kiz". Gilkes explains, "German is a language that is written like it sounds and sounds like it is written. I used to tell German people my name Gilkes (correct pronunciation is "jilx") and they would correct me on the pronunciation. It happened so often that people started calling me Gill-kiz as a joke. However, I thought the tune deserved a better title and finally changed it to "4711 Special", which is a number one sees all over Cologne, representing the number of the famous perfume that comes from Cologne. Solos: Ludwig Nuss (trombone), Johan Hörlen (alto saxophone) 

"Edenderry" is the title track from Gilkes debut release as a leader, which he decided to expand and turn it into a brass chorale, creating quite a breathtaking variation on the original. "I was inspired by the pandiatonic harmonies of Aaron Copland. The intro begins with flugelhorns and trombones. The woodwinds enter later, and the chorale enters again before the closing vamp. Solo: Marshall Gilkes (trombone)

Gilkes composed "Plant Bassed" for the great WDR bassist John Goldsby, who happens to be a vegan. Gilkes explains, "my mom is also a vegan and is always talking about plant based diets. I tried to take some ideas that John uses in his improvisations and use them as a basis for the melody." Solos: John Goldsby (bass), and special guest Michael Rodriguez (trumpet) 

"Mary Louise" was written for Gilkes' mom. "When I was a kid my mom was a piano and voice teacher and there was one particular exercise that she would work on with her students that has stuck with me all these years. I recall playing video games and hearing her practice this exercise with the syllables 'Zee-ee', singingbetween root and third, root and fourth, and root and fifth. I decided to try harmonizing that exercise and that serves as the intro to the composition, and reoccurs throughout the piece", said Gilkes. Solos: Special guest Michael Rodriguez (flugelhorn), Frank Chastenier (piano) 

"End in Sight" is a tune from Gilkes second album Lost Words. The first half is very much an expansion of the original, however, the second half (tenor solo) floats over the same groove, but with brand new harmonies. Solos: Karolina Strassmayer (alto saxophone), Paul Heller (tenor saxophone) 

"Downtime" is a composition from Gilkes' third album Sound Stories. This arrangement was written in 2012 for the WDR Big Band project featuring members of the band called "Very Personal". It is an expansion on the original that has an alternate introduction, and a new interlude as well. Solo: Marshall Gilkes (trombone)

  

Personnel on Köln: Marshall Gilkes: composer, arranger, conductor, trombone, special guest Michael Rodriguez: trumpet/flugelhorn, Johan Hörlen & Karolina Strassmayer-alto saxophone/flute/clarinet, Olivier Peters-tenor saxophone/clarinet, Paul Heller-tenor saxophone/clarinet/bass clarinet, Jens Neufang-baritone saxophone/bass clarinet, Ludwig Nuss, Shannon Barnett & Andy Hunter-trombones, Mattis Cederberg-bass trombone, Wim Both, Rob Bruynen, Andy Haderer & John Marshall-trumpet/flugelhorn, Frank Chastenier-piano, Paul Shigihara-guitar, John Goldsby-bass, Hans Dekker-drums

Upcoming Appearances:

February 15: With the Maria Schneider Orchestra, Istanbul, Turkey

February 17-24: Guest Artist, Madrid, Spain

February 26-March 1: With Rufus Reid's Quiet Pride Big Band, Jazz Standard, NYC

March 2-3: Artist In Residence, Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA

March 6-7: Guest Artist, Univ of Kansas Jazz Festival, Lawrence, KS

March 24-28: Guest Artist, Illinois State University, Normal, IL

April 6-8: Artist In Residence, Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA

April 9-10: Guest Artist, Univ of New Mexico Jazz Festival, Albuquerque, NM

Aril 16-17: Morningside College Tri-State Trombone Festival, Sioux City, Iowa

May 6: With Edmar Castaneda, Wiener Konzerthaus, Vienna, Austria

May 9: With Samuel Torres, Biblioteca Luis Angel Arango, Bogata, Colombia

June 2-6: With the Maria Schneider Orchestra, Birdland, NYC

www.MarshallGilkes.com

Angelique Kidjo Wins World Music Grammy & Announces New Album "Sings"

Angelique Kidjo, the Benin born singer/songwriter is celebrating Sunday's win of her second "Best World Music Album" Grammy Award for her #1 charting 2014 album Eve, as well as the announcement of her new 429 Records album Sings.  Produced by Kidjo and long-time production partner Jean Hebrail, Sings showcases Kidjo's collaboration with the 110 piece Orchestre Philharmonique Du Luxembourg, led by renowned conductor and composer Gast Waltzing.  Kidjo reimagines nine classic songs from her 24 year repertoire and two new songs ("Otishe" and "Mamae" from the Eve sessions), blending European classical traditions with the powerful rhythmic sounds of her native West Africa. Along with the orchestra, Kidjo's additional players include Christian McBride and Massimo Biolcati on upright basses; Lionel Loueke, Dominic James and David Laborier on guitars; Magatte Sow, Crespin Tpikiti and Benoit Avihoue on percussion; Tuelo Kgobokoe Tsholofetso and Mokubung, background vocals; and Gast Waltzing, flugelhorn solo on "Samba Pa Ti."  Angelique Kidjo's Sings will be released on 429 Records March 31st.

Kidjo's accolades include a 20 year discography, two Grammy Awards, thousands of concerts around the world and being named "Africa's premier diva" (Time Magazine) and "the undisputed Queen of African Music" (Daily Telegraph). In addition to winning the Grammy for Eve, Kidjo's 2008 recording Djin Djin won a Grammy for Best Contemporary World Music Album and her last studio recording Oyo was nominated in the same category.  She has enjoyed a long history of notable collaborations with greats from the jazz and pop worlds—including Carlos Santana, Bono, John Legend, Josh Groban, Peter Gabriel, Branford Marsalis, Dianne Reeves, Roy Hargrove and Alicia Keys. In an expansive career marked as much by extraordinary musical achievement as passionate advocacy and philanthropy for her homeland of Africa, Angelique Kidjo has found many ways to celebrate the rich, enlightening truth about the continent's women beyond the media spotlight.

Says Kidjo:  "The orchestra brings different textures to my life and music. Unlike in pop music, the orchestra doesn't follow you, it leads and dares you to follow it. If you don't do this successfully, the songs suffer and the communication is lost. But I love the challenge of doing new things. I never want to get too comfortable with what I'm doing, and I love my work too much to repeat myself."

Sings track listing:

1) Malaika

2) Ominira

3) Kelele

4) Fifa

5) Otishe

6) Bahia

7) Petite Fleur

8) Samba Pa Ti

9) Mamae

10) Naima

11) Loloye

NEW RELEASES: ANDREW HILL – BLUE BLACK; VIJAY IYER – BREAK STUFF; WOLFGANG MUTHSPIEL / LARRY GRENADIER / BRIAN BLADE – DRIFT WOOD

ANDREW HILL – BLUE BLACK

A really great session from pianist Andrew Hill – and one of his few post-Blue Note sessions to feature a horn player! The style of the set draws from a few strands of Hill's career – in that Hill is playing in some freely exploratory piano modes, yet also manages to swing soulfully with the rest of the group, especially sax player Jimmy Vass – who makes a rare appearance here on soprano, alto, and flute. In a way, the album probably most closely resembles the Andrew LP on Blue Note – which is great by us, as it's one of his best sets! Titles include "One For", "Remnants", "Blue Black", and "Golden Spook".  ~ Dusty Groove

VIJAY IYER – BREAK STUFF

Beautiful trio work from pianist Vijay Iyer – a record that's filled with the sorts of chunky rhythmic lines we love so much in his playing! The album's got Iyer working much more at a familiar level than his more electronic album for ECM – with that sort of warmth and joy that's really brought new life to the piano trio format through his recordings – the best of which we might put up there with our early favorites from Robert Glasper. The group features Stephan Crump on bass and Marcus Gilmore on drums – and titles include "Blood Count", "Break Stuff", "Taking Flight", "Work", "Wrens", and "Mystery Woman".  ~ Dusty Groove

WOLFGANG MUTHSPIEL / LARRY GRENADIER / BRIAN BLADE – DRIFT WOOD

Subtle interplay between the guitar of Wolfgang Muthspiel, the bass of Larry Grenadier, and drums of Brian Blade – a trio who have just the right sort of evocative feel to live up to the album's title! Blade is perhaps the biggest surprise here – as his style is very loose, and quite different than his own recent work – very well adapted to match the spare tones of Muthspiel's guitar, which is still the most dominant instrument on the record – although we're especially fond of the bass of Grenadier, both plucked and bowed. Titles include "Bossa For Michael Brecker", "Driftwood", "Highline", "Lichtzelle", "Madame Vonn", and "Uptown".  ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: MAKAYA MCCRAVEN – IN THE MOMENT; MARK TURNER QUARTET – LATHE OF HEAVEN; JEAN-LOUIS MATINIER / MARCO AMBROSINI - INVENTIO

MAKAYA MCCRAVEN – IN THE MOMENT
A totally unique record from drummer Makaya McCraven – and a great one too! The set's built around improvised performances recorded over the period of a year – with some of Chicago's best underground jazz talents, including Matt Ulery on bass, Marquis Hill on trumpet, Jeff Parker on guitar, Justefan on vibes, Desean Jones on tenor, Tony Barba on tenor and electronics, and Josh Abrams on bass – and the performances are then edited down into these shorter, focused tracks that are really wonderful! The music is still quite live in its approach at most moments – and often given a very rhythmic pulse in the way it's put together, but never in any sort of hokey or heavy-handed remix way. The basslines are wonderful – full, round, and very modal – and titles include "The Jaunt", "Time Travel", "The Encore", "The Drop", "Finances", "Just Stay Right There", and "Three Fifths A Man".  ~ Dusty Groove

MARK TURNER QUARTET – LATHE OF HEAVEN

Majestic music from tenorist Mark Turner – a set that has him soaring gently with trumpeter Avishai Cohen, a partner who really seems to make the record sparkle! The group's a quartet, with no piano – just Joe Martin on bass and Marcus Gilmore on drums – and the tenor and trumpet do a great job of carving lines in open space, but with a fullness and focus that's quite different than an ECM date like this might have sounded decades back. The record really lives up to Turner's great legacy, but also has a unique sort of power as well – and all tunes are original compositions, with titles that include "Lathe Of Heaven", "Sonnet For Stevie", "Brother Sister 2", "Ethan's Line", and "The Edenist".  ~ Dusty Groove

JEAN-LOUIS MATINIER / MARCO AMBROSINI - INVENTIO

An instrumental pairing you're not likely to hear every day – the accordion of Jean-Louise Matinier and the nyckelharpa of Marco Ambrosini! We love the use of the former instrument – which Matinier plays with these open, evocative tones that remind us of our favorite work by Daniel Mille – but we're especially struck by the latter instrument – a many-stringed viola-like instrument, which has varied tunings, and is played with a bow. The ebb and flow of Ambrosini's music works beautifully with Matinier – and its slight string edges create this feeling of the ancient at moments, and a vibe that links some of the ECM early music projects with its modern ones. Titles include "Presto", "Szybko", "Taiga", "Qui Est Homo", "Osku", "Hommage", and "Basse Dance". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - TOM ZE; OS BRAZOES: KING FLOYD - WELL DONE

TOM ZE - TOM ZE

Tom Zé is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, innovator and composer who was hugely influential in the Tropicália movement of '60s Brazil. Zé is often thought of as Brazil’s answer to Zappa or Captain Beefheart; a true innovator and a true artist. Mr Bongo re-issued Zé’s debut record ‘Grande Liquidicao’ originally released in 1968. This, his second solo album, is self-titled, and was released by RGE Discos in 1970. After the peak of the Tropicália period, Zé went into relative obscurity. It was only in the '90s, when musician and Luaka Bop label founder David Byrne discovered an album recorded by Zé many years earlier, that he returned to performing and releasing new material. Continuing in a similar musical vein to Grande Liquidicao, ‘Tom Ze’ is a wonderful combination of guitars, layered of percussion and tough rock ’n’ roll, underpinned by Ze’s instantly recognisable vocal. Ze is infact one of Brazil’s most sampled artists. ‘Jimmy, Renda-Se’ has one of the most recognisable intros you will hear, so it was no great surprise that Amerie sampled it for her smash ‘Take Control’. All in all, another essential record from a true legend of Brazilian music.

OS BRAZOES - OS BRAZOES

Rare and highly sought after in its original format, Os Brazoes self-titled album was originally released on RGE Discos in 1969. It is a psychedelic masterpiece that fuses samba, r’n’b and rock ’n’ roll influences using fuzz guitars, synths, percussion, lush vocals and effects. Os Brazoes formed in Rio de Janeiro in the late '60s. They backed Gal Costa during her Tropicalia period, yet apparently never recorded in the studio with her. Miguel de Deus, the bands front man, recorded the highly sought after ‘Black Soul Brothers’ LP in '77, which became an important record in the ‘Black Rio’ movement. Mr Bongo released the title track from that LP, on the ‘Brazilian Beats: Brooklyn’ compilation in '06 and recently as part of their Brazil 45s re-issue series. ‘Os Brazoes’ features covers of Gilberto Gil’s ‘Pega a Voga, Cabeludo’ and Jorge Ben and Toquinho’s ‘Carolina, Carol Bela’. The Mr Bongo LP reissue is manufactured in Japan, presented in a super high quality card sleeve with replica original artwork. The CD is presented in a 4-page digi-pack.

KING FLOYD - WELL DONE

Wonderful work from King Floyd – post-Stax, post-Atlantic, but still sounding great here – with that undeniable charm that always makes his records sound so great! Floyd's got a way of singing that's deep, but also a bit effervescent too – this crackling sort of energy in the way he puts over a lyric, even bluer one – which really gets some great support here from a small backing combo at Malaco, who can really hit the right sort of "Groove Me" mode at times! The set's a great example of the way that Malaco easily picked up the torch when those other two labels were starting to lose their coverage of the south – and King's very much at home on a sweet set of tunes that include "I'm Gonna Fall In Love With You", "I Don't Think I Could Face It", "I Feel Like Dynamite", "Movin' On Strong", "So True", "Can't Give It Up", and "Try Me". Nice photo of some ribs on the cover, too!. ~ Dusty Groove