Steven Lugerner Announces the Release of New Digital Single "Gravitations Vol. II," A Duo Project with Fred Hersch

Steven Lugerner Gravitations Vol. II The greatest improvisers keep an eye open for stimulating new musical settings. San Francisco Bay Area woodwind expert Steven Lugerner, a rising star with a bevy of exceptional albums, has proven adept at creating situations that take jazz's foremost masters into unexpected realms. His latest album, the digital-only release Gravitations Vol. II, is a gorgeous duo project that places piano great Fred Hersch in an entirely new context. 

The recording with Hersch, a key mentor for Lugerner, is just one of several exceptional projects that the 26-year-old has on tap this summer. He joins forces with alto sax legend Charles McPherson on a June 5 program produced by Palo Alto Jazz Alliance at the Mitchell Park Community Center in Palo Alto. 

On June 6, Lugerner presents his new band SLUGish Ensemble at the Center for New Music in San Francisco, a 10-piece ensemble bristling with brilliant Bay Area improvisers including trumpeter Darren Johnston, saxophonists Cory Wright and Patrick Wolff, and drummer Michael Mitchell. SLUGish Ensemble also performs July 27 at the Stanford Jazz Festival with special guest star Allison Miller in the drum chair. 

"When I was in New York I got really interested in writing for a larger ensemble," Lugerner says. "These pieces are very influenced by Maria Schneider, John Hollenbeck, John Zorn, and composers like Steve Reich, John Adams, and and Nico Muhly." 

Honoring the storied drummer Tootie Heath is the motivation behind several concerts by the Richard Sears Sextet, which performs June 11 at the Blue Whale in Los Angeles and June 12 at Piedmont Piano in Oakland (this band will then record at Fantasy Studios). Lugerner was part of the ensemble when it premiered Sears's suite designed to showcase the drum maestro last year, and he'll be contributing on bass clarinet and alto sax with Patrick Wolff on tenor sax, Kirk Knuffke on cornet, and Heath himself on drums. 

"Richard wrote this suite specifically with Tootie in mind, and he did an incredible job writing something that is simultaneously adventurous and that draws from the tradition," Lugerner says. "There's a lot of seriousness in that music and a lot of joy, and Tootie embodies that whole ethos." 

Lugerner delves into the music of another jazz legend on The Music of Jackie McLean, an album slated for release in the fall featuring Jacknife, a hard-hitting West Coast post-bop quintet. Exploring tunes from McLean's seminal early- and mid-1960s Blue Note albums Jacknife, It's Time, Let Freedom Ring,and New Soil, the session brings together a formidable cast of rising talent, including pianist Richard Sears, bassist Garret Lang, drummer Michael Mitchell, and trumpeter JJ Kirkpatrick. 

Lugerner recorded Gravitations Vol. I in 2013 with guitarist/banjoist Angelo Spagnolo, and the concept for the project flowed from some of the free improvisation practices that Lugerner learned from Hersch in 2008 as part of a Carnegie Hall Foundation workshop (so it's hardly surprising that he sought the pianist out for an encounter). He recorded Hersch early one morning at his Soho apartment in the spring of 2013, looking to capture the first music that he played that day. 

"The idea is to record the first few phrases or gestures that come out involuntarily, whatever your hands or brain gravitates toward," Lugerner says. "I'll take eight or maybe ten minute-long snippets, transcribe them, and then I orchestrate woodwind parts on top of the original layer. Sometimes I'll do an exact orchestration of what they're doing, and other times I'll harmonize parts on top." 

The resulting music is unlike anything else in Hersch's extensive discography of duo encounters. Familiar but strange, Gravitations Vol. II is a beautiful and intimate conversation which distills something essential about Hersch's music, turning his building blocks into sturdy but fanciful and self-contained edifices. 

Born (May 20, 1988) in Redwood City and raised in Burlingame, just south of San Francisco, Steven Lugerner moved to New York in 2006 to attend the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music where he graduated with honors four years later. He moved back to the Bay Area in 2013 to take a position at the Stanford Jazz Workshop and has maintained a bicoastal presence ever since. 

In a relatively short period of time Lugerner has collaborated with a heavyweight roster of jazz masters, including pianist Myra Melford, percussionist John Hollenbeck, tenor saxophonist Dayna Stephens, altoist Miguel Zenón, soprano saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom, flutist Jamie Baum, and drummer Matt Wilson. A skilled and diversified woodwind doubler on saxophones, bass clarinet, Bb clarinet, oboe, English horn, flute, and alto flute, Lugerner makes music that's gloriously his own whatever horn he plays, while attracting some of jazz's most vividly identifiable voices as creative partners. 

  

Steven Lugerner in Performance:

6/5 Charles McPherson Quintet w/ Andrew Speight & Steven Lugerner, Mitchell Park Community Center, Palo Alto (presented by Palo Alto Jazz Alliance)

6/6 SLUGish Ensemble, Center for New Music, San Francisco

6/11 appearing as part of Richard Sears Sextet featuring Tootie Heath, Blue Whale, Los Angeles

6/12 appearing as part of Richard Sears Sextet featuring Tootie Heath, Piedmont Piano, Oakland (to be recorded)

7/27 SLUGish Ensemble, Stanford Jazz Festival

New compilation, A New Life, from Jazzman Records coming out June 1

Thought you knew about British jazz? Think again. Diving into the unknown world of the private pressing, Jazzman Records presents some of the rarest and wildest British jazz ever recorded!

The major stars of British jazz such as Stan Tracey, Michael Garrick and Joe Harriott are now rightly recognised as the giants they were, and the legendary Brit jazz recordings of the 1960s are amongst the most highly prized of all collectable records. But what happened to jazz in the UK when the recording industry lost faith in it?

A New Life is the first survey of British jazz labels and musicians that went their own way in the 1970s, bringing to the light the unknown indie gems and outsider private pressings that let jazz musicians keep the faith into the 1980s. From the time-bending spirit music of London's Lori Vambe to the psych-jazz of Birmingham's Poliphony, via Spot The Zebra's jazz dedication to David Attenborough and Indiana Highway's modal Christmas carolling, A New Life chronicles a compelling selection of lost and obscure jewels of the British jazz underground.

Compiled by Francis Gooding and Duncan Brooker (the team responsible for the acclaimed Next Stop Soweto series), and coming with extensive sleevenotes based on interviews with the musicians, A New Life is the first major British jazz collection since Gilles Petersen's Impressed series, and the first ever to shed light on the forgotten legacy of independent, regional and experimental Brit jazz.

· All tracks fully licensed and digitally restored

 · Only 1000 double vinyl gatefold LPs pressed

 · Comprehensive and detailed liner notes with pictures and information on each track direct from our interviews with the musicians involved

 · CD with 24 page booklet packed with pics & extensive notes based on original research.

Music Legend Ben E. King – in Memoriam

Fans and fellow artists the world over are mourning the death of music legend Ben E. King, who passed away on April 30, 2015 at age 76, after a brief illness. A singer, songwriter, mentor and philanthropist, he personified artistic excellence, humility and warmth. In the words of the late Ahmet Ertegun, “Ben E. King is one of the greatest singers in the history of rock and roll and rhythm and blues. His style and the tempo of his voice have a magic all their own.”

“Ben E. King is one of the greatest singers in the history of rock and roll and rhythm and blues. His style and the tempo of his voice have a magic all their own.”

As a solo artist and as lead singer for The Drifters, Ben E. King created some of the most memorable recordings in popular music: “There Goes My Baby”, “Dance With Me,” “This Magic Moment”, “Save The Last Dance For Me,” “Spanish Harlem,” “I Who Have Nothing,” and the iconic, international anthem “Stand By Me” (which King co-wrote). “Stand By Me” has been covered by countless artists; in March 2015, King’s recording was selected by the Library of Congress for inclusion in the National Recording Registry.

He was a member of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and winner of a Rhythm & Blues Foundation Pioneer Award and The Songwriters Hall of Fame’s Towering Performance Award. He continued writing, recording, and performing to sold-out crowds, until shortly before his death.

Offstage, Ben E. King was a devoted family man who donated his time and energy to numerous charitable causes. He was universally known as a true gentleman; respected and beloved by all who knew or worked with him. He will be deeply missed by family, friends, and fans worldwide.

Services will be held at:

Community Baptist Church

224 1st Street

Englewood, New Jersey 07631

(201) 568-6369

Memorial / Wake - Wednesday, May 6, 6 – 9 PM

Funeral Service / Burial - Thursday, May 7, 10 AM

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to The Stand By Me Foundation, or a charity of the donor’s choosing. The Stand By Me Foundation (PO Box 462, Teaneck, NJ 07666) is a 501(c)(3) organization established by Mr. King in 1998, providing scholarships to deserving students and support to civic associations engaged in improving their communities.

Tributes and condolences can also be sent to benekingtributes@gmail.com

-Judy Tint (Ben E. King’s attorney), on behalf of the King family 

Kurt Elling: A House is Not a Home

NEW RELEASES: TESS HENLEY - WONDERLAND; TERENCE BLANCHARD FEATURING THE E COLLECTIVE - BREATHLESS; BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE – POWER IN THE BLOOD

TESS HENLEY - WONDERLAND

Soul singer-songwriter Tess Henley began Suzuki piano training at age three, and by age five was dissecting harmonies that even her mother – a singer by trade – found difficult. Multi-Grammy winning producer Don Was (Rolling Stones, John Mayer, Bonnie Raitt) recently selected Henley from over 10,000 performers as the winner of Guitar Center’s National Artist Discovery Program. “She’s unlike any artist that’s out there now, a world class singer with a true gift” says Was. Billboard describes her music as a classy brand of soulful R&B that could hold up in any era of Was’ storied career. Was produced Henley’s latest EP, “Wonderland”, tracked at Hollywood’s Henson Recording Studios (birthplace of celebrated projects like Carole King’s Tapestry and Joni Mitchell’s Blue). Acclaimed musicians included drummer James Gadson (Beck, Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers), James Hutchinson on bass (Bonnie Raitt, BB King), guitarist Mark Goldenberg (Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt), Mike Finnigan on Hammond Organ (Jimi Hendrix, Michael McDonald), percussionist Michito Sanchez (Train, Aretha Franklin), string arranger Davide Rossi (Ed Sheeran, Coldplay) and Henley on keyboards, vocals and background vocals. As Was describes the project, “Sometimes magic just happens, you can’t really legislate that. There’s no producer in the world who can make that happen. All you can do is try to set up a situation where if lightning strikes the room, you’ve got the tape rolling. And lightning struck. It was a really charmed session, and Tess was amazing, didn’t miss a note all day.” Henley honed her live performance by opening for folks like Jill Scott and Anthony Hamilton, while continuing to build her profile as a songwriter. She got to display those skills during her first national television performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live in February where she performed a pair of songs from her EP, “Wonderland.” www.tessheley.com.

TERENCE BLANCHARD FEATURING THE E COLLECTIVE - BREATHLESS

Terence Blanchard and the E-Collective set off on a new musical journey with his new album Breathless. An innovative and electric exploration into the fusion of jazz, funk, R&B and blues featuring Oscar Seaton on drums, Donald Ramsey on bass, Charles Altura on guitar and Fabian Almazan on keyboard/piano/synths. Produced by Blanchard and his manager Robin Burgess and executive produced by Blue Note president Don Was, the adventurous 13-tune recording zeroes in on several Blanchard originals, an epic-length piece by Almazan and a scattering of covers, sung by soothing and soulful vocalist P.J. Morton (a member of the band Maroon 5). Includes: Compared to What; See Me As I Am; Everglades; Breathless; Confident Selflessness; Shutting Down; Soldiers; Samadhi; Talk to Me; Tom & Jerry; I Ain't Got Nothin' But Time; Cosmic Warrior; and Midnight. ~ Amazon

BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE – POWER IN THE BLOOD

The iconic songwriter has written standards, social-justice anthems and Oscar-winning ballads, but never because it was what the industry expected from her. One of the most original and important voices of our time. Equal parts activist, educator, songwriter, performer and visual artist, Buffy Sainte-Marie has throughout her life been an untiring champion for indigenous people and the environment, through her music, art, education projects, and by taking direct political action. She is one of the most enduring and popular Native American performers, her music having touched millions of people around the world. From her start in New York City s Greenwich Village in the early to 1960s alongside Leonard Cohen, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, Buffy made a name for herself as a gifted songwriter, writing hits for Janis Joplin, Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand, and Neil Diamond. Her most well know song is the Oscar winning Up Where We Belong from An Officer and Gentlemen. But Buffy is most acclaimed for her song Universal Soldier that became one of the first anti-Vietnam war anthems to inspire a generation to protest. Power in the Blood her first new album in 6 years, includes odes to the sanctity of life, the splendor of Mother Nature, and scything political and social commentary on songs like the title track, a collaboration with British electronic group Alabama 3, as well as the tracks Uranium War and Generation. The album was recorded in Toronto with three different producers, Michael Philip Wojewoda (Barenaked Ladies, Jeff Healey), Chris Birkett (Sinéad O Connor, Bob Geldof) and Jon Levine (Melissa Etheridge, Serena Ryder). ~ Amazon

New AL DI MEOLA Album, ELYSIUM Features Di Meola Playing Both Electric & Acoustic Guitar

He came from the 'Land Of The Midnight Sun', sparkled on the jazz-rock stage as an 'Elegant Gypsy', came up trumps in the 'Casino' with all the right chords and melodies, and his 'Splendido Hotel' was the number one address for fusion fans around the globe. He finally achieved immortality together with John McLaughlin and Paco de Lucia on 'Friday Night In San Francisco'. For guitar lovers, the name Al Di Meola carries the same guarantee of quality that Ferrari does for sports car enthusiasts or Chateau Mouton-Rothschild for wine connoisseurs. 

Al Di Meola was born in New Jersey in 1954 to an Italian-American family, and from his early days as a rising star in Chick Corea's legendary fusion combo Return To Forever right up to the present day, he has continually managed to refine his qualities: breathtakingly fast picking, skilful percussion effects the like of which had never been heard before, the effortlessness with which he can instantly switch from muscular axe-man rock to spinning gentle, romantic webs of melody. In the nineties, inspired by his love of the acoustic sounds of Latin America and the works of nuevo tango pioneer Astor Piazzolla, he made some delightful chamber music recordings with his group World Sinfonia. On more recent albums such as 'Consequence Of Chaos' (2006) and 'Pursuit Of Radical Rhapsody' (2011), all these penchants, influences and musical movements have fused into an unmistakeable sound: jazz rock meets world jazz. It's a stylistic aerobatics display, circling up to dizzying heights reminiscent of the boisterous solos Al used to play in his youth.

'Elysium' is the climax of this process so far. The artist has arrived where he always wanted to be. He himself thinks of Elysium as a 'place of perfect happiness'. A paradise where acoustic and electric components, triumphant rock and finely entwined jazz, delicate and pumping rhythms, guitars and keyboards, wide panoramas of rock and diaphanous carpets of sound come together in harmony. In this magical Elysium, everyone complements each other. Al Di Meola has brought together a five piece band with no bass. While he plays all the guitar parts himself, both acoustic and electric, including unbelievably fast and elegant riffs and effervescent rocking chords, three keyboard players and pianists provide shades of colour. This trio includes new recruit Philippe Saisse, who also contributes the composition 'La Lluvia'. The others have shared musical accomplishments with their band leader going back decades. Barry Miles has known Al since the seventies. Mario Parmisano can be heard on recordings such as 'Orange And Blue' (1994) and 'Flesh On Flesh' (2002). Two new rhythm players have now joined the team: percussionist Rhani Krija and drummer Peter Kaszas. Both of them are wide awake and always right up with the beat. ~ Amazon

JAZZY SOUNDSCAPES FROM DANIEL HERSKEDAL - SLOW EASTBOUND TRAIN

DANIEL HERSKEDAL

A tuba playing jazz musician might have the right to describe his sound as unique – after all, tuba soloists in jazz are as rare as hen’s teeth. But when we describe Norwegian tuba player and composer Daniel Herskedal
as unique, we’re not referring to his choice of horn. In the last few years this young musician has proved he has the facility, vision and musicianship to push the boundaries of his instrument, technically and sonically, further than anyone has done so. The result , as demonstrated by his new album ‘Slow Eastbound Train’, is a spellbind- ing and mesmerising sound worthy of a vast international audience.

In Norwegian musicians Eyolf Dale (piano) and Helge Andreas Norbakken (percussion) as well as the Trond- heim Soloists, Norway’s most celebrated string orchestra, Daniel has the perfect vehicle to demonstrate his facility as both instrumentalist and composer. And ‘Slow Eastbound Train’ is a sublimely beautiful and melodic album full of diverse influences and unique soundscapes that entirely fulfils both Daniel’s promise and the full potential of this group.

Based in Copenhagen, Herskedal first came to our attention with the release of his superb album ‘Neck of the Woods’, a duo with saxophonist Marius Neset, in which his technical brilliance and combination of diverse influences firmly established his reputation on the European jazz scene as a world class musician and one to watch. Since then he has toured extensively throughout Europe with Django Bates, Trondheim Jazz Orchestra as well his own projects City Stories, Listen, Dagane and Magic Pocket.

Beneath the melodic, sublime, elegant themes that make up the pieces on ‘Slow Eastbound Train’ there’s a rhythmical energy in the string writing as well as the virtuosity of his tuba playing that gives the album its wonderfully varied and vibrant feel. This is the sound of a master arranger and musical thinker at work.

However we describe Daniel Herskedal, his work and his virtuosity, there’s no doubting that a major artist has arrived. It’s rare to find an artist with fresh ideas, the technical facility to push boundaries and the maturity
to understand how to express this in the all-important listening experience, but with Daniel we are seeing the emergence of just such a one, We can only sit back and admire the result: a beautifully executed album that will continue to inspire and move us long into the future.

~ Edition Records

Ayn Inserto Releases Home Away From Home, a Collaboration With Colours Jazz Orchestra, One of Italy's Most Formidable Big Bands

This album was born with an alluring invitation. Several years after seeing a memorable performance by the Ayn Inserto Jazz Orchestra with tenor sax great George Garzone and legendary trombonist/ composer Bob Brookmeyer at the Berklee Performance Center, Italian trombonist Massimo Morganti arranged for Inserto to come to Italy for a series of workshops with his formidable Colours Jazz Orchestra. Inserto quickly struck up a close bond with the band, returned the following year for a series of gigs, and ended up arranging a consistently inspired set of material for the world class ensemble, music documented on Home Away From Home, slated for release in the US by the German label Neuklang Records on June 9, 2015.

An associate professor of jazz composition at Berklee College of Music, she's the leader of the acclaimed Ayn Inserto Jazz Orchestra, which features some of Boston's most potent improvisers. As a protégé of the late great Bob Brookmeyer, who's featured on her 2006 debut album Clairvoyance, Inserto has won numerous awards and commissions while producing a gloriously inventive body of work. Full of dynamic movement, striking voicings and lush harmonies, Inserto's imaginative writing puts her at the forefront of the contemporary orchestral jazz scene.

Inserto's third release, Home Away From Home, introduces a vivid and varied collection of pieces that she's never recorded before. Her familiarity with Colours is evident throughout. The album opens with her "You're Leaving? But I Just Got Here," dedicated to former Berklee Jazz Composition Chair, Ken Pullig, which proceeds from a cheeky dialogue between drummer Massimo Manzi and soprano saxophonist Simone La Maida into a drum-directed band confab and deftly interwoven soprano/trumpet conversation. The Harvard Jazz Band commissioned her sensuous but abstract recomposition of Joe Henderson's standard "Recorda Me," which hints at the original melody while setting it in a new alluring harmonic framework.

Inserto's sumptuous ballad "La Danza Infinita," the album's centerpiece, showcases Morganti's legato phrasing and rich, singing tone, while the ensemble displays its exceptional cohesion.  She closes the album with "Subo," a jaunty, Latin-inflected tune she arranged and recomposed from a tune written by Boston trumpet ace Dan Rosenthal, a longtime member of the Ayn Inserto Jazz Orchestra.

In many ways, Inserto provided a good deal of the inspiration for the creation of Colours. Morganti was studying at Berklee for a year when he caught the performance by Inserto's orchestra with special guests Garzone and Brookmeyer. He decided he wanted to create something similar back home in Ancona, a central Italian port on the Adriatic coast. 

Founded in 2002, Colours draws on some of the finest players on Italy's vibrant jazz scene 

and has collaborated with jazz stars like Brookmeyer, Ryan Truesdell, Bob Mintzer, Maria Schneider, and Kenny Wheeler (who's featured on the band's critically hailed 2009 debut album Nineteen Plus One). 

"Massimo writes for Colours, but he mainly tries to have guest artists come in for the orchestra to play their music," Inserto says. "It's a great band, a modern big band that's always looking for interesting material."

Born in Singapore, Inserto was 14 when her family relocated to California, and within a year had settled in the San Francisco Bay Area's East Bay, where she was well prepared to take advantage of the region's extensive jazz educational resources. Inserto had started taking piano lessons as a child, and jumped into music at her Catholic church.

"I was very active in the church choir, and they this one band that had a little more modern sound," Inserto recalls. "I was playing the organ, and there was lot of improvising that would go on before the service started. A lot of our music only had lead sheets, and I'd make up stuff to go with them."

Introduced to jazz via the Manhattan Transfer, she learned to read chords from a book of Disney tunes, and soon started substituting her own chord choices to make the songs sound more interesting. By the time she started Clayton Valley High School in the East Bay city of Concord, Inserto was obsessed with music, playing piano in various school ensembles, including the jazz band. She discovered Bill Evans, McCoy Tyner and other piano giants, while continuing to study classical piano. She was also an avid member of the award-winning Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps, playing mallet percussion. Inserto's jazz education took a quantum leap when she attended a weeklong Berklee camp held in Los Angeles "where I learned voicings," she says. "Around that time I also started writing for the school band and the marching band. I got hired to write for the Blue Devils "B" Corps, writing all these mallet percussion ensemble pieces."

She attended Los Medanos College's respected jazz program for several years and then transferred to Cal State Hayward (now Cal State East Bay), where she thrived under the tutelage of trombonist/arranger Dave Eshelman, who has mentored several generations of exceptional Bay Area jazz musicians. He recorded several of her pieces with the CSUH Big Band. Encouraged to apply to New England Conservatory by saxophonist and NEC professor Allan Chase, who's now a member of her Jazz Orchestra, Inserto was drawn to NEC by the presence of Brookmeyer. "I studied two full years with him," she says. "I was writing from a piano player's point of view, and he got me into more melodic writing, developing these long lines. After NEC I continued to study with him and he really took me on as a mentor."

While Brookmeyer's influence is evident, Inserto has honed an independent musical identity writing and arranging for her orchestra, as well as numerous other ensembles that have commissioned her. She released her second album featuring the band and special guest George Garzone, Muse, in 2008, cementing her reputation as a composer and arranger of exceptional acuity. She has no plans of giving up the Ayn Inserto Jazz Orchestra, but after her collaboration with Colours it couldn't be clearer why Italy is truly a home away from home. 

www.ayninserto.com

"IN for the OUT" from Mark McGrain and PLUNGE highlights drum and bass driven grooves

The heart of these 15 new compositions beats deep within New Orleans' tradition of polyphony and improvisation.  As has always been the aim with PLUNGE, according to McGrain, "each song must contain enough familiarity for the greater audience to find memorable while also providing enough musical challenge to propel the players into daring and expansive improvisations."

Alongside McGrain, PLUNGE features organist Robert Walter (Grey Boy All-stars), electronic percussionist and drummer Simon Lott (Charlie Hunter, Wil Blades), Kirk Joseph on sousaphone (Dirty Dozen Brass Band), Tom Fitzpatrick (Walter "Wolfman" Washington) on flute and tenor sax, the late Tim Green (Peter Gabriel, Cyril Neville) on baritone sax and saxello, and James Singleton (Astral Project, John Scofield) on double bass.

New Orleans based composer and trombonist Mark McGrain will release his fourth album, IN for the OUT, with his band PLUNGE. Released as a digital album and CD on Immersion Records & Media on April 20, 2015, the album marks not only a return to the drum and bass driven "grooves as wide as a house" (DownBeat Magazine) concept of PLUNGE's first album Falling With Grace (1996, Accurate/Rounder) but also includes the intimate trio and improvisational elements of Dancing on Thin Ice (2009, Immersion Records & Media-IRM) and Tin Fish Tango (2011, IRM).

Instrumentation for IN for the OUT ranges from McGrain's solo trombone and alphorn tracks to the full throttle septet of McGrain, organist Robert Walter (Greyboy Allstars), electronic percussionist and drummer Simon Lott (Charlie Hunter, Wil Blades), Kirk Joseph (Dirty Dozen Brass Band), on sousaphone, Tom Fitzpatrick (Walter "Wolfman" Washington) on flute and tenor sax, the late Tim Green (Peter Gabriel, Cyril Neville) on baritone sax and saxello, and James Singleton (Astral Project, John Scofield) on double bass.

In McGrain's words, "IN for the OUT is a 15 track song cycle based on various stages of human entropy--the steps we take and experience as we journey toward this life's conclusion . . . and beyond."

The heart of these 15 new compositions beats deep within New Orleans' tradition of polyphony and improvisation.  As has always been the aim with PLUNGE, according to McGrain, "Each song must contain enough familiarity for the greater audience to find memorable while also providing enough musical challenge to propel the players into daring and expansive improvisations."

From the funky, startlingly odd-measured opener "The Jilt" to the reflective surrender of "With Love Alone," and the second-line, set-the-spirit-free buoyancy of "Birmingham Songo," the listener is transported along a path littered with joy and jubilation, introspection and loss, and, in the end, celebration.  As the inscription by McGrain on the back of the album jacket reads: "Beauty dusts these tracks we share, carrying us onward, in for the out."

Plunge is the brainchild of trombonist and composer Mark McGrain.  Over a span of 20 years, from the 1995 production of Falling with Grace to the 2015 release of IN for the OUT, McGrain has produced four critically acclaimed albums of his compositions performed in unique ensemble settings.  Some of jazz and creative music's most lauded practitioners have contributed to these sessions.  Over the years, PLUNGE recording personnel has included drummer Rakalam Bob Moses, bassist Avishai Cohen, tubist Marcus Rojas, sousaphonist Kirk Joseph, bassist James Singleton, saxophonists Tim Green and Tom Fitzpatrick, drummer Simon Lott, and organist Robert Walker.

Trumpeter Terell Stafford Pays Homage to Philadelphia Legend Lee Morgan on BrotherLee Love

A love letter from one of Philadelphia's favorite trumpet-playing sons to another, BrotherLee Love features Terell Stafford celebrating the soulful musical legacy of jazz legend Lee Morgan. The follow-up to Stafford's acclaimed homage to composer Billy Strayhorn, BrotherLee Love (Available June 16 on Capri Records) again features the trumpeter's regular band of brothers, his incredible quintet with saxophonist Tim Warfield, pianist Bruce Barth, bassist Peter Washington, and drummer Dana Hall.

While Stafford may not be a Philadelphia native--he was born in Miami and raised in a suburb of Chicago--he's become a vocal champion of the city's storied jazz heritage. Stafford came of musical age on Philadelphia stages, mentored by local legends like Shirley Scott, Arthur Harper, Mickey Roker, and Bootsie Barnes. For the past two decades he's helped to pass that torch to the next generation through his work as Director of Jazz and Chair of Instrumental Studies at Temple University's Boyer College of Music and Dance, and he recently established the Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia, an outstanding big band dedicated to spotlighting the city's most gifted instrumentalists and composers, past and present, which has hosted special guests including Jimmy Heath, Wynton Marsalis, Odean Pope, and Kenny Barron.

All of which makes BrotherLee Love a show of respect and celebration from one favorite son to another. "This project is about how I was embraced by this city and about a trumpet player who has always been a huge inspiration to me," Stafford says. The eight tunes contained on the album are a joyous celebration of the music and spirit of Morgan, the Philadelphia native and trumpet legend who made a profound impact on the history of jazz during his brief 33 years with his fiery virtuosity and soulful style. "Lee Morgan was a total genius," Stafford enthuses. "The trumpet was merely a vehicle to express who he was. There was rasp, there was grit, there was personality, there was sass, exactly who he was as a person was inside of his sound and that's what I loved about it."

The project stems from a single concert, a Morgan tribute at Philadelphia's Kimmel Center suggested by pianist Danilo Pérez, the venue's then Artistic Advisor for Jazz. The response to that performance, and later inclusions of some of Morgan's compositions in regular quintet sets, left no question that these takes had to be recorded. "It's impossible to play a Lee Morgan tune that people don't love," Stafford says. "There was so much joy wrapped around playing this music, and I just hope some of that comes through to the listener."

Of course, being a trumpet player paying homage to one of the instrument's most iconic masters comes with an inherent intimidation factor, but Stafford has never been one to back down from a challenge. 

As a young classical trumpet student, he struggled against inadequate educational opportunities until coming under the tutelage of Rutgers professor William Fielder, Stafford then made a belated entry into the jazz world, training himself as an improviser on jam session stages under the often hostile gaze of uncharitable audiences.

So while he admits that reimagining the songs of such an influential trumpeter was daunting, Stafford nonetheless embraced the opportunity. "It was very intimidating, because when you hear these songs you hear one way to play them," he says. "But when you start playing these songs where a bar has been set so high, you better just be yourself."

Throughout the album, that individuality shines through - not just from Stafford, but from his longstanding quintet, for whom the "Brotherly Love" nickname could have been coined. Warfield has been at Stafford's side since the beginning of his plunge into jazz, standing alongside him during those early trials by fire. Barth has become a close collaborator on the bandstand and in the halls of academia, while Washington and Hall form an intensely swinging rhythm section, maintaining the vigor and muscularity of Morgan's tunes with their own unique feel.

These songs bring out truly spirited playing from the entire band: check out Stafford's tricky articulations on the sprightly opener, "Hocus Pocus," or his bluesy, muted moaning on the band's last-call read of "Candy;" lean into Warfield's sinuous lines on "Mr. Kenyatta" or be knocked back by Barth's keyboard-busting fire on the lesser-known "Yes I Can, No You Can't;" witness Hall's avalanching climax on "Stop Start" or Washington's dexterous, singing solo on "Speedball." Bask in the quintet's lush, tender side on the gorgeous ballad "Carolyn."

Finally, there's Stafford's own contribution, "Favor," which didn't start out as an homage to Morgan; it was originally commissioned by Philadelphia chamber ensemble Network for New Music as part of a tribute concert to contemporary classical composer John Harbison. But the piece earns its place alongside these memorable Morgan compositions by virtue of its easy swing, its loose but spirited vibe, and its lithe, blues-steeped soul. It's also thematically relevant as Stafford meant the piece as a way of giving thanks, he explains, "to have the gift to be able to do this record and be able to touch people with music. That's what that song represents, and that's what I put into this whole project."

Although he didn't come to jazz until his early 20s, Stafford was a quick study and was enlisted during his college years to play with saxophonist Bobby Watson's Horizon. From there he joined McCoy Tyner's Latin All-Star Band alongside such greats as trombonist Steve Turre, flutist Dave Valentin, and percussionist Jerry Gonzalez. In addition to his work as a leader he's continued to be an in-demand sideman, including considerable stints with the Clayton Brothers, Matt Wilson's Arts & Crafts, and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.

The son of a teacher, education has always played a role in Stafford's life. He's served as Director of Jazz Studies at Temple University for the past twenty years, late integrating oversight of the school's classical department as Chair of Instrumental Studies. In addition, he's spent time as a clinician at the Vail Foundation in Colorado and Jazz at Lincoln Center's Essentially Ellington program.

Upcoming Terell Stafford Performances:

June 2-7 / Village Vanguard / New York, NY

October 11 / Pennsylvania Friends of Jazz / Harrisburg, PA

Terell Stafford · BrotherLee Love

Capri Records · Release Date: June 16, 2015

www.TerellStafford.com

Austin-based keyboardist and singer and songwriter PAULA MAYA releases ILUMINAR, Brazilian-influenced album

Austin-based keyboardist and singer and songwriter Paula Maya is back with her sixth studio album, Iluminar, now released worldwide.  The new album is heavily influenced by her Brazilian roots, just as much as her home base of Austin, TX.  Iluminar is Paula’s first album sung predominately in Portuguese (90%) and focused on Brazilian music, jazz, and world inspired rhythms such as African soukous and Latin beats versus her previous releases, which featured a mix of pop, rock, classical and electronica.  

Paula is originally from Rio de Janeiro, the birthplace of bossa nova and songs such as Girl from Ipanema. Rio is also where choro, a Brazilian be-bop-like music, was born a century before bossa nova. Both music styles, as well as Brazilian dance music like samba and baião, are heard in Paula's songs. Another strong influence is the eclectic community of musicians from different parts of the world that Paula is a part of, in Austin TX and in Seattle, where she used to live. Different genres such as jazz, country, reggae and soukous inspire fresh music blends.

Although the album took the entire 2014-year to record, mix, and master, it’s really been Paula’s lifelong journey that took her to this point.  Paula relocated from Brazil to the US in 1993 where she lived briefly in Houston before making Seattle her home for the next 17 years.  In 2011 after living in Enfield, CT to record an album during one of the coldest Northeast winters, she came to Austin for SXSW and fell in love, both with the city and her partner.  She went back to Rio de Janeiro to visit her old friends and family, but cut her stay short to return to Austin.  During that short visit, Paula re-connected with her Brazilian roots at a deeper level than ever before and she brought that inspiration back to Austin to perform and record.  Her new rooted sound was quickly well received (Paula was voted in the top 10 World Music Bands of 2014-2015 by the Austin Chronicle Music Poll) and was a refreshing change from her previous albums of avant garde instrumentals, classical music, pop and rock, that she recorded living in Houston and Seattle.

lluminar, which means ‘To Shine’ in Portuguese, features eight songs; seven originals and one traditional bossa nova.  The album title is taken from the first song 'Iluminar Você' which is a soukous (African rhythm) inspired song written in Portuguese about flying to Rio de Janeiro, to see her old friends and family.  'Baião de Cabo Frio' is a baião (Brazilian rhythm from the North East of Brazil). Inspired by this magical place called Cabo Frio, which is a cape in the state of RJ stretching east into the ocean. Havind deep seeded roots in this area, Paula wrote this song to honor the wonderful experiences from her childhood.  'Tarde em Itapoã' is a traditional bossa nova written by Toquinho and Vinícius de Moraes.  'The Rain' is another soukous inspired song, written in English. It's a love song for Austin, Paula’s new home and love.  'Queria te Encontrar,’ which means 'I'd love to find you,’ is a bolero / samba canção song. A love song about longing to find someone you’ve loved and lost.  'Julia' is an instrumental tune Paula wrote for her niece. It features two rhythms: Latin jazz and samba, happening back and forth through out the piece.  ‘So In Tune' is a bi-lingual pop song with a hint of reggae. It’s about a broken heart. A girl telling the guy she is in love with that he is clueless about matters of the heart.  The album concludes with 'Menina Bonita,' which is another baião. It's about a couple from a fishing village in Brazil who are in love. 

Iluminar is deeply inspired by Brazil, but is also the first album completely recorded, mixed, mastered and duplicated in Austin.  It was recorded at her record label studio – Yellow House Records based in South Austin with Lefty and Robert Wyatt, mastered by Nick Landis at Terra Nova, and manufactured by Matt Eskey’s Any and All Media.  Paula enthusiastically states, “I am so proud my new CD Iluminar is completely done in Austin.

Her new album will be showcased during her hometown record release party on May 7, 2014 at the One-2-One Bar in Austin, TX.  Then Paula embarks on a Brazilian tour in late May before returning back to the US to tour stateside. 

NEW RELEASES: AMBIENT JAZZ ENSEMBLE - SUITE SHOP REWORKS; OLIVER NELSON - THE BLUES AND THE BLUES ABSTRACT; URBIE GREEN - EAST COAST JAZZ

AMBIENT JAZZ ENSEMBLE - SUITE SHOP REWORKS

Ambient Jazz Ensemble composer and producer Colin Baldry has released the companion release to Ambient Jazz Ensemble's debut album in the shape of 'Suite Shop Reworks : Electronica, Deep House & Disco' a 15 track collection of upbeat, dancefloor and electronic versions of the chilled orchestral originals. For the original 'Suite Shop' album Baldry was joined by Neil Cowley (Adele, Brand New Heavies) on keys, Finn Peters (Chick Corea) on sax, Dominic Glover (Paloma Faith) trumpet, Nichol Thomson (Jamie Cullum) trombone, Tom Kane horns, Ben Reynolds drums and a string quartet. Much of the reworks album was mixed by George Shilling, whose credits include Blur, Mike Oldfield, Steve Winwood, Ocean Colour Scene and Texas. Jon Hopkins, Jamie T and FKA Twigs’ mastering engineer Guy Davie repeats his fantastic work on Suite Shop Reworks as he did on the original using his gorgeous early 70s EMI Lagos desk which no doubt many Fela Kuti recording went through. For 'Suite Shop Reworks' Baldry has drafted in an A team of remixers to lovingly rework his original in their own masterful and celebrated styles.

OLIVER NELSON - THE BLUES AND THE BLUES ABSTRACT

Recorded during the course of a single day in February 1961 and released six months later, The Blues And The Abstract Truth is regarded as jazz saxophonist Oliver Nelsons most acclaimed album. It helped that he was assisted by a stellar list of musicians, including Bill Evans, Paul Chambers, Freddie Hubbard, Eric Dolphy, George Barrow and Roy Haynes. Musically the album was something of a departure from the norm for Oliver; better known primarily for his work with big bands, this album found him fronting a much smaller combo and exploring the mood and structure of the blues. To accomplish this, Oliver wrote six tracks, with only some of the tracks being structured in the conventional 12-bar blues form. However, many of the solos are performed in such a style, resulting in a compelling album that has withstood the passage of time extremely well. ~ Amazon

URBIE GREEN - EAST COAST JAZZ

Jazz trombonist Urbie Green has forged a veritable career as a studio musician, appearing on more than 250 recordings during a professional career that commenced in 1941. He has also toured extensively, working with the likes of Woody Herman, Gene Krupa and Frankie Carle. You could be forgiven, therefore, for imagining that Urbie Green would be a household name. And so he is, among other musicians, but his preference for remaining in the background resulted in a somewhat limited recording career under his own name. On the evidence of East Coast Jazz this is something of a loss. His early recordings showed plenty of promise, and the mix of some strong compositions and an equally strong line-up of accompanying musicians, including Danny bank, Doug Mettome, Jimmy Lyon, Oscar Pettiford, Osie Johnson and Al Cohn make this a well balanced album. ~ Amazon

Audio Fidelity To Release Guitar Innovator Michael Hedges “Aerial Boundaries” on Limited Edition 180gm Vinyl

Marshall Blonstein's Audio Fidelity will be releasing guitar innovator Michael Hedges critically acclaimed album Aerial Boundaries on limited edition 180gm vinyl! Aerial Boundaries is unquestionably one of the most groundbreaking albums in acoustic guitar history. This is the record that presented Michael Hedges to the world as the ultimate acoustic guitar visionary, stretching the limits of the instrument to accommodate his uncanny musical ideas. There are moments on the record where it seems impossible that so much music is coming from one man and his guitar. Rich in classical harmony and master of fast finger techniques, Hedges' tracks feature layer upon layer of musical complexity and every performance expands the dynamic range of the instrument.

The songs on Aerial Boundaries are all beautiful and haunting and it is this emphasis on composition over technique that makes this such an important recording. Stirring, complex compositions like “Rickover's Dream,” “Spare Change,” and an ingenious instrumental take of Neil Young's “After the Gold Rush” are on full display. He could be seductively quiet and suddenly explosive...slow or fast, timid or thunderous.

The liner notes on the 180g vinyl gatefold jacket assures the listener that the guitar is the origin for every sound heard...attacking his instrument, snapping strings, banging on the fingerboard with his right hand...Hedges has electronically manipulated some of the guitar sounds to an almost unrecognizable point, yet he still managed to create music of untarnished beauty.

“There was simply no one like him,” Bonnie Raitt said of Michael Hedges following his untimely death in 1997, “a very gifted performer, arranger and composer whose music sounded like nothing that had come before it." Boundaries remains the late composer-guitarist's seminal work, and its innovations in technique, tuning, tone, and intensity remain key texts in modern acoustic circles.

Tracks:

1. Aerial Boundaries

2. Bensusan

3. Rickover's Dream

4. The Ragamuffin

5. After the Gold Rush

6. Hot Type

7. Spare Change

8. Threesome

9. The Magic Farmer

Produced by Will Ackerman, Michael Hedges, Steven Miller

Engineered by Steven Miller, Oliver Di Cicco, Bill Mueller, Michael Hedges

Mastered for this release by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio

Bassist LORIN COHEN To Release His Debut Recording as a Leader, HOME

Bassist and composer Lorin Cohen has been called "superb" by the Chicago Sun-Times, "ultra-versatile" and "poetic" by the esteemed Howard Reich of The Chicago Tribune, who described his playing as being fueled by "relentless invention". A bassist and composer of profound imagination, soulfulness and fire, Cohen's joyful musical spirit and swinging beat have delighted audiences around the globe. After many years of high profile sideman work, including long stints with the likes of Monty Alexander, Joe Locke and Ryan Cohan (including world tours and multiple recordings), and sharing the stage with numerous jazz luminaries, Cohen proudly releases his debut CD as a leader, Home, available on Origin Records on May 19, 2015. Cohen will celebrate the recording with a one-night CD release fete on May 21 at Birdland in NYC, and two nights at The Green Mill in Chicago, June 5 & 6. Home features a stellar international group of players, and the completely unique front-line of vibes, steel pan and harmonica: legendary NYC vibraphonist Joe Locke, Virgin Islands steel pan virtuoso Victor Provost, the French harmonica player Yvonnick Prene, Chicago pianist Ryan Cohan, veteran NYC drummer Donald Edwards and Colombian percussionist Samuel Torres.

The musical map and musical DNA of Home encompasses three locales which are all equally near and dear to the bassist/composer's heart; Cohen's hometown of Chicago, his current home of New York City, and the vast Caribbean, which has had a profound influence on his music for many years. Cohen elaborated, "I'm rooted in Chicago, it's where I grew up and came of age as a musician. The Chicago esthetic is about making soulful music that feels good. Making sure this 'deep-dish' style was front and center in the music on Home was the first order of business. I currently reside in New York City and the edge, attitude and drive of Gotham inform 'Crossings,' 'Anthem,' 'The Hero's Journey,' and 'Finding Center'. As a kid on family vacations to South Florida, I was mesmerized by our hotel's poolside reggae band. Coming from the cold and gray landscape of my home in the Midwest, they transmitted a languid sun-drenched vibration that could last many lifetimes. When I look back on myself reveling in that groove, I see it as a foreshadowing of musical experiences to come. I soon became captivated by the rich musical palette of the Caribbean; from Cuba to Jamaica, Trinidad, and all points in between. Then, from 2007-2011 I toured widely with pianist Monty Alexander, whose music shines with the light of the Greater Antilles. You can hear these Caribbean instincts on 'Saudade,' 'Always in My Heart' and 'A Brighter Day.'" One of the most profoundly beautiful and revealing compositions on Home is "The Sweetest Soul", "dedicated to the memory of my wonderful father. I think it speaks for itself," said Cohen. 

Cohen chose mallet instruments as the main voices for his compositions because of his deep love of rhythm. For Cohen, it's the most important thing in music and why he started playing the bass in the first place - he simply wanted to make people dance! This album serves as Cohen's heartfelt tribute to the home he grew up in and the family and friends that gave that home it's glow. It also showcases Cohen's global ear as well as his love of rhythm-the heartbeat of the world and the foundation and "Home" of all music. Ultimately, this music has also been his way back home after a series of family tragedies, and it is the artist's hope that, on some level, it connects with the listener emotionally, inspiring reflection, offering solace, and ultimately creating joy.

A thrill to watch and sublime to hear, Cohen is best known for his work with Monty Alexander, Joe Locke, Guggenheim Fellow Ryan Cohan, and the acclaimed hip-hop-meets-jazz ensemble, Vertikal. While he possesses a vast array of expressive devices, the focus of his playing is always on generating a broad and propulsive beat. This groove consciousness has taken him around the world, allowing him to share his talents with audiences throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean. 

Lorin was raised outside of Chicago in Lincolnwood, Illinois in an artistically rich home. His mother Muriel, a music teacher, played guitar, piano, and violin. Beginning on alto saxophone in fourth grade, Lorin picked up the bass guitar at 14 so that he could jam with his guitar-playing older brother Elliott and his cousin, the pianist Ryan Cohan. Influenced by his brother's love of Chicago blues and classic rock, Lorin eventually discovered Jaco Pastorious, Chick Corea, and ultimately, straight ahead jazz. Taking up the acoustic bass at the age of 25, Lorin studied with noted Chicago bassist Larry Gray and Joe Guastefeste (principal bassist with the Chicago Symphony). In 1998, Lorin received the Blue Note Records Scholarship at the Skidmore Jazz Workshop. 

In 2005, Cohen began touring the world with jazz icon Monty Alexander. He plays on the pianist's two recordings for the Chesky label, The Good Life: Monty Alexander Plays the Songs of Tony Bennett and Calypso Blues: The Songs of Nat King Cole. Lorin's longtime collaboration with 2008 Guggenheim Fellow Ryan Cohan has included tours of the U.S., Canada, Europe, Russia and Africa. He also appears on four recordings with the composer/pianist: Here and Now (Sirrocco/2000), One Sky (Motema/2007), Another Look (Motema/2010) and The River (Motema/2013). 

Lorin has toured throughout North America and Japan with Joe Locke, widely recognized as the premier vibraphonist of his generation. He has shared his talents with the vibraphonist on the New York stages of Jazz at the Kitano and Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola. They have recorded three albums together: When You Wish Upon a Star (Motema/2013), under Locke's name, Ryan Cohan's Another Look, and Cohen's current, debut album, Home (Origin/May 19, 2015). Cohen has spanned the globe to foster cultural exchange through music. As a "Jazz Ambassador" for the U.S. Department of State and the Kennedy Center, Cohen toured Southeast Asia in 2004. On that tour, he performed and taught in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines and Bangladesh. The Yamaha Musical Instrument Corporation chose the bassist to "road test" their "Silent Bass" for the tour. 

He spent February of 2008 with the Ryan Cohan Quartet on a five-country tour of Africa and the Middle East. This was part of "The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad" program, a partnership with the U.S. State Department and Jazz at Lincoln Center. Cohen and his band mates were selected by a panel headed by Wynton Marsalis to perform and conduct workshops throughout Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Jordan. Based on the success of that tour, the same group was selected for a second time to visit Russia, Belarus, and the Ukraine in February of 2009. 

Cohen moved to NYC from Chicago in 2012. Since his arrival in New York, Cohen has shared the stage with numerous jazz luminaries, including: Joe Locke, Geoffrey Keezer, Victor Lewis, Stefon Harris, Michael Weiss, Houston Person, Bucky Pizzarelli, Cyrille Aimee, Jon Davis, Jeremy Pelt, Jim Ridl, Paul Bollenback, Roni Ben-Hur, and Clarence Penn. Cohen's musical experiences span far beyond the world of jazz. He has worked as a substitute bassist for the Chicago run of Jersey Boys (2008-2010) and the Broadway production of Motown: The Musical. His work as a bass guitarist, producer and songwriter is featured on the eponymous album by the R&B/Hip-hop/Jazz group Vertikal. Cohen is currently pursuing his Masters in Music at The Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College.

Lorin Cohen - Home

(All compositions/arrangements by Lorin Cohen)

1Crossings 2 Always in My Heart 3 Finding Center 4 Anthem 5 The Sweetest Soul (For My Father) 6 Saudade 7 The Hero's Journey 8 A Brighter Day

Guitarist MICHAEL VALEANU's Hard To Cook Recalls Timeless Organ Trios with Compelling Blend of Love Songs, Groove Anthems and Short Acoustic Poems

From Paul Bocuse to Julia Child, France has been known to spawn many of the world's culinary greats over the years. However, Parisian guitarist Michael Valeanu gives new meaning to the word gourmet with Hard To Cook, his sophomore effort as composer and bandleader. A wordplay on French expression Dur á Cuire, meaning tough cookie, Hard To Cook is meant to please the most demanding musical tastemakers. The ingredients of the feast come from everywhere: a pinch of folk, a sprinkle of impressionism, a generous spoonful of groove, and a minute knowledge of jazz guitar tradition. 

Following in the footsteps of Wes Montgomery and Jimmy Smith, John Scofield and Larry Goldings, and fed by the eclecticism of the New York scene, Valeanu chose the Hammond organ, guitar and drums trio to present the music on this record. Purists will admire the matchless mastery of this trio featuring Jake Sherman on organ and Jake Goldbas on drums, while curious music lovers will savor a compelling blend of love songs, groove anthems and short acoustic poems. 

Hard To Cook is a dream come true for Valeanu who learned jazz listening to Wes Montgomery records. "I fell in love with the Hammond, it has the sonic breath of a whole orchestra, and complements the guitar most beautifully." To realize his idea, Valeanu led a triumphant Kickstarter campaign that allowed him to have complete artistic independence.

Much like Valeanu himself, both members of his trio are also jacks-of-all-trades, masters of many, with groove as the common denominator. On the organ, Sherman's playing can resemble Ellington's sax section on the gripping "Blood Count,"  or the fiercest of bass players on "Norwegian Omelette." Goldbas is another force to be heard: with hard driving swing on "Firm Roots," irresistible groove on "Hard to Cook," and subtle percussion work on "Floating Island." 

The icing on the proverbial the cake is none other than France's freshest diva, vocalist Cyrille Aimée, for whom Valeanu plays guitar and collaborates. She is a featured vocalist and lyricist on the savory "20 Years," which manages to appear as a simple bucolic folk song despite its rhythmic complexity, and continues to dazzle with a virtuosic scat lesson on the odd metered "How Deep Is the Ocean." We also owe Aimée the blossoming of Valeanu as a producer, which gives Hard To Cook its unique flavor in contemporary jazz. 

The originals that Valeanu brings to the table are true to his eclecticism: a thoughtful introduction calling classical composer Leo Brouwer to mind, an exuberant groove of the title track, and the country scene conjured by Aimée's lyrics on the purely melodic "20 Years." Like the best of chefs, Valeanu aims to please, and with Hard To Cook, leaves listeners craving for more.  

Born in Paris, France in 1985, Valeanu began playing guitar when he was 14-years-old. While in Paris, he studied at the Nadia & Lili Boulanger Conservatory as well as at the Edim/National School of Music of Bourg-La-Reine.  During this time, Valeanu was affirming his spot in the local Parisian music scene as both a sideman and a studio musician. 

He moved to New York City in 2008 to attend the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in order to branch out into the jazz scene even further. Since moving to New York, Valeanu has played a myriad of clubs such as Smalls, Birdland, Jazz Standard, and Smoke, as well as various festivals throughout the United States. Since becoming a mainstay in the New York jazz scene, he released his debut album Tea Time in 2012.

Vocalist Halie Loren Explores Transformation and Self-Realization on Soulful Release, Butterfly Blue

The butterfly has long been a powerful symbol of rebirth. The lowly caterpillar's emergence from its cocoon into a thing of beauty in flight is a vivid embodiment of transformation and self-realization. The title of Butterfly Blue, the stunning and soulful new album by vocalist Halie Loren, evokes those poetic images, but tinged with a sense of bittersweet melancholy. 

Loren has found quite a bit of metamorphosis over the past few years, growing from a West-Coast singer-songwriter to an international jazz celebrity in Japan and Asia, where the singer has now performed dozens of sold-out concerts and found her music climbing to the pinnacle of many a sales chart, including three consecutive Billboard Jazz #1 albums in Japan. Her career and musical growth continues into 2015, the year which finds Loren spreading her proverbial wings wider than ever before with the release of Butterfly Blue, drawing inspiration from blues and soul music influences in a deeper way than she has in the past, while firmly and unapologetically planting one foot in the jazz realm and the other in pop. She does this without losing any of the warmth, charm and sensuality that has always characterized her unique vocal approach. But the thread that connects the album's mix of jazz and Songbook standards, reimagined pop songs, and original pieces is captured in that seemingly contradictory title."

"A lot of these songs were chosen because they explored different aspects of imprisonment and freedom," Loren explains. "Many of them have to do with ideas of being beholden to thoughts, feelings, and experiences from which you alone can also free yourself." 

The album's title marries two original pieces that exemplify that theme. "Butterfly" was written by Loren, who imagined the insect's transformation from the caterpillar's point of view, facing the prospect of having to pass through a literal death in order to experience rebirth, relating the experience to that of human suffering being the catalyst for spiritual growth. "Blue," one of two songs penned by guitarist and songwriter Daniel Gallo, expresses empathy and promises of a brighter future to a lover in the deep throes of melancholy. Joining the two, Loren says, "really felt like an apropos combination. It's about finding the way through the pain of experience to a new, wiser, more beautiful version of yourself. But you have to go through the journey; that's where the real pain happens."

The two songs also boldly spotlight the album's musical influences: the stabbing horns and soulful pleas of "Butterfly" conjure soul touchstones like Otis Redding or Etta James, while "Blue" lives up to its name through Gallo's gut-punch guitar and Loren's powerfully communicated longing. While she's quick to say that Butterfly Blue is by no means a blues or soul album, those storied genres color the whole album. "It has touches of the things that have heavily moved me musically over the years," she says. "I've been a fan of a lot of different kinds of music my whole life, so I was interested in stretching out beyond the territory I've explored over the last few albums and digging deeper into more of my bluesy roots." 

To realize those ambitions, Loren added horns and strings to the arrangements in a more extensive way than she has in the past, though with a light and always effective touch. These additional musicians, William Seiji Marsh and Gallo on guitars, David Larsen on saxophone, Joe Freuen on trombone, Dana Heitman on trumpet, Rob Birdwell on flugelhorn and trumpet, and Katherine Dudney on cello, join Loren's longtime core band, (pianist and co-producer Matt Treder, bassist Mark Schneider and drummer Brian West) featured on the majority of the singer's releases to-date. Together the ensemble subtly nods toward classic soul blues sounds within a modern jazz context.

Butterfly Blue begins on a more winsome note, however, with the wordless vocal melody of Loren's "Yellow Bird." Despite the playfulness of the song's Tin Pan Alley feel, however, the lyrics fit the album's darker theme. "The idea of freedom being an internal feeling rather than an external reality came to me in the image of a bird in a cage," Loren says. "I thought, 'What might they dream about?' On the surface, it's kind of a cute song with a cute melody, but the meaning of the lyric goes deeper into more esoteric notions of how subjective our perceptions of 'reality' are, and to what degree we are masters of our own experiences in this life." 

The notion of using animals to express deep-felt emotion comes easily to Loren, who has always felt a strong connection to the natural world. Born and raised in Alaska, she's lived for the last 17 years in Oregon, where she maintains a strong connection to the outdoors. 

Loren's rendition of Charles Trenet's "I Wish You Love" is a unique hybrid of the original French lyrics, with a brief detour into the better-known but less expressive English lyrics. "Stormy Weather" is stretched into a sultry, teasingly languorous blues, while "Our Love Is Here To Stay" offers a sense of familial nostalgia.

 "After The Fall", the second song penned by Gallo, tells a story of a woman in the winter of life, reminiscing about a long lost love through music that formed the soundtrack for those precious memories of youth. "I had the rare opportunity to hear this song as it was coming into being through hands other than my own: an original song I didn't write but that was entirely new to the world, crafted with such a richly emotional story and vivid imagery - it was love at first listen."

"I've Got You Under My Skin" continues the album's theme of emotional or spiritual imprisonment, here captured in the song's tale of uncontrollable obsession, heightened by the spare, snake-charmer tone of the arrangement. "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" is given a darker-than-usual perspective that illustrates the thoroughfare's hopeless denizens. 

Loren's "Danger in Loving You" is reprised from her 2010 live recording Stages, and is included as both a long-overdue studio version of the song as well as a tribute to the vocalist's longtime songwriting partner, Larry Wayne Clark, who passed away in 2013. "Carry Us Through," lifts the spirits by adding New Orleans accents to singer-songwriter Sarah Masen's song of survival, and the set ends on a hopeful note with the late Horace Silver's classic, "Peace." 

Loren explains, "The idea of the song is that if you can find peace inside, everything will be all right with the world outside. I love that it embodies a zen-like quality in both message and music while so beautifully reiterating the concept of freedom being a choice, an internal experience. I thought it would really round out the feeling of the album nicely and bring it back to this place of simplicity." 

Upcoming Halie Loren Performances:

May 8 / Hart Community Performing Arts Series / Hart, MI 

May 22-23 / Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts / Port Angeles, WA

Halie Loren · Butterfly Blue

Justin Time Records · Release Date: June 9, 2015