Kendrick Scott's World Culture Music To Release LOTUS From Guitarist MIKE MORENO Featuring Aaron Parks, Doug Weiss & Eric Harland

Kendrick Scott's World Culture Music is set to release Lotus, the much-anticipated fifth album (& third self-produced project) from guitarist/composer Mike Moreno. Moreno is a musician who has established himself on the global jazz scene in a profound way, garnering high praise from critics, fans, colleagues, and from none other than Pat Metheny and Mike Stern. As a leader, Lotus brings Moreno's creative output to five recordings, and one could argue that they should be considered must-have recordings for any serious collection.  

Lotus, featuring musicians that Moreno has a long and happy history with, pianist Aaron Parks, bassist Doug Weiss and drummer Eric Harland, is a documentation of Moreno's most honest music to date.  "This is Aaron's fourth record with me," Moreno explains, "and it sort of continues what we started on Aaron's Blue Note Records debut Invisible Cinema, which featured both myself and Eric Harland. That was a defining record for both Aaron and I, and everywhere I go, that's the most talked-about record of my career to date. So in a way, this is part two of Invisible Cinema. It certainly has the same appeal, a great band with a set of melodic songs and the always strong rhythmic concept from Eric Harland." "Eric, from Houston, like myself, also attended the High School for Performing and Visual Arts, and we began playing on his visits back to Houston after he moved to NYC. He was the first great drummer I played with. I still remember feeling that force coming from the drums for the first time. It was incredible. Lotus marks the first time Eric has recorded with me on one of my own projects. It was long overdue." "Doug Weiss has been a part of my band almost from the beginning, starting when he was one of my teachers at the New School. I loved his playing and asked him to do some gigs with me when I started to work with my own band. He ended up playing on my first two records, and is just one of most solid bassists out there, always playing beautiful supportive notes and exactly what is needed."

Lotus is comprised of all original Mike Moreno compositions. Some were composed during an artist residence that Moreno took part in at the Rockefeller Estate, Kykuit Gardens, in Pocantico Hills, NY ("The Hills Of Kykuit" and "The Empress"). The guitarist/composer explained, "The more I compose the simpler my music gets and the more it sounds like me, rather than a mix of my influences." "Can We Stay Forever?" is a ballad that didn't make the cut for Moreno's previous release, Another Way, but fit very nicely in the set for this record. The rest of the recording was written in the years since Another Way was released in 2012. The most recent composition is "Epilogue-The Rise", which was finished just a week before the record date, and composed by Moreno specifically for this band.

Moreno wants Lotus to be a recording that people from all walks of life can listen to and enjoy over and over again. "This is meant to be a record you can listen to like any other genre of music, whether your a jazz fan or musician, a lawyer, whatever. It is an album of which I'm extremely proud, and I hope that when the listener walks away from their computer, stereo, car, iPod, etc., that these melodies stick with them, even after the first listen."

Originally from Houston, Texas, Mike Moreno began studying music formally at the Houston High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, a school renowned for its musical alumni, which includes such luminaries as Jason Moran, Robert Glasper, Brian Michael Cox, Eric Harland, Chris Dave, Kendrick Scott, and Beyoncé. After graduating he moved to NYC with a scholarship to attend the New School University. While still in school he began getting calls to perform and tour with some of the most venerable names in the jazz world, as well as rising stars firmly en route to establishing their careers.

Recognized as one of the leading voices in the jazz guitar world, Moreno has toured and recorded extensively as a leader, playing original music to high critical acclaim. As Nate Chinen describes in his column in JazzTimes Magazine ("The Gig"), "There are many other guitarists out there pushing towards a modern ideal, but none with the precise coordinates that Mike Moreno has charted."

Over the years, Moreno has performed and/or recorded with numerous major artists, both inside and outside of the jazz genre, including Claudia Acuña, Bilal, Terence Blanchard, Ralph Bowen, Leonardo Cioglia, John Ellis, Kenny Garret, Robert Glasper, Jimmy Greene, Stefon Harris, Frank Locrasto, Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra, Jason Moran, Me'Shell N'Degeocello, Greg Osby 4, Gretchen Parlato, Aaron Parks, Nicholas Payton Quartet, Jeremy Pelt, The Joshua Redman Elastic Band, Bob Reynolds, Kendrick Scott, Marcus Strickland, Yosvany Terry, Myron Walden, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Lizz Wright Band, Sam Yahel, and others.

Additionally, Moreno has appeared on three Grammy-nominated recordings. In 2010 both Q-Tip's "The Renaissance" and Geoffrey Keezzer's "Aurea" were nominated for Best Album in their categories, as well in 2008, Eldar's "Re-Imagination" received the same nomination in the Jazz Category.

In 2007, Moreno released his debut CD on the World Culture Music label, Between The Lines, which Chinen featured in The New York Times as one of his top 10 jazz albums of 2007. He recorded his second and third albums, Third Wish (2008) and First In Mind (2011), for the European jazz label, Criss-Cross Records. His most recent album, Another Way, was recently released by World Culture Music, and was named one of the 25 "Best of 2012" Jazz Releases on iTunes. 

www.MikeMoreno.com

NEW RELEASES: CYRILLE AIMEE - LET'S GET LOST; BRAZILIKA UNMIXED: BRAZIL & BEYOND (VARIOUS ARTISTS; WILLIAM KURK - LEGACY: A TRIBUTE

CYRILLE AIMEE - LET'S GET LOST

Vocalist Cyrille Aimée was primarily raised in France by a French father and Dominican mother. As a curious child in Samois-sur-Seine, she would sneak out of her bedroom window to wander into the nearby gypsy encampments filled with those attending the annual Django Reinhardt Festival. She quickly fell in love with gypsy music and way of life; years later she would sing on street corners with friends while traveling across Europe. While in the midst of one such odyssey, she found herself at the Montreux Jazz Festival, where she won first prize in the vocal competition - which included the financing of her first self-produced album. In her second Mack Avenue Records recording, the groove-spirited Let’s Get Lost, rising-star vocalist and bandleader Cyrille Aimée wonderfully displays her versatility as a sweet-sounding jazz songbird with a catchy repertoire—from new takes on old-time standards to crowd-pleasing originals and even a hip singer-songwriter tune that closes the 12-song collection. 

BRAZILIKA UNMIXED: BRAZIL & BEYOND (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

The latest edition in the Brazilika series played host to our innovative DJ friend Spiritual South's stonking mix of firmly floor-focused Brazilian reworks. Now, for the first time, every single track from Spiritual South's mix is available individually, or as a complete set. The wealth of previously unreleased tracks on Brazilika Unmixed includes seven scorching remixes from Spiritual South himself, Daniel Maunick remixing the legendary Azymuth in his Dokta Venom guise, the head-spinning fusion of Latin and footwork from TS Repman (one of the many alias’ of UK dance trailblazer IG Culture) and the heady ambience of left-field hip-hop maestro Paul White’s remix of The Ipanemas’ ‘Seu Dario’. Also included is a track from Ashley Beedle's hotly-tipped new 12" release, the samba-soaked cosmic house remix of Sabrina Malheiros' 'Opara'. All this without even mentioning the timeless cuts from true dance music trailblazers such as Theo Parrish, 4Hero, Mark Pritchard and Jazzanova.

WILLIAM KURK - LEGACY: A TRIBUTE

William Kurk's always given us plenty of great music on his own – but this time around, he pays tribute to a host of classic talents in soul music – with performances of tracks by artists who include Harvey Mason, Leon Ware, Donald Fagan, Michael Jackson, Chick Corea, George Duke, Stevie Wonder, and Herbie Hancock! The sound is great overall – much richer than you might expect from the 8-bit videogame parody image on the cover – and, if anything, Kurk's even further developed his musical style out of respect for the legends on the record – working here with lots of great jazzy currents that really fit the tunes. Titles include "Lazy Nina", "Movin Out", "Secret Life Of Plants", "All The Same Tonight", "Your Eyes", "Love's Holiday", "Breakout", "Spiraling Prism", "Cool & Caressing", "Come Live With Me Angel", and "Through The Fire".  ~ Dusty Groove

Pianist Lisa Hilton Explores a Night of Personal Emotion on Latest Album, Nocturnal - Featuring Performances by J.D. Allen, Terell Stafford, Gregg August and Antonio Sánchez

Composer, pianist, and band-leader Lisa Hilton has completed her 18th release, Nocturnal, with her most impressive band to date featuring tenor saxophonist J.D. Allen, trumpeter Terell Stafford, bassist Gregg August and drummer Antonio Sánchez. The 11-track album shows remarkable emotional depth and clarity from all band members, exploring the reactive emotions that follow an ill-fated night of events. "It comes from having something not go your way, and what that means to you as you explore the natural reactions to an event in your own personal manner," explains Hilton. Personal is the key, as Hilton hopes to use musical exploration and improvisation to connect with the listener on a person-to-person basis. "We were trying to explore the multiple layers of human emotions musically."

These emotions - anger, confusion, love, desire, hope and sadness - are extensively explored throughout the album, reflective in the titles of each song. The feelings demand certain questions to be asked - Where is my mind? Am I going crazy? Is there hope? - with each composition offering a deeply profound answer to life's greatest dilemmas.

For lovers of tradition, the title track "Nocturnal," "Whirlwind," and the classic "Willow Weep for Me," allow for Stafford's fluid trumpet and flugelhorn as well as Allen's deep tenor tone to shine. The Latin flavored, "A Spark in the Night," showcases Sánchez and August's extensive Latin backgrounds in a catchy and appealing manner, while "Twilight" is impressionistic.

A surprise choice is a cover of The Pixies' "Where is My Mind" which is so simply stated in true form and turns in another direction by the finale. It's on the bluesy "Seduction" and the tender "An August Remembered" that Hilton's flowing lines and melodic ideas are highlighted. "Midnight Sonata," written for a trio consisting of piano, bass and drums,merges the classical form with the freedom of American jazz and blues in a trans-genre style. Inspired by iconic American composers such as George Gershwin, Duke Ellington and Dave Brubeck - who also composed in classical forms - Hilton lands on a composition that is appealing to both jazz and classical fans alike. "Midnight Sonata" was also written to communicate an emotional depth not normally found in sonatas. While the sonata form is intact, Hilton and her trio use improvisation, blues, modal washes, shifting key centers, free jazz, impressionism and extended technique to create a refreshing yet familiar vibe.

As a distinctive and thought provoking composer/pianist, Hilton creates compositions that draw on classical traditions, twentieth century modernists, and the avant-garde as much as they look back to icons of American jazz and blues. Hilton's post bop style influences extend beyond jazz legends Thelonious Monk, Count Basie and Duke Ellington, to include bluesman Muddy Waters, minimalists like Steve Reich, current rockers Green Day and The Black Keys or modernists Prokofiev, Stravinsky and Bartok.

Originally from a small town on California's central coast, Hilton studied classical and twentieth century piano formally from the age of eight, where she was inspired by her great uncle, Willem Bloemendall, (1910-1937), a young Dutch piano virtuoso. In college though, due to the lack of creativity in the program, she became a music school drop out, switching majors and receiving a degree in art instead. "I approach music as art now," Hilton explains; "I build the composition with musical elements then 'paint' texture and color through improvisation and other concepts."

Hilton has produced a total of 18 albums to date, representing over 200 compositions to her name.  She has worked with many of this era's jazz luminaries, notably Christian McBride, Nasheet Waits, Steve Wilson, Jeremy Pelt, Lewis Nash, Billy Hart, Bobby Militello, Larry Grenadier, and Marcus Gilmore among others.  Her releases regularly appear on radio charts.

Committed to helping students who are often overlooked, Hilton regularly spends time to help young blind musicians at the historic Perkins School for the Blind in Boston, The Chicago Lighthouse for People Who are Blind or Visually Impaired, The Junior Blind of America in Los Angeles, Camp Bloomfield for the Blind in Malibu, California, or with The Berklee College of Music in Boston and their adaptive music lab for visually impaired musicians.  "I enjoy extending help to those with physical disabilities - music should be for everyone," Hilton explains.

Upcoming Lisa Hilton Performances:

* January 17 / Weill Hall At Carnegie Hall / New York, NY

March 4 / Smothers Hall Pepperdine University / Malibu, CA

March 10 / Junior Blind of America / Los Angeles, CA

March 12 / Classic Pianos / Portland, OR

March 24 / SFJazz / San Francisco, CA

April 13 / Chicago Lighthouse / Chicago, IL

* Album Release featuring J.D. Allen, Ingrid Jensen, Ben Williams and Rudy Royston

Cult funk ensemble Brooklyn Funk Essentials release Funk Ain't Ova

The cult funk ensemble Brooklyn Funk Essentials has released its fifth studio album, Funk Ain’t Ova, worldwide today. It coincides with the 20th anniversary of the celebrated debut album, Cool & Steady & Easy, and offers a collection of eclectic songs using BFE’s signature melange of funk, disco, jazz, ska, latin and house flavors. The album sees BFE go back to their roots, bringing together many of the original members and reuniting with original label Dorado Records, who first signed the band back in 1994.

Iconic producer Arthur Baker and bassist/musical director Lati Kronlund founded Brooklyn Funk Essentials in 1993. Band members came from New York’s buzzing hip hop-jazz and slam poetry scenes and soon formed into a 12-piece live outfit, rotating some of the city’s finest young musicians, DJs, poets, rappers and singers.

Lead single “Blast It!” is an all-star funk jam featuring the soulful voices of Stephanie McKay, Desmond Foster and Papa Dee along with Everton Sylvester’s dub poetry. Other standout album tracks include the deeply funky “I’m Gonna Find Me A Woman,” a re-working of an unreleased track written in the nineties with the late, great Isaac Hayes. The disco jam “Dance Or Die” sees the return of Joi Cardwell on lead vocals, who also appears on “Gabriel,” a ska/boogaloo re-imagining of the Roy Davis Jr. and Peven Everett seminal club hit. Stephanie McKay sings lead on the anthemic “Prepare,” which was co-written by legendary house diva Crystal Waters who also provides background vocals, and “Unique,” co-written by Carlton McCarthy, which features the vibraphones of Bill Ware, who returns for the first time since Cool & Steady & Easy.

The horn section, led by Iwan VanHetten (trumpet and keys) and Anna Brooks (saxes) also includes cameos from founding members Josh Roseman (trombone), Bob Brockmann (trumpet), and Paul Shapiro (sax and flute). Hux Nettermalm and Yancy Drew play drums with Danny Sadownick on percussion and Desmond Foster and Masa Shimizu on guitars.

Drummer Robby Ameen Breaks Beyond Preconceived Genres on Latest Release Days in the Night

Cutting Edge Mixture of High-Energy Afro-Cuban, Funk & Post-Bop Jazz Elevates Reinvents Traditions

Grammy® Award-winning drummer Robby Ameen's latest release, Days in the Night features his all-star working band, tenor saxophonists Troy Roberts and Bob Franceschini, trombonist Conrad Herwig, pianist Manuel Valera and bassists Lincoln Goines and Yunior Terry. On

Days in the Night the band lays down a mixture of high-energy, cutting-edge Afro-Cuban, funk and post-bop jazz that smoothly blends together to create a unique and eclectic sound.  Even with these varying genres wrapped into one, the band never looses its roots in preserving the tradition of Afro-Cuban and Latin music - consistently paying homage to the rhythms that have shaped its history.

 Also participating as an invited guest is Ameen's longtime employer, Ruben Blades, taking us on a journey of guaguanco, salsa and timba jazz. The band's lengthy and wide history of playing together allows them to move and react through a variety of genres while still retaining the focus and understanding of a group sound. The cohesiveness of the band is one to marvel considering the polyrhythmic tendencies of each player with every musician contributing brilliantly to the overall tight sound. Most of the repertoire consists of Ameen's original compositions and arrangements, incorporating the many styles and influences he has absorbed as a sideman for such diverse artists as Ruben Blades, Jack Bruce, Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Valentin, Paul Simon and Eddie Palmieri. Meanwhile he has grown as a composer and arranger through the experience of leading his own bands over the last fifteen years.

The album also includes several duets between Robby and Troy Roberts exploring the freedom in the pairing of sax and drums while playing over interesting form-based arrangements. Days in the Night is a record that lives up to the realization that progressive jazz can go into so many different directions as long as the integrity of its roots are still respected, that categories are less relevant than ever before, and that one can be free to use all of one's listening and playing experiences to go beyond preconceived labels.

Ameen will be performing music from Days in the Night at Club Bonafide on Saturday, December 12. Ameen will be joined by the same band that appears on the album for two sets at 8:00 and 10:30pm.

Robby Ameen has lived in New York City since the early '80s and has established a recording career stretching from Dizzy Gillespie to Paul Simon, while maintaining a more than 20-year relationship with Latin icon Ruben Blades as a member of Seis del Solar. Although he is of Lebanese origin, Ameen is best known for the unique and powerful Afro-Cuban jazz style he has developed. Growing up in New Haven, Connecticut, Ameen was able to take advantage of his proximity to New York City by going to clubs and hearing many of the great jazz masters at a very young age. At the same time, he was involved in the local jazz and Latin scene, as well as later attending Yale University, where he received a Bachelor's degree in literature. His jazz roots were strongly influenced by his studies with the great Ed Blackwell in high school, while in college he studied classical percussion with the renowned Fred Hinger. As a leader, Ameen wrote, arranged, and produced the album Days in the Life, and as a co-leader has recorded three records with the "El Negro and Robby Band" alongside drummer Horacio "el Negro" Hernandez. He helped found the Latin-jazz power trio "Overproof," and also made two latin-jazz records with Seis del Solar.

BOOM Collective and Winter Jazzfest Founder and Le Poisson Rouge Music Director Brice Rosenbloom Named Winner of Bruce Lundvall Visionary Award, Presented by the Jazz Connect Conference

Trumpeter and Bandleader Steven Bernstein to Introduce Rosenbloom During Keynote Session on January 14, 2016

at Jazz Connect Conference at Saint Peter's Church in NYC

The Jazz Connect Conference has announced the second recipient of the Bruce Lundvall Visionary Award, created in 2014 in honor of the esteemed jazz record executive who was a champion and advocate for so many jazz artists over the last four decades. The annual award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership and vision in expanding the audience for jazz and who has made a real difference for the artists, the music and the audience. The award's first recipient was SFJAZZ founder and executive director Randall Kline, based not only on his long career as a jazz presenter and champion, but also on the herculean task of establishing the SFJAZZ Center in 2013.

Brice Rosenbloom, founder of the BOOM Collective and organizer of Winter Jazzfest, the Undead Music Festival, the BRIC Jazz Festival and other innovative live events, as well as music director of Le Poisson Rouge, will receive the award on the opening day of the Jazz Connect Conference on Thursday, January 14, 2016, as part of the keynote session.

Rosenbloom, a graduate of Northwestern University, worked with SF Jazz, Central Park SummerStage, Jazz at Lincoln Center, MAKOR/92nd Street Y, and the Knitting Factory before launching BOOM Collective (formerly boomBOOM Presents) in the fall of 2006. The organization brings a broad array of live music to thousands of New Yorkers every year around the city. BOOM Collective has been instrumental in programming concerts at various venues and festivals around the city including NYC Winter Jazzfest, Undead Music Festival, Jazz & Colors at The Met, Jazz & Colors Central Park, BRIC Jazzfest, Brooklyn Masonic Temple, Stuytown Music On The Oval Summer Concert Series, The Town Hall, The Apollo Theater, Celebrate Brooklyn, Central Park SummerStage, Merkin Concert Hall, Red Bull Music Academy, Hammerstein Ballroom, Travel+Leisure's Global Bazaar, Drom, The Bell House, Littlefield and at other NYC venues. In 2008, Rosenbloom was appointed the Music Director at Le Poisson Rouge and helped launch the programming vision for the new West Village venue at the site of the former Village Gate. Rosenbloom and BOOM Collective continue to curate a broad musical vision on additional stages around the city and beyond.

Peter Gordon, of the Jazz Forward Coalition and one the event's organizers, said that Rosenbloom's unique approach to presenting jazz made him an obvious choice for the award. "Brice is the embodiment of a free thinker who takes action," said Gordon. "The extraordinary success of Winter Jazzfest has shined a fresh light on the spirit and vigor of jazz and its reflections cast a glow on the jazz community as a whole."

Fellow conference organizer and JazzTimes publisher Lee Mergner added that, "Brice has managed to do what other jazz presenters have talked about doing for the last 25 years--bring a younger audience to the music without sacrificing its integrity."

Trumpeter and bandleader Steven Bernstein will introduce Rosenbloom during the keynote session at the Jazz Connect Conference. Bernstein has known Rosenbloom since he first came on the NYC live music scene in 2006. "Brice is what I call a true believer," said Bernstein. "I don't know why else he would be doing what he's doing. His Winter Jazzfest has become a NYC jazz institution--important socially, musically and economically. What I really like about him is that I can be brutally honest with him, and we can still create art and business together. That's the kind of mensch that I'm always happy to see."

For his part, Rosenbloom says about the award: "It is an absolute honor to be recognized by my peers, friends and colleagues for doing what I love by supporting this music. The music has always been an inspiration for my work, and the musicians that dedicate their lives to creating and performing are my constant motivation and driving force. I am humbled to receive an award named after a true champion of this music, Bruce Lundvall. Like Bruce, I hope to continue to support the music, its audience and its future."

The Jazz Connect Conference, organized by JazzTimes and the Jazz Forward Coalition, will be held January 14-15, 2016 at Saint Peter's Church in New York City and will lead into the annual APAP (Association of Performing Arts Presenters) Conference as well as Winter Jazzfest. Now in its fourth year, the conference will continue to focus on vital issues affecting the jazz community, with a theme of "Fresh Horizons."

Pre-Registration for the Jazz Connect Conference is only $125, with additional discounts offered to members of various organizations, such as APAP, JJA, JazzWeek, SESAC, ASCAP, BMI and CMA. Panel and workshop topics include: social media, jazz in the mainstream media, booking & touring strategies, streaming and downloading issues, the role of education for artists & organizations and many other engaging subjects. The lineup of moderators, panelists and speakers features an impressive cross-section of artists and professionals from around the world.

To pre-register for the conference, go to the event page. For more information about the Jazz Connect Conference, you can call (617) 315-9158, e-mail jazzconnectnyc@gmail.com or go to the conference website.

Pianist Laurence Hobgood Steps into the Spotlight with New Heavy Hitting Trio on Honor Thy Fathers - Trio Features John Patitucci and Kendrick Scott

With Honor Thy Fathers, Laurence Hobgood embarks on a striking new chapter in what has already been a storied career. Hobgood's 18-year tenure as musical director for singer Kurt Elling drew to a close in late 2013, leading to a long-overdue step into the spotlight for the renowned virtuoso pianist, composer and arranger. He seizes that opportunity with a bold and original trio outing that pays homage to a selection of personal mentors, influences and father figures.

Hobgood's incredibly fruitful collaboration with Elling garnered Grammy® nominations for each of the ten albums on which they collaborated, two for Hobgood's arrangements, and a win for Hobgood as producer of 2009's Dedicated To You: Kurt Elling Sings The Music Of Coltrane and Hartman. The same qualities that earned such high praise are brilliantly displayed here: finely crafted compositions, inventive arrangements, and deeply soulful expression.

There may be no greater testament to the esteem in which Hobgood is held among his peers than his collaborators on Honor Thy Fathers: bassist John Patitucci and drummer Kendrick Scott. The pianist isn't exaggerating when he refers to the pair as "two of the world's greatest musicians," but only modesty would exclude him from the same estimation. Hobgood originally worked with both under Elling's auspices - Patitucci on The Gate (2011) and Scott on its follow-up, 1619 Broadway: The Brill Building Project (2012) - but this recording session marked the first time all three had played together. Their sensitivity and profoundly intuitive interplay belies that fact, however, sounding more cohesive and empathetic than many a long-established trio.

While Hobgood has released several albums in the past, both solo and with jazz greats like Charlie Haden, Honor Thy Fathers marks a new beginning for the pianist, one in which he finally plays the lead role. "I'm in a unique position because I'm well known in the jazz world but I'm not known as a leader," he admits. "I've toured all over the world, played in the best situations alongside top acts, and worked with some of the greatest people in the record business. In the course of having those kinds of experiences you learn a lot about what goes into making a great record."

Honor Thy Fathers­ begins with its most obvious honoree: Burnet Hobgood, the pianist's father, who passed away in December 2000. "Sanctuary" movingly projects the sense of "quiet strength" that Hobgood always associated with his father, a theater artist and devoted family man. "He was very loving and brilliant but quietly so," Hobgood remembers. "For me, the ideal of manhood is a quiet, giving, loving strength and support. And that's who he was. Hence the statement about how he was my sanctuary for 41 years."

Another integral figure in Hobgood's early development was his teacher at the University of Illinois, the Sicilian-born classical composer Salvatore Martirano. He's memorialized with the elegant sweep of "Triptych;" intricate yet melodically lyrical, this piece exemplifies the "left turn," Martirano's cherished concept of the unexpected moment that makes harmonious sense. "It's the perfect thing to come right now, but the last thing you would have expected," Hobgood explains. "Sal and I both liked risk. I like to hear people painting themselves into corners and I want to find out how they'll get themselves out. Sal embodied what I think of as the big lessons of music."

Most of the tributes on Honor Thy Fathers pay respect to musical rather than personal influences. That begins with "Straighten Up and Fly Right," a cannily harmonized reinvention of Nat King Cole's signature tune. Buoyed by a sleek groove--and a smartly re-cast in 7/4 times--the piece is a raucous and rollicking take on the classic song, maintaining the sly humor of the original lyrics. Hobgood sums up the legendary pianist's legacy succinctly in the liner notes, writing, "Nat Cole is one of the most underrated jazz pianists who ever lived. Period."

"Give Me the Simple Life" and "The Waltz" celebrate Hobgood's two earliest piano heroes: the former is the first track on the first jazz record that young Hobgood ever owned, Oscar Peterson's "Tracks;" while the latter is an original penned in tribute to Bill Evans. Hobgood's own approach to the keyboard may show the more obvious influence of Evans' hushed genius, but the traces of what he calls Peterson's "ebullient, virtuosic artistry" remain as well. The album's closer, "Shirákumo No Michi (White Cloud Way)," salutes Wayne Shorter by drawing on The Way of the White Clouds, an inspirational book about a German-born man who became a Lama in Tibet - an apt parallel for the mystically-minded Shorter, who Hobgood calls "the paramount Bodhisattva of modern jazz music."

Stevie Wonder's "If It's Magic," from the classic Songs in the Key of Life shows off Hobgood's deft ability to both interpret popular song and to wholly re-imagine his material. Originally a wistful ballad, which Wonder sang to the accompaniment of a classical harp, Hobgood's rendition is a spry, up-tempo burner. Finally, with "The Road Home" Hobgood memorializes Charlie Haden, the influential bassist who passed away last year. The two played together on Hobgood's 2013 release When the Heart Dances, which proved to be a momentous occasion for the pianist.

"With 'The Road Home,' I set out to capture the combination of Charlie's soulfulness with his incredible intelligence, something that Charlie and I had in common," reflects Hobgood. "We both had family-based roots in southern traditional music - in his case, the folk music of the Ozark mountains, for me my parents' ties to Kentucky and the Appalachian traditional music of the Pine Mountain region. Getting to make a duet recording with Charlie was one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. His sound was so huge because his spirit was so huge."

On Honor Thy Fathers, Hobgood's tips of the hat to these mentors come across not only through the pieces' literal dedications and choice of material. Perhaps the most important tribute he pays is by playing in the expressive, distinctive voice that each of them has played a part in forging.

Laurence Hobgood · Honor Thy Fathers

Release Date: February 12, 2016 

www.LaurenceHobgood.com

ARETHA FRANKLIN - THE ATLANTIC ALBUMS COLLECTION (19-CD BOXSET)

From humble beginnings touring American churches in her father’s caravan, Aretha Franklin has since been crowned the ‘Queen of Soul’ and is not only the definitive female soul singer of the Sixties, but also one of the most influential and important voices in pop history. Franklin fused the gospel music she grew up on with the sensuality of R&B, the innovation of jazz, and the precision of pop. After she hit her artistic and commercial stride in 1967, she made more than a dozen million-selling singles including "Respect," "Freeway of Love" and "I Say a Little Prayer", and since then has recorded 20 Number One R&B hits. Over her vast career, she has accumulated eighteen Grammy Awards, and become the most charted female artist in history. Unsurprisingly, she is regarded as being one of the best singers of the modern era, which paved her way into being the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. ‘The Atlantic Albums Collection’ houses 16 incredible Aretha Franklin albums in a beautiful 19CD clamshell box, each CD sleeve a replica of the original artwork in the unforgettable Atlantic branding. This boxset showcases some of the Queen of Soul’s incredible work including the phenomenal, ‘Lady Soul’, ‘I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You’, ‘Young, Gifted and Black’ and the Deluxe version of ‘Live At The Fillmore West’ show. People Get Ready to Respect the Queen of Soul.

Includes the albums:

• I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You

• Aretha Arrives

• Aretha Now

• Lady Soul

• Aretha In Paris

• Soul ’69

• This Girl’s In Love With You

• Spirit In The Dark

• Live At Fillmore West [Deluxe]

• Young, Gifted And Black

• Amazing Grace: The Complete Recordings

• Let Me In Your Life

• Hey Now Hey (The Other Side Of The Sky)

• Sparkle

• Rare & Unreleased Recordings From The Golden Reign Of The Queen Of Soul

• Oh Me Oh My: Aretha Live In Philly, 1972

NEW RELEASES: BRENNA WHITAKER; GERARDO FRISINA PRESENTS – LIVIANA FERRI AND CUBAFRO; KENNY BURRELL - THE ROAD TO LOVE

BRENNA WHITAKER

As a kid growing up in Kansas City, Brenna Whitaker fell in love with the music of jazz and blues singers from a long-ago era. "Ruth Brown, Peggy Lee, Cab Calloway, Etta James - those are my people," says the L.A.-based vocalist. "I don't even know how I ended up knowing so many of their songs and standards from back then. It's almost like they found their way to me, like I'm from another time." After landing her first professional theater gig at age 11, moving to New York City on her own to study with Broadway veterans at age 17, and spending her early 20s leading jazz bands back home in Missouri, Whitaker headed to L.A. and started setting up a series of residencies that eventually attracted fans like Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones, and Michael Bublé and caught the attention of Verve Music Group chairman and 16-time Grammy Award-winner David Foster. The first new artist Foster has agreed to develop and produce since discovering Bublé, Whitaker is now set to release a debut album for Verve that finds her reviving a vast American jukebox of classic songs and revealing the full force of her stunning, soulful voice. ~ Verve

GERARDO FRISINA PRESENTS – LIVIANA FERRI AND CUBAFRO - YE MAYA E - CONFIANCE A LA MUSIQUE

Gerardo Frisina works here with a great female singer – the lovely Liviana Ferri, who brings in a much deeper vibe than usual to his music! Part of that quality also comes from the Cubafro group, who work with Ferri and bring in plenty of raw percussion – all directed by Frisina's songwriting and percussion, but in a way that's maybe more classically-styled Latin than some of his own music. The group's also got some wonderfully heavy acoustic bass on the leadoff cut – plus trumpet lines and a bit of flute too – on the titles "Ye Maya E", "Confiance A La Musique", and "Ye Maya E (Ye Maya)".  ~ Dusty Groove

KENNY BURRELL - THE ROAD TO LOVE

Few can claim the title of living legend. Kenny Burrell is just such a person. In fact he's more he's living history, past, present and future. His credentials are voluminous and accomplishments staggering, and he hasn't stopped. Today, he is active recording and performing, a respected educator, and an elder statesman of the music. His legacy is pervasive. His soulful sound and approach have influenced virtually everyone claiming a jazz pedigree but extends to many outside the genre, a la Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder, Steve Howe, Andy Summers, and Freddie King. Here Burrell is backed by some of his favorite West Cost colleagues in a varied program of standards and few originals by the leader himself, including one brand new composition. Also on hand is the exuberant voice of Barbara Morrison who brings her tremendous talent and personality to three tracks.~ Amazon

NEW RELEASES: THE DINING ROOMS – DO HIPSTERS LOVE SUN (RA)?; JOE FARNSWORTH – MY HEROES; ROMAN COPPOLA – MOLTO GROOVY CHRISTMAS

THE DINING ROOMS – DO HIPSTERS LOVE SUN (RA)?: A SOUNDTRACK OF COSMIC FUNK, ABSTRACT JAZZ & CINEMATIC AVANT GARDE

Maybe the hippest album we've ever heard from The Dining Rooms – something we probably could have guessed from their evocation of Sun Ra in the title! And while that title seems a bit obtuse – maybe even a joke – the music here is right on the money, and some of the most serious, most spiritual the group has ever given us – quite far from some of the easier dance-styled sounds we know from their early years. There's still a lot of samples and electronics in the mix, but they're used in extremely thoughtful ways – and often sourced with more interesting material, too – so that there's a core of 70s cosmic jazz and fusion that seems to drive the record, which also comes through in the group's own keyboards as well. The approach isn't entirely jazz, but not far off at times – and titles include "Interstellar", "Light Time Tales", "Marte"," Love Story", "Saturno", "Devil's Moon", "Once Were Warriors", and "Sergio Leone Asteroid".  Dusty Groove

JOE FARNSWORTH – MY HEROES

Drummer Joe Farnsworth pays tribute to the greats of the 50s and 60s – Elvin Jones, Roy Haynes, Art Blakey, Max Roach, and others – in a smoking set that features his longtime musical companions Eric Alexander on tenor, Harold Mabern on piano, and Nat Reeves on bass! There's a vibe here that's different than other recent dates from this well-matched team – as the players are definitely trying to skew their sounds differently with each number dedicated to a different drummer – especially Alexander and Mabern, who really match Farnsworth's energy as he changes things up. Titles include "Syeeda's Song Flute", "Two Bass Hit", "Reflection", "George's Dilemma", and "Cute". ~ Dusty Groove

ROMAN COPPOLA – MOLTO GROOVY CHRISTMAS

One of the coolest, grooviest Christmas records we've heard in years – a set that's the first-ever effort from Roman Coppola's Molto Groovy Productions – and which has a mod 60s vibe all the way through! The styles here are steeped in the best Italian soundtrack modes from years back – cool keyboards, fuzzy organ, funky basslines, and lots of offbeat instrumentation that really transforms the tunes – almost as if someone like Piero Umiliani or Ennio Morricone recorded a whole album of Christmas instrumentals! The sound is perfect – even better than you might suspect from the cover – and you can take it from us, as we're not easily fooled by "fake" retro projects – and really tip our hat to these guys for getting the instrumentation, arrangements, and production just right. Most titles are familiar songs, but done in very unusual styles – and tracks include "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", "Joy To The World", "Jingle Bells", "Sleigh Ride", "Feliz Navidad", "Little Drummer Boy", "Silver Bells", and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas".  ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: WARDELL PIPER – SPELL; FABULOUS EBONYS – ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT; DEXTER STORY - WONDEM

WARDELL PIPER – SPELL

The first full album from Wardell Piper in many many years – but a set that feels like it came right on the heels of her late 70s disco classics! Wardell looks surprisingly youthful on the cover, and sounds the same on the set – working with a sweet groove that mixes mellow steppers with more upbeat club tracks – of the sort she recorded famously many years back! Butch Ingram arranged and produced, with lots of help from the larger Ingram Family – who keep the groove mighty cool – and titles include "Spell", "Locked In This Position", "Don't I Ever Cross Your Mind", "After All", "I'm In Love With You", "Make It Last", and "Look To The Children". ~ Dusty Groove

FABULOUS EBONYS – ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT

A reformed version of the legendary Ebonys – that 70s harmony group you may know from classic work on Philly International and Buddah Records – brought back here under the leadership of original founder David Beasley! All the other singers are younger – as you can see from the image on the cover – but the group definitely hits that classic Ebonys Philly soul approach – working perfectly in a mix of male and female voices in the harmonies, and with the kind of mellow and midtempo grooves that always made the Ebonys so great! This version of the group sound especially great on the mellow cuts – which have the voices drifting together in these shifting shades of sound that are mighty nice, and very classic in their construction – and titles include "Do You Get Enough Love", "It's Forever", "Anything That You Want", "You're The Reason Why", "Love Town", "Determination", "Loving You Is Mellow", and a great remake of "You Know How To Make Me Feel So Good".  ~ Dusty Groove

DEXTER STORY - WONDEM

Dexter Story is a very cool singer with a sound that's almost impossible to describe in words – this hip fusion of global elements and cosmic spirit – one that's echoed by the slight Ethiopian style of the font on the cover, and the album's placement on the Soundway label – and sent home even more by the production efforts of the great Carlos Nino! We first discovered Story a few years back, on a similar project with Nino – but this one is even more fully developed, and has this wonderful quality that seems to build a bridge from the contemporary LA underground, back to the hipper African sounds of the 70s – but all without coming across like any lame world fusion at all. Dexter's got some great guests on the record – including Miguel Atwood Ferguson, Mark De Clive Lowe, and Yared Teshale – and titles include "A New Day", "Be My Habesha", "Saba", "Yene Konjo", "Mowa", "Merkato Star", "Changamuka", and "Lalibela". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: ROBERTA GAMBARINI & THE HEATH BROTHERS – CONNECTING SPIRITS; KAZUHIRO SUNAGA - MIRROR; GERARDO FRISINA – OLYMPIA

ROBERTA GAMBARINI & THE HEATH BROTHERS – CONNECTING SPIRITS: ROBERTA GAMBARINI SINGS THE JIMMY HEATH SONGBOOK

Jimmy Heath is a hell of a saxophonist – one with a huge legacy of recordings from the early 60s onwards – and he's also a hell of a writer, too – an aspect of his career that's not always fully given its due! This set more than corrects that lack – and serves up a sublime mix of original Jimmy Heath compositions sung by vocalist Roberta Gambarini – who contributes lyrics to a few previously-instrumental tunes, and works with some of Jimmy's own lyrics on a few others! As you'd guess from the cover image, the set's done in close collaboration with Heath – and features Jimmy himself on both tenor and soprano sax, brother Albert Tootie Heath on drums, and instrumentation from the core Heath Brothers band plus some great additional guests. The spirit of the record is wonderful – warmly soulful, with this really fresh vibe that's so different than so many other vocal jazz albums – partly because of the compositions, and partly because of Roberta's very sensitive vocals. Titles include "Growing", "Voice Of The Saxophone", "Life In The City", "The Thumper", "Rio Dawn", "Harmonic Future", "Sassy Samba", "Mothers' Love", "Frank Foster", and "Ellington's Stray Horn".  ~ Dusty Groove

KAZUHIRO SUNAGA - MIRROR

A debut solo set from Kazuhiro Sunaga – an artist you might know better as the bassist in Japan's mighty Quasimode – but one who really stretches into new styles here on his own! The music still has that core sense of groove we love from Quasimode, but the performance is in a range of different instrumentation than the straight jazz styles of that combo – a blend of keyboards lines handled by the leader alongside his bass – including organ, Wurlitzer, mellotron, and acoustic piano – often mixed with this spare sort of instrumentation that's nicely playful, and which has a sound that's somewhere in the territory of post-jazz groups from the UK, and some of the more soulful experiments on Blue Note in the wake of Robert Glasper. A few tracks have vocals – sung by guests who include Maya Hatch and Sugar Me, and by Sunaga himself – and titles include "The Butterfly", "Spicy", "Coexistence", "Spring Wind", "Suzanne", "After The Storm", and "Help Me". (SHM-CD pressing!) ~ Dusty Groove

GERARDO FRISINA – OLYMPIA

A special vinyl-only release from Latin beatmeister Gerardo Frisina – a sweet little set that almost gets back to the basics of his early work on Schema Records! The set features five earthy groovers – all a blend of live percussion, vibes, piano, and even a bit of tenor, trumpet, and flute – all used in spare ways that are really focused on the rhythms, but never in a stiff sort of dancefloor style! Instead, Frisina keeps things in the warm territory we've always loved in his music – with lots of jazzy flourishes over the top of grooves inspired by classic Afro-Cuban modes, but updated with a 21st Century spirit. Titles include "Olympia", "Tin Tin Deo", "The Obsession", "East Breeze", and "Talking Sticks".  ~ Dusty Groove

Music Legend Sam Moore Celebrates Birthday With Benefit Event

Sam Moore comes home to Miami to celebrate his 80th birthday with some adoring superstar friends for benefit event “Salute the Soul Man” on Saturday, November 21 at 8:00pm at the Fillmore Jackie Gleason Theatre. Moore will be performing alongside Sting, Jon Bon Jovi, Michael McDonald, Randy Jackson, Don Henley and many others to raise money and awareness for the not-for-profit corporation Soul, Arts & Music Foundation, Inc. (The SAM).

The contributions of music legend Sam Moore are unmistakable; with his stand-out lead vocals in the GRAMMY winning soul duo “Sam & Dave,” and his critically acclaimed solo career that has lasted over 30 years, Sam has had a successful 60-year career in music. He has received many accolades and has been inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, The Georgia Music Hall of Fame, The Memphis Music Museum Hall of Fame, the Florida Music Hall of Fame, and The Grammy Hall of Fame. He was presented with a British MOBO Lifetime Achievement Award and is one of a few artists who has performed for The Queen of England and all five of the living American Presidents of the United States of America more than once. Sam has collaborated with such icons over his illustrious career including Eric Clapton, Aretha Franklin, Billy Gibbons, Vince Gill, Jon Bon Jovi, Wynonna Judd, Reba, Pink Floyd, Billy Preston, Kid Rock, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Justin Timberlake, Travis Tritt, Conway Twitty and Jackie Wilson, among many others.

"I never thought I'd be able to come home to Miami and be celebrated, but it's happening,” said Moore. “Most people think I was from Memphis but I grew up in Overtown. I got my break at The King of Hearts in Liberty City when Steve Alaimo insisted he wanted to record my partner-at-the-time Dave Prater and myself. That break is what started it all. Now I'm back and I'm so excited I can't stand myself. I'm so blessed with friends and my God-given talent, my good health and my wife who wouldn't ever let me quit.”

Close to his heart is the Soul, Arts & Music Foundation (The SAM), a not-for-profit organization founded with Sam’s vision of engaging, educating and inspiring the new generations to participate in the performing arts. Alongside this mission, the organization celebrates, recovers and secures rights for legacy American recording artists to payments and copyright protections, as well as preserving the histories and legacies of Sam’s peers through education curriculum, community engagement, and historic and memorial sites.

The SAM has recently formed a partnership with Florida International University (FIU), providing learning opportunities for students and communities, particularly at-risk and disadvantaged youth. This program will help students learn about some of the most impressive, important and influential genres and styles of American contemporary music and the artists whose souls are embodied within them.

“I get to work with FIU to build the curriculums and leave not only my legacy but those of so many of my dearly missed departed peers to teach and inspire future generations while I continue to assert my voice as loud as I can and get my peers the rights and payments they've deserved all these long, long years. I can't think of anything better I could do before I’m called to my final home," said Moore.

NEW RELEASES: ANGIE STONE - DREAM; LERON THOMAS – CLIQUISH; MOONCHILD – PLEASE REWIND

ANGIE STONE – DREAM

Angie Stone has enjoyed an amazing career thus far from making hits with the first female rap group to co writing/co producing much of D Angelo s Brown Sugar and Voodoo classics to scoring such major hits as Wish I Didn t Miss U, Brotha, and No More Rain In This Cloud. Along the way, Angie has sold over 5 million units worldwide while maintaining high visibility as an actress and media personality via films such as Pastor Brown and The Fighting Temptations, reality shows such as R&B Divas and Celebrity Fit Club, and theatrical productions such as Chicago. Dream, produced by Walter Millsap III (Alicia Keys, Brandy, Mindless Behavior) is a sparkling set of beautiful Angie Stone soul tracks set in a contemporary sound. Highlights include the first single, 2 Bad Habits, a duet with Dave Hollister, Begin Again, and the irresistibly catchy sound of Quits. ~ Amazon

LERON THOMAS – CLIQUISH

An excellent full length album from the up-and-coming Leron Thomas – an artist who both sings and plays trumpet, then adds in lots of compelling sounds to the mix alongside those two elements! The album may well be Leron's best work to date – and really focuses in on the best qualities that make him so unique – that partly-cosmic, partly-earthy approach that shifts easily throughout the record, often in the course of a single track – almost as if Thomas is stepping quickly in space to find a special sound that's all his own! Bass is pretty heavy at the bottom of most numbers – often distorted, and seeming to pull Leron's vocals into the mix – but the trumpet can soar out with these redemptive qualities that really give the record a lot of spirit, alongside a lot more bass, guitar, and keyboards. Titles include "Cliquish", "Extrospection", "Snicka Bar", "Mandy Jo", "Calm Down", "Stride", "Don't You Know", "Victorian Walk", and "Role Play".  ~ Dusty Groove

MOONCHILD – PLEASE REWIND

Really really wonderful work from Moonchild – even better than we remember from the first time around! The group have this perfect balance of vocals and jazzy instrumentation – played by a trio who handle all the instruments themselves, then produce the whole set – in support of vocalist Amber Navran, who also plays tenor on the record! Rhythms are spare and crackling – never overdone, and just the right sort of laidback funk for Navran's wonderful vocals – sliding out in this smooth, slinky way that has plenty of jazz undercurrents, and no sort of commercial styles at all. A decade ago, these guys might have been headed towards major label stardom – but it's the indie, underground nature of the record that's going to keep them strong for years – as you'll hear on cuts that include "The Truth", "Nobody", "More Than Ever", "Winter Breeze", "Just A Minute", "Moonlight", and "I'll Make It Easy". ~ Dusty Groove

Lalah Hathaway Releases New Live Album Lalah Hathaway Live, Recorded at the Troubabour in Los Angeles

Get transported to the signature live musical experience of two-time GRAMMY® Award winning songstress Lalah Hathaway with the release of her new album Lalah Hathaway Live, available in-stores and online everywhere now.  Marking her seventh album and celebrating her 25-year career as a recording artist, Lalah delivers a powerful showcase on her first live project – sparking an intimate live connection with listeners, weaving her lush soulful voice and acclaimed performance style together on the album's 14 tracks.

Following on the acclaimed singles "Angel," with Lalah's distinctive performance of Anita Baker's hit, and "Little Ghetto Boy," bringing her signature voice to her father Donny Hathaway's beloved classic, other highlights on the album include Lalah-penned tracks "Mirror," "Brand New," "This Is Your Life," "Whatever" and more.  Lalah Hathaway Live was recorded live from two sold-out shows at the historic Troubadour Theater in Los Angeles earlier this year (the same theater where Donny Hathaway Live was recorded).  A Best Buy exclusive version of Lalah Hathaway Live is available featuring two bonus tracks.  Check out Lalah Hathaway's "Little Ghetto Boy" music video and latest behind-the-scenes videos, at http://www.youtube.com/TVLalah.

Of the album's release, Lalah Hathaway says: "So many years of dreaming...and the moment has arrived. I am beyond excited!"

Lalah Hathaway Live, Track Listing

1. Little Ghetto Boy

2. Baby Don't Cry

3. I'm Coming Back

4. You Were Meant for Me

5. Angel

6. These Are the Things

7. Little Girl / Breathe

8. This Is Your Life

9. When Your Life Was Low

10. Forever, For Always, For Love

11. Lean On Me (feat. Robert Glasper)

12. Mirror

13. Brand New (Bonus Track)

14. Whatever (Bonus Track)