Ken Peplowski, the king of swinging clarinet and tenor sax, looks beyond the mainstream on Enrapture

Ken Peplowski, an unquestioned master of contemporary mainstream jazz, has become synonymous with flawless virtuosity and teeming imagination on both the clarinet and tenor saxophone. Yet his talents as a shrewd bandleader and farsighted recording artist are heralded less often. On Enrapture, Peplowski - in league with band mates Ehud Asherie on piano, Matt Wilson on drums, and Martin Wind on bass - goes his own way as a leader, allowing his resourcefulness and taste, rather than stylistic restrictions, to be his guides.

Any recording that fruitfully makes use of the work of such disparate composers as John Lennon, Duke Ellington, Noel Coward, Herbie Nichols, Peter Erskine, Anthony Newley and Bernard Herrmann obviously isn't adhering to any hard-and-fast rules about swinging mainstream jazz. The album will be released February 16, 2016 on Capri Records.

Utilizing a working band comprised of players as equally broadminded and adept at elegantly weaving amongst jazz styles as he is, Peplowski places as much emphasis on varied repertoire as he does displays of musical ability. These four virtuosi, blending seamlessly as a unified and responsive ensemble, are also given plenty of room to display the skills that have shored up each of their individual reputations.

What continues to draw the ear, apart from the high caliber of the collective musicianship, is Peplowski's wide-ranging choice of surprising and effective material. "The Flaming Sword," a rarely recorded Ellington opus, provides a calypso-driven springboard for the leader's bounding clarinet, while the Harry Warren standard, "An Affair To Remember" offers up Peplowski's warm tenor draped in an easy swinging arrangement. The ballads "Cheer Up, Charlie," a neglected heart tugger from the Newley and Bricusse score for the 1971 film "Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory," and "When October Goes" by Barry Manilow and Johnny Mandel allow Peplowski to demonstrate his magic on tenor saxophone. Coward's stately waltz "I'll Follow My Secret Heart," is transformed into a low keyed yet gripping clarinet showcase; John Lennon and Yoko Ono's plaintive "Oh My Love" receives a sparse and effecting treatment as a clarinet and bass duet.

"Enrapture," composed but never recorded by the bop era iconoclast Herbie Nichols, offers a sharp clarinet workout and fine turns by Asherie and Wilson; Peter Erskine's "Twelve" (an ingenious twelve- tone row based on Cole Porter's "Easy to Love"), presents an equally brisk and bright tenor statement amid captivating collective interplay. What may be the album's most eclectically left-of-center selection, "Vertigo Scene D'Amour," is drawn from Bernard Herrmann's haunting score for Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 opus, Vertigo. Peplowski's evocative clarinet captures all the mystery and doom-laden romanticism of that cinematic masterwork. Fats Waller's jaunty "Willow Tree," complete with suitably effervescent clarinet work, also features a nifty arco solo from Wind that contributes to the collective aplomb.

Enrapture is a vivid aural snapshot of a band ready and eager to be documented. "A year or so of sifting through material, a year or so of playing with these great musicians, and very little time in the studio; we really wanted to approximate what we do in the clubs," Peplowski says. "This is us, in as close to a live setting as one could ask for in a recording environment-every song in pretty much one take-we just like to capture the spontaneity and interplay of four people who enjoy making music together."

A native of Cleveland, Ken Peplowski has been playing professionally as a clarinetist and saxophonist since his teenage years. In addition to working with a diverse array of jazz luminaries and popular artists that includes Benny Goodman, Bill Charlap, Rosemary Clooney, Mel Torme, Howard Alden and George Shearing as well as Madonna, Woody Allen and Marianne Faithfull, Peplowski has recorded over fifty albums as a leader or co-leader and has participated on scores of recordings by other artists. According to noted critic Will Friedwald, "Peplowski sounds the way (Benny) Goodman might if he had kept evolving, kept on listening to new music, kept refining his sound, polishing his craft, and expanding his musical purview into the 21st century."

 

Drummer Herlin Riley Distills Lifetime of Experience with Swinging Body of New Orleans Music on debut release, New Direction

Since coming of age in the nurturing environment of a very musical family and a distinguished bloodline of drummers, New Orleans native Herlin Riley emerged from that most creative era of all things rhythmic in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, to enliven the ensembles of such influential and demanding improvisers as pianist Ahmad Jamal and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis through his commanding yet elegant rhythmic presence. His authoritative style of melodic percussion is deeply imbued in the fertile creative soil of the Crescent City, encompassing as it does the entire length and breadth of America’s ongoing musical journey.

Now the release of his debut recording for Mack Avenue Records, Riley’s New Direction is an engaging, wide-ranging recital that distills a lifetime of experience into a swinging body of new music that defines what a big tent the music of New Orleans has always represented stylistically and spiritually.

This joyous cultural amalgam of Afro-Cuban, jazz and blues speak not just to Riley’s command of all things swinging—from the formative days of Sidney Bechet and Louis Armstrong—but which evoke, what for want of a better term we might call “the pocket”—those deeply dancing grooves that have nurtured parallel streams of rhythm & blues and funk in the tradition of such great Crescent City drummers as Vernel Fournier, Earl Palmer, Ziggy Modeliste and Idris Muhammad.

“You see,” Riley explains, “New Direction  reflects a personal transition from being a musical associate with the likes of Ahmad and Wynton, to functioning in a leadership capacity, both as a bandleader and a composer. Like Art Blakey, I’m trying to maintain a certain exuberance by using all younger musicians, while helping them develop their own voices. So many great musicians and drummers have come out of New Orleans, and that really defines my personal legacy; I’m standing on the shoulders of giants. But I’ve been playing drums since I was three years old; so, while the title New Direction may suggest new bottles, this is surely some well-aged wine.

“As a boy growing up in New Orleans, way before you heard that big bass drum in the street parades, you could feel it coming from four or five blocks away, and it would literally beckon you to come on down to the street, check out this music, and participate in it. On ‘Connection To Congo Square’ I quote the ‘Reveille’ in my intro. It reflects the melodic nature of how I tune my tom toms and is also a symbolic call to arms, for all the cats from the different neighborhoods to gather ‘round, and participate in this celebration, this collective dialog.”

  

Well-traveled listeners might hear echoes of Dizzy Gillespie and Chano Pozo in the Afro-Cuban celebrations of “The Crossbar” and “Connection To Congo Square.” The down and dirty groove of “Harlem Shuffle” suggests a connection to Benny Golson’s venerable “Killer Joe,” while the title tune (in the person of guest guitarist Mark Whitfield) evokes echoes of George Benson and those classic hard bop and grooving CTI sessions of yesteryear.

So when Riley and his band reference iconic elements of the jazz tradition, listeners might very well smile contentedly in recognition of audible gems with which they are conversant. Nevertheless, throughout New Direction, Riley and company also essay a very personal, original rhythmic signature on visceral, dancing arrangements such as “The Big Banana,” “Herlin’s Hurdle” and “Hiccup Smooth.” As Riley explains it, “in everything I play, there’s some reference from my own personal experience, and while it may not be explicit, it’s all underneath there somewhere.”

In these powerful arrangements, you can discern Riley’s fascination with complex rhythm cycles, where each man’s instrument seemingly functions as a direct extension of the drummer, by layering contrasting metric accents one upon another with varying degrees of intensity, often as a prelude to some vigorous theme and variation by this most melodic of drummers: with wry references to “Tequila” by saxophonist Godwin Louis on “The Big Banana;” an expansive, asymmetrical solo by pianist Emmet Cohen on the hard swinging vamp and release structure of his composition “Herlin’s Hurdle;” and some dancing polymetric transitions and tantalizing dynamic shifts on “Hiccup Smooth.”

For all of the hard rhythmic driving intensity of New Direction, Riley is not one of those drummers who needs to blast away to captivate listeners and to remain engaged. There’s a consoling sweetness to the thematic variations of the slow groove on “A Spring Fantasy” and the manner in which Riley narrows the stylistic distance between hand percussion and the drum kit—just as he elicits those mysterious bent notes of the great congueros on his intro to the sultry changes of “Shake Off The Dust.”

And in closing out this recital with the funky call of “Tootie Ma” (“Shake dat thang”), Riley affirmatively casts his lot with that of his fellow tribal elders in the New Orleans tradition, such as trendsetting R&B icons the likes of Dr. John and the Meters, who maintain that while jazz is most definitely a collective adventure in freedom, improvisation and personal expression, it is also  good-time music—where from time to time, you can leave your mind on idle, and engage that part of the psyche that wants to dance.

“Still, when the music came to me, it was not with any particular intent. Everything on this record is something I’ve lived…it’s a product of my experience. It’s like cooking a big pot of gumbo; you may start out with some very humble ingredients, but by the time you’re finished, you have a meal fit for a king. I mean, the essence of jazz music to me is that it is free, but it has form. So our music is modern, and it’s progressive, but we’re trying to engage people as well. I do love to groove; that is a big part of who I am, and that is why as an expression of where I would like to take my music, New Direction feels very much like…like home.”

Herlin Riley • New Direction

Mack Avenue Records • Release Date: February 12, 2016

www.HerlinRiley.com

Electronic Music meets Brazilian music in Om’Dub from Marcelo Vig

Through his own interpretation of Dub, Marcelo creates a unique musical experience that fuses the DNA of Brazilian and Electronic music, with a vivid presence of both calf skin drums and digital drums, human voices and electronic music textures.  Indoing so he creates an entirely original combination of styles that distancethemselves from the ubiquitous 4-onthe-floorpatterns.

Produced between Rio de Janeiro and London, Portuguese titled tracks add charm to the artist’s 1st album and draw inspiration from people like SBTRKT and Laurent Garnier, all adding fuel to an irresistibly authentic project.

The tracks “Carimbstep” and “Phat Samba” are shining examples of how Brazilian music can add to those electronic rhythms that grow ever more global by the day. However in “Estadio”, which is a previously unpublished track by Fausto Fawcett (Brazilian poet), good old Rock’n’Roll crops up as a striking alternative to the synths and more organic instruments, and has the special feat of Vulgue Tostoi (band from the Grammy winner producer, and renowned producer/guitarist Jr. Tostoi).

The project that started late 2013 and gathered momentum with the arrival of Bernardo Pauleira as a Co-Producer, has many special guests and writing partners such as Mary Byker (Apollo 440 and Pop Will Eat Itself), Pedro Luís and Marco Andre(famous Brazilian singer songwriters who co-wrote “Carimbstep”), Marcos Suzano, Vulgue Tostoi, Lucas Vasconcellos, Humberto Barros, Jam da Silva, Gabriel Muzakamongst others that popped in and contributed with their talents, helping create a diverse, yet strong unified musical identity.

In his search to accomplish the sound that he had in mind, Marcelo Vig invited the London-based producer Glenn Skinner to mix the tracks which build an invisible, yet tangible thread between Rio and London.

Marcelo Vig is both a carioca* by birth and a Londoner by affinity. For the last 15 years he has lived between London and Rio, where he is now based. In the UK, Vig played drums with Patrick Wolf with whom he recorded two of his albums and toured extensively around the world. As a drummer has worked with name artists from both sides of the Atlantic: Eminem, Will Smith, Avril Lavigne, Stacie Orrico (TV sessions), Cass Fox, and has recorded with Bishi, Jason Donovan, Debbie Bonham and many others.

In Brazil he has recorded with Gilberto Gil, Lenine, Roberta Sá Pedro Luís, Zé Renato, Vulgue Tostoi amongst others and was a member of the band Tantra (Universal Music) in the 90’s. Vig also works/worked with: Lobão, Marcelo Bonfá (Legião Urbana), Léo Jaime, Pedro Luis, Alexia Bomtempo, Katia B, Julia Bosco, Vulgue Tostoi, Letuce, Marina Lima amongst other famous Brazilian artists both from the mainstream and the indie scene.

As a composerVig was awarded with Best Sound Track in Italy’s Massimo Troisi Film Festival in 2003, with the track “Magic Eyes” and has had one of his tracks included in “My Life as Liz” the American MTV series and often takes part in international actions for brands such as Bacardi, BMW etc...

As a DJ Vig started off in a course in London at the S.A.E. school in 1998. Between ’99 and 2001 played in Brazil in the emerging electronic scene, having played in the Rock In Rio Festival in the dance tent. After moving to Europe in early 2001 Vig played in Lisbon and held a residency at the Guanabara Club, and also presented the radio show Caipirinha Appreciation Society.

Marcelo Vig also takes part in his own Collective Conecta in Rio and plays drums and DJs with Brazilian sax player Rodrigo Sha, in his Live PA. In 2015 Vig has started his own dance music event named Cool Lab to bring DJs producers and musicians together to create live collaborations to spice up the dance floor.

NEW RELEASES: NINA SIMONE – IN PARIS 1968; RODRIGO CAMPOS – CONVERSAS COM TISHORO; INDIGO JAM UNIT - LIGHTS

NINA SIMONE – IN PARIS 1968

A stunner of a set from the lengedary Nina Simone – a really special live recording done in Paris in the late 60s – at a time when Nina was working at the height of her powers, and had a young Weldon Irvine in her group as music director! Weldon plays piano, keyboards, and Hammond on the record – and gives the tunes these snakey, long grooves that are nicely different from some of Nina's studio material – and have the singer reaching out with these long takes on tunes that include "Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair", "Ain't Got No/I Got Life", "Mama Lou/Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", "To Love Somebody", "Susanne", and "Be My Husband". And the soulful backing group also features Tom Smith on guitar, Don Alias on drums, and Jumma (Santos?) on percussion!  ~ Dusty Groove

RODRIGO CAMPOS – CONVERSAS COM TISHORO

A completely beautiful set from contemporary Brazil – and a record that, like some of our favorite classics from that scene, has a mindblowing vibe and a sound that's completely beyond any sort of easy description! Rodrigo Campos has a way of weaving acoustic and electric elements together with a quality that's sometimes snakey, often exotic, and occasionally touched by warmer jazz phrasing – although the music is completely individual, and light years from jazz too. Campos sings with this raspy style that has an undercurrent of soul, and which gives his Portuguese lyrics an instant appeal, even if you can't understand the language – and there's a instantly captivating, completely compelling sound to the record that we'd put in a line between mid 70s Caetano Veloso, and later material from singers like Lenine or Arnaldo Antunes. Titles include "Wong Kar Wai", "Funatsu", "Takeshi E Asayo", "Chihiro", "Abraco De Ozu", "Velho Amarelo", "Toshiro Vinganca", and "Dona Da Bateria". (Limited, numbered pressing of 300 copies!) ~ Dusty Groove

INDIGO JAM UNIT - LIGHTS

Indigo Jam Unit are really on fire here – working in a monstrous blend of funky drums, acoustic piano, and some of the warmest, roundest basslines you'll ever hope to hear! Imagine a jazz trio with an ear for small combo funk, and you'll get part of the picture of these guys – but they've also got a depth that goes way beyond that simple reference, too – as they bring lyrical touches to their music, while still stepping out in a modal groove – and they use acoustic bass that would be right at home on the famous Low End Theory by Tribe Called Quest! All tunes are instrumental, and also include some added percussion too – and titles include "End Of Fall", "Memories", "Dawn", "Looper", "Nomad", "Commons & Sense", and "Descarga". (SHMCD pressing.)  ~ Dusty Groove

 

Guitarist Curtis Robinson's new CD Dancing In The Street: A Tribute to the Musician's and Music of Motown salutes the iconic Motown sound

Chicago born now Las Vegas based guitarist (The Doctor) Curtis Robinson's new CD Dancing In The Street A Tribute to the Musician's and Music of Motown salutes the iconic Motown sound with the new and well deserved perspective of the musicians particularly the group of musicians that was the musical foundation for many of the label's hits known as The Funk Brothers!

Largely a self taught musician who began playing professionally mostly on weekends at age 11 and has performed with the R&B vocal group and Chicago's own The Emotions, Johnny Hartman, Smokey Robinson, Jack McDuff, Kenny Burrell, Esther Phillips, Phil Perry, Ramsey Lewis and many more has richly prepared Curtis Robinson to under take such a daunting task!

"The inspiration for  Dancing in the Street is actually two fold says Robinson. One is the fact that none of these instrumentalist called  The Funk Brothers got any album credits until Marvin Gaye recorded  What's Goin On and the second is that the tunes I selected just swung so hard"! 

While the 10 tune set is loaded with musical highlights led by Martha and the Vandella's classic  Dancing In The Street  recorded here as very hip blues or the Stevie Winder classic Sir Duke that segue's to I Wish that's played at a break neck speed and also on display here is sensational drum work from long time now former  Ramsey Lewis drummer, Leon Joyce Jr.

Of course what would any Motown themed release be without What's Going On which stays committed to the original melody until midway through Curtis shift gears and takes it to new heights, and the spirit of Curtis' number one guitar influence Wes Montgomery is evoked!

"Most people don't know that The Funk Brothers were some of Detroit's talented jazz and blues players" Curtis comments, which makes this musical approach so appropriate and the passionate guitar playing of Curtis Robinson as meaningful and further displayed on the CD's remaining tracks.

Another musical highlight is the Curtis Robinson composition, final tune and the only none Motown tune on the CD, Wes and Pat no doubt inspired by  Wes Montgomery and another guitar influence Pat Martino. Featured here along with more soaring guitar lead are outstanding solo's from pianist Michael Logan and again drummer Leon Joyce Jr!

Curtis Robinson has assembled and outstanding group of musician including both bass players  Chuck Webb and Larry Grey who soundly hold's the bottom down as all Motown hits of the era had,has arranged and produced this unique set of Motown gems that's certain to stand the test of time, again!

 www.thedoctorcurtis.com

NEW RELEASES: EDDIE HINTON – VERY EXTREMELY DANGEROUS; WILLIE JONES III - GROUNDWORK; RELAXIN', JAZZIN' AND CHILLIN' INSTRUMENTAL HITS 1957-1962

EDDIE HINTON – VERY EXTREMELY DANGEROUS

Eddie Hinton's name has been one to drop in recent years as the popularity of Southern Soul has grown and grown. He featured in the studio credits of countless hit records cut in Muscle Shoals, Alabama between 1967 and 1971, playing lead guitar in the rhythm section. He was on sessions for albums by Aretha Franklin (This Girl s In Love With You), Wilson Pickett (Right On), Solomon Burke, Joe Tex and many others including Percy Sledge, for whom Eddie wrote top 40 hit Cover Me, and when singing I ll Take You There, Mavis Staples calls Come on Eddie... , it's Mr Hinton doing the guitar-picking. Includes: You Got Me Singing; Concept World; I Got The Feeling; Shout Bamalama; Get Off In It; Brand New Man; Shoot The Moon; We Got It; Yeah Man; and I Want It All.

WILLIE JONES III - GROUNDWORK

Highly accomplished modern jazz drummer, Willie Jones III, leads an all-star group on Groundwork, his latest album. Jones, who 'never fails to assemble a strong crew' (NY Times) convenes living legends Buster Williams (bass) and Eddie Henderson (trumpet), jazz virtuoso Eric Reed (piano) and rising stars Warren Wolf (vibes) and Stacy Dillard (saxophones). Willie Jones III explores the soulful side of jazz, performing tunes by his former employer and great influence Cedar Walton, and debuting new arrangements of tunes by Eric Reed, Buster Williams and more. Groundwork key tracks include the title tune and 'Hindsight,' both by Cedar Walton. Eric Reed's 'New Boundary' is a tribute to modern jazz musician Dwayne Burno; the song title is an anagram of the late great bassist's name. Throughout his career, Willie Jones III has lent his supple rhythm and buoyant spirit to artists like Cedar Walton, Milt Jackson, Horace Silver, Sonny Rollins and Roy Hargrove. Today, he continues to become one of jazz music's most sought out bandleaders.

RELAXIN', JAZZIN' AND CHILLIN' INSTRUMENTAL HITS 1957-1962

30 smooth, relaxing and chilled jazz sounds from 1957-1962 featuring cream of the crop instrumentals from such luminaries as Dave Brubeck, Billy Vaughan, Ray Charles, Stan Getz and more! This collection is made up entirely from songs that made the US charts and some that also charted in the UK including hits like "Calcutta", "Take Five", "Alley Cat" and the unmistakeable "Fly Me To The Moon". The lush orchestrations and jazz rhythms make this set a great way to sit back and relax. The music herein should be classified as (and several can now be) the very roots of what would later become known as chill out music. Includes: Jay Dee's Boogie Woogie (Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra); Swingin' Shepherd Blues (Moe Koffman Quartette); Petite Fleur (Chris Barber' Jazz Band); Roulette (Russ Conway); Tea For Two Cha Cha Cha (Tommy Dorsey Orchestra); Summer Set (Monty Kelly And His Orchestra); Beautiful Obsession (Sir Chauncey & His Exciting Strings); La Montana (If She Should Come To You) (Frank DeVol);. Asia Minor (Kokomo); Calcutta (Lawrence Welk And His Orchestra); One Mint Julep (Ray Charles); African Waltz (Johnny Dankworth); Yellow Bird (Arthur Lyman Group); Take Five (Dave Brubeck); Image (Part 1) (Hank Levine); Unsquare Dance (Dave Brubeck); Maria (Roger Williams); Flying Circle (Frank Slay & His Orchestra); Afrikaan Beat (Bert Kaempfert); Drown In My Own Tears (Don Shirley); Midnight In Moscow (Kenny Ball & His Jazzman); Midnight (Johnny Gibson); Play The Thing (Marlowe Morris Quintet); Chapel By The Sea (Billy Vaughan And His Orchestra); Swingin' Gently (Earl Grant); Alley Cat (Bent Fabric); Desafinado (Stan Getz & Charlie Bird); A Taste Of Honey (Victor Feldman Quartet); Fly Me To The Moon - Bossa Nova (Joe Harnell & His Orchestra); and Cast Your Fate To The Wind (Vince Guaraldi Trio).

NEW RELEASES: BONNIE RAITT – DIG IN DEEP; THE THREE DEGREES – STRATEGY: OUR TRIBUTE TO PHILADELPHIA; SNOWBOY & THE LATIN SECTION - NEW YORK AFTERNOON

BONNIE RAITT – DIG IN DEEP

On February 26, 2016, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bonnie Raitt will release 'Dig In Deep', her twentieth album, on Redwing Records, her own, independent label. The record follows Bonnie's hugely successful 2012 release 'Slipstream', which was one of the best-selling independent albums of 2012 and earned Bonnie a GRAMMY for Best Americana Album - her tenth career GRAMMY win. "The response to 'Slipstream' was such a refreshing and unexpected boost," says Raitt. "So going into this album, I had renewed energy." Includes: Unintended Consequence Of Love; I Need You Tonight; I Knew; All Alone With Something To Say; What You're Doin' To Me; Shakin' Shakin' Shakes; Undone; If You Need Somebody; Gypsy In Me; The Comin' Round Is Going Through; You've Changed My Mind; and The Ones We Couldn't Be. ~ Amazon

THE THREE DEGREES – STRATEGY: OUR TRIBUTE TO PHILADELPHIA

The Three Degrees need no introduction - simply put, they were the most successful female soul/disco outfit of the 1970s, scoring many hits for Philadelphia International Records including the enduring classics, 'When Will I See You Again,' 'Year Of Decision' and 'Take Good Care Of Yourself'; and later, 'Woman In Love' and 'My Simple Heart,' both UK Top 10 hits. Strategy (Our Tribute To Philadelphia) is The Three Degrees' first new studio album for a quarter century and features the trio's own very personal tribute to timeless anthems such as The O'Jays' 'Love Train,' The Trammps' 'Disco Inferno,' Billy Paul's classic with a standout gender switch to 'Me & Mr. Jones' and the exciting title track, popularized by Archie Bell & The Drells, along with a new recording of the group's own '70s hit, 'T.S.O.P.' The album was recorded in 2015 with a top-flight band and a proper orchestra at Down In Deep Studios in Atlanta, GA. Strategy will be supported by a major UK tour across March and April 2016, alongside a substantial promotional campaign involving press, radio and online coverage. ~ Amazon

SNOWBOY & THE LATIN SECTION - NEW YORK AFTERNOON

New album by Snowboy & The Latin Section celebrating the 30th Year since their first record. A glorious Afro-Cuban jazz extravaganza, which captures the block party feel of 1970s latin jazz and early salsa, this is going to be one of the most in demand jazz albums of 2015. It features vocals from both rising jazz vocal star Jen Kearney and Baltimore house music legend Marc Evans, the latter on New York Afternoon, the debut radio single which is already beginning to pick up support. The album also features saxophonist Pete Wareham from Polar Bear and Acoustic Ladyland. Already guaranteed a glowing review in the March issue of Mojo, and a two date residency at Ronnie Scott’s the week before release. ~ Amazon

DR. LONNIE SMITH RETURNS TO THE BLUE NOTE LABEL TO RELEASE "EVOLUTION"

Dr. Lonnie Smith is set to release "Evolution," his first album for Blue Note Records since 1970. The album, which comes out January 29, marks the return of the legendary Hammond B-3 organ master to the iconic jazz label where he first made a name for himself in the late 1960s, first as a sideman with saxophonist Lou Donaldson on albums including Alligator Bogaloo, and soon after as a leader with his own soul-jazz classics such as Think! and Turning Point. Evolution is available for pre-order now on CD or digital download. Fans who pre-order the download will immediately receive the single “Straight No Chaser,” which is also available today as a single on streaming services.

Blue Note president Don Was signed Smith and produced Evolution, which is a robust and spirited collection of seven tunes, including fresh takes on Dr. Lonnie’s favorite originals and standards as well as brand-new excursions that he had never recorded before. Joining Smith are special guests Robert Glasper on piano and Joe Lovano on saxophones, as well as a top-notch band of musicians including reedist John Ellis, trumpeters Maurice Brown and Keyon Harrold, guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg, and the double drummer team of Joe Dyson and Johnathan Blake (appearing together on five of the seven numbers).

  

After releasing his debut album Finger Lickin’ Good for Columbia, Smith joined Lou Donaldson’s band and made his first Blue Note appearance on the saxophonist’s hit 1967 album Alligator Boogaloo. Two more Donaldson dates followed (Mr. Shing-A-Ling and Midnight Creeper) before Smith was offered his own Blue Note deal, making his label debut with Think! in 1968. Smith went on to record another four Blue Note albums over the next two years (Turning Point, Move Your Hand, Drives and Live at Club Mozambique) all of which are regarded as soul-jazz classics.

Smith helped celebrate Blue Note’s 75th anniversary in 2014 by appearing with Donaldson at the historic concert Blue Note at 75 at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. Some of Smith’s early tracks for Blue Note are collected on the playlist Intro to Dr. Lonnie Smith including standout cuts like “Spinning Wheel,” which was famously sampled by A Tribe Called Quest for their songs “Can I Kick It?” and “Buggin’ Out.”

The track listing for Evolution is as follows:

Play It Back featuring Robert Glasper

Afrodesia featuring Joe Lovano

For Heaven’s Sake featuring Joe Lovano

Straight No Chaser

Talk About This

My Favorite Things

African Suite

DR. LONNIE SMITH – 2016 TOUR DATES

  

February 23-24: Ronnie Scott’s, London, UK

February 25-27: Jazzhus Montmartre, Copenhagen, Denmark

February 28: LantarenVenster, Rotterdam, Netherlands

March 2: Nasjonal Jazzscene, Oslo, Norway

March 3: Spor 5, Stavanger, Norway

March 4: USF Verftet, Bergen, Norway

March 5: Dokkhuset Scene, Trondheim, Norway

March 6: Fasching Club, Stockholm, Sweden

March 8-12: Marian’s Jazz Room, Bern, Switzerland

March 24-27: Jazz Showcase, Chicago, IL

April 6: Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn, NY

April 9: Annenberg Center, Philadelphia PA

May 8: Segerstrom Center, Costa Mesa, CA

June 28-July 3: Jazz Standard, New York, NY

~ Blue Note

BEN HARPER & THE INNOCENT CRIMINALS REUNITE ON NEW STAX RELEASE CALL IT WHAT IT IS

Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals have reunited for Call It What It Is, their first record together in nine years, due out April 8th, 2016 on Stax Records. Call It What It Is is an incisive, bold, poetic statement that could only come from these long-time musical partners, one of popular music’s most essential, cohesive and dynamic ensembles.

The standout title track showcases Harper’s unmatched ability to blend the personal and political. Invoking the names of Trayvon Martin, Ezell Ford, and Michael Brown over an agitated blues riff, Harper cuts to the quick: “There's good cops / bad cops / white cops / black cops / call it what it is / Murder”. The genre-spanning collection contains many highlights including the sun-kissed groove of “Shine” and the album’s swaggering lead track “When Sex Was Dirty.”

It had been seven years since Ben Harper last played a show with the Innocent Criminals, so when the time came to reunite for a live tour in 2015, the band—percussionist Leon Mobley, bassist Juan Nelson, drummer Oliver Charles, keyboardist Jason Yates, and guitarist Michael Ward—quickly discovered that Harper had more in mind than simply revisiting the group's prodigious song catalog. In fact, Harper had been quietly amassing material for a new record and the first recording sessions were scheduled to begin even before the rehearsals for their triumphant four-night sold-out reunion run at the Fillmore in San Francisco last March.

Tracing their roots back to 1993, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals were at the heart of most of Harper’s projects until the band went on hiatus in 2008. The band toured internationally and released a string of groundbreaking albums, including Fight for Your Mind, The Will to Live, Burn to Shine and the GRAMMY-nominated Lifeline in 2007. The Innocent Criminals also backed Harper and The Blind Boys of Alabama on the double-GRAMMY-winning There Will Be a Light in 2005.

“I thought we would be more energized and revitalized by thinking outside the box and starting with new material in the studio before we dug into the old stuff,” said Harper of the reunion album.  "It was meant to be a signpost that we're here to forge new ground musically and personally.”

Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals North American tour dates:

 4/2/16 - The Capitol Theatre - Port Chester, NY

 4/3/16 - 9:30 Club - Washington, DC

 4/4/16 - 9:30 Club - Washington, DC

 4/6/16 - College Street Music Hall - New Haven, CT

 4/7/16 - Beacon Theatre - New York, NY

 4/9/16 - House of Blues Boston - Boston, MA

 4/10/16 - The Fillmore - Philadelphia, PA

 4/12/16 – Métropolis - Montreal, Canada

 4/13/16 - Massey Hall - Toronto, Canada

 4/15/16 - Royal Oak Music Theatre - Royal Oak, MI

 4/16/16 - Riviera Theatre - Chicago, IL

 4/17/16 - House Of Blues - Cleveland, OH

 4/19/16 - Tivoli Theatre - Chattanooga, TN

 4/20/16 - Tennessee Theatre - Knoxville, TN

 4/22/16 - Ryman Auditorium - Nashville, TN

 4/23/16 - The Orange Peel - Asheville, NC

 6/23/16 - Marymoor Park - Seattle, WA

 6/24/16 - McMenamins Edgefield  - Troutdale, OR

 6/25/16 - Les Schwab Amphitheatre – Bend, OR

 6/30/16 - Revolution Concert House- Boise, ID

 8/16/16 - Mountain Winery - Saratoga CA

 8/17/16 - Fox Theater - Oakland, CA

 8/23/16 - Humphrey's by The Sea - San Diego, CA

 8/25/16 - Marquee Theatre - Phoenix, AZ

Additional US dates and a European Tour to be announced shortly.

  

Call It What It Is track list:

1. When Sex Was Dirty

2. Deeper And Deeper

3. Call It What It Is

4. How Dark Is Gone

5. Shine

6. All That Has Grown

7. Pink Balloon

8. Finding Our Way

9.  Bones

10. Dance Like Fire

11. Goodbye To You

http://www.benharper.com

https://www.facebook.com/benharper

https://twitter.com/benharper

https://www.youtube.com/user/benharper

http://instagram.com/benharper/

 

NEW RELEASES: STAN GETZ - MOMENTS IN TIME; LANDON VIEIRA - DREAM; BOOKER T & PRISCILLA JONES - CHRONICLES

STAN GETZ - MOMENTS IN TIME

Moments in Time features newly discovered music by the Stan Getz Quartet featuring pianist Joanne Brackeen, bassist Clint Houston, and drummer Billy Hart, recorded live in 1976 at the famed San Francisco jazz club Keystone Korner. Captured during a week of performances with the legendary bossa nova innovator João Gilberto, these instrumental recordings document the only time this uniquely adventurous configuration of the Stan Getz Quartet recorded together. This deluxe CD includes a 28-pg booklet with essays by jazz journalist Ted Panken, Steve Getz, band members Joanne Brackeen and Billy Hart, producers Zev Feldman & Todd Barkan, as well as statements from contemporary saxophonists Joshua Redman and Branford Marsalis. Also featured are rare, previously unpublished photos from the archives of acclaimed music photographer Tom Copi. Gracing the cover is the distinctive artwork of Japanese artist/designer Takao Fujioka.

LANDON VIEIRA - DREAM

Saxophonist Landen Vieira makes his debut with his much-anticipated album Dream. Featuring a line-up of established and rising all-star musicians, the album shifts from bright swing to lyrical ballad and leads up to an impressive conclusion. In six original pieces, lush harmonies and intricate melodies meet a myriad of styles ranging from blues to Latin jazz. While providing innovative compositions such as the first track, “Light Piece,” the album always keeps the jazz tradition in context and focuses on strong, memorable melodies. Includes: Light Piece, Do It, Vista, Dove, Two Blocks East, and Dream.

BOOKER T & PRISCILLA JONES - CHRONICLES

Booker T's definitely into a great new groove here – one that really extrapolates his Memphis roots through the haze of early 70s California – coming up with some wonderful sounds along the way! There's a definite A&M vibe to the record – that mix of rootsy modes and hipster polish that A&M was really pioneering alongside the Warner camp – and most of the instrumentation here is pretty stripped-down and laid back – sometimes played all by Booker in overdubs, sometimes with added studio help. Organ lines figure strongly, but not always – and vocals are mostly duets between Booker and Priscilla – on titles that include "Rings Around The World", "When Two People Are In Love", "The Crippled Crow", "Time", "Wild Fox", "Fly", and "Mendocino".  ~ Dusty Groove

New York jazz saxophonist Aaron Irwin releases A Room Forever

Jazz saxophonist and composer Aaron Irwin's striking new album A Room Forever, features twelve original works of music, each of which is a reflection of one of the twelve published short stories by critically acclaimed West Virginian author Breece D'J Pancake.  Three noted New York-based musicians join Irwin on this powerful release: trombonist Matthew McDonald, bassist Thomson Kneeland, and guitarist Pete McCann.  "I have been working on this project with these guys for well over a year and have been so pleased with how the music has evolved over that time. These three musicians have such strong musical voices and were able to shape the music in a way that is both highly musical and uniquely personal. I couldn't ask for more."

Irwin talks about the inspiration behind the music. "Through a friend's recommendation, I picked up Breece Pancake's collection of short stories and was immediately drawn to his bleak, unflinching expression of lives' stubbornly hewn to their past.'  The struggles of these characters and the hollows of Pancake's native West Virginia reminded me of the receding farm communities I grew up with in central Illinois. As aptly put by Joyce Carol Oates in her 1983 review, I felt compelled to set these ideas to music as 'to make the past present.'"

Irwin's highly stylized music creates sonic landscapes that can best be described as a mixture of American folk music, avant-garde jazz and pastoral elements of classical music. The album begins eerily with the title track, A Room Forever, which has a haunting intensity that grows throughout, putting the listener on the edge of their seat. "The story in A Room Forever is a nightmarish scene that takes place on New Year's Eve, and I wanted to give the music a kind of disturbed Auld Lang Syne feel to it," Irwin notes. Each of the following pieces takes the listener on a different journey sometimes soaring, as Matt McDonald's elegant trombone playing does in The Way It Has to Be, and sometimes sweetly reflecting, as does Irwin's homey clarinet playing on Trilobites.

The chamber music-like instrumentation quickly draws the listener into each fragile and nuanced musical world, full of space and detail as in The First Day of Winter, which features the remarkable bass work by Thomson Kneeland. Guitarist Pete McCann has much to say on the dark and jarring Time and Again.  The album ends with the wonderful piece, The Mark, which leaves the listener seemingly suspended in air wanting more and grateful for the pleasure of the journey.

Breece Dexter John Pancake (1952-1979) was an American short story author and native of West Virginia whose hardscrabble landscapes and characters informed and influenced his writing. He has to his name only one posthumously published book of short stories after a life cut short at the age of 26. Pancake's stories lay out a world located in the hills of his home - "the pockets of neglected farm and mining country where people lose their livelihoods, their friends and lovers, their land and their birthrights, but remain stubbornly hewn in place," Critical praise for his work has been nearly universal with parallels drawn between his work and that of Flannery O'Connor, Sherwood Anderson, John Steinbeck, James Joyce, and Ernest Hemingway.

Critically acclaimed saxophonist, multiple woodwind player, and composer, Aaron Irwin has been a mainstay in the New York music scene for over 10 years.  Known as a "lyrical alto saxophonist and a compelling original composer" (Steve Futterman, New Yorker), Irwin is sought after in both the jazz and commercial worlds.  In addition to leading his own groups, Irwin has performed with many leading jazz voices in the New York jazz community including the Grammy-nominated group Darcy James Argue's Secret Society, Bob Sabin's Tentet, as well as pop performers Kristen Chenoweth, Rufus Wainwright, Josh Groban, and Idina Menzel.

A Room Forever is Irwin's fifth album as a leader.

http://aaronirwin.com/

Getz/Gilberto '76 is a rare follow-up to two of the best-selling bossa nova records of all time from Stan Getz and João Gilberto

Just over 50 years after the release of João Gilberto's and Stan Getz's classic Grammy®-winning album Getz/Gilberto (1964), and its sequel Getz/Gilberto #2 (1966, both on Verve Records), Resonance Records proudly announces Getz/Gilberto '76, set for release on February 19, 2016. Getz/Gilberto '76 is an instant classic collection of never-before-released recordings captured May 11-16, 1976 at the legendary San Francisco jazz club Keystone Korner, showcasing the legendary Brazilian singer, guitarist and composer João Gilberto, accompanied by the saxophone icon Stan Getz and his rhythm section of pianist Joanne Brackeen, bassist Clint Houston and drummer Billy Hart. 

These recordings were made during João Gilberto's and Stan Getz's weeklong engagement at the Keystone, which took place nearly 12 years after the release of their initial award-winning album. The first Getz/Gilberto album sold over one million copies and almost single-handedly launched the bossa nova craze in America and around the world. It's been said that the hit single off that album, "The Girl From Ipanema," is the second most recorded song of all time, behind only "Yesterday" by the Beatles. The 1976 Keystone engagement represents one of the very few times this famed duo reunited after their initial creative collaboration in 1962, and according to the club's founder and owner Todd Barkan, this engagement was João Gilberto's first public performance after a four year hiatus.

Getz/Gilberto '76 is available as a deluxe CD and limited-edition 12'', 33-1/3 rpm LP mastered by legendary engineer Bernie Grundman and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Record Technology Incorporated (R.T.I.) in a limited edition of 2,000 copies. Also available digitally for pre-sale on iTunes with 3 "instant gratification" tracks upon purchase: "É Preciso Perdoar," "Chega de Saudade" and "Morena Boca de Ouro."

The famed jazz club Keystone Korner, located in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood, opened its doors in 1972 and operated until 1983. The Keystone hosted an impressive roster of jazz greats, among them Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Art Blakey, McCoy Tyner, Bobby Hutcherson, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, Rahsaan Roland Kirk and many, many others. Barkan captured on tape live performances by the greats who appeared at the Keystone, collecting a virtual goldmine of archival treasures. In 2011, producer Zev Feldman and the founder/president of Resonance Records, George Klabin, collaborated with Barkan to release a few of those gems on the Resonance label. To date, these include Freddie Hubbard's Pinnacle (2011) and the Jaki Byard/Tommy Flanagan two-piano collaboration The Magic of 2 (2013). After several years of patient relationship building, Barkan shared one of his most prized recordings with Resonance — tapes documenting a week of performances by the Stan Getz Quartet with special guest João Gilberto from May of 1976. 

These tapes are truly the "crown jewels" of Barkan's archives, and represent one of the few times in their careers that Getz and Gilberto collaborated. Recognizing the significance of this special engagement, Feldman and Klabin made it their mission to share these recordings with music lovers in two special, deluxe releases.

Feldman on Getz's legacy: "We really wanted to give Stan Getz the royal treatment with these deluxe releases, and we're honored to be able to add a new chapter to his timeless musical history. He's simply one of the greatest saxophonists who ever lived and deserves to be heard by new audiences with each generation so that his legacy continues to grow and grow. Even John Coltrane was a fan and said 'We'd all sound like that if we could!'" And on working with co-producer Todd Barkan on these releases, Feldman adds humorously, "It took a few years of George [Klabin] and I staring over at the corner of Todd's archives and salivating over those Getz tapes when we would come by, and he'd just say something like 'Oh, we can talk about those later.' We're so thankful our persistence paid off in the end, and grateful not only for the amazing tapes Todd has shared with us, but the great relationship we've built over the years."

Resonance worked tirelessly over a number of years tracking down all the appropriate parties to ensure that both Getz/Gilberto '76 and Moments in Time were fully endorsed and cleared by both João Gilberto and the Stan Getz Estate, and the living musicians involved. Both albums will be released on the same day, with Keystone's Barkan as co-producer on each.

Resonance's historical releases typically include elaborate books featuring newly commissioned essays, personal accounts of those involved in the creation of the music and the recordings, and rare archival photos that provide listeners with a detailed historical context of everything that went into making that music. These extensive books have become a defining characteristic of each Resonance historical release, and 2014's John Coltrane: Offering Live at Temple University even garnered the label a Grammy award for Best Album Notes (by Ashley Kahn). Likewise, Getz/Gilberto '76 includes a 32-page book featuring essays by producers Feldman and Barkan, Stan Getz's son Steve Getz, author and jazz authority James Gavin, as well as interviews with Brackeen, Hart and bossa nova legend Carlos Lyra. Included in the package are rare, previously unpublished photographs by San Francisco's heralded music photographer, Tom Copi. The deluxe gatefold LP features striking photos from Tom Copi, and a beautiful painting ("Equilibrium Verde") by the late celebrated Puerto Rican abstract expressionist artist Olga Albizu graces the cover. Her paintings also appeared on the album covers for the original Getz/Gilberto and Getz/Gilberto #2 releases and Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd's first Brazilian-music collaboration, Jazz Samba (1962).

Bossa nova (Portuguese for "new trend") became enormously popular in the in the United Sates beginning in the early 1960s thanks largely to Stan Getz's 1962 releases, Jazz Samba (co-led with Charlie Byrd) and Big Band Bossa Nova (Verve). Jazz Samba, one of the first important bossa nova releases in the United States, included arrangements by guitarist Charlie Byrd, who had recently traveled to Brazil and been exposed to bossa nova, and featured compositions by noted Brazilian composers. Bossa nova, then a novelty for Americans, combines many American jazz elements with traditional samba structures yielding a light, syncopated groove that, while reminiscent of classic samba, is lighter and more intimate. This new sound immediately captivated American audiences and caught the attention of jazz and pop fans alike. It was also quickly adopted by many top jazz and popular musicians, including Frank Sinatra, Dizzy Gillespie, Quincy Jones and even Elvis Presley. By August 1, 1964, Stan Getz's single "The Girl From Ipanema" (by the preeminent Brazilian composer Antônio Carlos Jobim), drawn from Jazz Samba, hit the Billboard's top ten list alongside the Beatles, Dean Martin, Roger Miller and the Supremes. Stan Getz's smooth tenor saxophone sound became synonymous with bossa nova in the United States. In Billy Hart's interview with Feldman, he notes, "Stan was considered by many as the number one tenor saxophone player in the world at that time."

A decade earlier, in the 1950s, João Gilberto was refining the bossa nova sound in his home country of Brazil. His guitar playing de-emphasized the percussive quality of samba, while creating a lightness to the syncopated rhythms that defined the new sound. In the album book, author James Gavin writes of Gilberto's unearthly calm: "João had already become a mythic figure. A nondescript man in a dark suit, he looked like he could have been a banker. Instead, this eccentric genius, reclusive and painfully shy, had changed the course of Brazilian music . . . His vibratoless, nasal-toned, sotto voce croon floated with seeming detachment above his guitar. The push-and-pull between the two was a marvel of rhythmic and melodic tension and release." Gilberto recorded several of Jobim's songs and launched the bossa nova movement in 1958 in Brazil with the recording of "Chega de Saudade," showcasing his groundbreaking guitar style on a record by Elizeth Cardosa. This song became a celebrated single. Billy Hart describes João Gilberto as the "Frank Sinatra of Brazil."

Stan Getz and João Gilberto joined forces in 1963 to record Getz/Gilberto. Their artistry, talent and broad appeal with the public that each of them enjoyed combined to create a national sensation in the United States. In his essay for the Getz/Gilberto '76 package, James Gavin paints a portrait of João Gilberto in performance: "Gilberto sat on a stool, head hunched over his guitar, drama-free except for his spacey, enigmatic presence. His music was wistful but cool; Gilberto was a man of secrets. That seeming detachment lent irony to the tortured songs he loved. In 'É Preciso Perdoar' (One Must Forgive) — written in the mid-'60s . . . popularized by Gilberto — Gilberto sings in his humming head voice: 'Dawn has already broken/You're going to abandon me/I feel you don't deserve forgiveness/I wanted the illusion, now I am the pain.'"

Getz/Gilberto '76 begins with Stan Getz introducing João Gilberto as "the most individual singer of our time — a true originator" and muses over how "a performer, so gifted, one of the true greats in music should be so hesitant about public appearance, is just one of those mysteries. But he's here this week." The album begins with "É Preciso Perdoar'" followed by the popular Jobim compositions "Águas de Março" (Waters of March) and "Retrato em Branco e Preto." The 13-song album includes such bossa nova favorites as "Chega de Saudade," "Doralice" and "Eu Vim da Bahia." With these songs, Gilberto and Getz seduce the audience with their incomparable artistry. The passage of time has only served to underscore the magnitude of what they achieved, first in the '60s and then here, ten years later at the Keystone in their rare joint appearance. Steve Getz nicely summarizes this album: "This recording is a jewel; it's a demonstration of the natural musical chemistry between João and my father. And it's particularly fine that they were able to make this recording with Joanne Brackeen, Clint Houston and Billy Hart, my father's stellar sidemen of the day, in a restrained but relaxed backing of the Brazilian master." Resonance Records is pleased to unearth this notable historic recording of Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto '76 and to share this with the public.

Track Listing

1. Spoken Intro by Stan Getz (1:07)

2. É Preciso Perdoar (5:50)

3. Aguas de Março (5:46)

4. Retrato Em Branco E Preto (4:47)

5. Samba da Minha Terra (3:20)

6. Chega de Saudade (3:42)

7. Rosa Morena (4:25)

8. Eu Vim Da Bahia (4:11)

9. João Marcelo (3:20)

10. Doralice (3:47)

11. Morena Boca de Ouro (3:34)

12. Um Abraço No Bonfá (4:38)

13. É Preciso Perdoar (Encore) (6:29)