The birth of a legend – documented here in a really
wonderful package – a brilliant 2CD set that brings forth the first-ever
recordings of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra – heard here on the debut
nights of their very long run of Monday night performances at the Village
Vanguard! Right from the start, this group was really something special –
formed by the meeting of two legendary talents, trumpeter Thad Jones and
drummer Mel Lewis – and driven strongly by a lineup of all-star players who
were happy to shelve their egos this night of the week, and come together in a
unit that was far more than just the sum of its amazing parts. Players on these
two nights include Hank Jones on piano, Richard Davis on bass, Jimmy Owens and
Bill Berry on trumpets, Bob Brookmeyer and Garnett Brown on trombones, and
Jerome Richardson, Joe Farrell, Pepper Adams, and Jerry Dodgion on a flurry of
amazing reed performances – producing the kinds of insane colors and edges the
group was always known for! This isn't big band jazz – at least not the sort
you'd think of with cliche – and instead, the recordings document the meeting
of amazing talents creating effortlessly together under the leadership of two
generous giants. The package is wonderful, really a tribute to this amazing
music – oversized, and with a huge booklet of notes and photos – and 2CDs with
titles that include "Back Bone", "Big Dipper", "Mornin
Reverend", "Little Pixie", "All My Yesterdays",
"Once Around", "Ah That's Freedom", and "Don't Ever
Leave Me". ~ Dusty Grooove
Thursday, February 18, 2016
NEW MUSIC: WILLIAM HOOKER - LIGHT: THE EARLY YEARS 1975-1989
An incredible package of work from drummer William Hooker –
seminals sides he made at the end of the New York loft jazz scene – packaged in
a special box that includes material from two rare albums, and lots more
unreleased tracks too! First up is the double-length set Is Eternal Life – a
rare treasure from the loft jazz years of the New York scene – an early session
led by drummer William Hooker – with very open, improvised tracks featuring a
shifting lineup that includes work on tenor by both David Murray and David S
Ware! In truth, the concept of "lineup" is a bit small – as two
tracks are just Hooker on solo drums, percussion, and vocals; one more is a
long duet with Ware's tenor; another a trio with Les Goodson and Hasaan Dawkins
on reeds and percussion; and the last is a trio outing with Murray and bassist
Mark Miller – all very long, soulful numbers that never indulge too much in the
freedom allowed, but really make the most of the space in the process. Titles
include "Drum Form", "Soy", "Above & Beyond",
and "Passages". Next is Brighter Lights – a great early record from
drummer William Hooker – and one that features lots of freeplay on drums,
augmented by reed work by Alan Braufman and piano by Mark Hennen. The best
tracks are "Others (Unknowing)" and "Patterns I, II, and
III", which both have a nice mixture of freeness and spirituality. The
other track, "3&6/Right", is quite intense, with lots of free
jazz energy – especially from Hennen, who seems to be trying to destroy the
keyboard with his playing! CDs 3 and 4 are all completely unreleased material –
CD 3 features a 1988 live set by a trio that features Hooker on drums, Roy
Campbell on trumpet, and Booker T Williams on tenor – and CD 4 also features a
live date with a trio, with Hooker, plus Lewis Barnes on trumpet and Richard
Keened on soprano, alto, tenor, and flute. And the set also finishes with one
long drum solo track by Hooker – recorded for WKCR in 1981! (Limited to 1000
copies.) ~ Dusty Groove.
NEW MUSIC: MAVIS STAPLES–LIVIN’ ON A HIGH NOTE; ED CHERRY–SOUL TREE; TRIO DA PAZ–30
MAVIS STAPLES – LIVIN’ ON A HIGH NOTE
Mavis Staples definitely seems to hit a high note here –
coming across with some of the most positive energy of all her recent comeback
sets – quite possibly because of all the success they've brought the singer in
these later years of her career! Production is by M Ward, and the album's got
the respectful, rootsy currents that have really helped take Mavis back to her
roots – a special way of allowing her voice to blossom even more than in some
of her commercial recordings from the earlier years – with a slight echo at
times that stirs together the raspy lead vocals, warmer backing singers, and bluesy
currents of the instrumentation. Titles include "Dedicated",
"History Now", "One Love", "MLK Song", "Take
Us Back", "If It's A Light", "Action", "High
Note", and "Love & Trust" – songs written specifically for
Mavis by a diverse roster of accomplished contemporary writers – including Neko
Case, Justin Vernon, Aloe Blacc, Benjamin Booker and more. She really does make
it her own! ~ Dusty Groove
ED CHERRY – SOUL TREE
A killer guitar and Hammond session with a really sublime
sort of sound – a groove that's wonderfully free of cliche – and which has an
open, spacious quality that few artists can match! Given the instrumentation,
the album's steeped in tradition, but never tries to just rehash an older
Prestige Records vibe – and instead guitarist Ed Cherry and organist Kyle
Koehler find a way of soaring out in their own spirits – opening up strongly in
a bass-less trio that only features the drums of Anwar Marshall to keep things
snapping along. The pairing is perfect – on the level of Grant Green with Larry
Young, or Pat Martino with Don Patterson – yet very much with its own spirit,
too. Cherry's arrangements are great, too – providing very fresh takes on
familiar tunes, alongside his own compositions. Titles include "Central
Park West", "A New Blue", "Rachel's Step", "Ode
To Angela", "Little Sunflower", "Little Girl Big
Girl", and "Peace". ~ Dusty Groove
TRIO DA PAZ – 30
A perfectly triangulated lineup of players – guitarist
Romero Lubambo, bassist Nilson Matta, and drummer Duduka Da Fonseca – all
working together at a level that seems to continually place an equal amount of
presence on each instrument! The format here is very different than both the
usual jazz guitar trio, or the Brazilian bossa combo – and although the group
plays equally well in both formats, they also have a way of opening them up,
rearranging their parts, and moving into new realms of rhythm and tone in the
process. Lubambo plays both acoustic and electric guitar – and titles include
"For Donato", "Sampa 67", "Alana",
"Luisa", "Samba Triste", "Flying Over Rio", and
"Aguas Brasileiras". ~ Dusty Groove
COMPOSER MARIA SCHNEIDER WINS TWO GRAMMY AWARDS
World-renowned
Minnesota-born, New York-based boundary-defying composer and orchestra leader
Maria Schneider has won two 2016 Grammy Awards. Schneider’s majestic 2015
recording The Thompson Fields earned the Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz
Ensemble Album. Schneider also won a
Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals for her work with
David Bowie on the song, “Sue (Or in a Season of Crime),” making her one of the
very few who have won Grammys for work in the classical, jazz and rock genres.
“To work so
collaboratively with David Bowie on such a unique piece as Sue was one of the
most thrilling things to ever happen to me musically. So to receive this Grammy is deeply
meaningful,” says Schneider. “And The Thompson Fields is the most personal work
that I've ever created with my own band. And I feel that the playing within my
band has reached an extraordinary peak. For all of us to be recognized for that
as well, is overwhelming.”
Schneider
has won five Grammy Awards to date. Her album Winter Morning Walks received
three “Classical” Grammy Awards in 2013 for Best Contemporary Classical
Composition (Winter Morning Walks), Best Classical Vocal Solo (Dawn Upshaw) and
Best Engineered Album, Classical (David Frost, Brian Losch & Tim Martyn,
engineers; Tim Martyn, mastering engineer).
Schneider
also received a 2007-Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition for “Cerulean
Skies.” In 2004, Schneider made history
with her first Grammy for Concert In the Garden, the first album with
Internet-only sales to receive a Grammy. The album was released through
ArtistShare, the first Internet-crowd-funding label/site in existence. And significantly, Concert In the Garden was
also the first “crowd-funded” album to win a Grammy, before the term
“crowd-funding” was even invented. At
that time, ArtistShare had labeled it “fan-funding.” Schneider has continued to
“fan-fund” her recordings and commissions ever since.
Inspired by
her success through ArtistShare where she maintains control and ownership of
her work, Schneider has become a strong advocate for music creators and
performers, having testified before the Congressional Subcommittee on
Intellectual Property in April of 2014, and having also spoken out against
Spotify and streaming in general, on CNN.
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Jazz vocalist Anne Walsh’s “Brand New” blends Brazilian jazz and 60s classic pop
The sultriness inherent in Brazilian jazz rhythms enhances
the fresh and vibrant pop melodies on soprano song siren Anne Walsh’s “Brand
New,” which bodes to cast a bewitching spell of beauty and romance this spring
upon its March 18 release from A To Z Music. The timing is serendipitous for
the twelve-tracker - thoughtfully produced and arranged by Walsh and
GRAMMY®-nominated arranger-pianist Tom Zink - that has lyrical themes about
rebirth, restoration and rejuvenation as well as juxtaposing the splendor of
nature and romantic love. The set list is a mix of new songs and standards that
offer hope and continues Walsh’s tradition of writing lyrics for a pair of
classic instrumentals.
Sharing a
mutual passion for the elegance and sensuality of Brazilian jazz, Walsh and
Zink - married both creatively and in real life – showcase their affinity for
recordings bolstered by the spontaneity and improvisational spark between
first-call musicians. The duo also put considerable care into their meticulous
arrangements.
“There was a
time when thoughtful writers dominated the pop world. We’re nostalgic for the
days when albums were defined by imagination and a musicality that involved the
interplay between scores of musicians and complex arrangements. These songs
rely heavily on the interaction between first-class jazz and studio players
like Brian Bromberg, Chris Wabich, Gary Meek, Gannin Arnold, Tiki Pasillas and
Ebinho Cardoso, highly-accomplished musicians who bring their own special
personalities to the arrangements,” said Zink, who received a GRAMMY®
nomination for his clever arrangements on Walsh’s “Pretty World” (2009).
Many of the
tracks on “Brand New” are enriched by elaborately-orchestrated string, horn and
woodwind sections while a few cuts stir a poignant swoon as sparsely-rendered
piano and voice sketches. Whether her accompaniment is grandiose or spare,
Walsh’s balletic voice is constant throughout, leaping with poise and grace
across a lush backdrop of enchanting harmonies.
“Renewal and
redemption are the key themes of this project and the common link for all of
the music. Even within the structures and orchestration of the songs
themselves, the layering and complexity of the arrangements are meant to
provide a treasure trove of melodies to discover and re-discover. The draw to
classic songs by our favorite composers is an act of renewal for us - taking
what is already beautiful and showing a new way of experiencing the familiar,”
said Walsh, who will celebrate the album release with a performance at Spaghettini’s
in Seal Beach, Calif. on March 20.
On “Brand
New,” Zink and Walsh’s unique approach to recording covers by songwriting
giants such as John Lennon & Paul McCartney (“Here, There and Everywhere”),
Burt Bacharach & Hal David (“I Say A Little Prayer”), Alan & Marilyn
Bergman and Michel Legrand (“Windmills Of Your Mind”) and Sergio Mendes &
Lani Hall (“Salt Sea”) means completely dismantling the composition and
reimagining its time, arrangement and harmonies while frequently keeping only
the melody intact. The lyrics Walsh poetically penned for Dori Caymmi’s “Amazon
River” equate nature and amorous beauty while she adopts a storyteller mindset
on “The Writings On The Wall” to chronicle the career accomplishments and
challenges faced by Astrud Gilberto. She duets with bassist Cardoso in
Portuguese on “Coisas Do Amor,” an original number by the proficient bassist
who is equally blessed with a satiny voice. Other standouts include a dramatic
reading of “Nature Boy,” the starry-eyed “To Sir With Love,” an ethereal
treatment of “My Prayer,” and a couple of new Walsh-Zink compositions – the
breezy and quixotic title track and a throwback energizer, “Batuque (The
Beat).”
A Worcester,
Mass. native who has long resided in Long Beach, Calif., Walsh is a
classically-trained vocalist possessing operatic and theatrical qualities
although the style she favors on her recordings organically straddles the jazz
and pop worlds. “Brand New” is her first release since her 2011’s outing, “Go.”
She has cultivated a fan base domestically and abroad through radio play and
repeated tour stops in Southern California, Boston, New York City and Brazil,
and at the venerable Newport Music Festival in Rhode Island. For more
information, please visit www.AnneWalsh.com.
The songs
contained on Walsh’s “Brand New” album are:
“Amazon
River”
“Brand New”
“Here, There
and Everywhere”
“Batuque
(The Beat)”
“I Say A
Little Prayer”
“Coisas Do
Amor”
“My Prayer”
“The
Writings On The Wall”
“Windmills
Of Your Mind”
“To Sir With
Love”
“Salt Sea”
“Nature Boy”
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Grammy® Award-Winning Pianist Laurence Hobgood Steps Releases Honor Thy Fathers, 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.
Amy Winehouse's First Album "Frank" Remastered And Available On Vinyl
Amy Winehouse's career, though meteoric,
was unfortunately cut short by tragedy, but the multi-GRAMMY® Award winner's
musical legacy can now be appreciated anew with Island Records/Universal Music
Enterprises' remastered and vinyl debut of her first album, Frank on 180-gram,
2-LP black vinyl with a printed gatefold sleeve that includes lyrics. The Frank
album was previously only available on vinyl in the U.S. in a limited edition 8
disc boxed set released in December 2015.
The sultry jazz-and-soul-tinged 2003
debut Frank, is a testament to her love of singers like Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah
Vaughan, Dinah Washington and Nina Simone. This album led to her commercial
breakthrough, Back To Black, issued in 2006, which earned her a Best new Artist
award at the GRAMMY® Awards the following years, as well as Best Pop Vocal
Album and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, and the ultimate prizes, Record
and Song of the Year for "Rehab." With five GRAMMY® Awards she was
the first British female performer ever to win that many.
Amy's immense popularity continues with
critics and fans worldwide with their response to the documentary, Amy, which
has received 33 nominations and has won a total of 23 film awards, including
Best European Documentary at the 2015 European Film Award, two BAFTA's &
upcoming nominations for Best Music Film at the 2016 GRAMMY® Awards and Academy
Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature. Amy Winehouse has also received
a posthumous nomination at the 2016 BRIT Awards for "Best British Female
Solo Artist."
Born in North London, Winehouse's vocal
abilities were apparent from an early age, and she began writing after picking
up a guitar at 14. After writing for the World Entertainment News Network as a
music journalist and singing for a local group, Amy was the featured vocalist
with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra when she was 16 in 2000. By 2003, she
was signed to Simon Fuller's 19 Management, which developed her while she sang
jazz standards at clubs in and around London.
Frank was named after her father Mitch's
favorite singer – Sinatra, the Chairman of the Board – as well as the honest
nature of the lyrics. Produced mainly by Salaam Remi, Frank featured songs
co-written by Amy as well as three covers, one of them a "hidden" track,
"Mr. Magic (Through The Smoke)," a masterful reinterpretation of the
Grover Washington Jr. hit "Mister Magic." Amy's composition
"Stronger Than Me" received the U.K.'s prestigious Ivor Novello Prize
for Best Contemporary Song, while the album earned her two BRIT Awards
nominations and was short-listed for the Mercury Prize; it went on to sell more
than one million albums in the U.K. The Washington Post noted, "Her
attitude and command were already there… and then some."
Track listing for the 2-LP set:
Side 1
1. Intro/Stronger Than Me
2. You Sent Me Flying/Cherry
3. Know You Now
4. F*** Me Pumps
Side 2
1. I Heard Love Is Blind
2. Moody's Mood For Love/Teo Licks
3. (There Is) No Greater Love
4. In My Bed
Side 3
1. Take the Box
2. October Song
3. What Is It About Men?
Side 4
1. Amy Amy Amy / Outro
2. Brother
3. Mr. Magic (Through the Smoke)
Janis Joplin: Little Girl Blue (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), brings together 17 essential live and studio performances
Columbia/Legacy
Recordings is releasing Janis: Little Girl Blue (Original Motion Picture
Soundtrack), the official album companion to the highly acclaimed documentary
written, directed and coproduced by Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Amy J.
Berg ("Deliver Us From Evil," "West of Memphis").
A remarkable
career-spanning anthology, Janis: Little Girl Blue (Original Motion Picture
Soundtrack), brings together 17 essential Janis Joplin live and studio
performances, including classic solo and Big Brother & the Holding Company
tracks. The album debuts a previously unreleased version of "Piece of My
Heart" (featured in the documentary and recorded live at the Generation
Club in New York City in April 1968 during the Wake for Martin Luther King
concert, this performance was included in the 1991 D.A. Pennebaker and Chris
Hagedus short film, "Comin' Home," and has been never been available
on a commercial audio release).
Janis:
Little Girl Blue (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) includes an early
recording of Janis Joplin singing Lead Belly's "Careless Love"; live
performances with Big Brother & The Holding Company (from San Francisco's
Avalon Ballroom, the Monterey Pop Festival, the Generation Club in New York
City and Detroit's mythic Grande Ballroom); the Kozmic Blues Band (Frankfurt,
West Germany, April 12, 1969); Janis live at the Woodstock Music & Art Fair
(August 17, 1969) and the legendary Festival Express Tour (July 4, 1970).
Rounding out Janis: Little Girl Blue (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) are
definitive studio performances from the classic four original albums--Big
Brother & The Holding Company, Cheap Thrills, I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues
Again Mama! and Pearl--recorded during Joplin's lifetime. All of the recordings
on the Janis: Little Girl Blue (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) can be
heard in the film.
The Janis:
Little Girl Blue (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) package includes new
liner notes penned by Amy J. Berg, seldom-seen vintage photographs and
reproductions of letters written by Janis, as detailed throughout the
documentary.
In
"Janis: Little Girl Blue," Academy Award®-nominated documentarian Amy
Berg examines the meteoric rise and untimely fall of one of the most revered
and iconic rock 'n' roll singers of all time: Janis Joplin. Joplin's life story
is revealed for the first time on film through electrifying archival footage,
revealing interviews with friends and family and rare personal letters,
presenting an intimate and insightful portrait of a bright, complicated artist
who changed music forever.
Joplin's own
words tell much of the film's story through a series of letters she wrote to
her parents over the years, many of them made public for the first time (and
read by Southern-born indie rock star/actor Chan Marshall, also known as Cat
Power). This correspondence is only one element of the stunning, previously
unseen material Berg discovered during the seven years she spent working on
"Janis: Little Girl Blue." New audio and video of Joplin in concert
and in the studio (some shot by legendary filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker), and even
footage from her emotional return to Texas for her tenth high school reunion,
add depth and texture to this remarkable documentary.
"Janis:
Little Girl Blue" is a Content Media Corporation presentation of a
Disarming Films and THIRTEEN PRODUCTIONS LLC's American Masters production in
association with Jigsaw Productions, Sony Music Entertainment and Union
Entertainment Group. Narrated by Chan Marshall, edited by Billy McMillin,
Garrett Price, and Joe Beshenkovsky with music by Joel Shearer. Francesco
Carrozzini served as cinematographer. The film is produced by Alex Gibney, Amy
Berg, Jeff Jampol, and Katherine LeBlond with Michael Kantor, Susan Lacy, Noah
C Haeussner, Stacey Offman and Michael Raimondi as executive producers. The
film is directed by Amy Berg.
"Amy
Berg brings an intimate voice to her absorbing documentary portrait of late
blues-rock goddess Janis Joplin," wrote Guy Lodge in Variety.
David
Rooney, writing in the Hollywood Reporter called "Janis: Little Girl
Blue": "Essential viewing...Berg's film presents a well-rounded,
deeply admiring picture of a maverick talent who paved the way for countless
female rockers…tells the legendary singer's story with vitality and
heart."
"Janis:
Little Girl Blue" premiered at the 2015 Venice Film Festival on September
6, 2015 and played successfully at a number of international festivals
including the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival, the 2015 Deauville
American Film Festival, the 2015 BFI London Film Festival, the Loft Film
Festival in Tucson, Arizona, the Houston Cinema Arts Festival, The
International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, the Key West Film Festival
and others.
The film
opened in New York City on November 27, 2015 at the Film Society of Lincoln
Center and the IFC Center, where it played to sold-out audiences for an
incredible eight-week run. Beginning December 4, "Janis: Little Girl
Blue" opened in more than 100 theaters nationwide including movie houses
in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Hollywood, San Diego, San Francisco, Chicago,
Seattle, Neptune (NJ), Binghamton (NY), Pelham (NY), Phoenix, Tucson, Denver,
Orlando, Miami, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, McKees Rock (PA), Washington
DC, Cleveland Heights (OH), Minneapolis, Salt Lake City and others.
In 2016,
"Janis: Little Girl Blue" is already enjoying an amazing
international reception, selling out multiple locations in France, Germany,
Chile, Colombia, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom (where the film is
scheduled to open on additional screens throughout February and March).
"Janis:
Little Girl Blue" will have its exclusive U.S. broadcast premiere Tuesday,
May 3 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) on the "American
Masters" series. The broadcast will feature a never-before-seen extended
film cut with additional archival performance footage and new interviews.
Janis Joplin
was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 by Melissa Etheridge,
who performed a tribute set to Janis at the ceremony. "She took a flag and
made a place in rock and roll for women," Etheridge says. "She was
the first." Janis was posthumously given a Grammy Lifetime Achievement
Award in 2005 and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on November 4, 2013. In
December 2015, Janis Joplin's 1964 Porsche 356 was sold at RM Sotheby's for
$1.76 million, the highest price ever paid for a Porsche 356 at auction. Janis
bought the car in 1968 and had it painted, bumper to bumper and door to door,
in an exotic psychedelic landscape. Fans would often tuck notes to the singer
under the Porsche's windshield wipers. January 11, 2016 marked the 45th
anniversary of the posthumous release of Pearl, Janis Joplin's final studio
album. "A Night With Janis Joplin," the critically-acclaimed Broadway
musical, is currently on tour in the United States and
Canada.
Janis Joplin
/ Janis: Little Girl Blue (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack):
1.Careless Love – Janis Joplin (from:
Janis – Early Performances)
2.Down On Me – Big Brother & The
Holding Company (from: Big Brother & The Holding Company)
3.Women Is Losers – Big Brother &
The Holding Company (from: Janis Boxset)
4.Ball And Chain – Big Brother & The
Holding Company (recorded live at the Monterey Pop Festival – June 17, 1967)
5.Piece of My Heart – Big Brother &
The Holding Company (Live at the Generation Club – April 1968, previously
unreleased as audio only)
6.Catch Me Daddy – Big Brother & The
Holding Company (recorded live at the Grande Ballroom, Detroit – March 2, 1968;
from: Cheap Thrills Expanded Edition)
7.Magic Of Love – Big Brother & The
Holding Company (recorded live at the Grande Ballroom, Detroit – March 2, 1968;
from: Cheap Thrills Expanded Edition)
8.Summertime – Big Brother & The
Holding Company (from: Cheap Thrills)
9.Raise Your Hand – Janis Joplin with
the Kozmic Blues Band (recorded live in Frankfort, West Germany – April 12,
1969; from: Farewell Song)
10.Maybe – Janis Joplin (from: I Got Dem
Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!)
11.Work Me, Lord – Janis Joplin
(recorded live at the Woodstock Music & Art Fair – August 17, 1969)
12.Trust Me – Janis Joplin & The
Full Tilt Boogie Band (from: Pearl)
13.Cry Baby – Janis Joplin (recorded
live in Calgary during the Festival Express Tour – July 4, 1970; from: Pearl
Expanded Edition)
14.Tell Mama – Janis Joplin (recorded
live in Calgary during the Festival Express Tour – July 4, 1970; from: Pearl
Expanded Edition)
15.Get It While You Can – Janis Joplin
& The Full Tilt Boogie Band (from: Pearl)
16.Me And Bobby McGee – Janis Joplin
& The Full Tilt Boogie Band (from: Pearl)
17.Little Girl Blue – Janis Joplin
(from: I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!)
Angelique Kidjo Wins 3rd World Music Grammy For "Sings"
Angelique
Kidjo, the Benin born singer/songwriter is celebrating the win of her third
"Best World Music Album" Grammy Award for her 429 Records album
Sings. It's the artist's second
consecutive win in that category as her 2014 album Eve won last year. Produced by Kidjo and long-time production
partner Jean Hebrail, Sings showcases Kidjo's collaboration with the 110 piece
Orchestre Philharmonique Du Luxembourg, led by renowned conductor and composer
Gast Waltzing. Kidjo reimagines nine
classic songs from her 24 year repertoire and two new songs ("Otishe"
and "Mamae" from the Eve sessions), blending European classical
traditions with the powerful rhythmic sounds of her native West Africa. Along
with the orchestra, Kidjo's additional players include Christian McBride and
Massimo Biolcati on upright basses; Lionel Loueke, Dominic James and David
Laborier on guitars; Magatte Sow, Crespin Tpikiti and Benoit Avihoue on
percussion; Tuelo Kgobokoe Tsholofetso and Mokubung, background vocals; and
Gast Waltzing, flugelhorn solo on "Samba Pa Ti." Angelique Kidjo's Sings was released on 429
Records.
Kidjo's
accolades includes a more than 20 year discography, three Grammy Awards,
thousands of concerts around the world and being named "Africa's premier
diva" (Time Magazine) and "the undisputed Queen of African
Music" (Daily Telegraph). In addition to winning the Grammy for Sings,
Kidjo's 2014 recording for Eve and her 2008 recording Djin Djin won Grammys for
Best Contemporary World Music Album. Her studio recording Oyo was nominated in
the same category. She has enjoyed a long history of notable collaborations
with greats from the jazz and pop worlds—including Carlos Santana, Bono, John
Legend, Josh Groban, Peter Gabriel, Branford Marsalis, Dianne Reeves, Roy
Hargrove and Alicia Keys. In an expansive career marked as much by
extraordinary musical achievement as passionate advocacy and philanthropy for
her homeland of Africa, Angelique Kidjo has found many ways to celebrate the
rich, enlightening truth about the continent's women beyond the media
spotlight.
Says Kidjo: "The orchestra brings different textures to my life and music. Unlike in pop music, the orchestra doesn't follow you, it leads and dares you to follow it. If you don't do this successfully, the songs suffer and the communication is lost. But I love the challenge of doing new things. I never want to get too comfortable with what I'm doing, and I love my work too much to repeat myself."
Says Kidjo: "The orchestra brings different textures to my life and music. Unlike in pop music, the orchestra doesn't follow you, it leads and dares you to follow it. If you don't do this successfully, the songs suffer and the communication is lost. But I love the challenge of doing new things. I never want to get too comfortable with what I'm doing, and I love my work too much to repeat myself."
Friday, February 12, 2016
NEW RELEASES: SNARKY PUPPY – FAMILY DINNER: VOLUME TWO; CHARLES BRADLEY & THE MENAHAN STREET BAND – LIVE FROM THE HOUSE OF SOUL; MICHAEL FORMANEK AND ENSEMBLE KOLOSSUS - THE DISTANCE
This is the
second in the Family Dinner series which began with 2014’s Grammy Award-winning
album, Family Dinner: Volume One. To give you a little background on the
“series,” the band sees this album - while it is technically a Snarky Puppy
album by the fact that they are the backing band and arrangers of all of the
material - as more of a compilation; an album of all original songs written and
performed by the guest vocalists, with just a little musical help from Snarky
Puppy. Tracklisting: I Asked (Featuring Becca Stevens & Väsen); Molino
Molero (Featuring Susana Baca & Charlie Hunter); Liquid Love (Featuring
Chris Turner); Soro (Afriki) (Featuring Salif Keita, Carlos Malta, &
Bernardo Aguiar); Sing To The Moon (Featuring Laura Mvula & Michelle
Willis); Don't You Know (Featuring Jacob Collier & Big Ed Lee); I Remember
(Featuring Knower & Jeff Coffin); Somebody Home (Featuring David Crosby); Bonus
Tracks (on DVD only): Fuego y Agua (Featuring Susana Baca); Be Still (Featuring
Becca Stevens & Väsen); Shapons Vindaloo (Featuring Väsen); One Hope
(Featuring Knower); and Brother, I'm Hungry (Featuring NOLA International).
CHARLES
BRADLEY & THE MENAHAN STREET BAND – LIVE FROM THE HOUSE OF SOUL (DVD)
The first
installment of Daptone Records' new video series, Live From The House Of Soul.
Directed by Poull Brien and shot in the backyard of Daptone's House of Soul in
Bushwick, Brooklyn, it features Charles Bradley at his best with the Menahan
Street Band. In his distinctively rough-hewn timbre one hears the unmistakable
voice of experience - each note and gruff inflection a reflection of his
extended, sometimes rocky, personal path. It's only fitting that producer,
Brenneck (also a member of the Dap-Kings and the Budos Band), would recognize
in Bradley a kindred musical spirit - a singer whose performances exude both
raw power and poignant beauty. Includes: Love Bug; Where Do We Go From Here?;
Victim Of Love; Confusion; The World (Is Going Up In Flames); Crying In The
Chapel; Strictly Reserved For You; Bonus Music Videos: Where Do We Go From
Here?; Strictly Reserved for You; The World (Is Going Up In Flames); and
Heartaches & Pain.
MICHAEL
FORMANEK AND ENSEMBLE KOLOSSUS - THE DISTANCE
Bassist
Michael Formanek works here with his Ensemble Kolossus – a group that's maybe
not as big as their name, but who manage to bring a very full sound to the
album overall! The lineup features trumpets from Ralph Alessi and Dave Ballou,
cornet from Kirk Knuffke, baritone from Tim Berne, piano from Kris Davis, tenor
from Chris Speed and Brian Settles, trombone from Alan Ferber and Ben Gerstein,
and alto from Loren Stillman and Oscar Noriega – a large group of like-minded
players who often fuse together in this wave of sound that's deep in darker
colors and moody tones – all of which allow Formanek a surprisingly strong
space up front, thanks to the careful direction of Mark Helias. Titles include
"The Distance", and the long "Exoskeleton" suite of tracks.
~ Dusty Groove
Thursday, February 11, 2016
The Hollywood Bowl 2016 Summer Concert Series Features Top Notch Performers
The Hollywood Bowl 2016 summer concert series has been announced:
JUNE
June 11, 12
- Playboy Jazz Festival with Fourplay (with Nathan East, Bob James, Chuck Loeb
& Harvey Mason), Cécile Mclorin Salvant, Seth Macfarlane Big Band, Janelle
Monáe, John Batiste & Stay Human, host George Lopez, more to be announced
June 18 -
Steely Dan (Opening Night at the Bowl with fireworks) with Hollywood Bowl
Orchestra, conductor Thomas Wilkins
June 24 -
Sing-a-Long Sound of Music with host Melissa Peterman
June 26 -
Reggae Night XIV with Burning Spear; Cocoa Tea; Etana
JULY
July 1 - A
Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor and special guests Christine
DiGiallonardo, Sarah Jarosz, Heather Masse, Aoife O'Donovan, Sara Watkins
July 2, 3, 4
- Chicago (fireworks spectacular) with Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, conductor
Thomas Wilkins; Air Force Band of the Golden West
July 8, 9 -
Star Trek in Concert with Los Angeles Philharmonic, conductor David Newman
July 10 -
Pet Sounds With Brian Wilson, Al Jardine & Blondie Chaplin; M. Ward
July 12 -
Conductor Gustavo Dudamel, piano Lang Lang (Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1,
Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade)
July 14 -
West Side Story with Los Angeles Philharmonic, conductor Gustavo Dudamel, cast
to be announced
July 15, 16
- Diana Ross
July 19 -
West Side Story with Los Angeles Philharmonic, conductor Gustavo Dudamel, cast
to be announced
July 20 -
Yes We Can Can: An Allen Toussaint Salute with Dr. John & The Nite
Trippers, The Allen Toussaint Band, special guests to be announced; Galactic
July 21 -
Los Angeles Philharmonic with conductor Gustavo Dudamel, piano Yuja Wang
(Gershwin: Symphonic Suite From Porgy and Bess, Ravel: Piano Concerto in G,
Gershwin: Rhapsody In Blue, Ravel: Bolero)
July 22, 23
- "Weird Al" Yankovic with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, conductor
Thomas Wilkins; additional artist to be announced
July 24 -
Los Angeles Philharmonic with conductor Gustavo Dudamel performing Puccini's
Tosca (Julianna Di Giacomo, Tosca; Fabio Sartori, Cavaradossi; Falk Struckmann,
Scarpia; John Del Carlo, Sacristan; Andrew Craig Brown, Angelotti)
July 26 -
Los Angeles Philharmonic with conductor Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, piano Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Los Angeles Master Chorale, artistic
director Grant Gershon (Beethoven: Leonore Overture No. 3, Beethoven: Choral
Fantasy, Ravel: Mother Goose Suite, Ravel: Daphnis And Chloé Suite No. 2)
July 28 -
Los Angeles Philharmonic with conductor Cristian Măcelaru, violin Nicola
Benedetti (Copland: An Outdoor Overture, Wynton Marsalis: Violin Concerto [West
Coast premiere, LA Phil commission], Copland: Symphony No. 3)
July 29, 30,
31 - A Chorus Line, cast and creative team to be announced
AUGUST
Aug. 2 - Los
Angeles Philharmonic with conductor Gustavo Dudamel, guitar Angel Romero
(Piazzolla: Tangazo, Lalo Schifrin: Concierto de la Amistad [world premiere],
Villa-Lobos: Bachianas brasileiras No. 2, Piazzolla: Selection Of Tangos)
Aug. 3 -
Gladys Knight; Tower of Power
Aug. 4 - Los
Angeles Philharmonic with conductor Ben Gernon, choreography Janni Younge of
Handspring Puppet Company (Debussy: La mer, Britten: Four Sea Interludes,
Stravinsky: The Firebird)
Aug. 5, 6 -
Tchaikovsky Spectacular (with fireworks) with Los Angeles Philharmonic with
conductor Gustavo Dudamel, American Ballet Theatre, USC Trojan Marching Band
(Tchaikovsky: Selections From Swan Lake, Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture)
Aug. 7 -
Kurt Vile and the Violators; additional artists to be announced
Aug. 9 - Los
Angeles Philharmonic with conductor Andrew Manze, violin Arabella Steinbacher
(Mozart: Don Giovanni Overture, Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 5, Mozart: Symphony
No. 41, "Jupiter")
Aug. 10 - 50
Years of Jeff Beck with special guest Beth Hart and more to be announced; Buddy
Guy
Aug. 11 -
Los Angeles Philharmonic with conductor Andrew Manze, piano Francesco
Piemontesi (Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4,
Schubert:
Symphony No. 9, "Great C-Major")
Aug. 12, 13
- An Olympic Carnival with Sergio Mendes & Brasil 2016 with special guests
Dianne Reeves and Romero Lubambo, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra with conductor
Thomas Wilkins, Viver Brasil
Aug. 14 -
Rodrigo y Gabriela with Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, conductor Thomas Wilkins
Aug. 16 -
Los Angeles Philharmonic with conductor Nicholas Mcgegan, mezzo-soprano Susan
Graham, Los Angeles Master Chorale, artistic director Grant Gershon (All-Handel
program to include: Coronation Anthem No. 1, Zadok The Priest, "The
Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba" from Solomon, "Awake The Trumpet's
Lofty Sound" from Samson, Ariodante: "Scherza infida,"
Ariodante: "Dopo Notte," Xerxes: "Ombra Mai Fu," Xerxes:
"Se Bramate" "Hallelujah" From Messiah, Water Music Suite
No. 2 In D, Royal Fireworks Music)
Aug. 17 -
The Ultimate Tribute to Ray Charles starring Maceo Parker, featuring a tribute
to the Ray Charles Orchestra, also featuring a tribute to the Raelettes;
Christian Mcbride Big Band; special guest Philip Bailey
Aug. 18 -
Los Angeles Philharmonic with conductor Nicholas Mcgegan, piano Garrick Ohlsson
(Weber: Overture to Oberon, Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 20 In D Minor, K. 466,
Schumann: Symphony No. 3, "Rhenish")
Aug. 19 -
Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals with the Los Angeles Philharmonic,
conductor Thomas Wilkins
Aug. 20 -
Brandi Carlile; Old Crow Medicine Show
Aug. 21 -
The Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma
Aug. 23 -
Los Angeles Philharmonic with conductor Joana Carneiro, violin Gil Shaham
(Korngold: Violin Concerto, Beethoven: Symphony No. 5)
Aug. 24 -
Mega Nova featuring Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Cindy Blackman Santana,
Marcus Miller and Carlos Santana
Aug. 25 -
Los Angeles Philharmonic with conductor Bramwell Tovey, violin Mari Samuelsen,
cello HÃ¥kon Samuelsen (Herrmann: Vertigo Scène d’Amour, Horner: Pas de Deux,
Bernstein: On the Waterfront (Symphonic Suite from the film), Gershwin: Shall
We Dance Finale and Coda)
Aug. 26, 27
- Culture Club with the Los Angeles Philharmonic with conductor Bramwell Tovey
Aug. 28 - Smooth
Summer Jazz with George Benson, Average White Band, Jeff Lorber Fusion, To
Grover, With Love, featuring Jason Miles
Aug. 30 -
Los Angeles Philharmonic with conductor Bramwell Tovey, Shakespeare's Globe
(Korngold: Much Ado About Nothing Suite, Schmitt: Antoine et Cleopatre Suite
No. 1. Berlioz: Roméo et Juliette: "Queen Mab"z Scherzo, Tchaikovsky:
Romeo and Juliet)
Aug. 31 -
The Academy Celebrates the Black Movie Soundtrack II with Marcus Miller,
special guests to be announced, host Craig Robinson, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra,
conductor Vince Mendoza
SEPTEMBER
Sept. 1 -
Los Angeles Philharmonic with conductor Bramwell Tovey, The Globe Theatre
(Korngold: Much Ado About Nothing Suite, Schmitt: Antoine Et Cleopatre Suite
No. 1, Berlioz: Roméo et Juliette: "Queen Mab" Scherzo, Tchaikovsky:
Romeo and Juliet)
Sept. 2, 3,
4 - John Williams: Maestro Of The Movies with Los Angeles Philharmonic,
conductor John Williams, conductor David Newman
Sept. 6 -
Los Angeles Philharmonic with conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya, violin Martin
Chalifour (J. Strauss: Emperor Waltz, J. Strauss: Thunder and Lightning Polka,
Kreisler: Selections for violin and orchestra, R. Strauss: Ein Heldenleben)
Sept. 7 -
Carlos Vives
Sept. 8 -
Los Angeles Philharmonic with conductor Ludovic Morlot, Ate9, Bodytraffic, La
Dance Project (Adam Schoenberg: Bounce, Daniel Wohl - Replicate Part 2 [world
premiere, LA Phil commission], Esa-Pekka Salonen: Helix, Stravinsky: The Rite
Of Spring)
Sept. 9, 10,
11 - Jeff Lynne's ELO (with fireworks finale) with Hollywood Bowl Orchestra,
conductor Thomas Wilkins
Sept. 13 -
Los Angeles Philharmonic with conductor Ludovic Morlot, cello Gautier Capuçon
(Fauré: Masques et bergamasques, Op. 112, Saint-Saëns: Cello Concerto No. 1,
Ravel: Rapsodie Espagnole, Ravel: La valse)
Sept. 14 -
Jazz at the Bowl, artists to be announced
Sept. 15 -
Los Angeles Philharmonic with conductor André De Ridder, mandolin Avi Avital
(Vivaldi: The Four Seasons, Brahms: Serenade No. 1)
Sept. 18 -
Kraftwerk 3-D
Sept. 24 -
Sigur Rós
Sept. 25 -
Bloc Party; Ms Mr; additional artist to be announced
Program,
dates and artists subject to change.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)