NEW RELEASES: SCREAMIN’ JAY HAWKINS – THE PLANET SESSIONS; CARMEN LUNDY – CODE NOIR; RALPH TOWNER – MY FOOLISH HEART

SCREAMIN’ JAY HAWKINS – THE PLANET SESSIONS

An incredible lost moment in the career of Screamin Jay Hawkins – material that was recorded in London in the mid 60s, and with a very different flavor than most of Hawkins' other material! There's a mod jazz approach to this set that's totally great – as Jay's raw vocals come into play with a sweet-grooving Hammond, in a combo that also features some sharp work on guitar, and some strong sax solos too! The upbeat, jazzy vibe is totally great – and gives Screamin Jay a whole new focus for his vocals – and for his songwriting, too – as most of the material here is original. And while Hawkins is always best remembered for his spooky, gimmicky cuts, this material is equally great in a totally different way – and, if it were pursued further, might have given the man a whole new direction in his career. Make no mistake, there's still plenty here to love if you're a longtime fan of Screamin Jay Hawkins – but you'll also really appreciate the mod grooves in the set as well! Titles include "I Wanna Know", "In My Dream", "Change Your Ways", "Serving Time", "Please Forgive Me", "Move Me", "My Marion", and "All Night". Plus, CD features a whopping 12 bonus tracks – a few alternate takes, and other versions of album songs – plus the titles "I'm Lonely" and "Stone Crazy".  ~ Dusty Groove

CARMEN LUNDY – CODE NOIR

Fantastic work from Carmen Lundy – one of our favorite jazz singers of all time, and an artist who keeps on giving us her best as the years go on! This album's definitely some of Carmen's best – as it features the singer working with a wonderful group that includes Jeff Parker on guitar, Patrice Rushen on piano, Ben Williams on bass, and Kendrick Scott on drums – a tight core combo who really find a way to push Lundy's energy even more than usual – while Carmen herself handles other keyboards with her vocals, and serves especially righteous material! There's a bit more politics here than on previous records – perfect for the spirit of the moment – but Carmen also mixes a lot of warmth and love into her music as well. Titles include "Black & Blues", "Afterglow", "Whatever It Takes", "I Keep Falling", "The Island The Sea & You", "Have A Little Faith", and "Another Chance".  ~ Dusty Groove

RALPH TOWNER – MY FOOLISH HEART

The guitar of Ralph Towner has been an important part of the ECM sound since the label's first decade – and here, after so many years later, it still comes across with a brilliance that few players can match! Towner plays both classical and 12 string guitars here – in that spacious, open style that made him a huge influence on younger musicians back in the 80s – and which still has a power that none of his acolytes can match – an acoustic sensitivity that's immediately explosive with color, but always in an understated way – always more powerful here in a solo setting, than if any other musician were on board. Titles include "Clarion Call", "Ubi Sunt", "Blue As In Bley", "Rewind", "My Foolish Heart", "Dolomiti Dance", and "Saunter".  ~ Dusty Groove

Drummer Nate Smith Chronicles His Own Black American Experience and Reality of the American Dream Through Deep-Rooted Grooves on Debut Album, KINFOLK: Postcards from Everywhere

Nate Smith's visceral, instinctive, and deep-rooted style of drumming has already established him as a key piece in reinvigorating the international jazz scene, and now his rising career reaches a new benchmark with the release of his bandleader debut, KINFOLK: Postcards from Everywhere (February 3, 2017 via Ropeadope Records). Much like his diverse and ample résumé (which includes esteemed leading lights such as Dave Holland, Chris Potter, Ravi Coltrane, José James, Somi, and Patricia Barber, among others), this album sees Smith fusing his original modern jazz compositions with R&B, pop, and hip-hop.

This leader debut shows Smith at the helm of a core ensemble consisting of pianist and keyboardist Kris Bowers, guitarist Jeremy Most, alto and soprano saxophonist Jaleel Shaw, electric bassist Fima Ephron, and singer/lyricist Amma Whatt, with Michael Mayo on backing vocals. The lineup expands on several cuts with the inclusion of several illustrious guests: saxophonist Chris Potter, bassist Dave Holland, guitarists Lionel Loueke and Adam Rogers, and vocalist Gretchen Parlato.

As the title KINFOLK suggests, the music bristles with a magnetism that can be only achieved by assembling the right musicians, building upon and blending their individual voices and developing a bracing group rapport. Indeed, Smith refers to the aforementioned musicians as "kindred spirits," while embracing some philosophies gleaned from Holland, his mentor. "Dave once told me, 'I really believe that musicians find each other,'" Smith recalls. "He feels that all the collaborations he's done and all the sidemen that he's hired came into his life on purpose, even though he might not have been looking for something specific. He discovers people along the way.

"KINFOLK is about the musical family that I've put together," Smith continues. "All core members of the band have very unique and specific points of view." He reinforces the idea of family by composing tunes that touch upon his childhood: such is the case with the jovial "Morning and Allison," whose title partly invokes Allison Drive, the street on which Smith grew up. The song stars Whatt serenading idyllic recollections of a child enjoying a bright, fun-filled Sunday morning.

Smith recorded his parents - Lettie and Theodore Smith - talking about their respective parents on the mesmerizing interludes "Mom" and "Dad." On the former, Smith's mother tells how her father migrated from Virginia to Detroit and was drafted into U.S. Army, then later returned to Virginia where he bought the family a house. The latter provides a vehicle for Theodore to recall how his own father tirelessly worked at Navy shipyard in Norfolk, Virginia during the Jim Crow era without getting proper financial compensation or promotion until decades later.

"I think of these stories as snapshots that ultimately gave shape to the Black American experience into which I was born, which ultimately informs this music," Smith explains. He goes on to stress the significance of having his father on the disc: Theodore Smith passed away in March 2015. "He never got a chance to hear the music or the band," Smith says.

Smith celebrates the legacy of his paternal grandfather on the haunting ballad "Home Free (Peter Joe)." The song begins with a chamber-like string intro then moves into a gorgeous hymnal melody, highlighted by Shaw's uncoiling of a splendid, blues-soaked lyricism. "Of my four grandparents, Peter Joe was the one I felt the closest to," Smith says. "He was a real buddy of mine. He died when I was only nine but I still think about him a lot."

Smith reemphasizes the theme of nostalgia with "Retold" and "Pages." "Retold" finds Bowers tickling a melancholy yet romantic melodic motif on which guitar and saxophone run parallel lines across. "When I started writing this song, it always sounded like someone telling a love story from start to finish," Smith says. The dreamy "Pages" becomes a superb showcase for Parlato to vocalize the song's theme: turning the pages of a photo album. "I've loved Gretchen since the first time I heard her sing," Smith says. "She becomes a part of the musical fabric. When she sings, it's never about the singer being at the front and the band being way in the back. It's all one sound."

The spirit of the Black Lives Matter movement permeates the somber ballad "Disenchantment: The Weight," another tune that spotlights Whatt's thoughtful lyrics and delicate singing. Underneath the prowling melody, Smith's drums martial rhythms that convey a sense of marching forward. Written in the summer of 2013 soon after the verdict of the Trayvon Martin murder trial, Smith says that the song's cyclical harmonic pattern represents a longing sigh that many people felt and continue to feel after witnessing these ongoing travesties.

Following that aforementioned song is "Spinning Down," an intricate tune marked by multiple subdivided rhythms inside of larger rhythmic cycles. Featuring Holland playing acoustic bass alongside Ephron on electric, intertwining saxophone passages from Shaw; incredible solos from Bowers and Loueke, and surprisingly the only drum solo on the disc, the song touches upon the theme of trying to ease a restless mind. "It works well right after 'Disenchantment' because that song is about everything that's wrong," Smith explains. "'Spinning Down' is about the mind trying to work all that wrong out."

Because Smith didn't come strictly from the formal matriculation of music studies as so many of his jazz contemporaries did, he lovingly describes his approach to drumming as "unrefined," which in turns helps him distinguish his voice. He did, however, earned his bachelor's degree in 1997 in media arts and design from James Madison University. While he was still in college, the legendary singer Betty Carter recruited him for her world-acclaimed Jazz Ahead program.

Smith says that the visual arts discipline he studied in college definitely seeps into his compositions. "I love great movies and images. I've always had a deep interest in composing for film," Smith says. "For this project, there is something very cinematic about the way that I conceived this record. That's why it was so important for me to cast the right characters in terms of musicians. They bring to life the themes of family, nostalgia and identity that define this music." Ultimately, Smith likens the songs on KINFOLK to film vignettes sequenced together to tell a greater story about the unfolding journey of a working artist. This music represents snapshots from that voyage - these songs are the postcards from everywhere along the winding road.

Richard Niles' Bandzilla To Release Two New Videos In Support of Critically Acclaimed New Album “BANDZILLA RISES!!!”

Composer Richard Niles has released the highly acclaimed album “BANDZILLA RISES!!!” Jazz Weekly says “BANDZILLA is hip to the bone!” while Music Street Journal says BANDZILLA “is killer jazz fusion that just plain rocks!…incredibly strange but also very cool.” Cherry Pop calls it “one of the most adventurous albums I have ever heard,” while Midwest Record says, “thinking man’s pop that also provides heat for the feet… killer stuff throughout!”

Now Niles has released two new videos from the album:

In YOU CAN’T GET THERE FROM HERE, 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lDYluRQNoY  jazz-icon Randy Brecker sings and plays stellar trumpet on this funk groove that satirizes corrupt politicians, and the “.1%”.

In LIVE AS ONE, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNUrqGuPPU4&feature=youtu.be, released on Martin Luther King’s birthday, Niles echoes his “dream” that all races and religions can someday live in harmony. Sung by Kim Chandler and Niles, this sentiment is expressed with furious funk and a blistering solo from Incognito’s sax star Nigel Hitchcock. Featured in the video are Martin Luther King, Muhammed Ali, Niles, Chandler and Bandzilla trumpeter and co-producer Johnny Thirkell. Watch out for images of peace and love from Woodstock and from the United Colors of Benetton!

Multi-Grammy winner Pat Metheny has called Richard Niles “one of the best composer/arrangers around and a truly exciting musical force.” For his jazz work with Metheny, Bob James, John Patitucci, Martin Taylor, Billy Cobham, Jane Monheit and Bob Mintzer, and his work on over 40 pop hits, Sound on Sound called Niles “the most versatile man in modern music.” Says Beatles legend Paul McCartney, “Richard Niles is a great orchestrator and musician and a pleasure to work with.”

The new album, “BANDZILLA RISES!!!” is an unparalleled musical event - music that defies definition performed by artists beyond category.

Official Website: www.bandzilla.net 

NEW RELEASES: GEORGE COLEMAN - A MASTER SPEAKS; TAHIRAH MEMORY - PRIDE; RYLE – ADVENTURES OF JEFFERSON KEYES

GEORGE COLEMAN - A MASTER SPEAKS

The title certainly gets it right – as master tenorist George Coleman speaks volumes here with his horn – reminding us that he's one of the all-time giants on his instrument, and a player who's really continued to give us so much wonderful music over the decades! Coleman's right at home on the record – which may well be one of his best in years – open and flowing on his solos, but often with a nice sort of bite, even in the mellower moments – that special sort of edge that George has brought to his playing, from his years with Miles Davis to the many decades after. The group features Mike Ledonne on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and George Coleman Jr on drums – making his debut with the elder George here – and Peter Bernstein makes an appearance on one track for some guest guitar. Titles include the originals "Sonny's Playground", "Time To Get Down", "Blues For BB", and "Blondie's Waltz" – plus a great take on "Invitation", and "You'll Never Know What You Mean To Me" and "The Shadow Of Your Smile". ~ Dusty Groove.

TAHIRAH MEMORY - PRIDE

A tremendous debut from Tahirah Memory – an underground soul singer from the same Oregon scene as Jarrod Lawson, who also helped co-produce the album! Tahirah's got a beautifully fresh sound – sharp songs that burst from her pen with a sort of urgency we haven't heard in years – yet delivered with this understated, jazz-tinged style that's never forced or overdone – even when Memory's got these sharp changes in her vocals and instrumentation! Lawson plays piano, keyboards, and most of the other instrumentation – and the record's a great reminder that there's still a huge amount of life in the contemporary soul underground – if you know where to look and listen. Titles include "Time", "Pride", "I Can't Change", "Beautiful Disaster", "All The Time", "Puddin", "Nice Guy", and "Again".  ~ Dusty Groove

RYLE – ADVENTURES OF JEFFERSON KEYES

Fantastic bit of boogie – a contemporary set, but one that it feels like it was lifted from the best of the early 80s underground – from the post-disco, funky club rhythms – right through to the soulful vocals and warm keyboards in the mix! The tunes have a sound that's sophisticated, but very organic too – that best sort of funky flow that you'll remember from the moment when the bigger discos were closing their doors, and club music went back underground and got stripped down to its finest elements! Rob Hardt provides the great keyboards on the record – and vocals are by a variety of singers – including Seest, Flemming Fanoe, Kiki Kyte, Folami, Kenny Thomas, and Sulene Fleming – on titles that include "Keep The Faith", "Busy Dreamin", "Never Gonna Let You Go", "Lift Your Head Up", "Private Eye", "Soho House", and "Something's Got Me Walking On Air". The tunes are positive and upbeat as their titles might imply – and the record's a great one if you go for an Incognito-styled groove!

 

Jazz Chill Music Blog in Feedspot Top 50 Jazz Blogs!

Jazz Chill Music was recently named one of the top 50 Best Jazz blogs by Feedspot.  As a matter of fact, we are the 25^th out of the top 50. Feedspot’s top 50 chart is based on reviewing Jazz blogs from thousands of top Jazz blogs in their index using search and social metrics. These blogs are ranked based on following criteria: Google reputation and Google search ranking; iInfluence and popularity on Facebook, twitter and other social media sites; quality and consistency of posts; and Feedspot’s editorial team and expert review We want to thank Feedspot for selecting Jazz Chill Music as one of the Top 50 Jazz Blogs Winners! 

http://blog.feedspot.com/jazz_blogs/

The Return of Larry Coryell and the Eleventh House with new album "Seven Secrets"

Legendary jazz fusion pioneers Larry Coryell and the Eleventh House have signed to Savoy Jazz and are readying the release of their all new album "Seven Secrets" which will be released on June 2nd.  Guitarist Coryell has assembled founding members Randy Brecker (trumpet), long-timer John Lee (bass), the addition of son Julian (guitar) and the late Alphonse Mouzon (drums) to bring the rock and funk back to jazz again with a batch of eleven powerhouse tracks.  The album is truly a group effort with Coryell relying on each member to contribute compositions to the new album (much like he did back in the 70's) and with the help of engineer Luciano Rubio and many an all-night session, the inspired "Seven Secrets" came to fruition.   Larry Coryell and the Eleventh House will embark on a U.S. tour beginning in June—confirmed dates below.  Savoy Jazz will release "Seven Secrets" on June 2nd.   Those who pre-order "Seven Secrets" at iTunes will receive three "instant gratification" tracks (see link below).

"Seven Secrets" was born after a week of dynamic sold out shows at NYC's Blue Note club—a billing that happened on a whim when the original idea of a night of five guitarists fell through and Coryell suggested bringing the band back together for the shows.  The inspiration for the resulting album was fueled by each of the seasoned musicians' instincts, evolving tastes and the wisdom they had gained over the years playing jazz and pop in a wide variety of settings. "Seven Secrets" hearkens back in a modern way to an era that Coryell calls "the golden age of fusion," jazz entered a time of bold experimentation and started rocking with electric guitar effects and synthesizers for the first time, relating to more contemporary listeners without losing the original inspiration. The Eleventh House held court and shared stages around the world  with fellow revolutionary ensembles and artists like Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather Report, Return to Forever, Soft Machine (featuring Allan Holdsworth) and Herbie Hancock. 

Says Coryell: "In my opinion, jazz itself has not changed that much. So when you bring in talented all-stars like Randy, Alphonse, John and Julian, you get the same spirit as we had all those years ago. It's still jazz the way we envision it, unique, exciting and open to genre-busting adventures. It won't turn off any jazz lovers and we know it will excite people who aren't quite sure if they like jazz – just as the vibe we and those other bands did in the 70's. We're still taking jazz to another level without disrespecting it – and having an incredible time doing it!"

Sadly, drummer Alphonse Mouzon passed on December 26th at the age of 68.  The fusion pioneer helped define the genre having also played with the likes of Weather Report, Herbie Hancock and Al Di Meola among many others. 

"Seven Secrets" Track Listing:

 1) Alabama Rhap Corollary

 2) Mr. Miyake

 3) Dragon's Way

 4) The Philly Flash

 5) Molten Grace

 6) Seven Secrets

 7) The Dip

 8) Having Second Thoughts

 9) Some Funky Stuff

 10) Mudhen Blues

 11) Zodiac

  

Confirmed 2017 tour dates (more to come):

 June 20-21 / Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA

 June 22-25 / Blue Note Napa, Napa, CA

 June 26 / Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz, CA

 June 27 / Yoshi's, Oakland, CA

 July 15 / Scullers Jazz Club, Boston, MA

 July 20-23 / Blues Alley, Washington DC

 July 25-29 / Birdland, New York, NY

 August 18-21 / Fur Peace Ranch, Pomeroy OH

HOT 8 BRASS BAND ANNOUNCE ‘ON THE SPOT’ ALBUM AND TOUR

GRAMMY nominated Hot 8 Brass Band is set to release their fifth album, On The Spot out March 31 on Tru Thoughts, and embark on an extensive world tour including select markets in the U.S., U.K., Europe, and Australasia.

Stirring up excitement ahead of the album and tour, lead single “Working Together”/“Keepin’ It Funky” released on Dec. 16, 2016, has been gaining support from Jamie Cullum (BBC R2), Garth Trinidad (KCRW) and Craig Charles (BBC R2/6Music). The latter tastemaker also stars in the “Keepin’ It Funky” video, which sees him leading the crowd of revellers in a raucous Hot 8 parade performance on London’s Clapham Common. Wherever they are, Hot 8 bring the unique, undiluted energy of the New Orleans Second Line parades.

The new record has its roots firmly in live performance, and in true Hot 8 style it pairs hard-hitting, heart-on-sleeve sentiment with party-fuelling beats, hooks and grooves. On The Spot refers to the saying, on the spot, the glorious, rare moment in a New Orleans parade when the band stops to take a break but keeps playing for the crowd. Vibing and keeping the energy up, when they’re completely in the moment they sync up and the magic happens – a new tune is created, on the spot. Buzzing with the live, spontaneous synchronicity which has fuelled their development from the streets of New Orleans to the forefront of the global scene over the last two decades, the new LP sees Hot 8 committing this spirit to record – and in the live arena the tunes are set to blow up.

“We are privileged to tour and to tell the stories of life in our city, to keep alive the memories of our band members who have passed, as well as all the musicians who have gone before”, says band leader and tuba player Bennie Pete. “We can’t wait to share this new music and party with our fans, who help us to keep pushing ourselves on”.

The last year Hot 8 Brass Band celebrated their 20th Anniversary with the ‘Vicennial: 20 Years Of The Hot 8 Brass Band’ album released in late 2015, and they have toured almost constantly since. Delighting crowds with their rambunctious mix of hip hop, funk and inimitable Big Easy jazz, they have performed along side headliners at sold out festivals including BST Hyde Park (supporting Mumford & Sons), North Sea Jazz, Secret Garden Party and WOMAD. They wrapped up the summer at Madness’ House Of Common event with their jubilant New Orleans-style parade, before being welcomed with open arms by fans and media during their fall France tour.

Mixing an old school street brass approach with funkier currents and hip hop vocals, Hot 8’s magnificent originals are juxtaposed with fresh versions of Snoop Dogg, Stevie Wonder, The Specials and Basement Jaxx. And of course their anthemic take on Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing”, which recently re-launched with a new video that is nudging 1 million YouTube hits. This year’s On The Spot Tour is set to bring these essential cuts to an even wider audience, while cementing the next generation of Hot 8 classic tunes in the hearts and minds of fans.

Always in demand, so far Hot 8 has performed extensively in the UK including the tastemaker outlets of BBC 6Music Morning Show, BBC Radio 4’s Loose Ends, Jazz FM, BBC Radio Scotland and BBC R3; add these to in-depth interviews with Mary Anne Hobbs (6Music) and BBC World Service’s Outlook programme, touching on tragic stories from Hot 8’s history which chimed especially intensely with listeners in the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement. A recent mini-documentary, Hot 8 Brass Band: 20 Years In The Making, has also helped to tell the story of this indefatigable musical and cultural force at a pivotal point in their evolution. Hot 8’s incredible tale, which comes across in their life-affirming and powerful music, has also previously featured in Spike Lee’s two New Orleans documentaries, When The Levees Broke and The Creek Don’t Rise, and David Simon’s HBO series Treme (in which the band played themselves), to add to extensive features across the world’s media.

One of the great New Orleans acts, Hot 8 has pushed on through a barely imaginable series of trials. The devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the separate deaths of five band members, and the horror of trumpeter Terrell “Burger” Batiste losing his legs, have tested these men almost to breaking point. They honour their lost friends and work towards the future of their community by putting their energies into positive projects at home as well as touring as much as possible. They march together and they play their music, not merely as a livelihood, but because their lives depend on it.

Transcending genres and trends, Hot 8 have performed and collaborated with artists from Lauryn Hill to Mos Def to the Blind Boys of Alabama, and were nominated for a GRAMMY in 2013 for their second album ‘The Life and Times Of…’. 2015’s acclaimed ‘Vicennial: 20 Years Of The Hot 8 Brass Band’ exemplified their ability to honour their city’s musical traditions while forging their own powerful legacy – a story that continues apace via the ‘On The Spot’ album and tour.

NEW RELEASES: VICTOR ASSIS BRASIL – TOCO ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM; LUXURY SOUL 2017 (VARIOUS ARTISTS); WE GOT THE JAZZ (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

VICTOR ASSIS BRASIL – TOCO ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM

Unlike Jose Mauro, whose biography is almost completely shrouded in mystery, Victor Assis Brasil’s tragically short life is a better known story. He passed away aged just thirty-five, but by this point his status was already cemented as one of Brazil’s top players. Gifted his first saxophone by his aunt at the age of fourteen, his debut LP was recorded just four years later, alongside some mercurial greats of Brazilian jazz, Tenorio Jr and Edson Lobo. Following the release of his first two albums, Victor was granted a place to study at Berklee College of Music, and it was during this period he recorded toca antonio carlos jobim upon returning to Brazil in the summer of 1970. At a time in Brazil when the smooth n’ easy groove of the bossa beat no longer reflected the inflamed politics of a nation under the cosh of military dictatorship, Victor Assis Brasil morphed Jobim’s soothing originals into raw, deep jazz cuts, with the help of Brazilian legends Edison Lobo, Helio Delmiro and Edison Machado. The album’s influences spans both American continents, finding a meeting point for Latin jazz and North American post-bop, with Roberto Quartin’s perfectionist approach to sound elevating the already incandescent music to divine new heights. Includes: Só Tinha De Ser Com Você;  Wave; Bonita; and Dindi.

LUXURY SOUL 2017  (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

An excellent edition of this long-running series – one that's put together by the folks at Expansion Records – who've given us years of fantastic soul music – both in the world of reissues, and in the contemporary underground! This package brings together both – with a heavy focus on the label's great ear for the best of the best in the Neo Soul generation – underground artists who are making some excellent music that never gets any radio play or big label release, but which tops most of the mainstream soul on the market. And there's also some classic cuts, pulled from Expansion reissues – nicely balancing out the new work with some 70s soul. 3CD set features 35 tracks in all – and titles include "I Can't Forget About You" by Mather, "Your Love Is All I Need" by Alton McClain, "It's A Beautiful Day " by Fe Fea White with Jimi Morris, "All I Need Is You (5AM Jazzy Jam rework)" by Tom Glide, "I Need Your Love (Drizabone rmx)" by Sargent Tucker with Drizabone, "Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover" by Soulutions, "I Need You For Love" by Kim Tibbs, "Give Of Love" by Breakwater, "That's Love (Joey Nelson mix)" by Hannah White, "Moving On" by Faye B, "Let's Have A Good Time" by Andy Stokes, "Groove With You" by Lovell, "Asking Eyes (Phil Asher's west ten mix)" by Da Lata, "Wish You Mine (Ed The Red's funk soul mix)" by Ed The Red, "Now" by Camera Soul, "Take U Back (DJ mix)" by Joyce Irby, "Why Can't We Be Lovers" by Brandi Wells, "It's Your Love" by Ethel Beatty, "I Want You" by Rose Royce, and "Can't We Just Get Long" by Kashif. ~ Dusty Groove 

WE GOT THE JAZZ (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

A set that's mostly hip hop, with lots of jazzy instrumentation – but a package that also includes some great jazz tracks too – which allows it to effortlessly draw a line back and forth between older nuggets and the best of the contemporary underground! There's a crisp, hip vibe to the whole thing – as despite the Tribe Called Quest reference in the title, most of the work here is from the farther side of the spectrum of all styles included – the kind of well-chosen cuts that we'd expect from the folks at P-Vine, who put this whole thing together. Titles include "Clouds" by Gigi Masin, "Good Times" by Pat D, "Hip Hop First Of All" by Guts, "Humpty Dumpty" by Placebo, "Never Left" by Illa J, "In All The Wrong Places" by Kero One, "Six Aces" by Takuya Kuroda, "Get Away" by Think Twice & David Ryshpan, "One Day" by DJ Alibi, "Clin D'Oiel" by Jazz Liberatorz, "My Tunes" by Specifics, "Tohu Bohu 1" by Marc Moulin, "The Blessing Song" by Build An Ark, "Carry On" by King, "Appertif" by Green Butter, and "Warm Thoughts" by Flume. ~ Dusty Groove

Clint Holmes has an intimate “Rendezvous” with a star-studded jazz collective

Dee Dee Bridgewater, Jane Monheit, Ledisi, Joey DeFrancesco, Dave Koz, Patti Austin and The Count Basie Orchestra help bring the veteran crooner’s story to life on the album due February 24.

A song that singer-songwriter Clint Holmes wrote fondly recalling the Sunday afternoons he used to spend with his father at the historic Colored Musicians Club of Buffalo in upstate New York where he was first exposed to jazz serves as the centerpiece of “Rendezvous,” his new album slated for release on February 24 from LL Music.

“I was twelve and it was a true coming of age moment for me. I had never seen my dad in his world. He worked three jobs and never seemed happy until I saw him in this element. I fell in love with jazz and how cool it felt to interact with the ‘cats’ the way my dad did,” said Holmes, the son of an African-American father and a white British mother who was a classically-trained opera singer.

With jazz timing and phrasing informing his velvety tenor croon on eleven cuts, including three new songs that he co-wrote, Holmes surrounded himself with a royal herd of jazz “cats” on the collection that was produced by two-time Grammy winner Gregg Field. The sophisticated session offers a diverse play list that reinterprets modern day and classic pop hits, soulful R&B, theatrical tunes and numbers culled from the Great American Songbook. Field placed Holmes’ voice front and center amidst live instrumentation, sweeping strings and orchestra accompaniment, and sparse piano and vocal settings. The first single shipped to radio stations for airplay is “Say Something,” a duet between Holmes and multi-time Grammy nominee Ledisi. Grammy winner Patti Austin sang, conducted and arranged the background vocals on the track that will also be remixed for dance floors and serviced to club DJs.          

Class and elegance reign on a cunning big band mashup of “I Loves You Porgy”/”There’s A Boat That’s Leavin’ Soon For New York” pairing Holmes and Grammy-winning chanteuse Dee Dee Bridgewater backed by The Count Basie Orchestra. Holmes will join Bridgewater and the famed orchestra on stage at the legendary Blue Note in New York City on February 4 and 5 to perform the showstopper arranged by four-time Grammy winner Gordon Goodwin.   

Stellar contributions proliferate “Rendezvous.” Holmes and Grammy winner Jane Monheit break hearts on a sublime rendition of Cole Porter’s “Every Time We Say Goodbye.” Swinging jazz and blues mingle “At The Rendezvous,” which is illuminated by a storming Hammond B-3 solo from Grammy-nominated organist Joey DeFrancesco. Closing the record with poignancy, Holmes penned lyrics to the sweetly melodic “What You Leave Behind,” composed by contemporary jazz luminary Dave Koz, who embellished the acoustic guitar and vocal track with a gracefully emoting sax solo.          

“Every track does come from a personal place for me and this CD is a ‘rendezvous’ in every sense of the word – a coming together of great and generous artists. The material I selected for the album is specific and biographical while being universal at the same time,” Holmes concluded.  

Holmes burst onto the pop landscape nearly 45 years ago with the million-selling smash “Playground in My Mind.” His enduring and accomplished career as a recording artist, multidimensional showman and consummate entertainer includes tenure as Joan Rivers’ sidekick on her late night television program, a stint as musical feature and event correspondent on “Entertainment Tonight,” and his own Emmy-winning talk/variety show. Along with appearing in marquee musicals across the country, he has written the book, music and lyrics to original shows and cabaret acts. A critically-acclaimed draw in Las Vegas and New York City in recent decades, Holmes concluded an extended run at the Palazzo a short time ago and soon expects to announce a new Vegas residency with a production inspired by “Rendezvous.” For more information, please visit www.ClintHolmes.com.

“Rendezvous” contains the following songs:

“Stop This Train”

“At The Rendezvous” featuring Joey DeFrancesco

“I Loves You Porgy”/”There’s A Boat That’s Leavin’ Soon For New York” featuring Dee Dee Bridgewater and The Count Basie Orchestra

“Every Time We Say Goodbye” featuring Jane Monheit

“All Of Me”

“Say Something” featuring Ledisi

“Maria”

“The Perfect Trance”

“Marie”

“My Way”

“What You Leave Behind” featuring Dave Koz

NEW RELEASES: THE MANHATTANS – I KINDA MISS YOU: THE ANTHOLOGY 1973-87; WONK – SPHERE; DAVID BOYKIN – F**K Y’ALL: A FAREWELL TO 2016

THE MANHATTANS – I KINDA MISS YOU: THE ANTHOLOGY 1973-87

Beautiful harmony soul from The Manhattans! This excellent 2CD set pulls together a bunch of the greatest songs they recorded for Columbia in the 70s & 80s, with all of their classic singles – hits, comparably overlooked gems, and B-sides alike – plus key album tracks from a nearly 15 year run. Already group soul veterans by the time they began recording for Columbia, The Manhattans are one of those rare groups who managed to get better and better over the years, really hitting their peak in the 70s and riding high for years to come, well into the 1980s! Disc 1 features a perfectly chosen selection of material from the prime years of the 70s, including "There's No Me Without You", "You'd Better Believe It", "Wish That You Were Mine", "Summertime In The City", "Hurt", "Gypsy Man", "Love Talk", "Am I Losing You", "Here Comes The Hurt Again" and many more. Disc 2 focuses on material from their surprisingly wonderful 80s years – carrying classic soul ballad tradition pretty deep into the new decade – a really remarkable achievement given the rapidly changing sounds and styles of that decade! Titles include "Shining Star", "Girl Of My Dream", "Just One Moment Away", "Crazy", "Forever By Your Side", "Where Did We Go Wrong?" with Regina Belle, "All I Need", "Neither One Of Us (Wants To Be The First To Say Goodbye)" and more. 35 tracks on 2CDs! ~ Dusty Groove

WONK – SPHERE

That's Thelonious Monk on the cover, getting an egg yolk removed from his head – and while that image may seem a bit sacrilegious, it's also a great way to portray the sound of this unusual Japanese group! Wonk have a sound that's begun in jazz, but quickly taken to much farther-out territory – maybe part of the funk, cosmic, and soulful currents you'll know in the music of Robert Glasper in recent years – but with even trippier, more abstract moments at times – as acoustic instrumentation comes into play with some hip hop-styled production, but always with a warmly beating heart that really holds the record together! The core group features keyboards, bass, and drums – plus vocals from Kento Nagatsuka on some tracks – and the album also features guest appearances by a few MCs, who further help extend the righteous vibe of the music. Wonderfully fresh, and with a sense of variety that really rewards deeper listening – on titles that include "RdNet", "Savior", "DOF", "Minton", "1914", "Glory", and "Emly".  ~ Dusty Groove

DAVID BOYKIN – F**K Y’ALL: A FAREWELL TO 2016

That's the middle finger of David Boykin on the front cover – bidding a bold farewell to the year of 2016 – with a record that offers up some of the most soul-nourishing sounds we've ever heard from the reedman! The album's got a sharper, almost funkier sound than some of Boykin's other work – a double-length performance that features David on tenor, in a group that also has James Baker on a piano that sounds electric, and which is often played in these blocky chords that fit well with the bass of Alex Wing and drums of Isaiah Spencer – all working as a cohesive trio unity, while Boykin takes off with these searing, searching solos! The mix of spiritual reeds and chunkier rhythms is almost a bit like some of the early "funk" work of Joe McPhee – but Boykin's clearly got his own agenda in the music, and comes off with a mindblowing positive sound. All tracks are long, and titles include "Coronal Mass Ejection", "Wherever You At", "Make It Count", "You Know Who You Are", and "Jaglavac". ~ Dusty Groove

Steve McQuarry's Mandala Nonet & Orchestra To Perform the Music of Gil Evans Saturday, March 4 At the SFJAZZ Center's Miner Auditorium

Oakland-based keyboardist-composer Steve McQuarry has long been in love with the unique music of Gil Evans, the late, largely-self-taught Toronto-born composer, arranger, and keyboardist best remembered for his numerous collaborations with Miles Davis.

"The whole way he thought about orchestrating using instruments and also pushing those instruments in different ranges is really fascinating," McQuarry says of Evans. "I remember talking with Maria Schneider about this. She said he would write the trombone parts really high and things like that, which academically trained arrangers are told not to do, and how that changed a lot of textures and tone quality in the sound."

For a program of a dozen Evans arrangements drawn from his early days with the Claude Thornhill big band through his later work with Davis, Kenny Burrell, and his own ensembles, McQuarry has expanded his 19-member Mandala Orchestra to 25 pieces to accommodate instruments Evans sometimes used to enrich his voicings, including French horn, English horn, oboe, bassoon, and cello, as well as downsized it to nine to play three pieces from Davis's legendary 1949-1950 "Birth of the Cool" sessions.

McQuarry's Evans concert will take place on Saturday, March 4, at the SFJAZZ Center's Miner Auditorium, the scene of his highly successful tribute to Carla Bley in June of last year.

No transcriptions from recordings will be performed. The musicians will instead play from original Evans scores -- some written in pencil by the composer himself -- supplied by composer Ryan Truesdell. An associate of Maria Schneider, Truesdell had gathered arrangements from Evans's family, musicians who had worked with him, and from the archives of bandleaders for whom he had worked, among other sources, and recorded 10 of them for his critically acclaimed 2012 CD Centennial: Newly Discovered Works of Gil Evans.

The earliest Evans composition on the program is "The Troubadour," first recorded by the Thornhill orchestra in 1947. Another Evans composition in the set is "Dancing on a Great Big Rainbow," written for Thornhill in 1950 by not recorded until 2012 by Truesdell. The Mandala Orchestra will also perform "Blues for Pablo" and "The Maids of Cadiz" (both from Davis's 1957 album Miles Ahead) and "Greensleeves" (from the 1964 Kenny Burrell album Guitar Forms), as well as "St. Louis Blues," "La Nevada Blues," "Punjab," and "Eleven," all from various albums made by Evans's own bands. And the Nonet will play "Budo," "Israel," and "Boplicity" from Birth of the Cool.

Although born in Canada, on May 13, 1912, Gil Evans resided in the United States from the time he was a boy. He became enamored of the music of Louis Armstrong and other early jazz greats while living in Berkeley in the mid-1920s and formed a nine-piece swing band in Stockton a few years later. He spent most of the 1940s as a staff arranger for the Thornhill band, whose distinctive style greatly influenced that of the Miles Davis Nonet that made the sessions that became known as Birth of the Cool. He recorded in subsequent years with various vocalists and instrumentalists and with bands of his own, but it is the four classic Columbia albums he made with Davis -- Miles Ahead (1957), Porgy and Bess (1959), Sketches of Spain (1960), and Quiet Nights (1963) -- that Evans's reputation most strongly sits in the minds of many. He died on March 20, 1988.

 Steve McQuarrySteve McQuarry, who was born in Denver on August 17, 1959, took his first arranging class at age 17 at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, with Oakland-born composer and arranger Russell Garcia, renowned for his work Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, Stan Kenton, and many others. McQuarry also studied at the University of Colorado at Denver, Berklee College of Music, UC San Diego, and Alexander University. An Oakland resident for the past decade, he has performed as a pianist at Yoshi's San Francisco with his own trio and with flutist Gerald Beckett's quartet and has broadcast with his chamber octet Resonance over KPFA in Berkeley and KKUP in Cupertino. He currently records for his own label, Mandala Records, with his piano jazz trio and the jazz ensembles Resonance, Steve McQuarry Organ Trio, Art-Jazz-Rock group, Echelon; Afro-Cuban Latin Jazz band, Tribu the electronica group Synsor; and the new age group Agharta.

"I named my record label, the octet, and the orchestra Mandala after meeting the Dalai Lama and some Tibetan monks drawing mandalas on Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley some years ago," he says.

The Mandala Orchestra members are pianists Steve McQuarry and Laura Klein; trumpeters Justin Smith, John Worley, Niel Levonius, and Henry Hung; trombonists Keith Yee, Tim Phelan, Joshua Sankara, and Christian Manzana; French hornist Winston Macaraeg; tuba player Portia Njoku; flutist Gerald Beckett; saxophonists Ruben Salcido, Amelia Catalano, Corey Wright, Georgianna Krieger, and Hermann Lara; oboe and English horn player Glenda Bates; bassoonist Wendell Hanna; cellist Nancy Bien; guitarist Mason Razavi; double bassist Ted Burik; drummer Greg German: and tabla player Jim Santi Owens.

Steve McQuarry Presents Mandala Nonet & Orchestra

Performing the Music of Gil Evans

Saturday, March 4, 8:00 p.m.

SFJAZZ Center, Miner Auditorium

201 Franklin Street, San Francisco

NEW RELEASES: RONNIE BAKER BROOKS - TIMES HAVE CHANGED; JEFF LORBER FUSION - PROTOTYPE; SOPHIA DOMANCICH – ALICE’S EVIDENCE

RONNIE BAKER BROOKS - TIMES HAVE CHANGED

Ronnie Baker Brooks, son of blues great Lonnie Brooks, releases his "Times Have Changed", first album in 10 years on Provogue on January 20, 2017. In early 2013 Ronnie Baker Brooks traveled to the late Willie Mitchell's fabled Royal Studios in Memphis. There he recorded a clutch of new songs with producer/drummer Steve Jordan (Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Robert Cray), the Memphis Horns, and the mighty Hi Rhythm section. The sessions also featured performances by musical friends like Angie Stone, Al Kapone, Big Head Todd and the legendary Bobby “Blue” Bland. Features: Show Me (feat. Steve Cropper); Doing Too Much (feat. 'Big Head' Todd Mohr); Twine Time (feat. Lonnie Brooks); Times Have Changed (feat. Al Kapone); Long Story Short; Give Me Your Love (Love Song) [feat. Angie Stone]; Give The Baby Anything The Baby Wants (feat. 'Big Head' Todd Mohr & Eddie Willis); Old Love (feat. Bobby "Blue" Bland); Come On Up (feat. Felix Cavaliere & Lee Roy Parnell); Wham Bam Thank You Sam; and When I Was We.

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JEFF LORBER FUSION - PROTOTYPE

Superstar keyboardist, writer, producer Jeff Lorber is renowned as a pioneer in the Jazz-Fusion movement. Scoring #1 radio hits with Jeff Lorber Fusion and as a founding member of Smooth Jazz super-group Jazz Funk Soul, Lorber performs constantly before his dedicated fans from coast to coast!! Tracks include: Hyperdrive, Prototype, Test Drive, What's the Deal, Vienna, The Badness, Hidden Agenda, Gucci, Park West, and River Song. Set for release in March.

SOPHIA DOMANCICH – ALICE’S EVIDENCE

A great little set from pianist Sophia Domancich – one that's got maybe even more powerful contributions from the group's two horn players – trombonist Ray Anderson, and alto saxophonist Geraldine Laurent! Anderson is great – blowing with the best kind of angular, well-conceived lines that made his early albums so wonderful – and Laurent is a player that we don't really know at all, but who has this soulful power here that's really amazing – one that brings a richer spirit to the music, as she almost blows like she's holding a tenor at times. The rhythms are nicely unified, and well-placed – thanks to the work of Helene Labarriere on bass and Nasheet Waits on drums – and as the set moves on, Domancich gets more time in the spotlight, with these haunting, ringing tones that are very beautiful. Titles include "Alice's Evidence", "Vestiges", "Pool Of Tears", "A Mad Tea Party", and "Down The Rabbit Hole". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: CHARLIE SEPULVEDA WITH EDDIE PALMIERI - MR. EP: A TRIBUTE TO EDDIE PALMIER; ROBERT RANDOLPH & THE FAMILY BAND – GOT SOUL; JOHN STEIN - COLOR TONES;

ROBERT RANDOLPH & THE FAMILY BAND – GOT SOUL

Pedal-steel virtuoso Robert Randolph returns with his new album, Got Soul. The album reaffirms that Randolph and his Family Band have truly evolved into one of the most exciting and innovative outfits in contemporary music. Got Soul takes stock of Randolph's past as a church musician as it pushes the band forward into new places. There is no shortage of originality on the album with songs that run the gamut from gospel numbers to deep, funky grooves to incendiary rock-and-soul jams. The hauntingly exquisite "Heaven's Calling" features Randolph on solo steel while guest vocalists Darius Rucker and Anthony Hamilton lend their golden voices to "Love Do What It Do" and "She Got Soul" respectively. "I Thank You," the 60s Sam & Dave R&B smash, is completely re-imagined in the hands of the Family Band and Snarky Puppy's very on Cory Henry.

CHARLIE SEPULVEDA WITH EDDIE PALMIERI - MR. EP: A TRIBUTE TO EDDIE PALMIERI

Charlie Sepúlveda is trumpeter of power and nuance. On this new recording, Sepúlveda takes on the challenge of preserving culture without being trapped by it. He can take a tried-and-true classic like "Besamé Mucho," and instead of falling into the routine he completely modernizes it, stripping the tune of his sometime over-emphasized bolero rhythm and makes something completely new and communicative. Here paying tribute to his former boss, Eddie Palmieri, Sepúlveda brings his distinctive style to eight imaginative tracks with Palmieri delivering two solo tracks. This isn't salsa and it isn't jazz, and it's not exactly a fusion of the two but an exciting and imaginative place between them.

JOHN STEIN - COLOR TONES

Triple threat: truly excellent compositions, arrangements, and world class playing.

Acclaimed guitarist John Stein expands his already impressive sonic palette on his new recording, Color Tones. The new album, created with his ever-intriguing core rhythm section—longtime drummer Zé Eduardo Nazario and renown bass player John Lockwood—has also added the voices of two hyper-original soloists, Fernando  Brandão  on  flutes or well-regarded trumpeter Phil Grenadier out of Boston. All of Stein’s accompanists here expertly carve out their territory. Songs like the concise “Neck Road,” perhaps the best example of how this collective functions, features all five instrumentalists intertwining in respectful but bristling ways. And in true Stein fashion, the musicians here complement their bandleader tastily, providing a firm and steady foundation for all the fun that happens on top. Stein’s colleagues also recognize and appreciate the freedom that goes along with playing in an open-minded setting. Stein creates with both composition and structure, and he can color in the details of those structures artfully. But even though the format feels traditional on the surface, there are still surprises hiding underneath. In fact, Color Tones is a true delight, with excellent compositions, sublime arrangements and enthralling musicianship. Isn’t that all we require from a jazz recording? Tracks include: The Commons. Angel Eyes, New Shoes, Five Weeks, Jo Ann, Neck Road, Labor Of Love, Ebb And Flow, Four Corners, Salt Marsh Dawn, and Wall Stones.

 

NEW RELEASES: PHILIPPE BADEN POWELL - NOTES OVER POETRY; ERIC ALEXANDER TRIO – JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS; SKYMARK – RESISTANCE SONORE

PHILIPPE BADEN POWELL - NOTES OVER POETRY

Philippe is the son of Brazilian musical legend Baden Powell de Aquino, and is reinventing Brazilian jazz in the lineage of his father’s generation. Balancing the classical with the spiritual, the cinematic with the introspective, and sensitivity with a distinctly Brazilian groove, Notes Over Poetry calls upon the inspiration of the many musical and artistic greats Baden Powell has been surrounded by throughout his life. “The great Brazilian poet and old family friend, Vinicius de Moraes used to say that ‘life is the art of encounter’, and that is what this album is about.” A nomadic upbringing - moving between Rio, Paris and the coincidentally named German city of Baden-Baden, as well as touring internationally alongside his father and brother, provided boundless encounters with inspirational figures. Touring also gave Philippe Baden Powell his first taste of life in the spotlight: recorded when he was just thirteen, a sold out show alongside his father and brother at Sala Cecília Meireles in Rio De Janeiro, would become the 1996 album Baden Powell & Filhos. To his father, Philippe attributes key characteristics which have enriched and guided him in his professional life: “He transmitted to me the passion and commitment indispensable to any artist.” With his father he also shares an innate pull towards collaboration as key to the creative process. “I can’t remember a time making music just by myself, I’ve always felt like a kid with toys waiting for friends to come and play.” Credit is indeed due to the musicians on the album, many of whom are legendary artists in their own right: French jazz drummer André Ceccarelli, who has worked with everyone from Aretha Franklin to Michel Legrande; prolific Belgian jazz vocalist David Linx; and Afro-Brazilian percussion master Ruca Rebordão.

ERIC ALEXANDER TRIO – JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS

A totally wonderful setting for the tenor genius of Eric Alexander – a freewheeling trio, which is a format we're not sure we've ever heard him in before – really stretching out in an amazing way, with the sense of of imagination that we've always loved in his music, but with a depth that takes him farther than most of his usual recordings too! We're not sure what happened, but there's a new sort of edge in Eric's horn – one that might well come from the sublime work of Dezron Douglas on bass and Neal Smith on drums – but which might just be Alexander deciding to take off and really blow us away – which he does throughout the set, with a sense of spirituality that we haven't heard from him before. The whole thing's amazing – and titles include "Wise One", "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", "You Say You Care", "Beautiful Love", "Bessie's Blues", "Russian Lullaby", and "We've Only Just Begun".  ~ Dusty Groove

SKYMARK – RESISTANCE  SONORE

A fantastic album of keyboard funk instrumentals – a set that starts somewhere in a late 70s soul fusion vibe, then makes a move through some of the more broken, cosmic territory of the European scene in recent years! On some of the straighter tracks, there's Fender Rhodes, at a level that recalls the best work of musicians like Bobby Lyle or Ramsey Lewis during their 70s jazz funk years – while other tracks get a bit more abstract, with complicated rhythms that change things up nicely, while still keeping things in soulful territory. There's a bit of muted vocals at spots – but really layered down in the rhythm section, with a more instrumental vibe to the record overall. Titles include "Warm Day", "Illusion", "Flying Fantasy", "O Alivio Das Ferias", and "Disco Song For My Son".  ~ Dusty Groove

PIANIST DAVID BERKMAN Reconvenes "Old Friends and New Friends" Band with Special Guests for Three Night Engagement @ SMOKE JAZZ & SUPPER CLUB February 3rd, 4th & 5th

Pianist, composer, and educator David Berkman has been a vitally important figure on the NYC jazz scene since the mid 1980s.  He has appeared in the bands of countless leaders, including Cecil McBee, Tom Harrell, The Vanguard Orchestra and has worked with a wide array of jazz luminaries including Sonny Stitt, Joe Lovano, Steve Wilson, Chris Potter, Ray Drummond, Lenny White, Scott Colley, Billy Hart, Bill Stewart, Brian Blade and many, many others.  In recent years he has appeared as a leader/co-leader, at the helm of the critically acclaimed New York Standards Quartet, with Tim Armacost, Ugonna Okegwo and Gene Jackson (the band just celebrated their 10-year anniversary with the release of "Power of 10" and will be marching into the next decade with the Spring 2017 release of their sixth album, "Sleight Of Hand"). He has also published three books (with Sher Music Publishing) on jazz theory and practice that have become "must-haves", "The Jazz Musician's Guide to Creative Practicing" (2007), "The Jazz Singer's Guidebook" (2009) and "The Jazz Harmony Book" (2014). 

During this time Berkman also released an album that is quickly becoming a classic, "Old Friends and New Friends", featuring Billy Drewes, Adam Kolker and Brian Blade (old friends) and Dayna Stephens and Linda Oh (new friends). This February 3rd, 4th & 5th, at Smoke Jazz & Supper Club, Berkman happily reunites members of that band with special guests Ugonna Okegwo on bass and Jochen Rueckert and Jonathan Blake, splitting the drum duties. The band will be playing material from this album (produced by Matt Balitsaris and released on Palmetto Records in 2015) released to great critical acclaim, plus new music from the mind and pen of Berkman. "For this weekend at Smoke, we're doing some music from 'Old Friends and New Friends' but I'm also looking forward to premiering some new compositions that we'll be recording on our next CD. This ensemble is a ball to write for because there are three woodwind virtuosos in it, who together will be playing seven different instruments. But the main thing is that all the members of the group are monstrous musicians and improvisors who shape these compositions in unique ways. I think the audience will enjoy hearing all of these individual voices and how much we all enjoy playing this music together" explained Berkman.

Don't miss this three night engagement at Smoke Jazz & Supper Club, February 3rd, 4th and 5th with sets @ 7, 9 & 10:30 PM

Other musicians: 

David Berkman (piano & compositions)

Dayna Stephens (saxophone & EWI)

Adam Kolker (saxophones & clarinets)

Billy Drewes (saxophones)

Ugonna Okegwo (bass)

Jochen Rueckert (drums on 2/3)

Jonathan Blake (drums on 2/4 & 2/5)