Seminal Pianist Harold Mabern Assembles Multi-Generational Band Featuring Longtime Collaborators and Former Students on To Love and Be Loved

Available August 25 on Smoke Sessions Records

Release Performances August 25 – 27 at Smoke Jazz & Supper Club

“The greatest thing you’ll ever learn,” Eden Ahbez wrote in “Nature Boy,” his classic song, “is just to love and be loved in return.” That may not be something that pianist Harold Mabern has taught in the classroom during his decades as an influential educator, but it’s certainly a lesson that he’s passed on time and again by example. On his latest album, To Love and Be Loved, Mabern is joined by a multi-generational band that brings together one of his legendary peers with some of his most acclaimed former students – all of whom play with the same love and respect that Mabern has shared with them over the years.

Due out August 25 on Smoke Sessions Records, Mabern’s To Love and Be Loved reunites Mabern with 88-year-old drumming legend Jimmy Cobb, with whom he first played in Miles Davis’s band during a brief but memorable stint in 1963. The rhythm section is completed by the impeccably swinging bassist Nat Reeves, while the frontline features Mabern’s prize student and frequent collaborator Eric Alexander on tenor saxophone and, on three tracks, another Mabern protégé, trumpeter Freddie Hendrix. Master percussionist Cyro Baptista completes the line-up with a performance on the opening track.

To Love and Be Loved takes its name not from the “Nature Boy” line quoted above (à propos as it may be), but from a rarely revived Jimmy Van Heusen/Sammy Cahn tune written for the classic 1958 film Some Came Running. Originally performed by Frank Sinatra in a lush Nelson Riddle arrangement, the song was nominated for an Oscar but hasn’t been a major part of the jazz songbook since. Long a fan of the song, Mabern was determined to record it, albeit with a completely different feel. In the rendition that opens the album, the sweeping ballad is transformed into an up-tempo number with a slight bossa nova feel.

While he learned most valuable lessons the old-fashioned way – on the bandstand – Mabern has endeavored to pass along similar experiences to his students during his remarkable 36-year tenure at William Paterson University. The results speak for themselves – a partial list of graduates who’ve come under his tutelage include, in addition to Alexander and Hendrix, Tyshawn Sorey, Joe Farnsworth, Bill Stewart, Johnathan Blake, Roxy Coss and Mark Guiliana.

“The way I teach, you have to learn by using your ears, the way Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie did,” Mabern explains. “This music didn’t come from the school; this music comes from the streets. School is just an enhancement.”

True to his determination not to draw a line between educational and practical experience, Mabern approached To Love and Be Loved in the same way. The recording date followed a weekend of performances at Smoke Jazz & Supper Club, the label’s namesake venue, with little planned in the way of repertoire and no music on the stands. The things that worked live, including Hendrix’s impromptu appearance with the band, were carried into the studio, though only the title track, Hendrix’s arrangement of Lee Morgan’s “The Gigolo,” and Mabern’s radically revised “I Get a Kick Out of You,” were decided on beforehand.

With musicians this skilled, little more is needed. The most important common element, Mabern notes, comes from yet another quotation, this one better known in jazz circles – “It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing.”

“There’s two things you can’t teach in this business,” Mabern states. “You can’t teach people how to swing, and you can’t teach people how to play the blues. You can write notes down and you can demonstrate, but if they don’t have the internal instincts to do it, it’s not going to work. Jimmy Cobb likes to swing. Eric Alexander likes to swing. Nat Reeves has a beautiful, big beat, and he likes to swing. We’re what you might call traditionalists. That’s the thing that made it such a joy.”

In discussing his reimaging of classic tunes and the inspiration for the album, Mabern quotes an unlikely mentor for a jazz musician: Albert Einstein. The famed physicist once said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” Mabern took that message to heart, letting his own imagination run free on his new release, To Love and Be Loved.

“To Love and Be Loved” was produced by Paul Stache and Damon Smith and recorded live in New York at Sear Sound’s Studio C on a Sear-Avalon custom console at 96KHz/24bit and mixed to ½” analog tape using a Studer mastering deck. Available in audiophile HD format.

Harold Mabern Album Releases Performances:

August 25 – 27 | Smoke Jazz Club | New York, NY

Pianist/Vocalist Johnny O’Neal to Release New Album “In The Moment” on Oct. 6th, 2017

While every great jazz musician knows the value of spontaneity, few understand the true value of being in the moment quite like Johnny O’Neal. A rising star in the early 1980s, O’Neal left New York after a mugging in 1986. Performing and recording in Atlanta, St. Louis, Montreal and his native Detroit, he experienced another setback after he was diagnosed as HIV positive in 1998. Since returning to New York in 2010, however, both his life and his health have been on an upswing, cementing that long-promised star status at the age of 60. His new album, In the Moment, is his most vivid recording to date, fully capturing the elegant pianism and emotionally gripping voice that have made him such a beloved fixture on the NYC jazz scene ever since his unparalleled comeback.

In the Moment will be released on October 6, 2017 by Smoke Sessions Records — appropriately enough, as the label’s namesake club has been one of O’Neal’s home bases for the last seven years. The album features bassist Ben Rubens and drummer Itay Morchi, O’Neal’s regular working trio for the past year. The weightless swing and easy but deeply felt interplay the three share reveal the benefits of their regular residencies, which include late-night every Saturday at Smoke Jazz & Supper Club and Sunday nights at Small’s. Some of the biggest names in jazz stop by to hear O’Neal, and there’s no telling who might sit in during his sets on any given week. True to that policy, two very special guests dropped by the studio for this session — trumpet great Roy Hargrove and tenor-man Grant Stewart.

Working with young players such as Rubens — who also served apprenticeships under drum legends Al Harewood and Killer Ray Appleton — and Israeli-born Morchi allows O’Neal to play the role of mentor that icons like Art Blakey and Milt Jackson played in his own youth. “I was blessed to come up at the tail end of an era where I played with a lot of great masters,” he says. “Playing with Blakey was the best school. I’m passing that on now to this new generation. Young kids today deserve to play with the veterans — and I reciprocate those same sentiments because they keep me on my toes.”

For O’Neal, playing “in the moment” means never neglecting a single gig — even if you’ve been working on the same stage week in and week out for seven solid years. “I always think of every show as an event,” he explains. “If you just think of it as a gig you have to play, it will come across that way. Every time I play, I play as if it’s the first time. I’m always a nervous wreck. My knees will be shaking before I go out to play. I never take nothin’ for granted.”

The wide-ranging repertoire on In the Moment provides a cross-section of the 200-plus pieces that make up the O’Neal Trio’s ever-changing book. The material ranges from blues to straight-ahead to post-bop to pop tunes to ballads, each one fully explored and deftly illuminated by O’Neal and his electrifying bandmates. Unlike most of his past recordings, it shows off several of O’Neal’s own compositions, some of which date back more than 20 years but have never been recorded.

As O’Neal proclaims, “I’m a piano player first — but secondly I like to shout the blues. People used to tell me people don’t want to hear the blues in New York. Are you kidding me? Sometimes I have to save the blues for the end of my set because if I do it in the middle I can’t follow it. New Yorkers love the blues.”

Long averse to singing, O’Neal was turned around by no more eminent a vocal powerhouse than Joe Williams one night in Kansas City, when the legendary jazz singer was in the audience for O’Neal’s set. “He heard me sing a standard and came up afterwards and asked, ‘Why are you not singing more? You’ve got it naturally. Let me tell you something, young man: if you’ve got it, flaunt it.’ Now my piano playing and singing go hand in hand.”

Most importantly, this album shares O’Neal’s hard-won love of living in — and for — every single precious moment. “I’ve come through all these trials and setbacks, but I never let my health stop me from playing,” he says. ” A lot of people didn’t think I would actually make it to 60, so that birthday was such a gratifying moment. Now I’m a veteran, and I’m grateful for that. Some people get so much praise when they’re younger and they can’t handle it. I can appreciate things much more now.”

“In the Moment” was produced by Paul Stache and Damon Smith and recorded

live in New York at Sear Sound’s Studio C on a Sear-Avalon custom console

at 96KHz/24bit and mixed to ½” analog tape using a Studer mastering deck.

Available in audiophile HD format.

Johnny O’Neal Album Release Performances:

October 27-29 | Smoke Jazz Club | New York, NY

MULTIPLE GRAMMY-NOMINATED LATIN JAZZ GROUP NEGRONI’S TRiO SET TO RELEASE NINTH ALBUM, “NEW ERA,” SEPTEMBER 8TH VIA SONY MUSIC LATIN

“New Era,” the stunning new CD from multiple Grammy-nominated Jazz group NEGRONI’s TRiO sets a new pace for the band in its exploration of multiple musical styles and sounds which have influenced Trio founder Jose Negroni throughout his life. Produced by Jose, “New Era” is a departure from their previous eight recordings stylistically and is set for release September 8th via Sony Music Latin. Both domestic and international tour dates will accompany the release.

NEGRONI’s TRiO is made up of Jose Negroni, Josh Allen and Jose’s son, Nomar Negroni. Due to his musical (Jazz) chops, Jose Negroni worked early in his career as musical director to many Latin pop artists and at one point even worked at Sony ATV Music Publishing. In 2002 he then, along with his son Nomar, decided to form the Trio. However from the very beginning he was always being directed as to what repertoire to include on their albums. After eight albums, this one being the ninth, he was finally allowed, as he requested, to select all of the repertoire without objections and interference from anyone.

As a music director for other artists and having worked at Sony ATV Pub, Jose Negroni was exposed to a wide palate of repertoire that afforded him deeper and broader knowledge of multi-genre repertoire. It resulted in Negroni truly broadening his personal list of favorite songs, and this new album is just that – a collection of songs he is passionate about and that he always wanted to record. From reinterpretations of classic Jazz tracks such as “A Train” and “Sweet Georgie Fame” to new takes of pop standards such as “That’s The Way Of The World,” “Sunny” and “Isn’t She Lovely” to the Brazilian and Latin leanings of “El Incomprendido,” “Perfidia” and “Brazilian Love Affair,” NEGRONI’s TRiO traverses the global musical soundscape.

  

Still keeping to their straight-ahead Jazz trio setting, the trio has embellished the repertoire with electric keyboards throughout the entire album as well as a string quartet. Additionally, there are also four featured guest vocalists on the album, beginning with Cuban songstress Aymee Nuviola performing “Sunny” who provides an Afro-Cuban dose to the track unlike ever heard before. Nuviola most recently played Celia Cruz in the Telemundo/NBC novella “Celia” and she has a long career beginning in Cuba as a vocalist for the world known “Irakere”, which led to eventually developing her own brand and style worldwide as an international artist.

Another guest is the exquisitely talented Brazilian artist and Grammy winner Rose Max. Continually performing around the globe with her husband (the other half of her personal duet), Rose delivers an extremely original interpretation of “Perfidia” in Portuguese.

The third guest vocalist is Pedro Capo also a Sony Latin artist. A singer, musician and actor, Capo performs a song originally written and recorded by his grandfather Latin music legend Bobby Capo. Interesting to note that Jose Negroni as a young pianist accompanied Pedro’s legendary grandfather to the same song. This time around Negroni along with the younger Capo deliver a version completely unlike the original.

The fourth guest artist is rap/vocalist LapizConciente (Conscious Writer). Lapiz is considered the “Father” of the Dominican Republic rap scene. He raps over the jazz standard “Take the A Train” and gives riding the train/subway a whole new meaning. He raps about the daily hustle and bustle of riding the train and urban living.

Born and raised on the southern coast of Puerto Rico, Jose Negroni leader and founder of NEGRONI’s TRiO commenced his humble beginnings in the Caibbean. A pianist, composer and arranger, Negroni combines his original classical style with tantalizing fusions of jazz and Latin rhythms, and his group, NEGRONI’s TRiO equally conveys his musical personality to the many world stages where they have captivated the hearts of so many audiences.

Beginning his career as a music teacher, Negroni fulfilled his early musical years educating young promising talents in the world of music and later developing and strengthening his musical chops as musical director for many Pop Latin artists. Today, years later, teaching and mentoring still continue to be part of his daily life as he continues to find the space to devote time between concert tours in order to give back to the music education community.

Together with his son and protégé Nomar Negroni, an incredibly talented drummer with precise vigor, a flair for showmanship, and a graduate of the Berklee College of Music, and Josh Allen, graduate from the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, a supremely talented bass player providing the drive for the melodies and groove, NEGRONI’s TRiO has been able to mesmerize audiences with their unique brand of jazz that fuses classical and Latin rhythms.

NEGRONI’s TRiO has performed all throughout the globe on stages that include many U.S. and international Jazz festivals as well as numerous key Jazz venues throughout the United States, Japan, Spain, Italy, South America, the Caribbean, Latin America and New York’s world famous Blue Note Jazz Club. With a catalog of 8 albums and “3 Latin Jazz Grammy Nominations” (2005, 2012 & 2015), NEGRONI’s TRiO always seduces and entertains their audiences across the continents. The music of NEGRONI’S TRiO receives airplay in more than 600 radio stations worldwide that includes the U.S., Japan, Spain, Argentina, England, Greece, Uruguay, Indonesia and Mexico.

NEGRONI’s TRiO always seduces and entertains their audiences across the continents by taking musical risks with performance and repertoire, and the result is an array of classic lyricism mixed with innovative and sincere improvisations that quenches their audience’s thirst for world class Jazz and beyond.

www.negronistrio.com

20th Anniversary Vancouver Wine & Jazz Festival Presents Internationally Acclaimed Jazz & Blues Lineup

Blues Legend John Mayall - the "Godfather of British Blues"

The 20th Anniversary Vancouver Wine & Jazz Festival is August 25, 26, 27, 2017 at Esther Short Park in Vancouver, Washington USA.  Called "…the largest festival of its kind in the Northwest…" (ABC TV KATU 2, Portland, OR) the event is recognized by musicians and fans as one of the best music festivals in the Northwest.  "We celebrate our 20th Anniversary this year, and we are proud to have survived and thrived for 20 years," says Artistic Director Michael Kissinger.  "We remain true to our mission of producing an outstanding cultural arts event with a focus on featuring world-class jazz musicians, fine art and crafts and great Northwest wines," he stated.  Over the past 20 years the Festival has presented more than 200 bands, 650 fine artists, and numerous award-winning wines.  An estimated 150,000 people from 23 U.S. States, Canada and Europe have attended.  It is the #1 Cultural Tourism Event in Southwest Washington.

  

The concert lineup features internationally acclaimed GRAMMY-nominated jazz and blues legends, as well as up-and-coming musicians breaking onto the national scene including: The Rippingtons, one of the most critically acclaimed jazz bands of the past 30 years; 3-time GRAMMY-nominee Ruthie Foster; 8-time Blues Music Award Winner Shemekia Copeland; jazz guitarist Russell Malone called "…an absolute master…" by Downbeat Magazine; jazz saxophonist and rising star Grace Kelly; jazz singer Sara Gazarek; blues guitarist and singer Ronnie Baker Brooks; and blues legend John Mayall, known as the 'Godfather of British Blues.'

Local and regional bands, as well as high school jazz students are also performing.  A salute to American Big Band Jazz will be performed by the 56th US Army I Corps Jazz Band. More than 20 concerts will be staged during the 3-day Festival.   

The Festival features more than 100 wines, including some of the best in the Northwest such as Maryhill Winery & Eola Hills.  Attendees can sip a 1-ounce taste or purchase a glass to enjoy with food from local restaurants.  Fine Artists from Oregon, Washington, California and Idaho will sell their art such as oil painting, jewelry, wood carving and more.  "The Vancouver Wine & Jazz Festival is a unique northwest cultural arts event" explains Festival Manager Dr. Maria Manzo. "It is a multi-faceted cultural festival, where people hear great jazz music, enjoy Northwest wine, see beautiful fine art, and become immersed in an eclectic and creative weekend."

 

John Beasley’s MONK’estra Takes Thelonious’ Tunes on Wild Ride

A packed house at the Hudson stage heard Beasley and company take free flight in celebration of the centennial of Monk’s birthday with freshly arranged tunes from last year’s MONK’estra, Vol.1 on Mack Avenue as well as new arrangements on MONK’estra, Vol. 2, scheduled for release Sept. 1.

The band delivered the rhythmically charged ”Gallop’s Gallop,” featuring drummer Peter Erskine, and introduced a rousing version of “Criss-Cross.” But a sure highlight of the evening was a romp through “Skippy,” which Beasley said was the “hardest” tune of the set because “it goes in a lot of different places.” And that it did, with atmospheric trombones, kicking rhythms and feisty sax solos.

Talking between shows, Beasley noted that the tune itself is relatively simple. “Monk used to play [a solo version of] ‘Tea For Two,’ then he recorded it by re-harmonizing the melody and finally wrote another melody over that to make it ‘Skippy,’” he said. “Then I took it from there with my arrangement.”

Beasley talked about the project, noting that he had played Monk before in different settings, including on bassist Buell Neidlinger’s Thelonious album in 1987 and in a duo recording with guitarist Steve Cardenas on 1994’s 10/10 Tribute To Thelonious Monk.

The big band setting almost came as an accident after the arranger found a new toy: the Sibelius music notation software that he was using while serving as the associate music director of the TV show American Idol (for Carrie Underwood in 2003 and lead arranger thereafter for over 10 years).

“After the season ended, I decided to do a 20th-century big band chart using Monk’s ‘Epistrophy,’” he said. “I quickly found out that I could stretch Monk’s form, make stops and starts. I realized how pliable his music was and how open he was to interpretation. Arranging is improvisation, so I went from there.”

He assembled a band of friends to perform this tune and others. After playing the music for a couple years under the name MONK’estra, he invited Monk’s son, T.S. Monk, to come hear the band and give it his blessing.

“T.S. is always protective of his father, but he was totally cool with what we were doing,” he said. “He said, ‘I give you my blessing because the band is the step that my dad wanted for his music. He told me that he wrote his music to be vehicles for self-expression.’”

So, with Beasley’s interpretations of Monk’s unique quirkiness, offbeat actions and punchy dissonances, has he received any detractors?

“I was fully expecting to hear people complaining about ‘’Round Midnight,’ the way I made it electric with a Glasper-esque vibe, but no one has said a thing,” he said. “I think they approve. Really, I think we’re just now catching up with what Monk was doing harmonically. It takes people time to get into different kinds of composing.”

Next up is Vol. 2, with new music and guest spots by Kamasi Washington, Regina Carter and Dianne Reeves, who sings “Ruby, My Dear” (she also guested in MONK’estra’s second show at North Sea, giving voice to the lyrical, moody “Ask Me Now,” to which Beasley had written lyrics). And the shows just keep on coming, including the Detroit International Jazz Festival on Labor Day weekend; the Monterey Jazz Festival on Sept. 17; and a Monk centennial celebration at the Jazz Standard Oct. 12–14.

Read the full piece from: Downbeat

NEW RELEASES: CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE BIG BAND – BRINGIN’ IT; TOWER OF POWER – 40TH ANNIVERSARY; KATHY SANBORN – RECOLLECTING YOU

CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE BIG BAND – BRINGIN’ IT

Iconic bassist Christian McBride has been doing what the title of his upcoming big band album implores for years: Bringin’ It. This highly anticipated release, which follows the Christian McBride Big Band’s 2011 Grammy® Award-winning debut, The Good Feeling,puts his status and skills as an all-around entertainer on full display. With a list of growing accolades including his recent appointment as Artistic Director at the Newport Jazz Festival, hosting shows on SiriusXM (“The Lowdown: Conversations with Christian”) and NPR (“Jazz Night in America,” as well as frequent online contributions to various programs including “All Things Considered”), speaking engagements, and occasional DJ performances under the alias DJ Brother Mister, he’s more than just a bandleader: Christian McBride is transcending that title to something more complete.

TOWER OF POWER – 40^TH ANNIVERSARY

Two disc (CD + DVD) release from one of the seminal bands of the Soul and Funk scene of the late 60's, early 70's, Tower of Power has been funkin' the house since 1968. This live concert CD and DVD is loaded with extras, and includes original band members Emilio Castillo, Doc Kupka, David Garibaldi, Rocco Prestia, Mic Gillette, Greg Adams, Skip Mesquite, Chester Thompson, Lenny Pickett, and Bruce Conte. There are two additional bonus features on the DVD that are also must haves. One is the "East Bay Tour," with Emilio, Doc, Rocco and David Garibaldi taking the fans on a tour of their old stomping grounds.

KATHY SANBORN – RECOLLECTING YOU

Kathy Sanborn is a proven talent as a singer, composer, lyricist, producer and rranger, and in her newest release Recollecting You, she more than proves she knows her way around a love song. The 2015 American Songwriting Award winner presents an album that critic Dee Dee McNeil says is "cozy, soft, and sexy," while critic Mark S. Tucker calls Recollecting You "breathtaking." According to multi-Grammy Award winner Kabir Sehgal, "Recollecting You is a romantic tour de force. With a uniquely lush and powerfully emotive vocal style, Sanborn draws musical inspiration from the past while pushing the evolution of the genre ever forward." The ten original tunes address tender emotions from exultant to bittersweet, and Sanborn's velvety voice caresses the lyrics, musing on deep relationships including the romantic, maternal, familial, and friendly varieties. Sanborn creates a consistent mood while exploring the rhymes and rhythms of each tune, demonstrating that she's a storyteller of remarkable subtlety. An international cast of creative musicians joins Sanborn on Recollecting You, including Keerthy Narayanan, who produced the album, wrote the musical arrangements (Sanborn arranged the vocals), and also plays keyboards and bass. The India-based Narayanan, who also worked with Sanborn on her highly lauded 2015 recording Lights of Laniakea, is recognized for his contributions to the Grammy-winning album, Winds of Samsara. The other band members on Recollecting You are pianist Aman Almeida, drummer Abhinav Khanna, guitarists Vito Gregoli and Ciro Hurtado, a Latin Grammy nominee; trumpeter Wayne Ricci, and violinist Rocio Marron.

ROUNDER TO RELEASE GREGG ALLMAN'S FINAL STUDIO ALBUM, SOUTHERN BLOOD, SEPTEMBER 8TH

Rounder Records has announced the release date for Gregg Allman's final studio album. SOUTHERN BLOOD arrives everywhere on Friday, September 8th. A special and unique part of the deluxe package and the first run of the vinyl will be the inclusion of a painting that Allman and his daughter Layla commissioned from visual artist Vincent Castiglia. The beautiful portrait Castiglia painted was made with Gregg's actual blood in the paint. The process served as inspiration for the album title.

  

SOUTHERN BLOOD serves as a remarkable final testament from an artist whose contributions have truly shaped rock & roll throughout the past four decades. Allman's first all-new recording since 2011's GRAMMY® Award-nominated solo landmark, LOW COUNTRY BLUES, the album is among the most uniquely personal of the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer's career, an emotionally expansive collection of songs written by friends and favorite artists including Jackson Browne, Willie Dixon, Jerry Garcia & Robert Hunter, Lowell George and Spooner Oldham & Dan Penn, meant to serve as a salutary farewell to his legion of devoted fans and admirers. Allman collaborated on his closing project with manager and dear friend Michael Lehman and GRAMMY® Award-winning producer Don Was, a longtime acquaintance and staunch supporter committed to helping the rock icon actualize his very specific aspirations.

  

"As his producer, I was dedicated to helping Gregg crystallize his vision for the record and to help make sure that this vision made it to the tape," says Was. "He was a musical hero of mine and, in later years, had become a good friend. The gravitas of this particular situation was not lost on me. Gregg was a sweet, humble man with a good heart and good intentions and it was a great honor to help him put his musical affairs in order and say a proper farewell."

   

Allman, well aware his time was short, approached the project with an unambiguously realistic agenda. High atop his list of goals was to capture the sound of the ultimate Gregg Allman Band in full flight, considering them the tightest knit combo of all the line-ups that had backed him over his 40+ year solo career. Despite his ongoing health issues, the Gregg Allman Band had picked up right where the Allman Brothers Band left off in 2015, spending nearly two years on the road with tour highlights including the now-annual Allman-curated Laid Back Festival. 2015's two disc CD/DVD set, BACK TO MACON GA, immortalized Allman and his eight-member band's floor-shaking live power but their leader was determined to see what the group could do within the confines of the studio.

  

"Gregg was very excited to be in the studio," says Lehman. "He was especially thrilled to be recording this studio album with his solo band - he was so proud of them and loved the sound that they produced together. Gregg felt close to every single one of them. The Gregg Allman Band was like a family or a well oiled machine, always knowing what the other band members were thinking and doing."

"The Gregg Allman Band enabled him to realize a sound that he'd been hearing in his head for decades but was previously unable to achieve. We talked a lot about his first solo LP, LAID BACK - what would that type of album sound like in the modern era played by these cats and fronted by an older and wiser Gregg Allman?"

  

A further key to Allman's vision for SOUTHERN BLOOD was his decision to record at the world-renowned FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, AL. Alongside its own fabled history, the legendary studio occupied a momentous place in Allman's personal back pages.

"A constant discussion during all of my nearly 15 years working with Gregg was his desire to return to Muscle Shoals," Lehman says. "He always would talk about how he needed to get back to FAME Studios to bring him full circle."

"Muscle Shoals is hallowed musical ground," says Was. "FAME was the place where Gregg's brother Duane first started making waves in the music world and where the earliest seeds of The Allman Brothers Band were sown in a back room during their first, seminal rehearsals. Duane's presence is still ubiquitous in that building. Recording there was Gregg's way of making his spirit a part of this album, in the same way that his spirit continued to be part of Gregg's life."

Brother Duane's presence courses through SOUTHERN BLOOD, from Jackson Browne's "Song For Adam" - the final verse of which Was says reminded Gregg of his older brother's premature passing - to the funk-fried "Blind Bats and Swamp Rats," originally found on the Duane-produced TON-TON MACOUTE!, a lost classic from left-handed blues guitarist Johnny Jenkins. Allman, Was, and Lehman spent significant time plotting out SOUTHERN BLOOD, carefully selecting material that would capture the moment and simultaneously serve as a synopsis of an undeniably extraordinary life. Songs like Bob Dylan's haunting "Going, Going Gone" and Tim Buckley's immortal "Once I Was" allowed Allman a chance to look back over his time on Earth while also pondering the journey that lay ahead.

"Gregg, Don and I listened to a lot of material," Lehman says. "We went back and forth with each other to ultimately come up with songs that Gregg felt reflected his mood, where he was presently in life both on a personal level and professional level, as well as what would be on his fans' minds later on."

  

Allman was of course a gifted and evocative tunesmith in his own right, the award-winning author of such modern standards as "Midnight Rider," "It's Not My Cross To Bear," "Dreams," and "Whipping Post." SOUTHERN BLOOD is highlighted by one of the most candid tracks of his long songwriting career, "My Only True Friend," co-written with Gregg Allman Band guitarist/musical director Scott Sharrard.

"'My Only True Friend' was Gregg's attempt to contextualize the course of his life," says Was. "The man that his fans saw performing onstage was the essential Gregg Allman - he was whole and truly satisfied when he was up there playing music. The trials and troubles he faced in life were mostly the result of not knowing what to do with himself in between shows. In this song, he's addressing a woman and explaining that, although he loves her and doesn't want to face living his life alone, being away on the road and performing every night is his lifeblood. If you understand this about Gregg Allman, every other aspect of his life makes complete sense."

Sharrard - who also contributes his own show-stopping "Love Like Kerosene" - led the Gregg Allman Band through two weeks of recording, with all nine musicians playing together in the same room and Allman singing live vocals. Despite the undeniable "overtones of finality," the sessions proved both relaxed and fun for all involved. Though Allman's diminishing stamina caused the daily sessions to be shortened, he filled each moment in-studio with every ounce of signature Gregg fire and enthusiasm -- an intensity that prevailed to the very last note.

"Gregg was not feeling great," Lehman says, "but being a true professional, he gave it his all as usual. He hit the studio every day for about four or five hours and would typically nail one or two of the songs."

"Gregg was thrilled that the sound in his head was manifesting itself on the tape," Was says. "He didn't have all the lungpower of his younger self, but we felt that these raw, weathered performances were honest and compelling. We all agreed to leave them as they were on the day they were recorded. In the spirit of LAID BACK, Gregg wanted to hear things like background harmony vocals and reverb on his voice but this album is essentially a documentary of our two weeks in the studio.

"Even though I'd known Gregg for a while, I was still blown away to be there with him and to witness his genius up close. I can still remember being swept away by his performances. He was so deeply engaged with the music! Working closely with him reinforced and further enhanced my view that Gregg Allman was one of the greatest artists of this or any time."

Rich with emotional texture, historical connectivity, and purity of performance, SOUTHERN BLOOD would be a landmark Gregg Allman record under any circumstance, its powerful subject matter and passionate presentation as emblematic an expression of his distinctive art as any prior work in the Allman canon. Though his loss leaves a vast musical space that can never truly be filled, SOUTHERN BLOOD stands tall as a remarkable valedictory and memorial to a true giant of American music, now and forever.

Gregg Allman was undoubtedly among rock and roll's greatest and most significant artists, his soul-fired and still utterly distinctive voice one of the defining sounds in all of American music. From his founding role in the one and only Allman Brothers Band to his long and storied solo career, Allman consistently proved himself to be an iconic singer/songwriter and exceptional practitioner of the American blues tradition. Allman accrued a remarkable list of honors over his five decade career, including the ABB's 1995 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award at the 54th Annual GRAMMY® Awards. Allman detailed his brilliant career in 2012's acclaimed memoir, My Cross To Bear. Now available in both hardcover and paperback, the New York Times bestseller chronicles an astonishing life and creative journey burdened by unimaginable loss, alcohol and drug addiction, told with clear-eyed wisdom and sharp hindsight.

BiRDMAN Soundtrack Composer ANTONIO SÁNCHEZ Returns with New Album, BAD HOMBRE

Riding the crest of a musical wave that began with his Golden Globe and BAFTA-nominated score for Alejandro González Iñárritu's Academy Award-winning film, BiRDMAN or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), followed by soundtracks composed for director Fernando León de Aranoa's Política, Manual de Instrucciones, and EPIX network's Get Shorty (premiering August 11), drummer/composer Antonio Sánchez returns with his most personal work to date, Bad Hombre  (available September 29), his first true solo album - composed, performed, recorded, engineered, and produced exclusively by Sánchez.

Bad Hombre aligns its powerful musical message with a socio-political alert, based on Sánchez's concern for his country, his fellow American citizens, as well as those of his native Mexico. As spewed from the mouth of "The Combover Con Artist," the "Short-Fingered Vulgarian," a/k/a, President Donald J. Trump, Bad Hombre is also a call to arms.

"Becoming an American citizen was a very proud moment for me," Sánchez says. "I've been in this country for almost 25 years and I truly believe it's a unique country of immigrants of different races, backgrounds and religions that can ultimately coexist. But Donald Trump has agitated a false, misguided sense of nationalism that has slammed minorities' backs against the wall. His constant conspiracy theories about voter fraud are nothing but a plan to implement widespread voter suppression."

Self recorded in his new home studio, surging from Sánchez's subconscious, Bad Hombre is an impassioned suite of solo drumming improvisations shot-through with electronic textures that create fireworks of self-expression and fervent self-purging-another ingenious turn from the gifted 45-year-old musician.

"I've been taunted and bullied countless times on social media because I openly oppose Trump's views and policies and I'm very vocal about it," Sánchez adds. "When the trolling would take its ugliest shape, it would be about my Mexican heritage and about how we're a bunch of leeches that suck on the government's resources. About how they (the aggressors) surely paid for my education and or that we don't pay taxes and then it would only go lower from there."

While Bad Hombre reflects this current Dark Age, Sánchez's deepest feelings also expose an alter ego of sorts, a composer of turbulent, soothing, and occasionally malevolent electronic music atmospheres. (Think Miles Davis' Live-Evil meets Squarepusher's Music Is Rotted One Note paired to The Orb's Cydonia and Pan Sonic's Atomin Paluu). Left to his singular devices, Bad Hombre unleashes some of the most visceral and varied drumming of Sánchez's career, propelled by all the fiery passion of a battle cry. Bad Hombre confirms Antonio Sánchez-the solo drummer-as-storyteller-as one of the most gifted and innovative musicians of his generation.

"A lot of artists are not open about their political views, but to me it's part of the artist's duty," he says. "To speak up and make people think. Either literally or through art."

The Inspiration

With the American presidential election looming, Sánchez found comfort and inspiration in the music of eclectic electronic artists. Listening to Bibio, Bjork, Little Dragon, Bonobo, Hiatus Kaiyote, Beck, Aphex Twin, Baths, and Boards of Canada stimulated Sánchez to compose "soundscapes that wouldn't necessarily work in a more conventional jazz setting. The amount of layering I was able to create opened up infinite sonic possibilities and I soon realized the only obstacle would be my own creativity."

Simultaneously, the "banality of evil" as personified in Donald Trump's candidacy set Sánchez's feelings ablaze.

"Art is a reflection of life," Sánchez says. "A surprising level of anger, frustration and awareness had grown in me due to the US political situation. The rise of Donald Trump and his xenophobic and racist rhetoric against Mexicans and other minorities troubled and angered me deeply because I'm a native Mexican and there was no other way interpret his rhetoric but as an insult and a threat. That experience dictated what kind of story this album would tell.

"We're living in one of the worst times in American political history," he adds. "The intolerance and hate that minorities are experiencing daily in America is extremely dangerous when implemented by some of Trump's most fervent and troubled followers. Friends of mine have suffered verbal and physical abuse. This level of animosity doesn't equal the principles that this country is meant to espouse."

The Process

Creating atmospheres with Native Instruments software and treating his drums with exotic muffling techniques and added percussion, Sánchez developed Bad Hombre's textural palette within an improvisational framework.

"Bad Hombre is an experimental project in that it's a complete departure from anything I've ever done in the past as a drummer, composer, producer and engineer," Sánchez says. "I didn't have a blueprint; it was all new to me. It was a steep, stressful, intriguing, and an amazingly fun learning curve.

"I recorded hours upon hours of solo drum improvisations," he recalls. "Grooves, solos, textures, anything I could come up with spontaneously. Sometimes my goal was to simply speed-up or slow-down, to see how that would make me play. Or I would only allow myself to play certain elements of the drum kit for effect. Then I took the improvisations and began editing the tracks into more concise pieces and adding layers of electronic instruments on top." 

The Legacy

Determined to give voice to his Mexican heritage, Sánchez initially turned to Mariachi music, then the work of his 92-year-old Grandfather, Ignacio López Tarso-arguably the most revered working actor in all of Mexico-sampling his spoken words for opening track, "Bad Hombre Intro."

"You're hearing grandpa telling tales about the Mexican revolution with an excellent Mariachi band backing him up. That is very close to my heart. And it's amazing to hear his voice reciting poetry backed by my drums opening the record."

Also on "Bad Hombre Intro," Sánchez originally quoted Trump, saying 'We have some bad hombres here and we're going to get them out,' sampled from a presidential debate.

"That phrase is so offensive to Latinos and so absurd," Sánchez says. "I wanted to have it in plain sight for people to be reminded of its absurdity, its malice and the character of its creator. Unfortunately, lawyers and label executives advised against it so I ended up replacing it with my voice and distorting it in a similar way as to how people that are being hunted or persecuted might sound on radio or TV answering his phrase. We're letting him know that we, 'The Bad Hombres,' have no intention of going anywhere."

The Message

"Bad Hombre is a continuation of BiRDMAN in way," Sánchez states. "After I realized the power of drums in a cinematic context I wanted to see where I could take it. And using electronic instruments gave me unlimited possibilities. It almost felt like writing in color compared to the standard of way of writing for musicians, which is more black and white. The sheer limitless possibilities, sonically speaking, opened a whole new world.

"Bad Hombre has been one of the most liberating endeavors I've experienced as a musician," Sánchez says. "My only constraint was my imagination. I had unlimited resources in my home studio; I could work at any time. Not having to deal with conventional melodies, chord changes, and forms inspired me-this all came from improvisation. It was like having an alter ego. The Bad Hombre."

When not recording or touring with renowned jazz guitarist/composer Pat Metheny, with whom the drummer shares a 17-year relationship, Sánchez maintains a demanding schedule with his own group, Migration.

Sánchez has recorded five albums as a leader including two with Migration, including 2013's New Life and 2015's The Meridian Suite. Sánchez's trio turn, Three Times Three (with John Scofield, Brad Mehldau, Joe Lovano, Christian McBride) was released in 2014, as well as the award-winning BiRDMAN soundtrack that same year, each release further expressing Sánchez's compositional mastery of conventional forms.

Sánchez recently scored ten episodes of the EPIX network series, Get Shorty, and is also preparing his next release, Channels of Energy, a collaboration with Vince Mendoza and the WDR Big Band performing his compositions (playing drums, as well).

Antonio Sánchez · Bad Hombre

Label: CAM JAZZ · Release Date: September 29, 2017

www.antoniosanchez.net

Grammy Lifetime Award Winner George Wein Presents A Newport Jazz Festival Extra "A Bridge Together," Connecting Jazz, African Beats and Indian Carnatic music

Featuring Millennial Twins Riya and Sara Kapoor With Music and Orchestra Arrangement By Conductor and Choreographer Guru Swati Bhise

Bridgefest 2017, under the auspices of Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc. will present A Bridge Together, a special concert and Newport Jazz Festival® "extra" that connects Jazz, African Beats and Indian Carnatic music, on Thursday, August 3, at 6:30 pm on the Quad Stage at Fort Adams State Park.

This pre-Newport Jazz Festival event will showcase the multicultural connections between music and movement. The two-part concert features dance segments by 17-year old twins, Riya and Sara Kapoor, accompanied by a Carnatic music orchestra featuring musicians from India.  Guru Swati Bhise is the Conductor and Choreographer for the music and orchestra arrangement for this dance segment. The jazz quartet will be led by award-winning guitarist Rez Abbasi and West African compositions, directed by the noted West African choreographer and dancer, Maguette Camara.

Fusing Indian, African and American dance and music traditions, A Bridge Together raises the question for the audience: "Are we so different after all?"

Part I is an exploration of music from West Africa, India and the US. Part II introduces the expressive, athletic Kapoor sisters, whose study of Bharatanatyam led to their first appearance on stage at age 15 at their debut event at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Newport Festivals Foundation CEO/founder George Wein was in the audience when Riya and Sara made their debut and was determined to bring some of the magic he saw on stage to Newport.

"These young women are tremendous," said Wein. "The dances are very intricate and beautiful, but what I loved is how they brought jazz into these very traditional art forms. They've modernized the dances in a wonderful way while adding a delightfully different perspective to jazz music."

The Newport Folk Festival (www.newportfolk.org) takes place at Fort Adams State Park July 28-30, 2017 followed by Newport Jazz Festival presented by Natixis Global Asset Management (www.newportjazz.org) August 4-6, 2017 at Fort Adams and the International Tennis Hall of Fame at the Newport Casino.

Newport Festivals Foundation was founded by George Wein in 2010 to build and continue the legacies of the famed Newport Jazz Festival® and Newport Folk Festival®. For more information, please visit www.newportfestivalsfoundation.org. 

NEW RELEASES: RANDY CRAWFORD – NAKED AND TRUE (BONUS TRACK); PAT THOMAS – ELEPHANT CLOCK OF AL JAZARI; RALPH BOWEN

RANDY CRAWFORD – NAKED AND TRUE (BONUS TRACK)

A later date from 70s soul legend Randy Crawford – cut overseas, at a time when she was initially without US representation – a situation that was immediately corrected with the strength of the album! The set has Randy really getting back to basics – mostly working with tight jazz funk backings that recall both her first few records, and her work with The Crusaders – a perfect setting for her wonderful voice, and her trademark use of jazzy currents with more straight-ahead soul! Players on the record include Fred Wesley on trombone, Bernie Worrell on keyboards, and Bootsy Collins on bass – which will give you an idea of the strength of the sound – and titles include "Cajun Moon", "Give Me The Night", "Glow Of Love", "I'll Be Around", "Forget Me Nots", "Joy Inside My Tears", "Purple Rain", and "Come Into My Life". Great 2CD version – features a bonus instrumental version of "The Glow Of Love" – plus 13 more different mixes of tracks from the album – including "Cajun Moon (long trip mix)", "Forget Me Nots (Femi Fem rotation mix)", "Give Me The Night (Mousse T's classic club mix)", "Forget Me Nots (Delaney's mix)", "I'll Be Around (surprise mix)", and "Cajun Moon (cajun trip club version)".  ~ Dusty Groove

PAT THOMAS – ELEPHANT CLOCK OF AL JAZARI

The title and cover here are super-simple, but the sound is anything but – a continuing evolution of the talents of tenorist Ralph Bowen, who just seems to grab us more and more with each new album! The core of the record is the long "Phylogeny Suite", which has some of the most complex writing we've ever heard from Bowen – almost like he's hitting a second chapter of his career, while still finding a way to soulfully swing with the quality that first made us love him a number of years ago. There's almost a Monk-like sense of angularity at points – accented by the piano work of Jim Ridl, who plays in the quartet alongside Kenny Davis on bass and Cliff Almond on drums. Titles include "A Cast Of Crabs", "A Leap Of Leopards", "Cache Cache", "A Rookery Of Ravens", and a version of McCoy Tyner's "Search For Peace".  ~ Dusty Groove

RALPH BOWEN - RALPH BOWEN

The title and cover here are super-simple, but the sound is anything but – a continuing evolution of the talents of tenorist Ralph Bowen, who just seems to grab us more and more with each new album! The core of the record is the long "Phylogeny Suite", which has some of the most complex writing we've ever heard from Bowen – almost like he's hitting a second chapter of his career, while still finding a way to soulfully swing with the quality that first made us love him a number of years ago. There's almost a Monk-like sense of angularity at points – accented by the piano work of Jim Ridl, who plays in the quartet alongside Kenny Davis on bass and Cliff Almond on drums. Titles include "A Cast Of Crabs", "A Leap Of Leopards", "Cache Cache", "A Rookery Of Ravens", and a version of McCoy Tyner's "Search For Peace".  ~ Dusty Groove

               

               

THE FRANK CARLBERG LARGE ENSEMBLE: MONK DREAMS, HALLUCINATIONS AND NIGHTMARES

MONK DREAMS, HALLUCINATIONS AND NIGHTMARES, the new large ensemble recording from Frank Carlberg (on Red Piano Records), draws its inspiration from the work of Thelonious Monk. The album taps into the atmosphere and orbit of Monk; infected by, informed by, in awe of Monk, and presented as an act of love and respect. The pieces generate their shapes from splinters, cells and feelings found in and around Monk's music, as well as from his verbal utterances in the form of advice and/or cryptic observations. MONK DREAMS, HALLUCINATIONS AND NIGHTMARES is not intended as a tribute album, but rather as, "a celebration of the beauty and vitality of his music that has impacted me profoundly," explained Frank Carlberg. "I thought it fitting to present this recording during the Monk Centennial year, 2017."

Why Monk? Carlberg explains: "For me, a Monk-inspired project is quite personal. Monk's music has been central to my musical life from very early on. The clarity of his thought, the uncompromising nature of his art, the emotional impact Monk's music has made on me; this recording is a culmination of all these elements, and being able to record this music with these remarkable musicians is really a dream come true for me!"

The opener, DRY BEAN STEW, borrows shapes and snippets from Monk's, "I Mean You". It begins with mysteriously pulsating sounds and noises that gradually develop into a restless rhythm, alternating between longer and shorter beats. This tempo with an irregular gait meets up with a descending motif that echoes "I Mean You." After several shifts the pulse slows to half-time and features resonant wind voicings. Suddenly the metrically unsettled tempo returns with cascading figures in counterpoint hurtling towards a blistering solo by John O'Gallagher on alto. The end of O'Gallagher's solo leads back to the half-time feel and a piano excursion by Carlberg. The band's swinging statement then concludes with a transition to a tutti rhythmic romp serving as a back drop to trumpeter John Carlson's soaring, emotive lines. A long ascending line is followed by the cascading horn lines, with increased counterpoint, before the band delivers one more short statement in half-time. A humorous wink to the classic Monk intro ends the piece on a light note.

  

RHYMES features a lyrical a cappella bass solo by Weidenmüller as an introduction. Once the band enters, Clark Coolidge's evocative poem, "Rhymes with Monk" (read here by poet Paul Lichter), permeates the whole piece. The band commentary features brief solo spots by Jeremy Udden on alto saxophone, and David Smith on trumpet, as well as many allusions to Monk-like shapes by the horn sections.

SPHERE is an energetic romp centered around the pitch of Bb. Washburne's trombone sets the tone before the horns gradually enter in playful rhythmic counterpoint with occasional interruptions. A hint of "Straight No Chaser" enters the fray but disappears just as quickly. After a metric modulation and some tonal shifts Udden's alto takes over with a lyrical disposition. The horns re-enter and build to a climax of organized chaos. After a brief tempo change Washburne and the simmering rhythm section bring the tune to a playful ending.

After some bird-like textures on A DARKER SHADE OF LIGHT BLUE the melancholic melody enters gradually bringing the whole band together in a short tutti statement. Brian Landrus takes over with a yearning bass clarinet solo supported by bass and drums. Clustered voicings provide a backdrop to the solo. A tempo is established with Sarin setting the stage for a bass line with bass trombone and bass clarinet. Carlson solos with gusto on trumpet and a lively sectional counterpoint leads to a rambunctious finale that quickly dissipates into silence.

BEAST, with its distant echoes of Monk's "Ugly Beauty" evokes a somber merry-go-round atmosphere. Alan Ferber's trombone is featured to great effect, building the intensity before the re-entry of the thematic material.

YOU DIG! is a lively verbal Monk quote, sung by Christine Correa. The music rushes forward with reckless abandon, and after breathless woodwinds and relentless brass, O'Gallagher matches the intensity in his brilliant alto solo. After the band returns, drummer Michael Sarin has the spotlight and dispatches a delightfully inventive solo turn before a last humorous slow reiteration of the text.

NO FEAR, MY DEAR opens with stately low winds and bass providing the environment for Sarin's percussive ruminations. After a gradual orchestral build Adam Kolker's tenor plays a beautifully crafted call and response solo with the band. Eventually the ensemble takes over and borrows some phrases of "Ruby, My Dear" in rich orchestration. An open wind pyramid of perfect fifths brings the piece to a close.

The motivic and harmonic materials of INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY are mostly derived from the interval of a sixth (the interval also structurally significant in Monk's "Misterioso"). Udden provides solo commentary to the orchestral setting before giving way to a Frank Carlberg piano solo. The cornet of Kirk Knuffke then builds to the orchestral high point of the piece. A few more sixths in mixed winds end the piece in a ritardando.

Another Monk quote provides the text for the setting in ALWAYS NIGHT. Trumpeter Carlson blows over a churning rhythm section background before Correa enters with the short declamatory yet mysterious vocal line. After some instrumental interruptions the line re-appears twice more. The piece ends with a collective improvisation where Correa and Carlson lead the way.

Thelonious Monk's classic ROUND ABOUT MIDNIGHT gets an extended, creative treatment here. Carlberg says: "I wanted to include this piece here in all its glory. Being probably Monk's most famous composition (and most frequently recorded...) I wanted to honor the exquisite design of the piece while adding a personal take on it. I also wanted to incorporate a hint of the traditional intro as well as coda with a certain compositional transformation of the original." Knuffke is the featured soloist throughout and turns in an exquisite performance on cornet. The band is richly orchestrated and brilliantly performs the dynamics from a hush to a roar.

MONK DREAMS, HALLUCINATIONS AND NIGHTMARES

is not your grandfather's Big Band music. Specifically, it offers new perspectives on Monk's music, and on compositions for large jazz ensemble in general. It celebrates Thelonious Monk on his centennial while forging new paths in modern jazz by balancing the improvisational impulses with exciting orchestral and structural designs.

www.frankcarlberg.com

Will Downing Set To Release His 20th Album - Soul Survivor

Will Downing’s new CD Soul Survivor is set for release on September 22nd as he celebrates 3 decades as a recording artist. It’s his 20th album and it features "'I'm Feeling The Love' which he says is an “anthem for anyone that has been in and out of love. It is a song about renewed spirit. As always, Avery*Sunshine's performance is heartfelt and it is a  perfect match for me. She absolutely made me feel the love with her amazing vocals."- Will Downing 

Will Downing's voice is one of the most distinctive, loved and instantly recognizable voices in R&B. His flawless, emotive, buttery-smooth and agile honey-toned baritone, along with his impeccable phrasing and jazz-fueled agile runs, seamlessly bridge the worlds of R&B and Jazz. Downing's sophisticated and always-cool sensibilities have proven to be timeless and have garnered him the role as the reigning king of romantic ballads. 

Shanachie Entertainment will release Soul Survivor - Downing's follow-up to last year's critically heralded Black Pearls. Downing's anticipated Soul Survivor unites him with a number of special guests including labelmates Avery*Sunshine, Najee, Phil Perry and Maysa. Highlights on the CD include Will's  inspired interpretations of such classics as Blue Magic's "Stop To Start,"  The Stylistics' "Hurry Up This Way Again," "Tell Me All About It," a hit for both Michael Franks and Natalie Cole. Downing also offers several of his own superb originals!

Christian McBride, Questlove, Uri Caine, Joey DeFrancesco, Benny Golson and Others Celebrate Philadelphia Reunion at Newport Jazz Festival August 4 - 6

Philly funk and jazz take a trip to Newport this summer and spark a reunion with a group of special friends and former classmates when Newport Jazz Festival® Artistic Director Christian McBride gets together with Questlove and Black Thought from The Roots and Joey DeFrancesco, who all graduated from Philadelphia's Creative and Performing Arts High School in 1989. The Philly roll call also includes Uri Caine, Orrin Evans, Leslie Odom, Jr., George Burton and the legendary Benny Golson.

The Newport Jazz Festival® presented by Natixis Global Asset Management welcomes The Philadelphia Experiment, a collaborative project of Christian McBride, Amir "Questlove" Thompson and Uri Caine. The group will take the Quad Stage at 1:55 on Sunday afternoon, bringing the Fort to life with their eclectic mix of Caine's jazz/classical piano background, Thompson's hip-hop drumming and McBride's virtuosity on jazz bass.

The Philadelphia Experiment was conceived by Philadelphia producer, Aaron Levinson as a way to bring together and showcase the talents of different Philadelphia-born musicians making Philadelphia-inspired music. Though McBride, Thompson and Caine were familiar with one another, they had never before played together professionally. The result of this "experiment," their 2001 album recorded in three days, is an amalgamation of styles coming together in a wildly funky masterpiece.

McBride, Thompson and Caine will also take the festival stage individually with their own bands. The Uri Caine Trio plays Saturday on the Harbor Stage at 12:10 pm, the Christian McBride Big Band plays the Fort Stage on Saturday at 12:45 pm and The Roots mount the Fort Stage on Sunday at 5:00 pm. McBride, a Newport Jazz Festival veteran, will be be on hand this year as both a musician and the recently appointed artistic director of the festival.

On Friday, George Burton hits the Harbor Stage at 12:55 and Leslie Odom, Jr, star of the Broadway hit, "Hamilton" brings his jazz band to Newport's Quad Stage at 3:25 pm, followed by Joey DeFrancesco + The People at 4:50 pm. The elder statesman, Benny Golson, takes his turn at Newport with his quartet on the Harbor Stage on Saturday at 2:50 pm.  Orrin Evans plays solo piano in Storyville Sunday at 12:00 pm and then takes the piano chair in the Sean Jones Quintet at 4:05 pm.

The 2017 Newport Jazz Festival presented by Natixis Global Asset Management takes place August 4 - 6 at Fort Adams State Park and the International Tennis Hall of Fame at the Newport Casino. Artists also include Béla Fleck & The Flecktones; Snarky Puppy; Andra Day; Branford Marsalis Quartet; Cécile McLorin Salvant; Maria Schneider Orchestra; Hudson: Jack DeJohnette, Larry Grenadier, John Medeski & John Scofield; Maceo Parker; Vijay Iyer & Wadada Leo Smith and many more.

NEW RELEASES: BROTHER 2 BROTHER FEATURING CARTER CARTER – CAN I TAKE YOU THERE; JAZMIN GHENT – CHOCOLATE SUNSHINE; KENNY POLSON – PARADISE VOL. 1

BROTHER 2 BROTHER FEATURING CARTER CARTER – CAN I TAKE YOU THERE

Move over, Philly! Siblings Winston and Charles (Chaz) Carter - collectively known as Brother 2 Brother featuring Carter Carter - are declaring their hometown of Pittsburgh the official city of Brotherly Jazz. The electric guitar and drummer duo backs their boldness with a list of prime opening gigs (Cameo, Bobby Brown, Angela Bofill, Parliament Funkadelic) and a tight, melodic, in the pocket debut Can I Take You There. Helmed by producer Chuck Cymone - who has done projects with Chris Standring, Eric Darius, Peter White, Gerald Albright and Richard Elliot - the song set spotlights the Carter's prowess on their respective instruments and creates an inviting, sonically expansive world full of sultry contemporary jazz and R&B. When Brother 2 Brother asks, Can I Take You There, you're gonna say yes! ~ smoothjazz.com

JAZMIN GHENT – CHOCOLATE SUNSHINE

Rising star saxophonist, Jazmin Ghent's sophomore album, Chocolate Sunshine, is a languid, jazzy experience. This young woman stole the hearts of contemporary jazz fans onboard 2014's Smooth Jazz Cruise, where she won the onboard talent competition and played with Boney James and Candy Dulfer. This Smooth Jazz Go Girl is touring and performing at jazz festivals all over the U.S. as a new, solo sensation, including Newport Beach Jazz Festival, Orlando Jazz Festival, Steel City Jazz Festival, Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival, JazzDiego, Capital Jazz and many more! Chocolate Sunshine is sophisticated and fashionable, with hand-picked guests such as hit-maker Jonathan Fritzén; groove master, bassist Julian Vaughn; in-demand guitarist, Adam Hawley; and critically-acclaimed, saxophonist Nelson Rangell. Her brand new single, Adele's "Hello" featuring Paul Brown is also produced by Paul Brown, showcasing Jazmin's playing in an entirely new light... this compelling and jazzy re-imagining of one of the biggest songs of all time, is certain to connect Ms. Ghent with listeners all over the world! ~ smoothjazz.com

KENNY POLSON – PARADISE VOL. 1

After earning four college degrees and teaching for years everywhere from Bogota and Rio to Beijing, saxophonist and composer Kenney Polson returns to recording and performing music full time with the release of an album whose title perfectly describes the listening experience: Paradise, Vol. 1. Drawing on his passions for jazz, new age, Latin, R&B, funk and gospel, Polson creates a spirited, soulful mix of melodic tunes, jazzy riffs and dreamy atmospheres with top Brazilian musicians he has recorded with previously. In all, the versatile musical force of nature has visited and performed in over 50 countries. He pools all those magical experiences and vibes together to create a true musical Paradise! Best of all, the second half of the album title promises there's more to come! ~ smoothjazz.com