NEW RELEASES: STEVE HOBBS – TRIBUTE TO BOBBY; BILL KING – DESERT ORCHID; MIKE LEBRUN – SHADES

STEVE HOBBS – TRIBUTE TO BOBBY

Vibist Steve Hobbs serves up a tribute to the late Bobby Hutcherson – but one that's not slavish in sound or spirit at all – which is very much in the best Hutcherson tradition! Instead, the music is all Steve's own – and is given a nod to Bobby, as he passed away right after the recording of the album – and had also be a longtime friend and supporter of Hobbs – whose own talents on the vibes are pretty great! And like Hutcherson in the 70s, Steve also plays a fair bit of marimba on the record too – using the wooden instrument in ways that resonate with the soulful elements of his vibes, but differently – in a cool combo that features Adam Kolker on tenor and soprano sax, Bill O'Connell on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and John Riley on drums. Titles include "Let's Go To Abaco", "The Road To Happy Destiny", "The Craving Phenomenon", "Tres Vias", "Thelonious Funk", "Into The Storm", "El Sueno de Horace Silver", and "In From The Storm". ~ Dusty Groove

BILL KING – DESERT ORCHID

Renowned New Mexico artist Deborah Samuels – “Desert Orchid contains the best of what the southwest is all about. Lovely and filled with such grace!” Desert Orchid – is an aural refection of the American southwest - the landscape, plant life, the verandas, and rugged people who live artfully amongst nature’s often hostile terrain. The plateaus in the distance, the thousands of miles of blowing sand, the harsh morning light, the grace and pastoral beauty of late afternoon is encased in one, lone Desert Orchid. “I’ve been exploring a variety of Spanish influenced themes with 2018 Grammy nominated violinist Elizabeth Rodriguez and Magdelys Savigne of jazz musician Jane Bunnett’s, all-Cuban women’s ensemble, Maqueque. Last year, under banner The Uprising we saw the release of Isle of Saints – a contemporary mix of Cuban rhythms and 70s’ style fusion jazz. Over the holidays the ranchero style single arrived, “Amarga Navidad” with OKAN – the band guided by Rodriguez and Savigne. Also, in the mix, Cuban virtuoso Pablofsky Rosales on guitar,” says pianist/composer Bill King. Desert Orchid mixes Spanish roots with chamber music, a most unusual marriage of genres. One moment, the performance seems as if you were shaded by a porch and basking in a hot summer’s wind, the other; at a concert hall listening to sophisticated ensemble.

MIKE LEBRUN – SHADES

Sweet reeds from Mike Lebrun – a musician who's way more than just another funky saxophone player! Mike's got a great ear for the overall sound of his music – so that he often layers together his instruments, in ways that make us feel like two horns are following the same path at once – quite possibly the case, given that Lebrun plays tenor, alto, soprano, flute, and clarinet on the record – in addition to handling the overall rhythms! There's other live musicians too – playing more alto, vibes, piano, and some very strong drums – the last of which are often used to give the music a nice kick, but in ways that are fresher than more standard funk. The whole thing explodes nicely with a strong sense of tone and color – and titles include "Flute Party", "Saxophones Crash A Flute Party", "Clusterduck", "Now Then Or Some Other Time", "Jamovaland", "Melt", "Summon The Hope", "Drive There", and "Drive Back".  ~ Dusty Groove

 

Get Shorty - Original Television Soundtrack

Sony Music has announced the release of GET SHORTY (Original Television Soundtrack) with an original score by composer Antonio Sánchez. Based in part on  Elmore Leonard’s 1990’s New York Times bestselling novel, and created for television by Davey Holmes, GET SHORTY follows  Miles Daly, played by Chris O’Dowd (Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, The Sapphires, Bridesmaids), the muscle for a crime ring in Nevada who tries to become a movie producer in Hollywood with the help of a washed-up producer, Rick Moreweather, played by three-time Emmy® award winner Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond, Men of a Certain Age, Parenthood), as a way to leave his criminal past behind and win back his recently estranged family. GET SHORTY also stars Sean Bridgers (Rectify, Room), Carolyn Dodd (The Adventures of Catty Wompus), Lidia Porto (Horrible Bosses 2), Goya Robles (11:55), Megan Stevenson (Review) and Lucy Walters (Power).

The first season of the series premiered on EPIX on August 13, 2017 in the US. GET SHORTY is executive produced by Holmes and Adam Arkin (The Americans, Billions). The series is produced by MGM Television and distributed by MGM.

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, drummer/Composer Antonio Sánchez returns with the EPIX Original Series GET SHORTY​.

Born in Mexico City in 1971, Antonio Sánchez began playing the drums at age five and performed professionally in his early teens. Antonio pursued a degree in classical piano at the National Conservatory in Mexico and in 1993 moved to Boston where he enrolled at Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory. There, he graduated Magna Cum Laude in Jazz Studies.

Since relocating to New York City in 1999, Antonio has become one of the most sought-after drummers in the international jazz scene. His playing is featured on over a hundred albums, and he has been the drummer of choice for 20-time Grammy® winner Pat Metheny and has been part of virtually every project the famed guitarist has created since 2000. Sanchez and Metheny have recorded ten albums together (Speaking of Now, The Way Up, Day Trip, Tokyo Day Trip, Quartet Live, Unity Band, Tap: Book of Angels Volume 20, KIN (←→), The Unity Sessions), three of which have been awarded the Grammy®.

Antonio’s continuous search as an artist has inspired him to compose and lead his own bands and ensembles. He has released five critically acclaimed albums as a leader. His debut, Migration (CAM Jazz, 2007) was called “one of the best new releases of 2007” by All About Jazz and featured an impressive cast which included Pat Metheny, Chick Corea, Chris Potter, David Sanchez and Scott Colley. His second solo effort, Live in New York (CAM Jazz, 2010) was recorded during a four-day run at the Jazz Standard in New York City. New Life (CAM Jazz, 2013), Three Times Three (CAM Jazz, 2014, Europe/2015, US) and The Meridian Suite (CAM Jazz, 2015) followed.

Sánchez’s career blossomed with Birdman, Política, Manual de Instrucciones and Get Shorty.

Till Brönner & Dieter Ilg release Nightfall

Some musical constellations are so obvious that the question arises why they hadn’t become reality long ago. And when they finally do see the light of day, they appear so familiar to us as if we’d known them for ages. One of these constellations is the duo formed by the Berlin trumpeter Till Brönner and the Freiburg bass player Dieter Ilg. They are, in the full sense, soul-mates, no matter how threadbare the term might sound. They often seek to do the very same thing on their antithetical instruments, even if they express it in quite different ways. As a result, they fit each other to a tee. This osmosis is now plain to hear on their joint début album, Nightfall.

In recent years some people have been able to savour the privilege of hearing the Brönner-Ilg duo live. Both musicians have long numbered among the major protagonists of German and European jazz. Brönner has recorded albums in a very wide range of formations, worked as a producer for artists as varied as film diva Hildegard Knef and baritone Thomas Quasthoff, plunged into spontaneous live performances with free jazzers such as Baby Sommer and Christian Lillinger and played in the White House at the invitation of Barack Obama. In the 1990s Ilg discovered German folk song for jazz, supported musicians such as Randy Brecker, Charlie Mariano or Nguyen Le with his sonorous, thoughtful but always uncommonly open-minded delivery, and played in the legendary quintet with Albert Mangelsdorff and Wolfgang Dauner. When Ilg and Brönner happen to meet, they bring together not only a chapter of jazz history and lots of jazz stories, but a good part of the future.

For all their personal fame, these two never strike the attitude of two superstars at a summit meeting. They’re simply two musicians who have a lot to say to each other. That’s why they took their time before entering the studio, and why they take their time when playing. A good story needs time to unfold and breathe. It wants to be spelled out and filled with life. But it also wants to be heard. Brönner and Ilg don’t rush from one musical climax to another, but let their stories come as they will. The most important thing is what they have to say and how they say it. Instead of melody line and accompaniment, they prefer a balanced dialogue on an equal footing at every moment. The nature of their instruments ensures that Brönner’s part is perhaps a bit more lithe and pliant, and Ilg’s a bit more forceful. But every tone has weight and stands for itself, a mirror reflection of its counterpart.

The choice of pieces is sufficient proof that the musicians did not want to pin themselves down to a fixed classification or pigeonhole. If jazz was ever an expression of individual liberty, then this independence is manifest here, devoid of myths, in their approach to the material and their spontaneous treatment of it. Anything can be done if you only want to do it, and Brönner and Ilg certainly do. Songs by Leonard Cohen, the Beatles and Britney Spears, pieces by Jerome Kern, Johnny Green and Ornette Coleman, compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach and Melchior Vulpius, even a few creations of their own: the range of intentions and influences on display is almost unparalleled. In each song the two men find inventive new angles and perspectives. There aren’t any solos in the classical jazz sense. As in any good conversation that unfolds naturally, the lines of argument fall now on one side, now on the other. The flow of thoughts is completely free. It’s pressed here into a narrow riverbed only to expand a moment later into a broad delta.

On Nightfall, Brönner and Ilg open up limitless realms of association for the listener. They make it easy for their recipients to enter the dialogue. Depending on the time of day or year, the songs cast completely different shadows. There’s no “just-the-two-of-us” mood that so often turns jazz duos into affairs for so-called aficionados. Nightfall is exactly what it is, and nothing else. Dyed-in-the-wool jazz fans will see themselves reflected in the light-heartedness of this interchange no less than young pop listeners who may never have come into contact with a jazz album.

Nightfall is many things at once. It’s a début album and, at the same time, the fruit of a long and intensive collaboration between two great storytellers. It’s at once a consummation, a stocktaking and a promise for the future. It’s a resolute dismissal of entrenched prejudices and a passionate affirmation of the freedom and miracle of jazz. The organic blend of willful abandon and understatement celebrated on this album is anything but run-of-the-mill. Not least of all, the album is a refreshing counterfoil in the age of perfectionism. It projects the cathartic discovery that no matter how much one has achieved in life, it’s always worth starting from scratch, over and over again. And if proof is needed, here it is!

Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley receives GRAMMY Award for Stony Hill as "Best Reggae Album"

Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley is proud to receive a GRAMMY Award for Stony Hill in the category of "Best Reggae Album." This marks his 4th GRAMMY Award, having previously won "Best Urban Alternative Performance" for his groundbreaking acclaimed single “Welcome to Jamrock” and others for "Best Reggae Album" for his studio albums Welcome to Jamrock and Half Way Tree.

In addition to his GRAMMY win, Damian recently debuted the visuals for “Speak Life” the track off his GRAMMY Award winning studio album. The video exclusively premiered on global music and entertainment platform, TIDAL and features cutting-edge dancehall production by first-time Marley collaborator, Anju Blaxx of U.I.M. Records. The video was directed by B+ of Mochilla and filmed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Click HERE to view! The album also features additional tracks including, “Medication,” “Nail Pon Cross” and “R.O.A.R.”

Damian is currently gearing up for a U.S. festival run this year. He is set to take the stage at Reggae Rise Up in St Petersburg, FL, Kaya Festival in San Bernardino, CA and Governors Ball in New York City. Additionally, he is headed to Columbia, where he will be headlining the Jamming Festival. Tickets are available now HERE. This summer, he will embark on a European tour and is planning his North American tour for the fall.

The youngest son of Reggae legend Bob Marley, Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley garnered his own place in music history when he became the first ever Reggae artist to win a GRAMMY outside of the “Reggae” category, taking home an award for “Best Urban/Alternative” performance for his title single, “Welcome To Jamrock”. The acclaimed 2005 breakthrough disc Welcome To Jamrock, also won a GRAMMY for “Best Reggae” Album. Marley has been shaking up stages all over the world for the past few years, first in collaboration with Nas on their Distant Relatives project, and then when he went on to partner with Skrillex for their groundbreaking track “Make It Bun Dem,” which Rolling Stone called “a monster mash up of dubstep and dancehall.” Most recently, Marley’s latest album Stony Hill won the 2018 GRAMMY Award in the Best Reggae Album category. Additionally, Damian appeared on Saturday Night Live alongside Jay Z to perform their stand out track “Bam,” and he is also featured on Ty Dolla $ign’s acclaimed track “So Am I” with Skrillex.

Chart-Topping Billboard #1 Soul Jazz Diva Lindsey Webster Drops New Single "Love Inside" From Forthcoming CD Love Inside

Growing up in an artist community, the daughter of loving hippie parents, in Woodstock NY, the allure of music was never far from Lindsey Webster. The adorable, instantly likeable and earthy singer/songwriter, who grew up listening to her parent's Jimi Hendrix, Beatles and Elvis Costello LPs and later the Supremes, once pursued medical school before finally settling on music. Webster has been taking the contemporary jazz world by storm, scoring a  #1 hit with her soulful original "Fool Me Once." This feat is remarkable in numerous ways. Not only is Lindsey half the age of the male instrumentalists who dominate the genre, but her #1 is the first vocal driven song that has topped the Billboard smooth jazz chart since Sade's "Soldier of Love" in 2010.   November 2016,  Webster made her Shanachie debut with Back To Your Heart which spawned two #1 hits: "Back To Your Heart" and "Where Do You Want To Go." Webster's anticipated new CD Love Inside is scheduled for release March 16th.

Influenced by everyone from Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera to Steely Dan and Earth Wind and Fire, there is an honesty and authenticity that reverberates through Lindsey Webster's enchanting, smoky, rich and soulful honey-toned pipes. Joining forces with her husband, pianist and musical partner, Keith Slattery, the duo crafts evocative soundscapes that fuse the best elements of R&B, jazz, pop and soul. "The knowledge, style and intuition that Keith brings to my songs is amazing," says Lindsey of her husband. "Keith and I are extremely passionate and sensitive people who put the same pride and perfectionism into our writing, recording, and producing. Our philosophy is simple: we do what feels right. I believe this is what has helped us to forge our own sound." 

Mack Avenue Records Artists Billy Childs, Christian McBride and Cécile McLorin Salvant Celebrate 60th Annual GRAMMY® Award Wins

"This is a special night for Mack Avenue. We couldn't be more proud of Billy Childs, Christian McBride, and Cécile McLorin Salvant for their wins in the Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album, and Best Jazz Vocal Album categories. With eight nominations we've had butterflies since the nominees were announced! We salute every one of them." -- Denny Stilwell (president, Mack Avenue Records)

Best Jazz Instrumental Album Winner:

Billy Childs - Rebirth

Since his first recordings of the 1980s, Billy Childs has developed into one of the most distinctive and distinguished composers of our time. An accomplished symphonic writer, he has also amassed a career's worth of jazz originals that can swing hard, dazzle with intricacy, touch you with direct simplicity, or mesmerize with crystalline lyricism. On his Mack Avenue debut album Rebirth, Childs reaches back to the start of his almost astoundingly varied musical experience-leading a small jazz band of state-of-the-art musicians with his piano playing.

At his musical core, Childs is an improvising pianist. He has the ability to equally distill the harmonic and rhythmic languages of classical music and jazz into his playing. The wide-ranging vocabulary on some tracks begs the question of Childs' love of classical music; "I'm not just jazz," he stresses. His insistent pulse and melodically probing introduction to song is a key to the Childs' musical identity: open to extended harmonic possibilities as they come along, taking a flexible approach to time and leaving an open door for input from his bandmates.

A Los Angeles native, Childs grew up in a home hearing his parents' musical tastes: Bach, Stan Getz and Antonio Carlos Jobim, the Swingle Singers. As Childs developed, he was deeply touched by the music of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, the Modern Jazz Quartet and Laura Nyro, among other contemporary musicians. As a young player, Childs took his bandstand boot camp in the bands of trombonist J.J. Johnson and trumpet titan Freddie Hubbard. While his compositions and orchestrations have taken Childs into a realm that transcends jazz venues, the fact remains that the improvising pianist is largely the product of his tenures as band pianist with those two late masters.

Best Large Ensemble Jazz Album Winner:

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.

A key aspect that has helped the bassist find his voice as an arranger is the fact that, except for drummer Quincy Phillips, this is the exact same band that recorded the big band album with him six years ago. "These guys know my sound. They know my style. They know what my compositional and arranging DNA is. I've been able to keep the exact same unit, so like Duke Ellington used to do, I can write for my guys because I know their sound and style."

While the music played by the Christian McBride Big Band is on the cutting edge of 21st century large ensemble music, the orchestra's presentation, like its sound, respects the past while looking forward. Danny Ray, the legendary stage announcer for James Brown, travels with the group to give the leader an old-school intro before playing his thoroughly modern music.

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.

  

Best Jazz Vocal Album Winner: 

Cécile McLorin Salvant - Dreams and Daggers

GRAMMY® Award-winning vocalist  Cécile McLorin Salvant has had a remarkable rise to stardom in her professional career, and she took another big leap forward with  Dreams and Daggers, her third album for  Mack Avenue Records.

"The songs on this album are of dreams and daggers. The daggers have been used at times to attack, at times to defend. For power, no doubt, to take it, to keep it. The dreams are the ones I caught looking out a window, or from the light sleep before the deep. I don't always know what they mean, but they are the ones I was able to keep. And yet dreams can be desires too. I wrote them down to make them true. That we may bring our wildness into view. That we may be unruled and unruly," explains McLorin Salvant.

In 2013, McLorin Salvant made her Mack Avenue Records debut with WomanChild, garnering a GRAMMY® Award nomination, NPR Music's pick for "Best Jazz Vocal Album of the Year," and three placements in DownBeat's critic's poll as "Jazz Album of the Year," "Top Female Vocalist," and "Best Female Jazz Up and Coming Artist of the Year," among many other accolades. Her 2015 follow up release, For One To Love, won the GRAMMY® Award for "Best Jazz Vocal Album."

 

JEFF LORBER FUSION Brings Home Grammy For Best Contemporary Instrumental Album For Their CD PROTOTYPE

"It's a thrill to finally get a Grammy award. I've been nominated six other times, the first one in 1986,  but I guess this was our year.

Being able to make music for a living is it's own reward but getting a Grammy is a great feelingI that I won't forget. Of course it would not have been possible without the efforts of the other band members and people that support our creative endeavors." - Jeff Lorber

Trailblazing pianist, composer, producer and bandleader Jeff Lorber is a consummate artist who continues to push himself to new plateaus. A groundbreaking Fender Rhodes pioneer along with the likes of Herbie Hancock, Joe Sample and Bob James, Lorber has triumphed as one of the most innovative musical minds in contemporary jazz. Lorber's newest CD Prototype, is a sterling example of his expansive musical roots, masterfully crafted harmonic and melodic sophistication, irresistible finger-poppin' grooves and intricate rhythmic sense. "I came up with the name Prototype because we are always trying to up our game and come up with new exciting music that could be a prototype or innovative harbinger for the future of our musical style," says the LA based pianist. Lorber, a Berklee College of Music alum who formerly majored in Chemistry at Boston College, goes full throttle on Prototype, orchestrating like an alchemist in the lab and concocting a majestic elixir of jazz, soul, funk, pop, R&B and gospel.

Prototype features longtime collaborators - bassist Jimmy Haslip (founding member of The Yellowjackets) and drummer Gary Novak. "From a production standpoint Jimmy adds a 'big picture' element. He contributes a lot with his warm bass sound and on the road he is without a doubt one of the finest soloists out there on his instrument." Lorber adds, "Gary's very versatile, imaginative, super solid and gets a great sound. He really shines playing over the funky polyrhythmic grooves we record."  The newest member to the all-star unit is saxophonist Andy Snitzer, who like Lorber (and the Brecker Brothers) hails from Cheltenham, PA.  Lorber states, "Andy's got a perfect approach. It's soulful and melodic and he is not afraid of taking the music outside a bit." Prototype also features special guests bassist Nathan East, guitarists Chuck Loeb, Larry Koonse and Paul Jackson, Jr. and saxophonist Dave Mann, among others.

Jeff Lorber's Fusion came to life in the 70s when the pianist attended Berklee College of Music. "I was listening to Miles Davis and Bitches Brew and the beginning of great fusion bands like Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather Report and Return to Forever," reflects Lorber. "There were also artists like  Herbie Hancock,  The Crusaders and Grover Washington, who pioneered a more melodic and funky type of sound.  Not to mention the fantastic music being made in R&B and pop music like Earth Wind and Fire and Tower of Power." Lorber envisioned Jeff Lorber Fusion  a second generation to these fusion bands that were more R&B and melody oriented. A true clinician, Lorber has made it a point to study the long line of modern jazz pianists since 1945.  "Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea have been major influences but I had to go back and try to figure out who they listened to and were inspired by," says Lorber.  "Some of these icons that come to mind are Bill Evans, Thelonious Monk, McCoy Tyner and Bud Powell." He adds, "I also can't forget all of the pianists who played with Miles Davis such as Red Garland, Wynton Kelly, Tommy Flanagan and Horace Silver." Growing up in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania offered great inspiration for Jeff Lorber. "There were a lot of home grown record labels like Cameo Parkway and Philadelphia International (Gamble and Huff) not to mention tons of home grown talent. And the Dick Clark show originally came from there."

In 1977 Jeff Lorber Fusion released their self-titled debut. Their 1980 album Wizard Island made the introduction of a then little known Kenny G. The ensemble quickly gained traction and became one of the most popular jazz acts, touring nonstop. In 1982 Lorber made his solo debut with It's A Fact. He   first Grammy nomination  in 1986 for his radio hit "Pacific Coast Highway" from his album Step By Step. In the 90s Lorber released a successful string of projects including West Side Stories (1994), State of Grace (1996) and Midnight (1998). During this time Lorber also stayed busy producing for the likes of Michael Franks, Richard Elliot, Gerald Albright and Rick Braun, among others. The prolific pianist continued to add to his accolades with his shining recordings Kickin' It (2001), Philly Style (2003), Flipside (2005), He Had A Hat (2007, Grammy nominated) and Heard That (2008), Now Is The Time (2010, Grammy nominated), Galaxy (2012, Grammy nominated) Hacienda (2013, Grammy nominated) and Step It Up (2015). Lorber made his first recordings for Shanchie as a member of Jazz Funk Soul with Chuck Loeb and Everette Harp on the albums Jazz Funk Soul and the Grammy nominated More Serious Business.

Jeff Lorber has endured his own battle with Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) and has made it a mission to work with the PKD Foundation to raise awareness. "I was very lucky that my wife donated her kidney," shares the pianist. "I'm going on 11+ years and I'm very grateful for that. My sister had a transplant a couple years ago and she is doing well also. There are some solutions that are being worked on but like many genetic based diseases it could be a long time before there is significant progress.  People should know that there are 800,000 people in the US with PKD and two million worldwide. It's a huge problem that unfortunately doesn't get a lot of publicity."

Loeber, a self-professed enthusiast of podcasts, audio books, Spotify, YouTube and Apple Music concludes, "Since I had the transplant I focus on doing things that I enjoy and that are meaningful. I try to make the most of each day and to be productive and make great music."  There lies the Prototype for a beautiful life.

 

Chuck Berry's "The Great Twenty-Eight," Rock 'N' Roll's All-Time Greatest Greatest-Hits Album Released As Super Deluxe Vinyl Box

In the firmament of rock 'n' roll's first-generation creators, no artist looms larger than Chuck Berry. In a consistently innovative recording career that spanned more than 60 years, the iconic singer-songwriter-guitarist, who passed away on March 18, 2017, laid much of the groundwork for modern rock 'n' roll, while creating some of rock's most distinctive and enduring anthems, from "Johnny B. Goode" to "Roll Over Beethoven," "Rock and Roll Music" to "Reelin and Rockin'," and many more.      

Geffen/UMe are paying tribute to the immortal spirit of Chuck Berry with the ultimate vinyl version of his landmark greatest hits compilation, The Great Twenty-Eight, with The Great Twenty-Eight: Super Deluxe Edition. Available today, the five-disc vinyl box set housed in a textured box, complements the original two-LP, 28-song compilation with an additional LP, More Great Chuck Berry, containing 14 more hits, rarities and B-sides missing from the original, as well as a rare live album, Oh Yeah! Live in Detroit, available on vinyl for the first time. The collection also includes a newly created bonus ten-inch EP Berry Christmas, featuring four holiday-themed classics on "Rudolph-Red" vinyl, with one song on vinyl for the first time as well.

Berry's recordings for Chicago's seminal Chess label have been extensively anthologized in the CD era. But for many Berry devotees, the two-LP vinyl collection The Great Twenty-Eight remains both a sentimental favorite and a definitive document of Berry's musical genius. It's no wonder that The Great Twenty-Eight was ranked number 21 on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time," the highest-ranking hits compilation on that list. For those interested in the original 28-track edition of The Great Twenty-Eight, it is now back in print in its original two-LP format for the first time since its initial release in 1982. 

The Great Twenty-Eight: Super Deluxe Edition also includes a handsome 12" x 12" book featuring a special introductory essay by Keith Richards, a new essay by best-selling author and SiriusXM host Alan Light, complementing Michael Lydon's liner notes from the original version of The Great Twenty-Eight, and reminiscences from DJ Lee Alan, plus complete U.S. single, album and EP discographies. The text is enhanced by reproductions of Berry's original LP cover art and rarely-seen photographs.

As Light writes, "When The Great Twenty-Eight was released in 1982, it was immediately recognized as one of the essential albums in rock 'n' roll history... Enter this edition of The Great Twenty-Eight, with thirty more Chuck Berry recordings—the Great Fifty-Eight, as it were—fleshing out the story of rock 'n' roll's poet laureate while also demonstrating, through the addition of a riveting live album from 1963, his power as a stage performer...  The opportunity to spotlight additional facets of his music is the greatest contribution to his history that this collection offers."

A survey of Berry's first decade of recording on Chess, the original The Great Twenty-Eight contains 21 singles along with six of their b-sides and one album track from Chuck Berry in London. Of those singles, eleven were top ten hits on the Billboard R&B singles chart and ten were Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. During his Chess years, Berry created a massive—and massively influential—body of work that includes countless beloved classics, from "Maybellene" to "Roll Over Beethoven" to "Johnny B. Goode" to "Memphis, Tennessee" and beyond. Indeed, Berry's music is so deeply ingrained into our culture that NASA launched "Johnny B. Goode" into outer space on the Voyager spacecraft as a representation of the sounds of the human race for the benefit of our cosmic neighbors. All of these songs are included on The Great Twenty-Eight, which also includes the ubiquitous hits "Rock and Roll Music," "Sweet Little Sixteen" and "No Particular Place To Go" and many others that have become part of the collective consciousness. 

More Great Chuck Berry comprises 14 classic Berry tunes not included on The Great Twenty-Eight, including the sultry, simmering number "Wee Wee Hours," the original flip side of "Maybellene"; "My Ding-A-Ling," Berry's only No. 1 pop single; "Too Pooped To Pop (Casey)," the top 20 R&B A-side of "Let It Rock"; the Top 10 R&B hit "No Money Down"; the celebratory "Promised Land"; and the rollicking "You Never Can Tell," which earned cinematic immortality as the accompaniment to John Travolta and Uma Thurman's twist in the film Pulp Fiction.

Oh Yeah!: Live In Detroit is a thrilling, rare concert performance from October 1963, celebrating Berry's return to the stage after a break from performing. With support from local DJ and TV host Lee Alan, Berry, backed by Motown's Funk Brothers rhythm section and horn players, recorded the live album during a series of performances at Detroit's Walled Lake Casino.

Returning to the spotlight after a year-and-a-half brought out an energy and intensity in Berry that can be heard clearly in this historic 12-song set, which launches with "Guitar Boogie" and includes "Let It Rock, "Too Much Monkey Business (available for the first time in the U.S.)," "Johnny B. Goode," Sweet Little Sixteen" and a lengthy, edge-of-chaos medley, as Berry feeds off an audience that sings along with nearly every track. Throughout the show, Berry tells jokes that slyly address racial tensions. But the record was scrapped at the time and has been previously only available as part of a limited-edition CD set; this marks its first time on vinyl, and as any kind of standalone release.

The bonus EP Berry Christmas collects together four Christmas classics on "Rudolph-Red" vinyl. The 10-inch disc features Berry's chestnuts, "Run Rudolph Run" and "Merry Christmas Baby" along with "Christmas" and "Spending Christmas," the latter making its vinyl debut as it was previously available only in a limited-edition CD box set.

Bob Dylan once called Berry "the Shakespeare of rock 'n' roll." John Lennon stated, "If you tried to give rock 'n' roll another name, you might call it 'Chuck Berry.'" As Keith Richards writes in the booklet intro, "Chuck Berry is the gentleman who started it all."

And if those testimonials aren't convincing enough, one listen to The Great Twenty-Eight: Super Deluxe Edition will make the case for Chuck Berry's singular, timeless rock 'n' roll brilliance.

LP 1 & 2: The Great Twenty-Eight

The original classic 2-LP compilation

Side 1

1.Maybellene

2.Thirty Days (To Come Back Home)

3.You Can't Catch Me

4.Too Much Monkey Business

5.Brown-Eyed Handsome Man

6.Roll Over Beethoven

7.Havana Moon

Side 2

1.School Day (Ring! Ring! Goes The Bell)

2.Rock And Roll Music

3.Oh Baby Doll

4.Reelin' And Rockin'

5.Sweet Little Sixteen

6.Johnny B. Goode

7.Around And Around

Side 3

1.Carol

2.Beautiful Delilah

3.Memphis, Tennessee

4.Sweet Little Rock And Roller

5.Little Queenie

6.Almost Grown

7.Back In The U.S.A.

Side 4

1.Let It Rock

2.Bye Bye Johnny

3.I'm Talking About You

4.Come On

5.Nadine (Is It You?)

6.No Particular Place To Go

7.I Want To Be Your Driver

LP 3: More Great Chuck Berry

Side 1

1.Wee Wee Hours

2.No Money Down

3.Drifting Heart

4.La Jaunda (Español)

5.Blue Feeling

6.Vacation Time

7.Joe Joe Gun

Side 2

1.Too Pooped To Pop "Casey"

2.Our Little Rendezvous

3.You Never Can Tell

4.Promised Land

5.Little Marie

6.Dear Dad

7.My Ding-A-Ling (live single version)

LP 4: Oh Yeah! Live In Detroit

Recorded at the Walled Lake Casino, October 25 & 26, 1963

First time on vinyl

*First U.S. release

Side 1

1.Guitar Boogie

2.Let It Rock

3.Almost Grown

4.Chuck Berry Dialogue 1

5.Too Much Monkey Business*

6.Johnny B. Goode

7.Introduction / Instrumental

8.Sweet Little Sixteen

Side 2

1.Wee Wee Hours

2.Chuck Berry Dialogue 2

3.Maybellene

4.Medley: Goodnite Sweetheart Goodnite/Johnny B. Goode/Let It Rock/School Day

Bonus: Berry Christmas EP

Side 1

1.Run Rudolph Run

2.Merry Christmas Baby

Side 2

1.Spending Christmas (first time on vinyl)

2..Christmas

 

NEW RELEASES: CHAKACHAS; OHIO PLAYERS – THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION; CAESAR FRAZIER - INSTINCT

CHAKACHAS – CHAKACHAS

The coolest, funkiest, and most soulful set ever issued by Chakachas – a record that's way different than most of their Latin-based music – with a strong American funk vibe all the way through! There's still lots of percussion in the mix, but it's often used in ways that echo more of a pan-global and African approach – plenty of congas at the bottom, next to some riffing guitars, sweet reed lines, and some occasional strong soulful vocals. The cut "Jungle Fever" isn't on here, but the whole album definitely feels like that one – with that killer sense of spacing and percussion that makes the group really funky on that hit. Titles include the killer "Stories", plus "Oye Mi", "Bantu", "Love Love Love", "Oye Mi Guaguaco", "Soledad", and "By The Way".  ~ Dusty Groove

OHIO PLAYERS – THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION

The first collection we've ever seen to truly get at all the genius of the Ohio Players – not just their big hits of the mid 70s, but also their trippy early work, and a range of later projects too! The package features 44 tracks on 3CDs – and draws from every label the group worked with – Capitol, Westbound, Mercury, and Arista – plus other labels that also issued solo projects too! Styles include the heavy funk that you'll know from the group – both the fuzzy style of their start, and the tighter grooves that made them a crossover hit during the disco generation – but there's also a lot more going on, too – and the package also reminds us that the group could have a great way with a mellow tune too. The notes do a great job of telling the group's full story – and titles include "Pleasure", "Find Someone To Love", "Here Today & Gone Tomorrow", "Granny's Funky Rolls Royce", "Fopp (single)", "Happy Holidays (part 1)", "Food Stams Y'All", "Jive Turkey", "Sleep Talk", "Climax", "Funky Worm", "Varee Is Love", "Magic Trick", "Funk O Nots", "Everybody Up", "Take Da Funk Off Fly", "Skinny", "Try A Little Tenderness", "Kiss", "Born To Hustle", "Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay", "Contradiction", "Merry Go Round", "Body Vibes", "Ohio", "Good Luck Charm", "I Want To Be Free (single)", "Sweet Sticky Thing", "Fire", "Skin Tight", "Don't Say Goodbye", and "Players Balling".  ~ Dusty Groove

CAESAR FRAZIER - INSTINCT

The first album in many years from Caesar Frazier – the organist you might know from his early 70s funk classics on Westbound Records – still very much at the top of his game in this small combo set! Frazier's very well-recorded here – given the care and respect that we love from the Doodlin label and its handling of Hammond organ giants – and Caesar's deft work on the keys is heard in the company of Lyle Link on tenor and soprano sax, Jacques Lesure on guitar, and Leon Joyce on drums – a nice tight combo who really give the organ plenty of room to groove! Frazier has a more standard organ jazz vibe here than on his earlier records – almost a return to roots that he never put on any other album – served up on titles that include "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", "Night In Tunisia", "Street Of Dreams", "You will Know", "Thieves In The Temple", "Don't Misunderstand", and two versions of "Purposeful", one that stretches out past the 12 minute mark!  ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE – BROTHERS HYPNOTIC; AS IS - ALAN SCHULMAN / STACEY SCHULMAN - HERE’S TO LIFE; GOGO PENGIUN – A HUMDRUM STAR

HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE – BROTHERS HYPNOTIC:  A Film By Reuben Atlas About The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble (with DVD)

A fantastic little package – one that not only features music by the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, but also a DVD that tells the story of the group's unique legacy too! The story of the ensemble has been told before – they are all sons of the legendary Phil Cohran, of Artistic Heritage Ensemble fame – and growing up together, they not only absorbed their father's sense of spiritual jazz, but also his individuality as well! There's few groups we could imagine making a set of brass instruments sound this great – and the accompanying film shows just how much thought and dedication go into their music. The album features some live tracks – "Balicky Bon", "Jupiter", "Indigo", and "Mars" – and studio tracks "Navigator", "Touch The Sky", and "Kryptonite" – plus "Black Boy", which also features Phil Cohran. DVD features performances by the group, plus appearances by Mos Def, Damon Albarn, and Prince! (DVD is NTSC, Region 0.)  ~ Dusty Groove

AS IS - ALAN SCHULMAN / STACEY SCHULMAN - HERE’S TO LIFE

Here’s To Life, the newest CD by As Is, featuring jazz guitarist Alan Schulman and jazz vocalist Stacey Schulman, is an eclectic mix of tunes that showcases Alan’s soulful acoustic and electric jazz guitar playing and Stacey’s versatile vocal stylings. The CD is a testament to the creativity and exploratory resilience of artists who refuse to settle for hackneyed tropes. Surprises abound on this CD. Whether the duo tackles pop tunes like “Save Your Love for Me,” Janis Ian’s “Some People’s Lives,” Stevie Wonder’s “Overjoyed,” or music by Gershwin or Dizzy Gillespie, Stacey and Alan imbue each song with their own highly original musical perspectives

GOGO PENGIUN – A HUMDRUM STAR

Different sonic worlds have always collided in the sound of GoGo Penguin. The UK trio conjures richly atmospheric music that draws from their shared love of electronica, their grounding in classical conservatories & jazz ensembles alongside indie bands. Over the past few years, it has earned them rapturous responses all over the world and proved that they're just as at home playing to muddy festival goers as jazz fans. GoGo Penguin's vivid new album A Humdrum Star comes out Feb. 9. Hear the single "Bardo" now.

Dan Pugach Nonet Transforms Proverbial Styles With A Singular Approach and A Secret Weapon On His Debut Recording Plus One

Arriving in the US from his native Israel in 2006 to study at Berklee College of Music before earning his master's at The City College of New York, drummer/composer Dan Pugach played cash-and-carry gigs, traditional ethnic dates, worked coffee shops-anything to keep his drumming and music pure. Eventually teaching himself arranging and orchestration, his complete reimagining of Horace Silver's "Silver's Serenade" led instructor (and renowned pianist/composer/educator) Mike Holober to exclaim, "Your arrangement departed from the original song; it wasn't just an adaptation, but a rearrangement. Dude, you're going to thrive as an arranger/composer."

Roughly ten years later, Pugach's debut recording Plus One is the fruit of years of hard work, practice, writing and rewriting, a joyous and thematically diverse recording that expresses Pugach's vision of a "mini big band." 

"What I like the most about the sound and concept of Dan's Nonet is that the playing and the writing is selfless," says five-time Grammy Award winning composer and perennial Pat Metheny Group member, Antonio Sanchez. "It's all about the music. The writing is on point, sharp, concise and so is everybody's playing. Beautiful album."

Gathering some of New York's finest musicians in his Nonet, Pugach's Plus One is an exciting ride encompassing a New Orleans second-line strut, expansive arrangements of familiar pop material, and dynamite original compositions performed in classic small ensemble tradition.

"I'm not trying to be too modernist; I want to have a few surprises," Pugach says. "But they're hidden. Each tune has a specific vibe I'm staying loyal to. I'm trying to keep everything focused."

Pugach's compositions and arrangements mirror his personality as a drummer. Each note flying off his drums, cymbals and percussion is concise, poised and delivered with purpose. A YouTube search yields Pugach's  drumming blowing the lid off various NYC clubs with different ensembles, his collective rhythms a streamlined approach animated (all too briefly) by fiery solos. Similarly, Plus One is music of a stylized, singular principle with moments of absolute burn.

"I believe playing less is more until it comes to my solo-then I explode," Pugach explains. "And in my music, I don't want to hear overblown drumming."

Pugach is aided on Plus One by his plus-one in life, powerhouse singer Nicole Zuratis, whose recent release, Hive Mind, shows her at full force.

"Nicole is my secret weapon," Dan confides. "Our relationship onstage is part of the conversation. She handles the mic duties; I might come up to speak and she'll cut me off. The audience laughs. It's our natural banter."

Pugach goes from strength to strength on Plus One, the album showcasing his beautifully intricate  compositions, peerless arrangements and yes, his drumming, which is funky, on-point and surprisingly restrained for a musician of such skills and gifts. Dan's arrangements for Nonet recall the classic sounds of Thad Jones and Mel Lewis, Bob Mintzer, and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra-expressed in a far smaller ensemble. Deft compositions, challenging arrangements, brilliant players and Dan's silken rhythmic touch make Plus One a special outing.

The album including moving vocal versions of Dolly Parton's "Jolene," Chick Corea's "Crystal Silence," Quincy Jones' "Love Dance" and Zuratis' male-ego-impaling rouser, "Our Blues," Plus One culminates in the two centerpieces: "Coming Here" and "Discourse This."  The former, a circuitous coming-of-age journey with great solos all around, including a dexterous showing by Pugach; the latter, a blustery, sparse Nonet dance that reveals the musicians' glove-tight interplay and cohesion. Through it all, Pugach's sizzling drumming drives his Nonet-hard.

The Nonet plays as a single organism throughout Plus One, with plenty of soloing power. The Dan Pugach Nonet, plus one, is comprised of Nicole Zuraitis, voice; Ingrid Jensen, David Smith, trumpets; Mike Fahie, trombone; Jen Hinkle, bass trombone; Andrew Gould, alto saxophone; Jeremy Powell, tenor saxophone, Andrew Gutauskas, baritone saxophone; Carmen Staaf, Jorn Swart, piano; Tamir Shmerling, bass; Bernardo Aguiar, pandeiro; and Pugach, drums.

From his experiences growing up near Tel Aviv to the influences of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band and Bob Mintzer Big Band, Pugach's compositions and arranging on Plus One are a thrill, including the opening, second-line bruiser, "Brooklyn Blues," to the closing, full-throated, "Discourse This." An album of such high-level ensemble playing and standout vocal tracks is exceedingly rare. Plus One is pure and powerful-simply exceptional music. 

"People love the warmth and interaction between myself and Nicole and the Nonet," Dan says. "It's natural. The audience feels the connection. And connection is what it's all about."

Dan Pugach is a Brooklyn-based, two-time ASCAP Jazz Composer Award-winning drummer/arranger. Dan has worked with Ingrid Jensen, Rosa Passos, Airto Moreira, Gregoire Maret, Billy Drews, Jeremy Pelt, Wayne Bergeron, Sloan and Lucy Wainwright, and Dave Stryker, among others.  Originally from Israel, Dan served his mandatory three-year military duty as the drummer of the Air-Force Orchestra. He received his bachelor's degree from Berklee College of Music and his master's from the City College of New York, where he studied with Hal Crook, Joe Lovano, George Garzone, John Patitucci, Terri-Lyne Carrington and Ari Hoenig.

http://www.danpugach.com/

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Guitarist Kenny Burrell's Swing Classic "A Generation Ago Today" Revived After Half A Century

It's been nearly two generations since jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell's tribute to pioneering electric guitarist Charlie Christian and "The King of Swing" Benny Goodman, A Generation Ago Today, was released. The long-out-of-print album has been revived and is now, for the first time in the U.S., available digitally and on CD with its original cover, marking the first time this homage has been available in its original form since being released half a century ago in 1967. The album includes new liner notes by noted jazz journalist Kirk Silsbee. Order and stream A Generation Ago 

Recorded at several sessions during 1966-67 with altoist Phil Woods, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Grady Tate, A Generation Ago Today features Burrell and his all-star quintet performing swing classics that Christian recorded during 1939-41 with the Benny Goodman Sextet. Rather than merely copying Christian's solos, Burrell plays creatively within the swing format, coming up with fresh statements of his own that add to the legacy of the timeless music. "As Long As I Live," which adds vibraphonist Mike Mainieri to the group, is given a Brazilian tinge that hints at bossa-nova. "Poor Butterfly" begins as a ballad for Burrell's guitar before the second half features Woods playing heated doubletime lines. The most extended selection, "Stompin' At The Savoy," is a joyful jam with plenty of interplay between Burrell and Woods and a fine solo by Carter. Among the other highlights are "Rose Room," "A Smooth One," and the cooking uptempo blues "Wholly Cats;" the latter has a guest appearance by pianist Richard Wyands.

Burrell, a major guitarist since he recorded with Dizzy Gillespie in the early 1950s, came from the world of bebop yet was versatile enough to lead one of the first guitar-bass-drums "power trio" on the 1959 Blue Note album, A Night At The Vanguard, to record with Gil Evans arrangements on Guitar Forms, and to be an important part of soul jazz jams with organist Jimmy Smith and tenor-saxophonist Stanley Turrentine.

The years 1966 and 67 were a very interesting time in jazz history. High-energy avant-garde jazz (sometimes called "The New Thing"), which was best typified by the explorative flights of John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman, was having a strong influence. Soul jazz, grooving and soulful music that was open to the rhythms of R&B and funk, was quite popular. Straightahead hard bop and Dixieland also had their audiences. On A Generation Ago Today, Burrell defied the musical trends of the time. Instead he recorded a change of pace, a timeless exploration of swing tunes. The project gave him an opportunity to pay homage to his early influence Charlie Christian and to make his own statements in a small-group swing setting.

At 86, Burrell is still active today and he has long been an important educator at UCLA. But even in his long career of accomplishments, A Generation Ago Today is one of the milestones.

 A Generation Ago Today Tracklisting

1. As Long As I Live

2. Poor Butterfly                                                                                              

3. Stompin' At The Savoy                                                                                             

4. I Surrender Dear                                                                                          

5. Rose Room                                                                                                   

6. If I Had You                                                                    

7. A Smooth One                                                                                                        

8. Wholly Cats