Cyrille Aimée Releases "Live" Featuring Performance From New York's Le Poisson Rouge

The end of one chapter means the beginning of another. Like all the best cliffhangers, Cyrille Aimée Live leaves the audience wanting more...but also eager to discover what comes next. Recorded at a typically lively and engaging performance at New York City's (Le) Poisson Rouge in August 2017, the album finds the acclaimed vocalist bidding a fond adieu to her long-standing band and looking forward to a brand-new phase in her life and career. The August performance marked the band's final show together, saying goodbye to this configuration of Aimée's band while welcoming a new chapter of creative output.

As anyone who has followed her work over the last decade can hear, Aimée thrives on living in the moment. Nowhere is that more evident than on stage; throughout Cyrille Aimée Live (due out June 22 via Mack Avenue Records) she holds the audience in the palm of her hand. Rapt during quiet moments, raucous as the spirited band swings into high gear, roaring with laughter at Aimée's charming and quirky banter, or singing along with a Michael Jackson medley, the crowd is an essential part of the buoyant show.

The concert captured here marks the end of an era, but the tone is celebratory, not bittersweet. Aimée's tight-knit band -- guitarists Adrien Moignard and Michael Valeanu, bassist Dylan Shamat, and drummer Dani Danor -- share as warm and playful an energy as ever. This group of musicians is so close that they once missed a flight as they sat at the gate, so engaged in catching up after a mere two weeks apart that all five remained completely oblivious to the boarding process and departure!

But Aimée, restlessly creative and an inveterate improviser -- in her life as in her music -- is anxiously looking forward to new opportunities, new sounds, and even a new home. Born in France and long based in Brooklyn, the free-spirited singer recently relocated again, this time to New Orleans, an intriguing prospect not only for her all-embracing approach to music but for its cultural resonance with her French-Dominican heritage.

"I want to find new inspirations and a new energy," Aimée says. "I feel like you always have to search further, and that's what I constantly try to do."

  

That questing spirit has already led Aimée on a staggering variety of adventures in her life, promising countless surprises to come. She's ventured from singing on street corners in Europe to dazzling audiences at the world's most prestigious jazz festivals; from sneaking out to sing in gypsy encampments in her native France to acting on Broadway; from singing Sondheim alongside Bernadette Peters to sharing her story in a TEDx talk; from braving the notoriously tough audiences at New York's Apollo Theatre to being called a "rising star in the galaxy of jazz singers" by The New York Times.

Significantly, Thelonious Monk's "Well You Needn't," with its refrain of "It's over now," comes not at the end of Cyrille Aimée Live but somewhere around the midpoint, prompting her to assure the audience, "It's not over now. That's just how the song goes." It's a significant promise as she winds down her time with the band with which she's traveled the world and shared indelible experiences.

The set list for this special performance (one among a lifetime of special performances) captures the wide spectrum of Aimée's eclectic tastes and talents. It opens, appropriately enough, with Peggy Lee's "It's A Good Day," the title track from the singer's 2014 Mack Avenue debut. The band's utterly joyous rendition only amplifies the optimistic message of the song. Language barriers be damned, Aimée's "Nuit Blanche" remains enchanting even for those who don't understand a word of French. As she says when introducing Sidney Bechet's lovely "Si Tu Vois Ma Mère," "the rest is up to your imagination."

With "Live Alone and Like It," Aimée reprises her show-stealing performance from the 2013 Stephen Sondheim tribute concert she starred in with Bernadette Peters, backed by Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, at New York's City Center. Her rendition is just as winning complemented by only four musicians as it was with the powerhouse ensemble.

On Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," Aimée becomes her own backing band, looping vocal percussion, bass lines and harmonies (with an enthusiastic assist from the (Le) Poisson Rouge crowd on handclaps and "yeah, yeahs"). The band reenters for a beguiling take on Jackson's "Off The Wall," which brings the heat down to a captivating simmer. "Day By Day" exemplifies the band's finesse with gentle swing, while "Three Little Words" is taken at an unrelenting, breakneck pace that shows off why she originally wanted to call the band "Cyrille Aimée and the Guitar Heroes" (though Shamat and Danor turn in equally heroic feats).

"Each Day," co-written by Aimée and Valeanu, brings the date to a poignant close. As the vigorous cheers of the live audience fade away, listeners to Cyrille Aimée Live are left to ponder what the future holds. Given the myriad of directions and styles the singer has embraced, her spirit of freedom, adventure, and exploration, it's safe to say that anyone within earshot will be thrilled to follow wherever she leads.

Improvisation is not just a technique for vocalist Cyrille Aimée, it's a way of life -- one that has not only allowed her to share her engaging voice and sparkling creativity with the world, but has led her on an unexpected journey. Growing up in the town of Samois-sur-Seine in France, Aimée would sneak out of her bedroom window to join the gypsy caravans gathered for the annual Django Reinhardt Festival. Those experiences exposed Aimée not just to the joys of gypsy jazz but to the gypsies' spontaneous, nomadic, music-filled way of life, imbuing a spirit that has earned her accolades from the Montreux Jazz Festival Vocal Competition and the Sarah Vaughn International Jazz Vocal Competition. In 2014 Aimée made her major label debut with It's A Good Day (Mack Avenue), featuring an innovative two-guitar band that returned for 2016's highly acclaimed Let's Get Lost. She shares her story with audiences and students alike, having been invited to present a TEDx talk and to address the Conference on World Affairs, and teaching master classes for aspiring musicians.

  

Cyrille Aimée · Cyrille Aimée Live

Mack Avenue Records · Release Date: June 22, 2018

NEW RELEASES: PLAYING FOR CHANGE - LISTEN TO THE MUSIC; JOHN PROULX – SAY IT; HRISTO VITCHEV QUARTET - OF LIGHT AND SHADOWS

PLAYING FOR CHANGE - LISTEN TO THE MUSIC

Listen to the Music is the fourth star-studded ‘Songs Around the World’ album and video series from the world-renowned Playing for Change organization. It features audio recordings of hit rock and world-beat songs, along with a compelling series of performance videos in which PFC's unique recording process is documented to great effect. Each song is multi-track recorded and videotaped in multiple picturesque locations around the world by visionary producer and philanthropist Mark Johnson. The full 12 song project features more than 200 Artists an was recorded in 25 different countries. Featured Stars: The Doobie Brothers / Ellis Hall /Jack Johnson/ Dr. John / Warren Haynes / Cyril and Ivan Neville / John Cruz / Preservation Hall Jazz Band (New Orleans) / TP OK Jazz Band from Congo (Kinshasa) / John Densmore / Bombino / Buddy Guy / Waddy Wachtel / Roots Gospel Voices of Mississippi /James Gadson / Reggie McBride / Karl Denson / Roberto Carcasses / Mamadou Diabate / Lee Oskar / Anders Osborne / Pancho Amat

JOHN PROULX – SAY IT

Say It is the new CD on ArtistShare by pianist, vocalist, and composer John Proulx. This is his fourth CD as a leader. He recorded his previous three albums on the MAXJAZZ label, but after the owner of MAXJAZZ passed away, he decided it was time to expand his horizons and take his career along a new and exciting path. Say It is the first album he’s produced independently. Proulx has always been a sensitive pianist, which is why he’s often busy working as an accompanist for other vocalists, and he exhibits his facility with different styles throughout the CD. He can swing hard or he can play with a gentle subtlety that melds beautifully with his lyrical, tenor voice. The ten songs on this project are a mix of lesser-known jazz standards and jazz interpretations of pop songs by a diverse group of composers, plus an original he co-wrote with Melissa Manchester, who guests on the CD. Proulx chose these songs because they are beautifully constructed both melodically and lyrically, lending themselves to a fresh, new sound with updated, modern jazz arrangements. The result is a CD of great warmth, affection, and sophistication. 

HRISTO VITCHEV QUARTET - OF LIGHT AND SHADOWS

The highly anticipated new album by the Hristo Vitchev Quartet has been officially released worldwide! "Of Light and Shadows" marks Hristo's 9th album as a leader and catalogues the evolution and creative development of the internationally award wining quartet through its most adventurous and exploratory chapter yet. "Of Light and Shadows" combines Impressionistic Modern Jazz with elements of Romantic, Classical, and Progressive Rock. "This gifted guitarist and composer brings a new vitality and globally significant response to jazz! The most exploratory and creative work to date from the Hristo Vitchev Quartet and a major underline for the importance of Hristo Vitchev’s meteoric rise."- Amaxon.com; "Truly one of the best jazz compositions you’ll hear in 2018… total JOY!" - Dick Metcalf (Contemporary Fusion Reviews); "Vitchev's latest effort is another jewel in his growing catalog of widespread genres. Turn it up. There could be a new guitar hero in jazz town." - All About Jazz

The Pocket: Cameroonian Dance Rhythms Turn Jazz Grace to Pure Joy on Ajoyo’s eponymous debut

Yacine Boulares struck up a conversation with a fellow Francophone musician at a jazz club late one night. It changed his life.

The multi-reed player made what he jokingly calls “math music,” the intellectual jazz savored by the few, when not working as a sideman and session player for the likes of Placido Domingo and Tabou Combo. But after he met drummer Jojo Kuo, the avuncular, genial Cameroonian successor to Tony Allen in Fela Kuti’s band, Boulares found himself captivated by a new set of rules: Play for dancers, put the groove first, connect with the heart. Kuo took the Parisian transplant under his wing, inviting Boulares to jam at late-night sessions and then become a regular member of his band.

“There’s a pocket to this music, that is natural to Cameroonian players,” Boulares explains. “When you’re playing with them, it’s like sitting on the nose of a jet. There is drive that can push the whole band. That’s the magic. When they play, everyone locks.”

From the locking intersection of heart and head, of groove and crystalline structure, flowed Ajoyo (Ropeadope; release: April 21, 2015), a high-flying hybrid of jazz, traditional dance rhythms from Cameroon, and just a touch of Afrobeat. Inspired by the sounds of Kuo’s native land, Boulares crafted original pieces of thought-provoking party music. Then he recruited a diverse crew of African, Afro-diasporic, and cross-cultural crack musicians to find the pocket.

The ecstatic “Chocot” brings the Cameroonian bikutsi drive to bear, giving Boulares’s soprano sax free rein to rage. “Tashikere” shimmies, as vocalist Sarah Elizabeth Charles’s voice leaps joyfully over complex bursts of horns. “Benskin” effortlessly combines the polyrhythms and polyphony of the best African dance music with a serious penchant for jazz depth and reflection. It’s danceable philosophy, in the perfect pocket.

Boulares came late to jazz, but rapidly made up for lost time. With heritage in Tunisia, but raised in Paris, Boulares hails from a family without any particular musical inclination, though Boulares’s father often listened to Arabic classical music like Oum Khulthum.  He gave his son a sax as a graduation present, but Boulares didn’t pick up the saxophone before college years. While studying for his MA, Boulares went from exploring the philosophical concepts behind musical expression and experience at the Sorbonne to playing music himself.

At the same time, Boulares was coming to terms with his own identity, as a young Parisian who was utterly French, yet who stood out the moment he said his name. “It was a challenge for me to understand my Arabic heritage,” remembers Boulares. He spent summers in Tunisia, and his experiences spurred him to study Arabic and decolonize his heritage. Boulares’s roots and his connection to his own African identity runs through “Houb Ouna,” a piece that combines Tunisian rhythms with sub-Saharan elements, tracing the path of slaves and migrants from the south to the north.

Boulares’s love of jazz took him west on a Fulbright to New York, and to that fateful night at Fat Cat. After several years, now part of a growing circle of Cameroonian, Ivorian, and other Francophone African projects, Boulares began composing his own pieces based on West African rhythms, to give the bands he played with more material. Kuo encouraged him, and when the drummer left New York, he insisted Boulares continue the work.

He did, gathering a trusted crew of friends around him, blending Afro-diasporas (from Cameroonian bassist Fred Doumbe to New Orleans native Linton Smith on the trumpet +barbadian percussionist Foluso Mimy ) and savvy young cross-cultural players (Guilhem Flouzat on drums, Israeli-born Alon Albagli on guitar, and Turkish-German keys player Can Olgun). He tapped Sarah Elizabeth Charles for her spot-on velvet voice, and for her ability to help crystallize Boulares’s intensely felt lyrical ideas. Working with producer Jacques Schwarz-Bart, who has played sax with everyone from Roy Hargrove to D’Angelo, Boulares let the band loose, finding new spaces for the musicians to move and expand.

It was the last step away from the math music, a next step toward an increasingly nuanced (and funky) understanding of his own origins. It brought to the fore some advice Boulares recalls from one of his early mentors: “Music exists before you and after you. You’re a vector, a door, and you have to be the widest door you can. Let it go through you.” That wide open moment points straight to the pocket.

“Murals” the debut release by Juno Award winning bassist-composer Solon McDade

“Murals” the debut release by Juno Award winning bassist-composer Solon McDade features nine original modern jazz pieces infused with a love and respect for tradition as well as a passion for modernity and progress.

Bassist-composer Solon McDade grew up on stage and has developed into a versatile performer, equally able to unleash his "complex and literate bass playing" (Dirty Linen Magazine) in jazz clubs, blues bars, and at folk and bluegrass festivals. He has been a part of numerous tours in North America, Europe and China and his distinctive melodic and powerful bass playing provides the foundation on which the sound of many recordings are built. His group The McDades won a Juno Award their album “Bloom” and his entire recording catalog features over 20 nominations for various awards.

Murals features Solon McDade on bass as well as his brother Jeremiah McDade (Maria Schneider, Joshua Rager, Edmonton Jazz Orchestra) on tenor sax and Montrealers; alto saxophonist Donny Kennedy (Joe Sullivan Big Band, Christine Jensen Big Band, Kieran Overs, Kirk MacDonald and Andre White), Paul Shrofel (Nikky Yanofsky, Sophie Milman and Susie Arioli) Piano and Rich Irwin (Dave Liebman, Freddie Hubbard, Donny McCaslin, Dave Binney and Chucho Valdez) on drums. Together the band paint a vibrant aural image of Solon’s originals with an energetic swing in each beat.

The CD will be officially released on April 20th, and will be celebrated with a performance at The Yardbird Suite in Edmonton AB on Friday, April 20th at 8pm.  A second eastern Canadian release is planned for Montreal, QC at the Upstairs Jazz Bistro & Bar on July 21st.

You can check out the complete album on his website at https://www.solonmcdade.com/https://www.solonmcdade.com/

Mali + Tigray - Guitars = The Steady-Grooving African-Infused Jazz-Funk of Molly Tigre

Molly Tigre set out from Brooklyn to answer one tough question: What if the 70s vibes of the cult Ethiopiques series collided with Saharan desert rock and West African blues, but with no guitar to lead the melodic way?

Molly Tigre’s answer is audible in the quintet’s studio debut Molly Tigre (Very Special Recordings; digital and cassette release date: May 14, 2018). The sound is dark and slinky and mysteriously funky, brazenly open to the peculiar global sonic influences that wash over musicians on the streets of the outer boroughs. The premise sounds like some quirky and academic composition challenge, but the mashup has led to some seriously good music, tracks that explore and question without losing sight of the groove.

“I wanted to bring together some of the music and styles from Northern Mali and certain regions in Ethiopia, like Tigray,” the genesis of the band’s name, notes bassist and co-founder Ezra Gale. “I hear a lot of commonalities between them, like the pentatonic scales that are similar sounding. The fact that the rhythms they are using are based around groups of six. They subdivide that differently but there’s a thread that ties them together. When I started playing the music side by side, I thought it was fascinating and I wanted to mash them together.”

He tossed the idea around with sax player Mitch Marcus, longtime friend who has toured with the likes of Donovan and who was former bandmate in the West Coast Afrobeat/-pop group Aphrodesia. “We both realized we were big fans of that music, and not many musicians were doing anything with that at the time,” says Marcus. “That was what we wanted to try originally.”

Mixing two different sets of styles, timbres, and rhythms from opposite ends of a large continent wasn’t enough, however. Gale and Marcus wanted to shake up the approach to the instrumentation often found in many Afro-inspired, groove-oriented bands. “When we started thinking about these very different styles from two different regions, something else came up. I love the sound of no chords, when sax and bass are the only melody instruments,” Gale explains. “There’s a tradition of this in jazz, as people have done piano-less quartets. You get to imply harmonies without a guitar or piano spelling it out, which makes it open and free. It’s hard to do well and make it sound full.”

Molly Tigre went for it, nonetheless. Marcus and Gale recruited sax and flute player Chris Hiatt (Japonize Elephants), drummer Joey Abba (The Ramones), and percussionist Ibrahima Kolipe Camara (National Dance Company of Guinea, Kakande), with occasional blurts of Farfisa provided by a battered old organ one of their recording engineers dragged out of the trash. “We’ve had chordal players sit in with us live,” remarks Marcus, “but not having the chords spelled out adds this space to the songs that’s really nice.”

Instead of the guitar-guided sound common to both Mali and some Ethiopian groups, Gale and Marcus often look to percussion sounds and ideas for inspiration. “From the start, percussion was a really vital element in our writing,” muses Gale. “We’re not just writing a horn melody and a bass line and, okay, whatever the percussion wants to do over that is fine. I think of it as another line in the composition that’s integral to the performance and has a lot of the range of a piano or guitar.”

Percussion lines and rhythmic hooks sparked tracks like “Hello Bolly,” Marcus’s rollicking, rolling tribute to Bollywood soundtracks but with an Afro-diasporic twist. Gale was also moved by the groove to craft “Slush Fund,” a song he swore was a copycat of a Kenyan James Brown-esque track he would spin at a regular DJ gig. “When I went and listened again,” he laughs, “it was nothing like it, except it was in 6/8.”

Though the pieces on the album were inspired by a somewhat abstract premise, once they get down and dirty, it’s all about the music. The film-noir funk of “Lebanese Blond” pits two melodies against one another, leaving plenty of room for improvisation as they weave in and out. “Ethiofreaks” adds vibes to the mix, a tip of the hat to Ethiopian jazz master and vibe player Mulatu Astatke, for an original take on the Ethiopiques sound. Some tributes are even more direct: Astatke’s 70s gem “Yekermo Sew” keeps its serpentine, modal feel, but winds up with new harmonies. “We ended up accidently reharmonizing it,” says Marcus. “I handed out a chart to the band in a particular key; the alto and tenor sax are in different keys. Chris was playing the wrong thing, for lack of a better word, as he was supposed to transpose his line. But it sounded really good in fourths, so we ran with it.”

Running with that open space left where guitars might be, with that room to stretch out and improvise, means combining untold numbers of influences, the kind of thing New York musicians absorb just from walking down the block, past the bodega, the stoop or car stereo speakers, the singing neighbor, the subway violinist.

“Even if we wanted to make this a tribute to these styles, it would never come out that way. We live here, with so much swirling around,” says Gale. “We’re playing Africa-influenced music, but filtered through these lenses,” he adds, “and we love it because it’s original.”

“When you add improvisation into the mix,” Marcus adds, “you’re going to get something different out. “

NEW RELEASES: WVR BVBY; BENJAMIN JEPHTA - HOMECOMING; JAKOB BRO - RETURNINGS

WVR BVBY

Melbourne based 8-piece WVR BVBY unveil a meditational jazz odyssey on their debut self-titled album. WVR BVBY is the next link in the chain of Melbourne’s soulful sound that has been developing strongly over the past decade. They create cinematic sounds through roaring horns, synth arpeggiation and a rhythm section that sways from meditative grooves to dramatic, complex rhythmic interplay with tight precision. Recorded at Fitzroy's Plug Seven Studios, the eight track LP was inspired by a mixture of crate digging culture and 70s production techniques, recorded in one take sessions using direct to tape technology. The name WVR BVBY (pronounced WAR BABY) has a special connection to the leader of the 8-piece ensemble, Carl Lindeberg who plays bass. Lindeberg’ s parents first met and fell in love in the war torn Middle East during the Gulf War and the result of that union was Lindeberg himself. The album is the sophomore release of the independent label, Plug Seven Records, run by Plug Seven Records store and studio owner, Ari Roze.

BENJAMIN JEPHTA - HOMECOMING

A beautiful set of spiritual jazz from South Africa – recorded recently, but very much in the same soulful tradition of the best of that scene from the early 70s onward! The tracks are long, flowing, and open – set up in a fantastic way by the rich, round work of the bass of Benjamin Jephte – and given spacious warmth through the talents of Marcus Wyatt on trumpet, Kyle Shepherd on piano and Rhodes, Sisonke Xonti on tenor, and Sphelelo Mazibuko on drums – a really great lineup who resonate beautifully with each other! Spha Mdlalose provides these beautiful wordless vocal passages at times, and other members of the group vocalize briefly – but our favorite "voices" on the album may well be the tenor and piano parts. If you know some of Wyatt's excellent work for the Sheer Sound label years back, you'll know some of the energy of this set – and titles include "Hymn For Ada", "The Blessing", "Requiem For The Wandering", "Be Strong", "Still I Rise", and "One For The Plein". ~ Dusty Groove

JAKOB BRO - RETURNINGS

A moody little record that's cut in the best style of the ECM legacy – and one that definitely recalls the special place that label has for both trumpet and guitar! In this case the guitar is handled by leader Jakob Bro, and the trumpet by Palle Mikkelborg – the latter a longtime associate of the label, and graced with this spacious, open sound that hangs perfectly in the air of the production – balanced with the spider webs of sound coming from Bro's electric guitar, and given just a bit of gentle help from the bass of Thomas Morgan and drums of Jon Christensen. Titles include "Hamsun", "Lyskaster", "Song For Nicolai", "Oktober", and "Strands". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: JAZZTRONIK – BB1; ERNIE HAWK & THE SOUL INVESTIGATORS – SCORPIO MAN; LEON’S CREATION – THIS IS THE BEGINNING

JAZZTRONIK – BB1

The first music we've heard in quite awhile from Jazztronik – and a set that has them sounding even more funk-oriented than before! We've always loved the creations of leader Ryota Nozaki – even his mellower moments – but this time around, he really steps into new territory by working with a larger group that's heavy on horns, and which has some especially strong bass and drums – all to create a vibe that's more 70s funk than you might expect! But there's also some richer, more sophisticated currents too – that strong sense of arrangement that Nozaki has really developed over the years, worked out here in live horn charts that can be extremely beautiful. Some tracks feature soul-styled vocals by singers Eliana and Aisha, and some are instrumental – and tracks include "Dolphin Smile", "Spotlight", "Caprice", "Sanctuary", "Deja Vu", and "Meguru (2017 version)". ~ Dusty Groove

ERNIE HAWK & THE SOUL INVESTIGATORS – SCORPIO MAN

Ernie Hawks looks right out of the 70s on the cover – with his long hair, fringe jacket, and fiercely-held flute – which he mixes here with some great grooves from the Soul Investigators, in a vibe that's maybe even better than classic! The album's all instrumental, and has this fantastic sound that's way different than the usual contemporary funk set – nicely trippy at times, with echo and other effects applied to the instrumentation – and a strong ear for the overall sound, not just the power of each member of the group! Hawks is often out front, soloing with a funky flute sound – but he also handles vibes, pianoman, and trombone – in a very cool lineup that also has Martti Vesala on wah-wah trumpet, and Jimi Tenor on saxophone. All tunes are original, and they're really fantastic – each the kind that if you found on a rare soundtrack or lost jazz album, you'd be willing to pay plenty to own. Titles include "Still Trippin", "Bag Full Of Miracles", "Cold Turkey Time", "Scorpio Walk", "Windy City Blues", "Journey To The Bottom", and "Street Of Tears". ~ Dusty Groove

LEON’S CREATION – THIS IS THE BEGINNING 

A rare album of funky soul from the Bay Area scene at the start of the 70s – and a set that's every bit as righteous as you might expect from the cover! The group's the creation of singer/keyboardist/arranger Leon Pattillo – hence the name – and you might know Leon from his later famous work in the 70s – including a stint with Santana, and loads of great work with other soul artists. But here, he's a young genius working in the freest, funkiest style of the San Francisco generation – with a vibe that's maybe a more spiritual take on territory explored by Sly & The Family Stone – with an earthier, more indie vibe overall. The group has great interplay – tight instrumentation, but never slick, and with some nice long-haired currents – and vocals are by Leon and a female singer – on titles that include "Confusion", "If I Had The Power", "Sightless", "Back Roads", "This Is The Beginning", and "Mirage". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: LISA STANFIELD – DEEPER; CORTEX – AVANT-GARDE PARTY MUSIC; RENEE ROSNES – BELOVED OF THE SKY

LISA STANFIELD – DEEPER

It may be years since Lisa Stansfield last topped the charts – but the singer's lost none of her charm, and is still completely at the top of her game – as you'll discover in this wonderfully grooving set! At some level, it's as if nothing has changed at all – the rhythms are strong, the songs upbeat, and Stansfield's vocals have that surprisingly soulful quality that's always made us love her classic records! But there's also a depth here that comes with maturity and growth – and in some ways, Lisa's developed here a lot like Corinne Drewery has over the course of the later albums by Swing Out Sister – even more of a fully-fleshed soul singer, and well-deserving of classic status. Titles include "Desire", "Twisted", "Everything", "Hole In My Heart", "Deeper", "Butterflies", "Love Of My Life", "Billionaire", "Hercules", and "Never Ever" – plus a great remake of The Chimes' classic "Ghetto Heaven".  ~ Dusty Groove

CORTEX – AVANT-GARDE PARTY MUSIC

The title might be a bit goofy, but it's actually a pretty great way to sum up the spirit of this group – as the contemporary Cortex come from avant roots, but also have a vibrancy that makes their music sound more celebratory than confrontational! The quartet features endlessly creative rhythms from the duo of Olya Hoyer on bass and Gard Nilssen on drums – topped by beautiful interplay between the trumpet of Thomas Johansson and saxophonist Kristoffer Berre Alberts – both players who can sometimes be completely in step with each other, sometimes almost at odds, and individually really work to make the whole record soar when it's time for their solos. Titles include "Mac Davis", "Grinder", "Chaos", "Waltz", "Disturbance", "Obverse/Reverse", and "Off Course". ~ Dusty Groove

RENEE ROSNES – BELOVED OF THE SKY

Pianist Renee Rosnes blows us away once again – returning to work with in a very similar mode as the one she used on her last album for the Smoke Sessions label – which was a real revelation, and a set that had us falling in love with Renee's music all over again! If anything, the energy here is even sharper and more focused – as Rosnes' piano comes on full force amidst the vibes of Steve Nelson, and alto and flute of Chris Potter – driven on by fantastic work from Peter Washington on bass and Lewis Nash on drums – a rhythm duo who can be laidback when needed, then completely bold at all the right moments! Nelson's got some sharply chromatic elements in his vibes that offset some of the darker tones from Potter's saxophone – and Renee somehow finds a way to bridge the space of everyone with the warm of the chords on her piano. The songs are almost all originals, and are as painterly as the cover – yet still quite swinging too – and titles include "Elephant Dust", "Scorned As Timber Beloved Of The Sky", "Mirror Image", "Black Holes", "Let The Wild Rumpus Start", and "Rhythm Of The River" – plus a version of Bobby Hutcherson's "Rosie". ~ Dusty Groove

No Lie: Jazz/R&B keyboardist David Garfield hits the country charts

He wrote the heartbroken ballad “I Lied” with legend Smokey Robinson.

 There is no telling where your career will take you when it spans five decades, but jazz/R&B keyboardist David Garfield never imagined that he’d hit the country charts let alone for a song that he wrote with Motown icon Smokey Robinson. “I Lied,” the power pop ballad that they penned, has reached No. 60 on the Music Row singles chart and gained New & Active status on the Billboard Indicator chart. The accompanying video for the track featuring vocalist J. Paris has been added to the playlist at the Heartland Network, “the beating pulse of country music for the nation” reaching over 22 million households. 

“It’s amazing and we are thrilled to be receiving a lot of country airplay. Smokey and I wrote ‘I Lied’ with a female singer in mind. It was the second tune we wrote together, and it was just sitting in the archives. It hadn’t been recorded. When I began work on (my current project) ‘Outside the Box,’ I went to Nashville to track the song after hearing a country inflection in the singer’s voice when she demoed it for me here in LA. It was always an R&B/pop song, a product of my relationship with Smokey. He’s a poet, masterful with his lyrics. When we started writing it, it was like a contemporary pop (song) with a little R&B influence. Like all the other stuff we’ve been working on, very traditional and fresh at the same time, but nothing in the world of country,” said Garfield, a St. Louis native who has been long been anchored in Los Angeles. “These songs have stories, that’s the thing. ‘I Lied’ has such an amazing story to it.”

  

Robinson wrote the storied lyrics and sweeping melody lines for “I Lied.” “When I write, let me write something that’s going to just mean something for as long as there are people. If I can possibly do it, that’s what I want to do,” said the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Grammy winner and member of the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame.

Garfield and Robinson first wrote together when composing “One Like You” for George Benson’s 2009 album, “Songs and Stories.” That same year, Garfield, who serves as Benson’s longtime music director, performed on Robinson’s “Time Flies When You’re Having Fun” disc.

  

“I Lied” will also appear on Garfield’s “Vox Outside the Box,” part of his ambitious multivolume “Outside the Box” collection showcasing the prolific keyboardist’s collaborations with jazz, R&B, rock and pop luminaries. The first set, “Jazz Outside the Box,” dropped March 23 on Garfield’s Creatchy Records imprint and is his first straight-ahead jazz outing. The first two singles from “Jamming Outside the Box” – “Go Home” and “Jamming” – hit the Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs chart with the former peaking at No. 2 and the latter currently climbing the Top 20. “Jamming Outside the Box” is slated for release this summer.     

  

To watch Garfield and Robinson discuss “I Lied,” click https://bit.ly/2I3iZEi.

To view the “I Lied” video, click https://bit.ly/2BolVeF.

For more information, please visit www.DavidGarfield.com.

PIANIST LESLIE PINTCHIK RELEASES SIXTH CD "YOU EAT MY FOOD, YOU DRINK MY WINE, YOU STEAL MY GIRL!"

Pianist and composer Leslie Pintchik found the title for her new album in one of those "only in New York" moments. While crossing Canal Street at West Broadway in the SoHo section of Manhattan, she heard a voice behind her yell, "You eat my food, you drink my wine, you steal my girl!" As it happened, she'd just completed writing a new composition, and at that very moment she knew she'd found its title. It was a perfect fit for the sharp-elbows vibe of the piece, with its samba-funk groove, understated humor and fender-bender of an ending. So with one gruff shout, serendipity handed her a bold, spunky title, for a bold, spunky tune.

With its implied but elusive narrative and personality to spare, the outburst also turned out to be a perfect title for Pintchik's new recording, which features six of her original tunes and two standards. As on her five previous albums, Pintchik has penned a collection of songs overflowing with warmth, humor, tenderness, depth and smarts - without forsaking her razor-sharp edge. Pintchik is unique in combining a brisk energy and drive with a gift for accessible, infectious melodies - like that overheard accusation, her music strikes a unique balance between the sharp-edged and the charming. You Eat My Food, You Drink My Wine, You Steal My Girl! will be released February 23, 2018 via Pintch Hard Records.

In his liner notes for the CD, Allen Morrison writes "As a composer, [Pintchik is] like a novelist, unspooling each song like a good story with twists and turns, and with a story-teller's patience and sense of form. And, like a good novel, her songs appeal to both the head and the heart; they are subtle, sometimes wry, sometimes somber. I think they're not-so-buried treasures, waiting to be discovered by other jazz artists." In addition, the wide range of grooves (samba-funk with a touch of partido alto, swing, bolero, traditional samba, straight-eighths, and ballads-all played with exceptional skill and pizzazz by Leslie and her top-notch band members) is a great added pleasure.

For this outing, Pintchik returns once again with the musicians with whom she has played and recorded for many years: Steve Wilson on alto sax, Ron Horton on trumpet and flugelhorn, Scott Hardy on bass and guitar, drummer Michael Sarin, and percussionist Satoshi Takeishi. On accordion, Shoko Nagai is the newcomer, and a wonderfully intriguing addition to the mix. Recalling the recording session, Pintchik said "I had the time of my life playing with these extraordinary musicians and people, all gems and superb players."

"You Eat My Food, You Drink My Wine, You Steal My Girl!" is not the only mouthful of a title on the album. It's topped by "Your call will be answered by our next available representative, in the order in which it was received. Please stay on the line; your call is important to us," which should instantly raise the blood pressure of anyone who's ever wasted hours of their life on hold to fix - or at least attempt to - a problem that's already wasted too much time. Fueled by that all-too-common experience, the tune swings hard with a fervor born of equal parts frustration and an antic comic spirit. Special kudos to the rhythm section for its drive amidst the unexpected stops and starts.

From the playful to the poignant: Pintchik's ballad "Mortal" was written, she says, "to express a sense of life's fragility, beauty, and especially shortness." A highlight of the set, "Mortal" showcases a fearless use of space and silence, and gorgeous heart-on-the-sleeve solos from Pintchik, Wilson, Horton and Hardy. (Of particular note is Horton's flugelhorn solo, which is both beautiful and wrenching.) On the opposite end of the emotional spectrum, "Happy Dog," as its name suggests, is a cheerful tune. Shoko Nagai plays the melody in unison with Pintchik, and the samba-based rhythm provides a simpatico backdrop for the wonderfully frisky solos of Pintchik, Hardy and Takeishi.

Like Pintchik's tunes, Edward Hopper's paintings are renowned for suggesting stories not quite told in full within the confines of their canvases. A tune with a straight eighths time feel that features Shoko Nagai on accordion, "Hopperesque" was inspired by the iconic artist's work, especially those paintings that depict people in the kind of threshold moments that provoke the viewer to wonder what happened before, and what might come after, the scene we're presented with. "I've tried," Pintchik says, "to capture that feeling of mystery."

One of the earliest tunes written for the album, "A Simpler Time" was inspired by the composer's trip to the Hancock Shaker Village in Massachusetts, where she was touched by the rare adult cradles that she saw, used to soothe the elderly and infirm. Pintchik characterizes the piece as "an adult lullaby." In his liner notes, Morrison writes "There's an emotional maturity to it that seems to acknowledge that life itself is not simple, that we are often overwhelmed with hard choices and mixed emotions, and we have a universal need for kindness. As with so many of Leslie's songs, the melody is memorable, but not simple."

Approaching the album's standards with the same unique perspective and wry insight that she brings to her own tunes, Pintchik plays the jazz and pop standard "I'm Glad There Is You" as a bolero, which affords the melody of this love song a lot of breathing room. In his liner notes to the CD, Allen Morrison writes "It's one of the most tender readings of this great song (by Jimmy Dorsey and Paul Madeira) that I've ever heard." The Jerome Kern/Otto Harbach chestnut "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" is played as a samba, with an added catchy rhythmic hook that bookends the melody. This version features a wonderfully relaxed rhythm section that, in the ending tag, builds up a strong head of caffeinated Brazilian steam, before the rhythmic hook returns, and it's over and out.

Before embarking on a career in jazz, Leslie Pintchik was a teaching assistant in English literature at Columbia University, where she also received her Master of Philosophy degree in seventeenth-century English literature. She first surfaced on the Manhattan scene in a trio with legendary bassist Red Mitchell at Bradley's, and in the ensuing years Pintchik formed her own trio which performs regularly at New York City jazz venues. Pintchik's debut CD So Glad To Be Here was released in June 2004, followed by Quartets in 2007. About So Glad To Be Here, Ken Micallef wrote in DownBeat "Pintchik's music is fresh, full of light and instantly invigorating (4 stars)." In the fall of 2010, she released her third CD We're Here To Listen, as well as a DVD Leslie Pintchik Quartet Live In Concert.  Jim Wilke, creator of the nationally syndicated "Jazz After Hours" radio show included We're Here To Listen on his "Best CDs of 2010" list, and the jazz journalist and scholar W. Royal Stokes included both projects in his "Best of 2010" list. Pintchik's fourth CD In The Nature Of Things was released on March, 2014. Steve Futterman, in The New Yorker magazine, called it "...one of the more captivating recordings to come out so far this year...", and Gary Walker of WBGO jazz radio called it "...a gorgeous display of the trio." In his review of Pintchik's fifth CD True North-released in March, 2016-Dan Bilawsky in AllAboutJazz.com wrote "Leslie Pintchik's music has a magical draw to itŠ Getting lost in this music is simply a joy. If 2016 has a more pleasurable listen to offer than True North, this writer hasn't heard it yet. (4 1/2 stars)"

In addition to composing the music for her band, Leslie has also written the liner notes for some notable recent jazz CDs, including Duologue by saxophonist Steve Wilson and drummer Lewis Nash (on the MCG label), and Daybreak by pianist Bruce Barth (on the Savant label).

www.lesliepintchik.com

Andrew Rathbun Releases New Jazz Orchestra Recording

Continuing a prolific streak over the past two decades, saxophonist-composer-arranger Andrew Rathbun premieres three new suites of moving, meaningful music on his triumphant large ensemble debut for Origin Records. Two of the suites, "Two Islands" and "Power Politics," are set to the evocative poetry of Margaret Atwood, who has enjoyed a rediscovery in the wake of the popularity of the Golden Globe-winning original series on Hulu, The Handmaid's Tale, based on the Toronto native's darkly dystopian and some would say prescient novel published in 1985 set in a near-futuristic totalitarian society. 

Rathbun's extremely ambitious 2-CD set, Atwood Suites, includes music from a third five-movement suite. Recorded in just three days in New York, it documents the composer's most accomplished and compelling writing to date, performed by a stellar crew of the Big Apple's finest, many of whom are leaders and composers in their own right. Anchored by drummer Bill Stewart, who's propulsive drive and interactive instincts color the proceedings in wholly unique ways, this mammoth undertaking features the brilliant flugelhorn playing of Tim Hagans and showcases the wistful, alluring vocals of Rathbun's longtime collaborator Luciana Souza, who breathes new life into the Atwood poems "Excerpt From Circle/Music Poems" on the "Two Islands" suite and "We Are Hard On Each Other" on the "Power Politics" suite. "Luciana does such a great job," he said. "The project really can't be realized without her in a lot of ways. Of course, she did a record of poems by Pablo Neruda and another set to the poems of Eliza- beth Bishop, so she really knows what's involved. She's a pivotal part of this recording."

The composer thanks his mother, an English teacher, for initially turning him on to the poetry of Margaret Atwood. "I had read 'The Handmaid's Tale' but knew nothing about her poetry. My mom just sent me a photocopy of a bunch of different things, a couple of which I actually set to music for my True Stories project in 2001, which also featured Luciana."

Regarding his main muse for this project, fellow Canadian Atwood, the Toronto native and Professor of Saxophone and Jazz Studies at Western Michigan University recalled, "We've met twice. The last time was after a lecture she gave on her book "Negotiating with the Dead: A Writer on Writing" in New York. I was just really lucky again this time around again to get her blessing to use her work. I was a bit concerned this time around, due to the fact that the Netflix series has been so popular, but luckily it all worked out."

  

The roots of this latest Rathbun project go back to 2001, when the saxophonist was asked by the great Canadian trumpeter-composer Kenny Wheeler to write some new material for an engagement at the Birdland nightclub in New York City. He came up with the three-movement "Power Politics" suite, which was performed by Wheeler's big band at Birdland but never recorded. "I wrote those with Kenny in mind," he explained. "One of my dreams was to get to get to record that with him but it just wasn't in the cards. I've been working with Tim Hagans a little bit lately and thought he'd be great for this. He's got a whole other thing, this incredible slippery chromatic language that he brings to the table, which I adore.

Hagans figures prominently on the two Atwood suites contained on the first CD. As renowned big band pianist-composer-arranger Jim McNeely points out in his liner notes to Atwood Suites, the flugelhornist's "lyricism ranges from thoughtfully introspective to wildly expressive." From his bracing solo on the first movement to "Two Islands" to his golden tones on the achingly beautiful second movement to his surging exclamations on the swinging section of the third movement, Hagans presence is deeply felt on this outing. Likewise, he delivers an attractive flugelhorn solo in the first movement of "Power Politics," navigates the churning 6/8 groove of the second movement and delivers a bristling solo over Stewart's interactive pulse and guitarist Nate Radley's rich voicings on the third movement. Trombonist Mike Fahie, tenor saxophonist Dan Pratt and alto saxophonist John O'Gallagher also contribute potent solos throughout the highly charged "Power Politics" suite.

  

Rathbun conceived "Two Islands" during his residency at the Atlantic Center of the Arts artists' colony in Florida during the late 2000s. "I brought a couple anthologies of Margaret Atwood's work with me and just and started experimenting with that poem. And after a couple of weeks I had sketched most of the suite. There was a composer there at the same time named Lewis Spratlan, an amazing Pulitzer Prize winning composer. He was really helpful in bouncing ideas off of during the writing, frequently offering sage suggestions. And the things he'd say about music were really inspirational to me."

The other pieces on this 2-CD set, including the aggressive "Fractured" (inspired, as Rathbun notes, "by the continued political divisions that have plagued this county for the last decade and seem to get worse rather than improve") and the majestic three movements, "V" "I" "II," utilize the soaring wordless vocals of singer Aubrey Johnson. "I used her voice more like an instrument," Rathbun explains. "She's got this beautiful sound, with a light and flexible vocal quality, which blends really well in the ensemble. She sang some of my other vocal music, and I thought she would be a great addition to this project."

Rathbun has similar kudos for Stewart, a remarkably flexible drummer who has been a longstanding sideman to guitarist John Scofield. "He's not normally known as a big band guy, but I was curious to see what it would sound like if he was put in the middle of all this stuff. His beat and his phrasing and the way he sets things up are incredibly contagious and also different than anyone who, for lack of a better term, is more of a big band drummer. So I was really excited to get him into the mix. He just brings this propulsion to the music that is one of a kind. He's not only got great time and feel but he's also an incredible listener. He knows exactly how much to contrast what the soloist is playing and how much to complement.

All the elements of churning rhythms, attractive melodies, exquisite textures and rich colors come together in stunning fashion on Atwood Suites, Rathbun's crowning achievement to date. Meanwhile, the composer is "clearing the decks" to create his next opus. "My writing has taken on, I hope, some new characteristics that I do want to document in the future. So I was determined to get all this stuff that I've written out of the way and next time around start with a blank-slate. I want to put the things that I've already completed in the rear view mirror now. Let's look ahead and see what comes next." Stay tuned. There's more to come for this important voice on the modern jazz scene. - Bill Milkowski

Club Bonafide NYC's Most Intimate Live Venue

Artfully combining the “hush hush” exclusivity of a classic speakeasy with a vibrant contemporary approach to showcasing an array of today’s hottest music and other curated arts, Club Bonafide – located on storied 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan – is where the “jazz age” meets a new age of live performances.

Fast becoming an “open secret,” an enigmatic gem that no one officially is aware of yet everyone in the know knows about, the venue offers a beautiful space designed to cultivate intimacy – a lush, retro-minded 70-seat room with state-of-the-art sound and lighting where artists connect profoundly with patrons and patrons forge lasting bonds with one another. True to its name, the venue is a nightly happening, offering a diverse, ever-expanding range of authentic music – jazz, Latin, funk, soul, blues, rock, world music and more – in a transformative family-style atmosphere. It’s a perfect place to bring clients, colleagues and lovers – and the ideal setting to meet new ones! As one regular club-goer astutely observed, “It is a home for REAL ARTISTS and REAL MUSIC in all its forms.”

With one long row of adjoining tables in the center of the room nestled between two bookending rows against the walls in a subtle, red-lit room, Club Bonafide is designed to instantly immerse club-goers in the music, inviting them to be part of the shaping of sound as it lays the foundation for a lively evening. The bands play in the front of the room before a draped backdrop, ­encouraging a seamless soul connection between musicians and patrons. The separate cocktail area that patrons encounter as they step off the small elevator sports a décor reminiscent of the dark, rich vintage décor of the speakeasy era, with exposed brick and warm sunset dimmed lighting. Bonafide has a full specialized cocktail, wine, and beer menu, in addition to lite-bite options; it will soon be introducing a full menu.

For proof that Club Bonafide is the most happening and fresh NYC hot spot despite its being “hidden” on the third floor of a nondescript building between a restaurant and hotel (with only small indicator and no ­official marked entrance), look no further than the recent moments when Sting hopped up from the crowd and joined performers onstage and when Harry Belafonte joined the musicians performing a tribute concert for his 90th birthday. The participation of these and other legends is a testament to how comfortable and at home everyone feels in the room, not simply to perform but also to be in the company with fans as peers.

Club Bonafide was originally conceptualized two years ago by veteran musician Richard Bona and ­restaurateur Lolo Dantonio, whose aim was to re-create the “Swing Street” era of 52nd Street. Bonafide’s new team of owners are leading the club into a dynamic new era of live performances, drawing on the bustling energy of street life in Midtown that followed the Prohibition Era. Since its launch, the venue has hosted a wide variety of music – and moving forward, the performances will continue to embody the aesthetic of diversity and cultural and theatrical significance. Bonafide is also a wondrous find for those wishing to host signature events, drawing in all that is creative in a space that fosters and supports tastemakers and influencers who want to use music as a lure for audiences. With a backdrop and décor ideally suited to support the dreams and visions of the ­imaginative, the club has enduring appeal for curated events with art, performance art and fashion. 

212 EAST 52ND STREET, 3RD FLOOR, NYC  ▪  WWW.CLUBBONAFIDE.COM

The House of Jazz immortalizes Oliver Jones

Georges Durst, owner/designer of the legendary House of Jazz, is pleased to announce that his two live music venues will now be called HOUSE OF JAZZ by OLIVER JONES. "I was looking for a special way of honouring this extraordinary man, piano virtuoso and personal friend. Here it is!" says the philanthropic entrepreneur.

A few months ago, in front of a very emotional crowd, Oliver Jones ended his last public performance at the Montreal House of Jazz with this revelation: "My career really took off on this stage, thanks to Georges and Charlie (Biddle); this is why I wanted my last show to take place here." 

Upon learning about this tribute, the world renowned pianist said with his traditional modesty: "It was such a privilege to perform at the House of Jazz for three decades! I have the greatest admiration for Georges because, for more than 50 years, he supported so many singers and musicians. Now, I enjoy returning there because they serve the best ribs in town in a very creative ambience. I deeply cherish this homage."

Georges Durst is Quebec's most prolific restaurateur having conceived, since the sixties, multiple successful bars and thematic restaurants including the Cage aux Sports chain. His originality and passion for entertainment, outstanding antiques, musical and visual arts earned him the title of 'King of Nightlife'.

The first House of Jazz opened in Montreal in 1981 at 2060 Aylmer Street. The second was inaugurated at 1630 Boulevard de l'Avenir in Laval, 3 years ago; newly appointed Chef Robert Lapaj proudly introduces innovative southern flair dishes. Both venues present nightly a wide variety of local and international Jazz, R & B Soul artists.

Welcome to the House of Jazz by Oliver Jones!

www.houseofjazz.ca

NEW RELEASES: DETROIT RISING – COSMIC FUNK JAZZ ADVENTURE; BETTYE LAVETTE – THINGS HAVE CHANGED; ESTHER PHILLIPS – AT ONKEL PO’S CARNEGIE HALL HAMBURG 1978

DETROIT RISING – COSMIC FUNK JAZZ ADVENTURE

A proudly Detroit-based, Parliament/P-Funk veteran-helmed cosmic soul, funk & jazz adventure that bridges past to future! What we appreciate most is how Detroit Rising uses the sprawling Parliament Funkadelic legacy – and the project players' experience in that universe – as a springboard for a timeless cosmic soul vibe rather than replicating old school sounds. It's really about celebrating the history while looking to the future, and they do that with a diverse batch of tunes worthy of the legacy! The set features both veteran and contemporary figures from the mothership including guitarist DeWayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight on guitar, Danny Bedrosian on keys, drummers Gabe Gonzalez and Benjamin "Benzel" Cowan, singers Tonysha Nelson (George Clinton's granddaughter) & Steve Boyd, Lige Curry on bass and Greg Thomas on sax – along with United Sound Studios players Duminie Deporres & Kern Brantley and guest singer Sue Ann Carwell. Includes "Lashing Out", "Litttle Bit", "My Heart Is Frozen", "Rocket Love", "What's That You Heard?". (On colored vinyl – includes album download with bonus tracks – and initial copies come with a free t-shirt! Quantities extremely limited!) ~ Dusty Groove

BETTYE LAVETTE – THINGS HAVE CHANGED

Bettye Lavette on Verve Records – a move that also signals a shift in her music too – in a way that we can really approve! Bettye's getting some richer care in the backings – more of a classic soul approach, in terms of warmth – never trying too hard to cast the singer in modes that might be a bit forced, and instead almost echoing a Muscle Shoals sort of vibe at times – which leaves Lavette to provide more than plenty of edge to the music with her vocals! All of the tunes here are Bob Dylan covers, but are wonderfully transformed – and even the presence of guest stars like Keith Richards or Trombone Shorty can't get in the way of the lady and her message. Titles include "Emotionally Yours", "Going Going Gone", "Seeing The Real You At Last", "Don't Fall Apart On Me Tonight", "Things Have Changed", and "Ain't Talkin". ~ Dusty Groove

ESTHER PHILLIPS – AT ONKEL PO’S CARNEGIE HALL HAMBURG 1978

Esther Phillips might be best known for her studio records in the 70s – that great line of classics she recorded for the Kudu Records label – but she's completely on fire here in a live setting, where she stretches out even more than usual – and really reminds us of her genius! Most tracks are nice and long – and some are very very long – and Esther's working with a hip small combo that includes Henry Cain on piano and keyboards, Wes Blackman on guitar, Phil Upchurch on bass, and James Levi on drums – players that can get funky when needed, then kick back at other moments to let Phillips take the lead – often expressing herself in ways that we never heard in the studio. Titles include "MS", "One Night Affair", "Native New Yorker", "The Blues", "Man Ain't Ready", "I've Never Found A Man", "Cherry Red", and "What A Difference A Day Makes". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: RYAN PORTER – THE OPTIMIST; ORQUESTA AKOKAN; ROXY COSS – THE FUTURE IS FEMALE

RYAN PORTER – THE OPTIMIST

Seriously stunning work from trombone player Ryan Porter and a young, but already amazing group of LA jazz funk players from the West Coast Get Down collective he co-founded – including Kamasi Washington, Cameron Graves, Miles Mosely and others – recorded at Kamasi's Inglewood, CA home studio! Recorded in 2008 in the confines of "The Shack" – the tight quarters garage studio at the Washington family's home – the sound is very much the resonantly soulful, spiritual jazz funk that sowed the seeds for work to come from the whole collective. Most tracks feature Kamasi on tenor sax, Mosely on upright bass, Graves on piano & Rhodes and a revolving cast of drummers including Tony Austin, Robert Miller and Aaron Haggerty. Titles include "The Psalmist", "Obamanomics", "Strugglesville", "The Instrumental Hip-Hoppa", "Deja Vu", "Night Court In Compton", "K-Wash", "Anaya", "Little Sunflower", "Impressions" and "Chocolate Nuisance". (Limited edition 3LP set! Includes download.)  ~ Dusty Groove

ORQUESTA AKOKAN - ORQUESTA AKOKAN

A record that may well single-handedly mark the huge shift in American/Cuban relations in years to come – as the set's a tremendous project between the New York forces of Daptone Records, and the overlooked genius of the younger scene in Havana! Make no mistake, this isn't your usual Daptone funk – but instead, the label has found a way to allow this group to really rise to the height of their powers – no overdone trappings, as they might get on a bigger label – and instead, a raw sound that's very classic – yet without sounding slavish to any ideals of Havana in the pre-Castro years either. There's such wonderful warmth and energy on the record – as both singer Jose Pepito Gomez and the musicians find this perfect balance – percussion that's nice and raw, horns that are tight but have modern inflections, and a production style that's warm and woody, but never slick at all. Includes "Mambo Rapidito", "La Corbata Barata", "Un Tabaco Pra Elegua", "Otro Nivel", "La Cosa","Yo Soy Para Ti", "A Gozar La Vida" and more. ~ Dusty Groove

ROXY COSS – THE FUTURE IS FEMALE

Roxy Coss's second album as a leader for the Posi-Tone label – and it's her strongest to date, both by design and in performance! Where her Chasing The Unicorn album set up a whimsical sensibility, this one obliviously sets up a tone of strength and determination – undercurrents of all her work we've heard thus far, but are front-and-center thematically here. The titles are strident and topical, while the sound is timeless, with some thematic touches – like the almost foreboding intro to "Mr. President" that leads into marching drums, or the slyly easygoing swing that starts "Feminist AF" leading to some of the most energetic soloing by Roxy on the whole set – but she never casts off the neo-classic jazz she's always had such a strong voice for. Recorded in a single day with her excellent band including Alex Wintz, Miki Yamanaka, Rick Rosato and Jimmy Macbride, titles include "Nevertheless, She Persisted", "Little Did She Know", "She Needed A Hero, So That's What She Became", "Females Are Strong As Hell", "#MeToo","Nasty Women Grab Back" and "Ode To A Generation". ~ Dusty Groove