Naughty Professor Releases “3 Wise Men” - A Tantalizing Taste of Their Upcoming EP

Iconoclastic New Orleans based jazz-funk sextet, Naughty Professor, announced the release of their single “3 Wise Men” on Tuesday, September 24th. A preview to their upcoming EP Everyday Shredder due out November 8th, “3 Wise Men” brings Naughty Professor back to its 6-piece instrumental roots, highlighting the full-circle maturation the band has experienced over the last few years. 

Since the release of their first full length collaborative effort, Identity, Naughty Professor has naturally progressed into many different musical directions, both in the studio and on stage, showcasing their raw ability to perform in a variety of roles. Within days of its release in June 2017, Identity shot up the iTunes Jazz charts to #6. The album’s first single, ““Stray,” featuring David Shaw of The Revivalists, has received over 1 Million streams on Spotify.  The album saw further integration of musical talents like Eric “Benny” Bloom (Lettuce), Ivan Neville (Dumpstaphunk), and Mike Dillon.

The band has since served as the touring band for diverse acts such as legendary emcee Chali 2na (Jurassic 5) and New Orleans bounce queen Big Freedia, lent their horn section to prominent acts including GRiZ, The Revivalists, TAUK, and Tank and the Bangas, and have collaborated on stage with talented individuals like Marcus King, Shaun Martin (Snarky Puppy), and Paul Meany (MUTEMATH). The whirlwind two-year stretch has landed them on prominent music festivals such as Jam Cruise, Summer Camp, and most recently the Canadian jazz fest circuit, capstoning their summer touring endeavors.

Now Naughty Professor brings these new-found influences and lessons into their latest EP, 4 years removed from their last full instrumental release. The difference both as musicians and songwriters is noticeable, and the band feels their best foot is forward with this EP, which developed as a totally organic creation out of guitar player Bill Daniel’s Wild Child Studios in New Orleans. The EP serves as a reminder to core fans of Naughty Professor’s innate abilities as a forward thinking funk powerhouse, but leaves the door open for continued development and expansion into new musical spaces. The band will showcase these tunes and more over the next few months, with details on China, Europe, and local New Orleans release show dates coming very soon...

Late-Era Nina Simone Album, 'Fodder On My Wings,' Set for Re-Release

Recorded in 1982, not long after she moved to Paris, Fodder On My Wings was one of Nina Simone's favorite albums yet has remained one of her most obscure. Originally recorded for a small French label and only sporadically available since its initial release, Fodder On My Wings will be reissued in a variety of formats including CD and LP, as well as widely available digitally for the first time, in both standard and hi-res audio, on November 22 via Verve/UMe. The original album will be expanded with three bonus tracks from the recording sessions from a rare French reissue released in 1988. The effervescent opening track "I Sing Just To Know That I'm Alive," a song that Simone often performed live in her later years, is available now to stream and as an instant grat download with digital preorder.  

A lesser-known but important part of Simone's musical history, Fodder On My Wings contains deeply personal songs, including the aforementioned, "I Sing Just To Know That I'm Alive" and "I Was Just A Stupid Dog To Them," as well a searing lyrical improvisation about the death of her father on "Alone Again (Naturally)." At the time she recorded the album, Simone was living in France and extremely lonely; her mental illness was worsening and her family life was fractured. It's out of this despair that one of the many album standouts, the near title track "Fodder In Her Wings," was birthed. As Pitchfork wrote in their list of 33 of Simone's most iconic songs, the composition "captured with startling intimacy the pain of this period, and she returned to it frequently through the next decade, cutting another studio version three years later (the synth-heavy take on Nina's Back!) and including it on several live albums, including an awe-inspiring performance on 1987's Let It Be Me," continuing, "Simone's vocal makes a song of weariness and defeat carry an air of defiance, a wise word from someone who survived to tell the tale."

Over the years, the album has been reevaluated and has received its due as a significant work in Simone's prolific catalog. In a 2005 review of the album, Jazz Times hailed the record and especially her emotional performance on "Alone Again (Naturally)," writing: "At the core of the album is a rare, powerful example of Simone with all masks stripped away: Her personal pain explodes to the surface as she reworks Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Alone Again (Naturally)" into a diatribe about her dying father that bravely progresses from venomously embittered to cautiously conciliatory."

Recorded at a time when Simone was feeling rejuvenated by her surroundings and by the African musicians she met in her newly adopted France, Fodder On My Wings is an essential Simone album that is making a long-overdue reappearance and can now be heard however you prefer to listen to music.

FODDER ON MY WINGS TRACK LISTINGS

VINYL

SIDE A

1. I Sing Just To Know That I'm Alive

2. Fodder In Her Wings

3. Vous êtes seuls, mais je désire être avec vous

4. Il y a un baume à Gilhead

5. Liberian Calypso

6. Alone Again (Naturally)

SIDE B

1. I Was Just A Stupid Dog To Them

2. Color Is A Beautiful Thing

3. Le peuple en Suisse

4. Heaven Belongs To You

5. Thandewye

6. Stop

7. They Took My Hand

CD/DIGITAL

1. I Sing Just To Know That I'm Alive

2. Fodder In Her Wings

3. Vous êtes seuls, mais je désire être avec vous

4 Il y a un baume à Gilhead

5. Liberian Calypso

6. Alone Again (Naturally)

7. I Was Just A Stupid Dog To Them

8. Color Is A Beautiful Thing

9. Le Peuple en Suisse

10. Heaven Belongs To You

11. Thandewye

12. Stop

13. They Took My Hand

Maria Mendes: Close To Me Featuring Metropole Orkest & John Beasley

Music is the heart and soul of jazz singer Maria Mendes, who studied in New York, Brussels, Rotterdam, and Porto, and whose talents have been praised by musical legends such as Quincy Jones and Hermeto Pascoal. With her new album, she explores Fado: the music from her native Portugal and a completely different genre for the vocalist. The results of this unique adaptation are surprising and refreshing and thoroughly engaging on her upcoming release, Close to Me (available October 25 on Justin Time Records).

"A symphonic Jazz approach to Fado," is how the singer-songwriter describes the music on her new album. "It is not Fado," she immediately emphasizes. "I only used the music and poetry from this genre, but made a completely personal interpretation of it, with new arrangements." In addition, she wrote her own songs, all in the spirit of the genre of her motherland. Although Mendes has been living in the Netherlands for several years, her connection to Portugal remains strong: it is where Fado is anchored, in the soul of the country.

Her love for the genre began at an early age, when as a child she heard the melancholic, dramatic sounds every day on the bus that took her home from school. "The first time I was really touched by it was when I was 18, when I heard Mariza sing “Barco Negro," says Mendes. It is one of the most loved Fado songs and known especially in the voice of Amália Rodrigues, the greatest Fado queen. "Fado is in our identity," Mendes says. "It is our way to evoke ‘saudade’: longing for the past and hoping it becomes present once again. But it is also universal, we all have those feelings in life."

The idea for Close To Me gained shape at a festival in the Netherlands: the Dag van de Rotterdamse Jazz. There, in the context of a musical assignment commissioned to her by the festival, Mendes combined the harmonies and melodies of two folk songs: the Portuguese “Barco Negro” and the Dutch “Ketelbinkie”. The reactions from the press and the public were so enthusiastic that the singer decided to investigate whether she could also master other Fado songs through jazz arrangements. She started working on the repertoire of the Portuguese greats such as Carlos Paredes and Amália Rodrigues and, inspired by their work, also wrote her own songs in which she explores her love for Jazz along with her affection for Portugal. Moreover, one of her musical gurus, the Brazilian legend Hermeto Pascoal, wrote a Fado especially for her.

Mendes convened a top-notch band for this outing. Backing her every step of the way is her group of top Dutch jazz musicians: pianist Karel Boehlee, acoustic bassist Jasper Somsen, and drummer/percussionist Jasper van Hulten. In addition, she collaborated with the famous multi-GRAMMY® Award-winning Metropole Orkest – (the world’s leading jazz symphonic orchestra) – in a chamber line up of thirty musicians, led by conductor, GRAMMY® Award-nominated Jazz pianist, and composer John Beasley, who not only produced the album but also played keyboard and wrote the orchestrations.

With her new project, Mendes hopes to attract a wider audience. "This album is a gift for the avid listener. For people who have an eclectic taste,” she says. “I don't know what the Fado audience will think of it, but I hope they'll listen and appreciate the respectful and refreshing approach I have given to these beautiful songs.”

Close To Me, Mendes’ third album will be released internationally on Justin Time Records. Her first release was the 2012 debut Along The Road (Dot Time Records), and in 2015 she released the successor, Innocentia (Sony Music Portugal). In recent years, she has completed several successful tours with performances all over the world, including the prestigious concert halls Concertgebouw (Amsterdam) and Blue Note Jazz Club (New York) as well as the North Sea and Montreux Jazz Festivals.

 

New Music Releases: Dave Stryker; Neue Grafik; Fredrik Ljungkvist

Dave Stryker - Eight Track III

Guitarist Dave Stryker has a great lineup here – a quartet with Stefon Harris on vibes, Jared Gold on Hammond, and McClenty Hunter on drums – all musicians we really love as leaders on their own, and who bring plenty to this session with Stryker! The mix of guitar, organ, and vibes is great – occasionally augmented by percussion from Mayra Casals, which opens up the groove even more – as Dave and the group work their way through a host of 70s soul and funk classics, but in ways that are a lot more jazz overall, and never slavishly retro to their roots – unlike other records of this nature. Titles include "Pretzel Logic", "Too High", "Everybody Loves The Sunshine", "After The Dance", "Joy Inside My Tears", "Move On Up", and "Papa Was A Rolling Stone".  ~ Dusty Groove

Neue Grafik - Foulden Road

A great little record that's jazz at the core, but a lot hipper too – a great statement from London keyboardist Neue Grafik, issued on the label of that city's hip Total Refreshment Centre club! Grafik plays plenty of great solos on piano, Fender Rhodes, and other keyboards – but there's almost equal focus on the rhythms and cosmic energy of the tunes – a mode that seems to almost have these London musicians bringing back the qualities to jazz that some of that city's broken beat producers were lifting back at the start of the century! That's not to say that the music is broken beat at all – just that it bristles with a cosmic vibe that's totally great – driven strongly by a core quartet with Dougal Taylor on drums, Matt Gedrych on bass, and Emma Jean Thackray on trumpet – with guest work from Nubya Garcia on tenor, Tanguy Jouanjan on trumpet, Esinam Dogbatse on flute, and both Allysha Joy and Brother Portrait on vocals. Titles include "Hotel Laplace", "Something Is Missing", "Voodoo Rain", "Dalston Junction", "Foulden Road", and "Dedicated To Marie Paule".  ~ Dusty Groove

Fredrik Ljungkvist - Atlantis

Very deft reed work from Fredrik Ljungvkist – heard here mostly in a trio, with a style that has him turning all these sharp corners along with the rhythms! Fredrik plays saxes and clarinet, always with a style that's deeply soulful and never too coldly modern – and which seems to come from tenor mostly, set up alongside the bass of Mattias Welin and drums of Jon Falt – both players who seem to absorb the inherent rhythm in the reeds of Ljungkvist, then amplify it back, and give the leader a strong direction forward! Most tracks are trio numbers – but the set features three guest appearances, each on a track – Max Agnas on piano, Sofia Jernberg on voice, and Goran Strandberg on piano. Titles include "Very Early", "Atlantis", "So Do So Do Re", "Rue Oberkampf", "Monk's Dream", and "Flykt".  ~ Dusty Groove

Adam Rudolph and Go: Organic Orchestra join forces with Brooklyn Raga Massive for new album

What would a "Future Orchestra" look - and more importantly, sound - like? Master percussionist, composer and bandleader Adam Rudolph has created an illuminating and original answer to that question with his innovative Go: Organic Orchestra. On the remarkable new album Ragmala - A Garland of Ragas, the Orchestra joins forces with the boundary pushing Indian classical musicians of Brooklyn Raga Massive, showcasing Rudolph's game-changing vision. 

The 40-piece ensemble embraces diverse cultures, genders, traditions, generations and voices to create a breathtaking album that invents a communal way forward while reverberating with echoes of the recent and ancient past. Drawing parallels with another groundbreaking and singular epic, Ragmala has already been referred to as a "Bitches Brew for the 21st century" by Ahmet Ali Arslan of Açžk Radyo Istanbul.

"This album feels like the culmination of everything I've been reaching for in my creative pursuits," says Rudolph, no small claim from someone who's been a pioneering voice in jazz and world music for more than 40 years. "With this music I can hear the humanity of all these different musicians shine through, and  their voices bring forth something that's never existed before."

Continually evolving over the past two decades, Go: Organic is an ensemble boundless in myriad senses; in its range of influences, its adaptability, its scale, its potentiality and most importantly its imagination. Though Rudolph's inventive approach to composing and conducting is challenging, it also opens the band up to infinite variation. That adaptability is dazzlingly illustrated by the contributions of Brooklyn Raga Massive and the way that two already awe-inspiring groups merge into a boundary-blurring sonic experience.

Brooklyn Raga Massive (BRM) with their open, inclusive spirit have been making waves in the music world by bringing Indian Classical music to new territory, collaborating with minimalist composers, Afro-Cuban maestros and jazz legends. Violinist Trina Basu, a longtime member of both Go: Organic and BRM states, "In the history of Indian Classical music collaborations, we have never heard anything recorded like Ragmala.  We feel this is a new high-water mark for all of us."

While the music of Ragmala (due out October 18, 2019 via Meta Records) draws inspiration from a wealth of traditions - the globe-spanning rhythmic influences that converge in Rudolph's music as well as the Indian classical music explored by the members of Brooklyn Raga Massive (BRM) - the resulting sound is something entirely new. The 40-piece orchestra speaks in a hybrid tongue that reflects the immigrant experience, with diverse cultures congregating and enriching one another in profound and surprising ways.

That trove of voices is channeled into a transcendent, harmonious sound through the groundbreaking improvisational conducting approach invented by Rudolph, which allows each member's distinctive identity to shine through while weaving together into a single vivid tapestry. On Ragmala, the cumulative image is stunningly inclusive, comprising men and women, a range of ages from teenagers to octogenarians, and a multi-cultural array of ethnicities that can be traced, directly or through heritage, to such far-flung locales as Japan, Dominican Republic, Korea, Morocco, China, India, Argentina, Canada, West Africa, Brazil, Iran, Jamaica, Cuba, Mexico, and Western and Eastern Europe.

Bennie Maupin, the legendary reedist known for his work on Miles Davis' Bitches Brew and in Herbie Hancock's ensembles, coined the term "future orchestra" to describe the Go: Organic Orchestra, of which he was an early member. Rudolph embraced the sobriquet for many reasons, he says, not least of which was "the idea to create a musical environment for individualism and spirit, for the voice of the musicians and a real essential feeling to come forth in a large, communal way. With our ever-widening sense of experience, of who we are and who we interact with as humans and as artists, I found myself asking: how do we create something new together?"

Rudolph has assembled and led versions of the orchestra around the globe, but the musicians on Ragmala represent some of his closest and most long-standing musical relationships. That longevity is the result of a deep commitment to the music and Rudolph's unique methodology, leading to a keen sense of exploration and discovery. "Everyone here is wholly committed to creating something together," Rudolph says. "They're here because of this sense of musical community that everybody feels. They all share the same excellence, rootedness, virtuosity and openness."

The members of the adventurous BRM collective are deeply steeped in the traditions of Indian classical music. They refuse, however, to be restricted by it; the idea behind the collective, birthed in 2012 in a Prospect Heights bar, is to open the often rigid and hierarchical culture of the music to experimentation and cross-cultural collaboration. Ragmala marks the collective's most ambitious effort to date in the musical movement that the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and New Yorker have recognized as a "Raga Renaissance."

According to BRM guitarist David Ellenbogen, who co-produced Ragmala, the possibilities offered by Rudolph's music scratched the very itch that led many of them into BRM's more exploratory fold to begin with. "I always had a theory that Indian classical, jazz, West African music and so on could have a synergistic relationship," Ellenbogen says. "But after spending decades looking through record libraries, I found very few recordings lived up to the potential of these great traditions. I've spoken to other musicians on this album and they said the same thing when they heard these tracks: This is the music we've been searching for."

Any simplistic notion of a "cross-cultural" hybrid, of some Indian-inflected jazz music, is instantly dispelled from the opening moments ofRagmala. "Mousa Azure" is built around the exultant voice of Gnawa master Hassan Hakmoun, whose collaboration with Rudolph began 30 years ago. Bringing down the spirits of Afro-Moroccan trance, Hakmoun sings a traditional Gnawa song over a surging rhythmic bed, atop which Rudolph cues in stabbing strings and soaring flutes as vocalist Samarth Nagarkar soulfully responds. The mood then switches on "Rotations," a piece previously recorded by Rudolph's smaller band Moving Pictures on its 2017 release Glare of the Tiger. Here that irresistible groove bursts forth, albeit with overlapping rhythms that intensify the whorl of sensation.

Each piece on this stellar recording transmits its own feeling, occupies its own temporal and emotional space. There's the spare, austere yearning of "Lamentations;" the sly wisdom of "Turiya;" the rapturous funk of "Africa 21;" the altered-consciousness levitation of "Sunset Lake." And so on for all of the album's 20 pieces, each with its distinctive range of emotion, so vividly communicated to the listener.

Combining cultural traditions at an indivisible genetic level is something that BRM co-founder and violinist Arun Ramamurthy says comes naturally to the collective's members. "A lot of us are Indian-Americans and have deeply studied Indian classical music, but we all have other musical influences inside of us. BRM's mission has always been to bridge cultures, to bring all of these musical traditions together and find common ground so we can all play as one community - because it's all one thing. This record is exactly that, and I believe that it really brings out the individual sounds and different backgrounds that each of the artists are coming from, and they're all melding together in this beautiful union. It was a match made in heaven."

Over the past four decades, visionary composer, improviser and percussionist Adam Rudolph has been hailed as "a pioneer in world music" by the New York Times and "a master percussionist" by DownBeat magazine. He has released more than 30 recordings under his own name featuring his groundbreaking compositions and tradition-bridging percussion work. Rudolph composes for his ensembles Moving Pictures, Hu Vibrational, and Go: Organic Orchestra, a 30-piece group for which he has developed an original music notation and conducting system, teaching and conducting hundreds of musicians worldwide in his concept. Rudolph has performed with Don Cherry, Sam Rivers, Pharaoh Sanders, Muhal Richard Abrams, Shankar, Wadada Leo Smith, Philip Glass, Jon Hassel, Omar Sosa and Fred Anderson. He toured and recorded extensively for 25-years with the legendary Yusef Lateef.  Rudolph is also known as one the early innovators of what is now called "World Music." In 1978 he co-founded Mandingo Griot Society, one of the first groups to combine African and American music, and in 1988 he recorded the first fusion of American and Moroccan Gnawa music with Sintir player Hassan Hakmoun.

Go: Organic Orchestra is a 21st century vision of a "future orchestra".  Artistic director Adam Rudolph's prototypical approach to composing and improvisational conducting embraces music forms and cosmologies from around the world.  Using a non-linear score with his unique approach to rhythm as the seed material, Rudolph improvisationally conducts the musicians in concert. This creates spontaneous orchestrations which serve as both context and inspiration for the musicians' improvisational dialogue. Over the past two decades Rudolph has taught and conducted hundreds of musicians in the Go: Organic Orchestra concept throughout North America and Europe. Over the years he has performed with Go: Organic Orchestra ensembles in New York, Los Angeles and Austin, Naples, Palermo and Istanbul. Click here to view a list of performance residencies.

Brooklyn Raga Massive

Praised by the Wall Street Journal for "expanding the notion of what raga-the immersive, epic form of Indian music-can mean" and dubbed the "leaders of the raga renaissance" by the New Yorker, the fun-loving members of the Brooklyn Raga Massive collective have made huge waves for "preserving the past while blurring genres in an inventive spirit" (New York Times). Brooklyn Raga Massive (BRM) is an artist collective dedicated to creating cross-cultural understanding through the lens of Indian classical and Raga inspired music. It is comprised of forward thinking musicians rooted in both traditional Indian and South Asian classical music, as well as cross-cultural Raga inspired music. The culturally inclusive nature of BRM has not only built a strong community, but has become an incubator of new music collaborations with sounds indigenous to Brooklyn.

New Music Releases: Lili Añel – Better Days; Funky Destination - Come Back to Me; Funky Destination - The Inside Man (Soopasoul Remix 7" Versions)

Lili Añel – Better Days

Lili Añel (pronounced Ahn-Yell) has always considered music a calling. Lili’s music is a hybrid of jazz, folk, soul and pop combined with a powerfully unique vocal style. This six-foot tall singer-songwriter grew up in New York City, where she discovered her passion for music. Lili continues to win over audiences with her vocal style and the support of her band’s incredible musicianship. Lili’s ninth album Better Days was released on October 4, 2019. Lili Añel’s first single off of Better Days, “Take It From Me” is also available on all platforms.

Funky Destination - Come Back to Me

Funky Destination is back again with his new single that comes with a mighty remix support from remixer Soopasoul! A soulful track with great vocals and glorious funk twist from Funky Destination's unique style that holds always a vintage touch. The original song features brilliant arrangement and warm string section and soulful funk vocals. A glorious funk remix from Soopasoul follows up and takes the original to another level with his amazing skills and unique way of producing modern funk anthems. Let the groove ride you!

Funky Destination - The Inside Man (Soopasoul Remix 7" Versions)

A brand new release that include two new versions of  song that that got big attention worldwide, with millions of views on Youtube and on Spotify and been featured on documentaries and sports tv channels like ESPN, got over countless playlists around the globe, finally get's released again and this time was taken directly from the 7'' vinyl, that was released on wax by the remixer's imprint Soopastole one year ago. This track became a hit from the unbeatable funk monster and stylish groovy remix from our fellow friend and great producer Soopasoul. "The Inside Man" original and Soopasoul remix was released back in 2013 on the album "Revolution is only Solution".

Randy Brecker and Ada Rovatti Join Forces on "Brecker Plays Rovatti: Sacred Bond"

Here's a saying that 'the family that plays together, stays together.' That old adage is put into effect on Brecker Plays Rovatti: Sacred Bond, which not only features the husband and wife team of Grammy Award-winning trumpeter and fusion pioneer Randy Brecker and saxophonist-composer Ada Rovatti but also includes their 10-year-old daughter Stella in a vocal cameo appearance on one track. Backed by a versatile core group of pianist David Kikoski, bassist Alex Claffy and drummer Rodney Holmes, with guest appearances by keyboardist Jim Beard, guitarist Adam Rogers and Brazilian percussionist Café, the married couple forges an easy chemistry together on the 10 tracks here, all composed by Rovatti.

A stellar showcase for Rovatti's wide-ranging musical tastes, as well as Brecker's inimitable trumpet prowess, Brecker Plays Rovatti: Sacred Bond shows her remarkable growth as a composer since her 2003 debut as a leader, Under the Hat. "She's very serious about it and she's reached another level in the writing department with this record," said Brecker of his wife, who also released Airbopin 2006, Green Factor in 2009 and Disguise in 2014. "Aside from the fact that I'm her husband, it's so nice to hear these tunes. It all fits together well and it's really enjoyable to listen to. And believe me, they're not easy at all to play over. Ada had to kind of show me some tricks to get through some of these tunes." 

In the liner notes, Brecker proudly states about his sax-playing wife: "I've watched her development as both a player and arranger/composer with fascination. Besides music, she's the greatest wife and mother in the world, a master Italian chef with 160 cookbooks, a master seamstress and designer, interior decorator, photographer, master crafts person, website designer, record-cover designer, record company owner and head of our household. Just ask any of our daughter Stella's friends where'd they like to be, other than their own homes, and they'll say: sitting on our living room floor doing craftwork that Ada designed for them...a true Renaissance woman."

Regarding the title of their latest collaboration (they also appear together on Brecker's 2003 album 34th & Lex, 2013's The Brecker Brothers Band Reunion and 2019's Rocks with the NDR Big Band -The Hamburg Radio Jazz Orchestra), Brecker explained that it addresses the unconditional love that exists between mother and daughter over time. "They're as tight as can be," he said of Ada and Stella. "All three of us are. And it was just nice that they're both singing in octaves on the title track, which is pretty cool." Added Rovatti, "It's a sacred bond among the three of us."

Brecker and Rovatti met in 1996 when the trumpeter was guesting with a big band in Italy in which she was playing alto saxophone. As he recalled in his liner notes to Brecker Plays Rovatti: Sacred Bond: "After exchanging numbers (I slyly gave her my card, but she asked for it!) and many letters (pre-email!), we started seeing each other long distance, then she moved to NYC after spending a year in Paris, eventually working with the great French singer Anne Ducros. We started seeing each other more and more, and were married in December 2001."

While Rovatti has made a strong impression with her bold tenor sax playing in past outings, she admits to feeling somewhat overwhelmed by having to fill the shoes of the late tenor titan Michael Brecker on the frontline, alongside Randy, in The Brecker Brothers Reunion Band. "I've been in a funny spot, as you can imagine," she said. "Being married to Randy and having such an amazing brother in the family as Mike, and me playing the same instrument as Mike, I always felt like the weakest link. Because Randy and Mike...they're playing is just on a different kind of level."

Nevertheless, she acquits herself with equal parts conviction and grace on both tenor and soprano saxes on the 10 eclectic tracks that comprise Brecker Plays Rovatti: Sacred Bond. And her accomplished, fully-realized compositions speak for themselves. "I'm trying to spend as much time as I can every day to put some ideas down on the keyboard," said Ada. "But there are days when I'm concentrating more on composition and others where I concentrate more on practicing my instrument. It's a good balance, I think."

The collection kicks off with the upbeat "Sacred Bond," which has mother and daughter doubling wordless vocals on the melodic head alongside trumpet and tenor sax, Kikoski's electric piano comping, Claffy's funky baselines and Holmes' insistent backbeat. Rovatti solos first, demonstrating her deeply impactful tone, easy rhythmic assuredness and remarkable facility as she builds to double-timed flurries and a magnificent crescendo. 

Brecker follows with a typically bright, bristling and eminently melodic trumpet solo - the kind he has been documenting on record for 50 years, beginning with his own debut as a leader, 1969's Score- before mother and daughter return to sing the melodious refrain together.

Rovatti's affinity for Brazilian music is represented by two tracks here. First is the undulating samba "Helping Hands," which features a lovely Brecker flugelhorn solo, a buoyant tenor solo from Rovatti and an outstanding upright bass solo from Claffy. Second is the easy-grooving "Other Side of the Coin," featuring potent solos from husband and wife along with a melodic electric bass solo from Claffy and some playful cucia accents from Café. "Being Italian (she was born in the small town of Pavia in Northern Italy, just 35 km south of Milan), my native language has the same kind of laid back feel, rolling phrases and words that kind come in a wave as Portuguese. And I think there's also a kind of similarity there between Brazilian music and Italian music. It's funny because I don't listen too so much Brazilian jazz but somehow it just kind of grows on me. And, of course, Randy's way of playing on a Brazilian beat is really awesome. He's deeply connected to that sensibility."

 Switching gears, Rovatti pays tribute to the late Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, on the aptly-titled "Reverence" (which is the ultimate form of "R-E-S-P-E-C-T"). Guitarist Adam Rogers brings some stinging six-sting work to the proceedings while Jim Beard underscores with churchy organ work as Randy and Ada negotiate the changes of this soulful, gospel-tinged number with Brecker Brothers-like tightness and swagger. Said Ada of her connection on the frontline with her husband, "Your sound and your way of phrasing just kind of blends with the person that you play with the most, and for me it's Randy. And I think that's also why when Randy decided to put together The Brecker Brothers Band Reunion that he felt comfortable asking me to do it with him. Clearly, nobody can take Mike's spot. But he was looking for somebody who had their own voice and also had the same kind of connection with him. And I hope that I bring something special to the band, that kind of deep connection that Randy had with Mike."

Adds the composer about her heartfelt tribute to Aretha: "I remember when I picked up the saxophone at the end of high school and soon after did a gig with a singer who was trying to sing Aretha's hit song, 'Think.' And then, 20-plus years later, I had the chance to play with Aretha Franklin herself at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Just to be on that stage - one of the most prestigious stages in the United States - with the real Aretha, it was really the highlight of my life. And it made me think back to when I was in a small town in Italy, picking up an instrument and playing with this local singer and fantasizing about maybe one day playing with the real Queen of Soul. So in that moment that I was on stage with Aretha, I was kind of patting myself on the shoulder and saying to myself, "OK, you did it!"

Holmes' gentle brushwork sets a serene tone for the opening to "Baggage," an older tune of Rovatti's that she wrote for a composition competition that she won in Italy a few years ago. Trumpet and tenor wrap around each other in a warm embrace on the melodic head and as the piece picks up steam, Ada digs deep, delivering her most commanding and heightened solo of the set (even dropping in a brief quote from John Coltrane's A Love Supreme along the way). Brecker follows with an adventurous solo of his own and Kikoski channels his inner McCoy Tyner in bringing his own brand of heat to this expansive number. 

While Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin is saluted by Ada on this outing, another personage of royalty is saluted on "The Queen of Bibelot." It is none other than Rovatti herself. Acknowledging the dictionary definition of 'bibelot' as 'a small decorative ornament or trinket,' she confessed to collecting an inordinate number such baubles. "I'm definitely the Queen of that," she laughed. "I love to go to a thrift store and find an odd object. In fact, I'm looking at one right now. It's a wood zebra doing a squat, which I think it's hilarious. So I have many little teensy objects that to many people don't mean anything. But to me, I can tell you about each one - how I got it, where I got it, why I got it. And that's just like the way I am also in music. I treasure things and value stuff that maybe other people overlook, but I find the beauty in it." The lone bop flavored number of the set, "The Queen of Bibelot" is driven by Holmes' unrelenting swing factor and features killer solos from Kikoski, Rovatti and Brecker. 

The cleverly-titled "Britches Brew" hints at Miles Davis' electronic phase in the wake of his 1970 landmark recording, Bitches Brew. The two-keyboard attack of Beard and Kikoski on this quintessentially '70s number recalls the spiky interaction between Keith Jarrett and Chick Corea in Miles' touring Bitches Brewband. Kikoski and Beard turn in show-stopping solos here while Randy and Ada follow with some rapid-fire exchanges on the electric modal vamp before Rogers enters with one of his signature flowing legato guitar solos. Holmes and Café add a percussive exclamation point on the solo section before the whole band takes it out in a kind of tight-fitting group counterpoint.

Rovatti switches to soprano sax on "Brainwashed," an upbeat number that carries some heavy connotations. "That tune is regarding the political situation in this country today," said the composer. "In my youth I was never interested too much in politics but now being a U.S. citizen and a mother and seeing what this president is doing, I have become very conscious of the current political situation. You cannot notbe shocked, outraged and affected by what's going on. It really was a wake-up call for me to be more active and not just observe what's going on but try to stand up against it." Listen closely and you may hear the seeds of Harold Arlen's "If I Only Had a Brain" (from The Wizard of Oz) woven into the fabric of Rovatti's buoyant melody here.

 "Mirror," Ada's reflection on aging, is imbued with some of the most scintillating exchanges between husband and wife on the record. Rovatti doubles the engaging melodic line with wordless vocals and Holmes offers a smoking drum solo midway through. Says the composer of the inspiration behind the tune's title, "It's about looking at yourself in the mirror and just seeing the start of the aging process and thinking about the wisdom that you've gained. So it was kind of an introspective thing of 'OK, here I am - not that young anymore, not that old yet, but kind of getting there." As for her vocal contributions here, she says, "I consider myself a shower singer...not even a shower singer. But I think it brings a nice texture to the tune."

The haunting minor key closer, "Quietly Me," is an entrancing 6/8 number that features trumpet and tenor sax blending beautifully at the outset and engaging in a kind of shadow play by the tune's end. "Randy has the melody and I kind of play it back to him," says Ada, explaining their telepathic hookup here. "We kind of answer to each other with a delayed kind of phrasing, one following the other in a kind of counterpoint, talking to each other." 

That same kind of indelible chemistry can be heard throughout Brecker Plays Rovatti: Sacred Bond, a stunning showcase for both husband and wife.

New Music Releases: Mark Sherman; Momo Said; Kelly Suttenfield

Mark Sherman – My Other Voice

You may know Mark Sherman as a vibraphonist, composer and producer and a DownBeat Rising Star in vibes, who has performed/recorded with a range of musicians including Peggy Lee, Tony Bennett, Mel Torme, Lena Horne, Ruth Brown, Joe Beck, Rodney Jones, Ruth Brown, Ann Hampton Callaway, Liza Minelli and many others. He played and recorded with Larry Coryell for seven years and has been on faculty at the Juilliard School since 2010. On new release, Sherman returns to his roots as a pianist. Joining him is an all-star band with Vincent Herring on alto saxophone, Ray Drummond on bass, Carl Allen on drums, Nana Sakamoto on trombone, and Dan Chmielnski on bass.

Momo Said - Break The Rules

Premiered by the website of one of Italy’s most important newspapers La Repubblica, the brand new video to Italo-Moroccan musician Momo Said‘s second single “Time Gives Lessons” has landed! “Time Gives Lessons” is a smooth soul-funk number with jazzy inflections and a luscious orchestral arrangement taken from Said‘s debut album “Break The Rules”. In the video Said sings as he bicycles through his hometown of Cesena to deliver bread, inspired by a popular Italian TV advert from 1972 starring Italian actor Ninetto Davoli doing much the same in Rome (though not quite as in tune). “Break The Rules” is a breezy cocktail of funk, soul, disco, latin & jazz and is available on beautiful gatefold LP and Digital via Tam Tam Studio Recordings. According to famed UK magazine Blues & Soul you can “rest assured you are in for a great ride with this fresh sounding, string laden, soul stirring album… A real touch of class!”. If there’s one thing music ignores, it’s borders, in fact it is through cross-pollination, hybridization and the meeting of different styles and genres that some of the most exciting musical endeavors are made, and Momo Said is another fine example.

Kelly Suttenfield – When We Were Young: Kelly Suttenfield Sings Neil Young

Kelly Suttenfield is a versatile jazz singer with a warm, intimate voice that’s perfect for her newest project, When We Were Young: Kelly Suttenfield Sings Neil Young. The album includes some of Neil Young’s most famous songs, as well as a couple of tunes written but never performed by him. Tackling songs that are long associated with the pop legend is an audacious endeavor; however, this is not a tribute album. Rather, Suttenfield and her collaborator and arranger, guitarist Tosh Sheridan, have created interpretations that are fresh and personal. Suttenfield is a regular on the New York jazz scene and performs at various venues around the East Coast. On ‘When We Were Young”, Suttenfield brought on board a rhythm section of three top New York-based musicians who make up the group named (718), an electric trio groove music band that blends modern and creative jazz-inspired improvised music. The members of (718) provide the perfect blend of jazz and rock sensibilities. Members of The Memling Ensemble, a musical partnership of Metropolitan Opera Orchestra musicians that has been concertizing in various configurations for over twenty years, provide strings accompaniment on several tunes. These renditions of Young’s tunes are accessible and appealing, and the musicianship on this album is stellar, but the real stars of the project are Suttenfield's sensual, emotive voice and Sheridan’s evocative arrangements. It’s not easy taking on songs that are so closely identified with a seminal artist like Neil Young, but Suttenfield and Sheridan impress by staying true to originals while imbuing them with their own personalities and artistry.

Katerina Brown Places Songs of Her Native Russia Alongside Pieces from the Jazz Repertoire On "Mirror"

Katerina Brown Mirror Vocalist Katerina Brown explores her recently minted identity as a Russian immigrant to the United States with the October 18 release of Mirror, her remarkable debut album, on Mellowtone Music. Accompanied by a band of San Francisco Bay Area musicians that includes her husband, bassist Gary Brown (who also produced the album), pianist Adam Shulman, and drummers Akira Tana and Timothy Angulo along with a number of special guests, Brown offers interpretations of three classic Russian songs (first in her native language, then in English translations) as well as five favorites from the American repertoire.

The tunes on Mirror not only span nations, but also styles. They range from delicate ballads to lilting bossa nova to brash, bluesy swingers. "It's a jazz CD, but it has different styles," says Brown. "I want to show people that I'm still searching. Standards helped me find myself but that's not what defines me. ... I want to explore more."

The stylistic range itself is one of the album's star attractions, opening with a fragile take on the romantic Russian song "The Gate" (featuring violinist Mads Tolling), followed by a saucy treatment of the Gershwins' standard "They Can't Take That Away from Me" (a duet with singer Kenny Washington) and a tremendously swaggering "Moanin'" on which Brown sings Jon Hendricks's vocalese lyrics (with organist Brian Ho, trumpeter Miles Olmos, and saxophonist Robert Roth augmenting the core band). Elsewhere, the Brazilian guitarist Ricardo Peixoto and percussionists Celso Alberti and Airto Moreira lend subtle bossa nova flavors to "Like a Lover" and "I Feel You."

At the same time, however, the three Russian songs, strategically positioned as the opening, closing, and central pieces ("The Gate," "The Mirror," and "It's Snowing," respectively), have undeniable significance for this document of Brown's artistic arrival. "When I came here, I thought, 'To be a Russian jazz singer singing all American songs, that's a bit strange," she says. "I need to bring something from my culture so that American audiences can listen and get familiar with them."

This cultural cross-pollination includes the arrangements as well as the songs themselves. Both Shulman and St. Petersburg pianist Dina Sineglazova provided charts for Mirror, even collaborating in the case of one tune. It further evidences Brown's determination to be as unconstrained by geography as she is by style.

Katerina Brown Katerina Brown was born July 16, 1982 in a small town outside St. Petersburg, in what was then the Soviet Union. She was drawn to music as an infant and devoured the few jazz albums in her father's collection (especially those by Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington). She studied classical vocals as a teenager, but performed by night in local jazz and blues clubs before moving to St. Petersburg at 19 and forming her own blues band at 21.

Soon afterward, Brown joined the Old Fashioned Blues Project, which took her from the local scene to a national one, touring all around Russia and into Ukraine for the next six years. In 2010, however, she quit the band to matriculate at the Saint-Petersburg State University of Culture and Arts, where she formally studied music theory and on her own dug deeper into jazz vocals. Soon she was performing as featured vocalist for a big band sponsored by Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs.

In 2013, Brown met her future husband Gary Brown when the American bassist was touring Russia with pianist Rebeca Mauleón. They struck up an acquaintance that ultimately led to the singer applying for a visa to study jazz in the United States. She first spent time in New York City before moving to the Bay Area in 2015 and establishing herself within its thriving jazz scene. She has worked as the featured vocalist with SFJAZZ's Monday Night Big Band and is a frequent performer at the region's top jazz venues. She also teaches the vocal technique developed by the Complete Vocal Institute in Denmark, which is based on the anatomy and physiology of the human body.

Katerina Brown will be performing a CD release concert at the Sound Room in Oakland on Saturday 11/2 with a quintet composed of saxophonist Gary Meek, guitarist Ricardo Peixoto, pianist Dan Zemelman, bassist Gary Brown, and drummer Jason Lewis. 

GRAMMY-AWARD WINNER KEB’ MO’ RELEASES FIRST HOLIDAY ALBUM, MOONLIGHT, MISTLETOE & YOU

Following the release of Keb’ Mo’s deeply thought-provoking album, Oklahoma,that brought worldly issues to the forefront, the seasoned musician returns to lift spirits with a heartfelt feel-good holiday album, Moonlight, Mistletoe & You, slated for release on October 18, 2019 via Concord Records. After 25 years performing under the moniker “Keb’ Mo’,” the widely respected artist has finally gifted his eclectic global fanbase his first Christmas album, offering a melting pot of influences and original songs. 

Moonlight, Mistletoe & You embraces Keb' Mo's diverse talents, having“built his now legendary reputation as a bluesman but [proving] to be equally adept in R&B and Americana-styled roots music” (Glide Magazine), showcasing the 4X GRAMMY-Award winner’s genre-bending capability. Produced by Keb’ himself and recorded by Zach Allen at Stu Stu Studio in Franklin, Tennessee, the malleable artist provides seven new songs sprinkled with three covers.

“After 25 years of performing without releasing a Christmas album, I felt now was as good a time as any to spread some love and compassion,” Keb’ Mo’ says. “There’s something about Christmas time that makes everyone’s hearts a little lighter and I wanted to contribute to the movement of spreading a little joy. I feel like I was able to accomplish that through the making of Moonlight, Mistletoe & You.” 

Starting the album, Keb’ Mo’ puts his spin on a Christmas Classic, “Please Come Home for Christmas” offering a more uplifting optimistic disposition versus the Charles Brown original and the many covers that have followed it. While singing lyrics like “Oh what a Christmas to sing the blues, my baby’s gone, and I have no friends, to wish me greetings once again.” Keb’s warm version of the song offers a sense of hope. 

Staying true to his Blues roots, Keb’ uses the building blocks of a proper Blues song with tracks “Santa Claus Santa Claus” and “Santa Claus Blues,” while bringing his own flair to the Mildred Bailey original and Billie Holiday covered classic, “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm.” Keb’ keeps a jazz-like sway throughout with the help of Melissa Manchester’s distinctive vocals, acting as his female counterpart. 

All can relate to the humorous track, “Christmas Is Annoying,” helping ones inner Scrooge shine while pointing out the always-maddening events that come along with the Christmas season like maxing credit cards and having “no time to relax.” 

Keb’ makes sure to also highlight the romance that soars throughout the holiday season with the title track “Moonlight, Mistletoe, And You” and closing track “One More Year With You,” both carrying a more “traditional” Christmas sound.  While “Moonlight” brings on the saxophone solo, “One More Year With You” starts with jingle bells accompanied by piano and brass horns throughout, giving one all the Christmas feels and closing the album on a high note singing, “sign me up for one more year with you.”

Keb’ Mo’ will hit the road later this year in support of the release of Moonlight, Mistletoe & You. For a complete list of shows, please visit www.kebmo.com.

Moonlight, Mistletoe & You track listing:

Please Come Home for Christmas

Moonlight, Mistletoe, And You

Better Everyday

Santa Claus Santa Claus

Christmas is Annoying

Merry Merry Christmas

I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm

Santa Claus Blues

When the Children Sing

One More Year With You

New Music Releases: The Jazz Room Compiled by Paul Murphy; Strata-Gemma; Petter Eldh

The Jazz Room Compiled by Paul Murphy

UK jazz dance hero Paul Murphy teams up with BBE Music to deliver his first compilation on the label: a blazing selection of up-tempo jazz titled ‘The Jazz Room’. Lauded by none other than Gilles Peterson as “the original messenger of jazz who found almost every dancefloor classic”, Paul began DJing in 1970s London. His passion and unique playing style placed him at the epicentre of an emerging jazz-dance scene in the city, popping off in spots like The Horseshoe (aka Jaffas), The Wag, The 100 Club, The Blue Note and The Electric Ballroom, where he founded the now famous ‘Jazz Room’, after which this album is named. Paul’s influence on UK Jazz culture simply can’t be overstated, from his short-lived but much beloved imprint Paladin Records to his unswerving support of home-grown talents such as Working Week, Morrissey Mullen & Paz. As a DJ, his musical selections still live large in the memories of those who experienced them. As Coldcut’s Jonathon More put it “Paul Murphy used to play the most frenzied and far out funky jazz at my Meltdown warehouse parties”. ‘The Jazz Room’ nicely encapsulates the reason so many greats feel moved to wax lyrical about Paul Murphy’s ear for dance-floor jazz, which is very clearly undimmed after decades behind the decks. Deftly mixing contemporary sounds with trusted bullets that his 1980s audiences will remember well, these tracks are vibrant and potent, with a couple of fiery live recordings thrown in for extra energy and sweat.

Strata-Gemma - Autunno 1

Exploratory Italian electronic jazz trio return with LP of intense weather music. Hailing from Modena, the Northern Italian motor city, Strata-Gemma produce a music of beautiful symmetry, intense craft and surprising angles. Born as a club night, the trio grew out of jam sessions where musicians would play over the records DJ/producer Billy Bogus spun. Their name came about due to the core members finding shared inspiration in records they considered “hidden gems” (gemma means gem in Italian) while paying homage to the Detroit Jazz label Strata Records. Thus from a love of jazz and soul, soundtracks and library music, Strata-Gemma were born. Where Strata-Gemma’s 2018 debut album had a lush, late-night ambience about it, Autunno 1 is more intense and agitated, a reaction to extreme political and weather conditions. As with all things Italian, Autunno 1 is both beautifully sculptured and filled with wild passion while serving as an intense soundtrack to our fractured world. Strata-Gemma are Billy Bogus (beats), Andrea Moretti (double bass, strings) and Luca Cacciatore (brass, wind). For 

Autunno 1 they are joined by heavy friends on drums, synth and Hammond.

Petter Eldh – Koma Saxo

Koma Saxo is a highly potent new five-piece produced by the visionary Berlin-based Swedish bassist-producer Petter Eldh. The lineup brings together five heavy jazz names on the Berlin–Nordics axis, including Eldh on bass, Christian Lillinger on drums and the frontline of three saxes: Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar and Mikko Innanen. Despite the top-billing names, make no mistake: this is not just another "supergroup", but a real working band with their own sound and musical trajectory. Eldh's vision for the Koma Saxo sound is one step ahead of what groovy avantgarde jazz could sound like in 2019, involving postproduction work with the raw material recorded in Helsinki in occasion of Koma Saxo's successful debut at the We Jazz Festival. Both studio and live tapes exist side by side, and Eldh goes deep in molding the final music to be heard on the upcoming Koma Saxo releases. The Koma Saxo debut LP on We Jazz Records is a revelation for anyone seeking contemporary jazz music with edge and vision. From the opener, the brief but fiery ‘Kali Koma’, right into the pastoral finale, ‘Så rinner tiden bort’, Eldh & co are on it, like a tightly-knitted posse of jazz assassins on the run. At times, the pieces fall gloriously apart, just enough in order to be ripe to put back together again. Take ‘Ostron Koma’ for example - from the intense opening seconds full of suspension, the track moves forward with breathtaking swing, then onto full-on free breakout, to be born anew. In addition to scorching originals by all members of the band, Koma Saxo tackle a handful of carefully-picked and highly inspirational borrowed tunes from Finnish legends Matti Oiling, Edward Vesala and the Swedish composer Olle Adolphson. Tense, swinging music, hymns full of genuine serenity and charisma, allowing Koma Saxo to never sound self-indulgent.

Supernatural Songstress Sayed Sabrina Signs With Orchard/Sony Distribution

The next step for the Supernatural Songstress Sayed Sabrina is inking a huge deal with Orchard/Sony for Physical and Digital Distribution on her current project "Thou Art That".   It was time to sign and jumpstart Sayed Sabrina's superstar status!

Sayed Sabrina says, "With this collaboration I will get more fans able to hear my music, which is what I am all about, spreading my message to my fans, through my music. I am so blessed and excited, I just can't wait!"

Both of Sayed Sabrina's released singles, "Goodie Two Shoes", and "The Pedestrian" have struck a chord with fans and are climbing up the charts. It's so incredible that "Goodie Two Shoes" exposure to nearly 1 million playlist followers on Spotify has resulted in a 35,000% increase in streams for this single.

About the Album, "Thou Art That", Sayed Sabrina says, "I've incorporated the styles that have become a part of me and am blessed and extremely grateful for the brilliantly talented people on my latest project. Together we created something very special."

Many legendary players share this album "Thou Art That": Bobby Watson (Rufus), Sarah Morrow (Dr. John, Ray Charles), Gary Herbig (Elvis, Tower of Power) and Mitch Manker (Ray Charles), this colossal studio album promises to climb up the Blues, Rock, Jazz, and Soul radio charts.  The super talented Sayed Sabrina multi-tasked this project, responsible for composition, lyrics and piano on every song, as well as producing the album.

Sayed Sabrina is part of The Raw Festival in the historic Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego, at The House of Blues on Oct. 28th, and Nov. 2 at Dizzy's Jazz Club in San Diego as well. Then Dec.14th at Joe's Great American Bar and Grill in Burbank.

Sayed Sabrina's voice is unlike any other, thrilling her audiences across the globe, her sound has been compared to Shakira with Janis Joplin sprinkled in for good measure, Sayed Sabrina is her own unique messenger, spreading her music, her way.

Goodie Two Shoes music video - currently over 200k views.

https://youtu.be/EXfhZwhypNo