PETROLOUKAS HALKIAS and VASILIS KOSTAS : THE SOUL OF EPIRUS

Veteran Clarinetist PETROLOUKAS HALKIAS and Young Laouto Master VASILIS KOSTAS Improvise on the Soulful and Mysterious Music of Northwestern Greece

The story behind The Soul of Epirus begins years ago, in a little village in the heart of northwestern Greece. It’s the story of a young Greek boy named Vasilis who would grow to become an acclaimed musician, performing with some of the world’s best. But before that, there was the village, and a family who lived immersed in the soulful mystique of Greek folk songs. During seasonal festivities, the entire village would gather in the main square and Vasilis would dance to the sound of the clarinet. He didn’t know it then, but eventually he would become a master of the stringed instrument known as laouto – the Greek version of the lute – and create an innovative new place for it in contemporary music.

On October 4, the release of The Soul of Epirus (Artway Technotropon) marks the culmination of a lifelong exploration of the beauty inherent in the music of Epirus – its slow tempos, reflecting the isolated nature of this mountainous region close to Albania, and its haunting pentatonic scales, based on five notes instead of the more common seven-note scale. A collaboration between Berklee College of Music graduate Vasilis Kostas - a member of Danilo Perez's Global Messengers -- on laouto and veteran clarinet master Petroloukas Halkias, the album delivers a rare opportunity to go beyond the usual clichés associated with Greek pop, illuminating the gorgeous melodies and superb musicianship to be found in Epirus’ folk traditions of decades past, its ability to evoke both the inescapable sadness of the human condition and its life-affirming joy.

“The dialogue between Petroloukas’ clarinet and my laouto opens up a new window into traditional music,” reflects Kostas in a lilting Greek cadence that resonates with the accent of his hometown. “As a kid, dancing in those country festivities allowed me to experience that specific groove not only through my fingers and mind – by playing an instrument – but through my entire body.”

When Kostas turned 15, his grandfather introduced him to his friend Andreas Fakos, a clarinet player who had experienced fame in Australia and retired in the village of Klimatia, in Epirus. “I spent the next three years studying with him,” he recalls. “The lessons would last four to five hours. He would challenge me to learn the harmonies of old Epirus tunes and play lines designed for violin and clarinet on the guitar. Andreas would play his clarinet in rehearsals and start crying, overwhelmed by the depth and emotional power to be found in our music. I later understood what a gift it was to grow up with such a teacher.”

By the time he was 18, Kostas dreamed of establishing himself as a jazz guitarist. He auditioned for a spot at Berklee College of Music and was granted a scholarship. Once in Boston, he was chosen as part of a group of musicians that would travel to Spain representing traditional Greek music. Before leaving, he realized that he wanted an authentic 8-stringed laouto to be his instrument of choice as a tribute to the music of his childhood. He dropped the guitar and practiced a difficult folk piece in the trademark Petroloukas Halkias style – “Skaros,” which ended up The Soul of Epirus CD – before flying to Madrid.

“As it turns out, two legends of flamenco were present at the show: Pepe Habichuela and José Mercé,” Kostas says with a nervous laugh. “Mercé came to see me after the show and told me: ‘Young man, the laouto is the future for you; it will lead you down unexpected paths.’ It was the green light that I was looking for. I returned to Berklee as a full time laouto student, learning to play Coltrane’s ‘Giant Steps,’ learning to sight read and improvise.”

In 2015, Halkias traveled to the U.S. for a concert and Kostas performed with him for the first time. Halkias had developed a style of spiraling, highly complex melodic lines pioneered in Epirus by virtuoso clarinetist Kitsos Harisiadis during the ‘20s and ‘30s. Halkias was the only musician who preserved Harisiadis’ complex aesthetic, allowing it to survive for over 90 years since its inception. 

When Kostas performed “Skaros,” the veteran master told him that he played it on the laouto with the exact same phrasing that he favored on the clarinet. He encouraged Kostas to continue delving into his repertoire, but also to “let himself go,” creating extended musical phrases on his instrument. Their artistic partnership took off with the spontaneity of two musicians who hail from neighboring villages and speak the same dialect. For the first time in the history of this unique repertoire, the laouto assumed equal footing with the clarinet as an improvisational instrument.

At the time, Kostas had graduated with a Masters degree from Berklee and was invited by visionary Panamanian jazz pianist Danilo Pérez to become a member of his group Global Messengers, effectively bringing the laouto into a refined jazz context. But the idea of making an album going back to the music of his youth was impossible to resist.

“When Petroloukas told me it was time to think of our first album, I felt like the earth was shaking under my feet,” says Kostas. “He has been a musical hero not only to me but to my family and many other families. I was very happy that it was he who suggested recording an album together.”

“Throughout my life, I have tried to express different emotions through my clarinet,” adds Halkias. “Happiness, sadness, vulnerability, pain. There’s no end to music, and it is my deepest hope that a new generation of musicians will take what we created and develop it even further.”

The Soul of Epirus was recorded in Athens, during three days of feverish collaboration at the renowned Sierra Studios. Kostas then returned to Boston, where he spent additional time at Futura Productions adding new material and perfecting the mix. Eight of the album’s nine tracks are old Epirus classics – songs about rivers and villages, shepherds and laments for the dead - with one original composition by Kostas, “To Parapono tou Laouto”, paying tribute to Andreas Fakos, his first music teacher.

“It is rare for a master of Petroloukas’ stature to connect with a musician from a younger generation,” Kostas concludes. “He appears to be very enthused by our collaboration. And I’m eternally grateful for that.”                                                                                                                          

CHICK COREA REUNITES WITH CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE AND BRIAN BLADE FOR "TRILOGY 2"

When an iconic pianist like Chick Corea gets together with such modern masters as bassist Christian McBride and drummer Brian Blade, perhaps it should come as no surprise that the music they create together is absolutely magical. Their 2014 release Trilogy earned universal acclaim, including a pair of GRAMMY Awards (Best Jazz Instrumental Album and Best Improvised Jazz Solo for “Fingerprints”), and confirmed the trio as one of Corea’s most revered ensembles. 

Despite sprawling across three jam-packed CDs, Trilogy left fans everywhere clamoring for more. So when the three virtuosos reunited for another world tour, the results were captured for posterity and the highlights are now collected on the long-awaited follow-up, Trilogy 2. Set for release on October 4, 2019 via Concord Jazz, the double album is another treasure trove of sparkling energy and thrilling in-the-moment invention. 

Each member of this trio is a giant in the jazz world and beyond, but the peerless chemistry they share elevates their collaborations into the realm of the truly special. Even before coming together as a self-contained unit, the three had gelled on tour with Corea’s Five Peace Band, an electrifying all-star ensemble he co-founded with fellow legend, guitarist John McLaughlin, and featuring Kenny Garrett on saxophone. On their own, the trio pairs high-caliber musicianship with an easy camaraderie, making for music that is as artistically exhilarating as it is fresh and playful. 

“In every group that I work with, the fun factor is the number one criterion,” Corea says. “This trio is incredible fun. That’s not something you can dictate, but if that’s the experience then the music just flows. With Christian and Brian, we have a blast on the road.” 

That feeling is captured throughout Trilogy 2, which features tracks hand-picked by Corea from throughout the trio’s recent world tour. The albums capture the feel of a concert program, both in the flow of the music and in the illuminating recording by Bernie Kirsh, Corea’s longtime engineer. The material spans a range of inspirations, from American Songbook standards to jazz classics, reaching back into Corea’s own catalogue as well as that of some of his most renowned collaborators, including Miles Davis and Joe Henderson. 

Corea likens the experience of playing live with this trio to “taking a stroll down the street and having a casual conversation. We have a pretty extensive repertoire of songs, and because of the looseness of the trio each one becomes a new thing every time we approach it.” 

After briefly welcoming an audience in Bologna and introducing his “genius partners,” Corea kicks off the program with an incisive, querying solo introduction to “How Deep Is the Ocean?” – one of only two tracks reprised from the original Trilogy. Over the next twelve minutes the trio plumbs the depths of the familiar standard, seemingly intent on exhausting every possible answer to the titular philosophical question. From the depths to the heavens, they follow up with Corea’s own “500 Miles High,” originally recorded by the first incarnation of Return to Forever in 1972.

The trio delves into Corea’s composition book for two other pieces on the album. “La Fiesta” dates back to the first Return to Forever album and showcases the pianist’s passion for Latin music, a side that he explored earlier this year with the release of Antidote, the debut of his Spanish Heart Band. “Now He Sings, Now He Sobs” is the title track to Corea’s first-ever trio album (and only the second release to his name), recorded in 1968 with Miroslav Vitous and Roy Haynes. This marks his first official recording of the tune since then;  McBride and Blade both requested it for this tour, and the result is the set’s most expansive excursion. 

“More than being a pianist,” Corea says, “I always think of my basic purpose as being a composer. Though I love playing the piano, too. Thelonious Monk was a model for me in that regard. He was a composer, a piano player, and a bandleader, who defied so many conventions and created a body of work that is completely up there with Stravinsky and Mozart, in my opinion.”

Monk’s compositions are as ubiquitous a part of Corea’s live repertoire as are his own tunes, and Trilogy 2 offers a pair of the jazz icon’s eccentric pieces. “Crepuscule with Nellie” is a favorite of jazz pianists (despite Corea’s admission to a lifelong misreading of the title), taken here at a warm, leisurely pace. “Work” is a more obscure selection, though a particular favorite of Corea’s; it also appears on the first Trilogy, and he recently arranged it for Wynton Marsalis’ Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

“‘Work’ is a quirk,” Corea jokes. “Monk was a quirk, for that matter – the most genius, amazing quirk in the music world. His tunes are incredibly fun to play and rework.”

The trio’s romantic side emerges on a lovely reading of Jimmy Van Heusen’s “But Beautiful,” featuring lush brushwork from Blade, an elegant, wistful solo by Corea and a breathtakingly lyrical turn from McBride. The pace picks up for bassist Steve Swallow’s “Eiderdown,” its sharp turns unleashing a ricocheting, rapid-fire back-and-forth between Blade and Corea. 

Corea’s arrangement of Stevie Wonder’s classic “Pastime Paradise” was sparked by a suggestion from the soul genius himself. “I’ve been friends with Stevie since he used to come around to listen to Return to Forever in 1973 at The Bitter End,” Corea says. “A few years ago Stevie sat in with us at Catalina’s in Los Angeles and we went out to dinner afterwards. We were talking about songs and I was using the term ‘standards,’ and Stevie turned to me and said, ‘Hey Chick, what do you think about playing some new standards?’ I thought that was interesting and asked, ‘What do you mean?’ And he said, ‘You know – my music!’ He was kind of kidding around, but not completely, and I thought that was a great idea.” 

“All Blues,” of course, harkens back to Kind of Blue, the landmark album by Corea’s famed former bandleader, Miles Davis. The trio takes the tune at a loose, buoyant tempo that’s as infectiously fun to listen to as it undoubtedly was to perform. Corea also spent some formative years in the band of tenor giant Joe Henderson, whose “Serenity” (another McBride suggestion) is rendered in a smoldering take featuring the bassist’s fleet, muscular solo. The piece is tied in Corea’s memory with the closing tune, Kenny Dorham’s “Lotus Blossom.”

As the pianist recalls, “I spent a great, memorable week playing with Kenny at the Jazz Workshop in Boston when he and Joe Henderson had their quintet with Reggie Workman and Joe Chambers. We played ‘Lotus Blossom’ and ‘Blue Bossa’ and some of Joe’s tunes. That was a really pleasant memory for me.” 

At the age of 78 Corea continues to generate indelible memories for audiences around the world. No doubt the performances captured on Trilogy 2 have lingered in the imaginations of the audiences fortunate enough to catch them live; now they get to live on in the minds of jazz lovers everywhere. 

Track Listing

Disc 1:

How Deep Is the Ocean

500 Miles High

Crepuscule with Nellie

Work

But Beautiful

La Fiesta

Disc 2:

Eiderdown

All Blues

Pastime Paradise

Now He Sings, Now He Sobs

Serenity

Lotus Blossom

THE ANDREW SCHILLER QUINTET - SONORAN

Sonoran is the second album from bassist/composer/bandleader Andrew Schiller featuring an adventurous quintet of like-minded musicians. The artist explores the limits of his unique writing style in this evocative nine-part suite, written as a contemplation of the Sonoran Desert landscape, a setting that he called home for most of his childhood. A diversely beautiful region located across the American Southwest and Northwestern Mexico, the area has historically and recently become subject to contentious debates on political borders. The desert, though, does not abide by man-made boundaries and drawing a line through the region, physically or figuratively, cannot break the connectedness of people and cultures sharing the same harsh and astonishing environment.

Sonoran is a cinematic suite embodying some of the unique elements of the desert-the blistering heat of an inescapable sun, the surreal mountain ranges with jagged rock formations, needled flora and venomous fauna, and hauntingly vast stretches of barren earth. The composition is built on contrasting and interlocking themes, bridged together by the exploratory improvised dialogue from members of the quintet. By experimenting with techniques in counterpoint, harmonic layering, and motivic development, Schiller blends jazz stylings with folk melodies, contemporary classical, third stream, and avant-garde.

The album's title track Sonoran simmers with an intertwining ostinato of alto saxophone and bass clarinet, introducing a swelling unison melody shared by tenor saxophone and arco bass. Tension increases gradually during the harmonic progression of the piece, and dissipates at the arrival of four sustained chords followed by a pause. An accelerated bass line introduces a flurry of full-group improvisation, which evolves into the piece's climax, a howling chant played together by three horns.

OSTINATO - POUR ME A GROG: THE FUNANÁ REVOLT IN 1990s CABO VERDE

In the 1950s, a few young men, known as Badius, embarked on a nearly 2,500-mile (4000 km) journey from the northern rural interior of Cabo Verde’s Santiago Island to the island of São Tomé off the Atlantic coast of central Africa. Incredibly, they made the arduous journey not to earn a better living or send money back home — but to simply buy an accordion, locally known as a gaita. They would work years in harsh conditions to earn enough to buy the instrument and then a few more years to buy a ticket back to Santiago.

Returning home, they slowly formed an elite class of self-taught gaita players, who achieved a status similar to the griots of West Africa: venerated, wise elderly men archiving Badiu history in their diatonic button accordions. The gaita became the maximum expression of Badiu identity, one defined over centuries by a persistent culture of revolt and rebellion against domination and injustice. In a land lacking electricity, the acoustic instrument is king.

The gaita masters marriage to a hard-won instrument gave birth to raw Funaná music, undoubtedly a trans-Atlantic sibling of Colombian Cumbia. Hypnotic notes on aged accordions, tuned and flavored in ways found nowhere but Santiago, became infused with inviting baselines, raucous rhythms, blade-on-iron percussion and the bubbling lyricism and lament of the island’s finest ambassadors, their lyrics spoke of the trials of daily scarcity and playfully crafted whole metaphors within songs.

Their music was outlawed under colonial rule, with strict curfews monitored by the ever watchful eye of Portugal’s secret police to prevent gatherings since Funaná was dance music meant for large crowds, centered on one of the many star gaiteiros. Yet, naturally defiant, Badiu Funaná continued unfazed at the risk of arrest, detention, or worse.

Funaná remained an isolated style, largely an affair for Badiu ears only. But in 1991, Cabo Verde had its first democratic election. Elections are tricky business anywhere, let alone a state divided into several islands, each needing a tailored approach. Political parties found a novel solution, perhaps even a model, to successfully get their campaign messages out to large audiences with ears wide open: music festivals. Until today, Cabo Verde plays host to dozens of festivals a year, some sponsored by the government.

The music of the proud African interior became the soundtrack of choice at campaign rallies and music festivals. It drew large crowds, engaged the youth, kept people content, and undoubtedly won votes, setting the stage for traditional Funaná’s entry into the mainstream. But professional production and recording remained elusive. Younger artists empowered by the politically-backed proliferation of Funaná in the early ‘90s began traveling inland to learn the trade secrets from the gaita griots, taking up the once maligned artform to counter what they saw as global pop sounds diluting Cabo Verdean output and preventing genuine local music from competing on the airwaves.

Another revolt was afoot, and in 1997, an “earthquake shook the country,” a Cabo Verdean newspaper wrote, when a group of youths, calling themselves Ferro Gaita, “dared to make a disc based on the gaita, ferrinho and bass guitar.” That best-selling first album — 40,000 copies in a country of just 400,000 — changed the entire trajectory of the country’s music.

Ferro Gaita’s success caught the attention of affluent producers based in Cabo Verde’s large European diaspora, namely Rotterdam. Widespread sentiment was to honor the old gaita masters from the small villages of Santiago by commercially publishing their work for the very first time, giving what was once hidden the bigger stage it deserved.

This compilation curates eight tracks from a short period in the late ‘90s when cherished pioneers, who risked everything to give their proud culture a sound, were finally put in recording studios; an album in itself a revolt in favor of the music of the most marginalized and once deliberately silenced.

Pour yourself a grog, the Cabo Verdean moonshine distilled from sugarcane crushed by bulls, imbibe responsibly, listen carefully, and dance recklessly.

New Music Releases: U-Nam; Kutimangoes; Evgeny Masloboev Ensemble

U-Nam - The Love Vault (Future Love Part 2)

Well known throughout Europe and the US as a musical trendsetter and innovative player in Instrumental Music, Soul, and R&B, Emmanuel “U-Nam” Abiteboul has more than earned his reputation as a virtuosic guitarist and producer. Since his move to the US from Paris, France in 2007, Guitarist U-Nam has had the opportunity to perform, record and produce several of the top artists in the Smooth Jazz, R&B, and Soul genres. He has traveled throughout the US at events and Festivals including the Catalina JazzTrax Festival, Jazz on the Green, the JazzTrax Big Bear Festival, the Dave Koz and Friends Cruise et al. U-Nam has played, recorded and worked with: Barry White, Kool & the Gang, Billy Paul, George Duke, Marcus Miller, Eric Benet, Dave Koz, Najee, Phil Perry, Stokley Williams (Mint Condition), Rahsaan Patterson, Patrice Rushen, Paul Jackson Jr., WahWah Watson, Paul Jackson (The Headhunters), Rick Braun, Jonathan Butler, Jeff Lorber, Jeff Golub, Maysa Leak, Ronnie Foster, Abiodun (The Last Poets), Daddy-O (Stetasonic), Norman Connors, Dennis Chambers, Andreas Oberg, Alsou, Luis Fonsi, Honeyz, MC Solaar, Ophélie Winter, Marva King, Tony Terry, Oleta Adams, Candy Dulfer, Deniece Williams, Brian Simpson, Euge Groove, Bob Baldwin, Tom Braxton,Gregg Karukas, Michael Paulo, Joey Sommerville, James Day, Cool Million and many more…His new album, “The Love Vault” (Future Love Part 2) set for release on 10/11/19.

Kutimangoes - Afrotropism

The Kutimangoes keep on refining their groove with each new release – and really open up with a nice sense of variety from the usual Afro Funk mode! The horn section still has a strong role – two saxes, one trombone – but there are also both instrumental and rhythmic shifts from track to track – so that in the former, a keyboard or guitar might stand out more in the lead – or in the latter, the groove changes from more familiar modes to really help expand their style, and also open up some of the jazzier currents in their all-instrumental approach! There's even some great ngoni at a few points, which really sounds wonderful - and titles include "Call Of The Bulbul Bird", "Thorns To Fruit", "Money Is The Curse", "sand To Soil", and "A Snake Is Just A String". ~ Dusty Groove

Evgeny Masloboev Ensemble – The Book of Ice

Baikal Dream Club invited me to participate in the embodiment of ideas in creating a large-scale performance «Ice Library». That’s how the First Baikal Ice Music Festival started, which I curated, being an audial expert, composer, musician. The result of almost a month of work was a unique acoustic experience. The acoustic properties of Baikal ice and the possibilities of transferring research results to the field of aesthetics from sound images to full-fledged musical compositions were studied. Also, experiments were conducted on the timbre combinations of sound waves extracted from ice structures with audio palettes created by using objects made out of a variety of materials. Experiments with making and extracting sounds from ice marimbas, balafons, horns, ice flutes and ice percussion are a process, in which my musician friends and I are trying the ice for love of fire and in which the tone is checked against the beat of the heart.

New Music Releases: Nate Wooley & Ken Vandermark; Estrada Orchestra; Ethan Iverson

Nate Wooley & Ken Vandermark - Deeply Discounted II

Two fantastic side-long improvisations – but we hardly would have expected anything less, given that the proceedings feature Nate Wooley on trumpet, and Ken Vandermark on tenor and soprano clarinet! The latter sounds really wonderful in Ken's hands – full of these unusual sharp sounds that are matched beautifully by Nate's always-creative work on trumpet – as the pair move together effortlessly through sonic space, and create with a spontaneous intensity that must have been something to watch in person! Oddly, the music was captured in the studio, though – not on stage – but has the energy of some of the best live improvised performances that either musician has given us – on long tracks "Deeply Discounted II" and "Sequences Of Snow (For Michael Snow)". ~ Dusty Groove

Estrada Orchestra - Zucker Tanzclub

Excellent long-form funky work from Estrada Orchestra – a group with plenty of jazz-styled instrumentation over the top, and some monstrous funky drums at the core! The group record here with producer Misha Panfilov, who you'll know from other great material on funky 45s – but the style here is longer and more stretched out – psychedelic jazz, with lots of fuzz on the guitar, keyboards, and even funky flute – working together as one rumbling mass with a heck of a lot of sonic power! Titles include the side-long "Zucker Tanzclub", plus "Hold My Plasticine Hands Tight" and "Fish Sticks Rhapsody". ~ Dusty Groove

Ethan Iverson - Common Practice

Some of the darkest sounds we've heard from trumpeter Tom Harrell in years – really fitting the spirit of this quartet led by pianist Ethan Iverson, as they slowly step their way through a mix of standards and original tunes in a live set recorded at the Village Vanguard! Tom's developed a fantastic range over the years – and here, he finds this really special sonic space to resonate with Iverson's choices on the piano – still very much his own man, especially on the solos, but also a key cornerstone in a group that also features Ben Street on bass and Eric McPherson on drums. The approach is maybe most striking on the mellowest numbers, which really resonate with shadowy depths – and titles include "All The Things You Are", "I Can't Get Started", "The Man I Love", "Philadelphia Creamer", and "Jed From Teaneck". ~ Dusty Groove

MOTOWN UNRELEASED 1969: 60 Previously Unreleased Songs

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the celebrated label, Motown/UMe today released MOTOWN UNRELEASED: 1969, a digital only collection that contains 60 previously unreleased studio recordings made during 1969 including songs by Diana Ross & the Supremes, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Gladys Knight & the Pips, and Jr. Walker & the All Stars and many more.

The collection captures the width and breadth of Motown's iconic catalog, the richness of the label's roster, and the diversity of material that was being produced at the time. The songs showcase a vision of the future that's coming into focus, with seminal albums from Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and The Temptations on the horizon.

Owing to the non-stop recording activity at Motown's studios, more than half of the tracks on MOTOWN UNRELEASED: 1969 are never-before-heard compositions, including the heart-breaking-yet-hopeful "I Had a Dream (Opus I)," written and produced by Ashford & Simpson for Gladys Knight & The Pips, recorded a year after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.; Stevie Wonder's joyful "Mister Moon," one of his first self-productions, infused with ecstatic falsetto harmonies; and "Pretty Little Brown Skin Girl," a celebration of African-American beauty from The Temptations. Also among the jewels is "Touched by Love," a Johnny Bristol production recorded by Bobby Taylor while he was grooming the Jackson 5 in advance of their first album.

"Motown is clearly evolving at this time," said Harry Weinger, Vice President of A&R at Universal Music Enterprises, who oversaw the project. "There's an opening for writers and producers to experiment with the Motown sound but, for certain topics, or musical ideas, or even artists, the company isn't ready. Or, it's a simple case of having only so many slots for releases. So, until now, those songs went unreleased."

Additional tracks are unique covers of previously released songs, including several by Ivy Jo Hunter, one of the great unsung Motown writers and producers who re-works the hits he had created for other artists including "Dancing in the Street" and "Ask the Lonely." The Jackson 5, just two months from debuting with "I Want You Back," lay down a thrilling, up-tempo version of the Miracles' "What's So Good About Goodbye," providing a fresh take of a Smokey Robinson classic. Diana Ross & the Supremes deliver an achingly beautiful version of "For Once In My Life," an historic session that marks the last time Ms. Ross, Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong are together in the studio.

On other tracks, UMe's A&R executives and studio engineers were able to repair technical issues on the original recordings that had prevented Motown from releasing the songs, including Kiki Dee's "While They Watch" and "You're My World."

The collection also includes five funky instrumental tracks by the Funk Brothers house band – surely highlighted by the Paul Riser production, "Moratorium" –  recorded under the name of their indomitable leader, Earl Van Dyke.

All of the new collection's tracks have been mastered for the first time at Studio 4 by Phil Nicolo from their original analog master tapes, which were individually selected by Motown A&R specialists from UMG's secure storage facilities. Half the collection's tracks were sourced from their original Motown mixes, while the rest were mixed for the first time for this release, by Obie O'Brien at Mixville USA and by John Morales at M+M Mix Studios.

Track credits available here: https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/motown-unreleased-1969-rarities-out-now

Stream all of Motown's greatest hits: https://stream.lnk.to/Motown.

MOTOWN UNRELEASED: 1969

1.  Diana Ross & the Supremes / For Once In My Life

2.  Stevie Wonder / Can't Do Without Your Love

3.  Ivy Jo / It's Love I Need

4.  Chris Clark / My World Is Empty Without You

5.  The Temptations / Pretty Little Brown Skin Girl

6.  The Volumes / Forever I'll Love You

7.  Jr. Walker & the All Stars / (Baby) I Need You

8.  Frank Wilson / Look Out Your Window

9.  Edwin Starr / I'll Always Love You

10.  Earl Van Dyke / Stone Soul Booster

11.  Gladys Knight & the Pips / You Took Me This Far (Take Me All The Way)

12.  Smokey Robinson & the Miracles / Won't You Come and Fly With Me

13.  Edwin Starr / Born Just To Be That Way

14.  Smokey Robinson & the Miracles / What About Me

15.  Jonah Jones / Too Many Fish In The Sea

16.  Edwin Starr / Fan The Flame

17.  Chris Clark / The Last Thing On My Mind

18.  Smokey Robinson & the Miracles / Backfire (version 1)

19.  Gladys Knight & the Pips / I Had A Dream (Opus I)

20.  The Temptations / Why (Must We Fall In Love)

21.  The Fantastic Four / What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted

22.  Ivy Jo / Ask The Lonely

23.  Ivy Jo / Yesterday's Dreams

24.  Ivy Jo / I Got To Get To California

25.  The Originals / Blame It On War

26.  The Stylists / The Jackpot

27.  The Spinners / Don't Think It's Me

28.  Michael Denton / MacArthur Park/Didn't We

29.  Michael Denton / Someone For My Own

30.  The Volumes / One Lucky Day I Found You

31.  The Rustix / Generation

32.  Jr. Walker & the All Stars / Country Girl

33.  Jr. Walker & the All Stars / Something You Got (studio version)

34.  Bobby Taylor / At Last (I Found A Love)

35.  Bobby Taylor / Love Is Here And Now You're Gone

36.  Jackson 5 / What's So Good About Goodbye

37.  Bobby Taylor / You've Really Got A Hold On Me - feat. the Jackson 5

38.  Earl Van Dyke / The Stranger

39.  Earl Van Dyke / I Wish It Would Rain

40.  Stevie Wonder / Start Out A New Day

41.  Gordon Staples & the Motown Strings / All the Many Shades In Between

42.  Valerie Simpson / You Ain't Livin' Till You're Lovin'

43.  Edwin Starr / Pain From My Loneliness

44.  Yvonne Fair / All I Could Do Was Cry

45.  The Temptations / Home Is Where The Heart Is

46.  Stevie Wonder / Mister Moon

47.  Rare Earth / Your Heartaches I Can Surely Heal

48.  Ivy Jo / Dancing In The Street

49.  Marvin Gaye / I'll Take Care Of Business

50.  Ivy Jo / Pride, Foolish Pride

51.  Earl Van Dyke / Moratorium

52.  Kiki Dee / While They Watch

53.  Terry Johnson / This Is The Beginning

54.  Terry Johnson / I Blew My Mind

55.  Earl Van Dyke / Chicken Little 69

56.  Kiki Dee / You're My World

57.  Bobby Taylor / Touched By Love

58.  Hearts of Stone / When Push Comes To Shove

59.  Jimmy Ruffin / I Gotta Cover A Whole Lotta Ground

60.  Terry Johnson / Tomorrow's Child

Rainforest Band - Peace To The Planet

Rainforest Band delivers a timely album with a timeless message

Thirty years before the devastating Amazon rainforest fire and decades before the global climate crisis was one of the crucial issues facing the survival of life on earth, keyboardist Merl Saunders forecasted the future after witnessing the destruction occurring in the Amazon. Teaming with Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia, Saunders brought the need to preserve rainforests into pop consciousness by creating an album, “Blues From The Rainforest – A Musical Suite,” featuring Garcia that they described as “environmental earth music.” Merl’s son, bassist Tony Saunders, is continuing his late father’s mission with the October 25 release of “Peace To The Planet” by Rainforest Band, which drops on San Francisco Records with a portion of the proceeds going to The Jerry Garcia Foundation and Rainforest Action Network. 

“The rainforests around the world are disappearing at an alarming rate. This band has three strong souls as leaders and our mission is to bring awareness with our music to a cause that needs vigilant attention – long before the Amazon fires put the issue back in the news. To honor the history of the music Jerry and Merl made and to do something to help save the planet is why we made this album now,” said Tony Saunders, who is based in the Bay Area along with his Rainforest Band mates, guitarist Vernon “Ice” Black and keyboardist Sylvester Burks.

“Peace To  The Planet” was produced by Black and San Francisco Records chief Ron Umile with social activism at the fore. Umile said, “The band and I have been concerned about the rainforest, climate change and all the related issues. We are also concerned about senseless gun violence in America, the rise of bigotry in our country, the extinction of animals and plants, and the lack of acknowledgement and action from the present administration and general government to address these issues and seek real solutions. The music on ‘Peace To The Planet’ tries to instill calmness for a minute to allow reflection on how we can do our part to be part of the solution. If we can visualize a peaceful planet, we could possibly inspire our audience to take action to save the planet.”

While Garcia crossed genres to collaborate with Merl Saunders, who was an African American jazz musician, the twelve songs composed by Rainforest Band members for “Peace To The Planet” are rooted in improvisational contemporary jazz and soulful R&B. The disc features performances by Billboard chart-topping saxophonist Jeff Ryan, noted keyboardist Gail Jhonson, drummer Austin White and percussionist Maquinto Brasil. The first single garnering playlist adds is the funky “S.I.Z.” on which Ryan’s tenor sax wails up a thunderous storm. 

The continued relationships and support of both nonprofit partners – The Jerry Garcia Foundation and Rainforest Action Network – was natural. Tony Saunders toured for a year playing in the original Rainforest Band concerts thirty years ago with his father and Garcia, including gigs for Rainforest Action Network. Garcia’s wife and daughter, Manasha and Keelin Garcia, run The Jerry Garcia Foundation and have collaborated with Tony on multiple projects and music catalogue decisions over the years. The foundations are the beneficiaries of the album release concert planned for November 1 at the Terrapin Crossroads Grate Room in San Rafael. 

The Rainforest Band principals are seasoned professionals equipped with lengthy resumes built during accomplished music careers. As a guitarist, vocalist, producer, composer and music director, Black has amassed recording, touring and film credits that list Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Herbie Hancock, Chaka Khan, Lionel Richie, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin and Spice Girls. Tony Saunders has played or recorded with legends Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, David Crosby, Joe Sample, Jeff Lorber, Paul Jackson Jr. and Paul Brown. He has won two Emmy Awards for writing television scores and is an award-winning composer of jingles and motion picture scores. Burks’ work with ten Grammy winners includes Patti LaBelle and Lalah Hathaway along with gospel superstars Yolanda Adams, Donnie McClurkin, Shirley Caesar, Bebe Winans and The Hawkins Family. For more information, please visit https://rainforestband.net.       

 

Spyro Gyra - Vinyl Tap

Seminal contemporary jazz band mines a collection of vinyl classics for their first album in six years. “Vinyl Tap” drops October 11 with the first single, “Can’t Find My Way Home,” released on September 23. 

Free of the tension of having to write great songs, the five members of Spyro Gyra were laughing and having fun in the recording studio. Creativity flowed as the venerable contemporary jazz band revisited the songs that inspired them from their youth when they were listening to music on vinyl. That artistic fount was spun into “Vinyl Tap,” Spyro Gyra’s first album in six years, which drops October 11 on the Amherst Records label.                                             

“It was tensionless as we ‘warped’ the tunes. We had a world of brilliant music to choose from and we didn’t have to worry about writing brilliant music. It was a really fun project to make,” said saxophonist Jay Beckenstein, who will lead Spyro Gyra on tour to support “Vinyl Tap” with a string of US concert dates beginning November 15 in Newark, NJ after a three-week international trek that begins at the Cancun Jazz Festival on October 23. 

When Spyro Gyra manager Phil Brennan proposed the album’s concept a few years ago to bandleader Beckenstein for their 31st album, he knew that it might take some convincing, so he came prepared with an intriguing concept. Brennan suggested that the band use their arrangement talents to transform the originals into something brand new. The challenge appealed to Beckenstein, who soon overcame any misgivings. 

“It’s cliché (to record covers) in saxophone-based contemporary jazz. We did not want to sound like a fantastic wedding band. I was really afraid that if we didn’t do our own thing, that our identity would be lost. It was imperative in the creative process – and everybody (in the band) knew this in a big way – that things had to be mixed up. Things had to be jolted out of the old way of approaching the songs. We really tried to come up with a new take on whatever (song) we were doing. We put solos into tunes that really are complete extensions that never had anything to do with the originals,” said Beckenstein. 

What initially stands out on “Vinyl Tap,” which was produced by Spyro Gyra, are the wildly imaginative arrangements. Beckenstein said, “The arrangements were put together with everyone in my basement with all the equipment set up. We were all together in the pre-studio arrangement process. It was all done democratically. Spyro Gyra is a musician’s group collective. When you have five talented guys, you can do some cool arranging things.” 

Spyro Gyra are Beckenstein, Tom Schuman (keyboards), Julio Fernandez (guitars), Scott Ambush (bass) and Lionel Cordew (drums). The musicians have somewhat of a wide range of ages, which explains some of the diversity of the material recorded for “Vinyl Tap.” Beckenstein selected the album opener, “Secret Agent Mash,” a supercharged and ultrahip mashup of “Secret Agent Man” and “Alfie’s Theme.” “Sunshine Of Your Love” is virtually unrecognizable in its new form as a Latin big band number. The first cut going for playlist adds on September 23 is the plaintive “Can’t Find My Way Home,” which takes on a bit of a western feel and benefits from the soulful perspective of Beckenstein’s saxophone protagonist. “What A Fool Believes” is slowed to become a contemplative power ballad that breaks into a mid-song swing cadence. 

“I spent a lot of time listening to radio – classic rock radio – looking for material that had fantastic melodies. If there was a beautiful, arching melody, like ‘What A Fool Believes,’ it would definitely translate to my saxophone ‘voice,’” said Beckenstein.     

Adding chromatic and bass harmonicas by Gary Schreiner, “The Cisco Kid” vacillates in time and tempo, letting the band members stretch out into improvisational banter. Exemplative of Spyro Gyra’s ethos, each band member shares the spotlight equitably, adding sweetness and redolent depth to “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away.” “Tempted” always oozed soul, but the band’s reading is deliberate, adding romance and underscoring the sweeping chorus. “Stolen Moments” is another that essentially becomes an “original” composition in Spyro Gyra’s inventive hands after the piece was reconstructed using entirely new, deft and complex rhythms. The set closes with an exhilarating romp cascading through a groovy expanse on “Carry On.”

“This is the first record we’ve done where we have allowed ourselves to do other people’s material full throttle,” said Beckenstein. “That is not to say in any way that we tried to copy what other people did, but it was really great to reach outside of our writing capabilities for inspiration for us to take off on. And that’s what this album is about.”

“Vinyl Tap” contains the following songs:

“Secret Agent Mash”

“Sunshine Of Your Love”

“Can’t Find My Way Home”

“What A Fool Believes”

“The Cisco Kid”

“You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away”

“Tempted”

“Stolen Moments”

“Carry On”

https://spyrogyra.com

ROBERT GLASPER MONTH LONG RESIDENCY SET FOR BLUE NOTE JAZZ CLUB

Robert Glasper month long residency begins October 3.

Grammy winning artist & producer set to play 56 shows in one month.

Esperanza Spalding & Roy Hargrove Tribute Added; Appearances from Yasiin Bey, T3 (Slum Village), Terrance Martin & More!

Blue Note Jazz Club and multi-Grammy winning artist and producer Robert Glasper announce special guest and bassist Esperanza Spalding  as an addition to a powerhouse line-up of artists during Glasper's October residency at the jazz club. Robert Glasper will perform with Esperanza Spalding on October 15 & 16, with two shows each night at 8PM and 10:30PM. This must-see event marks the second year of Robert Glasper's Residency at Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City. His residency brings out some of the biggest names in entertainment and is unmatched in its artistic production.

Blue Note Jazz Club and Robert Glasper have also announced a Roy Hargrove Tribute to the residency schedule on October 22 & 23, with two shows each night at 8PM and 10:30PM. Hargrove passed away in late 2018 and was an artist with whom Glasper worked very closely. The artists performing with Glasper, such as Terrance Martin complete a special and significant tribute to Hargrove's legacy and impact in the jazz artist community.

The Robert Glasper Residency at Blue Note New York consists of 56 shows in 28 nights from October 3, 2019 to November 3, 2019. Featured artists alongside Robert Glasper include Chris Dave, Derrick Hodge, DJ Jahi Sundance, Yasiin Bey (Mos Def), Vincente Archer, Damion Reid, Esperanza Spalding, Justin Tyson, Luke James, Terrance Martin, Keyon Harrold, Marcus Strickland, Ben Williams, Elena Pinderhughes, Renea Neufville, T3 from Slum Village, Casey Benjamin, and more.

Brian Culbertson tells “Winter Stories” in a jazz trio

Inspiration strikes artists even when on holiday break. As pianist Brian Culbertson strolled the frigid streets of Chicago last winter, he felt compelled to write music. Feeling the cold air, seeing his breath and hearing the crunch of snow under his feet spurred the creation of “Winter Stories,” a contemplative collection of melodic musical “stories” recorded in a jazz trio setting. The first “story” that will preface the BCM Entertainment release dropping October 4 is “Morning Walk,” which went for playlist adds on Monday.     

When Culbertson returned from that inspired walk, he started composing the first piece for the album that, over time, will become a four-album series: separate stories for each season. He wrote and demoed one song per day for ten consecutive days. After each day’s session, he’d head back into the cold, taking the demo out for a walk. Upon his return, he’d make adjustments to the composition until “it was just right.” 

Best known for crafting a catalogue of R&B, jazz and funk hits, Culbertson felt that this pensive and introspective album would best be presented by a jazz trio. Knowing that drummer Khari Parker has a deft touch with brushes to craft the gentle rhythms, Culbertson had only one acoustic bassist in mind: Steve Rodby (Pat Metheny Group). They knew each other from the Chicago jingle scene at the beginning of Culbertson’s professional career and Rodby played on a track on the keyboardist’s second album, “Modern Life” (1995). 

“Understanding Steve’s jazz/pop sensibilities and knowing how musical and ‘in tune’ he plays upright bass, I knew that he was the only one who could play on this record,” said Culbertson.

Culbertson describes “Winter Stories” not as a Christmas album, but as a hybrid. “It is very melodic with a pop structure, but utilizing traditional straight-ahead jazz elements - acoustic piano, upright bass and drums with brushes – which give it a ‘holiday’ feel, but also something you can listen to any time since these are all new original songs. However, what was unusual is that the three of us didn’t record together. I produced the album using a layered approach, which also makes it more of a pop-styled record, replacing each demo track one at a time. I first recorded piano, then layered Wurlitzer, Rhodes and B3 organ parts sparsely to add depth here and there. After that was drums and then bass was last. A couple tracks also called for percussion, which was played by Lenny Castro.” 

While writing his “Winter Stories” - the inspiration for all ten stories is shared in the accompanying liner notes, which is another first for Culbertson – he spotted a painting online that he felt perfectly encapsulated the album’s motif. So, he bought the painting and made it the album cover.

“It was exactly what was in my mind. I wanted it to be like an intriguing book cover, the kind that after you look at it, you get a sense of what the music is like and then compels you to want to listen,” said Culbertson, who curates, hosts and headlines his second annual Chicago Jazz Getaway running this Thursday through Sunday, a spinoff of his wildly popular Napa Valley Jazz Getaway.     

A second single from “Winter Stories” is planned for just prior to the holiday season. Going for adds on November 18, “City Sleigh Ride” is one of the album’s more up-tempo and fun adventures, and the only song with sleigh bells. “While most of the album is on the slower, more ruminative side of things, it was important for me to break up the feel a little bit with a couple tracks,” said Culbertson. 

After a recent YouTube Premiere with fans, the video for the album opener, “Sitting By The Fire,” is now available for viewing (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkuG5bxnQgc). “I’d say the best time to listen to this record is when it’s the coldest and bleakest outside,” said Culbertson. “These songs will warm you up and keep you cozy.” 

   

“Winter Stories” contains the following songs:

“Sitting By The Fire”

“Montana Skies”

“Morning Walk”

“Flurries”

“City Sleigh Ride”

“Waltz For M”

“Island Dream”

“Northern Lights”

“Frosted Window”

“Starry Night”

http://www.brianculbertson.com

VINYL EDITION OF THE MILES DAVIS QUINTET’S THE LEGENDARY PRESTIGE QUINTET SESSIONS

Craft Recordingsis pleased to announce the release of the vinyl box set edition of The Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions from The Miles Davis Quinteton November 8th. Celebrating the 70th anniversaryof Prestige Records, the deluxe six-LP set presents the quintet’s marathon sessions for the iconic jazz label, recorded between 1955–56, which resulted in classic albums such as Cookin’, Relaxin’,Workin’, and Steamin’. Plus, the box set offers a bonus LPwith audio from radio and TV appearances by the group. Pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI, the discs are housed in a collectible 20-page hardcover linen-wrapped portfolio-style book, featuring stunning photographs of Davis and the band, plus in-depth liner notes from esteemed jazz historian Bob Blumenthal.

Miles Davis’ First Great Quintetwas assembled in 1955—a pivotal year for the trumpeter and bandleader. Following a triumphant set at the Newport Jazz Festival, Davis was at the top of his game, and enjoying newfound recognition by industry leaders, critics, and fans alike.With a lineup that featured pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers, drummer Philly Joe Jonesand a relatively unknown tenor saxophonist named John Coltrane (replacing Sonny Rollins), the unit became the dominant small jazz group of the late '50s and helped define the hard-bop genre. In his liner notes, Bob Blumenthal writes “The Miles Davis Quintet heard here was Davis’ means of seizing the moment when his physical health and his musical concepts were on an upswing...This is the band Davis organized when he wanted his recordings to stand for more than snapshots of his momentary interests.” 

Over the course of a year—from November 1955 to October 1956—the quintet recorded three exceptionally productive sessions with famed engineer Rudy Van Gelder, simulating nightclub sets at Van Gelder’s Hackensack, New Jersey studio. The resulting 32 tracks—presented in chronological order in this collection—would make up five complete and significant albums: the quintet’s 1956 debut release, Miles: The New Miles Davis Quintet, Cookin’ (1957), Relaxin’ (1958),Workin’ (1959), and Steamin’ (1961). The quintet’s recording of “’Round Midnight” would represent this ensemble’s lone contribution to the album Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants (1959).The majority of these tracks are pop and jazz standards, along with several original compositions from Davis. Highlights include a rendition of Thelonious Monk’s “’Round Midnight,” which Davis would adopt as a signature tune, a scorching drum solo from Jones on “Salt Peanuts,” Davis’ exquisite use of the Harmon mute on the intimate ballads “My Funny Valentine” and “It Never Entered My Mind,” Garland’s inspiring solo on “If I Were a Bell,”and a standout performance from the rhythm section on “Blues by Five.”

Blumenthal writes that during this era, “Davis understood the potential of the new, longer 12-inch album format, and used it to create definitive performances in a variety of moods.” Adding, “The key was contrast, which began with the juxtaposition of Davis’ concision, Coltrane’s complexity, and Garland’s sparkle; extended to the textural variety the rhythm section provided each soloist; and was capped by the distinctive range of the band’s repertoire.”

  

Because much of the Quintet’s material was performed outside of the studio—in nightclubs and concert halls—a bonus LP is included, which featureseight TV and radio appearances, including live performances at Café Bohemia, the Blue Note in Philadelphia and on Tonight Starring Steve Allen, offering a broader view of the group’s exceptional work together.

The Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions was originally released as a CD box set in 2006, garnering wide critical acclaim. Jazz Times wrote that “To sit down with the 32 [tracks], from “Stablemates” to “My Funny Valentine,” is to fall in love all over again with irreplaceable music whose magic is utterly manifest yet elusive of description.” All Music proclaimed, “Miles freaks…will have to have this,” while Pop Matters declared the collection to be “Perfect.” Upon its release, it peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart.