New Music Releases: Brian Simpson / Steve Oliver, Joel Ross, Gruppo D'Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza

Brian Simpson / Steve Oliver – Unified

The historic meeting of two Smooth jazz icons! Between them, Brian Simpson & Steve Oliver have scored more than 25 Top Ten Smooth Jazz radio hits, more than 15 Top Ten Billboard Contemporary Jazz albums, toured to packed houses worldwide and shared the stage with everyone from Larry Carlton and George Duke to The Neville Brothers! Brian and Steve are famous for their melodic richness, captivating grooves and delicate touch and Uni?ed is the perfect expression of those qualities. Highlights include the romantic, dreamy "Last Summer," the super-sophisticated "Café du Monde," the grooving title tune "Unifed" plus “The Road Never Ends,” “What The Wind Knows,” “Fired Up,” “Last Summer,” “Like No Other,” “The Way Home,” “Celestial Body,” “A Distant Love,” and “And Then You Loved Me.”

Joel Ross - King Maker

An incredible debut from vibist Joel Ross – an artist who's already given us great moments on records with Makaya McCraven, Marquis Hill, and others – but who's completely his own man here right from the start! Ross instantly emerges as a major creative force – leading the combo, composing the music, and co-producing the set – with a rich vision for the future of vibes in jazz, but one that also carries the depths of previous generations – especially in the way that Joel approaches a tune, with a subtle sense of gravity that makes each new selection a very powerful statement. The group features Immanuel Wilkins on alto, Jeremy Corren on piano, Benjamin Tiberio on bass, and Jeremy Dutton on drums – a tight quintet who work with a great sense of sympathy – and singer Gretchen Parlato also joins the group at one point. Titles include "Prince Lynn's Twin", "The Grand Struggle Against Fear", "Freda's Disposition", "Yana", "With Who Do You Learn Trust", and "Ill Relations". ~ Dusty Groove

Gruppo D'Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza - Gruppo D'Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza (1965)

One of the most obscure chapters in the career of Ennio Morricone – important avant garde work recorded in the mid 60s, just at a point when he was beginning to rise in soundtrack fame! The ensemble is a key Italian modernist group featuring Morricone, Giovanni Piazza, Mario Bertoncini, Egisto Macchi, Gualtiero Branch, Jesus Villa Rojo, and Francesco Evangelisti – mostly classically-trained musicians, but working here in a set of improvisations that are extremely spare, and which are very much at the lower end of the sound spectrum. Many of the sounds on the set are right at the frontiers of hearing – and others, while more present, disappear as quickly as they emerge – further enforcing the mystery and mood of the record. And while the overall style is quite different than Morricone's soundtrack work, the group was clearly a key testing ground for his ideas of sound and space that emerged later. Titles include "Soup", "Scratch", "Settimino", and "Eflot". ~ Dusty Groove

Jazz Legend Charlie Parker Honored With Global Bird 100 Centennial Celebration

The incomparable life and extraordinary, trailblazing career of jazz titan and influential composer Charlie Parker will be honored throughout 2020 with a worldwide celebration commemorating the 100th anniversary of his birth (August 29, 1920). Lovingly dubbed Bird 100 after the nickname of the preeminent alto saxophonist who was one of the fathers of bebop and progenitors of modern jazz, the centennial will include a host of major initiatives including exciting new music releases, a tribute tour, festivals and events, prestigious exhibitions, special partnerships, a unique graphic novel, exclusive collectible art, and myriad of independent appreciations and concerts. "The centennial of Charlie Parker is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to celebrate his life, legacy and art form with the world. We are thrilled to honor Bird's transformative musical impact on past, present and future generations," said the Estate of Charlie Parker. 

Parker's longtime label Verve Records, in conjunction with UMe, the global catalog company of Universal Music Group, will kick off the yearlong celebration this week with a limited edition vinyl pressing of the rare 12" LP, The Magnificent Charlie Parker, an exclusive release for Record Store Day's Black Friday, taking place Friday, November 29 at independent record stores around the country. The limited album, out of print on vinyl since its original 1955 release, is pressed on vibrant yellow vinyl and includes a quintessential David Stone Martin cover as well as painstakingly recreated art including Clef Records labels. The 11-song LP features Parker going toe-to-toe with frequent collaborators Charles Mingus, Miles Davis, Max Roach and John Lewis with arrangements by Gil Evans.

The artwork for The Magnificent Charlie Parker is also available for purchase, along with four additional classic album covers, including four by David Stone Martin, as archival quality, framed canvas prints exclusively via uDiscover. The high-end wall art is available in a variety of sizes and includes the albums: Big Band, Machito Jazz With Flip & Bird, The Magnificent Charlie Parker, Charlie Parker With Strings and Charlie Parker With Strings (Vol. 2). For more information and to order, visit uDiscover: https://shop.udiscovermusic.com/collections/charlie-parker

Verve/UMe plan to celebrate Parker with several releases throughout 2020 and are currently in the works on a vinyl boxed set of Parker's complete Clef 10" albums featuring David Stone Martin's iconic illustrated covers. Charlie Parker: The Clef 10" Albums Collection will arrive on August 28, 2020 timed with Parker's 100th birthday and include five extraordinary albums he recorded for Norman Granz's Clef Records: Bird and Diz, Charlie Parker, Charlie Parker Plays South Of The Border, Charlie Parker With Strings and Charlie Parker With Strings (Vol. 2). The LPs will feature newly remastered audio from the original analog tapes and will include faithful reproductions of the classic artwork and packaging. The albums will pressed on 180-gram black 10" vinyl and will be housed in an attractive slipcase. Representing Bird's fruitful late '40s to mid-50s Clef period, the albums have never been released together and all but Bird and Diz have been out of print on vinyl since their original releases. These albums are being presented in the form they were originally released in for the first time in more than six decades.

Craft Recordings will release The Savoy 10-inch Collection in February 2020. The deluxe boxed set features four 10" LPs cut from newly restored and remastered audio. The collection highlights Parker's pioneering bebop recordings for Savoy Records from 1944-1948, featuring jazz legends Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, John Lewis, Bud Powell, Max Roach and more. The package includes faithfully restored original album artwork, plus a booklet containing vintage photos, rare ephemera and new liner notes by GRAMMY®-winning author Neil Tesser. The complete set will also be released digitally.

Bird's incredible legacy and immortal music will soar throughout the year with a variety of festivals, concerts, events and an exciting tribute tour. Sanctioned by the Estate of Charlie Parker, "Fly Higher: Charlie Parker @ 100" features acclaimed co-musical directors Rudresh Mahanthappa (alto saxophone) and Terri Lyne Carrington (drums) as they celebrate the jazz master, one of the most innovative and influential artists in modern musical history and examine his impact in pop, hip-hop, rap, rock and jazz. Joined by a superb lineup including Charenée Wade (vocals), Adam O'Farrill (trumpet), Kris Davis (piano), Larry Grenadier (bass) and Kassa Overall (DJ), Mahanthappa and Carrington will honor Parker's centennial year by showcasing Parker's uncompromising musical joy, humor and beauty by mining his deep repertoire and showcasing new, modern compositions. The tour is produced by Danny Melnick for Absolutely Live Entertainment and represented for bookings by International Music Network. For more information, visit charliebirdparker.com/events/tour-events

Parker's hometown Kansas City, Kansas and his adopted hometown New York City will honor the legend with their annual festivals and both have big plans for his 100th birthday. On the last weekend of August 2020, the annual Charlie Parker Jazz Festival will kick off in New York City. For the past 28 years, the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival has presented some of the finest musicians in the world who reflect Charlie Parker's musical individuality and genius to promote appreciation for this highly influential and world-renowned artist. Produced by City Parks Foundation, the festival is a vibrant and free celebration of jazz that brings together storied, veteran players and the next generation of jazz artists. The festival is held over the course of three days in neighborhoods where Charlie Parker lived and worked, in Harlem's Marcus Garvey Park and the East Village's Tompkins Square Park. More information will be available here soon: cityparksfoundation.org/charlieparker

Birdland, the NYC jazz club that adopted their ornithological name in 1949 to capitalize on the popularity of their regular headliner Charlie "Yardbird" Parker, will curate a month-long Charlie Parker Jazz festival at the famed venue in August 2020. Each week will feature a different headliner honoring Bird with the festivities launching with "Bird With Strings" in which renowned clarinetist Ken Peplowski will be the music director and he and a conductor friend will invite different soloists, on many different instruments, to play the arrangements with a chamber orchestra. This will be followed with Birdland's 10th annual "Bird-thday Celebration" featuring an all-star ensemble performing Parker's compositions. The month will culminate with celebrated saxophonist Joe Lovano and the Joe Lovano Us Five who will do a reprise of Bird Songs, their Bird-themed album released on Blue Note Records in 2011. For tickets and more info, visit Birdlandjazz.com.

Additionally in NYC, Jazz Congress will host a panel discussion about Parker titled "Bird and Beyond: Celebrating Charlie Parker at 100" at the conference taking place January 13-14th, 2020 at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Later in the year, the New York Public Library for Performing Arts at Lincoln Center will present a series of programs that will include conversations and screenings in the Library's Bruno Walter Auditorium, plus listening salons of rarely heard recordings in the Library cafe.

Celebrating its sixth year, the annual Charlie Parker Celebration in Kansas City, Kansas will celebrate Parker's centennial with Spotlight: Charlie Parker, a 10-day citywide celebration of his life and music on August 20-29, 2020. KC Jazz Alive, University of Missouri Kansas City, the American Jazz Museum, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Mutual Musicians Foundation, Bruce Watkins Cultural Center and numerous other cultural and civic organizations will host jam sessions, tours, lectures, exhibits, panel discussions, poetry slams, workshops and concerts celebrating Charlie Parker—Kansas City's native son. More information available at Spotlightcharlieparker.org

Other collaborations and partnerships include an event at The GRAMMY Museum® in Los Angeles to be announced at a later date, an official custom Charlie Parker Legends Series alto saxophone mouthpiece with RS Berkeley, modeled after the original one Parker used, and a graphic novel that the Charlie Parker Estate is currently developing with the esteemed Z2 Comics. The boutique company which has pioneered the "graphic album" format will bring some of Charlie Parker's wild stories to vivid life through the marriage of comics and music.

Bird 100 will be an incredible opportunity to bring Charlie Parker's music to new audiences, expand awareness of his role in not only advancing jazz but helping to invent the artform known as bebop, celebrate his importance as an early "superstar soloist" of modern music and bring the extraordinary, inspirational and heartbreaking story of the man known as "Bird" to new platforms.

If jazz history can be divided into two epochs — danceable swing and improvisational bebop — then Charlie Parker is the fault line. During his brief but remarkable career, the alto saxophonist nicknamed "Bird" gave jazz lightning tempos, mind-bending chord substitutions, and previously unexplored harmonic depth, paving the way for hard bop, free jazz, fusion and everything after. Miles Davis summed up his accomplishments: "You can tell the history of jazz in four words. Louis Armstrong. Charlie Parker."

Parker was born in Kansas City, Kansas, in 1920, but "Bird" was arguably born during a jam session at the city's Reno Club in 1937. Invited to play with Count Basie's drummer Jo Jones, 16-year-old Parker began a promising solo over George Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm" — and bricked on the chord changes. Jones threw a cymbal that clashed at Parker's feet; the audience jeered. Instead of giving up the horn, he practiced harder than ever and moved to New York City in 1939 to prove his mettle.

One night that year, Parker woodshedded the Ray Noble song "Cherokee" with the guitarist William "Biddy" Fleet and had a eureka moment. "I'd been getting bored with the stereotyped changes that were being used all the time," he later told Down Beat. "By using the higher intervals of a chord as a melody line and backing them with appropriately related changes, I could play the thing I'd been hearing. I came alive." Armed with this new knowledge, Parker composed pieces that went on to be standards, like "Yardbird Suite," "Chasin' the Bird" and "Ornithology."

Parker, who died in 1955 at only 34, was a meteoric musician that burned bright and much too quick. But his legacy more than lives on; it's jazz scripture. Jack Kerouac called him "as important as Beethoven." Four of his recordings were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame including albums Charlie Parker With Strings and Jazz At Massey Hall and the songs "Ornithology" and "Billie's Bounce." In 1974, he was awarded a posthumous Grammy for Best Performance By A Soloist for "First Recordings." In 1988, the Clint Eastwood-directed biopic "Bird" brought his story to the silver screen. The U.S. Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp in his honor in 1995.

Although his life and career were short, the New Yorker has praised Parker as "one of the wonders of twentieth-century music" and the New York Times deemed him "matchless" and a "bebop exemplar." And Parker's popularity continues to grow. Today, one of his saxophones is on view at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and culture in Washington, D.C. — an enduring reminder that America will always have a "Bird" in its hand.

www.charliebirdparker.com

New Music Releases: Jaco Pastorius Band, Frank Bey, Erik Jekabson Sextet

Jaco Pastorius Band – Tokyo 83

Once they heard him play, few people disagreed with Jaco Pastorius' assessment of himself as the 'greatest bass player in the world'. His meteoric rise in 1977 to the bass chair in Weather Report and his work with Joni Mitchell, established him as a major player on the jazz and rock scenes. Broadcast by NHK radio at Shinjyuku Koseinenkin, Tokyo on 22nd May 1983, this is a rare example of his eclectic Word of Mouth small group having fun with a variety of musical styles. Given his status Jaco could have filled his septet with A-listers, instead he assembled a cast of journeyman and pals from the old days, all of whom can most definitely play. Compared to the high precision fusion he'd been making with Weather Report Jaco's small band outings at this time were rough and ready affairs. Perhaps for Jaco that was partly the point. There is no doubt that at some level this music represents Jaco looking back and enjoying himself with friends. Mirroring his 1976 debut album the set lists for this tour included reggae, funk, latin percussion, soul and jazz all featured alongside Jaco's crowd pleasing solo spots. Broadcast by NHK radio at Shinjyuku Koseinenkin, Tokyo on 22nd May 1983, this is a rare example of his eclectic Word of Mouth small group having fun with a variety of musical styles.

Frank Bey – All My Dues Are Paid

In follow up to his award-winning 2018 album, "Back In Business," Frank Bey powerfully asserts his career status with All My Dues Are Paid. Co-written with Nola Blue Records label mate Kathy Murray, album producer Kid Andersen and co-producer Rick Estrin, the uptempo title track for his sixth album is a celebration of the unstoppable journey of soul bluesman Frank Bey. Recorded at Greaseland Studios in San Jose, California, Bey is accompanied by an elite group of musicians including multi-Grammy winners Jim Pugh (keyboards) and Jerry Jemmott (bass); multi-Blues Music Award nominee Nancy Wright (saxophone); drummer Derrick D'Mar Martin (Little Richard) and percussionist Vicki Randle (Tonight Show band).

Erik Jekabson Sextet - One Note At A Time

Erik Jekabson powerhouse Sextet includes Dave Ellis and John Santos releases a remarkable third record on Wide Hive. This third album from Erik Jekabson's sextet on Wide Hive Records, features nine expansive new compositions with an all-star group featuring saxophonist Dave Ellis (Charlie Hunter Trio), guitarist Dave Mac Nab (Hamilton sf), bassist John Wiitala, drummer Hamir Atwal (Tuneyards) and legendary percussionist John Santos. Erik Jekabson is a well known bay area musician who has played trumpet with Galactic, John Mayer, and Kamasi Washington in Throttle Elevator Music. Here, with his sextet, Erik continues to establish his own sound with a steady, transcendent feel. Also featured is Avotcja on vocals for the title track; one note at a time along with mads tolling on violin. Traditionally cut at Studio D in San Rafael in one day, the album has a classic sound reminiscent of late sixties but with a modern edge and energy that makes it truly relevant in the musical current of today.

Deborah Cox Releases Chrismas Song

International recording artist Deborah Cox gives her fans a special treat this holiday season with the release of “Gimme Gimme Gimme Some Christmas.” Cox recorded the soon-to-be classic for Disney’s 2019 holiday movie, Noelle. “Gimme Some Christmas” is written by Richard Rudolph, Nathaniel Lamm Evans, Mark Merthe, and produced Gharah “PK” Degeddingseze. The single is available on digital retail and streaming sites, including Amazon, Apple, Spotify, Tidal, Pandora, and numerous other platforms.

“‘Gimme Gimme Gimme Some Christmas’ is a sassy and slightly naughty song,” says songstress Deborah Cox. “That’s what I love about it. I feel it has a classic and timeless feel that could become a season favorite.”

As an exclusive to Sirius XM Satellite Radio’s Heart & Soul (channel 48), Cox also recorded a rendition of Sammy Cahn’s and Jule Styne’s classic, “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow.” Arranged by Anthony Miller, Cox’s musical director, the holiday classic will also air on other Sirius XM channels. In 2020, Cox will release her first-ever holiday album.

Cox has been making the rounds promoting her new R&B single, “Easy Way,” which will be featured on her forthcoming studio album, scheduled for release in 2020. Written by hit-maker Rico Love and produced by Rico and DTown, “Easy Way” is available on digital and streaming sites, including Apple, Spotify, and Pandora, among others.

"Sanborn Sessions" Goes Live with Its Premiere Episode Featuring Performances by Kandace Springs

David Sanborn, the legendary saxophonist and six-time Grammy Award winner, has officially launched his new music show Sanborn Sessions. In the six-episode first season, Sanborn plays host to a diverse roster of guests, accomplished artists representing different genres and generations. The first episode features Kandace Springs, the esteemed vocalist and piano player.

The show gives viewers an intimate lens into the way world class musicians discuss, explore and create music. "To me this show is not just about dialogue," Sanborn says. "It's absolutely essential that we keep this authentic. Because then they [the audience] get the real unfiltered stuff. This show comes out of humor and friendship and just trying to get on the same musical wavelength. It's intimate, fly-on-the-wall stuff."

While Sanborn Sessions is inventive in its lack of script, teleprompter, or studio audience, a good part of the impetus for recording the series came from Sanborn's celebrated NBC music show in the late 1980s. Called Night Music, the show paired Sanborn with legends such as Eric Clapton, Lou Reed, Dizzy Gillespie, and Miles Davis, to name a few.

With his new show, the holder of eight Gold albums and one Platinum continues to explore the essence of music through candid conversations and free-flowing studio sessions. In addition to Kandace Springs, Sanborn's guests will include Terrace Martin, Michael McDonald, Brian Owens, Bob James, Jonatha Brooke, Charlie Hunter and Cyriille Aimee. Original song recordings that come from Sanborn Sessions will also be issued for individual consumption across digital audio platforms.

Sanborn Sessions is co-produced and sponsored by music equipment juggernaut Sweetwater. "I've been a longtime fan and customer of Sweetwater," Sanborn says. "They are the ultimate destination for musicians and they have been the perfect partner for us in bringing this vision to life."

A true homegrown project, the show is executive produced by Dave's nephew, Noah, brother-in-law, Steve, and Dave himself. Episodes can be viewed at sanbornsessions.com, as well as on the Sanborn Sessions YouTube channel.

Ibrahim Maalouf - S3NS

Deluxe CD package with transparent sleeve, three postcards and a 28-page booklet. Ibrahim Maalouf plunges into his new adventure S3NS (his 11th studio album) with the impertinent freedom that only independent artists can still afford. This self-produced collection follows the same logical sequence of creative artisanal construction as all Ibrahim Maalouf's previous albums, with striking Latin American influences from the very first track. 

In the past, Ibrahim has the chance to work with many South American artists including the Chilean ?ngel Parra - son of the great poetess Violetta Parra - with whom he recorded a whole album more than 17 years ago, and Lhasa De Sela, whose incredible Mexican-American voice who charmed the whole world on The Living Road. Along the way, Ibrahim has also worked with a number of Cuban artists, including Raul Paz, Ernesto Tito Puentes, Omar Sosa and Ibeyi, to name but a few. 

On this new album, Ibrahim is surrounded by highly talented guests, notably three virtuosos from the new generation of Cuban pianists - Harold Lopez Nussa, Alfredo Rodriguez and Roberto Fonsec - as well as the saxophonist Irving Acao and the violinist and singer Ylilian Canizares. So S3NS seems like an obvious move. Not really jazz, not exactly pop and sometimes rock, Ibrahim Maalouf offers us hybrid, fresh, nostalgic but always unclassifiable music?The real thing from Maalouf, with plenty of Latin flavour!

Buddy Rich - Just In Time: The Final Recording

A previously unreleased treasure. This is the final ever recording of the legendary, influential drummer, whose impact across Rock, Funk and Soul, as well as Jazz, is unrivalled to this day. Recorded over 2 nights, 19th & 20th November 1986, at Ronnie Scott's in London, England. Available as 4 physical formats, as standard and Deluxe. The deluxe, Collector's Editions include a full 30 minutes of extra material, including a gob-smacking drum solo demonstrating that even toward the end of his life, his playing was unsurpassable The Collector's Editions will be available in limited batches at a time, to optimise their value, and increase collectability. 

Includes full liner notes by Buddy's daughter Cath, who also appears as a guest vocalist on the recording 'My dad chose set lists for the two nights that I hadn't heard before. He was always brilliant in choosing the right sets, but this time he shied away from the tried and true and went to places musically that were very different. It was as if he knew that he didn't have to prove anything anymore and could relax and go wherever he wanted and enjoy it. I think the end result proves just that. For two incredible nights I got to sit in the audience and cheer right along with everyone else. I will always remember that time as one of the greatest moments in my life. Now I can revel in the fact that, thankfully, his last recordings were caught on tape for all of us to enjoy forever. It has taken thirty-three years to finally get these recordings out. An absolute labor of love that I never gave up on. At times it was quite a struggle, but in the end it was all about the music.'

BRAZILIAN LEGEND SERGIO MENDES CELEBRATES SIX DECADES OF MUSIC WITH HIS NEW ALBUM IN THE KEY OF JOY

One common thread weaves throughout the staggeringly diverse tapestry of music that producer, composer, keyboardist and vocalist Sergio Mendes has created over his remarkable six-decade career: the spirit of joy.

From his pioneering contributions to the foundations of bossa nova alongside the likes of Antonio Carlos Jobim, through the era-defining Latin-pop sound of his iconic group Brasil ’66; his scintillating collaborations with jazz legends like Cannonball Addereley and Herbie Mann to his chart-topping adult contemporary smash “Never Gonna Let You Go;” on through his 21st-century reinvention with the Black-Eyed Peas and John Legend or his Oscar-nominated theme song from the animated hit Rio: an infectious spirit of joy pervades everything Mendes has ushered into the ears of listeners. 

The Brazilian legend’s new album is no exception. On In the Key of Joy, due out February 28, 2020 from Concord Records, Mendes looks back the only way he knows how – by once again moving forward. Released to coincide with a spectacular new documentary on his life by acclaimed filmmaker John Scheinfeld (Chasing Trane, Who Is Harry Nilsson?), In the Key of Joy melds the classic Brazilian, jazz and pop sounds that have long characterized Mendes’ music with stunningly contemporary inspirations that make the album sound at once utterly timeless and wholly of the moment. 

As he has throughout his musical life, Mendes thrives on collaboration on In the Key of Joy. The album brings together fellow Brazilian legends with modern-day hitmakers and young rising stars, bringing familiar voices and fresh life to a set of new original songs penned by Mendes and his collaborators. Guests on the album include Common, Hermeto Pascoal, Joe Pizzulo, Cali y El Dandee, Buddy, Sugar Joans, João Donato, Sheléa and Mendes’ wife and longtime singer, Gracinha Leporace. 

“This album is all about joy and celebration,” Mendes says. “I’m very curious, and I love to work with different people from different cultures, different countries, different generations and different styles.”

To accompany the documentary’s wide-angle perspective on Mendes’ sweeping history, the Deluxe Edition of In the Key of Joy includes the soundtrack to the film, a career-spanning overview that encompasses the greatest moments from Mendes’ musical life. From the unforgettable Brasil ’66 classic “Mas Que Nada” to Burt Bacharach’s “The Look of Love,” which Mendes memorably performed on the 1968 Academy Awards telecast; collaborations with will.i.am and the dazzling, soulful “Never Gonna Let You Go,” the disc offers an essential primer on Mendes’ ability to place his indelible imprint on multiple styles of music across the decades.

While he’s never been interested in living in the past, the experience of making the documentary and the 60thanniversary of the bossa nova gave Mendes an excuse to look back and take in the scope of his accomplishments. “I’ve been very blessed to have had such a long career,” he says sincerely. “There’s an English word that I love and that I use a lot, which is ‘serendipity.’ I’ve been fortunate to have so many beautiful encounters in my life.” 

In the Key of Joy provided the opportunity to make some new encounters as well as reunite with old friends. The album was recorded between Mendes’ native Brazil and his adopted home of California, one more way in which he bridges past and present in an eclectic harmony. “There are some sounds that you can only get down in Brazil, that amazing energy, that massive rhythmical wave that you hear underneath everything,” he says. “Then I have all of my wonderful partners and such amazing musicians in Los Angeles, along with all of my special guests. It’s the best of both worlds.” 

The lilting Brazilian pop of “Sabor Do Rio” opens the album with the instantly recognizable Mendes sound, the lush and sunny blend of voices and horns harking back to Brasil ’66 while Common’s welcoming rap invites in contemporary listeners. Like much of the album, the song was co-written by Mendes with producer and multi-instrumentalist Mika Mutti and woodwind player/arranger Scott Mayo. The propulsive dance-floor pulse of “Bora Lá” is a buoyant backdrop for the vocal pairing of Brazilian samba star Rogê and Mendes’ lifelong muse, Gracinha Leporace. 

“It’s magical,” Mendes says of working closely with his wife. “I feel so lucky to have her in my life – and beside that, what a great voice.” 

The Colombian pop duo of brothers Cali y El Dandee take the spotlight on the sultry “La Noche Entera,” co-written by the pair along with Mendes and the great Brazilian musician/producer Carlinhos Brown. The angelic pipes of The Voice alum Sugar Joans aptly grace “Samba In Heaven;” the singer is a second-generation collaborator with Mendes, her father being Joe Pizzulo, who so memorably sang the lead on “Never Gonna Let You Go.” Pizzulo himself rejoins Mendes for “Love Came Between Us,” which evokes the silky sound of that classic hit. 

Bossa pianist João Donato co-wrote and performs on the percolating “Muganga.” In the liner notes, Mendes refers to Donato as one of his “Three Magi,” along with Hermeto Pascoal and Guinga. The former contributes the party-like atmosphere of “This Is It (É Isso),” also performing an emphatic Portuguese rap. Guinga, meanwhile, wrote and plays guitar on the album’s mesmerizing final cut, “Tangara,” which conjures images of sun-dappled beaches and vibrant forests chiming with birdsong.

The upbeat title track features up-and-coming Compton rapper Buddy, who also recently worked with keyboardist Robert Glasper. Singer-songwriter Sheléa dances nimbly around the acoustic guitar lines of Chico Brown on “Catch the Wave” and takes an achingly yearning turn on the ballad “Times Goes By.” Mutti penned the delightfully cheery “Romance in Copacabana,” with its whistling melody and a spotlight for the bandleader’s fleet jazz piano skills.

Revealing Mendes’ inability to stand still as music evolved, In the Key of Joy is stunning in the range and beauty of its spectrum of styles and collaborations. “I like to get out of my comfort zone and try things that I’ve never done before,” Mendes concludes. “I feel a great excitement walking into the studio with different people and discovering what happens. That’s what I do. I love the musical adventure that I’ve been on for more than 60 years.”

In The Key Of Joy track listing:

Disc 1/Standard Edition

Sabor Do Rio featuring Common (4:12)

Bora Lá featuring Rogê and Gracinha Leporace (3:21)

La Noche Entera featuring Cali y El Dandee (2:54)

Samba In Heaven featuring Sugar Joans (3:56)

Muganga featuring Gracinha Leporace (4:13)

In The Key Of Joy featuring Buddy (3:14)

Love Came Between Us featuring Joe Pizzulo (4:16)

Catch The Wave featuring Sheléa (3:12)

Romance In Copacabana (2:57)

This Is It (É Isso) featuring Hermeto Pascoal and Gracinha Leporace (2:56)

Times Goes By featuring Shelea Frazier (4:27)

Tangara featuring Gracinha Leporace and Guinga (3:59)

Official Documentary Soundtrack – Disc 2/Deluxe Edition

Mas Que Nada (2:39)

Agua De Beber with will.i.am (4:03)

Primitivo (3:57)

Lamento (No Morro) (3:21)

Pais Tropical (3:13)

Reza (4:52)

Consolacao (3:18)

Going Out Of My Head (3:04)

The Frog (2:46)

Morro Velho (4:35)

The Look of Love (2:46)

Constant Rain (3:16)

So Many Stars (4:31)

Tonga (A Tonga Da Mironga Do Kabulete) (3:26)

Never Gonna Let You Go (4:16)

Fanfarra – Cabua-Le-Le (4:01)

PIANIST JOEY ALEXANDER ANNOUNCES MAJOR LABEL DEBUT ALBUM - WARNA

Joey Alexander, the Grammy-nominated jazz pianist, composer and bandleader announces the release of his major label debut album, WARNA (Verve Records).  Slated for release January 31, the album is primarily a collection of reflective, moving new and original music by an experienced and confident musician. You can pre-order the album here. 

Translating as "color" from Alexander's native language of Bahasa, WARNA follows four Motéma Music albums that garnered the pianist three Grammy nominations and such honors as historic critics' and readers' poll victories in DownBeat and JazzTimes. Joining Alexander on the new album are bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Kendrick Scott, who comprise the core piano trio. On select tracks, Venezuelan-born percussion Luisito Quintero, and flautist Anne Drummond, join on to stunning aural effect.

WARNA unfolds like entries in a road journal. Alexander channels what he sees, hears and feels from his travels into his astonishing melodic gift.  The track "Downtime" was written by Joey to honor those special moments that occur off the concert stage, exploring new cities or just hanging out with family and friends.

"I wanted to share with people my original work based on my experiences on the road and onstage playing with different musicians, and the musical conversations," says Alexander of his new album.

Alexander continues to captivate fans and critics alike. His performance at NPR's Tiny Desk, was heralded by the outlet as "a set that ranks among the year's finest jazz performances at the Tiny Desk" and his undeniable talent was showcased on a 60 Minutesinterview and a Today Show appearance. 

Alexander's live performances have been enthusiastically received, and he just announced a string of North American tour dates that include Washington, DC, New York, NY, San Francisco, CA, Toronto, ON, and Denver, CO.  Additionally, in July he will have two major overseas dates, in Italy at the Umbria Jazz Festival at Teatro Morlacchi and in the Netherlands at the North Sea Jazz Festival.

*All dates and venues are subject to change

Alexander arrived in New York as a lightning bolt in the spring of 2014, performing at Jazz at Lincoln Center's annual fundraising gala. At the helm of a packed-out theater containing some of Manhattan's most elite arts benefactors, Alexander amazed the audience with a remarkably lyrical rendition of "'Round Midnight." A standing ovation ensued, and Alexander hasn't slowed down since. The following spring, the New York Times wrote in an enthusiastic profile that "For a jazz pianist, the mastery entails a staggering breadth of knowledge about harmony, rhythm and orchestration, all converging in an eloquent synthesis. Joey Alexander has a handle on a good deal of that." From there, he went on to receive three Grammy nominations, with two of Alexander's four previous albums topping the Billboard Jazz Albums chart.

JACKIE ALLEN’s “A ROMANTIC EVENING WITH JACKIE ALLEN: LIVE AT THE ROCOCO”

Over a career spanning more than three decades, renowned vocalist JACKIE ALLEN has recorded 12 CDs that have garnered wide critical acclaim. Allen is now releasing her newest project, A ROMANTIC EVENING WITH JACKIE ALLEN: LIVE AT THE ROCOCO, a two-disc Blu-ray and CD set.   With her smoky and suggestive voice, distinctive phrasing, and improvisatory chops, Allen is a true jazz singer. A natural storyteller, she can interpret jazz ballads with great sensitivity and fluently transform pop tunes into the jazz idiom. 

As with Allen’s other recordings, A ROMANTIC EVENING WITH JACKIE ALLEN presents a mix of musical styles, from classic jazz tunes to up-tempo swing numbers, soulful R&B, lush ballads, and jaunty sambas. Allen is also an outstanding arranger. She adapted most of the tunes on this album with her own inimitable style and emotive approach to lyric interpretation. She and her husband, the top-notch bass player HANS STURM, have been making music together since the early 1980s. 

The two have teamed up once again to create this unique, two-disc collection, with Sturm producing the video portion of the project. Allen brought her longtime recording band from Chicago to Lincoln for this performance, as well as special guest Bob Sheppard, the Los Angeles-based sax maestro. With its stellar musicianship and Allen’s sexy and emotive vocals, A ROMANTIC EVENING WITH JACKIE ALLEN has the kind of intimate feel that pairs beautifully with a candlelight dinner and a bottle of good champagne.

Blinky - Heart Full Of Soul: The Motown Anthology

The story of Sondra 'Blinky' Williams has long been shrouded in mystery. The soulful singer came to Motown Records in 1967 following stints at Vee-Jay and Atlantic, bringing her passionate and powerful deep soul sound to Hitsville, USA. Despite recording dozens of tracks between 1968 and 1973, only a small handful saw release: a mere four 45s plus an album of duets with Edwin Starr, two live cuts, and a couple of one-off recordings, including a key moment on the best-selling soundtrack of Lady Sings the Blues. 

Over the years, Blinky tracks would emerge on compilation releases, prompting fans worldwide to clamor for more and even launch a 'Free Blinky from the Vaults' campaign. Now, Blinky is free at last ' and her full story can be told. Heart Full of Soul: The Motown Anthology is the ultimate collection dedicated to Motown's great lost superstar. Over two CDs and almost 50 songs, Blinky's Motown journey is chronicled with songs written and produced for her by the label's greatest talents including Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, Clay McMurray, Frank Wilson, Hal Davis, Gil Askey, Deke Richards, Jerry Marcellino and Mel Larson, Don Hunter, and Stevie Wonder. 

The first disc presents her 1970 album Sunny and Warm in complete form for the very first time along with all of her released singles plus rarities and live tracks. The second disc premieres over 20 never-before-heard recordings, both in original Motown stereo mixes and brand-new mixes by Kevin Reeves, that showcase the depth and breadth of Blinky's remarkable voice. 

Released with the full cooperation of the artist, Heart Full of Soul: The Motown Anthology has been produced and annotated by the team of Joe Marchese and Andrew Skurow (Bobby Darin's Go Ahead and Back Up: The Lost Motown Masters, The Supremes' The Ultimate Merry Christmas), and mastered by Kevin Reeves (The Supremes' Expanded Editions) from the original tapes. The deluxe booklet features rare photographs and extensive liner notes drawing on a new interview with Blinky. Gospel, jazz, R&B, and the classic Motown Sound all come together with the distinctive voice of Motown's greatest 'lost' artist, Blinky. Heart Full of Soul has to be heard to be believed.

New Music Releases: Buddy Greco; Simone Kopmajer; Snorre Kirk with Stephen Riley

Buddy Greco - Let's Love / I Like It Swinging

On this CD release jazz and pop singer Buddy Greco is heard in his early 1960s prime with ''two complete stereo LPs'', Let's Love, and I Like It Swinging. As a bonus, four tracks from singles are included, all on CD for the first time. 28 ''Great Songs'' in all! ///  Review: Anyone that would remember Greco coming up as a swinging jazz singer under Benny Goodman is probably dead. Now, he's remembered by boomers as a jive ass Vegas finger popping daddio that symbolized everything wrong with the establishment. These two albums produced by Al Cohn with the era's top jazzbos in tow (including Zoot Sims) finds Greco shaking off the last of his jazz vocal days looking to fill a nook between Sinatra, Prima and Davis before letting those fingers really pop. These tracks could live on their own without the vocals since the players are so strong but the song choices are faultless. A nice addition to any jazz vocal collection. ~ Chris Spector --Midwest Record review 09/20/19

Simone Kopmajer – My Favorite Songs

My Favorite Songs is Simone Kopmajer´s first Best Of album, a collection of songs from her last 12 recordings. The Double-CD features artists such as George Mraz, Victor Lewis, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Houston Person and many more on a 32-songset that presents songs from The Great American Songbook, originals and exquisite covers of songs made popular by Frank Sinatra, Ray Orbison and Bill Withers. She has soul and a particular charismatic tone in her voice that gives each song that special something. Born in Austria, Simone Kopmajer already achieved at a young age what many musicians, bands and ensembles dream of - the launch of a successful international career. In the United States, Japan and Southeast Asia, the singer is a household name for lovers of demanding and refined jazz music. She fills large concert halls, performs as the headliner of major international festivals and has sold thousands of CDs worldwide.

Snorre Kirk with Stephen Riley - Tangerine Rhapsody

Drummer Snorre Kirk has a great musical partner here – tenorist Stephen Riley, who blows with this warm, raspy tone that takes us back to classic Ben Webster in the postwar years! The pace of most tunes is nicely laidback, but never in a way that's too sloppy or loose – as Kirk's combo provides these rhythms that are more than interesting enough on their own, and which really expand once Riley's magic comes into the mix! Also, all tunes are originals by Kirk, which makes for an even fresher set than the usual outing with a classic-styled tenorist – and the group features Magnus Hjorth on piano and Anders Fjelsted on bass – plus guest tenor from Jan Harbeck on two tracks too. Tiles include "Tangerine Rhapsody", "Blues Jump", "West Indian Fever", "Festival Grease", and "Uptown Swing Theme".~ Dusty Groove

 

Lee Perry's Heavy Rain

December 6th 2019 sees the release of Lee Perry's Heavy Rain, the dub companion to the critically-acclaimed Rainford album which came out in June 2019. On Heavy Rain, the Upsetter and co-producer Adrian Sherwood have produced a radical bass heavy re-version of the original tapes with a host of guest musicians including Brian Eno and Vin Gordon.

If Rainford is 2019's Roast Fish, Collie Weed & Corn Bread then Heavy Rain is its Super Ape.

As well as highlighting the deft musicianship of the original backing band on the Rainford sessions (which include core On-U luminaries from Creation Rebel, Tackhead and Dub Syndicate) these re-works also invite some further players into the cosmic mix. Brian Eno makes an unexpected right channel entry into "Here Come The Warm Dreads", a heavily processed sound system overhaul of Rainford highlight "Makumba Rock", cheekily re-titled as a nod to Eno's own debut solo album. This completes a circle started in 1981 with African Head Charge's My Life In A Hole In The Ground similarly referencing the contemporary collaboration between Eno and David Byrne, and their "vision of a psychedelic Africa".  

Elsewhere, legendary trombonist Vin Gordon (one of the hornsmen on Bob Marley & The Wailers Exodus amongst many other classic sides) lends his distinctively woozy blowing to tracks such as "Rattling Bones And Crowns" (a late night flipside to "Kill Them Dreams Money Worshippers") and "Crickets In Moonlight" ("Cricket In The Moon" refracted through some beautifully louche late summer heat haze lens). The likeliest contender to a title track, "Heavy Rainford" strips back the narrative from "Autobiography Of The Upsetter" to ride the rhythm with all sorts of mixing desk tricks, anchored by the killer "I Am The Upsetter" hook from LSK.  

It's important to note that it's not all Rainford re-works though: "Dreams Come True" and "Above And Beyond" are Scratch and Sherwood originals, heard here for the first time and equally strong material for this purple patch in the career of an unstoppable Jamaican maverick and true musical pioneer. 

More about Lee "Scratch" Perry:

He began making music in the late 50s for Clement Coxsone Dodd's label. Following a stint at Joe Gibbs's Amalgamated Records, Perry formed his own imprint, Upsetter, in 1968.

In the early 1960s, Lee's mixing board experiments resulted in the creation of dub. He is synonymous with his innovative production techniques and renowned for his studio band The Upsetters.

He was instrumental in launching the career of Bob Marley, producing many of the pre-Island Records Wailers sides, and working with him sporadically throughout his entire career, including 1977's "Punky Reggae Party", the same year that Perry worked on a session with the Clash for their "Compete Control" single.

In 1973, Perry built Black Ark studios, where he produced records for iconic musicians like Junior Byles, Junior Murvin, The Heptones, Susan Cadogan, The Congos and Max Romeo.

Perry has recorded with Keith Richards, The Beastie Boys, George Clinton, David Lynch, Andrew WK, Moby, Ari Up of The Slits, Bill Laswell, Tunde Adebimpe (TV On The Radio), Sly Dunbar, Brian Chippendale of Lightning Bolt, Mad Professor and porn star Sasha Grey.

In 2003 he won the best reggae album Grammy for Jamaican E.T.  

Lee's song Enter the Dragon was sampled by Panda Bear from Animal Collective. He was then selected by A.C. to perform at All Tomorrow's Parties, which the band curated in 2011.

Rolling Stone Magazine featured Perry in their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Although 82 years old, Lee is fit, sprightly and plays live on a regular basis to rapt audiences around the world. He divides his time between Jamaica and Switzerland.

More about Adrian Sherwood:

"Someone once described me as just a fan who'd got his hands on a mixing desk, They were probably trying to be nasty, but I took it as a compliment - that's exactly what I am!"

For over 40 years now, forward-thinking sound scientist and mixologist Adrian Sherwood has been dubbing it up, keeping the faith when others have fallen away and blowing minds and speakers alike.

Producer, remixer, and proprietor of the British dub collective/record label On-U Sound,  Adrian Sherwood has long been regarded as one of the most innovative and influential artists in contemporary dance and modern reggae music. His talent for creating musical space, suspense, sensations and textures have enabled him to pioneer a distinctive fusion of dub, rock, reggae and dance that challenges tradition not only in roots circles, but also in the pop world at large.

"I'd rather try and create a niche amongst like-minded people, and create our own little market place be that 5, 50 or 500,000 sales and also be true to our principles of making things, and to your own spirit that you put into the work."

Born in 1958, Sherwood first surfaced during the mid '70s and formed On-U Sound in 1981. While the On-U Sound crew's original focus was on live performances, the emphasis soon switched to making records and Sherwood began mixing and matching lineups, resulting in new acts including New Age Steppers, African Head Charge, Mark Stewart & Maffia, and Doctor Pablo & the Dub Syndicate.

All of these early records, according to Rock: The Rough Guide were "phenomenal, generally bass-heavy with outlandish dubbing from Sherwood, who worked the mixing desk as an instrument in itself."

Long influential and innovative on the UK reggae scene, Sherwood's distinctive production style soon began attracting interest from acts outside of the dub community and by the early-'80s Sherwood was among the most visible producers and remixers around, working on tracks for artists as varied as Depeche Mode, Primal Scream, Einsturzende Neubaten, Simply Red, the Woodentops, and Ministry. He became increasingly involved in industrial music as the decade wore on, producing tracks for Cabaret Voltaire, Skinny Puppy, KMFDM, and Nine Inch Nails, and although On-U Sound continued to reflect its leader's eclectic tastes, the label remained a top reggae outlet.

In 2003 he launched his solo artist career with Never Trust a Hippy, which was followed in 2006 by Becoming a Cliché. Both were released by On-U in conjunction with the Real World label.

Still one of the most sought-after producers in the contemporary music industry, Adrian Sherwood and his progressive style and interest in developing new ideas continue to propel On-U Sound's ongoing success. In 2012 he issued his third solo album Survival & Resistance, and began an ongoing collaboration with Bristol-based dubstep don Pinch. This brought two different generations of bass together and in 2015 the pair released their debut album Late Night Endless. Behind the mixing desk he has been working with the likes of Roots Manuva, Clinic and Nisennenmondai; and delivered remixes of Congo Natty, Peaking Lights and Django Django. His production and remix works has also begun to be anthologised by On-U Sound with the critically acclaimed Sherwood At The Controls series.  

"Music is lovely because it stimulates people, superficial music doesn't. If you make something that you put your heart and soul into and really try to push it so it leaps out the speakers at you, and if there's a good feel to it, then you've achieved something."

The documentary CHICK COREA: IN THE MIND OF A MASTER premieres Dec. 1

           The documentary CHICK COREA: IN THE MIND OF A MASTER presents an unparalleled and coveted front row seat to witness the creative process of the 22-time GRAMMY Award® winning artist while he writes and arranges his new album Antidote, which just received a GRAMMY nomination for Best Latin Jazz Album. Chick Corea is joined by The Spanish Heart Band, a stellar new group of international musicians he collaborates with and draws inspiration from. The one-hour documentary covers seminal moments in Chick’s life including his earliest memories at the piano to milestones in his career including working with the likes of legends Miles Davis and Stan Getz. The documentary is filmed predominantly at the famed Mad Hatter Studios, the same Los Angeles studio where Paul McCartney, Prince and legions of music royalty have recorded.

An iconic instrumentalist, composer and bandleader, Chick is a world-renowned jazz musician with an awe-inspiring command of the piano. Chick’s body of work, however, defies such conventional and narrow classification. Having pioneered the category of jazz fusion, Chick is without a doubt one of the most prolific, influential and legendary musicians of all time. Chick’s genius has touched upon a wide range of musicians across all genres; from Sting and The Police to Bobby McFerrin. The Spanish Heart Band is comprised of some of the leading jazz and flamenco musicians from the US, Spain and Latin America: Flamenco guitarist Niño Josele and saxophonist/flutist Jorge Pardo both hail from Spain; Cuban bassist Carlitos Del Puerto; Venezuelan percussionist Luisito Quintero; Americans Michael Rodriguez on trumpet, Steve Davis on trombone and Marcus Gilmore on drums. “Antidote” also includes the percussive footwork of flamenco dancer Nino de los Reyes. Rounding out the ensemble are special appearances by singer Gayle Moran Corea and the incomparable Latin jazz vocalist and 8-time GRAMMY Award®, Rubén Blades.

The recording process, as Chick relates, is an adventure all its own, with new compositions and fresh interpretations of some of his own classics and personal favorites from other composers, including Paco de Lucia, Antônio Carlos Jobim, and Igor Stravinsky. Some of the album’s musical sketches take unexpected twists and turns as each member of the band contributes their unique artistic talents to create some of the most dynamic and breathtaking music of Chick’s storied career.

Vincent Herring, Bobby Watson, and Gary Bartz - Bird At 100

Vincent Herring, Bobby Watson, and Gary Bartz Collaborate to Honor and Extol the Great Charlie Parker in Anticipation of His 100th Birthday

August 29, 2020 will mark the centennial of one of jazz’s most iconic figures, Charlie Parker. The celebration gets off to a jubilantly swinging start with an alto saxophone summit bringing together three of modern jazz’s most acclaimed voices: Vincent Herring, Bobby Watson and Gary Bartz. Along with a superb rhythm section, the three distinctive altoists pay tribute to Parker’s legacy in the most apt fashion for this ground-breaking pioneer: by carrying his innovations forward in their own utterly singular styles.

Due out November 29 via Smoke Sessions Records, the soul-stirring Bird at 100 traces a direct lineage from Parker’s birthplace in Kansas City to the stage of Smoke Jazz & Supper Club, where these three influential acolytes look back from the vantage point of jazz in 2019, with a combination of reverence, respect and adventure. The program offers a buoyant mix of classic Parker tunes, familiar standards once recorded by Bird (and the generations since) and new compositions written in honor of the master.

Separated by roughly a decade apiece, Bartz, Watson and Herring represent three distinct points along that line linking Bird’s transformative approach through the evolution of music in his wake. Bartz was born just as Parker was making his mark in New York City, and thus grew up in a musical world indelibly marked by his unmistakable sound. Watson came into the world less than two years before Parker left it, mentored by first-generation bop giants like Art Blakey. And Herring was part of a movement that reimagined bebop for a wholly new generation, while maintaining a link with the source through such greats as Nat Adderley and Freddie Hubbard.

The three are ably backed on Bird at 100 by a rhythm section that has deeply imbibed the entire sweep of that history: pianist David Kikoski, bassist Yasushi Nakamura, and drummer Carl Allen. All three are regular collaborators with Herring, thus bringing a well-established chemistry to this all-star outing.

“The influence of Charlie Parker is a constant thread that runs through all of us,” says Herring, who brainstormed the date. “It’s amazing how much Charlie Parker has touched so many different people in their pursuit of music. We certainly take in other influences as well, and of course we all hope to put our own stamp on it, but Bird is always there through his vocabulary and his way of interpreting of the music.”

Bartz feels the link to Parker in a direct way, he says. “I started playing [during] the era of bebop… Bird changed the whole landscape of the music with his virtuosity, his harmonic knowledge, and his musicality. To me, he’s like the modern-day Bach.”

For Watson, a fellow Kansas City native, Parker represents a laundry list of admirable qualities: “Triumph over adversity. Spontaneity. Creativity. Individualism. Originality.” Through this project, he continues, he aims to “try to extend his legacy in my own way. People like Bird, Duke Ellington and Monk all loved to hear people put different spins and interpret their music through their own voice. So I wanted to add my voice on the saxophone and add some different spins on his classic compositions and song forms.”

The album roars to a start with one of Parker’s classic burners, “Klactoveedsedstene” – a tune as daunting to navigate as it is to pronounce. All three altoists get a chance to brave its tricky turns: Herring with a pointed fleetness, followed by Watson’s fluid soulfulness and finally Bartz’s unpredictable swerves. It’s followed by Watson’s contribution, “Bird-ish,” an homage penned over the changes to Parker’s immortal “Confirmation” that allows all three to spar with Carl Allen.

Kikoski’s knotty but fanciful lines open Parker’s “The Hymn” before the frontline takes off in an old-fashioned blowing contest – one that Herring insists was more comradely than competitive. “When you’re in your 20s it’s more of a competitive thing, but that changes as you get older,” he says. “Now it’s a celebration of where the music is coming from and an appreciation of each other.”

“Folklore” is Herring’s tribute to Bird and other influential voices of the era, including Cannonball Adderley, Dizzy Gillespie, and the composer’s own mentor, Nat Adderley. The zig-zagging melody evokes the bop era while maintaining the flavor of the present day. “Bird Lives” is a tribute by the late, great Jackie McLean, another virtuosic altoist (and another point on the timeline, bridging the two decades that separate Bird and Bartz). The set comes to a raucous close with the evening’s final Parker classic, “Yardbird Suite.”

Each of the three saxophonists also takes his moment in the spotlight with a ballad feature. Herring wrings every ounce of emotion and yearning from “Lover Man,” while Watson offers a tour de force of phrasing on “These Foolish Things.” Bartz embarks on a poignant exploration of “April in Paris,” inspired by the rendition from Bird With Strings.

While all three profess their lifelong love of Charlie Parker, they also form a mutual admiration society for one another. “It was fascinating to hear the three different sounds of the alto,” Bartz says. “If you’re playing and it’s coming from your inside, then you won’t sound like anybody else. [Vincent and Bobby] each have their individual sound and concept of how the alto should sound.”

Watson declares the weekend’s performances full of “complete and utter joy and respect. And fun – maybe not in that order. Maybe fun first [laughs].”

For Herring, the most important message he hopes to convey through the music on Bird at 100 is one of deep respect for the artistry of Charlie Parker – something that can be lost in the more sensationalistic details often depicted in depictions of the troubled saxophonist.

“I want people to think of the music and not the distorted picture that’s often painted of Charlie Parker,” Herring says. “Here it is: his 100th birthday and we’re still celebrating and studying and being inspired by his music. There are a lot of great players but few innovators. Bird was a real innovator.”

"Bird at 100” was recorded live at Smoke Jazz Club, NYC on August 30 & 31 and September 1, 2019; mastered to ½” analog tape using a Studer mastering deck, and produced by Paul Stache and Damon Smith.