Trombonist Nick Finzer Breaks New Narrative, Conceptual Ground With Cast of Characters

An improviser with a gorgeously rich, expressive sound, the trombonist, composer, producer and educator Nick Finzer has long been recognized as an expert musical storyteller. But with his new sextet album, Cast of Characters, available February 28th, 2020 through his label Outside in Music, he’s crafted his most profound narrative yet, an exploration of the formative figures we meet throughout our lives and how their impact changes over time. “Each of us responds and develops on our journey with the influence of the people we meet,” he says. “We follow, we depart, we react and we grow in myriad ways based on the experiences we encounter.” 

Cast of Characters is much more than a tribute project or an homage to musical mentors; rather, it’s a probe into the nature of influence, containing a strong message of self-empowerment. As the title of the album’s final track puts it, “We’re more than the sum of our influences.”

To hear Finzer’s sentiments in action, you couldn’t do better than the brilliant rising stars of his longtime working band: multireedist Lucas Pino, guitarist Alex Wintz, pianist Glenn Zaleski, bassist Dave Baron and drummer Jimmy Macbride. These are musicians who reflect both rugged individualism and a reverence for jazz’s time-honored principles. 

Utilizing the telepathic rapport his group has developed over the past eight years, Finzer is an Ellingtonian composer in philosophy, constructing parts to suit the specific gifts of his players, or placing his soloists into the sorts of demanding situations he knows will yield radiant results. “I wanted to feature everyone doing the things I know they’re really great at,” he says. 

Finzer’s music also draws on influences from heroes like Maria Schneider and Bob Brookmeyer, composition-first progressives whose innovations remain accessible via breathtaking melody and harmony and often propulsive rhythms. On Cast of Characters, Finzer evinces their big-picture ideas and good taste—no solos for their own sake—yet still manages to dig deep into the language of great small-group postbop. 

The sense of trust among the members, the elasticity that allows one improvisation to dovetail seamlessly with another, will put listeners in mind of benchmarks like Miles’ Second Great Quintet. Finzer’s effortless hookup with Pino, one of his closest friends and collaborators, can evoke the trombone-and-sax frontline chemistry of classic LPs featuring Finzer’s lodestars J.J. Johnson/Stan Getz and Curtis Fuller/Benny Golson. 

Returning to the album’s story, Finzer explains how the crucial lead-off track, “A Sorcerer (is a myth),” reflects the creative heroes we encounter who seem at first to be otherworldly, larger than life. “But we find out that maybe what we thought was magic was really not magic at all,” he says. “It’s about dedication, hard work, seeking out mentors and the sheer determination to make your vision a reality. 

“The whole musical journey of this album presents a collection of experiences based on the people who shape who we are. But ultimately we are the ones with agency to create our path.” 

That Finzer is exploring concepts of both self-reliance and veneration shouldn’t be surprising to anyone who has followed his busy career. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music and the Juilliard School, he has counted among his trombone mentors Steve Turre and Wycliffe Gordon, and is currently the first Assistant Professor of Jazz Trombone at the University of North Texas, a landmark program in the history of jazz education. He’s earned a raft of honors, including two ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards, and has performed, toured, and/or recorded with a pack of lauded ensembles, among them Anat Cohen’s Tentet, Bob Stewart’s Double Quartet, the Dafnis Prieto Big Band, Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and the Gil Evans Project led by Ryan Truesdell, the GRAMMY-winning composer/arranger who produced Cast of Characters.

It is through Outside in Music, Finzer’s media company and record label, that he best defines himself as a 21st-century jazz musician. “We really want to focus on developing releases for artists in a present-day model that includes visual elements, whether it be video or social media or all of the above,” he says, before pointing out that Outside in Music allows musicians to retain their hard-earned publishing rights. This full-service production organization also facilitates administrative help and affordable album promotion campaigns. Finzer’s own online presence is a lesson in ingenuity, from his virtual studio and other online teaching platforms to his blogging and a steady stream of new music and performance videos. Some of Outside in Music’s most critically celebrated releases, like saxophonist Roxy Coss’ Quintet and Airmen of Note pianist Chris Ziemba’s Manhattan Lullaby, feature Finzer as producer, another role in which he espouses an artist-first attitude.

These initiatives are ways for Finzer to bridge the gap between musician and listener. Cast of Characters, Finzer’s fifth release overall, is yet another. “The characters represent the archetypes of people we encounter throughout our lives,” he says. “I want the listener to project their own experiences onto this storyline, creating their own unique narrative with the music.”

  

In the end, the listener will also absorb and reflect on the cast of characters that is Finzer himself: a searching player with a trademark timbre; a creative educator given to using emerging technology; a bandleader with an ability to choose and elevate great talent; and a generous entrepreneur dedicated to his artists’ best interests. To say it more directly, he’s a quintessential jazz artist for our time. 

http://www.nickfinzermusic.com

NICK FINZER PERFORMANCES

– Friday, February 28, 8:30 and 10 p.m. @  Monk’s Jazz, Austin, TX

– Sunday, March 1 @ TCU Trombone Symposium featuring Nick Finzer, Fort Worth, TX

– Saturday, March 7, 7:30 p.m. @ The Nash, Phoenix, AZ

– Sunday, March 8, 9 p.m. @ The Blue Whale, Los Angeles, CA

– Thursday, March 26, 7 and 9:45 p.m. @ Birdland Theatre, NYC

– Friday, March 27, 8-11 p.m. @ Rudy’s Jazz Room, Nashville, TN

New Music Releases: Dionne Warwick, Trio Trio featuring Dave Scott & Rich Perry, Trilok Gurtu

Dionne Warwick - Deja Vu – The Arista Recordings 1979 to 1994 (12-CD set)

A huge run of music from the legendary Dionne Warwick – all of it very different than her early work with Burt Bacharach, and brought together as a strong testament to her ability to change and grow over the years! Although Dionne started as a sweeter singer in the 60s, and had a few great Warner Brothers moments during the 70s – she really reemerged strongly on Arista at the end of that decade – thanks to strong help from a label that really knew what to do with a top-shelf female singer, and help them move past some of the pop and disco pitfalls that brought down some of their contemporaries in the decade! Warwick really returned to the American consciousness with these records, then kept on growing and maturing – really able to shift through a range of styles as the 80s moved into the 90s, even ending up with a bit of jazz in the mix – as you'll hear on this long run of records. The box set features twelve full albums, a great value for the price – records that include Dionne, No Night So Long, Hot Live & Otherwise, Friends In Love, Heartbreaker, How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye, Finder Of Lost Loves, Friends, Reservations For Two, Sings Cole Porter, Friends Can Be Lovers, and Aquarela Do Brasil. ~ Dusty Groove

Trio Trio featuring Dave Scott & Rich Perry - Nice Treatment

The tight Trio Trio combo gets some great horn help here – as the trumpet of Dave Scott and tenor of Rich Perry are added to the core lineup of Jacob Sacks on piano, Dave Ambrosio on bass, and Vinnie Sperrazza on drums! The tunes include two older gems by Thad Jones, two more by Herbie Nichols, and a Blue Note classic from Kenny Dorham – and there's definitely an old school sense of interplay here – not just in the way the trio gives these guys such great attention at the core, but also in the way that Perry and Scott have this way of leaping out with great colors and tones on the head arrangements, then really spinning off into strong solos of their own, along with Sacks – who sounds especially great on the Nichols numbers. Titles include "50 21", "Hangover Triangle", "Step Tempest", "The Interloper", "Grooveyard", "Lotus Blossom", and "Never Let Me Go". ~ Dusty Groove

Trilok Gurtu - God Is A Drummer

We're not sure if God is a drummer, and we're pretty sure that Trilok Gurtu isn't a god – but the drummer more than lives up to his long legacy of music here – blending jazz with bits of funk and a few global currents too all at a level that definitely lives up to his classic work! There's some especially strong use of tablas – inflected by Gurtu with a warm sensibility that's as melodic as it is rhythmic – and the leader is set up in a group that also includes trumpet, keyboards, electric bass, and trombone – plus just a touch of vocals and violin. Titles include "Obrigado", "Holy Mess", "Still Connecting", "Madre", "Samadhan", and "Indranella". ~ Dusty Groove

JONI MITCHELL’S CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED 2007 ALBUM SHINE TO DEBUT ON VINYL

Craft Recordings is thrilled to announce the first-ever vinyl release of Joni Mitchell’s best-selling 2007 album, Shine. Available April 3rd, and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI, the acclaimed title includes such tracks as “One Week Last Summer” (which received the 2008 GRAMMY® Award for Best Instrumental Pop Performance), and an updated version of Mitchell’s iconic 1970 track “Big Yellow Taxi.” 

The 19th studio album from Mitchell, Shine marked the legendary Canadian singer-songwriter’s first collection of original material in nearly a decade, and came as a welcome surprise to the artist’s fans, following her well-publicized break with the music business at the turn of the millennium. Described by Mitchell to be “as serious a work as I’ve ever done,” Shine was inspired by the environmental, social and political turmoil which plagued the era of the Iraq War.

The 10 tracks on the album echo Mitchell’s pensive mood—reflective lyrics and beautiful, often-minimalist, piano-driven melodies paint a somber, yet hopeful picture. Highlights include the instrumental opener, “One Week Last Summer,” featuring the versatile multi-instrumentalist Bob Sheppard on soprano saxophone; the epic “Night of the Iguana,” loosely based on John Huston’s 1964 film; the title track, featuring an appearance by longtime friend James Taylor on guitar; Mitchell’s revisit to “Big Yellow Taxi,” which feels eerily prophetic 50 years after its debut, and “If I Had a Heart,” which the New York Times described as “one of the most haunting melodies she has ever written.” 

The cover art on Shine is inspired by the 2007 ballet, Dancing Joni: The Fiddle and the Drum, a collaborative effort between Mitchell and choreographer Jean Grande-Maitre of the Alberta Ballet. The performance was set to 13 of the singer-songwriter’s more provocative songs, and lit by a backdrop of Mitchell’s artwork—specifically a series of photos she took of her malfunctioning flat-screen television set (several of these images were included in a triptych book on war, torture and revolution, and later featured in art shows in Los Angeles and New York). The Fiddle and the Drum inspired Mitchell to release her long-awaited new album. “The ballet brought everything together—the poetry, the music, the artwork,” she says. “It was the thrill of my life.” Three songs from the ballet (“If I Had a Heart,” “If” and the “Big Yellow Taxi” redux) are included on Shine.

Upon its release, Shine received an enthusiastic critical reception: the Chicago Sun-Times praised the album as “a welcome evolutionary step,” adding that Mitchell offered “the most grace of her career thus far.” American Songwriter called it a “somber, but non-sanctimonious masterpiece that balances dark sorrow with orchestral exultation,” while the BBC declared Shine “one hell of a comeback.” The commercial reaction was equally as positive, proving Mitchell’s enduring prowess as a musical force: certified Gold by the RIAA, Shine sold nearly 60,000 copies worldwide in its first week, and debuted at number 14 on the Billboard Top 200, marking Mitchell’s highest US chart position since her 1976 LP, Hejira.

Hailed as one of the most influential songwriters in musical history, Joni Mitchell defined a generation in the late ’60s and ’70s with her poetic, introspective lyrics and her genre-defying blend of folk, jazz and pop. Born Roberta Joan Anderson in 1943, Mitchell began her career as a performer in the mid-’60s Toronto folk scene, before relocating to the United States and famously settling in Southern California. As her reputation grew on stage, Mitchell was also becoming a hot commodity as a songwriter—many of her compositions gaining success through other artists’ recordings, including Judy Collins’ 1968 cover of “Both Sides Now,” Fairport Convention’s rendition of “Eastern Rain” and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s hit version of “Woodstock.”

Over the course of four decades, Joni Mitchell released more than 20 albums, including such standouts as the deeply confessional, groundbreaking Blue (1971), the double-platinum-selling pop record Court and Spark (1974) and 1976’s jazz-oriented masterpiece, Hejira. Mitchell has won eight GRAMMY® Awards and received a GRAMMY® Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002. She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 and was ranked ninth in Rolling Stone’s 2015 “100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time” list.

2020 Saint Lucia Jazz Festival Announces Initial Lineup of World-Class Musicians, Vocalists and More

At the 2020 Jazz Congress conference held at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City on January 13, Saint Lucia Tourism Authority and Jazz at Lincoln Center announced the official dates and artist lineup for the 2020 Saint Lucia Jazz Festival Produced in Collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center.

The festival, to be held in Saint Lucia on Thursday, May 7 through Saturday, May 9, 2020, follows the success of the inaugural 2019 Saint Lucia Jazz Festival Produced in Collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center which Jazziz magazine called "the Caribbean's premier jazz destination."

The 2020 Saint Lucia Jazz Festival Produced in Collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center will feature the finest names in modern jazz performing in venues throughout Saint Lucia's distinct Caribbean landscape, including The Ramp on Rodney Bay and Gros Islet Park. Details about performances and more can be found at www.stlucia.org.

The three-day festival will feature world renowned artists who have performed on Jazz at Lincoln Center's season concerts, touring initiatives, and global outposts, as well as throughout Saint Lucia Jazz Festival's 28-year history.

To date, the diverse lineup showcases artists spanning the Caribbean, the U.K. and the U.S. including: 

• Chick Corea's Vigilette with Carlitos Del Puerto, Marcus Gilmore and Special Guest Roy Hargrove Celebration with Willie Jones III featuring Renée Neufville and Special Guests
• Alphonso Horne and The Gotham Kings
• Ruben Fox's London Brass featuring Theon Cross and Mark Kavuma
• Maher Beauroy presents WASHA!
• More performances, details about ticket sales and event information to be announced. 

In addition to world-class performances, the 2020 Saint Lucia Jazz Festival will feature "Artists In Education" initiatives including master classes, professional development, and live performance collaborations with Saint Lucia School of Music students and local jazz artists. 

"Building upon last year's successful inaugural year of the partnership with Jazz at Lincoln Center, the 2020 Saint Lucia Jazz Festival is a combination of premier jazz with a picture-perfect destination," said Hon. Minister of Tourism Dominic Fedee. "Saint Lucia is thrilled to once again bring world-class performances to jazz fans and music aficionados who will travel to Saint Lucia from around the globe."

Saint Lucia has been hosting a vibrant jazz festival annually since 1992. For more than 28 years, the festival has attracted visitors from around the world for events and concerts celebrating multiple forms of international, Saint Lucian and Caribbean jazz music. 

James Taylor Quartet Returns With People Get Ready (We’re Moving On)

A bona fide legend of the acid jazz and jazz funk scene, James Taylor returns with a stunning new James Taylor Quartet record, People Get Ready (We’re Moving On). An absolute sonic marvel of a record, particularly when listening on vinyl, it ties together the effortless melodic funk of the quartet, the fullness of sound that only an orchestra can bring, high quality commercial song-writing and the staggering vocal talents of Noel McKoy and Natalie Williams. Undoubtedly one of the best sounding records of 2020.

In the Artist’s words: – “Along with a desire to develop the breakthrough sound of JTQ + orchestra debuted on Soundtrack of Electric Black, I also wanted to make a record to showcase outstanding soul voices. Reaching back and re-examining the crossover work I did thirty years ago with the UK’s finest soul singer Noel McKoy, combined with the discovery of the stunning soulful vocal talent in the form of Natalie Williams,  I was drawn to write a funk vocal album for these outstanding voices, but now incorporating these new orchestral ideas.

With JTQ still gigging heavily, we have developed our sound and matured to become rhythmically stronger than ever. Coupling this with the supercharged support of Audio Network which gave us access to Abbey Road Studios, we had the perfect recipe for creating something special. I hope you enjoy this album half as much as we did making it! People….Get Ready….We’ve moved on!“ ~ James Taylor, 2020 

A British jazz funk icon and renowned for his Hammond organ sound, James Taylor recorded this “dream project” at London’s Abbey Road Studios with a string orchestra and two UK soul sensations in Natalie and Noel, the latter with who he previously worked when helping to carve out the Acid Jazz sound back in the early 1990s. For those of you hearing James Taylor Quartet for the first time, his career as JTQ  – of which the group is most fondly known – dates back to the late ’80s. Take a quick glance at the labels he’s recorded for – Gearbox, Acid Jazz, Ubiquity, Freestyle Records and Record Kicks – some of the most revered in the wider jazz and funk categories, and it gives you an idea of the level of respect he has garnered over a career that places him in a category all of his own.

Pongo | new single Canto out now (2020 One To Watch)

Angolan-Portuguese singer & rapper Pongo - recently featured as part of NME’s 100 Essential New Artists For 2020 - today releases ‘Canto’, the latest single lifted from her forthcoming new EP, ‘Uwa’, due out on February 7, 2020 via Caroline International. ‘Canto’ follows lead-off single ‘Quem Manda No Mic’, supported by BBC 1Xtra (Jamz Supernova) and added straight to the B-list at BBC 6Music alongside Pongo’s debut run of UK headline shows, including a rowdy, packed out London date at Redon. ‘Uwa’ - meaning ‘step’ in her Angolan language of Kimbundo - follows Pongo’s 6Music-supported debut EP ‘Baia’ - which has since been streamed over 6 million times and counting, also spawning remixes from 20syl and Anoraak (issued via Kitsuné). Stream ‘Canto’ here, and watch the new video - filmed on location in Lisbon - here.

Whilst the ‘Uwa’ EP marks the first time Pongo raps in English - she’s fluent both in Portuguese and Kimbundo - the lyrics of ‘Canto’ are delivered in Portunol, a blend of Portuguese with elements of Spanish. A celebration of her turbulent path to a career in music - with a title that translates quite simply as ‘I sing’ - ‘Canto’ pitches Pongo’s sandy vocals above the Latin rhythms of mambo, with results that feel both futuristic and borderless. Speaking about the track, Pongo says; "This song describes the happiness I feel while making music. I’m trying to use latin rhythms and their particular ambience. I love mixing and discovering.”

It’s a mindset captured by the striking new visuals for ‘Canto’, directed by Parisian Felix Dol Maillot, in which Pongo performs in the surf and above the rooftops of Senegal’s coastline. Speaking about the video - filmed over the course of a single 16 hour day-to-night shoot - Dol Maillot says; “‘Canto’ is a track without boundaries. Across the track Pongo sings & raps seamlessly in different languages, telling us that music is everything in her life. I felt it was interesting to shoot in locations which aren’t easy to place geographically, with just Pongo front & centre, singing and dancing. The power of this song made me feel it would be interesting to have lots of low angle shots with just Pongo against the sky alongside some overhead shots to give an aerial look. That’s how the idea of the mirrored staircases came up. I wanted Pongo to be performing on top of something strong visually, but something that could also blend into different locations and absorb the atmosphere around her.”

Originally hailing from Angola’s capital city of Luanda, as a kid Pongo was forced to flee to Europe with her family to escape its lengthy, harrowing civil war. Eventually settling in Portugal in a city just north of Lisbon with a very small African-immigrant population, a young Pongo experienced prolonged racist abuse whilst completing her schooling in the area. Already seeking solace from a disturbing present tense by retreating into the music, dance & slang words of her former life in Luanda, Pongo’s route to becoming one of Kuduro’s fast-rising young stars was completed by the closest of near misses. Falling several storeys out of a window as the result of a prank gone horribly wrong - “I was always doing some kind of stupid acrobatics” - and somehow escaping with only a badly broken ankle, Pongo was forced to catch a train each week to meet with a physiotherapist for treatment. Stopping every week at the city’s Quelez Station, Pongo came into the orbit of the Denon Squad, a group of boys practising kuduro dance on the streets of one of Lisbon’s largest African communities. Soon rapping over their routines - in defiance of her father, himself a kuduro dancer back in Angola - a tape of Pongo’s recordings made its way into the hands of Lisbon-based club night turned kuduro collective Buraka Som Sistema. Pongo (taking her artist name in tribute to feminist Congolese singer, M’Pongo Love) then went on to make her debut on their ‘Black Diamond’ album, alongside the likes of M.I.A. and Kano.

With Pongo now choosing to live in Lisbon’s Quelez neighbourhood, and still sporting the large scar across her calf which remains from her death-defying accident, you sense it’s more than just coincidental that the kuduro movement took its name from an Angolan slang word meaning ‘hard-ass’.

New Music Releases: Eliana Pittman; Zelia Duncan, Ana Costa, & Others; Lulu Fall

Eliana Pittman - Hoje, Ontem E Sempre

Brazilian singer Eliana Pittman's been giving great records for decades – and somehow, she still sounds completely fantastic – maybe even more expressive given the passage of time on her voice, which hasn't lost any of its power or sense of soul! As proof of that, the package balances a full new album with a full album's worth of bonus material recorded live in 1970 – sounds that span decades, but which still have the vocal charms of Pittman sounding completely amazing all the way through! Instrumentation on the new studio tracks is mostly lean, with a fair bit of acoustic guitar – on titles that include "Ex Amor", "Gamei", "O Morro Nao Tem Vez", "Tributo A Vaidade", and "Ate A Lua". The live set has relatively spare instrumentation too – but maybe a bit more muted, given the live recording – and titles include "O Pato", "Desafinado", "Big Spender", "Felicidade/Deixa Issao Pra La", and a nice take on "Ponteio". ~ Dusty Groove

Zelia Duncan, Ana Costa, & Others - Eu Sou Mulher Eu Sou Feliz

A spirited testament to the power of woman – put together by Brazilian singer and songwriters Ana Costa and Zelia Duncan – and done with help from a huge amount of guests who include Leila Pinheiro, Maira Freitas, Simone, Daniele Mercury, Alcione, Aurea Martins, Elbas Ramalho, Mart'Nalia, and many others! The mix of talents is pretty wide, and the combination of voices throughout the project certainly echoes that spirit too – ambitious, but never overdone – and handled by the leading duo with this care that somehow manages to make all the many parts come together, then sound a lot greater as a whole! ~ Dusty Groove

Lulu Fall - Between Two Worlds

Lulu Fall has a vocal style that's both urgent and effortlessly flowing – modes that are both underscored nicely by the jazzy instrumentation on the set – music by a core combo that really fits the spirit of the singer's energy, and does a great job of shifting to match her spirit throughout! The tunes often have a way of starting in one direction, then moving in another – and Lulu's clearly out to leave her own mark in contemporary soul, but all without ever pushing things too much or leaning into any simple stylistic gimmicks. Instead, the record's got a vibe that's very individual, and maybe a bit hard to describe – but well worth checking out. Titles include "Now", "She", "Runaway", "Where Are We Going", "Between Two Worlds", "Keep Your Head Up", and "Powerful". ~ Dusty Groove

Guitarist Ronny Smith's New Album "Raise the Roof"

The fact guitarist Ronny Smith grew up listening to Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, and George Benson does much to explain the tight melodic style that categorizes his playing.  It is a style that he began to develop while still in junior high school and the time he subsequently spent performing, first with various bands at university then later in the armed forces, expanded both his musical and geographic horizons. 

More importantly it led him to a career as a sought after backing musician. 

Collaborations with artists as diverse as The Marvellettes, Melba Moore and jazz drummer Bobby Durham all added to Smith’s reputation while as a solo artist he has been steadily building a significant body of work.  

This commenced in 2001 with “Long Time Comin” and continued with “Laid Back”, “Got Groove”, “Simply Stated”, “Just Groovin” and his highly acclaimed 2013 project “Can’t Stop Now”.  “Shake It Up” followed four years later and now, signed to the highly rated and Billboard Chart-Topping Skytown Records label; he is about to expand his discography yet further with “Raise the Roof” that will be released January 27, 2020.

By and large “Raise the Roof” is the “Ronny Smith Show” front back and center. Not only does he play guitar, keys and bass throughout he also arranges, produces and programs all ten tunes. Eight of these are original compositions cleverly complemented by the addition of two immaculately crafted covers. 

The first is an edgy interpretation of the Bill Withers classic “Use Me” with the second being a classy re-imagining of the Carpenters blockbuster “Superstar”.  Truth to tell he makes both sound brand new and when (for the only time) he calls upon the input of a supporting artist it is Scott Martin on sax that adds another dimension to the easy grooving “Cool Breeze”.

The first single to be serviced to radio is “Me Time” that demonstrates the innate feel Smith has for understated yet compelling smooth jazz.  Much the same can be said of the warmly inviting “On It” for which he certainly is and although “Brazilian Dancer” proves to be a supercharged Latin extravaganza Smith is able to channel that same energy into the foot tapping, in the pocket “Breaded Funk Well Done”.

Another number that really fizzes is the high-octane title cut.  The perfect vehicle for Smith’s virtuosity, it is in the good company of the moodily delicious “A Brighter Day” and a blues tinged rendition of “Say It Again” where Smith’s interlude on bass guitar is something to savor.

“Raise the Roof” is a fantastic way to become acquainted with Ronny Smith’s special vibe.  It is due out on January 27, 2020 and is not to be missed.

www.ronnysmith.com

Pianist Aaron Diehl Exudes Sophistication on "The Vagabond"

Aaron Diehl’s elegant pianism and musical sophistication take center stage once again on his third album for Mack Avenue Records, The Vagabond. His previous outings for the label—The Bespoke Man’s Narrative (2013), which reached No. 1 on the JazzWeek Jazz Chart; and Space, Time, Continuum (2015) featuring jazz masters Benny Golson and Joe Temperley—have already established him as one of the jazz world’s most vibrant stylists.

The Vagabond, featuring Paul Sikivie on double bass, and Gregory Hutchinson on drums, includes original tunes by Diehl, as well as music by past jazz greats, John Lewis and Sir Roland Hanna, along with Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev and American composer Philip Glass. That range of repertoire suggests a sort of musical double life, a state of affairs that helped give rise to the album’s title.

“I have always been fascinated in the piano’s range of tone and color,” says Diehl. “This is partly rooted in my earlier interest in classical piano literature. Regardless of genre, I try to maintain an awareness of sound and nuance. Having opportunities to work with Philip Glass or perform George Gershwin’s ‘Concert in F’ with the New York Philharmonic has encouraged me to broaden my approach to pianism. They have placed me in situations completely out of my comfort zone.”

As a 2007 graduate of the Juilliard School, he had studied with Russian virtuoso Oxana Yablonskaya. “She always reminds me about my tearing up when she played during our lessons,” he remembers, “with such a deep, rich sound. She knew that I had a sensitivity to certain musical qualities. I’d often think, ‘Wow, I wish I could do that.’”

As it turns out, he could. Yet, his focus at the time was necessarily on jazz performance, studying with Kenny Barron and Eric Reed (Diehl also worked closely with Fred Hersch in recent years). The invitation to interpret music by Glass, like the opportunity to perform with the Philharmonic—which was facilitated through its music director at the time, Alan Gilbert—came as a pleasant opportunity…and a real challenge. It has all paid off.

“It’s hard to imagine that Gershwin would not have been impressed,” wrote The New York Times of Diehl’s Gershwin performance. “The audience was: it gave Mr. Diehl an enthusiastic ovation.” And his rendering of Glass’s Etudes has been equally celebrated. “Diehl’s rendition of Etude No. 3… hit a delightful rhythmic groove and showed wonderful balance of the hands and voicing,” reported the Washington Classical Review. “Glass’s music often demands a sort of affectless sheen, which Diehl caught perfectly in Etude No. 4.”

“With Glass, I’m still finding how to maintain the integrity of that sound world, and also incorporate my own ideas into his language,” says the pianist. “On the other hand, as a musician also interested in incorporating African-American musical traditions, I’m discovering various approaches to playing as a soloist with orchestras in that context,” says Diehl, summing up the situation, “It’s a bit of an itinerant existence.” Hence, the album title, The Vagabond.

Yet, his roots run deep. He was the winner of the 2011 Cole Porter Fellowship from the American Pianists Association; the 2013 recipient of the Jazz Journalists Association Award for Up-And-Coming Artist; and the 2014 Monterey Jazz Festival Commission Artist, one of the youngest musicians to receive this honor, for which he composed “Three Streams of Expression,” dedicated to pianist and composer John Lewis. Earlier, in 2002, Diehl was awarded Outstanding Soloist at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington Competition, after which he was invited to tour Europe with the Wynton Marsalis Septet. More recently, Diehl served as the long-time musical director for GRAMMY® Award-winning vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant.

The individual tracks on The Vagabond reflect the influences and ideas that have shaped Diehl’s sound world, along with the musicians comprising his trio. They enjoyed the rare opportunity to tour together for several weeks before going into the studio. The repertoire is far reaching, touching on multiple aspects of the pianist’s life experience. For example, Sir Roland Hanna’s “A Story Often Told, Seldom Heard” represents the work of a musician who was classically trained, and, says Diehl, “had a similar approach to what I cherish.”

His own compositions include “Polaris,” “Lamia,” “Magnanimous Disguise,” “Park Slope,” “The Vagabond,” “Kaleidoscope Road,” and “Treasure’s Past.” They are joined by a host of standards from across the musical spectrum: “March from Ten Pieces for Piano, Op. 12” written by Russian great Sergei Prokofiev; “A Story Often Told, Seldom Heard” by Sir Roland Hanna; “Milano” by John Lewis, who led the Modern Jazz Quartet; and “Piano Etude No. 16” by Philip Glass.

Upcoming Aaron Diehl U.S. Performances:

January 18 - 19 | Cincinnati Music Hall | Cincinnati, OH

January 23 | Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center | Alexandria, VA

January 24 - 25 | Mezzrow Jazz Club | New York, NY

January 31 | 560 Music Center | St. Louis, MO

February 6 | Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre | Ann Arbor, MI

February 7 | Jordan Hall | Boston, MA

February 8 | The Bushnell | Hartford, CT

February 20 - 21 | Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts | Chicago, IL

February 23 | The Phillips Collection | Washington, DC

March 6 | Acadiana Center for the Arts | Lafayette, LA

March 10 | Thomasville Center for the Arts | Thomasville, GA

March 11 | Curtis M. Phillips Center for Performing Arts | Gainesville, FL

March 21 | Bob Carr Theater | Orlando, FL

April 18 | Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts | Katonah, NY

May 1 | Van Singel Fine Arts Center | Byron Center, MI

May 7 | La Jolla Music Society | San Diego, CA

May 15 | Severance Hall | Cleveland, OH

May 24 | The Hochstein School | Rochester, NY

Aaron Diehl · The Vagabond

Mack Avenue Records · Release Date: February 14, 2020

www.AaronDiehl.com

Ella Fitzgerald's Duets with Pianists Compiled for the First Time as 'The Complete Piano Duets'

Ella Fitzgerald was masterful in any musical format, but there was something especially luminous about her singing alone with a piano. This was clear when pianist Ellis Larkins was first asked to work with her for her 1950 album, Ella Sings Gershwin. "Larkins said he strongly believed that piano accompaniment alone would best serve the singer's extraordinary talents," NPR wrote in 2008. "She just loved singing with Ellis," producer Milt Gabler said in 1990. The result was a delicacy of 1950s vocal jazz, revealing that Fitzgerald—a three-octave dynamo—was just as brilliant without any bells and whistles. 

The Gershwin album did so well that Fitzgerald reunited with Larkins for a second voice-and-piano album in 1954, Songs In A Mellow Mood, which consisted of a variety of iconic Great American Songbook standards. Fitzgerald found massive success with her signature series of lush, orchestral Song Book releases, but throughout her long and illustrious career, she would occasionally return to the intimate format of just voice and piano. While she peppered 1956's Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Cole Porter Song Book and 1957's Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Duke Ellington Song Book with a couple piano duets, 1960's Ella Fitzgerald Sings Songs From Let No Man Write My Epitaph, featuring songs from the film she appeared in as a pianist-singer, was her third full album accompanied only by piano, this time played by Paul Smith. In 1964, she performed a ravishing rendition of "Somewhere In The Night" with pianist Tommy Flanagan live at the French Riviera which was later issued on the 1964 live album, Ella at Juan-Les-Pins. Fitzgerald's final major collaboration with a piano player was Ella and Oscar, a 1975 duet with the revered Oscar Peterson, who she had worked with on and off for more than two decades.

For the first time ever, all of Fitzgerald's captivating collaborations with pianists on the labels Decca, Verve, and Pablo, have been collected together as The Complete Piano Duets, which will be released March 13 as a 2CD and digital collection via Verve Records/UMe. The double album includes detailed liner notes by noted author and music critic Will Friedwald. 

The Complete Piano Duets sequences each track in the chronological order it was recorded in, forming a miniature crash course on Fitzgerald's various eras. You can drop in on her early sessions with Larkins ("Someone To Watch Over Me," "But Not For Me," "I've Got a Crush On You,") hear her and Paul Smith tackle Cole Porter ("Miss Otis Regrets") and music from the gritty 1960 crime drama Let No Man Write My Epitaph ("Black Coffee," "Angel Eyes," "I Cried For You"), drop in on her and Tommy Flanagan at a 1964 French gig ("Somewhere In The Night") and revisit inspired 1975 duets with Oscar Peterson from the third act of her career ("Mean to Me," "How Long Has This Been Going On?," "April In Paris").

As Friedwald writes in the liner notes, "Fitzgerald was so great at everything–especially scatting and swinging–that it tended to overshadow her ballad singing. Yet, as any one of the 43 tracks on this collection makes clear, Ella Fitzgerald was a nonpareil singer of love songs, a balladeer par excellence. Like her closest colleagues, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Billie Holiday, Fitzgerald could get deep into not just the words but the inner meaning of a song and bring out the profound truths that the lyricist had in mind all along."

Sometimes, as on Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Cole Porter Song Book and Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Duke Ellington Song Book, her sparer recordings were sandwiched between big band and orchestral work. Now, for the first time ever, all of Fitzgerald's exquisite piano duets have been assembled on one program. Whether you're a fan of vocal jazz, solo piano or American popular song in general, The Complete Piano Duets is a must-have document of a masterful interpreter—raw, intimate, vulnerable, and oftentimes at her very best.

Vibraphonist Warren Wolf Releases "Reincarnation"

Through his three prior Mack Avenue Music Group releases and his attention-grabbing work with the likes of Christian McBride, Bobby Watson, Karriem Riggins, Jeremy Pelt, and the SFJAZZ Collective, Warren Wolf has established himself as the foremost straight-ahead vibraphonist of his generation, a bop torchbearer well equipped to carry the mantle of forebears like Bobby Hutcherson and Milt Jackson.

On his latest album, however, Wolf reveals an entirely different side to his multi-faceted talents. As the title implies, Reincarnation (due out February 28 via Mack Avenue Records) represents a rebirth of sorts for the Baltimore vibesman. In part it frees Wolf to indulge his love for the R&B and soul hits that served as the soundtrack to his formative years in the 1990s. It’s also a celebration of a new lease on life, a happiness and contentment that he’s discovered through a new marriage and his five beloved children.

“I realized I was about to turn 40,” explained Wolf, who reached that milestone on November 10, 2019. “I was 21 when I first went out on the road as a pro. So, for almost half my life I’ve been playing straight-ahead jazz. But that’s not how my dad, who was my first teacher, raised me musically. Jazz was always a part of it, but he wanted me to play everything: classical, R&B, hip-hop, ragtime, pop – but those things eventually faded away. Looking toward the second part of my life, I realized I need to bring those aspects back to life.”

For Reincarnation, the vibist realized he’d need a band equally versed in the jazz tradition and the sultry feel of vintage R&B. His compositions touched on the R&B groups that blared from the radio in his high school and college days: D’Angelo, Mint Condition, Prince, even 2Pac.

He found the ideal chemistry through a mix of scene veterans and rising stars. Drummer Carroll “CV” Dashiell III is, like Wolf, a second-generation musician. Strongly rooted in the church, he’s a rising star on the Washington D.C. jazz scene whose confidence captured Wolf’s attention. Wolf discovered Brett Williams early in the Pittsburgh keyboardist’s career, then followed his progress through his collaboration with bassist Marcus Miller.

“I first heard him playing freely over the changes on a blues and thought he sounded really good, with a nice time feel,” Wolf recalled. “When I heard him with Marcus Miller, I noticed his strong sense of R&B and gospel. That was a great combination.”

Bassist Richie Goods apprenticed under piano giant Mulgrew Miller before touring the world with GRAMMY®-winning trumpeter Chris Botti. In that band he crossed paths with guitarist Mark Whitfield, a fellow Young Lion whose six-string wizardry graces two tracks on the album.

The final piece of the puzzle fell into place when Wolf discovered the gifted vocalist Imani-Grace Cooper while she was still a student at Howard University, singing with one of the school’s famed choirs. “Even on jazz standards I could truly hear the gospel influence in her singing,” Wolf said. “That’s a perfect blend for me. She’s the most unknown member of the group, but I think after this people will start to take notice.”

Wolf knew Marcellus “Bassman” Shepard, aka “The Man with the Voice,” through his role as a DJ on Baltimore’s WEAA 88.9. Shepard’s window-rattling baritone serves as emcee and Greek chorus throughout the album, providing a radio-style intro for the album on the opening track, “Smooth Intro,” and a summary farewell on the bookending “Smooth Outro.”

For all its notions of rebirth and transformation, Wolf insists that at its core, Reincarnation is an album about love in its many facets. It begins with the idea of maternal love on “For Ma,” a heartfelt dedication to the composer’s mother, Celeste Wolf, who passed away in 2015. After Celeste’s retirement, Wolf’s father began teaching her to play the piano, and the two would often duet on the Motown songs that she adored. Wolf’s homage is embellished with the lush soulfulness and beaming tambourine groove so associated with the label’s countless hits.

If “Vahybing” explores any form of love, it’s simply the love of locking into a groove with a gathering of talented and responsive bandmates. The song is essentially an opportunity for the soloists to stretch out over an infectious vamp, with a couple of winking allusions buried within: the chords under the piano solo bring to mind hits from the hip-hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, while another section recalls a piece that Wolf played with drummer Willie Jones III.

Bassman channels his inner Barry White on the sultry “In the Heat of the Night,” alternating with Cooper’s sensuous vocal, narrating her approach to a lover’s rendezvous. The titular heat is palpable through the slinky groove and impassioned interjections by Whitfield and Williams (on Rhodes). The more romantic side of love is represented by Wolf’s arrangement of The Isley Brothers’ “For the Love of You,” the album’s sole non-original and a favorite of the vibraphonist.

“The Struggle” introduces the notion of tragic heartbreak through the suffering faced by several of Wolf’s loved ones from a horrendous car accident affecting his ex-wife to the travails of the Baltimore streets, which has claimed the life of one family member and recreated another as a gang activist.

“Sebastian and Zoë” is a joyous tribute from an adoring father to his two youngest children – or, as Shepard purrs, his “Wolf babies.” The ¾ waltz “Come and Dance With Me” was penned for Wolf’s wife, a ballerina and teacher who he hopes will use the song in her classes – and perhaps join him on stage one day to show off her steps in time with the song.

The ebullient “Living the Good Life” provides a warm summation of the album’s theme and of Wolf’s current happiness. It also provides the album’s only instance of swing rhythm – just a brief detour for a single minute, to prove to longtime fans that Wolf hasn’t abandoned his straight-ahead chops.

“This is just an album about love and feel-good music,” Wolf summed up. “At this point in my career, I just wanted to show that I can be versatile in many different styles. I plan to continue to grow and play all the wonderful music that has shaped me as a musician today.”

Warren Wolf · Reincarnation

Mack Avenue Records · Release Date: February 28, 2020

Saxophonist Benjamin Boone Collaborates with Accra-Based Ghana Jazz Collective On New Album "Joy"

Saxophonist-composer Benjamin Boone's The Poetry of Jazz, a visionary collaboration with U.S. Poet Laureate Philip Levine, was praised in leading musical and literary publications, featured on NPR's All Things Considered, and voted the #3 Best Album of 2018 in DownBeat's 83rd annual Readers Poll. Boone documents an equally compelling collaboration, this time from his year as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar in Ghana, on his newest project Joy, set for a March 20th release on Origin Records. 

  

This album, the fifth under his own name, places Boone alongside an Accra-based cohort of Ghanaian jazz musicians known as the Ghana Jazz Collective. Tenor saxophonist Bernard Ayisa, pianist Victor Dey Jr., bassist Bright Osei, and drummer Frank Kissi join Boone (with further assistance on some tracks from vocalist Sandra Huson) on four of his originals, a reimagining of the classic "Maiden Voyage," and intriguing covers of two lesser-known jazz compositions.

  

Though created in a country some five thousand miles away, Joy is not out of the realm of a traditional jazz album. The polyrhythms that underpin the music are West African in origin, but nonetheless recognizable to fans of funk, R&B, and postmodern jazz. Nobody was more surprised than Boone, who had come to Ghana to study its musical traditions, when he was invited to sit in with the band at Accra's +233 Jazz Bar & Grill. "I was expecting to hear something like Ethiojazz or Hugh Masekela," he recalls, "but these guys know American jazz inside and out, and play the heck out of it -- but with a definite Ghanaian twist."

A school seen from the window of the Accra studio where "Joy" was recorded.

More to the point, all of the musicians speak the international language of groove. It's as potent on Boone's slithery head-bobber "The 233 Jazz Bar" as it is on his aggressive, shapeshifting "The Intricacies of Alice," or his Hiromi Uehara-inspired "Slam," or his punchy arrangement (with Dey) of Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage." Even the longing ballad "Without You," a feature for Huson, offers the entrancing and danceable beat of an R&B slow jam. "Music and dance are inseparable in Ghana," says Boone. "In traditional music, if you don't know the dance, it is almost impossible to play the music. The grooves are incredibly tight."

Nevertheless, distinctly African influences do make themselves known. For example, while the title track "Joy" was written by the late American saxophonist/flutist Gerry Niewood, Boone and Dey's arrangement addresses the melody with West African cadences and emphasizes the interlocking rhythms within its basic waltz pulse. With "Curtain of Light," the band reaches across the continent toward the Ethiopian musical context of composer Jonovan Cooper (who teaches jazz at Addis Ababa University, where Boone was also in residence). Based on an ancient Ethiopian mode, "Curtain of Light" reaches several almost religiously ecstatic climaxes.

Where the spirit of Ghana truly manifests, however, is in the camaraderie of its musicians and the palpable joy that fulfills the promise of the album's title. "In Ghana, music is participatory, egoless, and woven into the very fabric of existence," says Boone. "People live with joy and make music with joy."

Benjamin Boone Benjamin Boone has garnered 18 national/international awards and honors for his music, which appears on 28 albums and has been performed in 36 countries at venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. As a Professor at California State University Fresno, he has won the campus's highest awards for teaching, service, and creative activity. In addition to serving as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar to Ghana, Boone served as a U.S. Fulbright Senior Specialist to the Republic of Moldova in 2005.

The U.S. Fulbright program seeks to build bridges to peoples across the globe. Taking this role seriously, Boone instigated the "First Annual Ghana National Jazz Workshop Tour," where he and the Ghana Jazz Collective performed and led workshops on improvisation and how jazz is an embodiment of the historic link between the peoples of the U.S. and Ghana. "I saw firsthand the power of music as diplomacy," says Boone. "I hope Joy shines a positive light on Ghana, its historic connection to the U.S., and to the tremendous jazz musicians there. Ghanaians have a love of life, a love of peace, and a culture of welcoming. What a joyous way to live and to make music."

JONTAVIOUS WILLIS HONORED AS A THREE-TIME 2020 BLUES MUSIC AWARDS NOMINEE

Rising blues artist, Jontavious Willis has earned nominations in three categories at the 41st Blues Music Awards, including Best Emerging Artist Album and Traditional Blues Album for the project, Spectacular Class, as well as a nomination for Traditional Blues Male Artist. Spectacular Class has also recently been nominated for a GRAMMY® for Best Traditional Blues Album. The 41st Blues Music Awards will be held on May 7, 2020, at the Cannon Center of Performing Arts in Memphis, Tenn. 

What critics are saying about Spectacular Class: "There's something deeper and more intuitive in this 22-year-old, this new face of the acoustic blues. He's one of the few African American musicians of his generation to immerse himself in these traditions and make them his own." – WMOT Roots Radio

"With his natural talent, contagious enthusiasm, near encyclopedic knowledge of blues history and new album in hand, Willis is the new face of old blues... The blues ain’t going nowhere with Willis on the scene." - Creative Loafing

Willis revealed Spectacular Class to the world on April 5, 2019 via Kind of Blue Music. 2018 GRAMMY® award-winning artists Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ as the Executive Producer and Producer, respectively, were influential in the creation of the album. The timeless album features Willis’ original handwritten lyrics, his outstanding instrumental skills, and a variety of blues types.

An old soul at heart, a newspaper headline once called him a “70-year-old bluesman in a 20-year-old body.” His musical style digs deep and touches the very roots of country blues.

Hailing from Greenville, Georgia, Willis grew up singing Gospel music at the Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church with his grandfather. From an early age, he had the talent and passion for music and the ability to sharpen his skills fast.  At the age of 14, he came across a YouTube video of Muddy Waters playing “Hoochie Coochie Man” and was instantly hooked on the blues.

He got his much-needed break from the living legend Taj Mahal, who described him as the “Wonderboy” and “the Wunderkind.” In 2015, Mahal asked Willis to play on stage with him. That appearance resulted in a roaring response from the audience. It led Willis to bigger stages and broader opportunities, including an opening slot at select shows along the TajMo tour, featuring his musical mentors Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’.

R&B-jazz guitarist Adam Hawley prepares his “Escape”

The four years since dropping his debut album has been a bit of a rocket ride for award-winning R&B-jazz guitarist Adam Hawley. Six of his seven singles have gone to No. 1 nationally and he deftly avoided the sophomore slump when his second outing further established the artist as a centerstage solo artist. The stage is now being set for the February 28th arrival of “Escape,” his third album and first for his new record label, MBF Entertainment. Hawley produced and wrote eight of the record’s ten tunes featuring collaborations with a constellation of smooth/contemporary jazz luminaries including Rick Braun, Najee, Michael Lington, Jeff Ryan, Marcus Anderson and Greg Manning. 

Hawley’s albums adopt themes and as he composed the title cut for “Escape,” he felt transported. That feeling inspired the rest of the music he wrote for the collection.   

“When I wrote ‘Escape,’ it really took me away to another, special place. The groove, the vibe…it just transported me to a place of chill and Zen. That became the theme that runs through the entire record,” said Hawley, a Portland, Oregon native who has resided in the Los Angeles area ever since earning a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Southern California.  

Anchoring the beats and grooves throughout “Escape,” drummer Eric Valentine and bassists Nathaniel Kearney Jr. and Ian Martin are longtime and frequent Hawley co-conspirators. Percussionist Ramon Yslas adds nuance and Carnell Harrell supplements with vibrant harmonies via his keyboards, organ and synth.

Attacking his electric guitar with fervent tones amidst a shimmering jazz-pop backdrop reminiscent of  guitar legends Wes Montgomery and George Benson, Hawley showcases deft fretwork on album opener “Tokyo Groove.” The cut benefits from David Mann’s crisp and punchy horn arrangements performed by the horn section the saxophonist formed with trumpeter Trevor Neumann. “Escape” includes contributions from a number of noteworthy horn players and next up is Lington who cranks up the soul power on “99 and Counting.” “Saturday Morning” is a midtempo chill with sax accoutrements courtesy of Keith McKelley. Being serviced for playlist adds on February 10 as the first single, “To The Top” features the firepower of breakout saxophonist Ryan. The guitarist teams with vocalist Kat Hawley (aka Adam’s wife) for an intimate, Latin-tinged take on the sultry pop hit “Senorita.” Hawley makes a break in the company of veteran trumpeter Braun on the album’s title track. “Sunday Swing” bounces to a funky, go-go-influenced beat that finds Hawley’s electric jazz guitar in a loquacious mood. “Can’t Stop” opens with the chorus, a potent hook that connects with muscle added by sax player Anderson. Seminal urban-jazz icon Najee blesses “Thinking of You” with dreamy flute that meshes sublimely with Hawley’s amorous guitar riffs and runs on the song co-written and co-produced by keyboardist Manning. Closing with a cover, Hawley’s expressive steel-stringed acoustic guitar serenade on “Rain” casts a transcendent spell.       

Hawley’s debut album, “Just the Beginning,” sent three singles to the top of the Billboard chart and earned the guitarist Debut Artist of the Year honors from JazzTrax and Smooth Jazz News. Two years ago, “Double Vision” confirmed Hawley as a consistent hitmaker when he notched his fourth Billboard No. 1 single and collected No. 1 singles on the Mediabase and Smooth Jazz Network charts. Hawley will tour throughout the year in support of “Escape” as his place on concert marquees continues to grow. He’s performed at more than a dozen of the most popular jazz festivals and cruises around the globe as well as at Stateside clubs and theaters. Not long ago, Hawley accompanied and toured extensively with Jennifer Lopez, Dave Koz, Kirk Whalum, Brian Culbertson, Gerald Albright, Natalie Cole and “American Idol.” He passes his knowledge along to students at Musician’s Institute, Chaffey College and Saddleback College.

  

“Escape” includes the following songs:

“Tokyo Groove”

“99 and Counting” featuring Michael Lington

“Saturday Morning”

“To The Top” featuring Jeff Ryan

“Senorita” featuring Kat Hawley

“Escape” featuring Rick Braun

“Sunday Swing”

“Can’t Stop” featuring Marcus Anderson

“Thinking of You” featuring Najee

“Rain”

Hawley’s Escape Tour plays the following concert dates (additional shows will be added):

• February 1 / Spaghettini, Seal Beach, CA
• February 14 / Blu Jazz+, Akron, OH
• February 15 / Lin Rountree Valentine's Gala, Detroit, MI
• February 27 / Suite Food, Atlanta, GA
• February 28 / Tin Pan, Richmond, VA
• March 1 / Jerry Green and Friends, Louisville, KY
• March 27 / Earl Klugh’s Weekend of Jazz, Colorado Springs, CO
• March 28 / Uptown Music Fest, Tampa, FL
• May 9 / Smooth Chicago, Chicago, IL
• May 23 / Jazz-Funk Connection, Colorado Springs, CO
• May 24 / Mayor Jazz Fest, Las Cruces, NM
• May 29-June 5 / Dave Koz Cruise Voyage 1, Amsterdam and the British Isles
• June 5-June 12 / Dave Koz Cruise Voyage 2, Amsterdam and the British Isles
• August 24 / Norfolk Jazz Fest, Norfolk, VA
• September 13 / Oxnard Jazz Fest, Oxnard, CA
• October 10-11 / Barbados Jazz Excursion, Barbados
• November 6 / Florida Smooth Jazz Weekend, Daytona Beach, FL