CHRIS 'BIG DOG' DAVIS - FOCUS w/Maysa, Dave Koz, Kim Waters, Gerald Albright, Rick Braun, Nick Colionne, Bluey & Others

Few artists are equally captivating behind the scenes and on the stage. It requires a certain amount of vision, keen musicianship and discipline. On Focus, all of these skills coalesce to create a thrilling 11– track experience that demonstrates the type of magic that multi Grammy nominated keyboardist and producer Chris “Big Dog” Davis’ has brought to other artists as a producer. His Midas touch has added finesse to endeavors by Brian McKnight, George Clinton, Will Downing, Syleena Johnson, Chanté Moore, Maysa, and numerous others. 

As he takes center stage for the first time on recording, his wizardry blesses an entire album of inspirational and moving originals. “This experience has really been exciting and rewarding. My hope is that people will enjoy coming into my musical world and getting a deeper glimpse into who I am and all of the music that has influenced me from Jazz, Funk Gospel and Pop,” says Davis, who has produced 17 #1 hits on the Contemporary Jazz charts. Danny Weiss, VP of Jazz A&R states, “Chris has been our go-to producer for everyone from Kim Burrell to Maysa to Norman Brown, just to name a few. We're thrilled to be releasing his first solo album, so that the world can witness the full expression of his artistic talent.”M“The idea behind Focus was to create music with some of my favorite people. It also served as a reminder to keep your eyes on a prize and to let our dreams become our reality,” shares the handsome and amiable 6’3” bodybuilder who spent a stint in the Marine Corps. 

The Waterbury, CT native drew from diverse influences like Miles Davis, Chaka Khan and George Duke and even his own Zen rooted philosophy to living life.  Focus joins Davis with a cadre of the best working artists in Contemporary Jazz including Kim Waters, Gerald Albright, Rick Braun, Dave Koz, Maysa, Bluey and Nick Colionne. “It is so humbling to have all of these artists join me on this project. Every single one of them came bearing gifts that make this album so special,” shares the keyboardist.

New Music From David Clayton-Thomas, Reza Khan & David Rose

David Clayton-Thomas - A Blues For The New World

Forget all your preconceived notions about the blues. This album redefines the art form.The music spans a wide range of styles, from rock to reggae to big band jazz, from gospel choir to acapella group. The lyrics are topical, satirical, with a wicked sense of humour and occasionally so deeply personal that it hurts. Includes: A Blues For The New World; Second Chance; Calico Girl; Common Ground; It's All So L A; Politics; Sounds So Sweet; Holy Moses; Frank And Margie; It Ain't Free; What If I Told You; The Sky's The Limit; and The Lights On Broadway.

Reza Khan - Next Train Home

A fascinating, diverse musical citizen of the world, guitarist/composer Reza Khan brings a wealth of progressive jazz and global fusion influences and sensibilities to NEXT TRAIN HOME. Featuring everything from dreamy funk and percussive, multi-cultural exchanges to fiery electric jazz fusion, the festive, extraordinarily intricate album was composed primarily in hotel rooms throughout Africa, where Khan traveled as part of his amazing “day job” as program manager for the United Nations. Khan’s essential tracks featuring Pat Metheny’s longtime bassist Mark Egan are enhanced by the colorful sound design of Philippe Saisse, along with dynamic contributions by Andy Snitzer, Jeff Kashiwa and Nils. ~ smoothjazz.com

David Rose – The New York Session

Together with a band consisting of a selection of the best New York jazz musicians, swing crooner David Rose presents his new album The New York Session. The album was recorded in New York City under the musical direction of Lee Musiker (musical director, arranger and pianist of Tony Bennett) who has written new arrangements especially for David Rose. Jazz guitar legend Bucky Pizzarelli features as a special guest, with the band completed by Dan Levinson (woodwinds), Tal Ronen (bass) and Mark McLean (drums). The album was recorded live in New York in only three studio days, avoiding any overdubbing, all in the tradition of the classical jazz vocal albums of the 1950s and 1960s. Includes: Manhattan; I Can See You; I Need No Atmosphere; Stay With Me; Rose Of Washington Square; In The Middle Of A Kiss; You Tell Yourself; I'll Close My Eyes; Love; Lonely Town; and Someday I'll Find You.

New Music From Blicher Hemmer Gadd, Whit Dickey & Pylkkanen

Blicher Hemmer Gadd - Omara

The remastered Audiophile Version of 'Omara', the second album from soul jazz trio Blicher Hemmer Gadd, featuring legendary drummer Steve Gadd. "A straight to the point good-time set of soul/jazz sparked with shades of R&B and blues that leaves the crowd whooping for more" Modern Drummer Magazine. A chance encounter and a shared love of a special kind of music led Steve Gadd, known for his collaborations with Paul Simon, Steely Dan, Eric Clapton and Chick Corea amongst others, to join forces with saxophonist Michael Blicher and Hammond organ player Dan Hemmer in 2014. The band has toured throughout Europe and Scandinavia and 'Omara' was recorded live in Germany, England and Denmark during their 2016 tour. The recordings captured the amazing energy from four exceptional late-night shows at some of Europe's most intimate jazz clubs and Blicher, Hemmer and Gadd swing superbly within the relaxed grooves of this brilliant, enthusiastically received, live set.The album offers a unique experience to hear one of the world's most innovative and highly regarded drummers display his talent, playing a type of music he is very passionate about - soul jazz in an organ trio setting. Of the albums nine tracks, the emphasis is on original music by Michael Blicher, supplemented by the blues classic "My Babe" and the spiritual "Elijah Rock".

Whit Dickey - Morph

Drummer Whit Dickey in two really great settings – both of them a very fresh reminder of his mighty talents on the kit! CD1 features Whit working with Matthew Shipp on piano – in these beautifully moody, often spacious duets that really match some of Dickey's subtle but resonant work on the drums with Shipp's well-punctuated work on piano – sometimes building up boldly, sometimes a much more personal, almost contemplative exploration of space! CD2 features trumpeter Nate Wooley joining the pair – and from the very first note, you can really feel a different sort of equilibrium – as Nate's horn has a way of cracking open the energy that the duo had on the previous session, rally creating a new sort of energy – in ways that are maybe a perfect illustration of the way that free improvisation can be such a special, situational form of art. Titles include "Blue Threads", "Reckoning", "Dice", "Helix", "Steps", "Noir 1", "Take The Wild Train", "Pulse Morph", and "Space Trance". ~ Dusty Groove

Pylkkanen – Nu Bottega

Pylkkanen's debut on Challenge Records! Born in 1964, saxophonist and composer Pekka Pylkkänen has been recognized as one of the stronger jazz artists and saxophonists in Europe. He has performed around the globe and has been very successful not only in Europe, but also in Asia and South America, for example. He has collaborated with numerous prestigious artists in many countries, and continues to work as a soloist/leader, recording artist and educator all over the world. On Nu Bottega: "The general idea is about the Italian lifestyle and the beauty that one can find there not easy to describe in a few words, but like finding the most beautiful things behind a slightly trashed or 'b-flat' areas/places/details. 'Nu Bottega' just means 'new restaurant' but having this vibe of a shared kitchen, cooking with friends, sharing the bread and so on. Cooking (mostly Italian nowadays) is one of my passions, and sharing that with my friends is one of my greatest joys." Artists: Pekka Pylkkanen - Saxophone Roberto Tarenzi - Piano Francesco Puglisi - Bass Marco Valeri - Drums Fabrizio Bosso – Trumpet

JNEIRO JAREL - "BANANA PEEL (FT. MASAUKO CHIPEMBERE)"

In 2018 Far Out Recordings signed a record deal with Brooklyn born, nomadic producer Jneiro Jarel. Having just put the finishing touches to the recordings, Jarel suffered an ischemic stroke while living and working in Costa Rica and his wife Indigo was forced to set up a crowd fund to cover special medical transport back to the states to receive treatment. 

The release was put on hold, but thanks to the generosity of friends and fans around the world, Jarel was able to get the care he needed and is now on the long road to recovery. We’re overjoyed to finally announce Jneiro Jarel’s new single "Banana Peel (Cáscara de plátano) featuring Masauko Chipembere" is now out on all digital platforms.

Throughout a career that has spanned over twenty years and seen collaborations with MF DOOM, Thom Yorke, Damon Albarn, BadBadNotGood, Portishead’s Beth Gibbons, Kimbra and Khujo Goodie (Dungeon Family), Jneiro Jarel’s consistently distinctive, forward thinking productions, as well as his love for the music of Brazil, made his partnership with Far Out a perfect fit.

Recorded between New York, New Orleans, Miami and Costa Rica, Jarel's forthcoming album After A Thousand Years features legendary multi-instrumentalist Bill Summers, famed for his work with Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones and Eddie Henderson. The album also features Malawian-American guitarist Masauko Chipembere who has worked with the likes of RZA from Wu-Tang Clan and Ladybug Mecca from Digable Planets.

On lead single “Banana Peel”, Jarel’s outernational perspective makes for a track that is almost impossible to place geographically: you can hear the swing of Jarel’s native New Orleans jazz, the vibrance of Costa Rican rainforests as well as the influence of Jarel’s vast collection of Brazilian records.

“Banana Peel” releases as a digital digital single ahead of Jneiro Jarel’s forthcoming album After A Thousand Years, coming later this year.

New Music From Frostina Dixon, Asher Gamedze, Totó la Momposina

Fostina Dixon - Vertical Alignment

She's called the The Saxophone Queen because she IS! Fostina Dixon delivers hard-hitting, deeply grooving, slickly and soulfully produced urban jazz on her latest album VERTICAL ALIGNMENT. The multi-talented artist - whose decades long resume includes Abbey Lincoln, Roy Ayers, as well as Prince and Marvin Gaye, whom she toured with for four years she weaves her emotional, gospel inflected magic on soprano, alto and baritone (not to mention flute and clarinet) with equal sparkle and funk. New to Smooth Jazz, this bright star is already blazing up format airplay charts with help from fellow musical vets and producers, bassist Al Turner and multi-instrumentalist Ray Chew. Fostina is a one-of-a-kind talent... we're lucky to have her in our mix! ~ smoothjazz.com

Asher Gamedze – Dialectic Soul

This is Jazz at its most spiritual, most progressive and most appealing form. As Asher himself says: "Dialectic Soul is about motion and a refusal to remain static or stay still. It’s the commitment to be continually moving". Recorded live over two days at the Sound and Motion Studios in Cape Town with renowned musicians (Thembinkosi Mavimbela (bass), Buddy Wells (tenor sax), Robin Fassie-Kock (trumpet) Nono Nkoane (voc)), 'Dialectic Soul' is breathtaking in its musical vitality and expression of soul seeking truth. By incorporating the concept of the Total Art for this project, it fits perfectly within On The Corner's aesthetic of music, art and vision for creative innovation. Asher continues: "My composition 'state of emergence' introduces the themes that constitute the album; free drums representing autonomous African motion, the saxophone reflecting deeply and honestly on the violence of colonialism. The teachings of Coltrane, Biko, Makeba, Malcom and others inspire the music's positive manifestation of resistance." "Fundamentally, it is about the reclamation of the historical imperative. It is about the dialect of the soul and the spirit while it moves through history. The soul is dialectic. Motion is imperative. We keep moving."

Totó la Momposina - Tanguita

A magnificent singer, Totó La Momposina has earned respect and admiration all over the world for the power and spontaneity of her performance. Drawing on the music and dance of the Colombian Caribbean, her work is informed and inspired by a rich cultural mix that combines elements from African, Native Indian and Spanish traditions.

Black, Brown and Beige Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra & Wynton Marsalis

Blue Engine Records, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s in-house recording label, has released a present-day recording of Duke Ellington’s groundbreaking masterpiece Black, Brown and Beige by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. Captured during a live, Rose Theater performance in 2018, Black, Brown and Beige is Wynton Marsalis’s first recording of the work and Blue Engine’s first release dedicated entirely to Ellington.

Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Managing and Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis explains, “Black, Brown and Beige sits alone in the history of jazz. It covers a mosaic of not just Afro-American but of American styles of music.” The expert musicians of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, alongside special guests Brianna Thomas (vocals) and Eli Bishop (violin), are perfectly equipped to tackle its stirring stylistic breadth. The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s spirited take on Ellington’s epic work pays tribute to some of the maestro’s most personal work while adding another important chapter to its enduring legacy.

Since its 1943 debut at Carnegie Hall, the piece—a sprawling survey of African American history—has been heralded as one of the most significant compositions in American orchestral music. Now, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis is releasing a definitive, present-day recording of Black, Brown and Beige that conveys all the nuances and emotion of Ellington’s grandest work.

New Music From Malia, Ben Marley Quartet & Nick Colionne

Malia – The Garden Of Eve

After releasing spine-tinglingly striking single "Hope" just before Christmas, Malawi-born, London-based jazz singer Malia welcomes the new decade with 'The Garden of Eve', an album dedicated to the blues and its stories. It has been a long time since a contemporary artist has made such a beautiful homage to the blues, a style that in the year 2020 deserves to have a bit of its dust brushed off. "Blues has always been dear to my heart: it's a cathartic experience, precious and profound, whether it's playing it or listen to it on the radio. When I first heard Billie Holiday sing 'Blue Moon', I could feel it with every cell of my body. She had such a powerful effect on me. Sentimental blues, originating from tragic situations, sometimes even reflecting my own experiences... No matter how bad family, friends, politics, lovers, governments or society might be, they can never destroy the forces for good in this world. And as time passes by, I more and more find the truth that is rooted in my soul. And I finally feel mature enough to understand this wonderful musical tradition - because blues means life." And if blues means life, Malia is the energy that allows the blues to have a soul, a voice. Characterized by her unique timbre - that doesn't need any further explaining - Malia gives us a thrill throughout the 12 tracks of this album, that has everything to become a classic.

Ben Markley Quartet – Slow Play

For Ben Markley's fourth recording, the fleet pianist/composer teams with New York tenor saxophone great Joel Frahm for a dynamic set of modern jazz originals. Though written specifically with the band of Frahm, drummer Jim White, and bassist Marty Kenny in mind, Markley continually finds inspiration from significant influences in his musical life, most notably Cedar Walton, Chick Corea and Bill Evans. With engaging and elevating support from Kenney and White, Markley and Frahm pop on the boogaloo "'Mon Back," strike a Jazz Messengers-esque pose on the grooving "Return of Catboy," and strut on the half-time funk of the title tune. "Frahm's playing bubbles over with ear-catching inventiveness and a robust, positive feeling." Ottawa Citizen.

Nick Colionne – Finger Painting

Having spent the last two decades painting vivid musical pictures with his signature guitar stylings, guitarist Nick Colionne releases his 11th studio recording appropriately entitled 'Finger Painting', a collection of sonic art painted by the fingers of the master guitarist who has scored 11 number one Billboard singles out of his last 12. Colionne's knack of connecting with not only his rabid fan base but with a compelling melody and hook are in great evidence here with this collection of musical art that explores the corners of the genre with great vibrancy and color. Collectors of memorable pieces of musical art will find much to like here with a pallet of moods and feelings emanating from his gifted fingers to your anxious ears.

Italian Jazz Guitarist Rocco Zifarelli Releases New Album “Music Unites”

“Music Unites” is the new CD by Italian guitarist Rocco Zifarelli, for more than 20 years alongside the famous movie music composer Ennio Morricone with whom he has recorded many award winning scores (Academy Award, Golden Globe, Bafta etc) and performed in many tours around the world. Published 20 years after the acclaimed “Lyndon” (Via VenetoJazz-Universal) this CD continues on the same musical concept, that concerns instrumental electric jazz and jazz-rock in general, with 10 tracks describing a series of experiences of musical life in Rome, New York and especially in Paris.

For “Music Unites” Rocco brought together a number of great musicians with whom he collaborated in the last years, primarily Paco Sery (Ivory Coast) on drums and Linley Marthe (Mauritius Island) on bass, the rhythm section of Joe Zawinul Syndicate, then italian bass stars Dario Deidda and Pippo Matino, Russian trumpeter Alex Sipiagin and two DJ’s and sound designers Freddy Jay (Paris) and Yassin Africancuts (Brussels), and many others. A lot of musical variety, original and non-original compositions, including two revisited Morricone's themes “The Untouchables” and “Le clan des siciliens,” in a dynamic succession of electric and acoustic moods combined with samples and electronic loop, well conducted by Rocco's eclectic guitar. 

A CD that put together people, cultures, sounds, musical life and experiences…because “Music Unites”! Says Rocco, “This record is the story of my musical and private life, through the ten tracks, like the chapters of an autobiographical book. It’s also a journey, a long journey in all senses, was conceived from the point of view of the compositional ideas many years ago, shortly after the release of my first and only album 'Lyndon' but had a very long gestation, due to many factors both external and personal, changes of human and artistic life mainly influenced by the massive events that have affected the whole world in the last twenty years. During this time I traveled a lot, for tours and concerts, and lived in some world great musical cities. Expecially my three years in Paris, after joining the Defunkt, where I met many African artists who were able to express depths of their native cultures. Even now Paris absorbs these important influences and, in musical terms, trains generations of extraordinary esteemed all over the world. All that already happened in New York since forever, but not with African born artists, really hard to arrive in the US… it is not a coincidence that Joe Zawinul has taken so many musicians of the last Syndicate in Paris, even if they were not originally from France.”

Rocco Zifarelli's “Music Unites” showcases the energy and power of Rock, the expressiveness of Blues, the improvisation, the harmonies and the interplay of the Jazz of Miles and Coltrane, the groove of Funk and Black Music, the timbres and the colors of Mediterranean acoustic music and the synthesis of Electronic music.

In the meantime, thanks also to his friend Marco Massimi, he managed to create Rocco's recording studio in Rome, the “ZETA STUDIO,” where “Music Unites” was almost entirely recorded; it is Rocco's “refuge,” a kind of laboratory where he can experiment with music ideas with his friends, and a comfortable place to record guitar tracks for various external works. The need to manage, protect and produce the best ideas has led Rocco to develop the concept of his own music production company, “ZETA STUDIO PRODUCTIONS,” which will report to some divisions such as the record label “ZETA RECORDS,” of which this CD is the first product, publisher with which his guitar methods and other types of productions will come out. 

Along with promoting his new album, Rocco is busy with many other musical related activities. Says Rocco, “After 22 years of recording and touring with Maestro Ennio Morricone, he has retired some months ago, we’re still doing some concerts and recording sessions, but now I’m totally involved in my projects and teaching. I teach Pop-Rock and Jazz Guitar at the State Conservatories of Milano and Cuneo, but it allows me to have plenty of time to dedicate to my artistic activity, to my recording studio and  label, lots of live concerts with different bands, mostly electric and acoustic jazz, and many recording sessions in different styles. I'm preparing a new album, mostly swingin' acoustic jazz, that's still my main source of inspiration and study, and not so elaborate as 'Music Unites.' I've just finished a collaboration with the UK magazine 'Guitar Techniques,' with a series of six video-workshops issued now, in which I've improvised some solos on backing tracks they provided to me, and then I explain my style and my phrasing ideas for each song.”

Soul-jazz guitarist Gregory Goodloe releases “Cool Like That” featuring Bob Baldwin

When R&B/jazz guitarist Gregory Goodloe dropped his new single, “Cool Like That,” at the beginning of March before the novel coronavirus outbreak hit the US with a vengeance, it was the No. 1 most added single on the Billboard airplay chart in its debut week and earned the most new spins in its second week. The song that he wrote with and features urban-jazz icon Bob Baldwin has taken on quite a different spin in the face of the health and economic crisis that have put lives, finances, and the future in peril. The track that was conceived to recreate the classic cool contemporary jazz sound and will serve as the title cut of his forthcoming album has become somewhat of an affirmation to Goodloe to stay calm and be fluid during this period of uncertainty.

“What’s on my mind is the unsureness of life. It’s very fragile. My mother, who is in her 80s, I worry about keeping her safe. My main concern right now is to be able to continue taking care of my mom,” said the Denver-based Goodloe who is doing his best to maintain his even-keeled cool despite so many unanswered questions about what’s ahead for musicians and the music industry.

“Like every other musician right now, we’re going through a transition. We don’t know what’s going to be at the end of the rainbow. We don’t know if everything is going to be more condensed. Is it the end of concerts? Is it the end of festivals? Is everything going to be digital now? Are we just going to be in-house songwriters? That’s the kind of thing that’s going through my mind. This time is about being able to work through that; to have the change, but not let it defeat me. To move like water into the flow of whatever change has to happen in order to continue to create music.”   

“Cool Like That” is Goodloe’s first single since last June when he landed his first Billboard No. 1 single, “Stylin’,” which also topped the Mediabase and Smooth Jazz Top 20 charts. With Baldwin producing and crafting the lion’s share of the new single’s production as well as contributing shimmering keyboard flourishes, Goodloe’s crisp electric guitar recalls two of the legendary guitarists who inspired the track’s conception: George Benson and Wes Montgomery.

“When the idea came for ‘Cool Like That,’ I sought out the writing expertise of Bob Baldwin because he’s almost like a pure jazz enthusiast. I wanted to use his expertise to create that kind of vibe of when jazz was cool. I went through an era of listening to people like Herbie Hancock and wanting to be a musician. We thought it would be cool to be a jazz musician. That era includes your Grover Washington Jr.’s, Wes Montgomery and George Benson when he first came out. It was an exciting time - when classic jazz was the poster of what cool really was. So, I wanted my song to be cool like that, like that whole era. I wanted to reproduce that vibe,” said Goodloe.

Goodloe has been working towards a summer release for the “Cool Like That” album, but the stay-at-home mandate may lead to a delay. For now, he prefers to keep his cards close to his chest when it comes to the identities of the prominent hitmakers with whom he has been writing and recording for the collection. Goodloe admits to struggling to focus on songwriting since the outbreak. 

“Some of the songs were written before the virus and I have yet to pen anything of any significance since  the virus hit and the economic downfall. It’s kind of a solemn time and people are reflecting. You have time to create and hone your craft because a lot of things are shutdown.”

At the suggestion of a fan, Goodloe has spent the last few Saturday nights in his home studio playing live and connecting with fans on Facebook Live. He is going to continue what he has now titled “Saturday Night Hang” (7pm Mountain Time), which he sees as an offering to help people get through the crisis. 

“The idea is to interact and try to ease people’s minds during this pandemic because a lot of people are panicking. They are frustrated and some are freaking out. The quarantine itself, some people don’t know how to handle it. So, I want to provide an hour escape. I kind of mix it up. Because some of my followers are Christian, I may open with a couple of Christian songs and read a bible passage. After that, I try to play songs that people recognize and they can sing to. I play familiar tunes and throw in some of my own music.”
       
Goodloe debuted as a solo artist in 2010 and has performed with an array of R&B, jazz and gospel greats including Howard Hewett, Surface, Tank, Ben Tankard, Shirley Caesar, John P. Key, The Rance Allen Group and Angela Spivey, and opened for Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson and Norman Brown. He also played one gig with award-winning blues artist Sista Monica Parker, an experience that perhaps answers the question about whether this crisis will diminish the joyous spirit that permeates his guitar play and songwriting as he works towards completing the “Cool Like That” album.

“I remember playing for Sista Monica and she only hired me one time because she said my blues is like happy blues. I don’t know if I would be able to write a song about the unhappy mood of current times because I don’t know if that part of me will come out. I’d probably just end up playing happy blues.”

http://gregorygoodloe.com

 

New Music Releases: Nat King Cole, Liberty Ellman, Sarah Vaughan With Clifford Brown

Nat King Cole – The Complete After Midnight Sessions + 4 Bonus Tracks

Nat King Cole's splendid LP After Midnight (Capitol W-782) was one of his last hits as a pianist (as opposed to a singer and entertainer). It featured the classic Nat King Cole Trio plus his illustrious jazz friends Harry "Sweets" Edison, Willie Smith, Juan Tizol, Stuff Smith, and Lee Young. All the music from these sessions is contained here, including several songs that were not present on the original album and were issued on different compilations, as well as a complete Nat King Cole quartet session from the same period added as a bonus. NAT KING COLE, piano & vocals; JOHN COLLINS, guitar; CHARLIE HARRIS, bass; LEE YOUNG, drums. Plus: HARRY "SWEETS" EDISON, trumpet (on 1-5); WILLIE SMITH, alto sax (on 6-9 & 18); JUAN TIZOL, valve trombone (on 10-13); STUFF SMITH, violin (on 14-17); JACK COSTANZO, bongos (on 10-11); Los Angeles, August - September 1956. *BONUS TRACKS (19-22): Nat King Cole (p, vc), John Collins (g), Charlie Harris (b), Lee Young (d). Los Angeles, July 14, 1955.

Liberty Ellman – Last Desert

'Last Desert' is guitarist Liberty Ellman's follow up to his critically-acclaimed 'Radiate' (Pi 2015), which the Wall Street Journal described as "bristling with energy and innovation" and Downbeat praised as "unique, indelible and fully human." Named #1 Rising Star Guitarist in the 2016 Downbeat Critics Poll, Ellman is perhaps best known as a trusted associate of jazz legend Henry Threadgill, with whom he has played for almost 20 years, including on the Pulitzer Prize-winning release 'In for a Penny, In for a Pound'. His unorthodox playing style is also key to collaborations with the likes of Myra Melford, Joe Lovano, and JD Allen. Pianist and MacArthur Fellow Vijay Iyer calls him "my favorite living guitarist." Ellman's new work is inspired by a foot race that takes place in Antarctica, the final leg in a series of ultramarathons called Four Deserts that take place in some of the harshest environments on earth. 'Last Desert' celebrates the juxtaposition of the austere beauty of the landscape with the grueling nature of the event, and the clarity of focus that the competition requires. His compositions employ a complex melodic weave, but are always lyrical and percolate with groove. Ellman is rejoined by all the musicians from Radiate: Steve Lehman on alto sax, Jonathan Finlayson on trumpet, Jose Davila on tuba, Stephan Crump on bass and Damion Reid on drums. Together, they conjure Ellman's panoramic musical vista to brilliant effect

Sarah Vaughan With Clifford Brown – The Land Of Hi-Fi

American Jazz Classics 500 LIMITED EDITION + REMASTERED + 6-PANEL DIGIPAK + INSIDE BOOKLET + 2 ALBUMS ON 1 CD Contained here is the complete original album Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown (EmArcy MG36004). It was originally issued solely under the singer's name. However, the tragic death of the featured trumpeter in 1956, and the fact that this was his only recorded collaboration with Vaughan, led to both musicians' names being featured on the covers of later releases. The LP Sarah Vaughan in the Land of Hi-Fi (EmArcy MG36058), which pairs Vaughan with alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, has been added in its entirety as a bonus. Both albums boast the same rhythm section, feature arrangements by Ernie Wilkins, and are considered among the finest of the singer's storied career. Sarah Vaughan, vocals on all tracks, with: 1-9: Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown CLIFFORD BROWN (tp), Herbie Mann (fl ), Paul Quinichette (ts), Jimmy Jones (p), Joe Benjamin (b),Roy Haynes (d), Ernie Wilkins (arr, cond).New York, December 16 & 18, 1954. *BONUS ALBUM (10-21): Sarah Vaughan in the Land of Hi-Fi Small group arranged by Ernie Wilkins & featuring CANNONBALL ADDERLEY (as). New York, October 25-27, 1955.

INCOGNITO MASTER-MIND BLUEY DELIVERS INSPIRING NEW SET OF MUSIC ON TINTED SKY

“When people relate to my songs, they are no longer mine,” explains ground-breaking UK groovemaster, vocalist and guitarist Jean-Paul “Bluey” Maunick. “If I hear Stevie’s ‘You Are The Sunshine Of My Life,’ I don’t have an image of Stevie Wonder singing this. I see the face of the girl I was kissing when I heard that record. The fantasy belongs to the listener.” Bluey has worked with Stevie as well as James Brown, Chaka Khan, Leon Ware, Phillip Bailey and countless others.  This is the creative genius of Bluey, the pioneering acid-jazz architect who helped to lay down the blueprint for neo-soul and the creative force behind Incognito, the preeminent Funk/Jazz/Soul/Dance outfit in the world. A modern day troubadour, Bluey’s songs are evidence of his truth. The honesty, gritty soul and earthiness that lives between each dancing note and harmonic crevices, are the sustenance-filled ingredients that his devoted fans adore. 

The Mauritian born musician who was raised in the UK will release Tinted Sky, his heartfelt collection of original songs compositions in collaboration with Richard Bull (Incognito, Basia, Acoustic Alchemy, Maysa) on June 26, 2020. For those who are used to experiencing Bluey in a mega-band setting, it is a delight to hear this more intimate collection. Bluey confesses that the solo affair allows him to dig even deeper. “I get to escape the band,” he laughs. “When you live in a large family in one house, it’s great to pack up in the middle of the night and disappear where nobody knows your name, live off the land and to do things without the big picture in mind. Just do! That’s what this is!”

Now in his fourth decade of effortlessly churning out mind-blowing and chart-topping hits, the beat goes on with Tinted Sky. “There is no specific theme other than my voice, my guitar and the album's sonic quality. It’s all fairly organic and Richard (Bull) and I don’t mess around…a track a day from conception to completed recording. Mixing was done the following day,” shares Bluey. As the chameleonic musician lets us into his heart on Tinted Sky, it is easy to hear his wide-ranging influences from Curtis Mayfield, Shuggie Otis and Boz Scaggs, to Marvin Gaye and Hall and Oates, among others. 

Tinted Sky opens with the rock-steady groove and ultra smooth “You Are The One.” Bluey’s soulful tenor makes a proclamation of love as he sings, “You are the one. There’s nothing that I would not do for you. You are the one. I only want to be with you.” They say all is fair in love, so Bluey also serves us the other side of romance on “Don’t Ask Me Why” singing, “Don’t ask me why when you know the reasons. Don’t ask me why you flipped the script and now I’m gone. Don’t ask me why, any fool would understand why I am gone.”

Tinted Sky’s first single is the hypnotic “Back Here Again,” a sublime showcase for Bluey’s tasty guitar wizardry and unrelenting flow. Love is in full bloom with a love that is real and true on “From the Break of Dawn.” Bluey confesses that this song displays the romantic side of his songwriting “kicking into overdrive.” Tinted Sky also features the winning “Had To Make You Mine.” Bluey lures you in with his seductive vocals and Richard Bull’s seriously funkified bass lines command your attention as he works overtime. The trippy “Make It Last Forever” will have you longing for an everlasting love despite the trials and tribulations, while “Nobody Knows” hedges its bet on the possibilities and uncertainty of where a love can lead. It isn’t hard to get swept up in the love frenzy of “Crazy ‘Bout You” and the album’s heavy hitting closer “Floating World” takes us to another plane. Bluey explains, “When we completely blow this planet, I guess space is the place! I won’t live to see it, but more of us will join folks already living in space. It’s SciFi!”

A poignant moment on Tinted Sky that is bound to stop you in your tracks is the haunting and thought-provoking “Unaware” which takes on the rise of senseless violence and knife crimes that have been gripping London in recent times. “As an observer I see it all being played out in front of my own eyes,” explains Bluey. “I am also writing from the core of understanding. I was stabbed when I was younger. I once took a knife in anger and rage to even a score… I did not follow through and my life took another turn. I’m making a statement, it’s my documentary and I am one of the lucky one’s that love changed!”

New Music Releases: Wade C. Long, Ron Davis, Motown Moe

Wade C. Long - Nostalgia

Off the heels of his acclaimed single Bulljivin (which continues to receive international airplay) vocalist-keyboardist Wade C. Long is set to release his debut LP, Nostalgia. The album is a long time coming for the Cleveland, Ohio native. Nostalgia’s 11 tracks range from Smooth Jazz to Soul, to Funk, Disco, and even a little bit of Rock mixed in. The second single from the album, Way Back When, is a 1970s inspired groove that is sure to find you reminiscing about simpler times. Nostalgia releases on June 26th and Way Back When will be going for adds to radio stations on July 13th. 

Ron Davis – Symphronica: Instrumental Music Liberation Front

Liberate Instrumental Music! The history of western music is one of the instrumental living in harmony (ahem) with the vocal. A Beethoven symphony, a Verdi opera. Billie Holiday's Strange Fruit, Duke Ellington's Isfahan. The Beatles' Let It Be, Herbie Hancock's Watermelon Man. But recently, instrumental music has gone missing. Become nearly invisible. Inaudible. In old media. In new. Words and music, yes. Music alone, no. Instrumental music must be restored to culture's apex. We need an Instrumental Music Liberation Front. SymphRONica to the rescue. This record is the opening salvo. A journey through the great fountainheads of the instrumental. Jazz meets classical musics (emphasis on the ‘s': European, Québecois, Sepahrdic, Manouche). Let musical freedom ring! Let Instrumental Music be Liberated!

Motown Moe - The New Normal

With an incredible output of 16 albums over the past 12 years, Detroit based keyboardist/producer, Motown Moe, is not only one of the most prolific indie artists in Smooth Jazz, but also one of the most diverse and innovative when it comes to developing fascinating conceptual themes and fresh sonic landscapes. With a title that perfectly reflects our unique collective moment, his latest album THE NEW NORMAL could be used in regular times as a soundtrack to a romantic evening – but in this era serves as the perfect soul caressing chillout set. Drawing on his mastery of melody, gentle grooves, sensual atmospheres, synth, horns and percussion, Moe creates a free-flowing, chill and laid-back fusion of moody, impressionistic urban jazz featuring critically-acclaimed guitarist Blake Aaron! ~ smoothjazz.com

New Music Releases: Timo Lassy, Ricardo Richaid, Eumir Deodato

Timo Lassy - Big Brass – Live At Savoy Theatre Helsinki


A gem of a record from Finnish saxophonist Timo Lassy – a straight jazz set that reunites him with members of the Ricky Tick Big Band – including some of the musicians who first made big waves with Timo on record in the early part of this century! Lassy's at his best here – really creative as a soloist, and dropping some of the more groove-oriented qualities you'd hear on his other records – to work in an array of soulful sounds with a core quintet that includes electric piano, bass, drums, and percussion – augmented by larger horns from the Ricky Tick band, arranged by Valtteri Laurell Poyhonen, and featuring solos from Jukka Eskola and Kalevi Louhivuori on trumpets, and Aaro Huopainen on trombone. The tunes move along with a nice sense of rhythm, but also have all these amazing colors and tones that burst out with a great sense of delight throughout the performance – on titles that include "Teddy The Sweeper", "Waltz Unsolved", "Grande Opening", "Universal Four", "African Rumble", and "Sweet Spot". ~ Dusty Groove

Ricardo Richaid — Travessiero Feliz 

A soaring blend of Brazilian modes – served up here by Ricardo Richaid, who's almost a one-man army himself, given the amount of instruments he plays on the set! Yet the record is also way more than just a batch of tunes cooked up in a bedroom – as Richaid has collaborators on nearly every track – which expands his own work on piano, bass, and a variety of guitars – really helping to situation his raspy and compelling vocals amidst some jazzier touches on flute and tenor, guest vocals, percussion, and other elements along the way! The tunes are often really catchy and compelling, even if your command of Portuguese is as bad as ours – and it's clear that Ricardo really knows his way around a hook, in sort of a universal way – while still making music that's completely his own. Titles include "Drone", "Vip Xuxa", "Maracas Enterprise/Frio Da Manha", "Ave Poena", "O Velho Cai", and "Formigas". ~ Dusty Groove

Eumir Deodato - Os Catedraticos 73 Vinyl Repress

Recorded at the height of Deodato's productivity in the early seventies, amidst writing for, arranging music by and performing with artists including Frank Sinatra, Tom Jobim, and Kool & The Gang, Os Catedraticos 73  features a Brazilian rhythm section including Ivan Mamão Conti, percussion master Orlandivo, and Sergio Barroso on bass, plus some of the big apple’s top players from the CTI in-house brass section.

New Music From Irreversible Entanglements, Dr Rubberfunk, Gerald Cleaver

Irreversible Entanglements - Who Sent You

Damn incredible work from Irreversible Entanglements – a Philly group, but one who definitely belong in the special, small universe of the International Anthem label from Chicago! This set is even more fierce, more focused than their great debut – burning with righteous energy from a great small combo who play with fire and spirit throughout – and topped with knowledge and wisdom from Camae Ayewa, whose spoken words really hold the whole thing together! The record echoes spoken word/jazz experiments from the most righteous corners of the 70s spiritual avant underground – but has a very different energy that not only belies the younger status of the group, but also the importance of their very contemporary message. Other members include Keir Nueringer on tenor, Aquiles Navarro on trumpet, Luke Stewart on bass, and Tcheser Holmes on drums – and all members also play percussion – on titles that include "Bread Out Of Stone", "The Code Noir/Amina", "Who Sent You – Ritual", "No Mas", and "Blues Ideology". ~ Dusty Groove

Dr Rubberfunk - My Life At 45

Dr Rubberfunk's an artist who just seems to get funkier and funkier as the years go on – and this collection of recent singles and recordings is much heavier on the deep funk side of the spectrum than we might have expected! There's still some of the programming and samples of his early work, but there's also a lot more live elements too – mixed up with occasional vocal contributions from guests who include John Turrell, Izo FitzRoy, Stephanie Whitelock, and Ben Castle – who balance the album out alongside a set of instrumental numbers too. Titles include "How Beautiful", "Boom", "Matter Of Time", "Laid Bare", "Longshore Drift", "A Little Blahzay", "Slim's Mood", "With Love", and "Steppin In". ~ Dusty Groove

Gerald Cleaver - Signs 

An all-electronic set from Gerald Cleaver, but one that's got the same sort of rhythmic pulse as his better-known work on the drums – a record that, in fact, almost feels as if Cleaver is triggering various electronic elements with live work on the drums – or, more likely, using live electronics to recreate some of his energy on the acoustic instrument! The tunes have a very dark vibe – sheets of noise and sound pounding out together in waves of sonic intensity. Titles include "Tomasz", "Blown", "Amidst Curses", "Jackie's Smiles", and the three-part "Signs". ~ Dusty Groove

New Music Releases: Shedrack Anderson, Hailu Mergia, Mako Sica / Hamid Drake

 Shedrack Anderson - Hamilton Park

A multi-faceted performer who has been a successful actor, dancer and choreographer, Julliard trained singer, songwriter and musical visionary Shedrack Anderson’s new album HAMILTON PARK is an extraordinary, stylistically eclectic work of social consciousness. Keeping the vibes jazzy and old school soulful with edgy touches of hip-hop, gospel vocal power and deep trap beats, he uses his dynamic blend of dreamy neo-soul flavored ballads and dynamic anthem-like choruses to communicate deeper universal truths. These are grounded in the symbolism of the title location, his grandparents’ old neighborhood in Dallas, one of the first African American housing developments in the South. As he creates his fresh soul-infused sound, Anderson continuously reminds us that the answer to despair and hopelessness is healing, compassion and sound mental health. ~ smoothjazz.com

Hailu Mergia - Yene Mircha

A great new recording from Hailu Mergia – the Ethiopian keyboardist who's given us some great records over the years! This set has Hailu working on both of his strengths – using keyboards in the lead on some tracks, accordion on others – plus a bit of melodica, and just a slight amount of vocalizations – all at a level that's a really wonderful update of older Ethio-jazz styles, but with a vibe that's much more laidback and relaxed! Some of the younger artists in this scene are maybe a bit more tied to the styles of the golden years – but Hailu instead just uses bass and drums for support, and expands with a warmly jazzy current that still echoes plenty of the best elements of his older albums. Titles include "Semen Ena Debub", "Yene Mircha", "Bayine Lay Yihedal", "Shemedefer", "Yene Abeba", and "Abichu Nega Nega". ~ Dusty Groove

Mako Sica / Hamid Drake - Balancing Tear 

The genius drummer Hamid Drake joins the Mako Sica trio – a group of electric and acoustic improvisers that features a wide variety of instruments used in a mode that's somewhere between free jazz and some of the best experimental modes of the New York downtown scene in the 80s! The trio features Przemyslaw Kryz Drazek on trumpet, pocket trumpet, and electric guitar; Chaetan Newell on piano, cello, electric piano, and lots of percussion; and Brent Fuscaldo on voice, bass, classical guitar, and harmonica – three instrumentalists working with a very wide range of sound, which is then maybe grounded a bit more by Drake's excellent work on drums and a bit of percussion! The work is definitely in an improvised mode, but also has firmer structures at times – especially when Fuscaldo vocalizes in a non-lyrical mode, which always seems to invoke a bit more rhythm. All tracks are long, and titles include "Trapeze", "The Unknown", "Enchanted City", and "Trapeze/Maku (live)". ~ Dusty Groove

New Music Releases: CTK, Stephen Rothhaar, Little Dragon

CTK - The 2ND Coming

Given his stage name CTK by his mentor, legendary former Earth, Wind & Fire guitarist Al McKay, trumpeter, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Clarence T. Kyle perpetuates that group’s style of old school groovin’ soul/funk and builds on the era’s classic horn-fired vibe on his latest album THE 2ND COMING. A musical gumbo for the soul, with Smooth Jazz, R&B, and hip hop, CTK pulls off the remarkable feat of creating instrumental music that tells his personal story. He invites listeners into his multi-faceted life with memorable tunes dedicated to his father-in-law, his recently departed mother, trips to Japan and fond memories of his early childhood in Rhode Island and attending the Newport Jazz Festival. ~ smoothjazz.com

Stephen Rothhaar - Moments


Since graduating from Ithaca College of Music in 2018 with a degree in voice (Opera believe it or not), ultra-hip pop, R&B and jazz influenced, Pittsburgh based singer/songwriter Stephen Rothhaar has been unstoppable. He follows his indie-acoustic EP HUMANS with the engaging, pure pop, ultra-danceable debut full length album MOMENTS. Helping take Rothhaar’s spirited soul sensibilities and instincts for creating infectious light pop gems to the next level is producer Nate Harasim, who fashions a slick, multi-faceted sonic landscape full of lightly funk contemporary beats, bright jazzy guitar jangle and a sensual seductive flow. In addition to showcasing Rothhaar’s multi-faceted artistry, the album includes impressive guest spots by globally acclaimed bassist Nathan East, chart-topping contemporary jazz guitarist Nils, vocalist Monica Notaro and the popular Detroit-based rapper K-Squeez. ~ smoothjazz.com

Little Dragon - New Me, Same Us

Little Dragon's always got a great way with a tune – a way of folding together elements that are both sweet and crispy, but without ever sounding too sanded-down or sleepy – as so many others who hit this territory! Instead, there's a nice crackle to most tunes – tracks that might almost want to be pop songs, but which have more of an underground soul current – little electronic bits bubbling around next to subdued soul vocals, finding all the right spots to mesh together in the best possible way! Titles include "Another Lover", "Every Rain", "New Fiction", "Sadness", "Stay Right Here", "Where You Belong", "Water", and "Are You Feeling Sad". ~ Dusty Groove

Sonar Kollektiv | Key Elements

Sonar Kollektiv has been waiting for it anxiously: Key Elements‘ debut album leads Jazz music into the new decade down-the-line. The music Key Elements create is fresh, merciless and ruthless and has always the finger on the pulse of the time. The album‘s eight tracks are all far away from Broken Beat nostalgia or Beat-making nerdism, they breathe inspiration from the young, thriving British jazz scene. Key Element‘s initiator, DJ and producer Marian Tone, built up a reputation in the Berlin hip hop, soul and jazz scene over the years (also as a co-founder of Beatkollektiv). With all of his compositions you always feel this heritage and his love and passion for hiphop. But the other two allys within «Key Elements», drummer Waldi and the keyboard or bass player Jim Dunloop made their contribution with compositions and ideas as well. An album which was initially designed to be a mere solo project became an effort of a trio over the years being inherently consistent.

Already the opening track «Mike Needs Sugar» shows the direction this album will take us: To the land of the good groove. It‘s here where the three thoroughbred musicians feel on top of the world obviously and deliver one luscious track after the other. From the cheerful «Morning Boom» to the kinda furtively laid back «Impossible» and the final «Funky Dave», which could be on an Italian soundtrack from the 70‘s every single tone and note from «Key Elements» is great fun. Especially because even when you listen to it a second, third or fourth time you will discover new nuances and niceties again and again. As is right and proper for really good jazz album. Dig it!

New Music Releases - Otmaro Ruiz and Bruno Mangueira, Kool & The Gang, Farnell Newton

Otmaro Ruiz and Bruno Mangueira -   Essência

“Essência is a joyful romp through the musical landscape of the Americas guided by master pianist Otmaro Ruiz and exciting new guitar virtuoso, Bruno Mangueira. Their musical partnership is informed by their Venezuelan and Brazilian heritages fused with their deep love and understanding of American jazz and the European classical tradition. Otmaro and Bruno flawlessly navigate this landscape with a program of eight original compositions and two standards. Each song feels like a suite, taking us through a wide range of dynamics and emotional territory. Impressively, their original compositions sound like they could be standards. They evoke the timeless feeling of classic songs by Tom Jobim, Hermeto Pascoal, and other Brazilian masters while maintaining the vibrancy of the present. There are hints of Bach, Chopin, and lush harmonic passages that will send music theory students racing for their notepads."~ Russell Ferrante (YellowJackets), August 2019

Kool & The Gang - In The Heart (with bonus tracks)

A sweet set that's part of a big early 80s run from Kool & The Gang – a time that saw the funk legends really hitting the mainstream, and winning over a huge new audience in the process! Given that the Gang virtually invented ensemble funk at the start of the 70s, they're perfectly poised here to move into modes that so many of their younger competition were trying – but never did so well – that blend of 80s elements and more sharply-fused funk instrumentation, all honed down into a tightly snapping groove. The real surprise, though, is the group's growing ability for ballads – which put records like this into hands of folks who never would have dug their funk a few years before. And while we might have had a few problems with that shift at the time, the passage of years has got the whole thing sounding pretty darn great to our ears – especially in comparison to so much weaker work from the time. Titles include "In The Heart", "Joanna", "Tonight", "Straight Ahead", "September Love", "You Can Do It", and "Home Is Where The Heart Is". CD features lots of bonus tracks – including "Tonight (12" dance mix)", "In The Heart (single rmx)", "Straight Ahead (12" long)", "Ladies Night (promo 12" '83 rmx)", "Joanna (single)", and "Tonight (AOR mix)". ~ Dusty Groove

Farnell Newton - Rippin & Runnin

A tremendous trumpeter, set up here in his best format to date – a really heavy duty quartet that features tenor from Brandon Wright, drums from Rudy Royston, and Hammond from Brian Charette – who blows us away even more than usual with his skills on both the keys and the pedals at the bottom! Royston's drums are always great – and here, he's got this snapping, crackling energy that seems to light a fuse right from the very first note – which Charette fans into full flames of sound, topped by these bold lines and soaring solos from Newton and Wright – two horns that have a really rich power together, before breaking off into really wonderful solos. The whole thing's great – a cut above for even the always-great Posi-Tone label – and titles include "Holding Still", "The Roots", "Another Day Another Jones", "Gas Station Hot Dog", and "The Five AM Strut". ~ Dusty Groove

CORY SMYTHE | ACCELERATE EVERY VOICE

Description automatically generated pianist and composer Cory Smythe evokes cyborg choirs and coastal floods on Accelerate Every Voice, his second release for Pyroclastic Records and the follow-up to 2018 album Circulate Susanna. Bringing together five vocalists from the a cappella, new and improvised music scenes, AEV cradles Smythe’s piano in an uncanny valley of voices before submerging it in an undersea expanse. 

“It began with my appreciation for Andrew Hill’s Lift Every Voice,” says Smythe. “It was kind of a fanciful idea about whether I could pay homage to his record while taking part of its logic to the nth degree, replacing the whole band with vocalists — vocal percussion, vocal bass, etcetera.” 

Smythe began discussing the project almost immediately with vocal-percussionist and director Kari Francis, whose acclaimed work on the a cappella scene includes a stint on NBC’s “The Sing Off,” and whose knowledge extends backward from present-day collegiate a cappella into its early history with the Yale Whiffenpoofs. 

“I had been into the idea of collegiate a cappella embodying a kind of optimism,” says Smythe, “and maybe a complicated kind of optimism, a poisoned-by-whiteness American kind of optimism.” Francis pointed him to what many consider “the founding document of the whole scene, ‘The Whiffenpoof Song,’” says Smythe, “which is itself based on a poem by Rudyard Kipling — of ‘white man’s burden’ fame — called ‘Gentlemen Rankers.’ The speaker of this poem is born into wealth and privilege, and now he’s bemoaning his loss of status — or perhaps sardonically celebrating his descent from a place of safety to one of imminent danger.”  

Dotted with elements of Hill’s music, the recording also offers traces of “The Whiffenpoof Song.” On title track “Accelerate Every Voice,” dissonant fragments coalesce into the borrowed Whiffenpoof refrain, “Pass and be forgotten with the rest,” before the featured improvisers Michael Mayo and Kyoko Kitamura deliver searing solos. 

Smythe rounds out the soloing, performing on a hardware setup conceived during a project with colleague Craig Taborn that features a small keyboard set atop his piano to play a piano sample tuned a quarter tone sharp. “This allows me to play the pitches in between the pitches,” says Smythe, who treats the setup both as a compositional tool and as an extension of his instrument, allowing him to improvise within the album’s glossy, spectral harmonies. 

Microtonal harmonies figure prominently in the vocal writing as well. One such sonority opens “Northern Cities Vowel Shift,” whose precisely tuned intervals and evolving layers of vowel sounds create the impression of a moving, molten mass above Francis’ beats and Steven Hrycelak’s bass line. On “Kinetic Whirlwind Sculpture I,” a stretto vocal progression of improvised vowel sounds melds with the piano Smythe has transformed via talk box to emulate the singers’ vocal formants. Momentum gathers moving into “Vehemently,” where lead singer Raquel Acevedo Klein floats above a texture of Kipling quotations, a cappella vocables and a refrain borrowed from the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement.   

Hill’s seminal recording offered Smythe more than sonic inspiration. Named for James Weldon Johnson’s “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” the poem-turned-song that became the Black national anthem, Hill’s Lift Every Voice reflects an of-its-time social and political resonance — “a music,” says Smythe, “of transcendent optimism in the face of overwhelming harm.” 

Another caustic harm upends the record on closer “Piano and Ocean Waves for Deep Relaxation” — part ironic venture into new age and part imaginary realization of Annea Lockwood’s “Southern Exposure,” which calls for a piano to disappear into advancing tides. As the world watches in horror the accelerating rise of global sea levels (whose anthropogenic source artist Julian Charrière depicts in images that adorn the record’s cover and interior), Smythe notes: “It seems like Annea’s could be the piano music of the very near future.”  

Pianist Cory Smythe has worked closely with pioneering artists in new, improvisatory and classical music, including saxophonist-composer Ingrid Laubrock, violinist Hilary Hahn and multidisciplinary composers from Anthony Braxton to Zosha Di Castri. His own music “dissolves the lines between composition and improvisation with rigor” (Chicago Reader), and his first record, Pluripotent, garnered praise from Jason Moran: “Hands down one of the best solo recordings I’ve ever heard.” Smythe has been featured at the Newport Jazz, Wien Modern, Trondheim Chamber Music, Nordic Music Days, Approximation, Concorso Busoni and Darmstadt festivals, as well as at Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart festival, where he recently received an invitation to premiere new work created in collaboration with Peter Evans and Craig Taborn. He has received commissions from Milwaukee’s Present Music, the Banff Centre for the Arts, the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, the International Contemporary Ensemble — of which he is a longtime member — and The Shifting Foundation, which supported both Accelerate Every Voice as well as his 2018 release Circulate Susanna. Smythe received a Grammy award for his work with Hahn and plays regularly in the critically acclaimed Tyshawn Sorey Trio. 

Pianist-composer Kris Davis founded Pyroclastic Records in 2016 to serve the release of her acclaimed recordings Duopoly and Octopus with the goal of growing the label into a thriving platform that would serve like-minded, cutting-edge artists. In 2019, Davis launched a nonprofit to support those artists whose expression flourishes beyond the commercial sphere. By supporting their creative efforts and ensuring distribution of their work, Pyroclastic empowers emerging and established artists — including Cory Smythe, Ben Goldberg, Chris Lightcap, Angelica Sanchez and Marilyn Crispell, Sara Schoenbeck, Eric Revis and Craig Taborn — to continue challenging conventional genre-labeling within their fields. Pyroclastic also seeks to galvanize and grow a creative community, offering young artists new opportunities, supporting diversity and expanding the audience for noncommercial art.