Elina Duni, Rob Luft, Fred Thomas, Matthieu Michel : Lost Ships

Lost Ships is the first collaborative album from Elina Duni and Rob Luft. Their programme of songs of love and exile has been gathering momentum since 2017, when the Albanian-Swiss singer and the British guitarist began their collaboration at a series of workshops in Lausanne. And what started as a kind of enhanced version of Duni's solo Partir project, with Luft expanding the atmospheric sound-world of the songs with electronics and effects, has developed into a partnership where musical parameters are established by both artists, with guitar often effectively a second voice. Along the way the duo has been augmented by distinguished guests. On Lost Ships British multi-instrumentalist Fred Thomas – heard here on piano and percussion - and Swiss flugelhornist Matthieu Michel make significant contributions to the overarching concept. 

"This is an album about contemporary issues facing us all," Duni and Luft explain in an introductory liner note.  Alluded to in song texts and in choice of sources, the migration crisis - a theme explored on Partir - is again a central issue. Lost Ships is "also an album about places we've been and loved," including "places that no longer exist or continue to exist only as a fragment of our imagination."

Material is drawn from many idioms and locations: "There are songs that touch upon past influences, with the sound of Albania and Mediterranean folklore ever-present.  We wanted to explore other musical roots, too: timeless jazz ballads, French chanson, American folk song…"  The broad range of music addressed runs from traditional pieces to original compositions, via songs made famous by Frank Sinatra and Charles Aznavour. "Alongside the gravity that is found in many of the pieces, there is a lightness that pervades throughout, and we believe that this light can and will outshine these troubled times…"  Duni sings in four languages this time – Albanian, English, French, Italian -  a modest total by her own standards (she sang in nine languages on Partir),  and seems to make all of them her own. "Duni's voice is remarkable," the UK's Jazz Journal has observed, "for while it is crystal clear in its multilingual enunciation it is also intimate and expressive in tone."

Born in Tirana, Albania, in 1981, Elina Duni made her first steps on the stage as a singer aged five, singing for National Radio and Television. In 1992, she settled in Geneva, where she started studying classical piano and subsequently discovered jazz. Jazz studies at the Hochschule der Künste in Bern led to the formation of her quartet with Colin Vallon, Patrice Moret and Norbert Pfammatter, a group that lasted for more than 10 years.  The band's interweaving of Balkan folk songs and improvising on albums including the ECM releases Matanë Malit (Beyond the Mountain) and Dallëndyshe (The Swallow), was widely praised for its subtly and adroitness.

The range and reach of Duni's music, in terms of idioms broached, was enlarged with Partir, and continues to grow. Rob Luft, also drawing upon a wide range of influences, addresses its challenges creatively. Luft, who makes his ECM debut here, was born in South London in 1993. He began playing with Britain's National Youth Jazz Orchestra at 15, before going on to study at the  Royal Academy of Music. On graduating in 2016 he received the academy's Kenny Wheeler Jazz Prize; the judges, including Evan Parker and Nick Smart, drew attention to Luft's capacities as improviser, arranger and writer. Subsequently, he has recorded as a leader for the Edition label and worked with musicians including Django Bates, Martin Speake, Kit Downes, Iain Ballamy, Tommy Smith, and many others. Luft is the co-author, with Duni, of several pieces on Lost Ships, including the title track, as well as "Numb", "Brighton", "Flying Kites", "Lux" and "Empty Streets."

Fred Thomas, born 1985 in London, is also making his ECM debut here. Increasingly in-demand as an arranger and producer as well as a player of many instruments, Thomas's broad experience runs from classical music to jazz, transcultural projects and music for theatre. As well as leading his own diverse projects, he has collaborated with Brian Eno, Martin Speake/Ethan Iverson, Jordi Savall, Jarvis Cocker, Kadialy Kouyate and many more and worked as musical director with the National Theatre and Shakespeare's Globe. 

Matthieu Michel, born 1963 in Freiburg im Üechtland, Switzerland, first recorded for ECM in 2013, as a member of Susanne Abbuehl's ensemble on The Gift.  He is currently a member of Michel Benita's quartet and can be heard on the group's new album, Looking At Sounds. Matthieu Michel's considerable discography includes recordings with the Vienna Art Orchestra, Richard Galliano, Christian and Wolfgang Muthspiel and many others.

Lost Ships was recorded at Studios la Buissonne in the South of France in February 2020.

CD booklet includes all song texts and an introductory note by Elina Duni and Rob Luft.

The Comet Is Coming Releases Exclusive Singles "Imminent" and "Super Zodiac - Noss DJ Remix"

"The London-based trio The Comet Is Coming-made up of the saxophonist King Shabaka, the percussionist Betamax, and the keyboardist Danalogue-thrusts empyrean jazz into an apocalyptic future, where raucous psych rock and danceable electro-grooves ride lush tenor lines to outer space."  -THE NEW YORKER

The Comet is Coming follows up the band's globally successful 2019 projects Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery and The Afterlife with two new pulsating singles and a music video. "Imminent," featuring Joshua Idehen was previously released only in physical format as an exclusive RSD Black Friday 12" vinyl, with a DJ Noss remix of the standout track "Super Zodiac" on Side B. Last week, Impulse! Records digitally released the pair of roaring singles and can be streamed here. Released today is the fast-paced, gritty lyric video for "Imminent" directed by the trio's frequent collaborator Jordan Copeland (Tentacle Films Production). 

Copeland set out to produce and direct the "Imminent" video as a cosmic collage of performances with Joshua Idehen's profound lyrics layered in. Unable to travel due to Covid restrictions, Jordan Copeland was remarkably able to remotely direct Joshua Idehen's incendiary performance in Sweden from his studio in East London. The result is a vibrant, gritty, lyric video that perfectly matches the blistering intensity of the track. 

"Joshua ignites a firestorm of rage and contemplation, hope and despair, clearing a space for truth to reveal itself in the midst of the party," raves the trio. In 2016, The Comet is Coming had asked Joshua Idehen to join the group in a commission project for an East London festival, and performed the beat to him. Reminiscing, Joshua Idehen claims he "didn't really think about it, I just started rhyming along, and when the second part came in, I was so worked up I started performing my poem "Black Says." He had written the chorus ages ago (and released it in 2014 with LV on Islands) after witnessing an incident surrounded by police lines. Regarding the victim, he recalls "a lady saying "his time is imminent," and my dumb brain didn't let me forget it."  

Pino Palladino, Blake Mills: 'Just Wrong' from Notes With Attachments

Notes With Attachments, the new album from renowned bassist Pino Palladino and celebrated multi-instrumentalist and producer Blake Mills, is set for release March 12 via New Deal / Impulse!. Initially conceived as a solo record for Palladino, Notes With Attachments quickly evolved into a fully collaborative work centered around the two artists' love for experimentation.

"With a song like this, built in layers, at various points along the road you look around and go: what is this? Where is the composition? Sometimes you end up drawing the blueprints of the house after it's fully been built," says Mills about "Just Wrong." That process touches every song on the record, which typically began with Palladino's own melodic and rhythmic language and developed outward with references shared by the two musicians from West African and Cuban music, funk, jazz, and English folk. 

"It all evolved from me playing Blake a few ideas, getting a reaction from [him] and seeing if he'd be interested in working on [them]," Palladino explains. "As the project evolved in the first few weeks and months-even though the music was mostly coming from my original ideas, some of which I'd had for quite a while-[because of] Blake's response to the ideas, it dawned on both of us that it would be a collaborative record."

Recorded in stages over two and a half years, Notes With Attachments brings together a preeminent group of musicians from the worlds of jazz, R&B, pop, and beyond: the drummer Chris Dave (D'Angelo, Anderson .Paak); the innovative saxophonists Sam Gendel, Marcus Strickland, and Jacques Schwartz-Bart; the keyboardist Larry Goldings (James Taylor, John Scofield); and others. It is both a producers' album and a players' album, exploring bits of musical vocabulary common to the two musicians, then defamiliarizing them.

Two-time Grammy Awards Producer of the Year nominee Blake Mills has released four solo albums and produced and recorded with artists such as Alabama Shakes, Fiona Apple, Bob Dylan, John Legend, Perfume Genius, Jim James, Moses Sumney, Laura Marling, Phoebe Bridgers, Cass McCombs, The Killers, Sara Bareilles, Weyes Blood and Randy Newman. His most recent album Mutable Set, released last year, was praised by Pitchfork as "a hushed collection that floats through the subconscious like a tender dream" and earned their Best New Music title.

Pino Palladino is a Grammy Award winning songwriter, producer and bassist who helped create the rhythm-section sound of D'Angelo's Voodoo and Black Messiah, and over a four-decade career has worked with artists including Keith Richards, Erykah Badu, Eric Clapton, Nine Inch Nails, Questlove, John Mayer, Paul Simon, Jeff Beck, Herbie Hancock and Adele. 

Dino Saluzzi: Albores

Recorded in Buenos Aires last year, Albores [Dawn] is among Dino Saluzzi's most intimate albums, featuring the great Argentine bandoneonist alone with the instrument that has been his constant companion since childhood.

ECM has documented Saluzzi's work in many different creative contexts over the years, but it was as a solo performer that he made his first major statement for the label, with Kultrum (recorded 1982) and then Andina (1988). His bandoneon soliloquies hold a special fascination. To hear Dino playing solo is to hear him thinking aloud, in music that traces aspects of a long life and reflects upon friendships and on spiritual matters, drawing inspiration from the arts and from everyday reality. Like one of his permanent references, Jorge Luis Borges, Saluzzi combines memories, meditations, and imaginative flights in the creation of his own world. "Albores is the outcome of more than six decades of understanding music as the product of reason and discernment," writes Luján Baudino in the liner notes, "the act of capturing feelings in the depth of the soul."

Often characterised as a "storytelling" musician, Saluzzi's tales are multi-layered and allusive.

The album opens with "Adiós Maestro Kancheli", a tribute to the Georgian composer Giya Kancheli, who died in 2019. Saluzzi played some of Kancheli's melodies on the album Themes from the Songbook, recorded in 2010. In his prayerful homage on Albores, Saluzzi alludes to Andean music, a long way from the Caucasus Mountains, perhaps recognising a common bond with another composer whose natural habitat was not the conservatory. 

For his part, Saluzzi often refers, in his music, to the small villages of his childhood and to the working-class neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires in its golden age. He's a poet of both the streets and the countryside. "Intimo" paints a picture of "spring reflected in the lights of a yesteryear Buenos Aires." In "Don Caye - Variaciones sobre obra de Cayetano Saluzzi" he recalls the sounds of his father's music, the sounds that launched Dino on his long journey. As Dino has said: "We didn't get any information through the radio or through albums, and there wasn't any knowledge of academic music or symphonic music or formal concerts when I was very young. But still my father was able to transmit a musical education to me."

In "La Cruz del Sur" Saluzzi draws upon what Lújan Baudino calls "the ancestral sound": "The tune expresses the sorrow characteristic from the history of Latin America. It permeates Saluzzi's sound so that he remains mindful of his origins."

Dino Saluzzi was born in 1935 in the Northwest Argentine province of Salta. After first learning music in the context of the family, he went on to study in Buenos Aires, then returned to the Salta region, consciously embracing its sounds in the new music he was writing then. From the outset, however, he steered clear of rigid stylistic demarcation, and collaborated with musicians across the genres – these including Gato Barbieri, who sought Dino's help for the rediscovery of his own cultural roots on Chapter One: Latin America. 

Since the early 1980s Dino has appeared in many contexts on ECM, from solo and duo to ensembles and orchestral music. Several recordings feature his family band: these include Mojotoro (1991), Juan Condori (2005) and El Valle de la Infancia (2013). Dino's son, guitarist José Maria, also joins his father in trios completed by Marc Johnson (Cite de la musique, 1997) and Palle Danielsson (Responsorium, 2001). Other meetings with jazz musicians are Once Upon A Time Far Away in the South, with Charlie Haden, Palle Mikkelborg and Pierre Favre (1985), Volver with Enrico Rava (1986), and a duo recording with Jon Christensen (Senderos, 2002). Dino's pieces for string quartet and bandoneon were recorded with the Rosamunde Quartet (Kultrum, 1998), and there were further collaborations with cellist Anja Lechner, as on Ojos Negros (2006). Dino, Anja Lechner and Dino's saxophonist brother Felix Saluzzi were the soloists with the Metropole Orchestra on El Encuentro, where Dino's music was conducted by Jules Buckley (2009). Subsequently, Dino and Felix Saluzzi and Anja Lechner formed a new trio, documented on Navidad de Los Andes (2010). Dino's compositions for solo piano were recorded by Horacio Lavendera on Imágenes (2013). 

The highly evocative quality of Dino Saluzzi's music has been noted by directors and his work been integrated into important films including Jean-Luc Godard's Nouvelle Vague and Histoire(s) du Cinéma, Pedro Almodóvar's All About My Mother, and most recently Fernando Meirelles' The Two Popes. 

Albores was recorded at Saluzzi Music Studios between February and October 2019; the album was produced by Manfred Eicher.

CD booklet includes liner notes by Luján Baudino in Spanish and English, and photographs by Juan Hitters, Lisa Franz and Gérard de Haro.

Saxophonist Andrew Van Tassel Announces the Release of Shape-Shifter

Saxophonist, composer, and educator Andrew Van Tassel draws inspiration from a broad palette of genres: bebop/hard bop, fusion, indie rock, classical music, and more. His upcoming release on Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records (BJUR 072), Shape-Shifter (his sophomore release), reflects this multifaceted approach that ultimately produces music distinctly his own, while unveiling compelling explorations with electronics in a contemporary jazz ensemble context. The pursuit of diverse interests is the cornerstone of Van Tassel’s approach to life and music, and he elaborates on this open-minded existence: “The natural world we live in constantly evolves, growing from and fading into different shapes throughout the seasons. Flowers bloom, then whither and find their way back to soil; winds blow their remnants to unknown places, where they might find a landing place to ultimately enrich soil and offer the chance for growth in a new form. Thank goodness our world doesn’t remain stagnant. It evolves. It shifts shape. Here’s to hoping we can learn to open our hearts and minds to better understand how to open ourselves up for change. Thanks for listening. We hope it takes you somewhere.” 

The band Van Tassel assembled for Shape-Shifter features budding stars on the NYC jazz scene whom have collaborated with some of the most decorated stars on the scene, including Michael Mayo – voice, Lucas Hahn – piano, Wurlitzer, Alex Goodman – guitar, Rick Rosato – bass, Kush Abadey – drums and Alex Van Gils – live electronics and processing. His previous album, It’s Where You Are (Tone Rogue Records), received international praise from jazz critics and was recognized as a top 10 release by multiple publications. An original composition from the record garnered attention as a recipient of the 2017 ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award. 

Andrew has performed as a leader at several of New York’s most esteemed venues, including The Jazz Gallery, ShapeShifter Lab, the Cornelia Street Café, the Bar Next Door, Rockwood Music Hall, and more. As a sideman he has performed with an array of bands across genres, including the Grammy-nominated Terraza Big Band. 

He studied at some of the most prestigious music schools in the world, including the Manhattan School of Music and New England Conservatory. While earning his Master’s Degree on scholarship at NEC, he honed his skills under the tutelage of jazz luminaries Jerry Bergonzi, Donny McCaslin, John McNeil, and MacArthur Fellows Jason Moran and Miguel Zenon. Andrew now gives back to the musical community, donating his time as Associate Artistic Director of Musical Mentors Collaborative, Inc. He has also served as a guest artist and clinician at distinguished schools across the country. 

As a performer and composer, he has received accolades by the likes of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), the Loyola Jazz Festival, the University of North Carolina, and more. 

Andrew leads a double life as a musician and a member of the Investor Relations team at the D. E. Shaw group, a global investment management and technology development firm. Experience in finance has allowed Andrew to view music through a new lens. His daily work has led to a deeper understanding of the impact of a single phrase or detail in the context of a whole work. As a result, Andrew has a renewed sense of how phrasing and details impact the stories that come across in his compositions and playing. His work in finance has also made him a better listener; he is now more cognizant of others' needs and how to better understand them. This has translated to the bandstand, enabling Andrew to home in on the needs of his bandmates during moments of spontaneous collaboration, leading to more interplay in his music. 

 

JON BATISTE ANNOUNCES POWERFUL AND GENRE-DEFYING NEW ALBUM WE ARE SET FOR RELEASE MARCH 19

Multi Grammy & Emmy nominated recording artist, TV star and activist Jon Batiste announces a new single "I Need You" from his forthcoming 'black pop' album WE ARE. The album is set for worldwide release on March 19 (Verve Records). The new single is available now, along with a new music video directed by Alan Ferguson (Camilla Cabello, Jay-Z) and choreographed by the Emmy nominated Jemel McWillams (John Legend, Janelle Monáe). The video stars Batiste as the lead man and lead dancer, fronting a high-octane ensemble of dancers

On "I Need You" Batiste showcases his vocal range, accompanied by his once-in-a-generation musicianship. Produced and written in collaboration with songwriter Autumn Rowe and producer Kizzo, the song is communal and deceptively sophisticated. It fuses the sound of early 20th century black social music, with modern pop production and a hint of hip-hop storytelling. He expertly alternates between belting high notes in full voice, to singing harmony with himself on the choruses, to delivering the verses in a 'farm rap' style. Batiste then dives into two killer instrumental breaks on both piano and saxophone - all in less than 3 minutes.

"This song is a vibe cleanse. After 2020, this is like a warm hug," says Batiste. "Let's bring the vibes back!"

The video stars Jon as both a charming leading man and a bandleader with a sly nod to Little Richard and James Brown. It pays homage to Harlem era swing dances of the 1920s, 30s and 40s, with hints of New Wave film. Featuring swing and Lindy Hop choreography from Emmy-nominated choreographer Jemel McWilliams and directed by Alan Ferguson, the video brims with healing energy and unbridled joy. The video made its broadcast premiere today on MTV Live, BET Soul, and mtvU.

"I Need You" is the second single from Jon's highly anticipated album WE ARE. The first was the titular track, released as an accompanying anthem to Batiste's nationally recognized musical protests in New York City last summer.

WE ARE represents a completely new sonic chapter for Jon Batiste. Inviting some of the most esteemed creative minds to assist in birthing the album, he reached the finish line smack in the middle of the first wave of the worldwide pandemic and volatile social unrest. The result is a body of work characterized by the consciousness of Marvin Gaye, the grounded optimism of Stevie Wonder, the iconoclasm of Thelonious Monk and the swagger of Mannie Fresh.

Alongside songwriter Autumn Rowe and producer Kizzo, Batiste wrote and planned much of the project in about a week from his dressing room at The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where he's the musical director and bandleader. WE ARE was recorded in New York, Los Angeles and in his native New Orleans, melding inspiration from his new home and new collaborators with that of the Batiste musical dynasty. The album was also recorded in between sessions for Disney/Pixar's 2020 hit film Soul­, which saw Batiste's music — and hands — incorporated into the animation about a teacher who dreams of being a jazz pianist.

Batiste presents a captivating musical experience to the world rooted in catharsis, joy, freedom, contemplation and sensuality. It's a love letter to his southern roots and the heritage of Black Music with guest appearances by Mavis Staples, Quincy Jones, Zadie Smith, PJ Morton, Trombone Shorty, St Augustine Marching 100, his father Michael Batiste, grandfather David Gauthier and many more. It is a meditation steeped in the sounds of the times with collaborators including POMO (Anderson.Paak), Ricky Reed (Lizzo), Jahaan Sweet (Drake, Eminem) and others. 

"I'm publicly known for some things already," says Batiste. "But there's so much more to know about me. It's always been there. Now is the time to show the world my full artistry."

Batiste continues, "WE ARE is a message of love for humanity, of humble reverence for our past, and of a hopeful future, in which we are the ones who can save us. The art reveals its motive to you. You just have to wait for the Spirit to tell you what it wants."

One of the best-known musicians of his generation, virtuoso pianist, singer, bandleader, educator and television personality Jon Batiste has spent his career bringing that music back to where it started — that is, with the people. From his days at Juilliard, where he established his Stay Human band by playing around New York City's subways and in street performances he called "love riots," to his work since 2015 as the bandleader and musical director of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, the Kenner, Louisiana native has consistently channeled his superb technical skill and deep knowledge of jazz tradition towards a specific, intentional purpose: making people's lives better and brighter, one harmonaboard (that's harmonica and keyboard, combined) solo at a time.

Born into Louisiana's legendarily musical Batiste family, Jon has performed and recorded widely since his teens; his 2013 album, Social Music, spent weeks atop the Billboard and iTunes jazz charts. Batiste tapped T Bone Burnett to produce his Verve debut, Hollywood Africans, which received wide acclaim when it was released in 2018 — the Wall Street Journal called it "an elegant meditation." His version of "St. James Infirmary Blues" also earned him his first Grammy nomination in 2019, in the Best American Roots Performance category.

His flexibility as an artist, his fluency in jazz as well as popular music of all stripes, has allowed him to collaborate with legends from Wynton Marsalis, a mentor since his Juilliard days, to Prince — as well as many of the widely-varied artists who appear on the Late Show. Batiste's marquee performances have ranged from the Grammy's, to the Kennedy Center Honors, to the US Open and the NBA All-Star Game — in 2015, Batiste and the Stay Human Band became the first group to play the main stage at both the Newport Jazz and Folk festivals.

Batiste played himself on the HBO series Treme and appeared in director Spike Lee's Red Hook Summer — most recently, his music was featured in the 2020 Disney/Pixar film Soul. He's been awarded the American Jazz Museum Lifetime Achievement Award, the Harry Chapin ASCAP Humanitarian Award and appeared on Forbes' 30 Under 30 list; Batiste also currently serves as the Music Director of The Atlantic and the Co-Artistic Director of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem.

Jon Batiste is devoted to the education and mentorship of young musicians. He has led his own Social Music Residency and Mentoring Program sponsored by Chase, as well as master classes throughout the world. He has also led several cultural exchanges, beginning in 2006, while still a teen, with the Netherlands Trust, which brought students from the USA and Holland to perform with him at the Royal Concertgebouw and Carnegie Hall.

Batiste balances a demanding performance schedule with public speaking engagements, masterclasses, brand partnerships, community activism and acting roles. His composing and songwriting will be featured in his large-scale, genre-melding symphonic work "American Symphony," set to premiere at Carnegie Hall in 2021 and he has been developing a Broadway musical about the life of famed painter Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Jamie Cullum To Host Fourth Edition Of The Prestigious LetterOne 'RISING STARS' Jazz Award Ceremony; Winners To Be Announced Live February 6th

The fourth annual edition of the highly-acclaimed LetterOne 'RISING STARS' Jazz Award will announce its winners February 6th, 2021, via a global live stream broadcast on NPR's WBGO at 9 p.m. (ET).  Hosted by Jamie Cullum and featuring appearances by Dee Dee Bridgewater, Terri Lyne Carrington, Christian McBride and others as well as the winners,  the prestigious award offers one European winner and one U.S. winner the unprecedented opportunity to appear at popular Jazz festivals throughout the Europe and the U.S respectively, with all expenses covered and an accompanying dedicated promotion/marketing team.

Over 375 up-and-coming artists from Europe and over 350 from the U.S. completed submissions for this year's award which is open to all age groups, and approximately one-third of this year's applicants were women.  This year's substantial number of contestants eclipsed the amount of entries from 2019 by more than a third.

This year's stellar international Jury consists of Jazz superstar, educator and three-time Grammy Award Winner Terri Lyne Carrington (Jury head); producer Brian Bacchus (Gregory Porter, Randy Weston), media personality, journalist and festival director Alex Dutilh; international businessman, philanthropist and founder of the International Jazz Festival in Lvov, Mikhail Fridman; journalist, author and NPR contributor Michelle Mercer and UK Guardian Senior Arts Editor Imogen Tilden. 

What sets the LetterOne 'RISING STARS' Jazz Award apart is the exposure and support provided to the winners - for the U.S. winner there are confirmed appearances at 10 major festivals such as Montreal, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., while the European winner receives concerts at seven festivals including Nice, Vitoria, Umbria and Jazz Open in Stuttgart - often supporting artists such as Marcus Miller or Bobby McFerrin.  The LetterOne 'RISING STARS' Jazz Award tour, agent and marketing support equates to a monetary value in excess of E75,000 or $85,000, making the prize one of the most valuable Jazz awards in the world.  

Producing the Award is the award-winning Air Artist Agency, whose director Burkhard Hopper has a long-standing experience in introducing new artists. For 9 years Burkhard Hopper ran the Rising Stars concert series in Europe which – among others – introduced artists such as Diana Krall, Brad Mehldau, Benny Green, Jane Monheit, David Sanchez and Esbjörn Svensson to European audiences.

The "LetterOne 'RISING STARS' Jazz Award" is a significant event in the international jazz calendar that benefits from the sponsorship and backing of Mikhail Fridman, an international businessman, philanthropist and most importantly a huge jazz fan. Besides being a frequent visitor of Jazz festivals around the world, Fridman is also the founder of the Leopolis Jazz Festival in Lvov (UA).

www.l1risingstarsjazzaward.com

New channels honouring Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, and Motown launch on SiriusXM

SiriusXM announced new limited-engagement channels and specialty programming as a part of SiriusXM Celebrates Black History Month, beginning February 1 through March 1.

Limited-engagement channels, saluting powerful, pioneering Black artists, Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, and recognizing the sounds and artists from legendary record label, Motown, will be available throughout the month of February on the SiriusXM app, internet connected devices and smart speakers in your home. Each of these channels will also be available on a respective satellite channel for a limited time, see details below.

SiriusXM has collaborated with these historic artists and their teams to create unique, hand-crafted radio channels that listeners and fans will find exclusively on SiriusXM.

The Aretha Franklin Channel will pay homage to the 'Queen of Soul' by featuring Aretha's iconic catalog, from her early recordings to biggest hits, which have withstood the test of time. Listeners can also expect to hear music from artists that have been influenced by Aretha. The Aretha Franklin Channel will be available on the SiriusXM app in the Hip-Hop/R&B category. Channel 49 (Soul Town) will become The Aretha Franklin Channel from February 15 at 12:00 pm ET through February 21. 

The Jimi Hendrix Experience Channel will immerse listeners into the world of the legendary rock guitarist and singer, who redefined music with his compositions on the electric guitar, with studio and live performances, demos and original programming. The deep influence of Hendrix will be represented on "My Hendrix Experience," a show curated by guest DJs, who will share their love of Hendrix and his music. Additionally, the channel will feature music from artists that influenced Hendrix, as well as those that were influenced by him and that have covered his music. The Jimi Hendrix Experience Channel will be available on the SiriusXM app in the Rock category. Channel 27 (Deep Tracks) will become The Jimi Hendrix Experience Channel from February 8 at 12:00 pm ET through February 14.

Miles Davis Radio will honour one of the most significant and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz music by showcasing music from over 100 of Davis' albums and featuring alumni band members as hosts. These band members include Marcus Miller, Lenny White, John Beasley, Joey DeFrancesco, Vince Wilburn Jr., and others. Miles Davis Radio will be available on the SiriusXM app in the Jazz/Standards category. Channel 67 (Real Jazz) will become Miles Davis Radio from February 22 at 12:00 pm ET through February 28.

The Motown Channel will celebrate the iconic record label envisioned by Berry Gordy, that generated history-making artists, who changed music forever. The channel will feature music from Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, The Jackson 5 and more. A special virtual event, celebrating the 60th Anniversary of The Supremes, with founding member of The Supremes, Mary Wilson, will also be broadcast on the channel. The Motown Channel will be available on the SiriusXM app in the Hip-Hop/R&B category. Channel 49 (Soul Town) will become The Motown Channel from February 1 at 12:00 pm ET through February 7.

SiriusXM Celebrates Black History Month will extend across an array of music channels throughout the month of February, with specialty programming dedicated to iconic Black artists who have impacted the history of music. See the featured broadcast schedule below. For information on SiriusXM Celebrates Black History Month specialty programming and full broadcast schedule, please visit:siriusxm.ca/blackhistorymonth

Bob Marley's Tuff Gong Radio (ch. 19) will celebrate Bob Marley's birthday on February 6 with a special "All Bob, All Day," format playing only music from the Bob Marley repertoire in between a series of special programs that begin with a new children's show hosted by Ziggy Marley inspired by Ziggy's Grammy-winning Family Time album and the recently-released follow up More Family Time. Additional programming will feature an exclusive "Survivor 76" party mix from DJ GQ, as well as highlights of the annual "Reggae Jam Session" concert, which traditionally closes the annual birthday celebrations at the Marley Museum in Kingston. The highlights line-up includes the late great legends Toots Hibbert and Betty Wright and new performances from Kabaka Pyramid, Papa Michigan, Richie Spice, Tifa, Tanya Stephens, Skip Marley, Jo Mersa Marley, and Agent Sasco. Country star Kenny Chesney will kick off the birthday weekend programming as a guest DJ, playing some of his favourite Bob Marley recordings and sharing how reggae music impacted his life and career, on Friday, February 5 at 7 p.m. ET. Special programming will continue to air on the channel beyond Marley's birthday in honour of Black History Month.

B.B. King's Bluesville Powered by The Blues Foundation (ch. 74) will pay tribute to the founding artists of blues music and the prominent artists who continue to move blues music forward. Hourly vignettes, presented in partnership with The Blues Foundation, will salute legendary Black artists of the blues including, Muddy Waters, Big Mama Thronton, John Lee Hooker, Etta James, Robert Johnson, Koko Taylor, BB King and more. The channel will also feature exclusive live performances at SiriusXM's studios from Buddy Guy, Shemekia Copeland, Keb' Mo', Gaye Adegbalola, Gary Clark Jr., Irma Thomas, Joe Lewis Walker and more. 

Heart & Soul (ch. 48) will host Common for "There's a Beautiful Revolution Happening" Town Hall event, to celebrate his latest album, There's a Beautiful Revolution Happening Pt. 1., which is meant to uplift, heal and inspire those that are dealing with racial injustices. The one-hour event will broadcast on February 20 at 4 p.m. ET.  

Hip Hop Nation (ch. 44) will spotlight today's most paramount and ground-breaking Black artists impacting music now. All month long, the channel will give credit where credit is due to artists such as Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj and more, with specially-produced segments.

Kirk Franklin's Praise (ch. 64) will see Franklin in conversation with legendary gospel artists Jonathan McReynolds, Kierra Sheard and more led by both Franklin and our own Isaac Carree, as they discuss the meaning of Black History Month. "Honouring the Legends of Gospel Music on Kirk Franklin's Praise" will air Saturday, February 20 at 9 a.m. ET.

SiriusXM Celebrates Black History Month programming is available to listeners nationwide on SiriusXM radios, the SiriusXM app, and at home on a wide variety of connected devices including smart TVs, devices with Amazon Alexa or the Google Assistant, Apple TV, PlayStation, Roku, Sonos speakers and more. Go to www.siriusxm.ca/ways-to-listen/ to learn more.

NEW Omar Sosa CD Release - An East African Journey

An exquisite set of recordings featuring Omar Sosa collaborations with East African artists — mixing traditional sounds with jazz in a subtle, contemporary production.

"Binding folkloric music to the very essence of World Jazz, Sosa conducts this East Africa pilgrimage with the ease of a master whose pursuit of creative endeavors has always been guided by ingenious expressions of musical curiosity. Pensive, festive and joyful, 'An East African Journey' is a chance to swim in a sound that elegantly connects so many important musical traditions with those now flourishing in the present." —Michael Ambrosino, Currents & Dialectics

"The latest chapter in Sosa's long-standing fascination with blending the folkloric and the modern, the acoustic and the electronic, An East African Journey is a cross-cultural gem of a project that discovers enlivening connections — open doors — between musical traditions." —Mel Minter, Musically Speaking

During months of quarantine this year, Omar put together a new project on the terrace of his apartment in Barcelona called KO-BCN Quartet, featuring tuba (Amaiur Gonzales), trombone (Miguel Moises), and DJ (Yohitsounds). It's a fun and altogether new direction for Omar, and we're pleased a music video of the band's song 'Moments of Joy' debuted October 16, 2020 on the Late Summer Jazz series of ARTE.TV, the wonderful European culture channel.

New Release: Brownout | Jungle Fire - Renegades Of Jazz Remixes

Matasuna Records kicks off 2021 with another 7inch. This record features two remixes by German DJ and producer David Hanke aka Renegades Of Jazz, for Afro-latin Funk bands Brownout and Jungle Fire.

Brownout's remix was first released in 2013 via Paris DJs on a very limited run of 45s and quickly became very sought after. By painstakingly cutting every instrument's individual notes, increasing the tempo and adding in a punchy breakbeat at the end, David turned Flaximus into an up-tempo dancefloor hit.

Jungle Fire's song Comencemos that appears on the B side is a cover version of Fela Ransome-Kuti's song Let's Start.David added some more Afrofunk elements to the Jungle Fire version and builds a bridge to the original Fela version with the additional elements. The Jungle Fire remix is previously unreleased and will be available on vinyl for the first time.

David Hanke has been linked to Matasuna Records since our early days, when he released his Dem Juju Poets debut album on Matasuna in 2017. Most recently he delivered a dancefloor-friendly edit of Mawuli Decker's 'Mololi-Lomko' at the end of 2020, again released on Matasuna. David is constantly producing and surprises regularly with new musical projects, restlessly trying to develop and refine his sound. With his new label, Bathurst, he created a home for all his electronic music projects. Bathurst follows the notion of not focusing on any formats or genres, but caring more about the electronic music Hanke adores.

Nine-piece band Brownout from Austin/Texas, was formed in 2005 by members of the Grammy Award-winning Latin orchestra Grupo Fantasma and have since become a musical force of their own. In addition to three Austin Music Awards, the band has performed at countless events and festivals and has regularly toured the U.S. also as highly sought-after backing band for artists like Prince, GZA and many more. Their albums and singles have been released on labels like Freestyle Records, Ubiquity or Fat Beats.

Jungle Fire is an Afrolatin Funk band from Los Angeles known for their authentic and highly explosive sound. They quickly gained attention of the local Los Angeles scene and beyond, which led to their first release on the Funk and Soul label Colemine. Other releases have been released on Nacional Records, Paris DJs and Razor N Tape. Their second album "Jambú" debuted at #4 on the Billboard Latin charts in February 2017 which led to numerous features in several movies, commercials and TV shows. They create a unique Afro-Tropical sound by combining West African rhythms with heavy funk elements.

The 7inch single will be released February 5th 2021 exclusively on vinyl.

New Music Releases: Franco Ambrosetti, Marcos Resende & Index, Lisa Hilton

Franco Ambrosetti - Lost Within You

At 79, Franco Ambrosetti is easily the most elegant man in the room. Poised, refined, charming, conversant in five languages - one being the language of jazz - he is the very embodiment of 'suave.' A man of means who carries himself with an abundance of confidence and grace rather than swagger, he also happens to possess a remarkable gift for conveying heartfelt emotion through his horn. And like one of his role models, Miles Davis, the iconic Swiss trumpeter-composer and bandleader is indeed a beautiful singer of songs, as he so capably demonstrates on Lost Within You, his third recording for Unit Records and 25th overall as a leader.

Marcos Resende & Index (The Lost Debut Album)

Recorded in 1976 at Sonoviso Studios in Rio, the Brazilian keyboard and synth maestro Marcos Resende and his new group Index, made up of Rubão Sabino, Claudio Caribé and Oberdan Magalhães recorded their debut album for Creed Taylor's famed CTI Records. But the deal with the label fell through, and the album was shelved by Resende who had other priorities working with the likes of Gilberto Gil, Edu Lobo, Gal Costa and Carlos Dafé, as well as making music for TV and film.Thankfully Marcos kept the tapes safe and presented them to Far Out's Joe Davis at his home in Lisbon in 2018, but only after 25 years of Joe pleading to hear them. Since then Marcos worked closely with Far Out towards restoring these recordings over the last two years, but tragically passed away after a battle with stomach cancer on 12th November 2020 at the age of 73, only a matter of weeks before the album was due to be unveiled to the world. With the blessing of the Resende family who wish to honour his memory by ensuring these historic recordings see the light of day, Marcos Resende & Index is out today, 44 years since it was originally recorded, on vinyl, CD and digital formats. 

Lisa Hilton - More Than Another Day

"Impressions of color and depth.” JazzWeekly. For her latest jazz release, pianist, composer and producer Lisa Hilton teams up with long-standing band mates Luques Curtis/bass, and Rudy Royston/drums, on More Than Another Day. Hilton delivers creatively on nine new originals and a Cole Porter cover, recorded with stellar additional from her trio mates. Hilton and company are upbeat and engaging - this is music for today, for this year, and of course, for More Than Another Day.

ST. GERMAIN: TOURIST 20th ANNIVERSARY TRAVEL VERSION

To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of his TOURIST album, Ludovic Navarre aka St Germain has invited UK, South Africa, USA, Reunion Island and France producers, DJs and remixers with various musical inspirations, from Deep House to Afro House and Chicago House ... He declares : " I would like to thank all the people I asked to travel through their favorite "Tourist' album track. Some of them worked on my last Africa-inspired album in 2015, like my dear friend AtJazz, who helped me a lot on this new project, and also Terry Laird Dj Deep and Traumer. I don't have to introduce highly respected newcomers such as Nightmares on Wax , JoVonn, Ron Trent, Black Motion, Osunlade and Jullian Gomes. I truly enjoy their passion for music, their personality and musical integrity. I know they've got soul ! "

TRACKLIST 

01. Rose Rouge (Atjazz Galaxy Aart Remix)

02. Sure Thing (Osunlade Yoruba Soul Mix)

03. Rose Rouge (Terry Laird Nu Maloya Fusion Mix)

04. Rose Rouge (Ron Trent Jazzfunksuite for Musicandpower Remix)

05. So Flute (Ludovic Naverre Amapiano Version 2020)

06. Sure Thing (Black Motion Anniversary Mix)

07. Rose Rouge (Jovonn Oldskool ’90s Remix)

08. Sure Thing (Jullian Gomes Remix)

09. Rose Rouge (Nightmares on Wax Rerub)

10. What You Think About (Traumer Re-jammed Remix)

11. Sure Thing (DJ Deep Remix) 

This journey began on September 4th, 2020 in England with the Deep House version of ROSE ROUGE by English producer Martin Iveson aka ATJAZZ. Then on October 16, Destination South Africa with Dj Murdah and Thabo Smol who form the Afro House duo BLACK MOTION with their version of the flagship song SURE THING.

 

New Music Releases: Charles Lloyd & The Marvels, Joe Chambers, Pharoah Sanders

Charles Lloyd & The Marvels - Tone Poem

Charles Lloyd & The Marvels have released “Ramblin’,” a rollicking version of Ornette Coleman’s tune from the forthcoming album Tone Poem out March 12. Lloyd debuted his collective The Marvels—featuring Bill Frisell on guitar, Greg Leisz on pedal steel guitar, Reuben Rogers on bass, and Eric Harland on drums—on I Long To See You (2016) followed by Vanished Gardens (2018) with Lucinda Williams. The vinyl edition of Tone Poem will be the first new release to be featured as part of the Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Series supervised by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray, pressed at RTI, and packaged in a deluxe Stoughton gatefold tip-on jacket. It available now for pre-order now on vinyl, CD or digital download.

Joe Chambers - Samba De Maracatu

Joe Chambers will release Samba de Maracatu on Feb. 26, a notable Blue Note return for a significant figure in the label’s history. The Brazilian flavored title track “Samba de Maracatu” features him on drums, vibraphone, and percussion with Brad Merritt on keys and Steve Haines on bass. In the 1960s, Chambers played on many progressive classics like Wayne Shorter Adam’s Apple, Bobby Hutcherson Components, Freddie Hubbard’s Breaking Point, and Joe Henderson’s Mode for Joe. His own 1998 Blue Note debut Mirrors featured Eddie Henderson, Vincent Herring, Mulgrew Miller, and Ira Coleman.

Pharoah Sanders - Jewels Of Thought

A wonderful reunion of Pharoah Sanders and vocalist Leon Thomas – and a set that captures a lot of the same energy as the pair's previous record – Karma! Thomas' vocals are in wonderful form for the set – stretching out soulfully on the extended classic "Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah" – a title that has much of the same grace and power as "The Creator Has A Master Plan. The rest of the players on the date include Lonnie Liston Smith on piano, Richard Davis and Cecil McBee on basses, and Idris Muhammad and Roy Haynes on drums – and unusually enough, each of the double bassists and drummers gets their own channel of sound to work with! The other long track on the album is the extended "Sun In Aquarius" – which is a bit more outside, but still pretty great! ~ Dusty Groove

The Fabulous Red Diesel Record Modern Soul Jazz Classic, The Queensbury House Sessions, in One Take!

The Fabulous Red Diesel are a collective quite unlike any other and their new album, The Queensbury House Sessions, looks to introduce them into the hearts and minds of music fans everywhere. A husband and wife on vocals and drums; a transgender trumpeter and double-bassist; and a synth player and guitarist named Rabbi Jaffa Delicious – on paper unconventional but their sound will hypnotise you, a beguiling mix of smoky jazz and achingly swooning soul, their latest single is Butterfly Mind, a track which says that no matter how your mind flits from one idea to the next, true love remains constant.

The Fabulous Red Diesel are Ms Kitty (Kat Lee-Ryan) on vocals, keys and flute; Duke Boom (husband, Will Lee-Ryan) on drums; Miss Bea-Have (Beatrice Gullick) on double bass, tuba and trumpet and Rabbi Jaffa Delicious (Simon Dobell) on guitar and trumpet. Based in Hastings, they have built up a loyal fanbase, not only through their live shows which have seen them supporting and playing alongside the likes of The James Taylor Quartet, Skunk Anansie and Jeff Buckley but also their unique sound, fusing classic 60s soul with jazz arrangements and a rhythm section which can skip from hip-hop beats to Latin to funk. The Queensbury House Sessions is their new album, sixteen extraordinary tracks, each recorded in just one take at a disused office block (called, yes, Queensbury House) to truly capture their live sound.

Writing songs like spells, Butterfly Mind is best summed up by the writer, Kat:

“It's about the way my brain works and the way music flits from one person to another, changing their perception (hopefully for the better) by tiny inspirational touches. And then it's also a love song - I am married to the drummer and I'm saying no matter how many twists and turns and expansions my mind has, I am always grounded in him - you know I've got a butterfly mind but I settle on you ‘’

Although defiantly upbeat and circus-like in their approach to entertaining audiences, Kat’s own life has been touched by tragedy, her sister taking her own life in 2006. As part of the grieving process, she wrote and developed a stage show called Sparkly Bird which has gone on to sell-out theatres as well as educate audiences about mental health at Universities and for the NHS. With songs written by Ms Kitty and the music, of course, performed by The Fabulous Red Diesel (and with aerial performances, a narrator and dance), it’s yet another side of a collective who mix their ideas and personalities with real passion, flair and invention.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcwSFdbx-xw&ab_channel=TheFabulousRedDiesel

New Music Releases: Diego Rivera, Underflow, Nat Birchall

Diego Rivera - Indigenous

Diego Rivera's a hell of a tenorist – and he plays a bit of soprano too – packing a heck of a lot into just a little bit of space, almost with the mix of hardbop and soul jazz we'd hear from 60s favorites like Benny Golson or Jerome Richardson! As with both of those artists, Rivera's got a way of making his presence known right from the start – but then never needs to overstate himself – as his playing is always right on the money, with just the right notes along the way – supported here by a crack quartet that features Helen Sung on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass, and Donald Edwards on drums – plus trumpet from Etienne Charles on three of the album's twelve tracks. Many tunes are originals by Diego – just the right material for his balance of expression – and titles include "Indigenous", "Sombras Del Pasado", "Secret Life Of Plants", "Melina Maria", "BLM Plaza", "Shir Lashalom", and "Purpose". ~ Dusty Groove

Underflow (David Grubbs/Mats Gustafsson/Rob Mazurek) - Instant Opaque Evening 

A fantastic collaboration between three of the most creative improvisers on the planet – an extended live set that's even better than the studio outing the group gave us on their debut! The lineup here features David Grubbs on guitar and voice, Rob Mazurek on piccolo trumpet and electronics, and Mats Gustafsson on flute, baritone sax, and fluteophone – plus some live electronics as well! The players clearly have tremendous respect and sympathy for each other – and rather than an all-star outing in which everyone's trying to wrestle to the top, the music moves very organically between structure and improvisation – really thoughtful creation throughout, at a level that makes the whole thing even greater than the sum of its three mighty parts. Titles include "Gethsemani Night", "Not At My Funeral", "Self Portrait As Interference Pattern", "A Thin Eternity", "Planks", "Instant Opaque Evening", and "Cooler Side Of The Pillow". ~ Dusty Groove

Nat Birchall - Exalation: Live In Athens Volume 1

We always love the music of British tenor saxophonist Nat Birchall – but here, he's in an even more amazing setting than usual – really stretching out in a live format, and working with two Greek musicians who really bring a lot to the performance! In addition to these long, spiritual solos from Nat, the record also features work from Harris Lambrakis on ney – a flute-like reed instrument that provides a perfect balance to the depth of Birchall's tenor – as both musicians stretch out on long-building tracks with modal rhythms from Adam Fairhall on piano, Seth Bennett on bass, and Andy Hay on drums and percussion – plus a second set of drums from Nikos Sidirokastris – who really helps propel things forward. Titles include "Exaltation", "Humility", and "For Michalis". ~ Dusty Groove

New Music Releases: Miles Bonny, Muriel Grossmann, Quincy Davis

Miles Bonny - Lumberjack Soul 2

It's been almost a decade since the first Lumberjack Soul album from Miles Bonny – and in that time, he's grown tremendously – both as a singer and musician, and as an artist who's really in command of his sound! Miles' voice still has the raspy charm we loved before, but the overall setting is far richer and more complex – maybe in a way that owes a lot more to jazz than before, although still with just the right inflections of beats – which are balanced with all these really creative sonic touches from Bonny – shapes and sounds from trumpet, piano, moog, and some other sources that are a bit hard to figure out – mixed together wonderfully. Titles include "Day Alone", "Go With The Sun", "In This World", "Soulful Melodies", "Release & Expand", "Wantu", and "Mother Of Love". ~ Dusty Groove

Muriel Grossmann - Quiet Earth

There's nothing quiet about the way that Muriel Grossman approaches her music – as the saxophonist is one of the boldest, strongest voices in jazz in the past decade – one of the key proponents of the new spiritual underground, and a player who just seems to win us over more and more with each new record! This album's got the amazing rhythmic pulse of Grossman's previous records, but also shifts the sound slightly too – as in addition to the fantastic use of guitar by Radomir Milojkovic, the set also features these strongly swirling organ lines from Llorenc Barcelo – in a way that makes us imagine what it might sound like if we ever got to hear those lost jam sessions between John Coltrane and Larry Young! Grossman blows tenor, alto, and soprano sax here, with a rich sense of imagination throughout – and the rest of the group features Gina Schwarz on bass and Uros Stamenkovic on drums – on long titles that include "Wien", "African Call", "Quiet Earth", and "Peaceful River".  ~ Dusty Groove

Quincy Davis - Q Vision

Drummer Quincy Davis has a very visionary approach here – music that makes a bold statement for his role as a leader, as Davis works here with three different groups on a strong set of original material! The mix of players is wonderful – shading in and adding voice to Quincy's music in different ways – sometimes with a septet that includes Philip Dizack on trumpet, Myron Walden on alto, Peter Bernstein on guitar, and JD Allen on tenor – other times with a quintet that has the great Warren Wolf on vibes and Dayna Stephens on tenor. There's also two trio tracks – with excellent piano from Xavier Davis and bass from Ugonna Okegwo – and in the other groups, Adam Birnbaum handles piano, with either Richie Goods or Vicente Archer on bass. Davis has this great way of blending darkness and light in his compositions, in a style that's echoed strongly by the soloists – on titles that include "Shorter Days", "Nat Turner", "Lost In Thought", "The Creeper", "Outbreak", and "Slippery Slope".  ~ Dusty Groove

New Music Releases: Tori Handsley, Mayer Hawthorne, Daniel Humair

Tori Handsley - As We Stand

Tori Handsley may not look like your usual jazz musician on the front cover – but she's part of the contemporary London scene, and really breaks out here alongside some killer drums from the great Moses Boyd! Handley plays both piano and electric harp with lots of cool effects – and the trio also features this round, rolling basswork from Ruth Goller – a player who's a perfect counterpart for Boyd's nonstop sense of energy! This is the first we've ever heard of Tori – and she's wonderful on piano, playing with this bold sense of flow that should get her plenty of attention in years to come – and her use of the electric harp is equally great, and never gimmicky at all – a very cool instrument that's often processed in ways that really bring out the richness of its sound. Sahra Gure sings on three of the album's tracks, but the main vibe is instrumental – and titles include "Polar Retreat", "Rivers Of Mind", "Home", "Settling In to The Sun", "Kestrel", "As We Stand", "Out Of Sight Out Of Mind", and "Convolution". ~ Dusty Groove

Mayer Hawthorne – Rare Changes 

Raised by hippie parents in Ann Arbor, Michigan, smack between the Hash Bash and the car factories -Hawthorne’s old man taught him to play bass guitar at age five. He would play records in the house all while Mayer was growing up. He put him up on game. He’d say, “You hear him singing there? That’s David Ruffin.” Or, “You hear that guitar solo? That’s Stephen Stills.” And young Hawthorne would sit there, with his bowl of cereal, soaking it up.Mayer DJed in Michigan at the height of Detroit hip-hop. He was there. Before Em blew, when Dilla was still alive. He was spinning records and making rap beats. Now he’s making soul records and rappers are sampling him. Circle of life.Mayer’s been digging in the crates and you can hear the influences in his music. A touch of Shuggie Otis here, some Bob Marley there, a sprinkle of Sly Stone…

Daniel Humair - Drum Thing

Fantastic work from drummer Daniel Humair – a hugely important creative musician, still very much at the top of his game! Humair was one of the first European percussionists to really set his instrument free from conventions of timekeeping – to open up more possibilities for melody, which is definitely the case here – as Daniel works in a nicely loose group – with Stephane Kerecki on superb acoustic bass, and Vincent Le Quang on tenor and soprano sax – plus a bit of guest flugelhorn from Yoann Loustalot. The songs vary in length and approach, but always have a warmth that other drummers in this situation might not find – that way that Humair has of letting himself free, but never going too far outside – so that there's always this resonance with the bass, which sounds tremendous next to the saxophone. Titles include "Heaven's Gate", "Drum Thing 2", "Mutinerie", "La Cantonal", "Prologue", and a number of "Interlude" tracks. ~ Dusty Groove

New Music Releases: Terrace Martin & Devi Dev, Apifera, Le Deal

Terrace Martin & Devi Dev - Here My Dear

A set inspired by the Marvin Gaye album of the same name, but delivered here in a very contemporary spirit – handled with lots of fantastic production from Terrace Martin – who moves between a mix of hip hop and some of the cosmic jazz touches that have become his strength in more recent years! Guests include a lot of heavyweight talents – Kendrick Lamar, Kurupt, Wiz Khalifa, Charlie Wilson, Snoop Dogg, and others – and titles include "What You Won't Do For Love", "Expectations", "Here My Dear", "Call Me", "Makings Of You", "Koo Koo Cyco Loco", "Hey Girl", "Show Her The Way", and "Cheat". ~ Dusty Groove

Apifera - Overstand

A jazz set, but one that's in a very Stones Throw mode – as the music here mixes jazz elements with more contemporary production elements, and blends together the live and programmed in a mighty nice way! The group's a quartet, most of whom have played on other Stones Throw albums – and the lineup features twin keyboard work from Yuval Havkin (aka Rejoicer) and Nitai Hershkovits, plus bass from Yonatan Albalak and drums from Amir Bresler – the last of whom has a great rhythmic pulse that often defines the energy of the set! Titles include "Notre Damn", "Pulse 420", "Four Green Yellows", "Iris One", "Lake Vu", "The Pit & The Beggar", and "Yaki's Delight". ~ Dusty Groove

Le Deal - Jazz Traficantes

A beautiful debut from this hip French group – a quartet that features piano and arrangements by Florian Pellissier, who we've loved on his other records – plus Yoann Loustalot on flugelhorn, Theo Girard on bass, and Malick Koly on drums – really stretching out here at a session recorded at the legendary Rudy Van Gelder studio! The mix of flugelhorn and piano is great – used spaciously, with really well-punctuated notes from Loustalot – balanced with bolder work from Pelissier on piano and a bit of Fender Rhodes – on a set of all original material that has a wonderfully fresh feel. There's a slightly spiritual current to the music, but the overall sound is maybe more in the territory of 70s soul jazz – sophisticated, but very down to earth too – on titles that include "Custom Agents", "Riot In Chinatown", "Jazz Traficantes", and the three part "Mexican Junkanoo" suite. CD also features the bonus track "Noche En La Carcel". ~ Dusty Groove

New Music Releases: Sun Ra Arkestra, Mandrill, Omniversal Earkestra

Sun Ra Arkestra — Swirling 

Sun Ra left the planet a few decades ago, but his Arkestra has been going strong – really carrying the torch that the great one kept burning – and stepping out here in their first studio album in 20 years! The record is really something special – that core Sun Ra spirit, but taken in righteous territory that shows just how much the group has evolved in his absence – still with alto saxophonist Marshall Allen as the leader, but a combination of classic Arkestra members and younger musicians who have really helped continue that legacy of mentorship and spiritual exploration that was always the greater mission of the ensemble. The production is great – never too commercial, and handled brilliantly to capture the spirit of the group at their most expressive – with a lineup that also features Knoel Scott on alto, James Stewart on tenor and flute, Michael Ray and Cecil Brooks on trumpets, Vincent Chancey on French horn, Farid Barron on piano, Dave Hotep on guitar, Akatunde and Elso Nascimento on percussion, and Tara Middleton on vocals and violin. Titles include "Sea Of Darkness/Darkness", "Swirling", "Seductive Fantasy", "Sunology", "Door Of The Cosmos/Shy", "Satellites Are Spinning/Lights On A Satellite", "Infinity/I'll Wait For You", and "Angels & Demons At Play". ~ Dusty Groove

Mandrill - Mandrill

A masterpiece of freeform funk from Mandrill – New York group at the start of the 70s, but one who work here with the best longform jamming styles of the Bay Area scene! The combo draw equal influence from jazz, funk, soul, and Latin – using all elements in a unique hybrid that's all their own – and which really favors instrumental passages more than vocal moments on this debut album – with searing lead guitar from Omar Mesa, next to plenty of organ lines, flute, trumpet, and tenor – all carried with heavy bass and percussion, and peppered with lots of surprises along the way! The whole thing's tremendous – a massively funky first statement from the group – with cuts that include the extended suite "Peace & Love", plus other funky goodies like "Symphonic Revolution", "Rollin' On", "Warning Blues", and "Mandrill". ~ Dusty Groove

Omniversal Earkestra - Le Mali 70

A fantastic project, and one whose sound is even better than we can sum up in words – as the core group features players from Berlin, inspired by older African sounds – turning to work from the 70s Mali scene, and teaming up with some of its musical giants – but all in a way that's much more jazz-based than you might expect! The Earkestra clearly borrow a bit of their name from Sun Ra's Arkestra – and they keep a strong jazz legacy intact as they use their horns not just for full charts alongside the rhythms, but also for breakout solos that are more jazz than the usual Afro Funk-styled charts – really adding a lot to the album's guest work from legends who include Abdoulaye Diabate, Salif Keita, Sory Bamba, and Cheick Tidiane Seck. A really great record where the whole is even greater than the sum of its elements – something new and unique, with titles that include "Chie", "Wale", "Kulukutu", "Apolo", "Gambari", and "Badiala Male". ~ Dusty Groove

New Music Releases: Javon Jackson, Emma Jean Thackray, Tenderlonious

Javon Jackson - Deja Vu

A beautiful self-released album from tenorist Javon Jackson – a set that's overflowing with warmth and soul, and which features a really well-chosen array of material throughout! Jackson could sometimes have a colder edge in his youth – and while his sharpness is still present here, there's a mature depth to his tenor work that's really fantastic – set up in an easy-flowing trio with Jeremy Manasia on piano, David Williams on bass, and McClenty Hunter on drums – on tunes by Cedar Walton, Wayne Shorter, Jimmy Heath, and Jackson himself – all of which have plenty of space to find the right sort of groove and open up with the solos. Titles include "Martha's Prize", "Venus De Mildew", "Raise Four", "TJ", "In The Kitchen", "Rio Dawn", and "My Shining Hour". ~ Dusty Groove

Emma Jean Thackray - Walrus EP

Emma-Jean Thackray has been one of the most inventive musicians to emerge from the London scene in the past decade or so – a player who, like some of the best from that city, is taking her instrument way past familiar modes of jazz – with sounds that explode here with help from some great collaborators too! Emma-Jean adds a bit of electronics to her trumpet – and the quintet mixes drums, organ, electronics, and sousaphone – the last of which is used more like a bass than anything else – giving the record some odd brass band currents at the bottom, but with freaky sounds up top that are light years from anything in that tradition! Thackray's always given us amazing music, but this record may well be one of her best – with titles that include "Birthday Cake", "Walrus", "Wet Nose", "Baro Bop", and "Morley Bottoms" – plus three short interlude tracks.  ~ Dusty Groove

 - Ragas From Lahore: Improvisations With Jaubi 

One of the most compelling records we've ever heard from UK reedman Tenderlonious – and that's saying a lot, because most of his other recordings have been pretty damn great as well! This set has Tenderlonious playing flute and soprano sax, stretching out on long improvised ragas with the group Jaubi – a trio who use tabla, sarangi, and guitar in modes that echo older currents of Indian music, but also move things towards a slightly more contemporary vibe – with unusual drone elements that enhance the acoustic instruments in a very subtle way – and which only seem to make the flute lines stand out even more by comparison! Titles include "Kirwani", "Impressions", "Azeem", "Shahla Bagh", and "Azadi". ~ Dusty Groove