John Patitucci | "Letter For Paul"

Letter For Paul

In 1972, my family moved from New York to the Bay Area of Northern California. I was in my early teens and had started playing electric bass a few years earlier. Once we arrived in the Bay Area, it wasn’t long before I met Chris Poehler, an excellent bassist, arranger, teacher and band leader. He had played with Wes Montgomery, Earl “Fatha“ Hines, Chet Baker, and many others. Chris introduced me to many great jazz records by Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock and others. Chris happened to be good friends with bassist Paul Jackson and drummer Mike Clark. In fact, Chris was there in the studio to watch some of the recording of Herbie’s amazing classic - Headhunters.

I remember being captivated by Paul Jackson’s Funk style. He was able to mix a loose and flexible jazz approach with an unbelievably funky feel. His bass lines were SO soulful, rhythmically ultra-creative and powerful. I wound up learning most of his bass lines from the Headhunters record, as well as others Paul played from subsequent Herbie Hancock records. Paul’s influence on my playing and, in particular his bass line composition, has been profound. I was in the studio working for Piero Pata and Le Coq Records a few weeks before Paul’s passing. On the last day of recording, we were jamming on a groove that was very “Paul“ influenced. I had no idea that Paul was ill and it was an eerie coincidence that he did leave us a couple of weeks later. I decided to release this tribute to him and his amazing playing. I offer it now with gratitude and love to him, and for the family he has left behind.

~ John Patitucci

Bill Kwan | "No Ordinary Love: The Music of Sade"

This is no ordinary jazz album. It’s not just that San Francisco vocalist Bill Kwan delves deeply into the songbook of one of the 20th century’s most popular female singers. No Ordinary Love: The Music of Sade captures an artist boldly redefining himself. Collaborating closely with a brilliant cast of New York players, he brings a confidently sensuous male sensibility to material defined by the Nigerian-born superstar, whose cool, understated style and regal persona has largely kept other artists from interpreting her songs. 

Working again with veteran producer Matt Pierson, whose credits range from Brad Mehldau, Joshua Redman and Kirk Whalum to k.d. lang, Laura Benanti and Jane Monheit, Kwan is both reverent and resolutely unprecious in reimagining Sade’s music. In many ways No Ordinary Love builds on his previous project with Pierson, 2015’s Poison & Wine, a pensive and often riveting collection of contemporary indie rock songs by the likes of Beck, Björk, Bon Iver, Gillian Welch, and The Civil Wars. 

With Noam Wiesenberg’s bespoke arrangements tailored to the sleek contours of his voice, Kwan finds a way to get inside Sade’s music, navigating treacherous emotional terrain while flipping the gender dynamic in familiar narratives. “It’s very different tackling these songs from a male perspective and I could only sing pieces where I could identify with the lyrics,” Kwan says. “The key was maintaining the intimacy and not over singing. We maintained the fragile quality of Sade’s music even though the feel is very different.”

Kwan is joined by a New York dream team distinguished by deep connections to both the city’s jazz scene and innovative singer/songwriters, starting with pianist/keyboardist Kevin Hays, a veteran improviser who also composes his own songs. Sex Mob and Bill Frisell bassist Tony Scherr and the brilliant Japanese-born drummer/percussionist Keita Ogawa round out the ace rhythm section. Paris-raised Django Festival All-Stars accordion master Ludovic Beier and Russia-reared trumpeter Alex Sipiagin contribute memorable solos. 

“Obviously casting is extremely important,” says Pierson, a producer with a deep catalog of career-defining albums by some of jazz and contemporary music’s most influential artists. “Kevin was involved with Bill in the past so he was a natural, but Tony Scherr and Keita Ogawa were also key. The versatility that Tony brings as a singer/songwriter himself is exceptional, and Keita is singular, a drummer with a whole lot of percussion integrated into his set. They’ve got a deep understanding about how to support a vocalist, understanding what not to play. Finally, I’d gotten to know Noam Wiesenberg when we worked together on Camila Meza’s Ámbar project, and felt he would create perfect treatments for many of these songs.”

From the opening track, a gorgeous string-laced arrangement of “The Sweetest Taboo” set to a slinky, predatory groove, Kwan embraces a less-is-more aesthetic. His restraint paradoxically amplifies a song’s emotional wavelength. He’s in the midst of the fierce tango maelstrom of “King of Sorrow,” a lacerating arrangement underscored by Ludovic Beier’s slippery bandoneon and Antoine Silverman’s violin accents. Beier’s harmonica-like accordina brings out the loneliness at the heart of “Jezebel,” a portrait that Kwan renders with gentle precision. 

The title track is also the album’s centerpiece, a startlingly effective version of “No Ordinary Love” that captures both Sade’s underappreciated skill as a songwriter and Kwan’s ability to make an iconic tune his own. Propelled by Hays’ funky Fender Rhodes and Scherr’s chunky electric guitar chords, the track pulls off the near impossible feat of standing brilliantly on its own while enhancing the original. With songs drawn from just about every Sade album (and lesser-known pieces she’s contributed to soundtracks), Kwan covers a lot of musical territory, striking pay dirt again and again. From his soothing croon on “Love Is Stronger Than Pride” to the anguished but triumphant “The Big Unknown.”

“The challenge is that her music is so identifiable,” Kwan said. “Even if some of the original productions, like ‘The Sweetest Taboo,’ may not have aged well, her phrasing and approach is so hip. I adopted a very specific rule, singing like you’re not singing, while trying to make sure there’s enough emotion. What makes her music interesting is the repetition. The magic is that hook or melody. Often times Matt would dial me down. He really did guide me with the dynamics of each song.” 

Kwan’s mid-life emergence as a jazz-informed vocalist is mostly due to the fact that music is his second calling. A dermatologist with a solo practice in San Francisco, he’s honed his craft at many of the Bay Area’s leading jazz venues. Born and raised in Southern California, Kwan wasn’t particularly drawn to music as a youth. By his early 20s he started getting seriously interested in jazz, finding particular inspiration from the master vocalists he saw performing at the Hollywood Bowl, such as Mel Tormé, Dame Cleo Laine, Nancy Wilson, and Ella Fitzgerald. 

Studying medicine at the University of Southern California didn’t leave him much time to pursue his growing love of music, but once he settled in San Francisco he started to seek out opportunities. He spent several years studying with Kitty Margolis, a master teacher and top-shelf jazz vocalist, and took classes at the Jazzschool in Berkeley with vocalist Laurie Antonioli and trombonist Wayne Wallace. Working with bassist Seward McCain and drummer Jim Zimmerman, who both spent many years in the popular trio of pianist Vince Guaraldi, he recorded his 2010 debut album Pentimento, a well-curated program of standards. 

Kwan followed up with 2013’s More Than This, a transitional album that ranged from American Songbook fare to Bryan Ferry and Radiohead. It was his first project produced by Pierson, a creative partnership that blossomed with 2015’s Poison & Wine. Undaunted by Sade’s indelible musical imprint, Kwan reveals himself as an artist with a cool and intoxicating sound himself on No Ordinary Love: The Music of Sade, an album that announces the arrival of a potent pop-jazz interpreter.  

Indian, Chinese, Electronica and Orchestra: Four Musical Traditions – One Piece of Music

Berlin composer Rettward von Doernberg has just released his third single called “Night Drive” which unites four musical traditions into one piece of music. “Night Drive“ follows his first two releases, “Be Water” and “Stay A While”, which have been featured on numerous radio stations, broadcasts, podcasts and YouTube channels.

“For the vocals I used an excerpt of an Indian Alap”, explains von Doernberg. “Alap is the introductory chant of a North Indian raga. While I was at it I also added a veena. This is an Indian stringed instrument with scalloped frets so that the notes can be played very expressively. It is similar to the sitar. Later in the piece a dizi, a Chinese bamboo flute, joins in. So, I had a lot of fun with different ethnic musical traditions.”

“But, of course, when you’re dealing with me then you have to have some electronica! An orchestra also enters later in the piece. I just love the class that orchestral instruments can lend to a piece of music. And finally, I made it a point to have a nice groove happening.”

About the title of the piece Rettward von Doernberg says: „To me, ‚Night Drive’ conveys a mood of mysterious shimmering lights and nocturnal beauty. Hence the title.“

Since its release, “Night Drive” is available via online music stores and streaming services including iTunes, Spotify and Amazon. Two additional versions can be found on the website “Aboard the Caravel”.

“Aboard The Caravel”, named after the type of ship used by Christopher Columbus, is a website dedicated to Rettward von Doernberg’s music as well as to various topics concerning a creative life. Via daily videos visitors may also witness the realization of new projects.

Rettward von Doernberg has many years of experience in writing, recording and performing music. His music has been featured on radio, TV, in movies and in video games. In addition, smaller as well as larger ensembles have played his music where he gained experience as a conductor.

He studied at the Musicians Institute and at the University of California, Los Angeles. He also had the opportunity to learn from acclaimed film composers and Academy Award winners such as James Newton Howard, Alan Silvestri and Hans Zimmer.

The Friends of Jazz at UCLA Virtually Honors Herbie Hancock In recognition of International Jazz Day

Grammy and Oscar winner Herbie Hancock will be virtually honored by The Friends of Jazz at UCLA on Friday, April 30, 2021 @ 7:30 PM PDT, streaming live from the Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center sponsored by KJAZZ and the Ralph Ehrenpreis Performance Fund.

April is Jazz Appreciation Month and Barbara Morrison is on the beat with hosting “A Song for Herbie” in celebrating the 10 year anniversary of International Jazz Day with original compositions honoring Herbie Hancock, pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, composer, actor and professor at University of California, Los Angeles’s UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. 

Tribute performances by special guests include; Grammy Nominated Vocalist Freda Payne, pianists Paul Cornish,Stuart Elster and Elder Gindroz, bassist Michael Saucier, drummer Peter Buck, UCLA Global Jazz Vocal students Arya Hora and Lauren Brewster. Anthony “Tony” White will MC the event.

All the proceeds from this event will benefit Barbara Morrison Jazz Scholarship Fund at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. 

New Music Releases: Damiel Roure, Baxter, Wardell Piper

Daniel Roure - Quintessence

Jazz musician Daniel Roure is transporting listeners to the sidewalk cafes and lights of France with his latest album. “Quintessence” has all the jazz melodies fans will love paired with soulful lyrical content. “Quintessence” features the talent of many musicians as well as the powerful voice of Daniel Roure. The sounds blend together to form romantic, smooth jazz melodies. All of this is overlaid with the amazing vocals of Daniel Roure. Each track is sung with a well-stamped voice, perfect diction, relaxation, and classic charm which is heard across the slow tempos. Jazz lovers will need to add this to their playlist, experiencing a new depth to jazz. Daniel Roure was born in Marseille and is a singer, pianist and composer. His music is based on vintage love songs and French adaptations. Daniel released a successful album, “Le Temps D’un Jazz.” It garnered more 52 million streaming on Radio Pandora.

Baxter - Where Is The Love

Mentored by the legendary Leon Huff and blessed with a Teddy Bear appearance and a strong soulful voice, Baxter (The Ladies Choice) offered up his first-ever album, "Where Is The Love," last year featuring lush backing from the Ingram family band. Influenced by the likes of Teddy Pendergrass, The Isley Brothers, and Michael Jackson, Baxter paid homage to the City of Brotherly Love with ten tracks that deliver that sweet sound that his hometown is so beloved for. Presented here are new mixes of the title track from that critically acclaimed album. The single, "Where Is The Love," features a new radio mix, T.V. track and an instrumental version, written and produced by Society Hill Record’s main man Butch Ingram.

Wardell Piper - Super Sweet (Son Of A Butch Mix)

Records with producers John H. Fitch, Jr. and Reuben Cross, who co-wrote Evelyn Champagne King's huge hit "Shame." The album included the track "Super Sweet," which went to number 20 on the R&B charts and "Captain Boogie," which went to number 33 on the R&B charts in early '79, cementing Wardell's rightful place in the R&B pantheon while simultaneously boosting her status as an icon on the exploding disco scene. Wardell's soulful voice has only grown stronger over the years and she remains a force to be reckoned with as anyone who has witnessed her recent performances with the reformed First Choice could well attest. Wardell recorded a new version of her smash hit "Super Sweet" on her 2019 EP "Thankful" that was met with wide critical acclaim. The legendary Philly soul producer Butch Ingram has recently remixed that version of "Super Sweet" which is more geared to the dancefloor and destined to become a huge club hit once again. In addition to a bonus radio version of the new single mix, an added instrumental version of the track showcases the tight backing provided by the Ingram family band.

Montreux Jazz Festival and BMG set to release brand-new Nina Simone and Etta James live albums

Nina Simone’s story from the late sixties to the nineties can be told through her legendary performances in Montreux. Taking to the Montreux stage for the first time on 16 June 1968 for the festival’s second edition, Simone built a lasting relationship with Montreux Jazz Festival and its Creator and Director Claude Nobs and this unique trust and electricity can be clearly felt on the recordings.

Simone’s multi-faceted and radical story is laid bare on ‘Nina Simone: The Montreux Years’. From Nina’s glorious and emotional 1968 performance to her fiery and unpredictable concert in 1976, one of the festival’s most remarkable performances ever witnessed, the collection includes recordings from all of her five legendary Montreux concerts – 1968, 1976, 1981, 1987 and 1990.

The CD edition of ‘Nina Simone: The Montreux Years’ will also include Simone’s 1968 landmark concert in full, the first time the full concert will be available on CD.

‘Etta James: The Montreux Years’ is a treasure trove of timeless classics, powerful and electrifying performances and raw, soaring vocals by one of the greatest ever female vocalists. The collection, featuring recordings from James’ live at Montreux concerts in 1977, 1978, 1989 1990 and 1993, encapsulates and reflects Etta’s dynamic artistry and long-lasting impact. Spanning performances from across three decades, ‘Etta James: The Montreux Years’ offers deeply personal and intimate snapshots into James’ acclaimed musical journey, highlights and her phenomenal career.

In 1975, Claude Nobs captured a significant moment of musical history – Etta James’ very first concert in Europe, performing at the festival’s 9th edition. The CD edition of ‘Etta James: The Montreux Years’ will include highlights of this special landmark concert, held at Montreux Casino on 11 July 1975.

The Red Quartet Reimagines Latin, Classical, Jazz Classics on Debut Album

Latin-jazz-classical ensemble The Red Quartet has released their first album, an evocative blend of European and South American traditions and sounds performed by four virtuosos who play here as one.

Featuring the rich soprano voice of Marissa Steingold, the fiery guitar of Kenton Youngstrom, Philip Vaiman's elegant and vibrant violin, and Maksim Velichkin's deeply sonorous cello, The Red Quartet presents a departure from the usual string quartet lineup (first violin, second violin, viola, cello).

Each Red Quartet member is a virtuoso in chamber, symphonic, and jazz, with vastly different musical influences, education, and experience. Yet as seasoned professionals they blend their exceptional musicianship and experiences to create a fluid, sensuous, passionate ensemble sound.

"Red to us is associated with life, vibrancy, and excitement," said Vaiman, who founded and leads the Quartet.

Known for its eclectic repertoire in live performances, The Red Quartet debuts on record with reimagined adaptations of jazz favorites "Three Preludes" by George Gershwin; J.S. Bach's timeless "Trio Sonata"; the Brazilian art song "Aria" from "Bachianas Brasilieras" by Villa-Lobos; and three playfully sensuous selections from Jobim and Gilberto's bossa nova standards. 

Vaiman produced the sessions for "The Red Quartet" at Watersound Studios in Sherman Oaks, California, working with recording engineers Carlos Castro and Marco Gamboa. Gavin Salmon provided additional percussion on the bossa nova tracks. The production's bright, warm intimacy puts the listener right in the studio with the musicians. Mastered by Alan Yoshida, the album is being released on the independent Talia Records label.

The Red Quartet's members are all first-call session players in Los Angeles recording and film studios and have appeared at prestigious venues worldwide. They have recorded for and performed with artists including Sting, Dave Matthews, Aretha Franklin, Tony Bennett, Taylor Swift, Goo-Goo Dolls, Rod Stewart, Shakira, Pearl Jam, Guns N' Roses, Andrea Bocelli, Placido Domingo, Stevie Wonder, Josh Groban, John Legend, and KISS.

The group has performed in Southern California for several years at venues including the Clark Library and the Bruman Chamber Music Festival at UCLA, the Summer Sounds Classical and Jazz Series in West Hollywood, and the Colburn School's Zipper Hall.

Todd Cochran | "Then and Again, Here & Now"

The creation of music as a collective art requires participants who are open and engaged. The essence of ensemble jazz music is the collaboration between elements, including sound and time and the musicians and audience. Pianist/composer Todd Cochran views these interchanges of energy and emotions as positive forces for change in the world. In his new album, Then and Again, Here & Now, set for June 11 release on Sunnyside Records, Cochran’s earlier explorations are folded into this fresh musical creation.

To assist him in his efforts, Cochran enlisted bassist John Leftwich and drummer Michael Carvin. Leftwich has been an important voice in the West Coast’s vibrant music scene for decades and was introduced to Cochran twenty years ago via Freddie Hubbard. The legendary drummer became a part of the pianist’s world even earlier through collaborations with Bobby Hutcherson. Together the Todd Cochran trio – TC3 – is a tremendously vibrant, cerebral and vividly emotive ensemble that breathes life into any piece they endeavor to touch.

Cochran’s musical interests have always been vast in their outlook, from the avant-garde to fusions of jazz and rock. Under the alias Bayeté, his sound can be heard on albums that push the bounds of genres, from Santana, Automatic Man, Peter Gabriel, and Joan Armatrading’s arena filling rock sounds to the explosively spiritual world of his own records. “It was a combination of learning about idioms outside of those with which I was most familiar, and the trajectory of a restless curiosity that pushed me to surmount the challenges of making music outside of my natural affinities. Playing different styles of music authentically rather than as an approximation overtook everything. Each musical idiom had its own aesthetic and particular alchemy” says Cochran. Though, the element that has never escaped Cochran’s work throughout his career has been the blues aesthetic tied to jazz’s legacy, which he re-embraces on Then and Again, Here & Now.

Then and Again, Here & Now presents a collection of stalwart jazz songbook compositions, expressively contemporized and poetically reimagined by Cochran and his trio. Cochran’s philosophy of the development of music through the passing of ideas from generation to generation through evolving syntax can be heard in the approaches that are taken on these pieces. Though experimenting and taking liberties with these classics, the trio remains responsible as keepers of the flame and protectors of the blues vernacular.

From the opening of Romberg and Hammerstein’s “Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise,” the trio’s command of the piece’s inherent swing can be interspersed with creative rhythmic experimentation. A variety of approaches can be heard from piece to piece, especially on a pair of Gershwin pieces with “A Foggy Day” morphing from ballad to mid-tempo and “I Got Rhythm” in pointillistic swing. Interstitials connect and introduce a number of pieces in a thoughtful fashion akin to live performance, including Dave Brubeck’s “The Duke,” which flows expansively like a lazy river. “My approach is to accentuate its eloquence and enhance the myth” says Cochran.  

Ellington’s “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” finds a curious pull between the classicism that the song inspires and Cochran’s playful bending, while a solo bass meditation leads into a brilliantly woven version of J.S. Bach’s “Prelude XX” from Book II of the Well-Tempered Clavier highlighting Cochran’s continued classical inspiration. “After the theme is stated we segue into improvisations around the idea of climbing up and climbing down. Modeling real-life and the reality that we’re continually modulating in one direction or another” says Cochran.

Vernon Duke’s “April In Paris” inspires a sweeping but soft touch from the trio until Leftwich’s unaccompanied bass “Between Spaces - Interstitial” leads to a percussively propulsive take on Kaper and Webster’s “Invitation,” as Carvin, a masterful archetype of empathetic rhythming, imaginatively sets the tone. “It’s played as a song without words, I think about the emotion of finally arriving at the perfect moment to extend an invitation to someone long imagined or hoped for” says Cochran.

An impressionist touch introduces Michel Legrand and Jacques Demy’s “You Must Believe in Spring,” a heart stopping ballad performed solely by Cochran. Monk’s spritely “Bemsha Swing” follows in short order followed by a wistful take on Bobby Hutcherson’s jazz waltz, “Little B’s Poem,” poignantly played by the trio with brilliant solo turns by all. The recording concludes with the resonant “Then and Again, Here & Now,” a brief recapitulation of the elements that brought this recording together: fellowship, history and hope. 

Todd Cochran has made it his life’s work to bring love and understanding to the world. The method he endeavors to accomplish this is through the communal language of improvisation and jazz. Then and Again, Here & Now encapsulates Cochran’s desires in a tangible and invigorating way.

Growing up, Cochran found a middle ground between the dimensions of the intellectual and spiritual when he discovered jazz music. His parents and grandparents were highly educated and motivated him to become the same. That led to his serious investment in classical piano study; performing and entering competitions as early as when he was just eight years old. His cousin introduced him to jazz at 13 and Cochran found a parallel, magnetizing pulse. He began to revisit his parents’ collection of Duke Ellington, Oscar Peterson and Ahmad Jamal recordings, transcribing and analyzing them so he could apply their lessons to his own music. It wasn’t long before Cochran was reaching out to local jazz leaders. 

A San Francisco native, formative school days in the 60s, college and coming-of-age in the 70s, Cochran is a product of the dynamic convergence of attitudes and socio-cultural revolution. His hometown was frontline at a pivotal time in American music history and the visionary principles of the era influenced his worldview and the trajectory of his pursuits. At just 17 years old, he found himself performing alongside the likes of jazz masters John Handy, Mike Nock, and later, Bobby Hutcherson, Woody Shaw, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Herbie Hancock, Julian Priester, and Eddie Henderson. 

Though his own music would branch out dramatically from his earliest jazz grounding, Cochran always remained in touch with the blues element of the music. Now after a ten-year hiatus from recording while nurturing his son into adulthood, Cochran has returned to the music that has given him so much joy and that he feels is necessary to reinvest in for the betterment of society.  

Abbey Lincoln’s 'Abbey Is Blue' set for reissue

Craft Recordings is celebrating one of the most inspiring women in jazz, Abbey Lincoln, with a special reissue of her landmark LP, Abbey Is Blue. In stores May 7th and available for pre-order today, the 1959 album has been meticulously remastered from its original analog tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI. 

The moving title—which will also be released in stunning, hi-res digital audio—features an all-star line-up of musicians, including Max Roach, Kenny Dorham, Stanley Turrentine, Philly Joe Jones, Wynton Kelly, and Sam Jones. 

Abbey Lincoln (1930–2010) was more than just one of the great jazz vocalists. She was also a passionate activist in the civil rights movement, an accomplished songwriter, a talented actress, and an inspiring teacher. Born Anna Marie Wooldridge, Lincoln honed her skills as a club singer, performing in Los Angeles under a variety of stage names. Influenced by the likes of Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong, Lincoln possessed a distinctive and deeply emotive voice—one that quickly caught the attention of industry insiders. By the mid-1950s, she had landed a recording contract with the renowned New York jazz label, Riverside Records. 

Lincoln’s three albums for Riverside, recorded between 1957–1959, found the artist pushing her creative boundaries and working alongside such innovative contemporaries as Sonny Rollins, Philly Joe Jones, Benny Golson, and her future husband, Max Roach. 1959’s Abbey Is Blue marked Lincoln’s fourth studio album and final recording with Riverside. A standout title in Lincoln’s prolific body of work, Abbey Is Blue took a stark turn from her earlier releases, which typically consisted of standards from the Great American Songbook. As the title suggests, Abbey Is Blue finds the singer solemn and reflective, singing about the harsh realities of the world. Her vocal talents, meanwhile, are on display, as Lincoln soulfully embodies the lyrical content of her songs. 

According to Riverside co-founder Orrin Keepnews, who co-produced the album, each track on Abbey Is Blue was carefully and consciously selected by Lincoln. They included the Kurt Weill/Langston Hughes-penned “Lonely House,” from the 1946 opera Street Scene, the cutting theme to the 1928 silent film Laugh, Clown, Laugh, and Mongo Santamaría’s jazz standard, “Afro Blue,” featuring lyrics by Oscar Brown.

Lincoln also performed one of her original compositions, “Let Up.” Decades later, in an interview with the National Endowment for the Arts (which awarded Lincoln with the Jazz Masters Award in 2003), the artist spoke about the song, recalling, “My life was really becoming oppressive. I was trying to be seen as a serious performer. And there were many people making snide, ugly remarks about [me].” Lincoln had had enough, and “Let Up” was a bold message to her critics. 

Lincoln was also feeling oppressed by the discrimination that she and her fellow Black Americans faced daily. As the civil rights movement of the ’60s was brewing, Abbey Is Blue served as a precursor to her work as an activist. The following year, she would collaborate on the incendiary We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite. While Abbey Is Blue found the singer lamenting injustice, however, We Insist! faced it boldly and unflinchingly. 

In his original liner notes for Abbey Is Blue, Keepnews mused, “…the truest image of sorrow, the bitterest taste of loneliness, the deepest shades of blue—such things are apt to be most haunting and most moving when a woman gives them voice. In this album, Abbey Lincoln proves once again that this is true.” 

He added, “It is certainly the best singing by far that Abbey has done on record, and I think now—as I did much of the time while it was being recorded—that it stands up as among the most effective and moving albums that any singer has created in a long time.”

Alfredo Rodriguez & Munir Hossn | "Que Sera"

Since the 16th century, the phrase “que será” has served as a motto for human existence in times of uncertainty. Not knowing the next step or the outcome of an unexpected situation can place anyone’s mind into a frenzy, making hope and optimism far from the first thought. Pianist/composer Alfredo Rodriguez has had time during the pandemic to reflect not only on the fragility of life but the importance of looking into the future with rose colored glasses and embracing the unknown.                                                                                                        “Que Será” (out now via Mack Avenue Records), the newest single from the Havana-born composer, was originally conceived in a hotel room while on tour with his longstanding musical partner Munir Hossn and revisited and completed by the duo in the midst of the global pandemic. “We wanted to bring joy to the world in this difficult time in any way we can," says Rodriguez. "Munir and I hope people will find solace in this music and look forward to a brighter future together."

Their mission, which is evident by the uplifting lyrical content, is to plant a seed of hope during this time of loss and allow the heart to flourish with aspirations for the future. The chemistry between the duo is ever apparent, with Rodriguez at the helm of a new creative breakthrough and evolution of his music that has enthralled audiences worldwide. 

Alfredo Rodriguez is an internationally acclaimed Cuban jazz pianist who, due to his formal training, is as proficient at playing classical music as he is his chosen genre. Rodriguez was born into a musical family, his father a popular singer and TV host. A child prodigy, he studied classical piano at the prestigious Conservatorio Amadeo Roldán and Instituto Superior de Arte while playing popular music in his father’s orchestra by night. While performing at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2006 he was discovered by his future mentor and producer, the legendary Quincy Jones. In the past 15 years, Rodriguez has released five albums as a leader to critical acclaim and has performed at Playboy, Detroit, New Orleans, Newport, San Francisco, North Sea, Umbria and Vienna Jazz Festivals as well as prestigious venues worldwide. 

Dan Pitt - Wrongs

Dan Pitt is a guitarist, composer, educator and improviser. As an active member of Toronto’s jazz and creative music scene for the past several years, Pitt has played guitar in a variety of bands with the likes of Dave Young, Pat Collins, David Braid, Terry Clarke, Terry Promane, Tim Berne, and Michael Attias. He has also worked and recorded with Harrison Vetro, Lina Allemano, Nick Fraser and Andrew Downing. His first two records as a leader - the trio outing Fundamentally Flawed and the solo recording Monochrome - were critically lauded, establishing Pitt as an exciting young voice on the creative music scene.

Wrongs - Pitt’s third release as a leader - is easily his most ambitious work yet.

With Wrongs, Pitt expands on his creative vision, adding a tetrad of woodwinds into the mix. For this recording, Pitt enlisted bassist Alex Fournier and drummer Nick Fraser - both of whom play in Pitt’s trio - while also adding the sounds of Naomi McCarroll-Butler on bass clarinet and alto sax as well as Patrick Smith on tenor and soprano saxophones.

The compositions featured on this album were written over the course of the last several years, and serve as a vehicle for the band to take in whatever direction they want, as far out as they want to go. From the ambient wash of Hunter’s Dream to the aggressive bite of the title track, this music offers a broad range of sounds and textures that further demonstrate Pitt’s ability to create music that isn’t constrained by the limits of any style or genre.

Wrongs will be released worldwide on Friday, April 9th.

Saxophonist Andrew Van Tassel Releases "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. 

Freda Payne "Let There Be Love" Album Featuring Johnny Mathis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kurt Elling, Kenny Lattimore

Singer, legend, Freda Payne pairs up with four of the other world's greatest singers of Jazz for a duets album. It is a classic jazz big band album. Featured on album with Freda are: Johnny Mathis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kurt Elling, Kenny Lattimore.

Internationally renowned singer, Freda Payne, known for her 1970's hit R&B Number 1 Gold Record, "Band of Gold," is releasing her first studio album in 5 years on April 16. The announcement was officially confirmed by Alain Franke Records who will be releasing this Jazz Big-Band album. This is Freda Payne's 26th album. 

The album is big in scope, expense and very lush sounding. Song arrangements are by Grammy winner composer-conductor, Gordon Goodwin. It is an ambitious project to have an analog classic sound with live musicians, recorded in late 2019 by Producers Rodrigo Rios and Michael Goetz.

The idea was to get the Freda Payne sound with a real 30 piece orchestra and see what it would be like to pair her up with other great jazz singers in a series of newly arranged classic Jazz Standards songs from the American Songbook.

The other recording artists on, "Let There Be Love," are the veteran jazz greats: Johnny Mathis, DeeDee Bridgewater, Kurt Elling and Kenny Lattimore.

The recording was done in the famed Capitol Records Studio A, famous for its high ceiling, grand size and great acoustics - big enough to fit an entire orchestra.

The album features the 1958 cool jazz pop hit, "Let There be Love," re-arranged and morphed into a contempo/up-tempo jazz pop song with the classic sound of a traditional horn section and strings. Freda Payne and Kenny Lattimore wail on this one. On, "Moanin'Doodlin," Dee Dee Bridgewater with Freda sing two jazz classics cleverly mixed into one. 2021 Grammy winner of Best Jazz Vocal Album, Kurt Elling, duets with Freda on a cool revamped Gershwin classic, "Our Love Is Here To Stay." Freda Payne and Johnny Mathis are together in their cute and sexy duet with the full "Nelson Riddle-type" Big Band on, "They Can't Take That Away From Me." Executive Producer, Michael Goetz of Alain Franke Records says, "All the tracks on this album are hot and will get the listener up and want to dance."

Australian powerhouse The Bamboos cover Black Box's italo-house hit 'Ride On Time' (funk / soul)

Australian funk & soul powerhouse The Bamboos are announcing the release of their upcoming new album with first single and video “Ride On Time”, a cover of Black Box‘s italo-house hit from 1989.

Bandleader Lance Ferguson and his nine piece Melbourne outfit The Bamboos have come a long way since forming in 2001. Initially inspired by the instrumental raw funk of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, they made waves internationally and were quickly labelled as one of the greatest funk and soul bands of our time. But while many would be happy to simply soak up the praise and keep on keeping on, The Bamboos have proven that they are more than meets the eye; over 8 acclaimed albums their evolution in sound and style has consistently confounded and exceeded expectations, pulling the rug from under the feet of those who like to pigeonhole.

The Bamboos signed to respected Brighton (UK) indie label Tru Thoughts in 2005, becoming a real cornerstone of the roster. Across their five albums on the label – debut “Step It Up” in 2006, follow-up “Rawville” in 2007, third opus “Side-Stepper” in 2008, the aptly-titled “4” in 2010 and “Medicine Man” in 2012 – the metamorphosis of The Bamboos has been full of twists and turns, and it continues apace. A seasoned DJ, solo producer (aka Lanu) and all-round insatiable music obsessive, Ferguson‘s myriad influences and passion for pushing things forward ensure that each new release is a discovery for devout fans and newcomers alike.

The band’s fifth long-player “Medicine Man” released in June 2012 was a watershed – a forward-looking record brimming with fresh ideas, stellar turns, classic songwriting and a brand of multi–layered pop they can truly call their own. Guest vocalists Aloe Blacc, Tim Rogers (You Am I), Megan Washington, Daniel Merriweather, Bobby Flynn, alongside resident singers Kylie Auldist and then newcomer Ella Thompson helped make the album their biggest until then.

The Bamboos’ ridiculously enjoyable live shows have seen them perform at pretty much every major festival in Australia. In Feb 2010 the band played the prestigious headline set at The St Kilda Festival to over 7000 people. The Bamboos have also toured Europe and the U.K three times, performing sell-out shows at esteemed venues including The Barbican and The Jazz Cafe in London and in countries including France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Slovakia, Belgium, Switzerland and Ireland. As the go-to band for tight and heavy vibes, they have also performed as the backing band for international artists including Eddie Bo (US), Syl Johnson (US), Joe Bataan (US), Eddie Floyd (US), Betty Harris (US) and Alice Russell (UK).

Songs by The Bamboos have been regularly on playlists of national radio stations in Australia, the UK, France, the US, Japan and beyond. The unshakable charm of their songs has also seen them licensed to hit movies including “Crazy Stupid Love”, the soon to be released “Adore” with Naomi Watts & Robin Wright, and TV shows such as “Grey’s Anatomy”, “CSI New York”, “One Tree Hill”, “Ugly Betty” and more.

Like its predecessor, the band’s sixth album “Fever In The Road” was co-produced by ARIA- nominated, multi-instrumentalist studio wizard John Castle – ranked amongst the first-call producers in Australia. The new record (the first on Ferguson‘s own Pacific Theatre label) sees Castle and Ferguson venturing into sonic landscapes The Bamboos have previously touched on but never fully inhabited. There is a sense that the music is leaner and more muscular, yet upon closer inspection the tracks reveal themselves to be densely multi-layered in a ‘Wall Of Sound’ style.  It’s this aural complexity and depth that allows darker moods to roam through the album, taking their sound to a new place. Choosing this album to reflect the band as it is on stage, the vocals are split between Kylie Auldist and Ella Thompson. And each bring contrasting styles that complement each other magically, but show The Bamboos to be utterly unique.

2015 saw The Bamboos team up with Tim Rogers for the release of “The Rules Of Attraction”, with 12 meticulously crafted songs that strike a balance between the band’s patent introverted groove and Rogers’ effervescent rock’n’swagger. The result is something that sounds varied, fresh and brimming with enthusiasm. With eighth album “Night Time People” released in 2018, The Bamboos consolidated their relationship with Kylie Auldist, effectively constructing and executing the full-length around her unmistakable voice. This release provided a backbone twisting slab of pop colored funk that reaffirmed The Bamboos in their rich and unique sound while keeping their hefty and rich legacy intact.

Singer Mark Winkler Teams w/Pianist David Benoit for "OLD FRIENDS"

Singer, lyricist Mark Winkler and pianist, composer David Benoit have teamed up to record an album that pays homage to their 37 years of friendship. Old Friends is a collection of some of the artists’ favorites songs by some of their favorite composers, as well as three original tunes, newly rendered in an affable collaboration by two musicians at the top of their form. Los Angeles is rife with fine musicians, and Winkler brought some of the finest for this recording. He also asked producer Barbara Brighton to work on the recording. This is the 7th album of Winkler’s that she’s produced. Winkler and Benoit are seasoned artists in the music business, and Old Friends is imbued with warmth and camaraderie. Winkler, Benoit, and the rest of the band maintain a light, sensitive touch that has great emotional depth but is never overwrought. Benoit perhaps sums it up the best, “Working with Barbara Brighton and Mark was a highlight for me. I think this is Mark's best work. He is restrained and heartfelt. He never overdoes it, but always stays true to the melody, respecting the composer but adding his own imprimatur when needed. The song selections are fresh and original, and, I must say, I'm happy with the arrangements. Again. never too much, but elegant and tasteful. You can hear the communication with Mark and me, and it's superb. This is a result of a certain maturity that only comes with age and a willingness to put the time and effort into the project. This could be a happy result of Covid-19 giving us all the time we needed to make it right. And the results are self-evident.”

 

Nik Bartsch | "Entendre"

A fascinating solo album from the Swiss pianist and composer, Entendre offers deeper insight into pianist Nik Bärtsch’s musical thinking, illuminating aspects of his playing and the nature of his modular pieces. 

As its titles implies the new album, recorded at Lugano’s Auditorio Stelio Molo studio, considers listening as a dynamic process. In these solo realizations, Bärtsch’s polymetric pieces unfold with heightened alertness to the subtleties of touch. The pianist finds freedom in aesthetic restriction, while also seizing opportunities to guide the music to new places. An adaptive as well as a highly original musician, he diligently serves the context at hand, and the solo work has been developing in parallel to his group activities over the last few years. For Bärtsch, some key moments in this regard have included his solo appearance at ECM’s 50th anniversary celebration at New York’s Lincoln Center in 2019, as well as performances in ongoing collaboration with visual artist Sophie Clements. A solo piano tour in 2017, furthermore, whose unorthodox itinerary took him to Teheran, Cairo, Alexandria, Kolkata and Delhi, had also prompted rumination on the intertwined relationships of performance and ritual music in different cultures. This, too, influenced the preparatory work on Entendre. 

Bärtsch's numbered “Modul” pieces can be considered as templates rather than fixed and final compositions: he likens them to “a basic training in martial arts, which can be adapted to all sorts of situations. My way of working is to create new contexts. Each piece plays with the idea of composition, interpretation and improvisation, and is nourished by the same force, yet can create very surprising results…” 

This is immediately evident on the opening “Modul 58-12” which unites pieces previously interpreted on recordings with Bärtsch's bands – “Modul 58” with Ronin on Awase, and “Modul 12” with Mobile on Continuum – to emotionally powerful effect. “It just developed in that direction in the studio. I didn’t plan it or expect it to open up in that way. The combination of these two pieces is maybe not a coincidence but more of an inner call. With a vivid celebration in the beginning, an opening flight that then goes to emptiness, stillness and breathing space.” 

Patience, intense focus and lightness are among the contrary qualities necessary to play this music in “a dramaturgically directed way” and set its secrets free. In playing solo Bärtsch attempts, he says, “to let go and flow in the piece and transcend the egocentric way of forcing the music, finding a higher level of freedom in agreement with the form of the work.” 

He also emphasizes that the solo music has been borne out of collaboration, including the long years of honing the music with Ronin and Mobile, and the teamwork of the session itself, with producer Manfred Eicher and engineer Stefano Amerio. “To have Manfred listening and giving advice about ways in which the pieces might be approached and interpreted, was extremely valuable. Hearing connections to Gurdjieff’s music in one piece, for example or suggesting that I play ‘Modul 26’ with the kind of flow that I’d found when playing 58," says Bärtsch. "Such feedback helped to enlarge the whole listening experience in a very organic way.” 

The responsive Lugano studio room – previously used also for Mobile’s Continuum recording – also asserted its character, Bärtsch says: “My touch in the solo music is not primarily a ‘jazz’ attack on the piano. It’s between things. Between chamber music, solo playing in the classical tradition, more modern minimal music, and the ‘groove’ aspect. And the natural sound of the Lugano room helped to bring out these elements. I also felt inspired by the history of the room. And I really like the fact that it is here in Switzerland, in the country where I live and where Ronin works. I didn’t need to go anywhere else to document this music. It happens here.” 

Entendre was recorded at Lugano’s Auditorio Stelio Molo RSI in September 2020. The album is released as Lars Müller Publishers of Switzerland prepares to issue Nik Bärtsch’s book Listening: Music – Movement – Mind, which charts the development of Bärtsch's “ritual groove music” and the philosophy that underpins it.

Jazz at Lincoln Center Announces 2021 Gala Concert: Innovation + Soul

On the occasion of National Jazz Appreciation Month, and to honor the music, as well as the artists and figures who have made outstanding contributions to jazz, Jazz at Lincoln Center will celebrate the organization’s 2021 gala, Innovation + Soul, with a virtual concert on Thursday, April 15, at 7:30p.m. ET.

The Innovation + Soul concert will feature the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, the heartbeat of the organization, in a new performance pre-recorded at Rose Theater in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York, New York.

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra bassist Carlos Henriquez, percussionist and vocalist Pedrito Martinez, and trumpeter Michael Rodriguez are among the performers featured alongside the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis on this celebratory evening.

The group will perform Henriquez’ composition, “2/3’s Adventure,” a piece that travels between mambo, swing, and guajira, and demonstrates Henriquez’ absolute mastery in orchestration and grooves. “2/3’s Adventure” has been featured in the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s songbook in shows around the world for more than a decade, and the band’s recording of it remains one of Blue Engine Records’ most popular downloads.

Rooted in the soil of the Bronx, New York, “2/3’s Adventure” achieves a perfect fusion of singable melodies and danceable grooves with the sophistication of improvisation and advanced orchestration.

Innovation + Soul performance-only passes are $30.00. Following the premiere on April 15, ticket holders will have on-demand access to the performance portion of the event through April 25. For virtual gala tickets and packages, and information on ways to contribute to Jazz at Lincoln Center in a meaningful way, please visit  jazz.org/gala2021.

Hosted by Dee Dee Bridgewater, the Innovation + Soul gala will honor Jazz at Lincoln Center Board Member Charles Phillips and his wife Karen with the Ed Bradley Award for Leadership in Jazz. Pianist Jon Batiste will be honored with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Award for Artistic Excellence.

The Innovation + Soul gala will also feature appearances by President Bill Clinton, actor Anna Deavere Smith, jook dancer Lil Buck, vocalist Veronica Swift, and pianist Sean Mason throughout the evening. 

On this special gala concert, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis will perform some of the best compositions from the band’s vast, innovative body of original work over the past decade.  Selections including “Crazy,” composed by Willie Nelson, and arranged by JLCO trombonist Chris Crenshaw; “2/3’s Adventure,” composed and arranged by JLCO bassist Carlos Henriquez; “Bougie Rag,” composed by Sean Mason and arranged by JLCO saxophonist Victor Goines; and “Yes, Sir! That’s My Baby,” composed Lou Donaldson and Gus Kahn and arranged by JLCO saxophonist Sherman Irby demonstrate the orchestra composers’ and arrangers’ thematic ambitions, distinctive musical personalities, and unprecedented range.

Compositions and arrangements by members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis are some of the finest and most stylistically diverse big band music in history. Such variety and uniformly high quality is a rare achievement for any band, but no other group has ever had 11 composers and arrangers of this level in its ranks.

Like all public-facing arts, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s ecosystem has sustained devastating losses during the pandemic, but we remain dedicated to our mission of supporting the global jazz community. The hundreds of artists who perform in Rose Theater, The Appel Room, and Dizzy's Club and our staff humbly thank you for your generosity during this trying time for us all.

Johnny Mathis - Heart Of A Woman/When Will I See You Again/I Only Have Eyes For You/Mathis Is (bonus tracks)

Four great albums from the 70s soul years of Johnny Mathis – all brought together in a single set, and with bonus cuts too! First up is The Heart Of A Woman – on which the voice of Johnny Mathis meets the soulful arrangements of Paul Riser and HB Barnum – all wrapped up with Johnny Bristol production! Johnny's tender voice, the gently sweeping arrangements and soul-rooted production make this one a gem. Titles include "Woman Woman", "Sail On White Moon", "Feel Like Makin Love", "It's Gone", "Memories Don't Leave Like People Do", "Strangers In Dark Corners", and "The Way We Planned It". 

When Will I See You Again finds Johnny taking on a comparably diverse batch of tunes, from a bright & breezy take on the Gamble & Huff penned title track, to a soaring Roger Nichols/Paul Williams medley, to more intimate strings-backed numbers. Another sweet set from a legendary vocalist, and the titles includes "Mandy", "Nice To Be Around", "You're Right As Rain", "You And Me Against The World", "The Things I Might've Been" and more. 

I Only Have Eyes For You has Johnny finding a new sort of groove with arranger Gene Page! Page had done funkier work in other settings, but here he mixes up soul and strings in a nice balance of modes for Mathis – blending ballads with a few gentle groovers, the latter of which really have Johnny taking off in great new directions – and finding a way to hold onto the spotlight as the 70s move on! Titles include "Do Me Wrong But Do Me", "The Hungry Years", "I Only Have Eyes For You", "Do You Know Where You're Going To", "Ooh What We Do", "When A Child Is Born", and "Every Time You Touch Me I Get High". 

Mathis Is has Johnny working with lots of strong Philly soul currents – thanks to arrangements and production from Thom Bell – which makes for a much more soul-based record than usual! Titles include "Hung Up In The Middle Of Love", "I Don't Want To Say No", "Sweet Love Of Mine", "I'll Make You Happy", and "As Long As We're Together". 2CD set features bonus tracks "Fifty Fifty" and "Nothing In This Whole World".  ~ www.dustygroove.com

Tom Brock – I Love You More and More

Re-issue of a soul masterpiece from 1974. Tracks ‘I Love You More and More’ by Tom Brock was Tom’s only solo album release, but what a beautiful classic it is. For some, it is up there in the pantheon alongside their all-time treasured soul favourites such as Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’.

Produced by the legend Barry White and released on 20th Century Records in 1974, it features the lush hallmark orchestration, heartfelt songs, and funky yet slick playing you’d expect from a White production. Like a dusting of sugar onto the top of the cake, the record also features the stunning arrangements of the great pianist, arranger, composer, and producer Gene Page, whose musical career left an impressive and prolific legacy.‘ I Love You More and More’ received another lease of life when it was resurrected for a new audience after having been sampled by Jay-Z, Mos Def, C.L. Smooth, and others. The record is solid throughout, but the song ‘There’s Nothing in This World That Can Stop Me From Loving You’ proved to be an extra- bright star in the sky and it formed the base to Jay-Z’s 2001 hit ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’.  

The sampling of Tom’s work triggered the collectors, diggers and DJs to explore his record and to transfer their passion for it onto their followers too.

Tom Brock passed away in 2002, but left behind his sensational soulful voice on a handful of amazing dusty 7” singles, several assorted productions recorded by other artists, and this absolute winner of an album, which will be cherished for years to come. ~ www.firstexperiencerecords.com

Mark Feldman - Sounding Point

In my 30+ years following violinist Mark Feldman, no record I know shows him off better than Sounding Point. He’s made much great music in groups, but solo play gives him maximum elbow room, fully exposing the richness of his sound, his distinct personal voice, and his sensitivity to sonic texture and pacing, all at the service of musical storytelling. Take for example the shortest piece here, the improvised “Rebound.” He starts with a simple gesture, the bow’s horsehairs bouncing lightly on the strings, a gesture he periodically returns to (and ends with), between scenic flights: high notes and trills, bracing close-interval wailing on adjacent strings, a burst of percussive pizzi- cato, falling glissandi, whispered notes barely bowed.... Fancy stuff. Yet those expansions and contractions, and the contrasting dynamics, sound natural as breathing. 

This recital was a long time coming, 26 years after his solo debut. (As Mark recalls, Intakt had first asked for a follow-up around 2008.) By the time Feldman recorded Music for Violin Alone in 1994, he’d lived a few musical lives already: playing rock in Chicago and country music in Nashville before hitting New York where his chops, invention, big ears and quick response time quickly made him a key player on the downtown/Brooklyn improvising scene. By 1994 Mark had begun his long association with frequent employer John Zorn, who produced that solo CD. Back then I’d called it “lyrical and technically boggling” – a reflection of everything he’d put together so far. 

That’s all ancient history (I can hear Mark say, as he’s reading this) but that’s the point: He’s led a whole other life since, reflected in this more seasoned if equally audacious music. Feldman spent 10 of those years playing in quartet with guitarist John Abercrombie, a musician and person he can’t praise enough; that connection led to Feldman’s 2006 quartet album for ECM, What Exit. Even more cru- cially, in 1995 Mark met Swiss pianist Sylvie Courvoisier, his collaborator ever after, in duo, trios and various quartets. In notes to their 2018 Time Gone Out (Intakt 326), Stéphane Olliver recounted Sylvie’s first impression of him: You could hear how he drew on jazz and classical without stepping into either camp; his improvising was very free but always aware of context. Those were her values too. They bonded, and have issued a bounty of recordings as co-leaders ever since, rein- forcing each other’s best tendencies. 

Violin Alone demonstrated his resourcefulness and conceptual rigor; he played onefurious piece entirely on his low string. Still, he says now, “I felt my technique was deficient, so I worked on it.” He is now much handier with a wider range of so-called extended techniques – sliding harmonics, picking strings with his left/fingering hand while bowing, bowing or batting at strings with the bow’s wooden spine, et cetera et cetera – to the point where he deploys them un-selfconsciously, mixing them freely. Feldman winks at the violin virtuoso tradition here with a few furious four-string arpeggios. 

“People who say, ‘I hate virtuosity,’ I wish sometimes they’d listen to the music and not notice the technique” – focusing on content not vocabulary. Sounding Point is all but made to order for that. Technical- ly impressive as it plainly is, it’s more about those musical stories – a variety of them, told by various means. “Unbound” and “New Normal” like “Rebound” are improvisations; “Maniac” with its recurring ele- ments – fluttery arpeggios, a fast plummeting pizz lick landing on open strings, a stairstep descending melodic sequence – is more pre-struc- tured, even as it leaves him room to extemporize. Two pieces are borrowed. “As We Are” is Sylvie’s; Mark’s self-contained call-and-re- sponse takes a cue from her trio version (on the recent Free Hoops) and he really makes the melodic hooks sing. (It also shows his various ways of addressing the beat, sometimes leaning into it, sometimes leaning back.) 

Ornette Coleman’s 1987 “Peace Warriors” is one of three pieces conspicuously using overdubs; Mark had arranged it for performance by two violins, and plays both parts in complementary not contrasting voices, making it sound deceptively violinistic. In the improvising he goes his own way, fragmenting the time and the theme, inspecting it from various angles. “I’m inspired by Ornette, but I’d never try to copy him. I try to be true to my esthetic. But can I mention how much I love his violin playing?” There’s a bouquet of lovely episodes here, like the sequence starting around 2 : 24, where a plucked note precedes a softly bowed high D, as if resonating in sympathetic vibration; or the Aaron Copland hoedown that breaks out a minute and a half later, with some of Feldman’s best stridio di gatto playing. 

Also multi-tracked is “Sounding Point” – that’s where the bow meets the string in violin parlance, by the way – with its softly undulating figures under the signature fragile flautando bowing that once earned him the nickname Zamfir. More and more violins beef up the album’s big piece “Viciously” (derived from the last eight bars of “Tenderly” – a connection not immediately apparent). There his sense of drama (and comedian’s expert timing) really come to the fore, as it builds in short order (and subsides and builds again and again) from a buzzing- bee start. Varied, compositionally savvy, full of improvised delights and studded with grand gestures, it’s Mark Feldman music all over: a portrait of the artist now. 

~ KEVIN WHITEHEAD, 2020 

Author of Play the Way You Feel: The Essential Guide to Jazz Stories on Film (Oxford University Press) 

Pianist ALAN PASQUA's Solo Album, "DAY DREAM"

Alan Pasqua is a piano legend. He’s performed and recorded with many of the top names in both jazz and pop. He was a member of The New Tony Williams Lifetime and appeared on the albums Believe It and Million Dollar Legs. He also performed with Jack DeJohnette, Paul Motian, Dave Holland, Michael Brecker, Randy Becker, Joe Henderson, Stanley Clarke, Gary Burton, James Moody, Gary Peacock, Gary Bartz, Reggie Workman, The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, Sheila Jordan, and Joe Williams, to name just a few.

In the pop world, Pasqua recorded two albums with Dylan (Bob Dylan at Budokan and Street-Legal), performed with John Fogerty on the album Eye of the Zombie, with Starship on the album No Protection, and with Allan Holdsworth on the album Sand. He was also the keyboardist for Carlos Santana on his albums Marathon, Zebop! and Havana Moon.

Pasqua has also been the leader or co-leader on many critically acclaimed jazz recordings. In 2008, Pasqua joined forces with Peter Erskine and Dave Carpenter, arranging, co-producing and playing on the Grammy-nominated trio album Standards. His recent releases are Twin Bill, which features Pasqua playing the music of Bill Evans on two pianos, and Northern Lights, which features Pasqua’s original compositions, exploring his roots in the classical, pop and jazz idioms. 

Soliloquy, his newest project, was recorded in Pasqua’s Santa Monica studio on his Hamburg Steinway concert grand piano. The sound is exquisite and the performance invites the listener to an intimate personal journey. Included are nine of his favorite standards and one cover of a Bob Dylan song.

 

3-Disc Anthology "OUT ON THE COAST" from David Angel and Jim Self

David Angel is one of the most respected composer and arrangers on the West Coast; however, he is virtually unknown to the general public. That is why tuba and bass trombone master Jim Self decided it was time to rectify that situation. He brought together The David Angel Jazz Ensemble to record Out On The Coast, a gorgeous three-disc anthology of Angel’s music. The David Angel Jazz Ensemble grew out of the rehearsal band that Angel began in 1969. Over the years, the group featured many West Coast jazz giants. Angel’s current 13-member ensemble of top-notch players were more than happy to participate in this project. Recorded right before the pandemic hit, the band laid down all 22 tracks in just four days. Out On The Coast features 15 original compositions by Angel and his arrangements of seven standards. Angel wrote so many great charts, it was difficult to narrow them down to fit on one disc, so he culled 22 tunes from his extensive oeuvre and burned them onto three discs. The music ranges from swinging to symphonic, from Latin-tinged to jazz waltzes to West Coast cool.  Written over many years, the compositions and arrangements on Out On The Coast provide a very satisfying glimpse of the prolific output and brilliance of David Angel, who never sought out and has never received wide public recognition. This project should change that, and it’s about time.

ADRIAN YOUNGE’S THE AMERICAN NEGRO

Adrian Younge has released his most ambitious and deeply personal project to-date. The American Negro is a multimedia project release in conjunction with Black History Month, and sees the Los Angeles-based multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer share an unapologetic critique detailing the systemic and malevolent psychology that afflicts people of color.

The American Negro is a powerful, multifaceted statement that reflects perennial injustices and serves to act as a lever of change during a time of mass disillusionment: an album for the people that details the evolution of racism in America. It is insightful, provocative and necessary in our fight for equality. “The American Negro is the most important creative accomplishment of my life. This project dissects the chemistry behind blind racism, using music as the medium to restore dignity and self-worth to my people,” notes Younge. “It should be evident that any examination of black music is an examination of the relationship between black and white America. This relationship has shaped the cultural evolution of the world and its negative roots run deep into our psyche.”

The American Negro is not for the faint of heart, including the album cover art–a recreation of “Lynching Postcards” that became very popular to celebrate the murder of African Americans at the hands of White Americans as vigilante justice at the turn of the last century, with no judicial reprisals; in addition, they served as warning signs against any person of color seeking to eradicate racial inequality. Modernly, death by asphyxiation is a tool Police officers have used in killing innocent Black Americans–the lynching of the Black Americans has to stop!

The album’s title track and lead single “The American Negro” captures the poetic spirits of black luminaries like Gil-Scott Heron, Curtis Mayfield and Marvin Gaye. It cultivates a bold balance between melancholy and pure joy, with deeply poignant lyrics and melodic grooves. “The American Negro” single features The Linear Labs Orchestra with vocals performed by Loren Oden, Chester Gregory and Sam Harmonix. “The American Negro” single is available today and can be heard here: http://jazzisdead.lnk.to/AdrianYoungeTAN.  

Created as a companion to The American Negro, Younge is also releasing his brand-new podcast Invisible Blackness with Adrian Younge. The Amazon Music-exclusive podcast documents the development and evolution of racism in America. Over four episodes and a series of extended conversations, Younge analyzes the Black consciousness of America with new historical parallels to the future and the past. As part of the podcast, Younge will be joined by fellow luminaries like Chuck D, Ladybug Mecca, Keyon Harrold, Michael Jai White and more to reveal, illustrate, and make visible the dominant ideologies embedded in America’s culture. Debuting February 4th on Amazon Music, fans can listen to the series trailer here (https://youtu.be/gqg9rk88e3A) and subscribe to the podcast here: http://www.amazon.com/invisible_blackness. Amazon Music customers can access a wide selection of podcasts including new Originals like Invisible Blackness with Adrian Younge in the Amazon Music app for iOS and Android, on Amazon Echo devices, and at music.amazon.com/podcasts.

Adrian Younge is a member of The Midnight Hour and has produced for entertainment greats ranging from Jay Z, Kendrick Lamar and Wu-Tang Clan. He’s composed for television shows such as Marvel’s Luke Cage (with Ali Shaheed Muhammad), and films including Black Dynamite. He owns the Linear Labs boutique record label and analog studio, and is co-owner of Jazz Is Dead. When he’s not working on scores for major studios or networks, he’s making albums that speak to his own artistry. For The American Negro, Younge not only wrote, but played every instrument of the album’s rhythm section; he also orchestrated a 30-piece orchestra and recorded them in his analog studio. 

A true Renaissance Man, Younge wrote, directed, edited and composed the score for the upcoming short film T.A.N.–a narrative film that sees five fragile souls, confused and in a haze of consciousness and intolerance, enter an eerie dimension. Piece-by-piece, each person realizes their destiny, and the darkness they’ve left behind. The film will be available later this month via Amazon’s Prime Video and on the Amazon Music app. Look for more on the film soon. 

Ira B. Liss Big Band Jazz Machine's "MAZEL TOV KOCKTAIL!" 40th Anniversary Celebration

Mazel Tov Kocktail!, the newest recording by the Ira B. Liss Big Band Jazz Machine, is a swinging, rollicking collection of new and standard big band numbers performed by a tight-knit group of top-notch musicians. The band is well known in Southern California for its fun and engaging performances that have often featured some of the top names in jazz, like Bob Mintzer, Barbara Morrison, Wayne Bergeron, Holly Hofmann, and Eric Marienthal, to name just a few. This is the band’s 6th recording project, and like all the others, it features new compositions and newly imagined arrangements of standards. Liss says, “The band is the sum of its parts, and every chair is important. Big bands need a creative vision to push the music forward, and I like a lot of variety.” The music on this recording is indeed varied, with six arrangers contributing to the project. The Big Band Jazz Machine is a well-oiled group of musicians whose ensemble playing and solo work is sophisticated and compelling. Under the direction of conductor and producer Ira Liss, MAZEL TOV KOCKTAIL! is a high-energy, crowd-pleasing, romp through a diverse slate of tunes old and new.