Echoes | "Lasting"

Set for an October 15 release, Lasting is the third album by the up-and-coming group of young jazz musicians Echoes. Reedist Max Bessesen, percussionist Matt DiBiase, Drummer Chase Kuesel, and bassist Evan Levine make up the leaderless collective, whose sound blends futuristic electronica with jazz improvisation, while dabbing with electronic instruments, loops, and triggers for an additional layer of intricacy. Members show off their personal styles throughout, with each composing two of the tracks that make up the album.

The album opens with “Jam Fest,” as an opening drum groove leads to an anthemic, and occasionally wry, melody. “This is a tongue-in-cheek piece for a good time,” says Bessesen, who penned the composition. The gravelly saxophone sound carries on throughout the track, complimented by smooth melodic flourishes in the vibraphone. The track boldly introduces the listener to the electronica fusion that follows on the record. 

Immediately welcomed by a synth keyboard, “Taylor” integrates the band’s diverse interests into the formal structure of the song. The composition works around an adaptation of a beatboxing performance by Taylor McFerrin, which Kuesel adeptly translates to the drum kit. The band uses a sample from Taylor’s performance to cue different sections in real time, leading to an exciting, unpredictable listening experience. 

The sequence of “Off Switch” and “Flipbook” that follows provides a representative example of the diverse emotional landscapes the band is able to convey with their compositions. In response to his composition “Off Switch,” DiBiase says, “At first the bass solo is content, but it gradually grows into glitchy darkness and requires a reset of the intro piano motif.” After being brought to this glitchy darkness, “Flipbook” brings back a sense of joy, as DiBiase describes the piece as “syncopated and playful,” with a melody meant to “paint the story of an animated cartoon character.”  

Evan Levine titled the track “Asbury” after his hometown of Asbury Park, NJ. “This tune takes a lot of the group’s rock influences and uses layers to create a powerful groove with a sweet, relaxed melody skating over the top of it. Think about drinking a beer on the beach – it’s hot outside, but the water is cold,” says Levine. This track has an easy- going feel as it builds itself a story through the layers of piano, drums, percussion, with sax fading in and out. 

“Wasted” could be thrown into any romantic film and fit perfectly. Bessen tells the story of “Relationships, nights, sobriety... all wasted away and explored in this heartfelt, off-kilter, ballad.” These stories are told through the slow, contemplative movement of the piano and the soft complimenting instrumentals.

“Attics” and “Lasting” are the final two tracks of the band’s third offering. “Attics” returns the band to a grooving, hypnotic soundscape, as Bessesen’s solo takes flight before the song ends with lush arpeggios from DiBiase’s vibraphone. “Lasting” provides a meditative end to the record, as a soaring saxophone melody takes shape over a repeated ostinato in the keyboards. The song ends with a cycle of ethereal suspended chords, meant to “convey a sense of openness – a value that the band hopes to maintain as they move into the future together.” says Kuesel. 

Taken as a whole, Lasting finds an ensemble equally interested in joyful interplay and melancholic reflection. It is a strong and compelling effort, and an important document from an ensemble that is poised to refine its unique voice on the international stage for years to come. 

Chase Kuesel is a composer and drummer based in Brooklyn, New York. Hailed as an "ambitious" composer by All About Jazz, his debut album as a leader, "Space Between," was released on Ears & Eyes Records in July 2020. In 2021, he was announced as a recipient of ASCAP's Young Jazz Composers Award for his song "The World Is Now Your Own," composed in honor of the birth of pianist Glenn Zaleski and violinist Tomoko Omura's child. In July 2020, he was awarded a "Pathways to Jazz Grant" by the Boulder County Arts Association to record a new album, which will be released in Spring 2022. In addition to his own music, Chase is actively involved in many projects as a sideman. He has shared the stage with Emma Frank, Morgan Guerin, and Allegra Krieger, and performs regularly with the Alex Hamburger Quartet and the collective ensemble Echoes. Cross-disciplinary explorations have inspired Chase’s latest work. In summer 2020, he published both an animated music video, in collaboration with artist Ian Kelly, and an essay in Music & Literature that explores the relationship between music production and digital culture. He appears on drums and composed the second track, “Taylor,” as well as the closing track to the album, “Lasting.”

A southern California based multimedia artist, Matt DiBiase (aka Plexusplay) began his passion for music in Boston studying classical mallet percussion on marimba from the age of 5. Matt has performed his original music on multiple tours in the U.S. as well as internationally in Europe and the Middle East. Select performances of his own original music include headlining the Idyllwild Jazz in the Pines Festival, opening for KNOWER, Tri-C Jazz Festival (Cleveland), Carson City Jazz Festival, Laguna Beach Festival of the Arts, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Tsai Center, Boston’s Symphony Hall, and San Diego's Symphony Hall. Matt has shared the stage with artists such as Genevieve Artadi, Kamau Kenyatta, Gilbert Castellanos, and Joshua White. He appears as the percussionist throughout the album and composed the third and fourth tracks of the album, “Off Switch” and “Flipbook.”

Evan Levine is an electric and double bassist located in Chicago, IL. He is a Filipino American that completed his master’s degree at the University of Michigan and his undergraduate degree at Oberlin Conservatory. Originally from New Jersey, Evan started his professional career at the age of 16. He has performed at jazz clubs such as: Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola, Cliff Bells, The New Jersey Performing Arts Center and has played at the Detroit Jazz Festival in 2014 and 2015. Evan has had the opportunity to perform with Benny Golson, Carl Allen, Nicholas Payton, Dave Liebman, Jamey Haddad and many others. He has released two albums as a leader – Unsolvable Problems and Mestizo (Shifting Paradigm Records, 2018). He appears on bass and composed the tracks “Asbury'' and “Attics.”

Max Bessesen is a performer, composer, and educator based in New York City. His skills as a saxophonist and woodwind doubler have taken him across five continents and earned him awards from organizations including Downbeat Magazine and the Frank Huntington Beebe Fund. Max has performed and recorded with artists as diverse as Dayna Stephens, Simone Shaheen, and Isaac Slade (of The Fray). His debut album as a leader, Trouble, was released on Ropeadope Records in 2020. He appears as the reedist and composed both the opening track, “JamFest,” and “Wasted,” found in the second half of the album.

Alea | "Alborotá"

Alea, the Colombian born/Bronx based singer songwriter has released her new album Alborotá. Alea’s vision spans ten diverse tracks that breaks the traditional Latin music mold. The album uniquely blends Latin folklore inspired by cumbia, porro, currulao and huapango with pop, afro and savory Latin grooves filtered through her personal lens of strength, feminism, and perseverance. She explains, “I decided that I couldn’t let other people and the environment dictate my freedom, who I chose to love and how I decided to speak about my truths. My music became a reflection of that. To be bold, fierce and unapologetic.” Alea has been releasing singles and music videos from the album for the past two years with “Échale Sal” being hailed as one of NPR Alt.Latino’s favorite songs of 2020. Now she is ready to release her full album rooted in female and Latinx empowerment.  

The album title Alborotá is deeply personal to Alea. Alborotado(a) translates directly to rowdy, riotous, loud, disorderly; and in most of Latin America it means being too much, too different, too sexual. Alea elaborates, “I was called an alborotada growing up by my family and friends because I was extremely driven by creativity and imagination. I fought hard to keep true to this nature, but this judgment took a toll on me as a I got older, and I started to believe that I was the problem. My body was the problem, my womanhood was the problem.” She adds, “I decided it was time to redefine this word, to give it a new meaning in my life and use it as a flag that represented being free, different, independent, out spoken, equal, feminist. I named the album Alborotá because it defines who I am now and what I wish to share with others, this inner fire of strength and overcoming difficulties that liberates you and celebrates you in every way.” 

Alea produced the entire album with Sinuhé Padilla Isunza at Jarana Records. Taking from his background of Mexican, Brazilian and Flamenco music, Sinuhé set the tone of the album with an organic and authentic vibe created with only acoustic instrumentation; a rarity in these digital times. The album shines with the help of Alea’s friends and collaborators including Latin GRAMMY winning artists Felipe Fournier (vibraphone on Échale Sal), Luisa Bastidas (violin on Alborotá) and Jackie Coleman (trumpet on No Me Apaga Nadie) of Flor de Toloache, and Latin GRAMMY nominee Sonia De Los Santos (vocals on Tú, Solo Tú). Alea adds, “Among them we also featured world class artists like Renee Goust, Elena Moon Park, Jaime Ospina, Miche Molina, George Sáenz, Juan Ruiz and Kika Parra. Our rhythm, our lock and groove was set by the incredible Franco Pinna on drums. We also had the help and ears of friends like Kamilo Kratc, Nacho Molina and Luis F. Herrera, who listened to mixes and gave us feedback. All arrangements were written by Sinuhé Padilla-Isunza and myself. The entire album was mastered by GRAMMY winner, Luis F. Herrera.” 

The results of recording over the past years have yielded an album that Alea is really proud of, and rightfully so. Alea has been sharing singles and music videos in real time, which showcases the diversity and vision of each track. The album kicks off with “Échale Sal,” which Alea describes “…talks about what each of us contributes to our communities, what we bring that makes us unique and that becomes the engine of a conglomerate like New York, Medellín or Bogotá. It is the struggle and the hope that unites us and makes us essential….This song reminds me of everything we’ve done to survive and find dignity in a place where we are called immigrants.” The music video (https://youtu.be/MWEXb1rSRVE) brings it to life thanks to the direction of Elyssa Budd. The title track “Alborotá” is a fine feminist declaration that celebrates each being that identifies as a womxn. Alea passionately adds, “Alborotá describes my story, as well as that of thousands of womxn that have had to conform themselves to roles and expectations imposed on them by society. However, liberation occurs for these womxn when they finally break the silence on issues like identity, sexual abuse, and inequality. Being an Alborotá is an act of courage that transcends gender; it is being true to who you are and fighting for your dreams and beliefs in spite of what people have to say.” The music video (https://youtu.be/QuDSYXcED94) visually celebrates womxn with the help of Tobías Arboleda and Elyssa Budd once again. “Aire Gaujiro” is a homage to Alea’s home; La Guajira, a forgotten state in the north coast of Colombia, bordering with Venezuela. People here love and breathe Vallenato, it’s almost what Country music is to Nashville. Alea states, “Women don’t usually sing or perform vallenato as it is considered masculine, but I wanted to challenge that norm and represent in a genre that I considered wasn’t for me for so long.” Another great music video (https://youtu.be/QSq93PF9u38) accompanies the song with help from Tobías Arboleda

and Valeria Aviña. The next video dropping from the album is for “No Me Apaga Nadie.” Alea mentions “The title refers to the fire within, the fire that you are. Not permitting anyone dim you down. It’s a call to be rebellious and free in a society where you have to claw your way in to be part of the conversation.” These are just a few highlights from an album by an artist who is poised to have a breakout year. 

Alea concludes, “I wanted to write an album that spoke about my roots as a Colombian afro-indigenous woman. So this was also an exploration of identity, one that I wasn’t close with until I moved far away and somehow labels became a permanent part of who I was. I had to honor these roots because it felt like a calling. Many dreams of spiritual encounters and re-signifying the pain of being a Latin American woman taught to be silent. With this album we explored realms of music from cumbia to currulao, from a huapango to a vallenato, from folkloric rap to ranchera music; we were bold and authentic. I’m really proud of this work. It was not an easy road, but we did it!” 

Chris Standring | "Wonderful World"

Jazz guitarist Chris Standring has announced the long-awaited release of his 13th album ’Wonderful World’. The record not only marks his first collection of jazz standards, but also his first ever large-ensemble record, featuring a full orchestra. ‘Wonderful World’ will be released on September 3rd 2021 via Ultimate Vibe / Lateralize Records.

In an illustrious career that stretches back over the last 25 years, Chris Standring has earned a reputation as one of the world’s most virtuosic guitarists, yet whatever musical waters he has dived into, he has never quite managed to shake off the perception that he is a ‘mainstream’ jazz artist. Although he has always focused solely on the music rather than the pigeonholes people have put him in, in many ways, this is the record he was destined to make from the very moment he first picked up a guitar.

Growing up in Buckinghamshire, he was introduced to orchestral music by his mother, who adored Beethoven and Schubert. Whilst he has enjoyed huge commercial success in the contemporary jazz world, he had always dreamed of releasing an album of orchestral standards.

“I’ve had an affinity for strings for as long as I can remember,” Standring explains. “The idea of doing an album of Great American Songbook standards with a trio and orchestra came to me a few years ago, but the ambition and the huge expense kept the project on the back burner. When Covid hit, I had no gigs in the diary, so with time on my hands, I started to seriously study the art of writing for strings.”

After cutting a demo at his studio in Los Angeles, Standring approached Geoff Gascoyne to write the string arrangements, leaving him free to focus on playing the guitar. His fantasy finally came to fruition when he enlisted some of the world’s finest jazz musicians and recorded the orchestra live in Studio Two at Abbey Road in London.

“I wanted to give the orchestra lots of space to shine but still play a very supportive role to the melody, and I wanted all the harmony to come from the strings. In that sense, it was vital that the rhythm section instrumentation was sparse - which meant no piano - and the trio format gave me much more space to play guitar.

“I then called up the finest musicians I knew – Randy Brecker, Peter Erskine, Harvey Mason, Darek Oleszkiewicz, David Karasony and Chuck Berghofer alongside Kathrin Shorr, who sang the stunning sultry vocals on What A Wonderful World. In March 2021, we recorded the orchestra in Studio Two at Abbey Road in London – the final piece of this jigsaw. When everything came together, it sounded spellbinding and utterly timeless. From beginning to end, it really has been a dream come true.”

‘Wonderful World’, his 13th studio album, finds Standring at the very peak of his powers. With the help of some of the world’s best jazz musicians and a set of sublime arrangements by Geoff Gascoyne, he manages to breathe fresh life into these magical, ageless songs, somehow making them sound both old and new at the same time. Although you can hear echoes of George Benson, Grant Green and Pat Martino in his deceptively simple style, Chris Standring’s mellifluous sound is unmistakable.

Larry Carlton & Paul Brown | "Soul Searchin'"

What do you get when two of the greatest creative musicians of our time join forces for a friendly fire no holds barred guitar showdown? You get Soul Searchin’, an electrifying meeting of the minds that surpasses expectations and showcases unbridled joy and virtuosity. Grammy-winning guitar extraordinaires Larry Carlton, who has played on over 100 Gold and Platinum albums and Paul Brown, who has scored 60 #1 radio hits, join forces for a set of ten thrilling originals on their first co-led album together. Carlton, who was a member of the pioneering super-groups The Crusaders and Fourplay and who is a successful TV and Film scorer (including TV show themes “Hill Street Blues,” “Who’s The Boss” and film “Against All Odds”), first collaborated with Brown in the 90s when Brown produced tracks for his Finger Prints album. “Paul’s engineering and production speak for themselves but his guitar playing and creativity in writing is also very appealing to me,” says Carlton, a 19 time Grammy nominated and four-time Grammy winning artist. Brown’s extensive credits include work as an engineer having engineered for R&B divas Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross, among others. Brown confesses, “Larry and I had been toying with the idea of doing a CD together for a few years. I always thought our styles and sounds would be beautiful together. From a production, writing, arranging and playing point of view, this is as good as it gets for me.” Collectively between Carlton and Brown, the dynamic duo has collaborated with everyone from Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan and Quincy Jones to George Benson, Patti Austin and Norman Brown, to name a few. The goal for Soul Searchin’ was simple. Paul Brown explains, “We hope it will be musical bliss and that you will allow it to take you on a ride and your mind and ears will be happy, happy, happy!”

“This is a marriage made in heaven,” states Danny Weiss, VP of Jazz A&R at Shanachie Entertainment. “Larry Carlton has rightfully achieved legendary status as one of the world's greatest guitarists, and Paul Brown, a great guitarist in his own right, is probably the finest contemporary jazz producer on the scene today.  The fact that they both share the same soulful, bluesy style makes listening to this album a truly tasty experience,”

The synergy between Larry Carlton and Paul Brown on Soul Searchin’ is impalpable. Their telepathic interplay, and joyful exchange create numerous moments to willingly get lost inside the music. Larry Carlton reveals their ingredient. “We have different musical backgrounds but, the common thread for Paul and I is that we both like melodic music with a great groove.”

Joining Larry Carlton and Paul Brown on Soul Searchin’ are bassist and guitarist, Shane Theriot (who co-wrote many of the compositions), drummer Gorden Campbell, keyboardists León Besquera and Gregg Karukas, bassist Travis Carlton (Larry’s son), drummers Roberto Vally, Doug Belote and Gordon Campbell, trumpeter Ron King, saxophonist Greg Vail and percussionist Lenny Castro (Tower Of Power). Soul Searchin’ was recorded this past year and afforded Carlton and Brown the opportunity to give the music their undivided attention. Carlton shares, “The advantage of recording the album during the pandemic was that we both had more available time. Paul worked at his studio in Los Angeles and would send me tracks while I created at my studio in my home outside of Nashville.” Brown adds, “Honestly it probably would not have been possible in normal circumstances because both of us would have been too busy to get it done.”

Soul Searchin’ opens with the mystical, cool and breezy “Miles And Miles To Go.” Taking divergent paths Carlton and Brown meet in the center lane crusin’ and soulfully trading choruses to beautiful effect. Paul Brown shares “More than any of the other songs on the album this tune shows off the difference in our sounds and styles and lets the both of us sing on the melodies with our guitars.” The dynamic duo roll up their sleeves and lay down a gritty but yet sweet and fun little groove on “Stomp.” It might hard to resist stomping your heels on this exhilarating and insatiable bluesy number. Carlton plays a Larry Carlton model SIRE H7 through his Bluedotone amp on all of the tracks while Paul Brown uses his arch top on most of the tracks. Brown’s heavy strings create a punchy sound while Carlton’s strings create a slinkier feel allowing him to bend his notes more easily.

Affectionately dubbed ‘Brother Paul Brown,’ Paul lays down a mean Hammond B3 on this track, which is also graced by the horns of trumpeter Ron King and saxophonist Greg Vail. “Gone Fishin’ is a good-get-together, feel-good anthem that is sure to rock any house. The snappy and pulsating swing of “Hip Pocket” is another winner and the funky “Aftershock” hits with a seismic force as Carlton and Brown pull out all the stops. Soul Seachin’ also features “Blue Skies,” which forecasts bright days and smooth sailing while the show-stopping “Keep Truckin’” is a special tribute as Paul Brown explains. “It is my homage to the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers and it really captures that southern rock vibe.” Carlton and Brown have a meeting of the minds on “Say What’s On Your Mind,” as the duo stretches out and struts their stuff illustrating why they are both at the top of their game. The track also features Larry’s son and bassist Travis Carlton and Shane Theriot on keys. “Shelter” offers refuge from life’s rainstorm with an intimate down home performance from the duo featuring vocals from Brother Paul Brown. The ethereal album title track is a gorgeous and pensive ballad, which Brown confides is inspired in part by Prince’s “Purple Rain.”

The iconic and revered Grammy-winning guitarist Larry Carlton picked up his first guitar at the age of six but it was in high school upon hearing Gerald Wilson’s album Moment of Truth with guitarist Joe Pass, that he got his first introduction to jazz. It was not long before Barney Kessel, Wes Montgomery, B.B. King and John Coltrane changed his world. Celebrated for his lithe technique, sweet-toned, blues-inflected sound, and distinctive use of volume pedals, Carlton first came to prominence as a member of crossover jazz and R&B ensemble The Crusaders. In the 70s he remained busy with a who’s who list of collaborations from Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell and Michael Jackson to Quincy Jones, Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt. Carlton made his debut as a leader in 1978 when he was signed to Warner Brothers and began a long stretch of releasing his own albums. A native of Torrence, California, he has been equally successful as a film and television scorer. By the 80s Carlton had amassed over 3000 studio sessions. In 1988, Carlton was the victim of a random gun violence crime that shattered his vocal cords and left him with severe nerve trauma. Through intensive therapy, a positive mind and sheer will, a courageous Carlton made a remarkable recovery proving to be as remarkable off the stage as he is on it. He founded the organization Helping Innocent People (HIP), a nonprofit group to aid victims of random gun violence. Carlton, has recorded 34 albums as a leader including his last album Lights On with the WDR Big Band. 

“Music is my spirituality and has been my entire life. Everyday I’m either writing, playing recording or performing and I’m still loving it,” confesses two-time Grammy winning guitarist, producer and vocalist Paul Brown. Born in Los Angeles to musician parents who sang with Mel Tormé, Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, among others, Brown started playing drums at age five and picked up his first guitar two years later. His influences are as far reaching as Wes Montgomery, Peter Gabriel and Johnny “Guitar” Watson. Brown has been a foundational artist in Contemporary Jazz from since the late 80s. As accomplished as Brown is center stage as a guitarist he is equally revered for his Midas touch as a producer. The renaissance man has been first call for everybody from George Benson, Al Jarreau and Luther Vandross to Boney James, Kirk Whalum and Peter White among countless others. As a leader he has recorded ten albums and Soul Searchin’ make this his eleventh and his second recording for Shanachie. His first for the label was Love You Found Me in 2010. 

Jared Schonig | "Two Takes Vol. 1: Quintet & Vol. 2: Big Band"

In the music of drummer/composer Jared Schonig there is a life-force, a vibrant affirmation that there are numerous great reasons to get out of bed in the morning and embrace it all. His music percolates with sincere optimism for the future, enthusiasm for the present and reverence and erudition of the past. The music on Schonig’s intrepid debut recording(s) as a leader, Two Takes Vol. 1: Quintet & Vol. 2: Big Band (available on Anzic Records on September 24) is meticulously-crafted, played with the freedom, abandon, joy and excellence that only top New York City players seem to truly capture simultaneously. With this debut as a leader we experience a musician who dreams big, makes those dreams come true, and thrives as a percussive force in many dimensions: primal and raw, shimmering and playful, pounding and exhilarating, tumultuous and brutal, complex, unpredictable and exhilarating. And, with these recordings, Schonig now joins the growing fellowship of drummers fronting their own bands, from Brian Blade to Johnathan Blake to Tyshawn Sorey, and many others. 

Perhaps most importantly, the music on this adventurous two-CD offering rings true to the person who created it. Its captivating, mighty fabric is woven with Schonig’s experience as a drummer for touring and studio projects across multiple genres, working with Nicholas Payton, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Donny McCaslin, Tim Hagans, Fred Hersch, Wycliffe Gordon, Tom Harrell, Joe Locke, Ernie Watts, Kurt Elling, as co-leader of the critically-acclaimed trio, The Wee Trio (which released five albums over its eight year existence), and many others. The Grammy-award winning drummer formerly held the drum chair for the revival of the Tony, Grammy and Emmy-award winning Broadway musical, "The Color Purple,” and currently holds the drum chair, and is co-orchestrator, for the Broadway hit, “Moulin Rouge.” 

Two Takes Vol. 1: Quintet, features eight Schonig compositions, interspersed with three “Drum Interludes.” The Quintet features none other than Marquis Hill on trumpet, Godwin Louis on alto saxophone, Luis Perdomo on piano and Matt Clohesy on bass – a family of players who display a wonderful simpatico throughout the album. Schonig first met and played with Marquis Hill on a Laurence Hobgood Quintet Tour with Ernie Watts, before Hill won the Monk Competition. Schonig elaborates that, “I truly loved how he played and he reminded me of Freddie with his lines and feel. He ended up moving to NYC, living really close to me, so we were trying to make something happen and it finally did. My favorite trumpet player playing today!” Schonig started playing with Godwin Louis at St. Peters Church with Ike Sturm, and, “we really loved the experience,” said Schonig. “When we were on a Melissa Stylianou gig at the 55 Bar the magic really happened and I knew I had to have him for my record. He and Marquis had never played together and they just sounded so beautiful and amazing.” Pianist Luis Perdomo was a favorite of Schonig’s from checking him out on Miguel Zenon’s recordings. “The first time we played together was also at the Jazz Church at St. Peters. We had a bunch of fun, and then The Wee Trio ended up inviting him to be a guest at one of our shows at Birdland. He really learned and internalized our music and sounded amazing, so I knew he would be a great fit for my music,” said Schonig. Bassist Matt Clohesy and Schonig go way back as he was one of the first bass players the drummer played with when moving to NYC. “We have been on countless gigs, tours and recordings together. He’s a great player and a great dude. I also just love his sound and percussiveness on the bass. I think we have a great hookup and approach a lot of music in a similar way. He was a no-brainer for my debut recording,” Schonig says. The Jared Schonig Quintet is such a thrill to experience, and will hopefully stay together for a long time, for the listener’s benefit! 

Two Takes Vol. 2: Big Band – in an audacious creative endeavor, Schonig enlists eight of the most acclaimed big band arrangers/composers working today (whom Schonig has musical relationships and friendships with) – Alan Ferber, Jim McNeely, Mike Holober, Miho Hazama, Darcy James Argue, John Daversa, Laurence Hobgood and Brian Krock – to exercise free reign with his Vol. 1 compositions. The two all-star big bands performing the pieces are comprised of a “who’s who” of jazz artists on the scene. “My idea for the two records to be released together stemmed from the fact that a few people suggested that my music would be perfect in a big band context. I figured a few would, but never imagined that eight different tunes could work. My love for large ensemble and big band music goes deep to early high school when I started listening to jazz. A lot of these arrangers were initially heroes to me and then became colleagues and ‘bosses’ long before this project. The arrangements of my music sound like pieces of music from the arranger’s pen while staying faithful to my original ideas. They are all artists of the highest nature; this process only magnifies it. I wanted to involve as many people as I could in this familial setting. Longtime musical associates from college, more recent collaborations with great artists; the whole nine yards,” said Schonig. For more information on the arrangers please contact Red Cat Publicity. 

The NYC scene is chock-a-block with outstanding improvisors, dozens who Schonig has close ties with, so what’s a composer/bandleader to do with such a surfeit of amazing artists? Two different big bands! Schonig explains, “I have a connection with so many bass players but wanted to include some of my closest friends and rhythmic partners in Matt Clohesy, Ike Sturm, and my Wee Trio bandmate Dan Loomis. I had two different pianists, Dave Cook, and Adam Birnbaum, both of whom I have played a great deal with in many contexts. They both contributed so much to this project. Nir Felder is the lone guitarist on the record, and he is featured on a few tracks. He plays so amazingly on some many tunes whether soloing or comping and is such a unique voice on the instrument. I have a lot of saxophonist friends who I wanted to include, so there are nine!, including the great Donny McCaslin whom I’ve played with a bunch here in NYC, Troy Roberts who I first met playing with Kurt Elling, the great lead alto players Dave Pietro and Jon Gordon, wonderful soloist and doublers Ben Kono and Charles Pillow, tenor men Quinson Nachoff and Jason Rigby who take burning solos on Sabotage and Climb, respectively, and the lone low-reed member, Carl Maraghi. For trumpets I knew I had to have Tony Kadleck on lead, one of my favorite musicians and people. We’ve played countless gigs together from his own big band to a Broadway show with Patti Lupone. The great Scott Wendholdt, Brian Pareschi and Jonathan Powell contribute some fantastic solos and Jon Owens plays some great lead and in the section as well. The great Mike Davis plays lead trombone throughout, and the lone trombone solo on the record is from the amazing Marshall Gilkes. Keith O’Quinn, Alan Ferber, and Jeff Nelson on bass trombone round out the section. Astonishingly, there was only one rehearsal for each band prior to heading into the studio. Schonig said, “What we came up with was beyond my expectations. I get goose bumps hearing what the arrangers and musicians have done with my original charts.”

White Out - My most recorded composition, this burner was written the first time I was in a crazy blizzard in New York City. The rhythmic pattern which initially tricks the listener was something I heard in my head walking around while clapping and singing groups of 5. Climb - One of my newer compositions written for the last Wee Trio record featuring Fabian Almazan. The title represents the climb to the top that we all inevitably face in daily life. NUTS - A really old tune that hadn’t really been played since college. I decided to dig this up as I always loved playing this in college. It was always a fun and difficult challenge for everyone. Written during a time when I was listening to a lot of Herbie Hancock. Eight Twenty - A dedication to my beautiful wife and mother of our child, Eight Twenty is the day we got married. I wanted to write a beautiful melody reminiscent of her and the way Marquis and Godwin interpret the melody is perfect. Sabotage - Sabotage was written for the Wee Trio’s live recording at Jazz At The Bistro in St. Louis, and was done when the trio noticed their mic cables had been cut the night before the 2nd day of recording. A favorite to play, it was also recorded by one of Marquis’ idols, Nicholas Payton. Tig Mack - My tribute to the Pacific Ocean, specifically Santa Monica, where I grew up going to the beach. The hope is that is captures both the waves and stillness of Mother Earth’s seas. Sound Evidence - Initially a trio composition that was written in Los Angeles on my mother’s piano on a tour one year. I was hearing a pattern that seemed like it was missing a beat, and it actually was, so it turned out to be an odd meter pattern which is fun to play over. Gibbs St.- My homage to the Eastman School of Music in downtown Rochester, NY. I hope to encapsulate all the feelings and experiences one has in college, especially in an intensive and competitive musical environment. An oldie, but a goodie.



Lyle Mays | "Eberhard"

The Lyle Mays Estate has announced the release of a thirteen-minute “mini symphony” entitled Eberhard—a composition completed by Mays in 2009 for the Zeltsman Marimba Festival, and recorded in the months before his passing on February 10, 2020, with a slate of notable names in jazz including Bill Frisell, Alex Acuña, and Bob Sheppard.

Due out today, Eberhard is a long-form, multi-section work that is Lyle’s self-professed dedication to the great German bass player Eberhard Weber, a composer whose influence loomed large on Mays and his long-time collaborator Pat Metheny in the forming of the 11-time Grammy-Award winning Pat Metheny Group during the mid 70’s and throughout their careers. According to Steve Rodby (bass player of the Pat Metheny Group and Lyle’s best friend) who did double duty on this recording as co-associate producer and acoustic bassist, “…though he called it his ‘humble tribute’ to Eberhard, it is still 100 percent Lyle in every way.” 

A steady, lilting marimba (Wade Culbreath) ostinato offers an ample bed for Eberhard’s ethereal opening piano melody, performed, of course, by Mays. Lyle’s unmistakable orchestrational style is immediately on display as various shakers, rainsticks, and atmospheric synthesizer pads quietly make their way into the texture, rising and falling organically as an electric bass theme (played by longtime James Taylor cohort, Jimmy Johnson) emerges. Wordless vocals, a hallmark of the music of the Pat Metheny Group, supplied here by jazz singers Aubrey Johnson (Lyle’s niece and co-executive producer), Rosana Eckert, and Gary Eckert, are introduced—first as accompaniment to the bass melody and later as melodic “instruments.” 

Vocal features give way to Bob Sheppard’s woodwind section, which gives way to cello section underscores (led by principal Timothy Loo), and soon the whole ensemble, including star drummer/percussionists Jimmy Branly and Alex Acuña, Steve Rodby (acoustic bass), Mitchel Forman (Hammond B3 Organ/Wurlitzer piano), and Bill Frisell (guitar) have made appearances. All sixteen instrumentalists/vocalists rarely play at the same time, instead playfully weaving in and out for various features (notably by Mays, Jimmy Johnson, Aubrey Johnson, and Culbreath) and accompanying textures. In a piece already abundant with aural decadence, Bob Sheppard’s extended tenor saxophone solo, which brings Eberhard to its climax, is perhaps the most thrilling. The piece ends as it began, with a sparse recapitulation of the introduction, rewarding the listener with the feeling of having experienced an incredible musical odyssey.

In typical Lyle fashion, this music reflects and honors his far-reaching influences, most obviously the bass playing and compositional style of Eberhard Weber (with whom Lyle recorded on two occasions), but continuing on through Philip Glass’ minimalism, Indonesian Gamelan ensemble, Brazilian music (notably the percussive and speech-like vocal techniques of Lyle’s friend and collaborator Naná Vasconcelos), to the blues, and to classical forms and structures. As in all of his compositions, Mays’ propensity for exploiting compositional material (or, its “DNA”) to the fullest extent is ever constant throughout Eberhard. Like a scientist, he would take a simple melodic, harmonic, rhythmic, or other kind of idea and experiment with it until he had discovered all of the different forms it could take—melody, counterline, background pad, bassline, rhythmic motif, and more—often using the same ideas in a wide variety of ways. Eberhard is utterly intentional, containing layer upon layer of depth, complexity, love, and care for the listener to discover. 

While technically a posthumous release, Mays was engaged in the making of Eberhard from beginning to end—serving as composer, arranger, performer (piano, keyboards, and synthesizers), producer, and executive producer, and was actively involved in all of the recording and mixing sessions, which took place in Los Angeles during the latter half of 2019.

Fans will know that Lyle had been on hiatus from his enormously successful touring and recording career with the Pat Metheny Group and as a solo artist  (Eberhard will be his seventh release as a leader) since 2011, choosing instead to pursue his myriad non-musical passions. Then, “Lyle’s health took a bad turn in 2019, and at about the same time, he decided to try to get Eberhard recorded.The relationship between those two events is complex. What’s clear is that he would continue writing and extending this music, as was always his process: to try to find every bit of what the material suggested, every note and harmony, and sound it evoked for him. He added parts, expanded orchestration, imagining it all on an even grander scale,” Steve Rodby explains. “The result is this recording, and what he was able to hear in his final days. This wasn’t meant to be Lyle’s last piece of music, and if he had lived longer, he had plans for more.” 

Gabriele Poso | "Tamburo Infinito"

With endless Afro-latin percussion & drums patterns woven throughout ten tracks of tropical dance floor heaters, Italian multi-instrumentalist and master percussionist, Worldwide FM presenter and director of the Yoruba Soul Orchestra, Gabriele Poso is to release his seventh LP, Tamburo Infinito, via New York record label Wonderwheel Recordings. 

Recorded in Lecce in the south of Italy and almost entirely on his own (unlike previous productions), the undisputed star of the show is once again the drum and the percussion, the Tamburo Infinito (translates to Infinate Drum). Although born in Italy, Gabriele has always looked across the Atlantic for inspirations and rhythms, and this album is no different. This time his sonic adventures took him to the French West Indies and the French Caribbean island like Guadeloupe Martinique, “I’m in love with everything about the sound of their drums, it’s very unique warm and deep sound.”

“I put a lot of attention to the sound on this record, exploring new ways for me to record, through analog tape and different analog tools such as analog delay. That’s very much present in the whole album and gives a new direction to my sound with a psychedelic touch and a dancefloor attitude that is stronger than the previous album.”

The album kicks off with the hot & sticky Ritmo, setting the tone for the record with a kaleidoscope of tropical rhythms and influences. First single "La Bola" is jammed full of exultant horns and syncopated drum beats carried on the back of a driving, funky bassline. By the time the horns drop in on the aptly named "Party People" the carnival is in full swing over jubilant percussion and spaced out synths.

Gabriele Poso’s musical passion has taken him around the world, initially to Rome, then to Puerto Rico, Cuba, and most recently, Berlin. Between 1998 and 2001, Gabriele delved deep into the study of Afro-Cuban percussion, first at the “Timba” School Of Music in Rome, under the guidance of the most important representative of Afro-Cuban culture in Italy, Roberto “Mamey” Evangelista. Later in 2001, he moved to San Juan, Puerto Rico to attend the “Universidad Interamericana De Puerto Rico” to continue his studies, finally culminating in a masterclass at “Escuela Nacional De Arte” in Havana, Cuba.

2008 saw the release of Poso’s debut solo album, From The Genuine World, released on Yoruba Records, Osunlade’s label, which sparked a career performing around Europe and the rest of the world. His second solo album, Roots of Soul arrived in 2012 on the German label INFRACom!, his third solo album entitled Invocation in 2014, on the German label Agogo Records with other full length efforts released on renowned British labels, Barely Breaking Even (Awakening - 2018) and Soundway Records (Batik - 2019), culminating in an impressively deep and diverse catalogue of solo work.

Elijah Rock | "Matters of The Heart"

The finer points of romance are a too often overlooked art...but with triple threat singer/dancer/actor Elijah Rock around, they are ever in bloom and on the rebound. Returning to the scene with his eagerly anticipated sophomore album, Matters of The Heart (due August 13), Rock slides back into the spotlight ever so smoothly with his tastefully swingin’ rendition of “All I Need is the Girl” – a gentleman’s classic from the 1959 Broadway show “Gypsy” (Words by Jule Styne, Music by Stephen Sondheim). It’s the perfect song to spring into summer as America opens back up from 15 months of uncertainty into a reviviscence of hope eternal...and a flinty rekindling for mingling.

Attentively produced by Suzi Reynolds and the music arranged by stalwart pianist Uli Geissendoerfer, “All I Need is The Girl” additionally features Las Vegas A- listers Steve Flora on bass and Ryan Rose on drums – all in crisp service of Rock. The singer embodies the ardent protagonist of the song as if he were custom tailored for love’s blissful success. The sound mix by Bran Chirlo and the warm final mastering by Alan Silverman render the listener to feel as if they are 5th row center smack dab in the cabaret!

Tradition, Style and Romance meet at the audio crossroads of Ageless & Timeless boulevards on Matters of The Heart, the 10-song sophomore recording of baritone crooner Elijah Rock who is also the album’s executive producer. And it is well worth the wait. Herein, Rock continues his impassioned excavations of love’s seductive soundtrack and even contributes a couple of sparkling originals to the brew. “My goal with this project, as always, is to pay homage to and further the legacy of American Classical Jazz heritage,” Rock states. “To make this vital music more meaningful and universal to audiences young...and young at heart.”

Cleveland-born Elijah Rock is a former boy soprano classically trained in Bel canto (beautiful singing) and now a profound baritone vocalist. His passion for true songcraft and all-around entertaining (he is also a world-class tap dancer) launched a career flight that now includes hosting his Las Vegas-based digital entertainment program “The Elijah Rock Variety Show,” lighting up the screen on television’s “Masters of Sex” and authoring the men’s handbook “The Fine Art of Romance.”

Robert Minott | "Rasta Funk"

“Robert Minott again? Hell yeah! Are you kidding me? Let’s go, let’s go/Rasta train is coming again…” And with those playful, inviting words, the veteran Jamaican born, Atlanta based singer and performer gets down to grooving, hopeful, free-flowing business, meeting our collective moment of release and joy after a year of fear tension and anxiety with “Rasta Funk,” a true anthem of our time and the ultra-infectious title track to his highly anticipated epic new 14-track album on Wolf Entertainment.  

Featuring the emotionally resonant backing vocals and snazzy vocal arrangements of Minott’s longtime friend Dorian Paul – legendary for his work as a songwriter, producer, singer and arranger with The Gap Band – “Rasta Funk” sets the much needed uplifting mood of the collection with lines like “We must learn to love and care for each other/Let the music take you higher and higher/Everybody looking for the new best thing/Everybody wanna feel their body swinging. Addressing head on a time full of racial and political strife, Minott gets to the heart of the message later when he soulfully intones: “Music is love/Music is life. . .No matter your tribe or where you come from/We all one blood/Love is my religion…”

The singer, who this year marks an extraordinary 30 years since the release of his debut album Love Struck, laid the foundation for the release of Rasta Funk with two influential global hit singles. “Let’s Chill,” released in 2020, is a reggae version of a Teddy Riley penned track that was a Billboard Top 5 R&B/Hip-Hop hit in the early 90’s. Produced by Norman Owen – an influential New York based Jamaican artist in his own right – Minott’s recording hit #1 on Reggae Global Radio. 

Minott’s subsequent single “Can’t Hold Back” hit #4 on the World Indie Music Chart and #6 on the DRT Reggae Pop chart. Produced by renowned fellow Jamaican artist Kirk “Kirkeldove/Drummy” Bennett, it’s a song of deep longing for an elusive lover, that fuses the singer’s reggae roots with exotic tastes of Afro Beat and R&B and featuring a dynamic rap by Jamaican rapper/DJ Mr. Lexx. 

Next up for release is “Yuh Mek Me Feel Good,” a perfectly titled, dreamy light funk gem that captures the feel good spirit of romantic as well as universal love.  

To Minott, a world renowned singer, songwriter and entertainer who has earned favorable comparisons to the late reggae legend Dennis Brown and British born Jamaican superstar Maxi Priest, the concept of Rasta Funk means the opportunity to blend and share the best vibes of his homeland of Jamaica and his adopted home of America – an expanse which covers his many musical loves, including reggae, R&B, funk, rock and even country for the simple reason that he loves them and all have made an impact on his ever-evolving artistry. 

From “Rasta Funk” and “Reggae Party, “ and infectious, percussive jam featuring Hellmut Wolf aka The Wolfman on sax through the chillout coolness of “Lighter” (featuring Tremendous) and the tropical acoustic romance “Love Struck,” Rasta Funk – a labor of love six years in the making - harkens back to Minott’s earlier life, when he recalls kicking back on Sundays listening to what he calls “lover’s rock,” country and R&B and singing along with The Temptations, Freddie Jackson, Teddy Pendergrass, Kenny Rogers, Crystal Gayle, etc. 

In addition to the producers already mentioned, Rasta Funk features tracks produced by Tampa based mixer/producer John Zych and the hit Jamaican production duo Sly & Robbie, whose credits include Maxi Priest, Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, Santana, No Doubt, Mr. Vegas and Grace Jones. 

“My producers and I built Rasta Funk track by track, and as the sessions progressed and the name and concept took hold, it became more and more exciting to me,” says Minott. “The process of making this album has helped me to evolve into a better songwriter and artist, confident in my ability to take the music to a higher level. Rasta Funk is about having fun and people enjoying life as they should. It’s a response of feel good music to what’s going on in the world today, my way of contributing to kind of opening people’s eyes to the reality that there’s so much more to life than going at each other like cats and dogs. The story it’s telling is to spread love and communicate what some might call my impossible dream – uniting everyone to live love and laugh so that everything is perfect and happy. That’s my outlook on everything and music is my vehicle to express that.”

Minott considers Rasta Funk “the best album I have ever produced, one I can listen to from start to finish and never get tired of” - which is a powerful evaluation considering the international success he has achieved with various singles and albums over the years – beginning with his debut single “Irie” featuring legendary artist Bunny Ruggs from Third World. His popular releases have included his 2011 hit “Right Man Fi Yuh,” which topped the Jamaican charts and made strides on the South Florida and New York Reggae charts; the globally popular 2014 album Splendid Woman; and “Playa Playa,” a 2009 Top 10 Billboard R&B/Reggae/Dancehall track (from his self-titled Minott collection) that stayed on the chart for over eight weeks. In 2007, he collaborated with dancehall artist Elephant Man on the track “Roll It,” and a later cover of “Silver Words” featuring rapper Kirkie KBZ also hit the Jamaican charts.  

Over the years, Minott has also been a popular global performer, headlining shows everywhere from London, Johannesburg and the Cayman Islands to Houston, San Antonio, Austin, South Carolina, Miami and of course Jamaica. He has performed alongside the likes of some of reggae’s biggest names, including Priest, Burning Spear, Shaggy and Bob Marley’s sons Ziggy Marley, Ky-Mani Marley and Damian aka “Jr. Gong” Marley. He also has the unique distinction of performing with another Jamaican musical great, singer-songwriter Gregory Isaacs, and later playing for several years at an all-star tribute concert, held every Valentine’s Day to celebrate Isaac’s legacy after his passing in 2010. 

“Everything I do as an artist and performer is driven first by my lifelong love and passion for music and making people happy,” Minott says. “I’ve been making music for several decades, doing it my way and still doing it the right way. Rasta Funk makes me feel good, period, with incredible production by my team of greats, and very original melodies and lyrics. I’m in a great place in my life, so this is the perfect time to release an album that speaks so powerfully to the joy everyone can have despite the many challenges we all go through. Everything has fallen into place exactly as it was meant to be. I feel good about where I am both musically and personally, and I am looking forward to getting out there and performing these songs.”

Carlos Santana announces new single, 'Move' ahead of upcoming album Blessings and Miracles

Multi-Grammy Award-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Carlos Santana has announced that the first single from his star-studded, masterful new album, Blessings and Miracles, is “Move,” the much-anticipated reteaming of the music legend and guitar icon with famed Matchbox 20 singer Rob Thomas.

The knockout track, with also features the vocal talents of American Authors, was released to radio on August 18, ahead of the full-length album, which will be issued worldwide via BMG on October 15, 2021.

Music fans have breathlessly awaited another pairing of Carlos Santana Rob Thomas, whose 1999 multiple Grammy-winning smash “Smooth” became a worldwide staple – and the two performers have smashed all expectations and turned in a new classic.

“‘Move’ came about was very much like how ‘Smooth’ happened,” says Santana. “It was like divine intelligence behind the scenes, and I just knew I had to record it with Rob. The song is about awakening your molecules. Ignite and activate yourself – you know, move. When Rob and I work together, we have a sound that’s splendiferous.”

Right out of the gate, the song is a winner. Santana’s vibrant opening guitar licks set things ablaze, and then we’re off on a grinding, grooving, swaggering, swaying and altogether breathtaking mix of pop and Latin rock with sure-fire hooks for days. Thomas is dynamic, sensual and utterly magnetic, and he’s ably backed by the punchy vocal talents of American Authors (especially the band’s Zac Barnett, who takes the lead spot in the second verse). Santana matches these supreme performances as only he can, with scintillating solos that explode with tectonic force. A lively horn section hits from all sides, and the song is highlighted by a hyper-drive chorus that defies inertia.

Ahead of the release of Blessings and Miracles, Santana and his band will mark their long-awaited return to the concert stage after a year off. On August 25, Santana will resume their multi-year residency at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas (shows run from August 25 thru September. 4, with additional dates from November 3 thru December 11).

Santana’s Blessings and Miracles tour begins on September 11 at the Borgata Spa & Resort in Atlantic City, NJ, and will make stops in Richmond, VA, Orlando, Augusta, Tulsa, and more before it concludes on October 2 at the Choctaw Grand Theater in Durant, OK.

For more than five decades – from Santana’s earliest days as a groundbreaking Afro-Latin-blues-rock fusion outfit in San Francisco – Carlos Santana has been the visionary force behind artistry that transcends musical genres and generational, cultural and geographical boundaries. To date, Santana has won ten Grammy Awards and three Latin Grammys, with a record-tying nine Grammys for a single project for 1999’s Supernatural (including Album of the Year and Record of the Year for “Smooth”). He has received the Billboard Century Award (1996), was ushered into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1998), received the Billboard Latin Music Awards’ Lifetime Achievement honor (2009), and was the recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors Award (2013). Among many other distinctions, Carlos Santana has been cited by Rolling Stone as #15 on their list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” and has joined the Rolling Stones as one of only two bands to have an album reach the Top 10 in every decade since the 1960s.

In 2018, he released his first MasterClass, and recently celebrated three epic milestones – the 20th anniversary of his groundbreaking album Supernatural, the 50th anniversary of his legendary performance at Woodstock, and the 50th anniversary of his masterpiece Abraxas. His most recent album, the powerful, energy-infused Africa Speaks (2019), inspired by the sounds and rhythms of Africa, was called his “best record in decades” (NPR) and was ranked among "the fiercest albums in Santana’s 50-year career” by The New York Times.

Hyson Green | "The Needle And The Groove"

Hyson Green are two brothers from the East Midlands. Not exactly the most glamorous place to be brought up and we were too young to have gone to the infamous Dungeon Club in Nottingham but are heavily influenced by many who appeared there in its heyday. The songs on the new album hark back to that time – the time of blue eyed English soul. No Spotify, no iTunes, no CD's just a cheap record player or, in the posh room, maybe a radiogram with the ubiquitous Max Bygraves or James Last LP of your mum and dad's.

It's the time when you could put multiple singles on and pretend you were a DJ or at the local youth club. Dancing with your mates hoping you'll be able to get enough nerve to ask that particular girl for s dance and, if you're really lucky, a kiss and a cuddle at the end of the evening. It's the sound of our youth mixed with the wisdom of age.

The Needle And The Groove is our new album out now on Nub Records which follows on from our last, well received Lost In The World album. This time we’ve added a few friends - bluesman Corey Stevens and avant-pop singer Korilynn join us - and we remain influenced by The Staples, Marvin, Boz Scaggs, Bobby Womack, Jess Roden, and Robert Palmer amongst others. Recently we’ve been working with our friends at Silver Moon and their remixes of songs from the new album have been going down a storm – check out David Holmes radio show to hear what he thinks of this great partnership.

Hyson Green make music for grownups. Its about relationships, it’s about looking back with joy and looking forwards with hope, knowing that sometimes things don’t work out quite as you plan them.

In these difficult times we now live in what we need now is some uplifting old style new rhythm and blues. Welcome to today. Welcome to yesterday. Welcome to the future. Get lost in this music. Get lost in this world. Put the Needle on the Groove! And welcome to the world of Hyson Green.

Boney James Announces New Tour Dates

Multi-platinum selling and 4-time Grammy nominated saxophone player Boney James will soon be on the road, performing for fans across the U.S and resuming his delayed 2020 tour dates in support of  his recently released album Solid.

As an added treat, Boney has released a new single “Sundance”  and will be debuting new merchandise via his website immediately!

“I am so thrilled to be getting on the road and playing shows live and in person again and can’t wait to see everyone out there and share some new music from my Solid CD.” Boney James 

Despite the challenge of  dropping the record during the COVID-19 pandemic, Boney notched his first Top 10 debut on the Billboard Top Albums Chart, a rare feat for an instrumentalist to be grouped with Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Harry Styles etc.  He also stayed connected with fans throughout the pandemic by performing mini-concerts on Facebook Live that garnered 500K + views and added Boney James face masks to his website which are available for purchase at boneyjames.com.

Solid is the four-time GRAMMY nominated saxophonist’s seventeenth album as a leader and follows his smash 2017 release Honestly which became his eleventh #1 Billboard Contemporary Jazz Album.

All of Solid’s eleven tracks were produced and written or co-written by James. Three songs—“Full Effect,” “Tonic” and the title track—were built from licks played at sound-check by touring guitarist Kendall Gilder on the road in support of Honestly. “I said, hey, what’s that riff you’re playing?” James recalls, “And Kendall said, ‘that’s just something I’m messing around with.’ I got my iPhone and recorded them, then took it home and wrote the songs!”

Four other songs were initiated by longtime James collaborator, acclaimed writer/producer Jairus ‘J-Mo’ Mozee (Anderson Paak, Nicki Minaj, Anthony Hamilton). One of those, “Be Here,” was ultimately transformed into Solid’s Adult Urban single featuring special guest Kenny Lattimore, best known for his Top 10 R&B hit “For You.”

Boney James’ personal relationship with music has never been anything but solid. Picking up the sax at age 10 in his native New Rochelle, New York, “I immediately loved it, and it pretty quickly became my favorite thing to do.” By the time he entered his teens, James was gigging with bands, and he turned pro at 19. He apprenticed as a sideman for artists like Morris Day, The Isley Brothers, Teena Marie and many others, touring and doing sessions for seven years before cutting his first solo album in 1992. The independently released Trust led immediately to a major label deal and a string of increasingly successful recordings and nonstop touring.

Now a four-time GRAMMY nominee with four RIAA Gold records and career sales topping three million units, James continues to defy musical genres; A two time NAACP Award nominee, a Soul Train Award winner and named one of the Top 3 Billboard Contemporary Jazz Artists of the Decade.

James lives in Los Angeles with his wife of 35 years Director/Actress Lily Mariye.

Boney James “Solid 2020” Tour Dates

8.7               Mableton, GA - Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre

8.20             West Reading, PA - Scottish Right Cathedral Performing Arts Center

8.21             Norfolk, VA - Town Point Park

8.28             Colorado Springs, CO - The Broadmoor

9.10             Newberry, SC - Newberry Opera House

9.11              North Charleston, SC - North Charleston Performing Arts Center

9.12              Raleigh, NC - Meymandi Concert Hall

9.15              Orlando, FL - The Plaza Live

9.16              Jacksonville, FL - The Florida Theatre

9.17              Clearwater, FL - Capitol Theatre

9.23              Detroit, MI - Motor City Casino & Hotel

9.24              Hammond, IN - The Venue At Horseshoe Casino

9.25              St. Paul, MN - Fitzgerald Theater

9.26              Kansas City, MO - Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland

9.29              Milwaukee, WI - Northern Lights Theater at Potawatomi Casino

10.1               Cincinnati, OH - Taft Theatre

10.2               Columbus, OH - Lincoln Theatre

10.3               Cleveland, OH - Ohio Theatre

10.7               Ft. Wayne, IN - Clyde Theatre

10.8              Indianapolis, IN - Murat Theatre

10.9               Louisville, KY - Palace Theatre

10.10             Nashville, TN - City Winery Nashville

10.12             New York, NY - Sony Hall

10.14             Newark, NJ - Victoria Theater

10.15             Collingsworth, NJ - Scottish Rite Auditorium

10.16             Rehoboth Beach DE - Rehoboth Beach Convention Center

10.17             Annapolis, MD - Rams Head On Stage

10.18             Alexandria, VA - The Birchmere

10.19             Alexandria, VA - The Birchmere

10.23             Temecula, CA - Thornton Winery

10.27              Rochester, NY - Kodak Center For Performing Arts

10.29              New Haven, CT - The John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts

10.30              Boston, MA - City Winery

11.4                Denver, CO - Paramount Theatre

11.6                Chandler, AZ - Chandler Center For The Arts

11.7                Tucson, AZ - Fox Theatre Tucson

11.11              Houston, TX - House Of Blues Houston

11.12              Austin, TX - One World Theatre

11.13              Dallas, TX - House of Blues Dallas 

Ray Gallon | "Make Your Move"

Pianist Ray Gallon’s debut recording, Make Your Move, certified, approved and endorsed by the legendary Ron Carter, who contributed the liner notes, comes to us after more than three decades of Gallon plying his trade on stages and in studios around the world with the crème-de-la-creme of jazz. The NYC native (born in 1958), and longtime professor (currently a full-time faculty member of the BFA Jazz Program at The City College of New York), finally leaps into the fray as a bandleader with a stellar debut, featuring his favorite trio of first-call drummer Kenny Washington (the “Jazz Maniac”) and the much sought-after mainstay on the scene, bassist David Wong (Roy Haynes, The Heath Brothers, Clark Terry, Illinois Jacquet, Benny Green, Eric Reed, Wynton Marsalis, and many others). The exemplary trio is comprised of artists all born and raised in New York City! 

Ray Gallon’s impressive CV does not indicate an artist “of the tradition,” or “from the tradition”, but rather an artist who embodies the tradition, one who is a modern-day, current, active jazz artist of the highest order. It includes appearances and recordings with the likes of Ron Carter, Lionel Hampton, Art Farmer, T.S. Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Milt Jackson, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Wycliffe Gordon, Les Paul, Benny Golson, Frank Wess, Lew Tabackin George Adams, and The Mingus Big Band. Gallon has also been called upon to accompany many vocal greats (often indicative of a pianist’s elevated musicianship), including Jon Hendricks, Sheila Jordan, Grady Tate, Nnenna Freelon, Gloria Lynne, Dakota Staton, Joe Williams, Chaka Khan, Jane Monheit and others. 

So, the looming question is, why now? What took Gallon so long to unleash his debut? “I needed to feel ready - that I had something special to offer, with a personal identity and a refined concept in terms of my playing, repertoire, and overall trio conception, all while being steeped in the classic tradition of swing and blues. What struck me most when I was coming up, spending countless nights at the Village Vanguard, Sweet Basil, and Bradley’s, seeing/hearing Hank Jones, Tommy Flanagan, Cedar Walton, Kenny Barron, Ahmad Jamal, Bill Evans, Jimmy Rowles, Steve Kuhn (and many other masters), was how they each sounded uniquely original while remaining grounded in the tradition. These values were also instilled in me by my teachers, John Lewis, Jaki Byard and Hank Jones – who all stressed the importance of ‘finding your own voice’,” explains Gallon. 

Also, simply put, Gallon has been busy working, fully engaged for the first fifteen years of his career as a valued sideman in studios and stages around the globe. This was followed by a period of forced retreat from the scene while he faced, battled, and recovered from colon cancer, while, at the same time, caring for his parents, both of whom were slowly succumbing to long term terminal illnesses. For the past 10 years, he’s finally had the chance to work steadily as a leader, doing countless gigs in local clubs, and having the opportunity to develop and fine-tune his personal, and trio, conception.

“With Make Your Move, everything came together just at the right time. I knew I wanted my first album to be in a trio setting, and I always had it in the back of my mind to do an album with David and Kenny, two dear friends who happen to make for a dream-team of a rhythm section. I’ve been playing regularly with David now for well over a decade - aside from being such a wonderful, special player (both as an accompanist and a soloist) with a great sound, he knows my music inside & out. I continually have to remind him that it’s bad etiquette to play better solos than the bandleader! It was very special for me to be able to do my first album with Kenny. Though I had not previously played in a trio setting with him, Kenny played a huge role in my early musical development, dating way back to when we first met as teenagers just out of high school. I had recently discovered (and become obsessed with) jazz and was working in the jazz aisle at J&R Records where Kenny was a regular customer; we’d hang for hours talking music, as he schooled me on who was who and what was what - even at that young age, Kenny already possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of jazz recordings! One of the key reasons for Kenny’s preeminence as a drummer is his remarkable arrangement-oriented concept; his ability to bring every detail to light. This is exactly what he did with my music, even though he was playing it all for the first time,” says Gallon. 

Some of the music on Make Your Move has been in Gallon’s book for a while, evolving and growing over the years in the process of Gallon honing in on the finer details, and bringing them to their full realization. While other compositions came out fully formed and ready to go!:  

Kitty Paws – While playing for one of Sheila Jordan’s vocal workshops at City College, on a break, “I started fooling around with the chords of a standard song one of the singers had just performed, ‘The Song Has Ended but the Memory Lingers On,’ and out popped this playful melody that seemed to have the vibe of a tap-dancing feline,” says Gallon. 

Out of Whack – An off-kilter Gallon composition that has alternating time feels and sections of uneven lengths (4+8+4+7 bars).  

Craw Daddy – Gallon sees this composition as, “a modern take on an old-time blues; something that sounds both new and old at the same time. The title just seemed to capture this feeling.” “Craw Daddy” was previously recorded by T.S. Monk on his album Higher Ground (featuring Ray Gallon). 

Harm’s Way – Aptly titled for the challenging up-tempo of the piece, and also because Gallon based the composition on the harmonic minor scale. 

Back to the Wall – A play on words from a fond memory in Gallon’s life. He explained, “Academy Records, near Union Square, had this wall of super discounted CDs – I was hooked, regularly going ‘back to the wall’ to load up on gems of jazz and classical you could find amongst the flotsam and jetsam”. As for the composition, Gallon says, “While my tunes are generally melody-driven, they tend to include written-out bass figures and rhythmic hits that are structural parts of the compositional fabric – this reflects my love of Horace Silver and the way his compositions often include fully integrated rhythm section parts.” 

I Don’t Stand a Ghost of a Chance – “I love playing standard songs, particularly those I feel I can offer a personalized interpretation of. This arrangement includes moving bass figures and rhythmic hits within the context of a slow, spacious ballad. I originally conceived of this as a slow bossa, but, over the years, it evolved into what you hear on the record,” states Gallon. 

That’s the Question – An early composition of Gallon’s, based on “Getting Sentimental Over You,” with some variation to the song’s chord progression. It’s a nod to bebop and a lot of fun for Gallon and Co. to play on gigs as a set opener or closer. It was first recorded by the Harper Brothers on their album You Can Hide Inside the Music. There is also a vocal version entitled, "I'm Running Late," with lyrics by Angela Verbrugge, on her album, The Night We Couldn't Say Good Night. 

Hank’s A Lot – “Of all the great pianists I got the see play live, no one influenced me more than Hank Jones. I used to follow him around from gig to gig as if I were the president of his fan club. I especially loved when he played at Knickerbocker, where I could lean on the railing behind the piano for hours, looking over his shoulders, watching his hands, trying to “cop” as much as I could. One of the highlights of my student years was receiving an NEA grant to study with Mr. Jones privately. When I wrote this tune, it reminded me so much of him, it seemed only fitting to offer it as a dedication (and a huge “’Hank you”) to one of my true musical heroes,” says Gallon. 

Yesterdays – Ahmad Jamal, upon hearing Gallon’s rendition of this Jerome Kern classic, enthusiastically responded to this tip-of-the-hat to Art Tatum (see Jamal’s quote above). Gallon commented, “while I in no way intended to emulate Tatum directly (I couldn’t if I tried!), I was inspired to utilize a few of his devices – the way he transitions from rubato into a spirited tempo through an ostinato bass line, his remarkably dissonant voicings, and that little riff he plays to signal the end of each chorus. Mr. Jamal recognized these references right away and, so far, he’s the only one who’s noticed!.”

Plus One – A contrafact based on Fat’s Waller’s “Honeysuckle Rose,” this original is filled with breaks and rhythmic hits, and offers the familiar chord progression with a bit of a twist. 

Make Your Move – Of the title track, Gallon says, “I’m particularly proud of how this piece balances a sunny, accessible melody with a harmonic structure and phrasing full of twists and turns. Whenever I see drummer Quincy Davis, he always requests this one. Nothing means more to me than the support of fellow musicians I respect and admire”.  

John Coltrane | "A Love Supreme Live In Seattle"

After nearly six decades, a private recording of a rare, nightclub performance by John Coltrane of his magnum opus, A Love Supreme, is set for commercial release. Recorded in late 1965 on the culminating evening of a historic week-long run at The Penthouse in Seattle, A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle is a musical revelation of historic importance, capturing Coltrane as he began to expand his classic quartet-adding Pharoah Sanders on second saxophone and Donald Garrett on second bass-and catapulting him into the intense, spiritually focused final phase of his career. Today, you can listen to A Love Supreme, Part IV – Psalm, watch the visualizer here https://JohnColtrane.lnk.to/ALSPIV. The full album A Love Supreme Live in Seattle is for release October 8, on Impulse! Records/UMe.

The significance of A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle is heightened by the fact that Coltrane seldom performed his four-part suite after originally recording it in the studio in 1964. Composed and created as a public declaration of his personal spiritual beliefs and universalist sentiment, it became a best-seller and received a GRAMMY nod the next year. For more than six decades, it seemed the only recorded public performance of A Love Supreme took place at a French festival at Juan-Les-Pains in July 1965 and was released almost twenty years ago. The tape reels containing this performance from October 1965 sat in the private collection of Seattle saxophonist and educator Joe Brazil, heard by a few fortunate musicians and friends-and largely unknown until now.

A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle is a fascinating and rare performance of the full suite, marked by a looser and more improvisational approach, and a overriding sense of communal participation-much like a Sunday church service; the lineup featured John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders on saxophones, McCoy Tyner on piano, Elvin Jones on drums, and Jimmy Garrison and Donald (Rafael) Garrett on basses. Carlos Ward, then a young saxophonist just getting started on the scene, sat in as well. 

As music historian Ashley Kahn puts it in the liner notes, A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle "offers the first evidence of the master of spiritual expression performing his signature work in the close confines of a jazz club…on October 2, 1965, a Saturday, in Seattle, the necessary elements were in alignment: music, players, venue, a spirit of connection, a certain political charge. Coltrane chose to perform it, and significantly, the moment was recorded."

Kahn's extensive liner notes tell the story of A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle not only through the words of the musicians themselves, but also through a number of witnesses whose lives were changed by Coltrane's visit to Seattle in 1965 (his sole visit to the city as a leader), including Brazil, Ward, and bassist David Friesen, who states: "I've always pursued the spiritual aspect of the music and I still do. I remember sitting with Coltrane during one break that week and…what touched me was the way he treated other people. He showed mercy and kindness to people from what I could see around me for the week that I was there."

The music on A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle was recorded with a two-microphone set-up onstage, connected to an Ampex reel-to-reel machine, and the only copies of the tapes were well cared for, yielding a remarkably clear and distortion-free recording. "What's remarkable is that tapes from this era often suffer over the years from heat or moisture damage, or simply being stacked horizontally," writes engineer Kevin Reeves who produced this release. "However, these tapes are in excellent condition… and the results are among the best amateur recordings of John Coltrane we've had the pleasure to work on."

The story of the A Love Supreme suite is the story of John Coltrane-his musical journey, and his spiritual path. It has become one of the most celebrated and influential recordings to come out of the jazz canon, revered and studied by musicians far beyond the jazz realm. Rolling Stone magazine consistently lists it among the top albums of all time. "Of his many musical creations, Coltrane looked upon A Love Supreme in a very special light," Kahn notes in the liner notes to A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle. "He called A Love Supreme a ‘humble offering to the Divine; no other composition or recording was similarly offered nor did he append his signature to any other work. A Love Supreme was as much an individual testament as it was a public statement-a sermon of universalist belief." A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle now expands the story of both a great musician and a timeless piece of music. 

Recorded by Joe Brazil at The Penthouse, Seattle WA

Restored and Mastered by Kevin Reeves at East Iris Studios, Nashville, TN 

The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong All Stars | "A Gift to Pops"

While New Orleans native Louis Armstrong passed away in 1971 at the age of 69, today his legacy as the kingpin of jazz continues to grow. The most significant example of this is the ensemble The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong All Stars, comprised largely of top-of-the-line Crescent City musicians paying tribute to him with the brilliant album A Gift to Pops. The inventive re-envisioning of music associated with the trumpeter/vocalist during his five-decade career features new arrangements and new performances of stalwart tunes ranging from the “The Peanut Vendor” (recorded by him in 1930) to “What a Wonderful World” (recorded in 1968 and the most successful tune of his career). Special guests include Wynton Marsalis and Common. 

“We decided to make a recording that captures the essence of Pops,” says co-producer Wycliffe Gordon, who is well-versed in the music but is the only member of the band not born in New Orleans. “We wanted to perform the music the way he might have played it if he were still alive. We all had ideas for how to pull this off, by including songs influenced by gospel, the blues, the traditional brass band sounds, popular music and rap.” 

In the liner notes, impresario George Wein wrote: “With this recording, this music of Louis Armstrong demonstrates how he created the language of jazz and influenced all the music that followed—from swing to bebop and even to rap, as demonstrated by Common. But there’s one thing for sure: This band and record demonstrate that there was nothing common about Louis Armstrong.”  

The project emanated in 2018 by the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation through the recommendation of Jackie Harris, executive director of LAEF, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the New York organization founded in 1969 by Louis and his wife Lucille “to give back to the world some of the goodness he received.” Harris says the recording was a team effort started by the Foundation and the wonderful musicians who appear on this recording.  

“We wanted to make this recording of the major 20th century artist who instructs and intersects with artists of the 21st century,” says Harris. “All the musicians we asked to participate, even Wynton and Common, were honored to be a part of this. Each artist had a say on the music. We allowed all the musicians to put their own signatures on the songs.” 

Harris notes that the 50th anniversary is a tad late, but other factors interceded, including the difficulty of recording during the pandemic and some artists living in different cities around the country and contributing in different studios.  

Nicholas Payton, who arranged seven of the songs, plays emotive and thrilling trumpet with engaging solos throughout, including on his own arrangements such as the swinging, party-like rendering of “Strutting with Some Barbeque,” the lyrical, bluesy “A Kiss to Dream On,” and the playful “I’ll Be Glad When You’re Dead,” with the devilish vocals by Gordon, drummer Herlin Riley and bassist Reginald Veal. 

Payton takes the lead vocals on his modern arrangement of Fats Waller’s “Black and Blue,” a tune about racial consciousness and prejudice, that starts out wild and frantic before the bass and drums take it into an R&B-flavored groove. In the midst of the tune, Common delivers his rap poetry on the theme that includes lines such as, “Went through black and blue for the bright day,” and “My school of thought is black openness/To define and redefine what the culture is.”  

Wycliffe comments: “Common added a different spin to the tune. It seemed like things we had talked about as a country had changed, but they didn’t, which is why this is important.” Harris adds: “We’re hoping Common will draw young people into Louis Armstrong. We’re out to make changes.”  

Arrangements are also offered by Gordon on “Up a Lazy River” with his and Riley’s vocals; Veal’s “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” gospel hymn; pianist Davell Crawford diving into the blues by singing “Rockin’ Chair” by Hoagy Carmichael; and Riley’s percussion-spiced, festive take on “The Peanut Vendor,” where he sings with a gravelly voice and Marsalis joins in on the fun with an extended solo. 

"Louis Armstrong’s singing, playing and his interpretations illuminate timeless human fundamentals,” Marsalis says. “His grace, eloquence, intelligence and naturalness are still showing us how to play and what playing means. Rightfully beloved across the world, he embodied what is best about America. In these trying times, his music and memory are the perfect inspiration for us to rise up and be the very best of ourselves as artists, citizens and as people.” 

The band also features trumpeters Ashlin Parker and Wendell Brunious, tenor saxophonist Roderick Paulin, pianist Courtney Bryan, banjo player Don Vappie, vocalists Niki Haris and Menia Chester, and guitarist Derwin “Big D” Perkins in a special guest cameo on “Black and Blue.” 

Pops himself stars in the bookends of the album. The CD version opens with a take on “When It’s Sleepy Time Down South” with Pops in his charismatic mode of trumpeting and singing with his sextet. It was recorded in 1964 in Sparks, Nevada and had been discovered on a tape in Louis’ personal collection a couple of years ago. It is now part of the Louis Armstrong House Museum. The album closes with a short, taped excerpt of him expounding in conversation on “Philosophy of Life.”  

Wein weighs in on this compelling collection in his liners: “After listening to A Gift to Pops performed by The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong All Stars and produced collectively by Wycliffe Gordon, Jackie Harris and Nicholas Payton, I am happy to advise the true Louis Armstrong fan that his music is alive and well with this fascinating group of New Orleans musicians.”:

Founded by Louis and Lucille Armstrong in 1969, the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation funds organizations that support jazz musicians, educators, and students. Mr. Armstrong, iconic trumpeter and singer, is the foundation of jazz and of American musical virtuosity in the 20th Century. His earliest recordings taught musicians how to improvise and sing jazz, blues, the American Popular Song and all styles of American vernacular music. His discoveries gave listeners around the world a new way to experience music, and his way of “being natural” in public created another understanding of what it meant to be human. Pops, his nickname which was also the name he called everyone, was a man of the people and all walks of life were given a seat of welcome at his and Lucille’s table. In addition to his legendary artistry, he established this foundation to ensure that future generations would be taught to play and appreciate the art of jazz.  

From 1943 to the end of his life, Mr. Armstrong was a resident of Corona, Queens, where he enjoyed traveling across the New York boroughs performing and listening to music.