Marvin Gaye What's Going On - 50th Anniversary 2LP Edition

Throughout 2021, the world has been celebrating the life and legacy of R&B pioneer Marvin Gaye to honor the 50th anniversary of the release of his groundbreaking record What's Going On. After half a century, the wisdom behind R&B's first seamless concept album, What's Going On, continues to ring true: a poignant plea that we might organize to address often-overlooked issues of inequality and ecological distress.

Closing out the year, Motown and UMe are continuing the celebration with the release of What's Going On: 50th Anniversary 2LP Edition on December 3, 2021. This premium vinyl release features direct-to-analog mastering from the original primary album tape reels by acclaimed engineer Kevin Gray, one of the first times this has been done since 1971, offering an undeniably authentic listening experience.

What's Going On: 50th Anniversary 2LP Edition bonus LP opens up the album's writing and production palette. Featured are four rare cuts making their vinyl debut, highlighted by a previously unreleased "stripped" version of the title song, plus all six original mono single mixes and their B-sides, with all of those 7" versions on vinyl for the first time since their original releases. Among them are alternate versions of "God Is Love" and "Flying High (In The Friendly Sky)," the latter issued on 45 as "Sad Tomorrows." 

With two 180gm records, a tip-on heavy stock jacket, original gatefold with complete lyrics, this formidable release also includes printed sleeves with track details, a rare image from the cover sessions, and a brief essay honoring arranger David Van De Pitte. Highlighted is a main essay by acclaimed author and poet Hanif Abdurraqib who was just named one of the 25 recipients of the 2021 MacArthur "genius" grant. An e-commerce edition will also include three exclusive lithographs from the What's Going On photo sessions. 

In addition to What's Going On 50th Anniversary 2LP Edition, Motown/UMe is releasing a four-track remix suite from GRAMMY®-nominated producer Salaam Remi, known for his work with countless hip hop, pop, and R&B icons. The suite includes remixes of What's Going On tracks, which includes "No Need," an unreleased instrumental from the "Sad Tomorrows" sessions, as well as a reinterpretation of the holiday release "I Want To Come Home For Christmas," originally recorded in 1972 and thematically tied to What's Going On as a tribute to the Vietnam troops yearning to be with their families for the holidays.

With a vulnerable depth and complexity, Marvin Gaye opened the door musically, culturally, and politically for countless musicians over the last five decades to address the injustices of our world. Sitting at the No. 1 spot on Rolling Stone's 2020 list of "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time," What's Going On has proven its evergreen relevance and its legacy will continue to influence and shape the music of future generations.

Sting Launches Las Vegas Residency "My Songs" At The Colosseum At Caesars Palace

17-time GRAMMY Award winning musician RECENTLY Sting kicked off his Las Vegas residency, "My Songs," at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.

Produced by the Cherrytree Music Company, Live Nation and Caesars Entertainment, "My Songs" presents a compendium of Sting's most beloved songs with dynamic, visual references to some of his most iconic videos and inspirations. The world-renowned musician treated fans to an array of greatest hits spanning his illustrious career, including "Roxanne," "Message In A Bottle," "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," "Every Breath You Take" and several other fan favorites, plus brand new songs from his forthcoming album, The Bridge, out November 19. 

Joined by a five-piece band including Dominic Miller (guitar), Josh Freese (drums), Rufus Miller (guitar), Kevon Webster (keyboards) and Shane Sager (harmonica), and backing vocalists Melissa Musique and Gene Noble, with set and video design created by 59 Productions, Sting's "My Songs" residency runs through November 13 and will resume in June 2022.

Tickets for performances through June 2022 are on sale now and can be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com/stingvegas. VIP packages are also available, including a Stage Seating Experience, featuring immersive live audio from Mixhalo, as well as a Pre-Show VIP Onstage Experience, which includes a moderated Q&A with Sting and personal photo with him on stage. All shows begin at 8 p.m.

Composer, singer-songwriter, actor, author, and activist Sting was born in Newcastle, England before moving to London in 1977 to form The Police with Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers. The band released five studio albums, earned six GRAMMY Awards® and two Brits, and was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. 

As one of the world's most distinctive solo artists, Sting has received an additional 11 GRAMMY Awards®, two Brits, a Golden Globe, an Emmy, four Oscar nominations, a TONY nomination, Billboard Magazine's Century Award, and MusiCares 2004 Person of the Year.  In 2003, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for his myriad of contributions to music. Also a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, he has received the Kennedy Center Honors, The American Music Award of Merit and The Polar Music Prize. Sting has been awarded Honorary Doctorates of Music by the University of Northumbria (1992), Berklee College of Music (1994), University of Newcastle upon Tyne (2006) and Brown University at its 250th Commencement ceremony (2018).

Throughout his illustrious career, Sting has sold 100 million albums from his combined work with The Police and as a solo artist.

Following his critically acclaimed album, 57th & 9th, his first rock/pop collection in over a decade, Sting and reggae icon, Shaggy, both managed by the Cherrytree Music Company, released a collaborative, island-influenced album, entitled 44/876, drawing from the many surprising connections at the heart of their music. With its title referencing their home country codes, 44/876 first and foremost honors the duo's mutual love for Jamaica: Shaggy's homeland, and the place where Sting penned such classics as The Police's "Every Breath You Take." Their chart-topping release debuted at #1 in Germany and Top 10 in the UK. It spent over 20 weeks atop Billboard's Reggae Album chart in the US, earned Gold certifications in Poland and France and received the GRAMMY Award® for Best Reggae Album.

In 2019, Sting was honoured at the BMI Pop Awards for his enduring hit single "Every Breath You Take," which has become the Most Performed Song, with 15 million radio plays, from BMI's catalog of over 14 million musical works. Most recently, the song was added to Spotify's 'Billions Club,' having amassed over 1 billion streams on the platform.

Also in 2019, an album entitled My Songs, featuring contemporary interpretations of his most celebrated hits, was released and followed by a world tour of the same name, which will resume later this year and extend through 2022. Sting's 'My Songs' World Tour is a dynamic and exuberant show featuring his most beloved songs spanning the 17-time GRAMMY Award® winner's prolific career with The Police and as a solo artist.

Always known as a musical explorer, pioneering genre-bending sounds and collaborations, Sting's next release Duets, compiles some of his most celebrated collaborations, including those with Mary J. Blige, Herbie Hancock, Eric Clapton, Annie Lennox, Charles Aznavour, Mylène Farmer, Shaggy, Melody Gardot, Gashi and more. 

Sting's latest album, The Bridge, showcases his prolific and diverse songwriting prowess. Written and recorded in a year of global pandemic, this new collection finds him ruminating on personal loss, separation, disruption, lockdown, and extraordinary social and political turmoil. Representing various stages and styles from throughout his unrivaled career and drawing inspiration from genres including rock n' roll, jazz, classical music and folk, the eclectic album features Sting's quintessential sound on pop-rock tracks such as the album's opening rock salvo "Rushing Water" and new indie-pop sounding "If It's Love."

Sting is currently headlining a Las Vegas residency, "My Songs," at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The show presents a compendium of Sting's greatest hits with dynamic, visual references to some of his most iconic videos and inspirations. 

He has appeared in more than 15 films, executive produced the critically acclaimed A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, and in 1989 starred in The Threepenny Opera on Broadway.  His most recent theatre project is the Tony®-nominated musical The Last Ship, inspired by his memories of the shipbuilding community of Wallsend in the northeast of England where he was born and raised. The show, with music and lyrics by Sting, ran on Broadway in 2014/2015 and completed a UK regional theatre tour which ran from March-July 2018. Thereafter, Sting starred as shipyard foreman Jackie White in the Toronto-based production of The Last Ship at the Princess of Wales Theatre. In 2020, he reprised the role for productions in Los Angeles at the Ahmanson Theatre and San Francisco at the Golden Gate Theatre.

Sting's support for human rights organizations such as the Rainforest Fund, Amnesty International, and Live Aid mirrors his art in its universal outreach.  Along with wife Trudie Styler, Sting founded the Rainforest Fund in 1989 to protect both the world's rainforests and the indigenous people living there.  Together they have held 19 benefit concerts to raise funds and awareness for our planet's endangered resources. Since its inception, the Rainforest Fund has expanded to a network of interconnected organizations working in more than 20 countries over three continents. 

John Coltrane's Spiritual Jazz Masterpiece, "A Love Supreme," Certified Platinum In The U.S.

John Coltrane's spiritual jazz masterpiece, A Love Supreme, has been certified platinum by the RIAA for sales of 1 million albums in the U.S. The achievement garners Coltrane his first-ever platinum record and is the first jazz album of the 1960s to receive platinum status, underscoring its enduring legacy and importance. Following weeks of writing and arranging, A Love Supreme, was recorded in one session on December 9, 1964 at Van Gelder Studios in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, with Coltrane's classic quartet – pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy Garrison, and drummer Elvin Jones – and was released on Impulse! Records, the following month, January of 1965. Composed and created by Coltrane as a "humble offering to the Divine," it became an instant best-seller and received a GRAMMY nomination. Fifty-six years after its release, it remains one of the greatest albums ever recorded.

John Coltrane’s spiritual jazz masterpiece, "A Love Supreme," has been certified platinum by the RIAA for sales of 1 million albums in the U.S. L to R: EVP, Verve & Impulse! Records Jamie Krents; Coltrane estate attorney Michael Frisch; Ravi Coltrane; Michelle Coltrane; Verve’s VP of Jazz Development Ken Druker. Photo by Meredith Truax.

John Coltrane’s spiritual jazz masterpiece, "A Love Supreme," has been certified platinum by the RIAA for sales of 1 million albums in the U.S. L to R: EVP, Verve & Impulse! Records Jamie Krents; Coltrane estate attorney Michael Frisch; Ravi Coltrane; Michelle Coltrane; Verve’s VP of Jazz Development Ken Druker. Photo by Meredith Truax.

Last week, John and Alice Coltrane's son and daughter, Ravi and Michelle Coltrane, were presented with a platinum plaque in honor of their father's achievement by the head of Verve and Impulse! Records, Jamie Krents, and the label's VP of Jazz Development, Ken Druker. The presentation took place at The John & Alice Coltrane Home in Dix Hills, Long Island, N.Y., where John Coltrane composed the four-part suite.

Ravi Coltrane, said, "We are thrilled and humbled to witness this incredible milestone in our father's recorded legacy. I believe both John and Alice would be very proud of this achievement. We take great pride knowing new generations continue to discover this album and that the music continues to speak to their souls."

Krents, said, "The last few years have seen a flurry of activity from the partnership of Impulse! Records, UMe and the Coltrane estate. It's been the highest honor for our team to be the custodians of this music, beginning with the A Love Supreme: Complete Masters release in 2015 to finding and sharing unreleased gems with the found albums Both Directions At Once and Blue World, and most recently discovering and releasing A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle. It's truly incredible to see the catalog and legacy of Mr. Coltrane not only thriving and but literally growing with the addition of these recordings. "It's immensely gratifying for all of us at Impulse! Records to see the original A Love Supreme record achieve such an impressive sales milestone, as new generations of fans discover the most iconic musical suite in the history of jazz."

UMe President & CEO, Bruce Resnikoff, said, "John Coltrane is one of the most important artists of the 20th century and A Love Supreme, is his masterwork. We are thrilled to celebrate this milestone and that the album continues to find new listeners more than five decades after its release."

In celebration of the accomplishment, Impulse! Records/UMe today has released a digital-only collection titled A Love Supreme: The Platinum Collection, which brings together all commercially released versions of the most iconic suite of music in jazz. The collection begins with the original album, continues with a live 1965 recording from Antibes, France, followed by the newly released A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle, also recorded in 1965. The package ends with outtakes and alternative takes from the previously released A Love Supreme: The Complete Masters from 2015. This digital release serves as an aural history of the most lauded, yet rarely-performed, extended composition in jazz history. Stream/download here: https://JohnColtrane.lnk.to/ALSCompletePR

A Love Supreme will also be released by Supersense as one of the first titles, in their newly launched Mastercut Edition series. The incredibly limited edition, high-end release features each LP cut from the original analog source master, and not a stamper, one by one, without any digital interference, compression or compromise, in real time, with the highest possible expertise and passion. Limited to 999 units globally, this special release will feature custom packaging that has been printed and packaged by hand, includes a photo of the specific lacquer being cut, and comes with white gloves to properly handle the record, which is held in place via a screw to prevent any damage or movement. 

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. Watch "A Love Supreme: Deep Dive," which explores the lasting musical and historical importance of this seminal recording. Watch here: https://Impulse.lnk.to/ALSDeepDivePR

Gregg Karukas | "Serenata"

After a four-year hiatus, Grammy-winning composer, keyboardist, and producer, Gregg Karukas, is releasing Serenata, his 13th CD. This is Karukas’ first solo piano album and his first recording since losing his wife to cancer. On Serenata, Karukas presents romantic impressions of classic songs from iconic Brazilian artists Milton Nascimento and Dori Caymmi as well as new and reimagined Karukas originals. Except for his 1993 holiday jazz trio album, this is the first time he has included tunes penned by other composers. A prolific, genre crossing veteran of Contemporary Jazz, Brazilian, New Age and R&B/Pop, Gregg looks back on his years touring with Brazilian artists Sergio Mendes, Dori Caymmi and Ricardo Silveira in the 1990's as some of his favorite musical experiences.

“Serenata is a pleasant surprise,.... very lyrical. It comes through that you really "get" the music and have a deep appreciation of these songs." Karukas – a longtime collaborator with the likes of Dori Caymmi and Sergio Mendes – not only has the discerning taste to pick these songs to interpret, but also the chops and the right sensibility to interpret them for a new generation.” Chris McGowan, author of The Brazilian Sound and The Brazilian Music Book

A prolific recording artist, with 11 all-original albums and a string of #1 Radio hits, Gregg has also contributed to over 100 albums for other artists and has produced, arranged and/or engineered a vast array of projects at his own Nightowl Studios. Gregg's compositions have been recorded by George Benson, Pauline Wilson (from Seawind), Kenia and Deniece Williams, to name a few. Gregg Karukas is a soulful and versatile composer and pianist whose music speaks in many languages. Always inventive, he once again takes his art in new directions with this stellar solo project. Serenata is a polished gem by a seasoned artist who has found a new voice.

Anaïs Reno | "Lovesome Thing, Anaïs Reno Sings Ellington & Strayhorn"

Vocalists are often wary of making their debut CD a tribute album, especially covering artists as iconic as Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. There is a lot of history associated with those titans of the jazz world, and their songs have been covered by hundreds of singers. But ANAÏS RENO has such a strong affinity for their music that she knew she wanted her first recording to be a statement of who she is as an artist. Lovesome Thing, Anaïs Reno Sings Ellington & Strayhorn is a gorgeous tribute to the music of Ellington and Strayhorn and a welcome addition to their oeuvre. What is especially impressive is that Reno recorded it in 2020 when she was 16 years old. Despite her fledgling career, Reno has already racked up a remarkable list of honors. She won the 2016 Forte International Competition’s Platinum Award at Carnegie Hall and Second Place at Michael Feinstein’s Great American Song Book Academy competition in 2018. She also came in First Place at the Mabel Mercer Foundation competition in New York City in 2019 and won the Julie Wilson Award in 2020.  The remarkable thing about Reno is not just her musicality, but her very mature ability to interpret song lyrics. There is a genuine world-weariness to her vocals that belie her youth. Anaïs Reno is truly a phenomenon. Her sophistication and work ethic sets her apart from most people her age. But it would be wrong to judge her just for being so accomplished at such a young age. It is more appropriate to listen to her stellar performance as a polished artist, regardless of her youth.

 

Joe Farnsworth | "City of Sounds"

Prior to the events of 2020, it may have been easy to take New York City’s thriving and diverse music scene for granted. But when clubs went dark and an unsettling silence descended on the metropolis, it served as a stark reminder of just how vitally important it is to keep the music alive. Drummer Joe Farnsworth determined to do just that, and remained a stalwart jazz warrior throughout the pandemic. His celebratory new album, City of Sounds, is both a testament to his efforts and a heartfelt tribute to the musical melting pot he’s called home for more than three decades.

Available now on Smoke Sessions Records, City of Sounds was captured onstage at Smoke Jazz & Supper Club with a superb trio featuring legendary pianist Kenny Barron and bass titan Peter Washington. The three are reunited from Farnsworth’s Smoke Sessions debut, Time To Swing, which also included Wynton Marsalis in the line-up. Here Farnsworth sticks to the core trio, a format in which he’s thrived throughout his storied career – including collaborations with McCoy Tyner, Cedar Walton, Harold Mabern, Hank Jones, David Hazeltine and ELEW, among many others.

“I've learned so much from this city,” Farnsworth declares. “Then the city got rocked, so I wanted to try to give back. One of the ways I could do that was by staying here and playing whenever and however I could to keep the sounds alive.”

The performance represented by City of Sounds is just one example of that effort. A thrilling live concert from Farnsworth’s birthday week in February 2021, it bears the traces of the strange period we’re just now emerging from, with musicians in masks and separated by plastic barriers, playing to an empty club for an audience of virtual listeners streaming the music live at home.

Not that any of those inconveniences are reflected in the music. The trio plays with as much vigor, wit and muscularity as if the place was packed throughout a rollicking set that spans the stylistic spectrum. That’s one of – if not the main – reasons that Farnsworth remains so dedicated to his adopted hometown, and one that he was proud to see survive the travails of a turbulent period.

“I went on a Black Lives Matter march from Inwood through Harlem that ended up at a park on the West Side Highway,” he recalls. “As we marched, people were flying the flags of the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico, and you’d hear salsa music playing from their windows. Then you went through Harlem and heard funk and soul and rap music. Everyone was cheering for the same thing, but there were all these different sounds. You can't get that anywhere else in the world.”

If that trek can be summed up in a single tune, it’s here in Barron’s “Bud-like,” a tribute to bebop pioneer Bud Powell that also bears a slight Latin tinge. Farnsworth continues the Latin feel with his sultry original “Ojos Cariñosos.” Translated as “brown eyes,” the tune is dedicated to a Dominican friend and was inspired by his collaborations with percussionist/bandleader Bobby Sanabria and lessons learned from Miguel “Mike” Amadeo, the Puerto Rican-born songwriter and proprietor of Casa Amadeo, the city’s longest-running Latin music store.

The set gets off to a brisk and swinging start with Barron’s “New York Attitude.” The song was originally recorded on the pianist’s 1996 album of the same name, but it’s an apt kick-off to an exhilarating evening dedicated to the toughness and tenacity of the jazz mecca’s steadfast musical community.

“We're at Smoke and there's no one there, there're baffles between us, and we have masks on – Kenny Barron, who is royalty and could easily have decided just to stay home and not deal with this, is across the stage with a double mask on. But he's out there. That’s the fortitude of the New York musician. You have to have it to be here because you get smacked around by so many different things, but you just keep showing up.”

The flip side of that attitude is the tenderness and grace that Barron brings to a classic standard like “The Surrey with the Fringe on Top,” buoyed by Washington’s fleet basslines and the airy touch of Farnsworth’s nimble brushwork. “Moonlight in Vermont” is taken at an achingly slow pace, inspired by an encounter that Farnsworth shared with vocalist Betty Carter while playing at the now-defunct Greenwich Village club Sweet Basil in Benny Golson’s band. Album closer “Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise,” meanwhile, takes on an uncharacteristic brightness that represents the dawn after the darkness.

“Kenny suggested that tune,” Farnsworth says. “Everybody was so worried about the future at that point. We were constantly talking about taking things day by day. That's all you heard during the pandemic, but it’s something you should hear every day. So ‘Softly’ is a reminder that today is a new day.”

Farnsworth’s “City of Sounds” is a woozy blues that hints at an after hours jam session, while the blistering “No Fills” recounts a formative lesson taught to him by saxophonist George Coleman. “After the set George asked me, ‘Do you want some butter with them rolls?’ I was playing too much. He wanted me to be more like Billy Higgins. If you listen to Hank Mobley’s Straight No Filter, they do a tune called ‘Soft Impressions’ where McCoy Tyner is on fire but Billy never plays a fill. It's just straight through the top like George was talking about. For me, that's really the bible of no fills.”

The continuity of tradition represented by the album is also captured in its cover photo, which was taken in Weehawken, New Jersey at the same spot where saxophonist Benny Golson is depicted on the cover of 1959’s New York Scene. Golson was one of Farnsworth’s earliest employers, and the site is not far from the homes of Thelonious Monk and Barry Harris, which Farnsworth says affected the very atmosphere of the place.

“People ask all the time if it's still relevant to come to New York anymore,” Farnsworth concludes. “Without a doubt, if you were to spend a year here, you would be a better musician. Why? Charlie Parker's not here, but you still feel him. Monk's not here, but you still feel him. Their presence flows through the streets. It flows through the people. It’s the ultimate power source.”

"City of Sounds" was produced by Paul Stache and Damon Smith, recorded live at Smoke Jazz &  Supper Club, NYC from February 19-21, 2021 and mastered to ½” analog tape using a Studer mastering deck.

Helen Sung with special guest Harlem Quartet | "Quartet+"

Pianist/composer and 2021 Guggenheim Fellow Helen Sung celebrates the work of influential women composers on her latest album Quartet+, crafting new arrangements of tunes by Geri Allen, Carla Bley, Mary Lou Williams, Marian McPartland and Toshiko Akiyoshi while carrying the tradition forward with her own stunning new works. Co-produced by violin master Regina Carter, the album pairs Sung’s quartet with the strings of the GRAMMY® Award-winning Harlem Quartet in an inventive meld of jazz and classical influences.

Available now on Sunnyside Records, Quartet+ was conceived and produced during the Covid-19 pandemic and made possible by a grant from the NYC Women’s Fund for Media, Music and Theatre with additional support from the Aaron Copland Fund for Music and the Queens Arts Council. It allows Sung, who also studied classical violin, to realize a long-held dream of writing for strings while maintaining the improvisatory spark of her stellar quartet, featuring saxophonist and flutist John Ellis, bassist David Wong, and drummer Kendrick Scott. 

Sung crossed paths with the acclaimed Harlem Quartet during a cross-genre performance with clarinetist Eddie Daniels at Jazz at Lincoln Center in 2018. She immediately approached the musicians after the show to suggest a collaboration. The opportunity came with the NYC Women’s Fund grant, which also gave the project a direction Sung had not previously ventured into with her own music, following on work undertaken with Terri Lyne Carrington’s Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice and Roxy Coss’ Women In Jazz Organization. 

“In the past I tried to avoid the whole ‘women in jazz’ thing because I felt music should speak for itself,” she says. “But as I've gotten older, I’ve begun to feel that’s not the most complete way to deal with it. So I’m starting to grapple with the issues, and will do my best to approach things with honesty and candor.”

It’s hardly the first time she’s explored the work of the composers represented on Quartet+, however. In 2007 she won the Kennedy Center’s Mary Lou Williams Jazz Piano Competition and has since paid tribute to the history-spanning pianist at Harlem Stage and on NPR. She was a guest on Marian McPartland’s revered Piano Jazz in 2006 and has performed in tributes to Geri Allen in the wake of Allen’s untimely death in 2017. Allen’s “Feed the Fire” begins the album in dramatic fashion, with a striking new counter melody added to the original’s blistering rhythms.

Despite the stresses of the pandemic, Sung is enjoying a particularly fruitful period, with several fascinating projects in the works aside from the release of Quartet+. She’ll apply her 2021 Guggenheim Fellowship to a multi-movement piece for big band slated for completion in 2022. With a Chamber Music America Digital Residency grant, she’s producing a series of events this year using the tragic recent attacks on the AAPI community as a catalyst for interdisciplinary events with her quartet and a poet, a DJ and an installation artist. Sung also received a New Music USA 2021 Music Creator Development Fund grant for a collaborative project with dancer and neuro-rehabilitation researcher Miriam King to create a dance program with original music for dementia/Alzheimer’s patients. Sung remarks, “If I’ve learned anything this past year and a half, it’s to not take anything for granted, be it people, relationships, opportunities…so I’m jumping in with arms wide open. I want to swallow life whole!”

Kenny Garrett Joins Jon Batiste and Stay Human on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert:

Saxophonist and composer Kenny Garrettto join Jon Batiste and Stay Human on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Thursday, November 4 and Friday, November 5 in support of his critically acclaimed album, Sounds from the Ancestors.

Kenny Garrett’s latest release, Sounds from the Ancestors, is a multi-faceted album. The music, however, doesn’t lodge inside the tight confines of the jazz idiom, which is not surprising considering the alto saxophonist and composer acknowledges the likes of Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye as significant touchstones. Similar to how Miles Davis’ seminal LP, On the Corner, subverted its main guiding lights – James Brown, Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone – then crafted its own unique, polyrhythmic, groove-laden, improv-heavy universe, Sounds from the Ancestors occupies its own space with intellectual clarity, sonic ingenuity and emotional heft. 

“Sounds from the Ancestors examines the roots of West African music in the framework of jazz, gospel, Motown, hip-hop, and all other genres that have descended from jùjú and Yoruban music,” explains Garrett. “It’s crucial to acknowledge the ancestral roots in the sounds we’ve inhabited under the aesthetics of Western music.” 

Indeed, Sounds from the Ancestors reflects the rich jazz, R&B and gospel history of his hometown of Detroit. More important though, it also reverberates with a modern cosmopolitan vibrancy – notably the inclusion of music coming out of France, Cuba, Nigeria and Guadeloupe. 

“The concept initially was about trying to get some of the musical sounds that I remembered as a kid growing up – sounds that lift your spirit from people like John Coltrane, ‘A Love Supreme;’ Aretha Franklin, ‘Amazing Grace;’ Marvin Gaye, ‘What’s Going On;’ and the spiritual side of the church,” Garrett explains. “When I started to think about them, I realized it was the spirit from my ancestors.” 

The core ensemble for Sounds from the Ancestors consists of musicians that Garrett has recorded and toured with in recent past – pianist Vernell Brown, Jr., bassist Corcoran Holt, drummer Ronald Bruner and percussionist Rudy Bird. The album also features guest appearances from drummer Lenny White, pianist and organist Johnny Mercier, trumpeter Maurice Brown, conguero Pedrito Martinez, batá percussionist Dreiser Durruthy and singers Dwight Trible, Jean Baylor, Linny Smith, Chris Ashley Anthony and Sheherazade Holman. And on a couple of cuts, Garrett extends his instrumental palette by playing piano and singing. 

With his illustrious career that includes hallmark stints with Miles Davis, Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers, Donald Byrd, Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw and the Duke Ellington Orchestra, as well as a heralded career as a solo artist that began more than 30 years ago, Garrett is easily recognized as one of modern jazz’s brightest and most influential living masters. And with the marvelous Sounds from the Ancestors, the GRAMMY® Award-winning Garrett shows no signs of resting on his laurels.

Kenny Garrett Tour Schedule:

November 11 | Colsubsidio Theater | Bogota, Colombia

November 13 | Jazz Hall | Hamburg, Germany

November 14 | Sardegna Jazz Festival | Mogoro, Italy

November 16 | Blue Note | Milan, Italy

November 17 | Circulo De Las Arts | Lugo, Spain

November 18 | Teatro Pavon | Madrid, Spain

November 19 | Teatro Ortega | Palencia, Spain

November 21 | Zaragoza Jazz Fest | Zaragoza, Spain

November 22 | Sala Barts | Barcelona, Spain

November 24 - 26 | Ronnie Scott's | London, UK

November 27 | Teatro Arsiton | Montoya, Italy

New Releases: Tony Allen & Hugh Masekela - Rejoice (2CD special edition); The Spinners - Round The Block And Back Again; Timo Lassy - Timo Lassy Trio

Tony Allen & Hugh Masekela - Rejoice (2CD special edition)

A really fantastic collaboration between two pioneers of African music – and a set that nicely opens both into the jazziest side of their talents! Hugh Masekela blows flugelhorn, and Tony Allen handles drums and plenty of percussion – and although both artists sing a bit, the main focus here is really on the instrumentation – as half the album's tracks are instrumentals, and there's plenty of room for solos over the really great rhythms in the mix! The lineup of players is great, too – tight, but with some nice surprises – including tenor from Steve Williamson, vibes from Lewis Wright, and keyboards from Joe Armon Jones – on titles that include "Robbers Thugs & Muggers", "Agbada Bougou", "Obama Shuffle Street Blues", "We've Landed", "Slow Bones", and "Never". Great 2CD edition – in a hardcover book-styled cover, with a bonus CD of remixes!  ~ Dusty Groove

The Spinners - Round The Block And Back Again

Timeless in a way that few other acts today are, The Spinners are one of the most iconic and enduring groups in R&B history. With a towering legacy spanning over six decades, The Spinners have never lost their universal appeal. And now, they return with their first all-new original album in nearly 40 years- the aptly-titled, Round the Block and Back Again. Melding intricate harmonies with breathtaking vocal acrobatics, the album shows The Spinners at their soulful, multi-octave best. Timely yet timeless, Round the Block and Back Again is a triumphant return. From the classic jazz of “Show Me Your Heart” to the very relevant ode to love in the age of COVID, “Missing Your Embrace”. The 2021 Spinners navigate the sands of time as seamlessly-and smoothly-as ever. Preston Glass, the album’s producer, studied at the feet of Thom Bell- and it shows… He knows precisely how to make what’s vintage feel contemporary, and vice versa. ~ firstexperiencerecords.com

Timo Lassy - Timo Lassy Trio

A really great record from Finnish saxophonist Timo Lassy – and one that's a bit different than you might expect from the title – as the set doesn't just feature Timo blowing with his trio, but also work from a larger set of strings, who really take the record into sublimely soulful territory! The vibe is maybe late 60s Cadet Records, with all the complexity in the arrangements – straight blowing from Timo on tenor, with a wonderfully raw, raspy sound – but set against these larger charts that are wonderful – almost like an Eddie Harris record with Charles Stepney, or some of the earliest John Klemmer material for Chess! Titles include "Sointu", "Orlo", "Pumping C", "Better Together", "Foreign Routes", and "Subtropical". ~ Dusty Groove

Lisa Morales | "Freedom”

Mexican-American vocalist, and singer-songwriter, Lisa Morales is proud to announce her new single “Freedom” out November 5, 2021. This is the first single from her highly anticipated third solo album She Ought To Be King. The Texas-based artist calls on people to come together in these stressful personal and political times. She demands people's rights and paints everyday portraits of the pressures of motherhood and womanhood. 

In “Freedom,” Morales sings about the power of loving each other as a mother does, and speaking up when we see injustices. The message: simply love thy neighbor. Morales elaborates, “Women and children can no longer be abused. We can no longer turn the other way because human beings being harmed IS NOT OK. African Americans can no longer be treated as if they don’t belong, Mexican Americans are Americans! Asian Americans are Americans! LGBTQ are to be respected!” 

The single is produced by noted singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist David Garza. “Freedom” features Santana co-founder Gregg Rolie, who plays organ and provides backing vocals. It also features bassist Tim Lefebvre, keyboardist Rachel Eckroth and drummer Beth Goodfellow. It was recorded at the renowned Sonic Ranch Recording Studio in Tornillo, Texas, which gave Morales an isolated and creative environment to focus on making music. 

“Freedom” is just a taste of the upcoming album and maintains the high standard of emotional forthrightness that Morales established on her earlier solo efforts Beautiful Mistake and Luna Negra & the Daughter of the Sun. Her solo albums won universally ecstatic reviews. Lone Star Music called Beautiful Mistake “…one of the most beautiful records that will be released all year…an absolutely flat-out devastating and stunning work of art.” Of her second release, Rolling Stone called her,”…one of the most multifaceted artists to watch.” The later album revealed her Mexican heritage, both in poetic and lyrical rhythm, weaving Spanglish which sets her apart stylistically.  

Like her cousin Linda Ronstadt, Lisa and her sister Roberta grew up in a musical family in Tucson, Arizona, learning to perform traditional Mexican music while developing broad-ranging musical taste prior to moving to Texas. She recorded six albums with Sisters Morales, the beloved sibling duo in which she partnered with Roberta, who passed away from cancer in August 2021. 

It’s been roughly a year since the last election, which demonstrated how the country focuses more on our differences and fighting, rather than on what unites and connects us positively. Morales concludes about “Freedom,” stating, “It’s a very simple message. Love one another, be kind, do the right thing, be honorable and  help one another.” Catch Morales on tour starting in October into December as she performs “Freedom” alongside more new and classic material. 

Tour Dates:

11/06 @ The Far Out Lounge – Austin, TX

11/13 @ Congress Hotel Plaza – Tucson, AZ

11/14 @ Rebel Lounge – Phoenix, AZ

11/26 @ Mucky Duck – Houston, TX

12/04 @ Black Fret Ball at ACL Live at the Moody Theatre – Austin, TX

12/05 @ Rio Theater – Santa Cruz, CA (w/Rodney Crowell)

12/07 @ Freight & Salvage – Berkeley, CA (w/Rodney Crowell)

12/08 @ Sweetwater Music Hall – Mill Valley, CA

12/09 @ Trinity Alps Performing Arts Center - Weaverville CA (w/Rodney Crowell)

01/27 @ The Kessler Theater – Dallas, TX

‘British Standard Time’, featuring Alex Webb, Jo Harrop, Luca Manning, Tony Momrelle and Carroll Thompson

With no prospect of any live shows during the pandemic, Hampstead Jazz Club commissioned a very special album which will raise money to support the musicians who have helped establish the North London club among the capital’s most respected venues.

One of the most versatile and in-demand pianists in British jazz, Alex Webb cut his teeth working with an illustrious array of singers including David McAlmont and China Moses. Having spent much of his career focusing on the Great American Songbook, he came up with the original idea for British Standard Time.

Enlisting the cream of the UK’s finest jazz musicians to collaborate with some of the country’s most distinctive voices including ‘Queen Of Lovers Rock’ Carroll Thompson and former Incognito frontman, Tony Momrelle, as well as Jo Harrop and Luca Manning, British Standard Time stirs a subtle twist of jazz into a selection of the most ageless homegrown songs of all time.

From Thompson’s sultry Try A Little Tenderness and Harrop’s haunting take on Elvis Costello’s Almost Blue through to Manning’s stunning reading of Rag ‘N’ Bone Man’s Human and Momrelle’s mellifluous interpretation of Rod Temperton’s Give Me The Night, this superb album somehow manages to put a fresh new frame around these much-loved masterpieces.

Whether it’s John Martyn’s Don’t Want To Know or Paul Weller’s You Do Something To Me, these timeless songs have never sounded quite like this before. The New Yorker’s legendary music critic, Whitney Balliett, defined jazz as ‘the sound of surprise,’ which seems to perfectly sum up the music on British Standard Time.

BRITISH STANDARD TIME TRACKLISTING

1 Give Me The Night (Temperton) Tony Momrelle

2 Lullaby of Birdland (Shearing) Carroll Thompson

3 I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For (Clayton-Mullen-Bono-The Edge) Jo Harrop

4 Slip Away (Dankworth-Dearlove) Luca Manning

5 Try A Little Tenderness (Campbell-Connelly-Woods) Carroll Thompson

6 The Man In The Station / I Don’t Want To Know (Martyn) Jo Harrop

7 Breakfast For Two (Webb-Charles) Carroll Thompson

8 Human (Rag’n’Bone Man-Hartman) Luca Manning

9 Moments (Webb) Jo Harrop

10 The Very Thought of You (Noble) Tony Momrelle

11 Mad About The Boy (Coward) Carroll Thompson

12 As Long As He Needs Me (Bart) segue into Love Is A Losing Game (Winehouse) Jo Harrop

13 You Do Something To Me (Weller) Luca Manning

14 Almost Blue (Costello) Jo Harrop

‘British songwriters rule the world’, Guardian journalist (and songwriter) Helienne Lindvall wrote a few years back – an exaggeration perhaps, but certainly a reminder of how much Anglo-American popular music owes to this country’s composers.  As far back as the 1930s UK songwriters were contributing works which were to be made famous by US jazz musicians – including Ray Noble’s The Very Thought Of You (1934), Noel Coward’s Mad About the Boy (1932) and Try A Little Tenderness, a 1932 collaboration between Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connolly and American Harry Woods – a song probably best known now for Otis Redding’s searing mid-60s take.

The following decade saw British pianist George Shearing establish himself Stateside where he contributed a classic melody to the jazz canon, Lullaby of Birdland, while at the same time saxophonist, arranger and composer John Dankworth was becoming a leading figure in the UK modern jazz scene.  Dankworth’s Let’s Slip Away was used as the theme for the 1960 film, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning. Meanwhile British musicals were combining indigenous styles like music hall with newer pop trends, most successfully by Lionel Bart, whose As Long As He Needs Me is one of many unforgettable songs from his show Oliver!  

From the 1960s on British rock artists and singer-songwriters supplied countless great songs, including John Martyn’s Man In The Station and Don’t Want To Know, Paul Weller’s You Do Something To Me and Elvis Costello’s Almost Blue - originally written for Chet Baker.  An unlikely choice perhaps, but U2’s I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For is refreshed by a Miles Davis-influenced treatment.  The late Rod Temperton wrote many of Michael Jackson’s biggest hits, and is represented here by Give Me The Night, first recorded by George Benson, while another recent loss – the hugely talented Amy Winehouse – left us with the heartache of Love is A Losing Game.  The most recent items on the album are Rag’n’Bone Man’s chart hit Human, and two new songs from me – well, I’m a British songwriter too.

It has been delightful to bring these remarkable and distinctive voices together for the album. As well as the incomparable Jo Harrop, the hottest new male singer on the UK jazz scene, Luca Manning, brings his unique timbre and swing, while Carroll Thompson, from the reggae scene, and Tony Momrelle, from the soul and R&B world, both show off their considerable jazz chops.  A huge thank you too, to all the formidable musicians on the album, who responded to - and frequently improved on - the arrangements so creatively.  And we’ve barely scratched the surface of this amazing body of work. - Alex Webb  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yo-Yo Ma | "Notes For The Future"

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma releases his new album, Notes for the Future available now on Sony Classical. Notes for the Future brings together extraordinary artists from five continents: across nine tracks, Ma joins Angélique Kidjo, Mashrou' Leila, Tunde Olaniran, Jeremy Dutcher, Andrea Motis, ABAO, Lila Downs, and Marlon Williams to explore our fears and hopes, reminding us that the future is ours to shape, together. 

Notes for the Future captures the full range of human emotion, from the lament of the album's lead offering, a collaborative version of "Blewu" with Angélique Kidjo (named "Africa's premier diva" by TIME), to the energetic prayer for home in "Ha'oud (I Will Return)" from Ma and Beirut-based rock band Mashrou' Leila (dubbed "the Arab world's most influential independent band" by Financial Times). Like so much of Ma's work, Notes for the Future is at once profoundly global and deeply rooted at home, with tracks from the Americas including: "Doorway," an optimistic ballad of connection from Ma and Flint, Michigan-based musician Tunde Olaniran; Ma's stark solo performance of the Calvary Ostinato from the late Chicago composer Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson's seminal "Lamentations, ‘Black/Folk Song Suite;'" and "Honor Song," a Mi'kmaq anthem from Ma and Jeremy Dutcher that invokes our collective responsibility to care for the planet we share.

Originally inspired by the Bach Project, Yo-Yo Ma's global journey to explore how culture can help us imagine and build a better world, these nine tracks - featuring vocals in Arabic, Zapotec, Catalan, Paiwan, Spanish, Mi'kmaq, Wolastoqey, Ewe, Maori, and English - celebrate the wisdom of the generations that were and the possibility of those to come.

Terell Stafford and The Temple University Jazz Band | "Without You, No Me"

"The Temple jazz program, under the direction of trumpeter/educator Terell Stafford, is one of the best in the nation," reflects Bill Cunliffe, who served with the program from 2004 - 2007 and helped arrange portions of both the album and performance. "There is a constant flow of renowned educators, performers, and guest artists to campus, that stimulates and encourages the students to play at their highest level. The proximity to downtown Philadelphia and relative closeness to NYC allows students to access to clubs and concert halls to experience the highest levels of straight ahead and modern jazz in the country. The strength of the classical program at Temple is a further motivator for the students to become complete, well-rounded musicians; an essential thing in the modern music industry. As a former faculty member, I cherish my relationship to Temple, and always preach about the excellence of what they are doing there."

January 19, 2020, bears a bittersweet tinge in Terell Stafford’s memory. On one hand, Temple University’s Director of Jazz and Instrumental Studies recalls that day with a great deal of pride and celebration, as the Temple University Jazz Band took top honors in the inaugural Jack Rudin Jazz Championship at Jazz at Lincoln Center. 

That same night, however, Stafford received the sad news that the legendary saxophonist Jimmy Heath had died at the age of 93. Since their days touring together with the Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Star Big Band, Stafford had been fortunate to call Heath a friend, a colleague, a mentor, and a confidante. 

“Jimmy Heath was an incredible human being,” Stafford says. “When I got the phone call saying that he had just passed, I was totally devastated and broken. The next day I called Temple Dean Robert T. Stroker and said, ‘I hope we can find a way to honor Mr., Heath this year.’ So, we started to prepare some music -- and then the pandemic hit.” 

Ah yes, that by now familiar refrain. At this writing, more than a year and a half later, January 2020 feels like a lifetime ago. The events of last year hardly bear repeating; no matter where you read these words and hear this music, the Covid-19 pandemic had its effect on your existence. It certainly disrupted the lives of the students and faculty at Temple, though the music, as always, found a way. 

Thanks to the tenacity and ingenuity of Stafford and his colleagues, Without You, No Me is the second new album released by the Temple University Jazz Band in the wake of the pandemic. The first, the aptly titled Covid Sessions: A Social Call, was recorded long-distance, in student’s homes across the country, via the innovative portable sound rigs devised by Grammy and Emmy Award- winning recording engineer John Harris and Temple Music Technology Professor Dr. David Pasbrig. 

Without You, No Me was captured at much closer range. The musicians were able to convene in the spacious confines of the Temple Performing Arts Center in April 2021, with filters and covers over the bells of the horn players and breaks every half hour for air exchange. The 12 feet of space and plexiglass dividers between them were less than optimal but still an improvement over the miles and days that had separated them on their previous outing. Harris and Pasbrig’s rigs were dusted off to facilitate this session’s special guests, bassist Christian McBride and organist Joey DeFrancesco. 

Whatever the obstacles presented by these most unprecedented of circumstances, it was clearly worth it to honor an artist who has meant so much to the music and to the city of Philadelphia as well as to Temple University, its students, and its director. Along with his brothers, bassist Percy and drummer Albert “Tootie,” Jimmy Heath is Philly jazz royalty, a master saxophonist, composer, and bandleader who has contributed several tunes to the jazz canon, including “CTA,” “Gingerbread Boy,” and “For Minors Only.” 

The title track of the present album, “Without You, No Me,” was originally commissioned by Dizzy Gillespie and named in the iconic trumpeter’s honor. Here it comes full circle, acknowledging the foundational influence that Jimmy Heath has had on generations of jazz musicians, Terell Stafford among them. Famous for his teasing, pun-happy nicknames, Heath christened the younger trumpeter “Staff Inflection.” 

“He was almost like a father to me,” Stafford explains. “When I started at Temple, he was the first person I called. He gave me such great advice: ‘Just teach yourself,’ he said. ‘Teach who you are. Figure out what you do, how you do it and teach that. And that will be what the students will need.’ He would constantly call to check on the students and came to the school whenever he could to conduct master classes and give concerts at Temple.” 

In the same spirit Todd Bashore, a former student of Mr. Heath’s at Queens College, composed album opener “Passing of the Torch” in honor of his mentor. Heath’s compositional gifts are further represented by “The Voice of the Saxophone,” rendered in lush and vibrant hues by this stellar ensemble. 

Tragically, Jimmy Heath was not the only loss that Philadelphia endured over the past year. The great tenor saxophonist Bootsie Barnes, a linchpin of the Philly jazz scene, passed in April at the age of 82. The young saxophonist and bandleader Jack Saint Clair, a Temple alumnus, composed the rollicking “Bootsie” in Barnes’ honor, its muscular yet relaxed swing offering a knowing portrait of the wryly laconic jazzman. 

Saint Clair also contributes a brassy rendition of the standard “Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone” and a sultry arrangement of a piece from another Philly jazz giant, organist Shirley Scott, with whom Bootsie shared the stage many times. Both tracks showcase the clarion vocals of Danielle Dougherty while Scott’s “The Blues Ain’t Nothin’ (But Some Pain)” encourages the band to dig deep into their own blues to capture the tune’s sense of heartache and remorse. 

Hall of Fame basketball coach John Chaney, who led Temple to 17 NCAA tournaments during his 24 seasons at the University, was another icon in the city whose influence reached far beyond the court. The night he died in January; Christian McBride called Stafford to suggest an homage to Chaney. The bass great composed “The Wise Old Owl,” inspired by the school’s avian mascot as well as the coach’s reputation as a sage counselor to so many of his students. The tune unfolds with a nail-biting dramatic arc that vividly conveys Chaney’s grace under pressure, an elegant demeanor that suddenly erupts into kinetic action. 

McBride lends his robust voice to John Clayton’s vigorous arrangement of the classic “I Can’t Give You Anything but Love,” engaging in a spirited dialogue between his nimble, eloquent bass and the joyous ensemble. To close the album, he’s reunited with lifelong friend Joey DeFrancesco (albeit remotely) for a brisk romp through living legend saxophonist Larry McKenna’s arrangement of Juan Tizol’s “Perdido,” which prompts blistering turns from both virtuosic Philly natives. DeFrancesco’s jaw-dropping organ skills are on full display on his own “In That Order,” which the great pianist Bill Cunliffe arranged for the occasion. 

The title Without You, No Me acknowledges a debt to the past, one that is paid by keeping memories alive. While it’s safe to say that much about this album falls under the category of the unforgettable – recorded during an unforgettable period in history, undertaken in honor of some of the city and the music’s most unforgettable visionaries – it nonetheless repays that debt with dazzling enthusiasm and gratitude. As Jimmy Heath once wrote about his relationship to Dizzy Gillespie, the experience is “like being on a musical mountaintop or hitting a high note.” 

"Without You, No Me" was produced by Robert T. Stroker and Terell Stafford, and recorded at the Temple Performing Arts Center, April 2021 recorded, mixed, and master by David Pasbrig and John Harris.

The Filthy Six & Snowboy Pay | "Mr. Shmingle Bangle"

"Mr. Shmingle Bangle” by The Filthy Six is a new/old tune composed by bandleader Nick Etwell (Tom Jones/David Axelrod/Mumford & Sons/Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats), that has taken on fresh life to fit the horn-driven, organ-fueled UK-based ensemble's soul jazz sensibilities. Etwell revisited the composition in summer 2020 to give it a Latin/Swing feel reminiscent of Cannonball Adderley’s “Azule Serape” from his iconic ‘Live at the Lighthouse’ album. The track is the lead single off of the group's forthcoming EP Soho Filth, coming out on Color Red on November 12, 2021.

During the rework, Etwell found himself reflecting on fond memories with his old college roommate, James Bush, who was an astute lover of Latin music. He recalls Bush, who has sadly passed, as being a rich and cosmic character who lived life to the fullest, possessing a one-of-a-kind way with words. “Shmingle bangle” was a common term in his nonsensical vernacular and the song serves as a warm tribute to him. The track features Snowboy, renowned London-based percussionist, DJ, bandleader, and journalist lending his talents on percussion.

Soho Filth finds the band coming full circle from their formative years where they started out playing shows in a basement off Kingly Court, deep in the heart of London’s Soho. Here, 20 years later, they return to another Soho basement, the noted Dean St Studios, to record a live record.

The Filthy Six will be performing at the legendary Pizza Express in London on November 11, 2021. The show serves as a celebration of the release of Soho Filth in addition to a pre-party for London Jazz Festival. 

The Filthy Six are the most exciting, authentic Soul Jazz outfit in the UK today and have established themselves as one of the most electric live acts on the scene. Their soaring horns, blistering guitar and gut-wrenching Hammond are fuelled by one of the hardest grooving rhythm sections around producing a hip-shakingly powerful mixture of jazz, funk and boogaloo totally in keeping with the finest traditions of the Blue Note sound. These instrumental groove merchants fuse boundless energy and incredible musicianship to create tight, funky music that moves the mind, body and soul whilst simultaneously tearing the roof off every venue they play

 

Wild Blue Herons (Bill Sample & Darlene Cooper" | "You & I"

Long-time collaborators turned husband-and-wife, Bill Sample and Darlene Cooper present their latest musical adventure as Wild Blue Herons: a collection of standards inspired by the great women of jazz. The Vancouver-based duo have a deep musical history: Bill has been an in-demand sideman for almost 50 years, working as  the musical director & keyboardist for the legendary David Foster, while Darlene has built a reputation not just as a go-to jazz singer, but as an educator, choral conductor, and session musician as well.

Their shared love of musical styles from jazz and blues to soul and groove brought them together and has seen them work in a wide range of settings over the years, from intimate duo engagements to concerts with the 50 piece choir they co-direct with Marcus Mosely. You & I will be released worldwide on  Friday, November 19th 2021.

Nori | "NORI"

Nori, the genre-bending Neo Jazz band has curated a collection of their favorite songs on their upcoming album. The self-titled release, NORI, showcases their diverse sound and pointed lyrics on the 10-song deep record due out December 3rd. The new album will be available on vinyl with two new singles to be released to streaming platforms along with the songs from previous albums. 

Nori is an Austin, TX based quintet and has been hailed “a five-person gift from Austin, TX” by Festival Peak. The band is comprised of talented professional musicians including Akina Adderley on vocals; Erik Telford on trumpet and alto horn; Nick Litterski on Fender Rhodes, piano, and prepared piano; Aaron Allen on acoustic bass; and Andy Beaudoin on drums and percussion. Together their music is aesthetically and deeply rooted in both American jazz and folk music traditions. The ensemble playfully weaves together a myriad of global influences with current and topical social commentary giving rise to a seamless synthesis of sound that is Nori. 

The new album transcends time with a collection of songs written from 2015 - 2021, but yet addresses important topical themes of identity, activism, racial tensions and racism, and love. The band curated the collection from their catalog along with some new material. Included are six songs from their first two albums World Anew and Bruise Blood and also “Tumbao,” a single released in 2017, along with the newly released single “I See You” out this past December. They also masterfully composed a new rendition of Nina Simone’s “Four Women.” The aptly self-titled new release is steeped in observations and personal plight and gracefully highlights the balance of story-telling traditions with wide-open improvisations that echo the transcendent tones of Nina Simone, Bill Frisell, John Coltrane, and Joni Mitchell. 

The album opens with a stunning and somber song “The Garden.” The lyrics were written by Akina and are a powerful metaphor for the life cycle of a black child. The song follows as he grows in the womb and transitions into the loving and nurturing arms of his mother – only to have life tragically cut short at the hands of a racist brute. The pointed new arrangement features special guests, the wonderful string trio, Leigh Wallenhaupt on violin, Leah Nelson on viola, and Rylie Harrod-Corral on cello. Another powerful standout is a cover of Nina Simone’s song “Four Women.” Nori says, “Nina Simone has been our guiding inspiration since the conception of the band. She’s an eclectic musician. She’s a master storyteller, and she’s a fierce activist. These are all things Nori aspires to be. We have been incorporating this song in our live set for a number of years and wanted to record it as a way to provide an exclamation mark at the end of the album!” This song is a dedication to Nina Simone. Stream here: https://nori.bandcamp.com/track/four-women

All the songs on the album were recorded by John Michael Landon at their home base studio, Estuary Recording in Austin. Dave Darlington at Bass Hit Studio (New York, NY) mixed most of the songs with additional mixing by Erik Telford (“The Garden,” “I See You,” and “Four Women”). The new album was mastered for vinyl by Erik Telford.  

NORI will be released exclusively and for the first time on vinyl! Reflecting back on the new project, the band comments, “This is our first vinyl release. We wanted to create a document of our young history and make it available for physical release. In many ways, we consider ourselves “old souls,” so vinyl is the perfect format for the occasion.” It is due out on December 3rd.

Echoes | "Lasting"

Set for a November 5th 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.

STR4TA - ‘The Invicta Remixes’ digital album mixed by Gilles Peterson & Sam Bhok

Brownswood Recordings are proud to present an extension of the ever-evolving world of STR4TA, the brainchild of long-time friends and collaborators Gilles Peterson and Jean-Paul “Bluey” Maunick. Their debut new wave Jazz Funk album ‘Aspects’ was released in March to a rapturous reception, garnering the attention of tastemakers on a global scale. ‘The Invicta Remixes’ feature an array of illustrious producers and polymaths unleashing their respective unique interpretations of STR4TA’s standout tracks. This limited edition collection of reworked & reimagined music is released on digital format only on November 12th 2021. Mixed by DJ, record collector and broadcaster, Gilles Peterson alongside Sam Bhok (Worldwide FM/Stay Put). In addition ‘The Invicta Mixtape’ is a limited edition cassette tape format with only 200 available worldwide.

Opening with a percussive stripped-back, cowbell-driven rework of ‘Dance Desire’ by Steve Conry (Ten Lovers Music) & Japan’s finest Cuban-inspired percussionist Takashi Nakazato, orchestrated by Colin Curtis, and a funk-laced ‘Rhythm In Your Mind’ by Ashley Beadle (North Street) plus Glasgow’s Nuovi Fratelli add a cosmic disco flare in the mix. Dave Lee’s rework of ‘After The Rain’ harps back to the classic Brit-Funk era whilst tailoring it to contemporary club culture with this spaced out Dub; conscientiously keeping the essence of that raw magic in the original. ‘Vision 9’ is catapulted to cult underground dancefloor status, reconceived by Melé's rhythmic inventiveness and Delfonic’s virtuoso. The mix also features LA-based experimental techno pioneer, Dave Aju, and the spellbinding Demus Dub originally released on a 12” white label in September 2020. To complement his massive overview of U.K. Jazz-Funk published in Wax Poetics, DJ veteran Greg Wilson remixed STR4TA’s debut single ‘Aspects’ strictly for the dancers.

At the core of STR4TA is pure party music inspired by the gritty DIY sounds of the cult 80s Brit Funk era, emanating a live, raw & improvised energy, where musicians and dancers alike lay it all out on the dancefloor. The mixtape honours the importance of Radio Invicta, London's very first soul station running from the late-60s to mid-80s. Set up by passionate vinyl collectors Peter St Crispian and Tony Irons from Tony’s bedroom in Mitcham, the station expanded to a studio and from 1978 the station began operating every Sunday for three hours from midday. This innovative pirate station became a rich source of inspiration for Club DJs. Radio Invicta was the one that got there first. It was the first soul station in Europe, one of the first pirates to make the jump to VHF, one of the first to introduce stereo and live broadcasting from a separate studio location, and the first to give a home on the dial to the top club DJs of its day. Invicta set the blueprint for all the dance music stations that followed. (Full article written by amfm.org.uk here). The B-side contains the complete STR4TA album.

Digital Album Tracklist (& Mixtape Side A):

1. Dance Desire (Steve Conry & Takashi Nakazato Remix)

2. Rhythm In Your Mind (North Street West Space Funk Rework #1)

3. Rhythm In Your Mind (Steve Conry & Takashi Nakazato Remix)

4. Rhythm In Your Mind (Nuovi Fratelli Cosmic disco Remix)

5. After The Rain (Dave Lee Alternative II Dub)

6. After The Rain (Dave Lee Alternative II Mix)

7. Vision 9 (Delfonic Mix)

8. Vision 9 (Melé Mix)

9. Vision 9 (Melé Dub)

10. Dance Desire (Dave Aju Remix)

11. Aspects (Demus Dub)

12. Aspects (Greg Wilson Mix)

13. Aspects (Demus Dub)

Tracklist (Mixtape Side B):

1. Aspects

2. Rhythm In Your Mind

3. Dance Desire

4. We Like It

5. Steppers Crusade

6. After The Rain

7. Kinshasa FC

8. Vision 9

 

Paul Jost | "While We Were Gone"

Paul Jost performs around the world and is a mainstay on the New York City jazz scene. Many critics, contemporaries, and music fans consider him to be one of the best male jazz vocalists since Mark Murphy, who, like Jost, was known for his edgy, unconventional singing and dramatic recitations. Jazz in Europe has called Jost “A creative force that deserves to be added to the list of great male jazz vocalists of all time.” Jost’s newest album, While We Were Gone, is a double disc album recorded live at the Soapbox Gallery, an art and performance space in Brooklyn, NY. The hallmark of Jost’s appeal is his extraordinary ability to connect with his listeners on an emotional level. He is a passionate storyteller who interprets lyrics and melodies in ways that reveal the beating heart within a song. He says, “I like to present songs in ways that perhaps no one has heard before. It’s not that I’m just trying to be different, but I have my own perspectives that I try to present truthfully and honestly.” Jost’s band comprises some of the top New York area musicians. He is drawn to musicians who approach music with the same guiding principles and sensitivities. The live recordings on While We Were Gone are soulful and intimate. It is a journey into the profound, elegant, and moral universe that Jost inhabits.