Peggy Duquesnel | "Piano For My Soul"

When the volume of the chaotic world becomes too loud as it did at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Peggy Duquesnel escapes by sitting quietly at her piano. There, she sets her nimble fingers free to dance gracefully atop the keys, inevitably finding their way into her musical comfort zone. Soothed with soul bared, Duquesnel’s piano emotes a hybrid of classical music and inspirational hymns. These intimate, meditative sessions spawned “Piano for My Soul,” Duquesnel’s sixteenth album, releasing April 8 on her JoySpring Music imprint.

“I recorded a lot of the album during the lockdown and was happy to have the extra time to work in my studio. Many of the arrangements on ‘Piano for My Soul’ were inspired by my classical background. They also incorporate my gift of combining a hymn with a classical theme to create a new and moving piece of music. A light bulb or divine inspiration sometimes comes upon me when I’m practicing, and I get new ideas on bringing two different music pieces together,” said Duquesnel, who produced and arranged the music on the album.

“Piano for My Soul” is presented in two sections clocking in at a generous 71 minutes of music. The first section consists of piano orchestrations with Alan Broadbent, Billy Martin, Andre Mayeux and the late Steve Hall on works composed by Bach, Chopin and Tchaikovsky blended imaginatively with hymns and songs of faith, including several presented as duets between piano and organist Andre Mayeux (“Cristo Redentor,” “Were You There?” and “Precious Lord Take My Hand”), piano and cellist Melissa Hasin (Bach Prelude in C/“The Lord’s Prayer”), and piano duets featuring Hall (“Holy God We Praise Thy Name”/“Sous le dome epais – Delibes” and “You Are My Hiding Place”/“Swan Lake” – Tchaikovsky). The second section is comprised of solo piano numbers.

Duquesnel shares her artistic muse as multisensory experiences. Each selection on “Piano for My Soul” will be accompanied by the release of a nature video created in partnership between Duquesnel and Gary Hanson of CreationScapes. This is Duquesnel’s sixth consecutive album project that includes the release of nature videos crafted with Hanson.

Recording “Cristo Redentor” came from when Duquesnel watched the Disney-Pixar animated feature “Soul.” 

“Since the movie highlighted the life of a jazz musician, I thought it would be fun to see if there was an appropriate song in the movie to add to my album. ‘Cristo Redentor’ was one of the songs the band played in the jazz club in the movie. I had played that standard by Duke Pearson many years ago on jazz club gigs. Being a jazz pianist, it was fun to play and record this standard. I also asked my graphic artist to use the movie’s vibrant look for the album cover artwork,” said Duquesnel.

Duquesnel is an educator, a role that she will carry out through “Piano for My Soul” by releasing piano tutorial videos for several of the album’s selections. She is making her sheet music arrangements from the album available through the JoySpring Music website.

To help launch “Piano for My Soul,” Duquesnel has issued singles monthly along with nature videos since last October when she dropped “Be Still My Soul”/“Finlandia.” She released “Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow”/Bach 2-part Invention #13 in November; “A Lullaby,” an original composition inspired by the birth of her grandson, in December; and “Take My Life, and Let it Be” last Friday.

Duquesnel will preview the album at a concert that will take place at her church, Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church in Los Alamitos, on March 16.

Based in Long Beach, Calif., Duquesnel’s diverse career spans serving as a pianist, vocalist, composer, arranger, producer, record label owner, and a professor of jazz studies at Concordia University. From recording jazz, pop, inspirational and classical collections to playing at NHL, MLB and Paralympics games, Duquesnel has performed and/or recorded with an array of luminaries such as Broadbent, Dionne Warwick, Henry Mancini, Pat Boone, Jeff Lorber, Jimmy Haslip, Rick Braun, Jeff Hamilton and John Patitucci. Duquesnel is a creative and devout musician who uses her musical ministry as an offering. For more information, please visit www.joyspringmusic.com.

Club d’Elf | "You Never Know"

Boston-based world-dub-jazz collective Club d’Elf returns with their third studio full-length, You Never Know, scheduled for release on April 1. A thick, vibrant double album, its ten tracks are the sound of musicians in full improvisational flight. The collection's first single and its accompanying video "Dervish Dance" is available today across all streaming outlets (listen/watch/share). In support of You Never Know, Club d'Elf has also announced seven album release performances in the northeast. Tickets are on-sale now.

For Mike Rivard, head Elf and sole constant member over the collective's 24 year run, the meaning of You Never Know runs deeper than just the chase of an alchemic group-mind. A few years back, while tracking spiritual insight in the deep-Amazon, Rivard began experiencing terrifying heart palpitations, breathing difficulties and paralyzing anxiety. Initially, he assumed the symptoms were part of his awakening process, but it quickly became clear something else was at work. Back home in Boston, Rivard was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism, likely caused by a blood clot which developed during one of his long flights to Peru. A lifelong devotee of Eastern and holistic medicine, Rivard found himself mired in the sterility and sluggishness of the American healthcare system, struggling with PTSD and cloaked in a severe depression. His life skidded to a halt. 

"A lot of people find out about having a pulmonary embolism by dying," Rivard says. "After the trauma in the jungle as I slipped further and further into the darkness, one of the scariest parts was how things I loved lost all meaning, the pleasure just drained away. It was this sense of sliding into an alternate universe of shadow."

Change, and eventually redemption came via the unifying force of gnawa, a North African trance music known for causing time to melt as players and listeners enter into a liminal space of eternity and possibility. Rivard had long been inspired by gnawa, having purchased his first sintir, a three-stringed bass lute, in 2000. Now, however, he decided to rigorously apply himself to learning the traditions of the music, studying the form and phrases, memorizing note-perfect plays through Moroccan numbers and using its promise of transcendence via repetition to chisel away at the darkness enveloping him. Unlearning his jazz background, he put his attention towards absorbing traditional trance approaches to the music.

"Trance music provides a portal into the eternal, the timeless realm," Rivard continues. "Whether it's Fela Kuti, James Brown, Talking Heads' Remain in Light or gnawa, the key element is repetition. What makes conveying the true essence of trance music challenging in this age of short attention spans and eyes glued to devices is that it happens over time, when the brain settles into a slower frequency. Learning to do that as a musician, for me at least, has meant confronting issues such as 'Who am I? What is my place in the universe? And what is eternal?'”

As the depression parted, Rivard (playing bass and sintir) gathered fellow Club d’Elf collaborators Dean Johnston (drums), DJ Mister Rourke (turntables), Paul Schultheis and John Medeski (vintage analog keyboards), Casablanca-native Brahim Fribgane (oud, vocals and percussion) and guitarists Duke Levine, David Fiuczynski and Kevin Barry, and began recording the album to analog tape with minimal overdubs.

The resulting You Never Know offers gnawa refracted through a prism of contemporary psychedelia—Morocco turned technicolor. Over an hour and 15 minutes, the record unfurls upon kaleidoscopic clouds of spiced smoke, shifting from chopped dub-jazz through trance epics that reimagine Boston as a city of bazaars.

From the loping jazz-funk crawl of "Boney Oscar Stomp" through "Now Open Your Eyes," the dawn-light ballad which acts as the emotional center of the album, the band fires forward, shifting on a dime from slabs of solarized riffing to droning African rhythms. On "Dark Fish" they shoot electric-fusion jazz through with turntablism breaks, while "Golden Hour" rides swells of organ into an eternal sunset.

Half of the album consists of originals inspired by Rivard’s experience and the sounds that saved him, and half covers of influences which have shaped the band’s musical universe: Miles Davis, Frank Zappa, Joe Zawinul, Nass El Ghiwane, as well as, gnawa and Sufi folk songs.

On the Miles/Zawinul "In A Silent Way / It’s About That Time," the band flavors the original's sublime ambience with a chugging Moroccan chaabi rhythm, culminating in a storm of fretwork from Fiuczynski. Sufi traditional "Dervish Dance" slips pools of deep bass and psychedelic crackle beneath Fribgane’s oud soloing. And on the album’s longest track—an 11-minute take of Zappa's "King Kong"—the band fire on all cylinders, blending classic rock with chaabi shuffle, dubbed out and deepened, shifting from hand drum breakdowns through crests of organ-steeped funk.

In the studio, Rivard ceded the spotlight to the collective, allowing for free-play and improvisational dexterity. Through it all rides the trance, pulsing, calming, poking open the mystic truths which may just offer us all the hope of brighter days ahead.

"It's kind of like driving a tour bus and stopping at various interesting destinations, pulling the bus over and letting everyone off, and then it's up to them, the musicians, to find their way into the experience, to create the music together, in the moment," Rivard concludes. "Every voice is heard, is equally important, and can drive the music into places that I never would have envisioned of on my own. That's what really excites me—when I let go of the reins and the collective energy of the ensemble reaches a sort of hive mind state, and the spirits guide us."

AMBIENT JAZZ ENSEMBLE | "BLUES FOR A BILLION STARS"

Blues For A Billion Stars inspired by the classic blue-note sound of Horace Silver, Art Blakey & Coltrane. In my teenage years, learning double bass, those iconic mid tempo tunes were perfect for getting to grips with jazz chord changes. I’m still drawn to the ‘heads’ of the those tunes on tenor sax & trumpet, initially in unison before peeling off into harmony, & this was something I started to explore in an AJE writing session. The premise for BFABS was what would happen if, say, Charles Stepney (Rotary Connection, Terry Callier, EW&F) was to arrange & produce Herbie Hancock's Watermelon Man.

The original chords were pretty close to a classic blues progression but morphed into basically one chord with a turnaround at the end, it felt very jazzy for an AJE piece due to it’s swung groove & horns. In searching for more atmospheric ideas the outro took shape, a stark contrast to the Blue-Note vibe & an interesting twist, creating almost 2 tracks in 1. This gave rise to the title, a juxtaposition of something as raw & rootsy as the blues, with the biggest beautiful other-worldly & cinematic expanse of the solar system. The title then further influenced the direction of the track demanding a bigger & more expansive sound, utilising strings over the sax/trumpet section & an epic end section. 

The long version is slower in tempo & features the full AJE instrumental palette of live sessions. The atmospheric intro is allowed to build & features a Middle Eastern duduk which is doubled by pedal steel. The main version, meanwhile, grabs parts of live performances & rebuilds them with a combination of live loops & drum programming.

New Music Releases: Matt Bianco, Luke Stewart's Silt Trio, William Hooker, William Parker

Matt Bianco - Remixes And Rarities

Remixes And Rarities celebrates the expansive sound of Matt Bianco featuring a selection of recordings from across their first four studio albums: ‘Who’s Side Are You On?’ (1984), ‘Matt Bianco’ (1986), ‘Indigo’ (1988), and ‘Samba In Your Casa’ (1990).Containing remixes of the band’s many singles including the highly sought after Steve Anderson remix of ‘Half A Minute’, never released commercially until now. Among the rarities is a previously unreleased version of ‘You’re The Rhythm’ featuring the spectacularly soulful Kym Mazelle, the First Lady Of House Music, on lead vocals; and the original version of ‘Blame It On That Girl’. An essential companion piece to the deluxe editions of ‘Who’s Side Are You On’, ‘Matt Bianco’, and ‘Indigo’, each of which have been released on the Cherry Pop label and have sold extremely well. Inlcudes a 20-page booklet containing comprehensive credits and a fully illustrated discography. Remastered from the original master tapes stored in the Warner archives. Also available: ‘Whose Side Are You On?’ (Deluxe Edition) ‘Matt Bianco’ (Deluxe Edition) ‘Indigo’ (Deluxe Edition)

Luke Stewart's Silt Trio - Bottom

Bassist Luke Stewart is fast becoming one of our favorite talents on his instrument in recent years – an artist who first grabbed our ears with his work in Irreversible Entanglements, but who seems even better suited to stand out front as a leader! The performance of the trio here is wonderful – complex, but organic – very rhythmic, but also never tied to the groove – maybe a bit in the spirit of the UK group Ill Considered at times, but with a direction that's very much its own! In addition to Stewart on bass, the always-amazing Chad Taylor is on drums – really given the space here to remind us how brilliant he can be – and the group also features Brian Settles on tenor, carving out these really beautiful lines over the top. Titles include "Roots", "Angles", "Reminiscence", "Circles", and "Dream House". ~ Dusty Groove

William Hooker - Big Moon

Maybe one of the most beautiful albums we've heard from William Hooker in years – and a set that has so much more to offer than just his work on drums! There's certainly some of the freer, more improvised moments on the record that you'd expect from Hooker – but there's also these wonderfully tuneful passages, too – work that draws from all sorts of warmly crafted sounds from other group members – a lineup that features Mara Rosenbloom and Mark Hennen on piano, Jimmy Lopez on percussion, Charles Compo on flute, Stephen Gauci and Sarah Manning on saxes, and Jal Rohm Parker Wells on bass. There's also a bit of electronics from Theo Woodward – an element that's used sparingly, but in really great ways – and at the core, Hooker is still very much in charge of the proceedings, as you can feel when he really gets going on the kit. Titles include "Right Speech", "Ring Pass Not", "Seven Rays", "Major Planetary Centres", "Sequence Of The Form", and "Synthesis Of Understanding". ~ Dusty Groove

William Parker - Painter's Winter

William Parker's given us some tremendous music over the years, but this album may be one of our favorites of the bunch – as the set's got this back-to-basics approach that has Parker working in trio formation with Hamid Drake on drums and Daniel Carter on reeds – all with this effortless sense of fluid spontaneity that comes through right from the very first note! The interplay between the musicians is fantastic – free, but always very soulful and directed too – and Carter shifts between trumpet, alto, tenor, clarinet, and flute – making these really magical sounds that are sometimes echoed by Parker on trombonium and shakuhachi. The whole album's brilliant – and features the long songs "Happiness", "Painted Scarf", "Groove 77", and "Painter's Winter". ~ Dusty Groove

Black Flower | "Magma"

Five-piece hybrid jazz outfit Black Flower have released ‘Magma’, the second single taken from the band’s forthcoming album of the same name released 28th January via Sdban Ultra. “We present this latest single as a metaphor for what is to come - moments in time when music comes to the surface taking a concrete form, shared and used to amplify the beauty of life. Being the title track of the upcoming album it reflects a boiling, churning, silent energy. It is the core, the source. It is a state between solid and liquid and represents ancient energy and new potential. The track. An arching melody from the cornet gives way to an eruptive solo on baritone sax.” 

Black Flower is a band at the peak of their creative powers. Having received glowing praise for the 2019 album ‘Future Flora’ from Mojo, Songlines, BBC Radio 6 Music’s Gilles Peterson, BBC Radio 3’s Music Planet, Worldwide FM and Jazz FM among others, forthcoming album ‘Magma’ sees Black Flower embrace new synth and organ sounds from the band’s most recent recruit, Karel Cuelenaere. Piloted by Brussels-based saxophonist/flutist/composer Nathan Daems (Echoes of Zoo, Dijf Sanders), the quintet is a vibrant, hypnotic mix of Ethio jazz, afrobeat, psychedelia and oriental influences, inspired by Mulatu Astatke, Fela Kuti and varied western musical traditions.

Across ‘Magma’, Cuelenaere’s influence can be heard from the outset – his keys adding a swirling, mischievousness to album opener and title track ‘Magma’. Elsewhere, the shuffling drum patterns and flighty, flute-propelled ‘O Fogo’ are rich in texture and flow. Driving rhythms and Eastern influenced melodies serve as a rich source of pleasure that, like magma, become real and solid when finding its way to the surface. It’s the perfect metaphor for this album’s creational process. The pulsating, trance-inducing ‘Deep Dive Down’ continues the joyous process while singer-songwriter Meskerem Mees (winner of The Montreux Jazz Talent Award 2021) adds, her clear-as-spring-water vocals to the celestial ‘Morning in the Jungle’.

Tom Browne: Brother, Brother – The GRP / Arista Anthology

SoulMusic Records is very proud to present “Brother, Brother: The GRP/Arista Anthology,” a musically superb anthology by renowned trumpeter, musician and songwriter Tom Browne, covering his five-year tenure (1979-1984), firstly with GRP Records then with Arista Records.

From Jamaica, Queens, NY, Tom grew up in a creatively-fertile environment among other budding musicians including drummer Omar Hakim, bassist Marcus Miller, keyboardist Bernard Wright, drummer Lenny White and songwriter/musician Lesette Wilson. After being courted by several labels, Tom opted to sign with the then-fledgling GRP label, created by top jazz production team of Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen.

Following the critically-acclaimed “Browne Sugar” LP, Tom experienced his biggest commercial breakthrough with 1980’s “Love Approach” which included the massive global hit, the now-timeless funk groove, ‘Funkin’ For Jamaica (N.Y.)’, a No. 1 R&B US hit. This 29-track, 2-CD set also includes two 1991 remixes of the classic cut by the UK’s Driza Bone.

Tom’s third album, “Magic” kept the momentum going with charted hits, ‘Let’s Dance’, ‘Thighs High (Grip Your Hips And Move)’ and ‘Fungi Mama/Bebopafunkadiscolypo’, are all featured here along with later hits, ‘Bye Gones’, ‘Rockin’ Radio’ (produced by Maurice Starr and Michael Jonzun), ‘Cruisin’’, and ‘Secret Fantasy’ (featuring Siedah Garrett).

With key cuts from each of his four GRP and two Arista albums, this stellar anthology is remastered by Donald Cleveland and includes notes by renowned US writer Kevin Goins with quotes from Tom himself, Marcus Miller and Lesette Wilson and comments by the late Larry Rosen.

Vicente Hansen Atria and Mat Muntz | "The Vex Collection"

Imagining alternate pasts, presents, and futures, The Vex Collection uses unheard-of combinations of traditional instruments, newly devised musical contraptions, and a philosophy of mad-scientific experimentation in their exploration of uncharted sonic space. Led by composer-performers Vicente Hansen Atria (drums, gongs, electronics) and Mat Muntz (bass, Croatian bagpipe, homemade woodwinds), their self-titled debut features avant-garde highland bagpiper Matthew Welch and Korean woodwind virtuoso gamin, who contribute their unique abilities and conceptions to an intricate whirlwind of sound. 

The project grew from Mat and Vicente’s shared fascination with the double reed, an ancient musical technology developed by virtually every culture on Earth in order to produce loud, brilliant, and beautifully intense sounds. In their collaboration with Welch and gamin, they found surprising affinities between the musical worlds of Scotland and Korea, both of which feature double reed instruments as central cultural icons. On The Vex Collection, the striking presences of these traditional instruments are not softened or altered so as to better blend with one another; they are allowed to clash thunderously in one moment and synthesize miraculously in the next, imagining some forgotten past where these sounds could have emerged as part of an organic folk tradition. The addition of new, experimental instruments into the mix extends this history into a speculative future: one in which the primacy of the double reed never waned, and the most compelling sounds of the 21st century - distorted guitars, aggressive synthesizers, detailed microtonality - are produced via breath and vibrating blades rather than circuitry. 

This volatile energy is directed and shaped from below by the rhythm section chemistry of Muntz and Hansen Atria. Longtime collaborators in the New York jazz scene, the pair guide the band with precision and propulsion through prog-rock rhythmic minefields, hypnotic grooves, and improvised explorations. 

2CELLOS | "Dedictated"

Having racked up a billion-plus audio streams, countless sold-out concerts, and millions of fans across the globe in their ten years together as 2CELLOS, the Croatian duo of Luka Šulić and HAUSER today release their sixth full-length album Dedicated via Sony Masterworks. Celebrating the group's momentous 10-year-anniversary, the album's namesake is an apt nod to 2CELLOS' dedication to their fans, the instrument, and their signature playing style. In support of the new album, the duo will make their long-awaited return to the stage for their 2022 Dedicated World Tour, their final tour together as 2CELLOS. Kicking off March 2022 in the U.S., 2CELLOS will make stops at iconic venues including New York's Barclays Center (April 3) and Los Angeles' Hollywood Bowl (April 15) – full tour dates and ticketing information can be found HERE.

Of "Sweet Child O' Mine," 2CELLOS say: "It's one of those classic legendary songs, so we had to do it! We'd been thinking about recording it for a long time. It's our typical 2CELLOS style-rock ‘n' roll on the cello. It's how we started, and it's what we came back to now. I don't know why it took us this long, but we're happy we finally did it!"

Following a brief hiatus for 2CELLOS, which found both Luka and HAUSER using the opportunity to build on their accomplishments by each releasing solo albums, the duo linked up again in the studio amidst the 2020 global pandemic to reimagine the pop anthems and timeless rock staples that encompass the ten tracks on Dedicated. The arrangement process relied on a combination of gut instinct and intense study, practice, and transposition as the duo recharged instantly recognizable by everyone from Billie Eilish to Guns N' Roses. 

2CELLOS explore a diverse catalog with their signature boundary-breaking playing style on Dedicated.  The collection includes their take on everything from classic pop hits ("bad guy" by Billie Eilish, "Shallow" by Lady Gaga, "Halo" by Beyonce) to hard-hitting rock songs ("Livin' on a Prayer," by Bon Jovi, "Cryin'" by Aerosmith, "Demons" by Imagine Dragons, "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns N' Roses, "Wherever I Go" by OneRepublic) to celebrated classics ("Sound of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel) for a one-of-a-kind listening experience.  Complete track list below.

"When you listen to us, we hope you realize the cello is a versatile and diverse instrument capable of playing the hardest rock, the softest ballad, and the most contemporary of music," 2CELLOS note. "It moves you in a way that's equally powerful. It has a whole palette of emotions, ups, and downs. We're trying to give you an experience you can't get anywhere else."

2CELLOS is the eclectic, international sensation comprised of two classically trained cellists who reached video viral fame on YouTube from their 2011 rendition of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal." The pair, Luka Šulić and HAUSER, have since created a name for themselves with their electric and dynamic playing style. Together, 2CELLOS have amassed a staggering 1.3 billion YouTube views, 5.5 million YouTube subscribers, 1 billion streams, and have sold nearly 1 million tickets. 2CELLOS have taken the cello to unimagined heights as their signature style breaks down the boundaries between genres of music, from classical and film music, to pop and rock. Known for their electric live performances, 2CELLOS have sold out shows across the globe at historic venues including New York City's Radio City Music Hall, London's Royal Albert Hall and the Sydney Opera House. The duo has performed alongside musical greats Steven Tyler, Andrea Bocelli, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Queens of the Stone Age and George Michael, to name a few, and was hand-picked by Sir Elton John to perform both as an opener as well as part of the iconic singer's live band. 2CELLOS are celebrating their 10th anniversary this year, and are working hard to continue reaching new stratospheres. 

New Music Releases: Isaac Norris, Moonchild, Chancha Via Circuito & Luvi Torres, Swatkins

Isaac Norris - No Shade

It’s not often that you hear a saxophonist described as jovial, but it totally fits the cheery, uplifting, groove-intensive vibe, and free-flowing horn style of Isaac Norris! He follows his 2020 breakthrough hit, “Rise and Shine” (nearly 170,000 Spotify streams to date), with a similarly buoyant, funky, and dynamic new single, “No Shade.” Co-written and produced by keyboardist Marco Montoya and drummer/percussionist Kevin Lewis (aka The Smooth Jazz Alley), Norris plays it sly and smooth over a tight, funky rhythm section, and then amps up the emotional intensity with sizzling horn textures, punchy high notes, and adventurous runs. 100% smooth sunshine! ~ www.smoothjazz.com

Moonchild - Starfruit

Starfruit’ is the fifth album from LA-trio Moonchild (Amber Navran, Andris Mattson, and Max Bryk). The result of ten years spent working and growing together, ‘Starfruit’ showcases the respect, musical understanding, and love the trio have, both for each other and for the noteworthy list of collaborators featured on the album. Bringing a host of beautiful melodies and personal lyrics, ‘Starfruit’ beholds offerings from Lalah Hathaway, Alex Isley, Tank and The Bangas, Rapsody, Ill Camille, Mumu Fresh, Chantae Cann and Josh Johnson. Alongside the LP’s extensive list of featured artists, the release sees Moonchild experimenting with new synths and sounds. While still rooted in their trademark tones, these textures and sound palettes elevate ‘Starfruit’ to new and impressive Moonchild musical territory. Their first release featuring collaborations, Moonchild take the opportunity on ‘Starfruit’ to work with a number of acclaimed Black female musicians. Each providing their own ‘goosebump’ moment to ‘Starfruit’, the eclectic mix of vocals and lyrics set to the backdrop of Moonchild’s musical synergy and understanding makes for something spellbinding.

Chancha Via Circuito & Luvi Torres - Ceremonia

Ceremonia (“Ceremony”) is the first collaborative release between singer songwriter Luvi Torres, and producer Chancha Vía Circuito. Combining exceptional voicework with powerful creative rhythms typical of Chancha, the lyrics include mantras Luvi uses in their therapeutic exercises, thereby immersing us in a healing musical world. Taken as a whole, the album’s four tracks, Abro (“I Open”), Creo (“I Believe” or “I Create”), Sano (“I Heal”), Amo (“I Love”) encourage sensitive receptivity. Luvi’s vocals are enveloped by lush ambient dub. Chancha’s rhythms and vibrations create a comforting and calming soundscape that invites a sense of timelessness and expansion. At times Ceremonia spirals hypnotically, blurring the distinction between inner and outer worlds. This music calls for attentive listening and encourages active individual and collective reinvention.

Swatkins - Gotta Give It Away (If Your Gonna Keep It)

While routing through Denver in January 2019, Swatkins and his all-star lineup were invited into Color Red Studios to lay down a track. Swatkins had the freshly half-baked track in his mind and showed the group his late-night demo, which elicited grunts of approval. From there, the band members crafted the rhythm tracks together in a ground-up collaborative effort. Michelangelo Carubba incessantly wore metronomic headphones throughout the day to lock in the pocket on drums. Andre Zapata translated the demo’s Moog bassline flawlessly on the low end. Craig Brodhead displayed effortless chemistry interlocking his phased rhythm guitar with Swatkins’ wah clavinet. Michael Elson added icing on the cake, lacing the track with a shimmering layer of gospel organ. Swatkins and More Masa honed goosebump-inducing vocals on the spot as the rhythm section recorded live. After tracking at Color Red, the tune was sent to the horn-led group The Huntertones for Jon Lampley (trumpet), Chris Ott (trombone), and Dan White (saxophones) to lay down some funky swagger while Jans Ingber (formerly of The Motet) peppered it up with percussion and Swatkins locked it down with a Moog solo over the bridge and his signature talkbox stylings on the outro

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Tyler Mitchell featuring Marshall Allen | "Dancing Shadows"

Tyler Mitchell and Marshall Allen go way back — and way out. Having worked together in the Sun Ra Arkestra in the mid 1980s, the two resumed their partnership again over the past decade, with Mitchell  rejoining the Arkestra after exploring other paths. That group carries on the Sun Ra name today under the direction of Allen, now 97, yet what they have in common goes far beyond the music of one man. Inspired by their former boss, the two are finding new common ground, cross-pollinating their experiences with both free and arranged jazz, and harvesting a new album in the process, Dancing Shadows. 

Joining Mitchell and Allen on the new Mahakala Music release are Chris Hemmingway (tenor sax), Nicoletta Manzini (alto sax), Wayne Smith (drums) and Elson Nascimento (percussion), and the sextet can deliver both horn arrangements and free passages with aplomb. In so doing, the album fulfills a vision that Mitchell has had for years.

Having studied bass with Donald Rafael Garrett (John Coltrane, Archie Shepp, Rahsaan Roland Kirk) and Malachi Favors (Art Ensemble of Chicago), Mitchell has always straddled the worlds of conventional and avant garde jazz. He was still in his mid-twenties when he made the jump from his native Chicago to New York and landed a gig with the Arkestra in 1985. While his restless nature soon took him elsewhere, he can be heard on two Sun Ra albums from that period. “Reflections in Blue and Hours After, we recorded both of those at the same time,” Mitchell recalls. “Sun Ra was doing a lot of standards and Fletcher Henderson arrangements.” Even then, he was exploring the possibilities of combining free jazz with less chaotic settings. 

Indeed, Mitchell distinguished himself as one of the nation's premiere hard bop bassists in the years that followed. By 1988, he was adding his distinctive fat sound to Art Taylor's Wailers, and later he worked with Jon Hendricks, Shirley Horn, and George Coleman. By the turn of the century, “I went down to Mexico, Cuba and Central America for about ten years. And when I came back in 2010, 2011, I joined the Arkestra with Marshall. And Marshall's just such a great player. So I said, 'You've got to do a project with me one day!' I was just waiting for this moment to come. Oh man, it's beautiful, man! Everything just came so natural with Marshall. He's a master, man. He's from before be bop; he's from the swing era, you know?”

In fact, almost a century of music-making has given Allen an insight into nearly every facet of jazz. Leaving his native Louisville, Kentucky during World War II, he played clarinet and alto saxophone with the U.S. Army's 17th Division Special Service Band, spent the late '40s working with James Moody, then studied at the Paris Conservatory of Music. By 1951, Allen had returned to the U.S. and  in 1958 joined Sun Ra's Arkestra, with whom he's been associated ever since. With James Spaulding initially being Ra's main alto player, Allen was encouraged to cultivate other talents over the years, including flute, oboe, piccolo, and EVI (a brass- and wind-based controller for synthesizer). Moreover, the Arkestra was the perfect ensemble for Allen to perfect his expressive, non-chordal approach, full of howls and birdsongs. 

Nowadays, when Allen leads the Arkestra, Mitchell says he “covers all the different styles in jazz when we do a concert. It's not just swing, it's not just free. It covers a little bit of everything. We mix it all up, with some free stuff and old Fletcher Henderson stuff, to rhythmic songs with different kinds of layers. That's why this record has got a little bit of everything.”

The compositions of Sun Ra himself are the perfect vehicle for this eclecticism, especially those from the earliest years of the Arkestra, and the album includes “Interstellar Low Ways,” “Angels & Demons at Play,” “Dancing Shadows,” “Carefree,” “Enlightenment” and “A Call for All Demons.” Yet this is no slavish reproduction. As Mitchell points out, “Marshall was on all those records back in the day. But he chose not to sit and play the same arrangements. He preferred to put something fresh on top. A new line. He didn't want to just do his line again, like back in the '50s. He wanted to create on the spot.”

The set is rounded out with a Thelonious Monk tune, “Skippy,” two by the alto player Manzini and three by Mitchell himself. His contributions spring directly from his impressions of his fellow players. “Nico” and “Nico Revisited” refer to Manzini's nickname. “We did a couple of takes on the song, and they were so similar, yet so different. That's why I called the other one 'revisited',” says Mitchell. His third was inspired by Allen, but actually begins with only Mitchell's bass.

“I had him directing me,” says Mitchell. “He directed me so I could go off into it. 'Marshall the Deputy' is the title  —  that's what Sun Ra used to call him. It was a play on words: You've got the marshall and you've got the deputy. In fact there's a song called 'Deputy Motel' that he wrote for Marshall.”

All in all, Mitchell is pleased with the ensemble, which he put together with a particular kind of freedom in mind. “I thought the voicings from the horns would do all the chords I needed,” he reflects. “Sometimes a piano can really lock a person in, you know? It locks you up where you can't get out and be free. But when the piano and guitar are gone, I can play a lot of different notes. A lot of different things that ordinarily would clash with the piano.”

Mitchell was especially keen to try some of the Sun Ra tunes with a smaller band than the Arkestra. “The tenor player, Chris Hemmingway, joined the band just recently, and he turned out to be really good. Nicoletta is one of Marshall's proteges. She put a lot of arrangements together, and put in a lot of stuff to make it really happening. The horns kept things from really sounding too out there. The way they blew around the music really kept a cohesiveness around each song, where it wasn't just a soloist blowing. The shape of the song was always there.  And then the drummer and the percussionist both play with the Sun Ra band, so they knew the music I wanted to do. It really paid to have somebody who knew the songs. I just did them a little different.”

And then there was Allen. “Marshall will improvise on the spot. And if a song's too nice and neat and clean and all too perfect, he'll come and just mess it all up. You don't want it to be all too perfect. He likes to have the chaos. Because he believes there are no wrong notes, you know?  His philosophy is, you play one note, you make a mistake, and then say something right. Then make another mistake. Say something wrong. He hears the song like that. 'Play something wrong! Now play something right! Now play something wrong!'  I just let Marshall do his thing. Everybody else had special things they had to play, arrangements to follow, but Marshall, I just let him do what he does. I really had no instructions for him except to direct us. We do a lot of free stuff, and use a lot of space chords and all that. I need him to direct us. Other than that, I just want him to fill in all the right places, and put his signature on it.”

The final product is the perfect synthesis of freedom and constraint, hard bop and pure sonic texture. The listener is never lulled into complacency. And this goes for Mitchell himself: “Each song's got a different vibe,” he says, “and I still listen to the music. I usually don't like to listen to what I've done. I don't like to keep hearing myself. But this particular record really holds my attention.” 

Ed Neumeister | What Have I Done?"

Composed and arranged by Ed Neumeister, the new album, What Have I Done?, is the latest offering from an artist who has been at the forefront of creative music for more than forty years.

 Neumeister has said that it is his mission in life to create thought-provoking music for curious ears; music that challenges and inspires. Through composing, performing, improvising and teaching, Neumeister has always explored the possibilities, pushing and expanding the envelope in the process. His output is inclined to bring about a torrent of the creative juices, in himself, his band-mates and his audiences. That is certainly the case with his latest offering, What Have I Done? Listening to the album one might be aware that there is a strong unimpeded connection between Neumeister’s heart, soul and brain, the composer’s pen and the trombone – his ability to express ideas, convey emotion and “speak” with his bandmates and to us, the listener, through his music, is unrivaled in today’s creative music landscape. 

The extensiveness and profundity of Neumeister’s experience informs every note he composes and plays. The strain of musicianship, technique and inventiveness heard from Neumeister on What Have I Done? has remarkably deep roots, stretching back to the earliest days of being a teenage, professional musician in the Bay Area, featured in high level marching bands, collaborating with Jerry Garcia, backing up the likes of Chuck Berry, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Frank Sinatra, embarking on a creative sojourn to Amsterdam, winning the first trombone chair with the Sacramento Symphony, and numerous other gigs, finally arriving in NYC in 1980 where he quickly became a “first-call” for Lionel Hampton, The Duke Ellington Orchestra (in which he played the trombone book made famous by Joe ‘Tricky Sam” Nanton), the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra (alongside Joe Lovano, Kenny Garrett and Tom Harrell), a stint with Buddy Rich, and many others. Neumeister has basically “worked with everyone,” as they say, including a forty year musical relationship with Joe Lovano (currently a member of his Nonet), Gerry Mulligan’s Concert Band, the aforementioned Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, which became the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra after Lewis’ passing (Neumeister’s arrangement of “A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square” on the album To You: A Tribute To Mel Lewis, was nominated for a Grammy Award), and many others. On top of all this, he has been leading his own ensembles throughout his entire career, and they have served as vehicles for his prolific output as a composer.

Ed Neumeister has composed every day for the past thirty years, a beautiful habit that began when Neumeister was a member of the first BMI Jazz Composers Workshop in 1987 with Manny Albam and Bob Brookmeyer. It was during this time that the artist morphed from a trombonist who composes, to a composer whose main instrument is the trombone.” On What Have I Done? we are treated to eight new Neumeister compositions, interspersed with “Pickled Ginger”, six amuse-bouches by members of the quartet that offer brief interludes in between the compositions. The recording took place after Neumeister moved back to New York City following a seventeen year stint as a Professor at the University of the Performing Arts in Graz, Austria, and several years in Los Angeles, orchestrating for films such as Inception, The Dark Knight Rises and Sherlock Holmes. 

Dealing with the composer’s notation can be quite an undertaking. For pianist Gary Versace, he was more than prepared in the studio as he could count on ten years of experience with Neumeister in a trio setting with vocalist Jay Clayton, as well as playing with Neumeister’s Jazz Orchestra on occasion. “Gary and I spent two or three weeks conversing about the music, and I told him that this not a blowing record, but rather a recording of compositions which incorporates improvisation”, explains Neumeister. “The way I notate this music . . . I have this big picture in mind, so I’m not really writing a piano part, but rather an orchestral part. It becomes Gary’s job, in consultation with me, to decide what to play and what to leave out, because it would be impossible to play everything that’s written. The idea behind this is that we can then decide, do we double the melody or bass line, or not? Should there be comping or fills in between phrases, or not? For example. Once Gary got a handle on it, he was able to play what he wanted, but still coming from the material of the composition. He was judicious about respecting what I wrote, while simultaneously able to contribute his unique voice.” 

Bassist Drew Gress and drummer Tom Rainey have played together in many situations and in bands led by the likes of Tim Berne, Tony Malaby, Ingrid Laubrock and Rainey’s own Obbligato Quintet, and their ‘hookup” is on full display on What Have I Done? Gress was also a member of Neumeister’s earlier quartet (with John Hollenbeck and the late Fritz Pauer on piano). Neumeister and Rainey have the deepest history together, going all the way back to their early days in the Bay Area where they played all manner of gigs, to their move to NYC in the early 80s, and their subsequent loft-hopping nights, playing informal sessions on that historic scene.   

What Have I Done? opens with a compelling waltz, “Riverwalk,” that serves as a tribute to the legendary Chick Corea (who passed away in February, 2021), and was inspired by Neumeister’s daily walks along the Passaic River. “Acclimation Park” follows, and is a nod to a favorite jogging path in Sáo Paulo. Naturally, it has a Samba feel, and “it’s traditional in terms of the harmony, and the four bar phrases, but it’s got some strange melody notes, and altered chords that aren’t so frequently altered,” explains Neumeister. Neumeister has a gift for taking melodic material to refreshingly new places, as is the case with “Gratitude.” Neumeister elaborates, “there is often what look like chord changes in my compositions, but I don’t think of them as chord changes anymore, but rather as harmonic reference.” Other highlights on the album include “Ridgewood,” named for the Queens neighborhood where it was written. It grooves like crazy, despite the odd time signatures employed (9/8, 17/16, 5/8 & 11/16), a testament to the incredible talent these gentlemen possess. Neumeister composed “Renate” for a dear, departed friend from Switzerland. “It’s sing-songy in nature, but harmonically far away from II V I. It’s built on a pattern in 10/4, two bars of 3 with one bar of 4, with a swing feel, reminiscent of Elvin Jones,” said Neumeister. The title track is a question every human being has asked himself/herself at one time or another, and for Neumeister ‘What Have I Done?’ relates to the end of a marriage, the beginning of a new relationship, and the offering of a profound recording that builds upon an extensive catalogue of recordings, and showcases a composer and trombonist in a perpetual state of evolution.

Tower of Power Celebrates 50th Anniversary Release, 50 Years of Funk & Soul: Live at the Fox Theater – Oakland, CA – June 2018, with Nationwide Spring Tour

Tower of Power, legendary Bay Area funk band, announces today their initial details surrounding a late winter / early spring 2022 tour; one that will dip them down into Florida and select Northeastern markets for the first time since the onset of Covid in 2020. The band was last on the road in the fall of 2021 but hasn’t paid a true visit to Florida or the Northeast since before 2020. With this tour, spanning over 15 cities, Tower of Power returns to some of their favorite markets to bring their much needed inimitable blend of soul, funk, rock, R&B, and jazz to rejuvenate fans both old and new. 

The band, whose timeless classics such as “What Is Hip?” “So Very Hard to Go,” “You’re Still A Young Man,” and many more, have truly withstood the test of time. In 2018, Tower of Power got together for two memorable evenings in Oakland, the city that started it all, to celebrate its landmark 50th anniversary with a few thousand friends, family and fans. The window-rattling grooves and raucous party spirit of ToP has been a balm for the soul throughout the band’s half-century existence, but the release of 50 Years of Funk & Soul: Live at the Fox Theater – Oakland, CA – June 2018 couldn’t have come at a better time.  

Now, the legendary soul-funk-R&B group is set to return to the road with the first major tour since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Beginning in February, they'll visit over 20 markets in nearly a dozen states to celebrate the release of their recent album in commemoration of their 50th anniversary.

Available now from Artistry Music/Mack Avenue Music Group, the high-spirited live album and video offers a reminder of the communal joys of the live music experience, something that’s been sorely missed over this staggering pandemic year. Released as a 3-LP set, a 2-CD/DVD combo, a standalone DVD, as well as digitally, 50 Years of Funk & Soul is the next best thing to hearing these brilliant musicians in person. Fittingly for such a special occasion, Tower of Power went all out for these hometown shows, supplementing the core 10-piece band and its iconic horn section with additional horns and a string section.  

Bandleader and saxophonist Emilio Castillo also invited back a few elite ToP alumni, including saxophonist Lenny Pickett (musical director of the Saturday Night Live band); keyboardist Chester Thompson (Santana); guitarist Bruce Conte and former vocalist Ray Greene, who shows off his trombone prowess. They join the renowned modern line-up of the band, featuring co-founder Stephen “Doc” Kupka on baritone sax, longtime drummer David Garibaldi, and lead vocalist Marcus Scott. Adding a bittersweet tinge is the presence of founding bassist Francis “Rocco” Prestia, who passed away in September 2020. 

“People come up to me all the time and say, ‘Wow man, 50 years! We can't believe it,’” laughs Castillo. “You can't believe it? I'm the one that can't believe it. We've been through a lot of ups and downs and learned a lot along the way. We've affected a lot of people's lives and done a lot of work that we're very proud of. The band has a real family atmosphere. It's been very rewarding.”

Castillo was only 17 years old when he met Kupka and started to assemble the band that would become Tower of Power. “I had no vision at all,” he recalls now. “I just loved playing soul music. My idols were a local band called The Spyders and they had gigged in Sacramento. I thought, ‘Man, if I could just get to Sacramento that would be it.’ That's literally how small my vision was.”

The band has long since surpassed Castillo’s admittedly modest aspirations, traveling the world, enjoying hit singles on their own and backing some of the most legendary artists of the last 50 years – a list that includes Otis Redding, Elton John, Santana, the Grateful Dead, John Lee Hooker, Aerosmith, Bonnie Raitt, and countless others. In the process they’ve defined an “Oakland soul” sound as instantly recognizable as those from Castillo’s hometown, Detroit, as well as inspirations like Memphis and Philadelphia. 

50th Anniversary Release, 50 Years of Funk & Soul:

Live at the Fox Theater – Oakland, CA – June 2018, with Nationwide Spring Tour

Upcoming Tower of Power U.S. Tour Dates

February 11 & 12 | Montbleu Resort Casino and Spa | Stateline, NV

February 15 | Ponte Vedra Concert Call | Ponte Vedra, FL

February 17 | Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre | Clearwater, FL

February 19 | Parker Playhouse | Ft. Lauderdale, FL

February 20 | The Plaza Live | Orlando, FL

February 22 | Variety Playhouse | Atlanta, GA

March 3 | Tupelo Music Hall | Derry, NH

March 4 | Plymouth Memorial Hall | Plymouth, MA

March 5 | Chevalier Theater | Medford, MA

March 7 | Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts | Harrisburg, PA

March 9 | Community Arts Center | Williamsport, PA

March 10 | The Ridgefield Playhouse | Ridgefield, CT

March 11 | The Warehouse at FTC | Fairfield, CT

March 14 & 15 | Sony Hall | New York, NY

March 17 | MGM Northfield Park | Northfield, OH

March 19 | Lindenwood Theater | Saint Charles, MO

April 23 | Soundstage at Graceland | Memphis, TN

New Releases: Eric Goletz, Soul Sugar, Bernie Senensky, Jami Templeton

Eric Goletz - A New Light

Virtuoso trombonist Eric Goletz is releasing A New Light, his second CD as a leader. After a 30-year career as a studio musician and first-call horn player in New York City, Goletz released his debut CD, Into the Night, in March of 2021. Brimming with ideas and unstoppable energy, Goletz started working on A New Light before his previous project was officially released. And like his previous release, A New Light is an exciting, eclectic mix of musical styles that creates an infectious pastiche of sounds and textures. Goletz’s multifarious background, experiences, and taste imbues his compositions and arrangements with a joie de vie enriched by his stellar musicianship. Goletz says, “I think of music as having endless possibilities. It’s a journey where you can never be absolutely sure where it will lead. Although my background is in jazz and classical music, I spend much time listening to other forms of music such pop, rock, Country, Motown, funk, Latin, and even Heavy Metal. There’s always something new to learn, and I try to keep an open mind to the simple joy of listening to music.” Goletz’s arrangements are unique. With his solid chops as a musician and decades of working as a composer and arranger in a wide variety of musical venues and situations, it’s no wonder that his music is overflowing with a macrocosm of ideas. You can almost feel his rush of joy as he picks up his pen to get it all on paper.

Soul Sugar - Excursions in Dub

Released exclusively in Japan for Record Store Day through the HMV record shop under license from Gee Recordings, new album Excursions in Dub is now available on all digital platforms and you can still order the vinyl from Japan and from very few European outlets including the band’s Bandcamp. Soul Sugar’s cast list of contributing musicians to the original and dub album includes Sly & Robbie, Blundetto, Lone Ark, Slikk Tim, Thomas Naim, Jahno, Grant Phabao and honey-voiced soul singer Leo Carmichael. Metenier also stars as a musician, providing lively and ear-catching organ solos under his now familiar Booker Gee alias. The dub album features heavy dub versions in the roots tradition of the eight tracks of the original full-length along with two unreleased tracks, a cover of Jackie Mittoo‘s “Peace Treaty” and “Pablo Dub” in combination with Blundetto & Booker Gee. The dub mixes were expertly handcrafted in their own respective studios by engineers extraordinaire Roberto Sanchez aka Lone Ark, Blundetto & Blackjoy, Jahno, and Guillaume Metenier aka Booker Gee. Expect analog roots and modern sounds designed for heavy sound systems or your home hi-fi  …highest level of cool for impeccable taste, grab it and chill!.

Bernie Senensky Quartet / Quintet - Don't Look Back

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1944, pianist Bernie Senensky has been a stalwart member of the Canadian and international jazz scenes for over 50 years. He has toured with a multitude of his own ensembles over the years, and has played with a diverse array of internationally celebrated jazz artists, from Chet Baker to Moe Koffman, and from Elvin Jones to Pharoah Sanders (to name but a few). Senensky continues to play and tour extensively. Despite his kind and soft-spoken personality, his assertive keyboard style and consummate melodicism has ensconced him as a lynchpin of the current jazz scene. Senensky fits smack dab in the middle of the hard bop tradition. For those looking for a delightful romp through some new tunes in the style of the masters, you could do worse than to try out the Bernie Senensky Quintet. Bernie's style sparkles with a lightness and playfulness that makes his solos so easy and fun to listen to. You don't have to reach for anything; it’s all there.

Jami Templeton - The Shape Of My Heart

“This record brought me back to life. After living through a long battle with chronic lyme disease, and subsequently covid, a dear friend suggested I return to my first love of singing, and to the genre I held so sacred, I was almost afraid to touch it.” Shortly after returning to Los Angeles in 2021, vocalist Jami Templeton met the musicians who would become her band. After running through dozens of her favourite songs with producer and pianist Andy Langham, Templeton settled on a book of music that helped tell the story she had to tell. Having spent much of her singing life in the world of big, bold arias, Templeton had reached a softer musical phase. Every piece on this album holds a special meaning for Templeton. Each song, carefully selected  from the American songbook, reflects a sliver of time in her life: treasured moments of love, mischief, and heartbreak. The Shape of My Heart will be released worldwide on Friday, February 4th 2022.

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, 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 themost 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.

Matt Slocum | "With Love And Sadness"

With Love and Sadness, available on Sunnyside Records on March 18, 2022, was designed, recorded, mixed, and mastered as an all-analog experience (although it is also available on CD and as a high-resolution digital download for listeners who prefer those formats). The music was composed as a single work rather than as individual “tunes,” and the narrative arc is structured as a continuous whole with subplots shaped around and within the two sides of the LP. The result is as remarkable and rare as a fogbow, or a lenticular cloud; it is in accordance with Slocum’s overall aesthetic and his penchant for conveying beauty to the world, and a culmination of an immense talent (as a drummer and composer) and massive erudition. As Thomas Conrad wrote in JazzTimes Magazine (on Slocum’s Black Elk’s Dream), “A meticulous, deeply realized work, remarkable not only for its coherence as a single arc but also for its evolving, authentic poignancy...This dreamlike, lyrical, fervent, floating music is capable of erupting in joy or pain.” 

Matt Slocum is a conjurer of emotions; lament, longing, contemplation, sadness, but also joy, hope and inspiration. After five acclaimed recordings of predominantly original music, “Slocum has emerged as one of the great young jazz drummers in New York City, and therefore all of jazz,” says The Minneapolis Star Tribune. “Slocum clearly places empathy and ensemble eloquence over solo fireworks, with sublime results.” While Slocum’s music carries much emotion and meaning, it also pulls from the listener’s own thoughts and feelings. As Ken Micallef reported in DownBeat Magazine, “like Wayne Shorter’s classic Blue Note albums, Black Elk’s Dream seems to ask questions, leaving the answers open to individual interpretation.” That is one of the gifts great artists bestow on us – to stimulate the willing into a greater awareness and inspired musing. 

The structure of With Love and Sadness emerged during a trip to the Maine wilderness where Slocum reflected on the seemingly increasing depths of systemic racism in America and the possibilities for change. In his liner notes for the recording, Slocum writes, “As a result of pandemic-related closures, it was the first time my wife and I had traveled in many months. It felt like a new perspective, at least early in the journey. The shape of this composition outlines the evolution of my reflections throughout the course of that trip. The primary theme is introduced in the prelude and developed throughout the suite. Although the work journeys from B minor in the opening two movements to eventually reach D major in the final movement, most of the piece follows a sonic trajectory moving away from optimism, but clinging to a kind of blind hope and beauty (real or imagined) in our collective potential for change. The final movement, a rearrangement and development of the main theme, is inspired by Pat Metheny’s “Is This America?” It’s my understanding that Mr. Metheny composed that song as a musical response to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Fifteen years later, I’m not sure that we’ve made a great deal of progress as a society.”

With Love and Sadness features Grammy-nominated pianist Taylor Eigsti, an important voice in the world of creative music and a musician whose “range of expression is not limited by illusory stylistic boundaries,” says Slocum; first-call bassist Larry Grenadier, who also appears on Slocum’s previous album, Sanctuary (Grenadier is a modern-day giant known for his 25-year association with the Brad Mehldau Trio, as well as consequential engagements with Pat Metheny, Paul Motian, Charles Lloyd, Joshua Redman, and Mark Turner); and saxophonist Walter Smith III, a modern master who is equally at home in a variety of musical settings – from performing with the Roy Haynes Quartet to co-leading an ensemble with Matthew Stevens and Joel Ross. Slocum writes, “There are shapes in Walter’s playing that I don’t hear anywhere else, and his dynamic range and depth of interaction with the rhythm section fill his music with mood, personality, and possibility.” Credit must also be given to the legendary recording and mixing engineer, James Farber, who, on an all-analog project such as this, is as much a part of the ensemble as the musicians. “Like great jazz musicians, James always brings his own identifiable sound to each project. He creates an inviting and inspiring sonic environment that allows the musical connection, as well as the balance within and between the instruments, to happen naturally in the recording studio,” states Slocum. 

Recorded by James Farber at Sear Sound, New York, NY / 30 June 2021.

Recorded to 2 inch ATR analog tape at 30 IPS on a 24 track Studer A827. 

Mixed by James Farber at Studio Mozart, Little Falls, NJ / 6-7 July 2021 / Mixed from the multitrack 2 inch analog tape using a Studer A827 to 1/2 inch ATR analog tape at 30 IPS on a Studer A80. 

Mastering and cutting by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering, Hollywood, CA.

Master lacquer cut directly from the analog tape using a custom Studer and an all-tube system.

The Jazz Defenders | "Live Slow" feat. Herbal T

Bristol's soul-jazz brothers The Jazz Defenders hit us with a brand new single on November 26th via Haggis Records, another taster from their forthcoming second album "King Phoenix" which drops in February 2022 from the same label. The quintet, led by keyboard maestro George Cooper from the UK funk kings The Haggis Horns, deliver a new bumping hip-hop/jazz jam called "Live Slow" featuring guest MC Herbal T, from the USA.

The original music burns bright in a mid-late 1960's soul-jazz style made popular by the likes of Ramsey Lewis and Herbie Hancock. Funky backbeat, in-the-pocket bassline, snappy and sharp brass, soul claps, and infectious piano vamping from that man Cooper. Then a third way in, guest MC Herbal T jumps on the mic and flips it into a hip-hop/jazz gem with some classy old-school bars that fit perfectly with the funky soul-jazz instrumental vibe. A great collaboration that references those golden era 90's hip-hop x jazz experiments by bands like Guru's Jazzmatazz and US3. With a nice upbeat tempo, this is definitely one for the b-boy/b-girl jams and cyphers worldwide.

The Jazz Defenders have slowly been building their reputation as a great jazz unit since their debut Blue Note/hard bop-inspired album "Scheming" appeared on Haggis Records back in 2019. The right heads were turned and when their new single dropped in summer 2021, The Jazz Defenders finally got the respect they rightly deserved. The double A-side vinyl single "The Big Man/Love's Vestige" got some heavy support on the radio from top folks like Craig Charles (BBC6 Music), Helen Mayhew (Jazz FM), Jamie Cullum (BBC Radio 2), and Worldwide FM resident DJ's Ashley Beedle and Colin Curtis.

Chieli Minucci | "Someone's Singing"

When the COVID-19 lockdown began in March 2020, Chieli Minucci had his wings clipped, abruptly pulling the plug amidst the three-time Emmy-winning and GRAMMY nominated musician-composer’s concert tour in support of his band Special EFX’s newly released album “All Stars.” As stress and uncertainty mounted, Minucci, like the rest of us, yearned for escape, peace and tranquility. His mind drifted back to when he was a teenager watching local talent play folk and classical guitar-based music in Greenwich Village’s legendary Folk City nightclub. He found the music performed at those shows to be soothing and mesmerizing. Those cherished recollections inspired Minucci to write and record his first acoustic guitar-based album, “Someone’s Singing.”

Recording most of the twelve-track set in his New York City home studio proved to be calming and healing for Minucci, who wrote or co-wrote ten songs for the collection, some culled from his songbook from decades ago. Minucci produced, arranged and performed using his collection of acoustic guitars in addition to playing percussion, including a kalimba (African thumb piano). His nimble fretwork throughout is heartfelt, meditative, communicative, somber and sublime.

“I’ve been eager to share some of my more-gentle, understated playing and writing for some time now. For me, this project has a ‘spiritual’ quality: quite peaceful and even a bit folky. The concept for ‘Someone’s Singing’ was simple: keep it pristine and placid. I've been a longtime fan of acoustic guitar music, particularly folk and classical pieces,” said Minucci who took the album title from the lyrics of the opening track, an instrumental variation of the traditional “Kumbaya.” 

“Someone’s Singing” is an album consisting of acoustic guitar etchings, a sparsely produced set featuring minimal accompaniment on three selections. Jerry Brooks’ probing, elastic basslines instill “New Faith,” an intimate and intricate song originally recorded in 1996. Fretless bassist Fernando Saunders brings structure to “Your Spirit,” an ethereal interlude preceding “Memories of Mother,” an emotional passage memorializing Minucci’s mother, Catherine. To him, she represented family honor and love, inspiring his silent pledge made upon her passing to facilitate peace and harmony in his own family, a goal he continues to strive towards in all relationships. Minucci’s late Special EFX partner, George Jinda, added his distinctive percussion to “Free Again,” an exquisite piece adorned by Steve Skinner’s evocative strings.

“‘Free Again’ is the last composition I wrote with the great percussionist George Jinda. His unique approach to rhythm was always a perfect match to my acoustic guitar style. Although the first section of this piece was written separately, the percussive part was completely improvised as we recorded it. Music is amazing like that, and in so many other ways,” said Minucci.

The official release of “Someone’s Singing” begins a prolific year for Minucci who will release Special EFX’s 40th anniversary album, “Twenty Twenty 2,” an elaborate production recorded with an army of collaborating musicians, on April 15 with a supporting concert itinerary that kicks off in mid-March.

“‘Someone's Singing’ stands in striking contrast to what I've been doing with Special EFX for all these years,” said Minucci, a busy band leader, film and television composer who has been releasing solo albums since the mid-nineties.

Minucci is a ten-time Emmy nominee who has written music for the small screen (“The Guiding Light,” “Dancing With The Stars,” “American Idol” and the “Good Morning America” theme), silver screen (“Bowfinger”, “Legally Blonde” and “Panic”), radio (Bloomberg Radio theme), and stage (live productions of “Peter Pan,” “Dora the Explorer” and “Thomas the Tank Engine”).” Beyond his band and solo projects, Minucci’s gifted guitarwork has afforded him extraordinary opportunities to record or perform with iconic artists including Celine Dion, Lou Reed, Lionel Richie, Jennifer Lopez, Jewel, Mark Anthony, Michael Bolton and Eartha Kitt as well as his contemporary jazz colleagues Kirk Whalum, Jeff Lorber, Norman Brown, Mindi Abair, Rick Braun, Marion Meadows, Omar Hakim and many others.