Michael Feinberg | "Blues Variant"

An intriguing element of Michael Feinberg’s superb Criss Cross debut is that the leader could easily have titled it “Bassist In The Background” (Fans of Duke Ellington’s wonderful 1960 LP Pianist In The Background will know what I mean.) Throughout the ten selections that comprise Blues Variant (which include six tunefully percolating originals by Feinberg, one by tenor saxophonist Noah Preminger, one by pianist Leo Genovese, and an ingenious Feinberg arrangement of Herbie Hancock’s “Eye Of The Hurricane”), the 35-year-old bass maestro hews to the mantra, “If you want to hear me solo, come to a gig, where I often play a solo on every tune.” 

​“I’m serving the music,” Feinberg continues. “What I appreciate about a bass player is how they make the other people in the band sound. I love hearing the soloistic abilities of Christian McBride, John Patitucci, Dave Holland and the people I idolize, but they’re amazing because, when they play, it feels incredible and they push their bandmates to be the best versions of themselves or go beyond what they think they can do.” As another example, Feinberg mentions Jimmy Garrison, who triangulated between McCoy Tyner and Elvin Jones with the “spiritually transcendent” John Coltrane Quartet between 1961 and 1965. “He rarely plays a solo, but you don’t get the Coltrane quartet with anyone else. So I don’t care about the solos, or being on top of the mix to indicate ‘this is a bass player’s record.’ I play a ton of notes. I’m playing the whole time. Can’t miss it.” 

​Feinberg’s remarks on the Garrison effect carry a certain gravitas; since the early 2010s, when he did The Elvin Jones Project, he’s delved into Coltrane’s repertoire on its own terms of engagement on numerous gigs, most of them featuring Preminger playing tenor saxophone and Ian Frohman on drums. On the pan-stylistic Blues Variant, he connects with the spirit of the great drum griot via the presence on three intense selections of Elvin alumnus Dave Liebman, Preminger’s teacher during student years who has often employed Frohman. Feinberg’s introduction to Liebman’s singular sound was Earth Jones, a 1982 Elvin-led release with Liebman, trumpeter Terumaso Hino, pianist Kenny Kirkland and bassist George Mraz. “I know every note of it,” Feinberg says. “I’ve been a fan of Dave’s playing for a long time.”

​An earlier Liebman-Preminger pairing is on Feinberg’s 2020 Steeplechase date, From Where We Came, which transpired not long after they met. The occasion was a Manhattan restaurant gig, where the septuagenarian saxophonist was dining with his daughter, rising-star publicist Lydia Liebman, who introduced them at set break. “I got his contact info, told him I was playing at Smalls the next month, and said, ‘If you want to play, there’s a gig for you,” Feinberg recounts. “Dave accepted. That began a beautiful relationship.” 

​In seizing the moment to align with Liebman, Feinberg was following a life-long predisposition to “create opportunities for myself – my hustler’s spirit; I’m always getting the wheels going, busy and active, trying to keep new, exciting things going on.” It’s an attribute he shares with Preminger, himself a two-time Criss Cross leader, a close friend since both moved to New York towards the end of 2000s. “I often have Noah in my mind’s ear because I know he’ll bring the right energy and treat the music with the proper respect,” Feinberg says. “He looks at music differently than most people. He’s one of the most technically virtuosic saxophonists – and that’s the least impressive thing about what he does. What really makes me feel his presence is the way he uses rhythm as a melody instrument in his playing, his long, slow phrases – and how he weaves theme and variation throughout a solo.” 

​The Feinberg-Genovese relationship is similarly long standing. “Leo is one my favorite musicians, a real artist, no ego,” Feinberg says. “He’s incredibly well-versed – he travels everywhere, soaks up cultural musical language, and performs with some of the best musicians from all over the world, playing regional ethnic music in their bands. He grew up in the countryside of Argentina and now he plays with Wayne Shorter. He’s like a shaman. He’s free, effortless in expressing himself in all times, in all situations.” 

​The corollary of Feinberg’s functional, groove-centric approach is a long-standing desire to play and record with such expansive drummers as Frohman, Billy Hart, Jeff “Tain” Watts, and – on Blues Variant – Nasheet Waits. “The drummer makes the band, always and forever, and picking the drummer is what the music is going to sound like,” he says. “With Nasheet, I appreciate the timbre, the sound he gets from the drums. He can bring out heavy and bring out light, and plays all my really hard music in ways that make it sound effortless. 

​“I’ve always been chasing Elvin – and Jack DeJohnette – sonically,” he adds. “Their ability to keep the foundational groove is always present, but also free, floating, melodic, compositional. You might think of Elvin as more like a bruiser than an artiste, but he brought forth to a magic feeling in the music like no else before or since – brushes, ballad; Afro-Latin, 12/8; swing, medium; down, up. However much he pushes and pulls the time, where it’s not really metric, BAM, he’s going to give you the one, which locks the whole thing. That’s what allows the ambiguity and contrast.” 

​Asked about his own time feel, Feinberg responds: “The music is alive, so it’s always changing. As long as the drummer and I are locked in, I can play on top of the beat or behind the beat – I know it won’t go to a bad place. But I don’t ever want to sit always in one place. The groove dictates the approach.”  

​Feinberg wrote most of the music contained herein during the pandemic with this personnel in mind, around the unifying concept of interrogating “the idea of what is the blues and presenting it in diverse, unique ways.” He first assimilated blues expression in his hometown, Atlanta, Georgia, where, by age 16, was playing professionally with such world-class practitioners as Russell Gunn and Bryan Hogans. His compositional endeavors began during freshman year at Frost Conservatory of Music in Miami, Florida, where – inspired by bassist-composer Ben Allison, and other contemporaneous New York “downtown” figures like Jim Black, Chris Speed, Chris Cheek, Andrew D’Angelo, Skuli Sverisson and the members of the Bad Plus – he organized Miami Creative Music Collective, which played original music by its members in monthly concerts. 

​“The idea of being a composer and having a band was popular amongst my peer group,” Feinberg says. “But I also played a lot of gigs – a blues band called Juke, Frank Sinatra night on South Beach with a crooner, different Latin gigs, endless jam sessions. I take the relationship with the audience seriously, not in a showman-performative way, but connecting with the general audience so they understand what you’re doing. Melodies, the feeling of blues and swing. A lot of great music is simple. What really inspires me artistically is contrast, and that comes across in all my music – contrast in styles, in instruments, in textures. Playing funk versus playing swing. Playing odd meters that feel like common time meters.” 

​As an instance of that last-stated juxtaposition, Feinberg cites the surging title track, which proceeds to an ostinato bassline in 13 that briefly transitions to swing at the end of the form. “The title ‘Blues Variant’ relates to the mutations of COVID-19, but also references theme-and-variations on the blues,” he says. “There’s a tonic, a subdominant and a dominant, and utilization of the blues scale and blues dominant chords, but it doesn’t sound like that to me – which is also part of the idea.” Genovese’s opening solo postulates fleet right-hand lines in counterpoint to a rollicking left-hand vamp with enviable independence. 

​On “Saqqara,” named for an ancient, historically important Egyptian village, Feinberg – whose maternal grandparents are Israeli – channels Middle Eastern roots. After a rubato intro, the flow transitions into an “exotic” refrain in 5/4, inspiring another scintillating Genovese solo. Waits seamlessly metric-modulates to brisk swing, propelling Preminger through a few choruses that wouldn’t have sounded out of place in the Hollywood epic Exodus, directed by Otto Preminger, his distant relative. 

​Genovese plugs in on Preminger’s “High or Booze” (rhymes with “minor blues”) which the saxophonist performed on his own 2022 Criss Cross release, Sky Continuous. “I got the idea for the project – non-traditional blues-based music – playing this tune on a gig with Noah and Nasheet,” Feinberg says. “It’s not an easy song.” Perhaps so, but the degree of difficulty isn’t discernible on this kinetic, elegant track, highlighted by the composer’s far-flung solo, Genovese’s texturally acute percussive comping; the leader’s angular bassline; and Waits’s force-of-nature drumming.  

​Waits’ funky backbeat underpins Feinberg’s “Healing Power of GRITS,” signifying not only the soul food staple grain, but also “Girls Raised In The South,” of whom his wife is one. “I wanted to do something in the spirit of Cannonball Adderley’s Mercy, Mercy, Mercy session or Ramsey Lewis – a groovy, ’60s-’70s soul jazz vibe,” Feinberg says. Again plugged in, Genovese elicits dark, kaleidoscopic Rhodes colors when soloing and when complementing Preminger’s declamation. 

​“I love playing the music of the tradition, but why play it the same way all the time?” says Feinberg of his metrically modulated treatment of “Eye Of The Hurricane,” provoking Liebman to uncork an effervescent, swinging soprano solo on the first of his three tracks. Genovese and Preminger follow suit. 

​Feinberg cites such ’70s-’80s Liebman waltz tunes as “Is Seeing Believing?’ as inspirating the ritualistic “The Water Spirit Brought Us, The Water Spirit Will Take Us Home.” After Feinberg’s well-wrought solo prelude, the ceremony continues with Liebman’s soaring soprano, Genovese’s mystically coruscating turn, and Preminger’s ascendant tenor statement, which channels Coltrane’s fire-in-stillness sound circa 1965-1966. 

​In response to Feinberg’s request for an unconventional blues, Genovese contributes the stately, spiky “Gather Power.” That sentiment seems to guide the solos – first Liebman, channeling Steve Lacy and Coltrane in his own argot; Genovese atonal, like Bley-meets McCoy, with crystalline touch; Preminger resolutely soulful; Waits incantationally Elvinistic. 

​After Feinberg’s spontaneously generated a cappella blues improvisation, poignant and honest, the recital continues with “vibey palate cleanser” – “Cycle Song,” a lovely melody based on a 4-bar loop. “This one really lets the musicians speak,” Feinberg says. “Again, it’s making something seemingly complex as simple as possible, making it easy to understand what we’re doing and feel the music.” Preminger’s tenor statement is a master class in melodic interpretation; Feinberg showcases his guitaristic electric bass conception; Genovese dances via on the Rhodes. 

​For dessert, Feinberg presents the set-closing “Year Of The Ox,” “a hyperactive, topsy-turvy explosion” that he wrote on Chinese New Year’s Day in 2020. Waits’s fresh, surging cascaras fuel apropos solos from each protagonist. 

​It’s a fitting wrap to a well-integrated musical banquet that fulfills Feinberg’s self-descriptive aesthetic mantra: “There’s a place for everything. But a lot of the greatest music – Kind of Blue, Weather Report, Oscar Peterson – is simple while also being incredibly sophisticated. It all comes down to authenticity.”

 — Blues Variant liner notes by Ted Panken

2023 TOUR DATES

With Jonathan Barber, Noah Preminger, Axel Tosca

• April 2 Hartford, CT - Public Library Baby Grand Jazz Series
• April 29 Old Lyme, CT - The Side Door

With Tim Green, Davis Whitfield, Dana Hawkins

• May 5-6 Savannah, GA - Good Times Jazz Bar
• May 7 Durham, NC - Sharp 9 Gallery 
• May 9 Baltimore, MD - An DIe Musik
• May 10 Washington, DC - Blues Alley
• May 11 Nashville, TN - Jazz Workshop

With Terreon Gully, Benito Gonzalez, Noah Preminger

• May 20 Girona, Spain - Sunset Jazz
• May 23 Valencia, Spain - Jimmy Glass
• May 24 Bilbao, Spain - Jazz On
• May 26 London, UK - Vortex
• May 27-28 Frankfurt, Germany - Jazz Keller
• May 29 Brno, Czech - Music Lab
• May 30 Munich, Germany - Unterfahrt

Philip Lassiter | "Simmer Down”

11x GRAMMY award-winning arranger/trumpeter Philip Lassiter makes his Color Red debut with “Simmer Down,” featuring a vivacious 24-piece ensemble. Recorded live with 8 horns and a 6-piece vocal ensemble, Lassiter’s acclaimed arranging prowess is showcased with all players in the room recording simultaneously. The track exudes playful interplay between the horns and vocals over a groove that cross-pollinates funk and Latin influences with ear-twisting jazz harmonies and piercing guitar leads.

Written in tandem with longtime collaborator Brett Nolan, “Simmer Down” is a self-empowerment anthem for staying true to yourself and resisting the urge to be confined into a proverbial box whether it is creating music or walking your own path in life. “Simmer Down” is a direct reflection of Lassiter’s professional path that includes arranging and leading an 11-piece horn section for Prince that performed at the Montreal Jazz Festival, Essence Festival, North Sea Jazz Curacao, United Center Chicago, Arsenio Hall Show, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, and more. The release comes off the heels of his prior live album "Live In Love" which featured David Paiche (Toto), MonoNeon, Durand Bernarr, members of Snarky Puppy, Ghost-Note, & 22x Latin GRAMMY. winner Juan Luis Guerra.

Rooted in Texas Funk, Alabama Gospel, New Orleans Jazz, and Nashville Soul, Philip Lassiter is an 11-time Grammy award winning horn/string arranger, and former section leader/arranger of Prince and the New Power Generation. 

Currently based in Amsterdam., Philip has quickly garnered respect as the go to arranger and trumpet player for iconic artists such as: Prince, Kirk Franklin, Ariana Grande,  Timbaland, Roberta Flack, Jill Scott, Rodney Darkchild Jerkins, Hamilton w/ Barack Obama, Cece Winans, Kelly Rowland, Fantasia, Anderson Paak, Yelawolf, Queen Latifah, Al Jarreau, Fred Hammond, The Isley Brothers, Marsha Ambrosia, Ledisi, Johnny Lang, Donald Lawrence, Anthony Hamilton, Richard Smallwood, Karen Clarke, Dorinda Clarke Cole, Bebe Winans, Ricky Dillard, Anita Wilson, Natalie Grant, James Fortune, John P Kee, Anthony Brown, Myron Butler & Levi, Regina Belle, Cory Henry, My Morning Jacket, Lee Ann Womack, Big & Rich, and more. 

Philip has performed on stages around the world such as the Essence Festival, Montreaux Jazz Fest, Jam Cruise 2020, United Center Chicago, North Sea Jazz Festival Curacao, Bonnaroo, Titan Stadium, The World Cafe in Philadelphia, Arsenio Hall, Jimmy Kimmel, and Jimmy Fallon. 

He was crowned winner of the 2000 International Trumpet Guild Jazz Solo Competition and is endorsed by Cannonball Instruments. 

Jazz Singer Allison Adams Tucker Releases "1977," the First EP in Her "RETRO Trilogy"

In today’s streaming world, the process to broadcast the news about an artist’s forthcoming album involves a series of catchy preview singles that leads to the actual release date of the full collection. In the case of internationally acclaimed jazz singer Allison Adams Tucker, she puts a unique twist on the model. Instead of introducing one tune, the vibrant and lucent vocalist releases three full EPs (six songs each) from January to March in anticipation of the April 14 release of her fourth CD, RETRO Trilogy on Allegato Music. "1977," the first of the three EPs, is available now.

Each EP zeroes in on the three decades of her evolved freedom of musical expression: the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s—from Cat Stevens to Paul Simon, from Tears for Fears to Prince, from Beck to Elizabeth Fraser with Massive Attack. From her folk-pop-punk and new wave past to her dive into jazz in 2005, Tucker says, “This album shows me stepping into music as an artist. These songs spoke to me the most.” The full album is a three-part “old school meets the digital age” jazz collection of re-imagined covers of songs that informed Adams Tucker as she blossomed into a popular singer and bandleader.

Recorded in New York and produced by Matt Pierson in 2019, RETRO Trilogy features the San Diego-based Adams Tucker assembling an A-team support band that includes Kevin Hays (piano, Rhodes and melodica) Tony Scherr (bass and guitars), Kenny Wollesen (drums and vibes), Yotam Silberstein (guitar), Peter Sprague (guitar) and Bashiri Johnson (percussion). Hip, jazz-kissed arrangements were delivered by Hays, Silberstein, Sprague, Adams Tucker, Josh Nelson and Danny Green. Unlike her previous album, 2016’s travelogue WANDERlust on Origin Records, Adams Tucker decided to forgo horns in hopes of a more acoustic setting dominated by keyboards and guitars.

To be streamed on January 13, the EP “1977” comprises songs that held meaning to Adams Tucker as she was growing up in a musical family that surrounded her with the popular sounds of the day. “I started singing before I could talk,” she says. “The ‘70s were the beginning for me, the start of the journey. The songs in this EP were the seeds that were planted in me.”

To Adams Tucker, the love-and-beauty ‘70s was very personal—hence her inclusion of Paul Simon’s 1975 gem, “Still Crazy After All These Years,” delivered as a longing ballad. The gentle, introspective take serves as the overarching focus for the entire RETRO Trilogy.

“1977” opens with Adams Tucker taking a buoyant ride through Cat Stevens’ lyrical “The Wind” from his 1971 Teaser and the Firecat album. Her dad played the song on guitar when she was young. “That was my gateway into music,” she says. The accompanying video reflects her lifelong appreciation of nature and the elements with dramatic imagery shot on the Big Island of Hawaii.

She dreams into the 1976 Queen hit, “You’re My Best Friend,” which introduced her to Freddie Mercury. “Freddie was the beginning of my punk/new wave expression in the ‘80s,” she says.

In addition to her vocal-looped original “Wonderland”—a complex song conceived of at the Alice in Wonderland statue in New York’s Central Park and co-written with Sprague— she ends the EP with her bright, cheery rendition of Jeff Lynne’s happy tune “Mr. Blue Sky,” from Electric Light Orchestra’s majestic 1977 album Out of the Blue. (The music video for “Wonderland” will be released with the full album in April).

Known for her ability to sing in six languages, Adams Tucker committed herself to including one foreign-tongue piece on each EP. She considers herself a linguist, and since she was brought up so close to the Spanish-speaking Mexican border, it all became natural to her. “My schtick from my early years as an emerging jazz artist was to sing in different languages,” she says. “But because I love all kinds of music, I did not want to be defined by that alone, so the RETRO concept was born.”

‘’1977” highlights the Portuguese rendering of David Bowie’s 1971 tune “Life on Mars” from his Hunky Dory album. It was recomposed into Portuguese by Brazilian artist Seu Jorge for use in Wes Anderson’s 2004 film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. “I loved Bowie’s music,” Adams Tucker says. “It was quirky, out of the box and the first I encountered to make a statement that pop music could be fine art. What Seu did with ‘Life on Mars’ was to make it a classic love song for the film.”

“1988,” to be released on February 10, opens with the spirited, Latin-infused “Bamboleo,” sung in Spanish in reference to the Gipsy Kings’ 1989 breakout hit. It’s a delightful rendering with an upbeat vibe and killer Hays and Silberstein piano-guitar solo exchanges. “The title means ‘sway’ in English,” she says. “It’s the embodiment of the love for music and dance in Latin American culture that exists in everyday life.”

The ‘80s shined as a rich period of pop music. Adams Tucker taps into that with romantic jazz-flavored covers of Peter Gabriel’s hit “In Your Eyes” and the Cure’s “Lovesong,” written by Robert Smith as a wedding gift to his fiancée. And Adams Tucker pays tribute to Prince, among pop star royalty of the ‘80s, with a somber take on his rare beauty, “Sometimes It Snows in April.”

“I was a Prince devotee,” Adams Tucker says. “I saw him live many times and even met him in Minneapolis. This is one of his lesser-known songs written about his character, (Christopher) Tracy, who died in April in the final scene of his second film Under a Cherry Moon. Interestingly, Prince also died in April, so this song has felt like a eulogy.

One of the most important songs of “1988” is the beauty “Woman in Chains” recorded by Tears for Fear on its 1989 The Seeds of Love album. It was written by Roland Orzabal with vocals by Oleta Adams and was championed at the time as a feminist anthem. But Adams Tucker says that the song pays attention to a poignant side that includes domestic abuse and human trafficking. “I sang it to bring attention to that dark topic in respect and love.” She adds that the video for the track puts an inspirational spin on the subject with an emphasis on empowerment.

The last EP, “1999,” to be released on March 10, rolls out with a huge splash: Adams Tucker’s fun romp through Beck’s “Tropicalia” from his 1998 Mutations album. It’s his observations on Brazil complete with Adams Tucker’s fully arranged spins. It’s funky, cool, raw and features her opening with a startling vocal distortion. She happily says that the supporting video is “hallucinogenic.”

Another highlight is Adams Tucker’s vivid, balladic version of Annie Lennox’s “Why” from her first solo album, Diva, in 1992. “She’s my female David Bowie,” she says. “We slowed down the tune. It’s a tearjerker for me.” She also puts new life into electronica trip-hop Massive Attack’s “Teardrop,” with a grooving beat by Bashiri Johnson on percussion and Kenny Wollesen on vibes. The song was built on a sampled riff with melancholic lyrics composed by former Cocteau Twins’ singer Elizabeth Fraser. She based the song partly on her fascination with French philosopher Gaston Bachelard’s 1942 essay “L’eau et les rêves” (Water and Dreams).

Other tunes include the hummable “Birdhouse in Your Soul” by the nerdy, quirky band They Might Be Giants and John Ondrasik’s profoundly reflective “100 Years” (only included on the EP). As for the foreign-language number, Adams Tucker scats and sings in French to the engaging Sting/Dominic Miller tune, “La Belle Dame Sans Regrets,” which was used as a protest against France’s above-ground nuclear testing that thankfully ended in 1996.

“It’s my homage to beloved Paris, and a slightly political moment on the album,” says Adams Tucker, who has a strong audience of French lovers worldwide thanks to her interpretation of “La Vie En Rose.” The 2009 soundtrack of the popular video game “The Saboteur” included Adams Tucker singing another French song unavailable to the public, and this caused “La Vie en Rose” to go viral in the gaming community, garnering Adams Tucker significant worldwide downloads and streams that continue today. 

In many ways, RETRO Trilogy is a healing tool for Adams Tucker, a reflection of beautiful and meaningful times. She says, “It’s retrospective, but also represents a look ahead.”

Nicholas Brust | Daybreak"

Heralded as one of the premiere saxophonists of his generation, Boston-based Nicholas Brust has established his voice, both as an instrumentalist and a composer, in the world of modern instrumental music. He has found his niche as a bandleader and composer, taking advantage of the numerous textures and combinations available in small-group improvised music, evident on his new recording, Daybreak, featuring Brust with guitarist Lage Lund, pianist Julia Chen, bassist Rick Rosato and drummer Gary Kerkezou. The album will be released on Outside In Music on February 17, 2023. 

Daybreak is the follow up recording to Brust’s debut full-length album, Frozen in Time, released on Fresh Sound in 2020. The album has received international critical acclaim from All About Jazz, Jazz Journal UK, Modern Jazz Today, Rootstime Music, and the Jazz Quad, among many others. Marc Philiips of Part-Time Audophile exclaimed, “It’s as if one of your favorite movie stars from long ago suddenly started telling you about all the secrets of the universe.” 

Nicholas Brust has a crystalline sound, imbued with a life force, vitality and exuberance that is addictive. As Dan Bilawsky stated in All About Jazz, "this leader's skills and solid intuition move beyond his writing and performing, as his personnel choices also reflect excellent taste." Indeed, his band is in lockstep with him throughout every tune on Daybreak, making for an elevated listening experience. Brust and his music sound at once completely familiar and brand new; in the tradition, while breaking new ground. He is influenced by the likes of Pat Metheny, Brian Blade, George Coleman, Robert Glasper, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Kenny Garrett, and Roy Hargrove, among others, and he seems to have taken the best qualities of these stalwarts and forged them into his own elements. “Not only does Brust impress with his versatile playing, but he reveals a flair for composition that sufficiently nods to tradition without the usual predictable patterns, finding a nice balance with more modern jazz sensibilities. He delivers a colorful well-conceived debut that already has us anticipating his next recording,” said Jim Hines in Making A Scene.

About the music on Daybreak with Nicholas Brust:

“Absence of You,” is about the necessary development of artistic independence and its accompanying isolation. “It is both crucial and challenging for artists to balance the isolation of practicing with time spent with others.”

“Diamonds and Clubs,” is a continuation of a suite that Brust started with “Hearts and Spades,” released on, Frozen in Time. “Both pieces begin with a bowed bass introduction, and this one reminds me of a glimmering diamond.”

“Mind’s Eye”: This composition, “plays with similar melodies in two different keys, as though one is being remembered slightly differently than the original.”

“For Wisdom” is a tribute to Roy Hargrove and the inspiration his music and presence on the NYC jazz scene had on Brust as a musician.

“To Carry the Torch” reflects on the, “complex circumstances and responsibilities each generation inherits from the previous one, and the care we take when we ourselves pass them along.”

“Suspense in Blue” is Brust honoring the importance of the blues. “It has connected just about every genre of music (and subgenres of jazz) for generations and continues to be relevant today.”

"Daybreak,” the title track, was the guiding force for the album’s concept. The melody, encompassing two octaves, was inspired by the possibilities of a new day. “You can hear the sun coming out with a burst of energy, followed by the day’s first shadows. It’s ultimately about making the most of the opportunities that each day brings us. On a more personal note, It is about things coming anew, from the birth of my son to the reemergence of live music in a post-Covid world.”

“In This Moment”: “Spending time with loved ones has only become more precious as I’ve gotten older, and the birth of my son this past year sharpened that feeling. This song is meant to encapsulate the feeling of the fleeting, priceless time spent with the ones you love.”

“The Tempest”: Brust’s attempt to capture the structure of a storm in song - the foreboding, the destruction, and the peace of the aftermath.

“Ballad of a Sea Porpoise”: “The piano and guitar combination, without saxophone, reminds me of being underwater. Writing this song, I wanted the listener to imagine living their whole life submerged.”

“A Midsummer Night” is a contrafact written over the changes of “You Stepped Out of a Dream” by Nacio Herb Brown and is also a reference to Shakespeare. “The rhythms of the melody are meant to reference Shakespeare’s twisting, turning plots.”

Brust has performed with numerous highly acclaimed musicians, including Gilad Hekselman, The Peter Silver Big Band (sharing the stage with Roy Hargrove, Jimmy Owens, Steve Wilson and others), guitarist Ben Eunson, Kristina Koller (appearing in her Quintet at the 2020 NYC Winter Jazz Fest), and many others. The saxophonist/composer is currently on faculty at New England Conservatory, in addition to maintaining his own private studio.

Nicholas released an EP of original music entitled Brooklyn Folk Songs in January 2015, which, “showcases a set of original compositions that infuse sturdy melodies with a rich, contemporary harmonic palette...like the borough for which it’s named - encompasses a variety of moods along with its own unique accent” (David Kastin). Since then Brust has continued to showcase his compositional and improvisational talents both on his previous recording Frozen In Time (Fresh Sound, 2020), and in a series of videos that can be found on his YouTube channel. Brust has a Master of Music in jazz performance from New England Conservatory as well as a Bachelor of Music in jazz studies and music education from the Eastman School of Music.



New Music Releases: WaJazz – Japanese Jazz Spectacle Vol 2, Andrew Cyrille, Tim Carman Trio, The Jazz Room – Compiled By Paul Murphy

WaJazz – Japanese Jazz Spectacle Vol 2 – Deep, Heavy, & Beautiful Jazz From Japan 1962 to 1985 – The King Records Masters

A wonderfully wide-ranging look at the more unique aspects of Japanese jazz from the 60s onward – a set that mixes together spiritual tracks, bossa nova, and some surprisingly soulful tracks too – all from records that were only ever issued in Japan! If you've heard the great first volume, you'll know what to expect here – but we can also say that the scope of work here might even be better, and there's some great surprises along the way – especially on cuts that show the way these Japanese jazz musicians have taken some inspiration from American music, then really run far in their own new directions with the work. Titles include "Yamame" by Akira Miyazawa, "Loving You" by George Otsuka, "Down To The Sea" by Yoshio Ikeda, "Clair Deluge" by Toshiyaki Yokota & The Beat Generation, "Saynoara Blues" by Hideo Shiraki, "Blossom In The Water" by Masao Yagi, "Day Of The Sun" by Masahiko Togashi & Isao Suzuki, "Summer Wind" by Yasuko Nagamine & Yasuaki Shimizo, "Desireless" by Masahiko Togashi, "Lady Boogie" by Takeru Muaroka & His New Grup, "Constant Rain" by Tadao Sawai & Toshiyuki Miyama, and "Ma Mere L'Oye" by Jun Date & Masayki Takayanagi. ~ Dusty Groove

Andrew Cyrille - Music Delivery/Percussion

A hell of a record from the great Andrew Cyrille – and one that lives up to his key legacy of solo percussion records from back in the day! Cyrille's very first date as a leader was a solo percussion set – and for years, he's continued to be one of the best performers in the mode – as musical as he is rhythmic, with a touch on the instruments that's been groomed in so much other work with others, but which has this sense of warmth and personality in a solo setting that seems to go far beyond anything else that Andrew ever does! The set has a nicely large array of percussion instruments – all woven together into a wonderful tapestry of sound by Cyrille – on titles that include "Water Water Water", "Jumping In The Sugar Bowl", "Enter From The East", "Bernard Albert Wilkinson", "Thruway", and "Tambourine Cocktail". ~ Dusty Groove

Tim Carman Trio - Key Lime

Drummer Tim Carman is best known for his work in the bluesy trio GA-20, but here he's in much more of a jazz-based mode overall – leading a trio that features some stunning organ work from Ken Clark, a player we don't know at all, but who clearly knows how to channel the best soul jazz styles of the 60s! There's a fierce, freewheeling vibe to the cuts – not funk, but more classic organ jazz – supported throughout with equally strong work on guitar from Steve Fell. If we had to come up with a reference for the vibe, we might go back to the 60s trio work of Don Patterson with Pat Martino and Billy James – and that's a heck of a compliment from us! Titles include "Blues For Bob", "Buster Rides Again", "Insomnia", "Sonnymoon For Two", "Not A Tear", "Key Lime", and "Scoochie". ~ Dusty Groove

The Jazz Room – Compiled By Paul Murphy

A really great collection of jazzy groovers – one that effortlessly combines older material and newer recordings, all with a great ear that never tires in its pursuit of the groove! The blend of old and new is a bit like some of the collections we used to love from Gilles Peterson back in the last century – but Paul Murphy definitely has his own style and way of choosing a tune, and like Peterson, he has a great way of setting a new sort of fire with jazz – one that will burn strongly for generations to come! Titles include "Yatra-Ta" by Terje Terasmaa, "African Mailman" by Rhythmagic Orchestra, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Blue Mode, "Foot In The Door" by Onward International, "Zombie" by Art Ensemble Of Chicago, "Emnete (live)" by Imperial Tiger Orchestra, "4 Beat Cha Cha Cha" by Lucas Van Merwijk & His Cubop City Big Band, "Tribute To Mulatu" by Patchworks, "Koumba Fri Fri" by Mamelon, "Sorrow Tears & Blood" by Shola Adisa Farrar & Florian Pellissier Quartet, and "Mambo De La Pinta" by Art Pepper. ~ Dusty Groove

Emilie-Claire Barlow | "Spark Bird"

During the dark isolation days of the coronavirus pandemic, award-winning Canadian songstress Emilie-Claire Barlow found herself at an artistic crossroads. She questioned if she would ever want to make another record to add to her impressive 12-album oeuvre. She hadn’t been able to tour and she wasn’t aroused to assemble a new collection of songs.

In her 25-year career of delivering a distinctive and accessible style of vocal jazz, Barlow has accrued a remarkable resume of critical success, including seven Juno nominations, with two jazz vocal Juno awards—2013’s best Jazz Vocal Recording for her all-French song collection Seule ce soir and her Clear Day collaboration with the Metropole Orkest winning the same award in 2016. Also in 2013, Barlow scored a Felix Award for Seule ce soir as ADISQ’s Album of the Year—Jazz Interpretation. Previously, she had been named Female Vocalist of the Year at the 2008 National Jazz Awards.

So, despite the pause time of recent years, you can’t fully quiet a vital creative artist. Case in point: Barlow’s return to action with her brilliant new album, Spark Bird, that she co-produced with her partner Steve Webster.

After a five-year hiatus from releasing a full album, this year finds Barlow in fine Spark Bird shape to wing her career to a new plateau. Little did she guess during the dark times that a daily visit from a yellow-winged cacique that is native to the southern Pacific Coast of Mexico would inspire her to dedicate an entire album of songs to birds of all shapes and varieties.

Released on her own independent label, Empress Music Group, which she founded in 2005, Spark Bird takes flight in its entirety on March 31. As Barlow writes in her liner notes, “A bird arrives and changes everything.” Before its debut, she is offering a cascade of singles, beginning January 20 and continuing every two weeks until the release date. “Birds have the power to completely transport me,” says Barlow, who splits her time between Toronto and Mexico where she and Webster are building a house with a fully operational studio. “So, when I decided to do the album, I started going down this path of gathering songs about birds. They’re my joy, my fascination. These songs tell a story.”

The first hatching comes with Barlow delivering a bright jazz voyage into the Harold Arlen-Yip Harburg standard, “Over the Rainbow” (the single released on January 20). Relaxed yet energetic, Barlow leads the way for her quintet to soar into a percussive bossa swing. True to her theme, she buoyantly sings, “If bluebirds fly over the rainbow, why can’t I fly?”

Barlow follows the first single on February 3 with the playful single “Fais comme l’oiseau” (translated: “Do Like the Bird”) where she delightfully sings in French the hopeful voice of bird-like patience while swinging with tenor saxophonist Kelly Jefferson’s lyrical lines. Choral translation: “Act like a bird/It lives on pure air and fresh water/On a bit of hunting and fishing/But nothing ever stops it from going higher.”

Both singles offer a fresh beginning to a captivating eight-song avian journey that began with the magical cacique incident.

“In our Mexican home, the biodiversity is incredible,” Barlow says. “The bird activity is off the charts. My first personal experience came when a bird kept tapping on the window of our guest room and squawking loudly. When I tried to catch a glimpse, it would fly out. So we set up a camera and caught this wonderful, comical activity of a yellow-winged cacique that I discovered was a very common bird for this area. I started spotting them everywhere and hearing them—their vocabulary fascinates me.”

She started to tune into the variety of bird voices that she says is a “constant soundtrack,” with rhythmic tapping, high-pitched whistles, piercing calls, soft sporadic whistles, diatonic melodies. “It’s the closest thing to living in an aviary,” she says. “As the sun appears, you hear the orchestra warm up. Birds are nature’s musicians.”

Barlow hastens to note that while she is not a member of an organized birder group, her appreciation of the choirs and colors of birds has heightened her passion to learn more about her winged discoveries.

Other bird songs include a show-stopping, uptempo reimagining of Stevie Wonder’s 1974 hit “Bird of Beauty” (part of the chorus encouraging ”Take a chance and ride the bird of beauty of the sky”). Then there’s Barlow’s unique sexy, romantic, blues-touched read of the Hoagie Carmichael/Johnny Mercer standard “Skylark” with a surprising swell of strings arranged by Drew Jurecka. On the Gershwin & Gershwin classic tune, “Little Jazz Bird,” Barlow swerves from the obvious with the playful song—adding in another popular melody from the ’20s, “When the Red, Red Robin (Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin’ Along)," as a countermelody and ending the song with guitarist Reg Schwager’s solo that Barlow uses for a noteworthy stretch of vocalese.

Barlow sings deep into the mystery and longing of the futuristic “Where Will I Be?”—“When there’s no more rain, no more sun/Will there still be birds?”—by the Toronto-based composer Hannah Barstow who plays piano on the track and in Spanish renders Manolo Garcia’s “Pájaros de Barro” in a duo format with pianist Chris Donnelly as the appropriate closing song about seizing the day and flying free.

The most poignant song of the collection is Barlow’s moving take on Coldplay’s “O” that was arranged by band pianist Amanda Tosoff. “This song has a special meaning,” the singer says. “I tragically lost a young family member in a plane crash. He and I and his mom were big fans of Coldplay, so the lyrics of ‘fly on’ are so relevant. I played this at his funeral. For this album version, we used strings and Rachel Therrien offers a melancholic, mournful flugelhorn solo.”

In addition to the bird songs of joy and sorrow on Spark Bird, Barlow has worked with graphic designer Caroline Brown of Whitebear Design to create original bird illustrations. “Caroline’s avatars for each song are so whimsical, playful and special,” Barlow says. “And she has me interacting with them in some way. There’s a happy orange-breasted bunting for ‘Over the Rainbow,’ a graceful and solitary great blue heron for the darkness of ‘Fais comme l’oiseau,’ a flock of swallows for ‘O,’ a ridiculously cute Australian pink robin for ‘Little Jazz Bird.’ And the signature bird for ‘Pájaros de Barro’ is my yellow-winged cacique.”

So, Spark Bird ends with the noisy, comical bird that served as the inspiration for her soulful, emotive music. In her liner notes, Barlow writes, “When that cacique tapped on my window, I felt a spark. Not just a budding bird obsession, but the curiosity and desire to see what life would be like if I spent more time in this place that makes me feel so buoyant and full of wonder…the birds—a constant source of joy and inspiration—have reignited my spark. For that, I’m full of gratitude.”

2023 Tour Dates

• Mar 25 - Minneapolis, MN - Crooners Supper Club
• Mar 26 - Austin, TX - Parker’s Jazz
• Mar 29 - San Antonio, TX - Jazz, TX
• Mar 31 - New York, NY - Birdland 
• April 1 - New York, NY - Birdland
• April 2 - New York, NY - Birdland
• April 5 - Denver, CO - Nocturne 
• April 6 - Boise, ID- Sapphire Room
• April 7 - The 1905  - Portland
• May 26 - Quebec, QC - Palais Montcalm
• May 27 - Delray Beach, FL - Arts Garage
• July 6 - Montreal Jazz Fest - Monument National
• July 21 - Campbellford, ON - Westben The Barn Series

Mette Henriette | "Drifting"

After Mette Henriette’s critically acclaimed, self-titled first recording comes Drifting – an album pervaded by trio conversations of idiosyncratic and original expression. Mette: “Drifting vividly captures a moment in time. I can hear everything still growing – in motion – on the record and how present my imagination is. Prior to the recording, I had a lot of time to sit down and focus on this new music. From the very beginning, I wanted to create material that could grow, expand and contract in different formats.”

With Johan Lindvall returning on piano, new addition Judith Hamann on cello and herself on saxophone, Mette’s chamber musical elaborations prove of a concentrated and exploratory quality, marked by subtle yet intense interaction. Motifs and recurring patterns crystallize and reveal a concise, intricate narrative. The saxophonist-composer explains how “this album is in movement. It’s on its way somewhere and has its own pace – its creative agency is fundamentally different from what I’ve done previously.” 

The difference not only manifests in the change of instrumentation, but moreover in the fabric and compositional design of this collection of songs. At once organized programme with a compelling instrumental narrative and playground for impulse and improvisation, Drifting connects to the deeper processes within Mette’s musical consciousness. Illuminating the mechanisms behind her musical inventions and touching upon the diction of her language, Mette notes: “for me, a very important tool in the compositional process is to let ideas mature to the extent that they start living their own lives. Then things just spontaneously come to the surface in different pieces and start interconnecting. And I like playing with prepositions in music. Shedding light on different things from different perspectives, playing with foreground and background, repositioning elements and flipping arrangements. To me, that’s how different improvisational opportunities come to life.”

Some of those interconnections can be traced between “Across the Floor” and “Chassé”, found in the pieces’ correspondingly hesitant pulses and likeminded melodic themes. Or between “I villvind” and “Rue du Renard”, based around their shared sweeping piano arpeggios and their similarly urgent dynamic waves. Elsewhere, the trio presents its rich pallet of timbres within far-reaching, un-repetitive structures, as in the title track, “Oversoar” or “Indrifting You”, abound with steadily shifting tonal tensions, Hamann’s defiant cello flageolets, divergent chordal piano frames and Mette’s distinctive, wide-ranging saxophone explorations.

Recorded at the recently relocated Munch Museum in Oslo, the album was completed at Studios La Buissonne in close collaboration with Manfred Eicher, who produced the album and, as Mette stresses, whose “intuitive and complete understanding” of her music significantly influenced the shape and sound of Drifting. 

Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club Features 5x-GRAMMY® Award-Winner & 16x-GRAMMY® Award Nominated Jazz Pianist & Composer BILLY CHILDS

Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club Features 5x-GRAMMY® Award-Winner & 16x-GRAMMY® Award Nominated Jazz Pianist & Composer BILLY CHILDS and his Quartet on Saturday March 4 at 7:30 P.M. Tickets at: www.jimmysoncongress.com

BILLY CHILDS remains one of the most diversely prolific and acclaimed artists working in music today. Childs' canon of original compositions and arrangements has garnered him the 2013 Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship (2009), a Composers Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters (2015), and two Chamber Music America grants: the Jazz New Works Grant (2006) and the Classical Commissioning Grant (2019).

In 2017, Childs was Nominated for a GRAMMY® Award for "Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals" for his work on Lang Lang's album New York Rhapsody. In one of the album's boldest choices, co-arrangers Larry Klein and Billy Childs marry the Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim song "Somewhere" from West Side Story with Lou Reed's "Dirty Blvd" from his classic album New York.

In 2015, Childs received 3 GRAMMY® Award Nominations, winning a GRAMMY® Award "Best Arrangement, Instrumental & Vocal" (featuring Renee Fleming and Yo-Yo Ma) for the song "New York Tendaberry", from his highly successful album Map to the Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro, which was also Nominated for a GRAMMY for "Best Jazz Vocal Album". Map to the Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro features Renee Fleming, Esperanza Spalding, Alison Krauss, Shawn Colvin, Rickie Lee Jones, Becca Stevens, Ledisi, Chris Botti, Yo-Yo Ma and Susan Tedeschi.

In 2011, Childs won a GRAMMY® Award for "Best Instrumental Composition" for "The Path Among the Trees" from his much-heralded jazz/chamber album, Autumn: In Moving Pictures which was Nominated for a GRAMMY® Award for "Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album". The album featured guitarist Larry Koonse, multi-reed player Bob Sheppard, harpist Carol Robbins, bassist Scott Colley, and drummer Brian Blade, drummer Antonio Sanchez, plus the Ying String Quartet and several classical wind instruments. This is considered one of Childs' best recordings.

In 2005, Childs would receive 4 GRAMMY® Award Nominations – winning 2 of them. He won a GRAMMY® Award for "Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist" with Gil Goldstein and Heitor Pereira for the song "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?" performed by trumpeter Chris Botti and vocalist Sting on Botti's 2005 album To Love Again. Childs would win another GRAMMY® Award this same year for "Best Instrumental Composition" for "Into The Light" from his album Lyric (which was also Nominated for a GRAMMY® Award for "Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group"). Childs' 4th GRAMMY® Award Nomination in 2005 would also come from the Lyric album for the song "Scarborough Faire" for "Best Instrumental Composition".

New Music Releases: Mood Mosaic Vol 20, Tyler Mitchell with Marshall Allen, Princess Erika, Yussef Dayes

Mood Mosaic Vol 20 – This Is Not New

The mood here is pretty darn groovy – so much so, it will help you get past the gratuitous image of naked women on the cover! Just keep your clothes on, and enjoy the wonderful selection of cuts within – funky numbers from a variety of genres – jazz, soul, easy listening, and other odd sources – brought together in a collection of cuts that more than lives up to the genius of this long-running series! As with previous volumes, there's no set style, just a batch of cool cuts in pursuit of all things groovy – as you'll hear on titles that include "Cool Echo" by Piet Van Meren, "Pink Movement" by Experience, "Disco Tek" by Syd Dale, "Stepping Stones" by Johnny Harris, "Chica Boom" by Jimmie & Vella, "All I Dream" by Estelle Leavitt, "Use Me" by Kimiko Kasai, "Get Off The Streets Y'All" by Eric & The Vikings, "Damn Somebody Stole My Pants" by Leroy Vinnegar, "Tuane" by Hammer, "Romantic Attitude" by John Fitch, and "Land Of 1000 Dances" by Nino & April. ~ Dusty Groove

Tyler Mitchell with Marshall Allen - Sun Ra's Journey

That's the legendary Marshall Allen on the cover with bassist Tyler Mitchell – the latter of whom leads a very cool combo through a set of material that includes classic tunes by Sun Ra, plus tracks from other sources as well! The octet has the mixture of cohesion and individuality that Ra brought to the Arkestra back in the day – yet the presentation here is hardly slavish to their roots, even with Allen in the group – as there's plenty of personal spirit in Mitchell's arrangements, carried forth by a lineup that includes Chris Hemmingway on tenor, Nicoletta Manzini on alto, Giveton Gelin on trumpet, and Farid Barron on piano – all working here with Mitchell and Allen on a live performance recorded at Smalls. Titles include "Dancing Shadows", "New Dawn", "Love In Outer Space", "Velvet", "Cosmic Hop", "Free Ballad", "Eddie Harris", "Discipline", and "Bouncing At Smalls". ~ Dusty Groove

Princess Erika - J'Suis Pas Une Sainte

A beautiful meeting of contemporary soul and deeper roots – served up here by a singer from Cameroon, but one who works in the best criss-crossing traditions of the scene in France! Elements of hip hop, reggae, and other modes filter through the record – and although the lyrics are in French, there's a really universal sense of soul to the whole thing – maybe a bit in that territory that Les Nubians hit so many years back. Guests include Marka, Petite Guele, and Julien & Oudima – and titles include "African Ladies", "Peur Sur La Ville", "Oh Mama", "Je'Suis Pas Une Sainte", "Elle Sa Fait Appeler Natty", and "Jusqu'a Demain".  ~ Dusty Groove

Yussef Dayes - Yussef Dayes Experience: Live At Joshua Tree EP

Drummer Yussef Dayes leads the group here – but the whole thing's awash in lots of other wonderful touches too – including plenty of sweet keyboards, and the kind of slinky saxophone solos that take us back to the glory days of CTI/Kudu Records in the 70s! The music is lean and laidback – with crisply crackling live drum work from Dayes that really sets the tone – warmed up by the keyboards, and sounding especially great when the soprano sax makes its way through the grooves! A few tracks feature guest appearances – from Elijah Fox, Rocco Palladino, and Vienna – but the core of the record comes from the drums, keyboards, and sax – all sounding mighty nice! Titles include "Raisins Under The Sun", "For My Ladies", "Odyssey", "Golden Hour", "Mystics", and "Rhythms of Xango". ~ Dusty Groove

Oscar Jerome | "The Spoon"

Following its digital premiere earlier this fall, one of the UK’s leading Jazz musicians, Oscar Jerome, has now released his sophomore album, The Spoon, physically, on vinyl and CD. The artist who The Line of Best Fit proclaims "radiates both charisma and an organized chaos, creating a distinctive and refreshing perspective on neo-soul and jazz fusion," has been wowing European audiences for the last few years, building a formidable surge for his brand of "funky, intriguing and pleasingly off-kilter" stew of modern Jazz with pop and R&B elements. This new physical release follows various reworkings of album tracks "Berlin 1" and "Aya and Bartholomew" that Jerome unveiled in November. 

This creatively expansive project encompasses twelve tracks, offering a refreshed creative approach as he paradoxically inhabits different personas to provide the most transparent version of himself to date. Called "the Jazz upstart you nee to hear now" by Guitar.com, Jerome wrote the album mid-pandemic when he found himself at crossroads in his life, alone in Berlin and using the time and space to reflect and eventually beginning work on The Spoon. Narratives of masculinity, melancholy and insecurities were explored in a run of releases including "Berlin 1" and "Channel Your Anger" in addition to an Orchestral version of lead single "Sweet Isolation" alongside Metropole Orkest.

“The Spoon takes an arc from emotional, sad boy to angry man looking out at this mess humans have created and then to a more light, open and accepting place of reflection on the beautiful parts of this existence. The main aim is to make you feel something," says Jerome about the message behind The Spoon.

Coming to life over the past two years, Oscar went into hibernation to birth tracks between studios in Berlin and London. Also, two years since his highly-regarded debut album Breathe Deep, his latest project reflects his feelings about depression, capitalism and the ongoing injustices of the UK. Showcasing a new level of creative melancholy, "Sweet Isolation" and "Berlin 1" sees the introduction of parody characters "Jerry" and "Ice Guycicle" who combat the dark undertones with a humorous touch. A contrast of intimate and gentle moments can be heard throughout the album with blissful poetry remaining at the heart of the record. 

The second half of the album commences with "Feet Down South" driven by his intricate jazz guitar chops and introspective lyricism about anxiety. Introspectively examining his role as a musician, "Feed The Pigs" and "Use It" reflect the journey of his inner emotions. Throughout the project, he worked closely with producer Beni Giles, creative director Malcolm Yaeng, and additional musicians Ayo Salawu (drums), Tom Driessler (bass) and Crispin Robinson (additional percussion). 

Although some of the record was developed in Berlin, Oscar has settled in South London after leaving his birthplace, Norwich, 11 years ago. Oscar has become an anchor within the London Jazz scene at the hands of his virtuous sonic and live show since bursting onto the scene in 2016. His willingness to feels the complexity is highlighted on this album marking his personal and musical growth. With infinite potential to his artist, The Spoon cements his ever-evolving legacy.

Alex Weiss | "Most Don't Have Enough"

Alex Weiss’s idiosyncratic vision of postbop jazz finds a new apex with the tenor saxophonist-composer’s February 24 release of Most Don’t Have Enough (ears&eyes). Weiss’s third album as a leader is also his first with Glad Irys, his working quintet since 2019 comprising soprano saxophonist Dan Blake, guitarist Yana Davydova, bassist Dmitry Ishenko, and drummer Ches Smith, with pianist Marta Sanchez adding her distinctive stamp to two of the album’s nine moody, mysterious tracks.

Seven of Most Don’t Have Enough’s tunes are Weiss originals, each bearing the composer’s hallmarks of unusual form, meter, and texture. His approach to music and art is deeply informed by the work of his grandfather, the great Spanish surrealist Eugenio Granell. “The importance of exercising one’s imagination was instilled in me by my grandfather,” Weiss says. “I started seeing a synergistic relationship between the jazz idiom of the ’50s and ’60s and surrealism, and the element of social protest in both.”

That context by itself suggests a great deal of freedom in Weiss’s music, and he does not disappoint. Pieces like “Thread Your Grandmother’s Needle” and “Akira: Sun and Moon” offer wide open spaces for the players to color as far outside the lines as they dare. There is even a cover of Ornette Coleman’s “Humpty Dumpty” to reinforce that sense of creative liberation. Like Coleman, however, Weiss’s music is also rich with melody—though rarely of a conventional stripe. There’s great lyricism and enchantment to be found in “The Leonard Nimoy Method” and “Thumbelina”—as well as great fun in trying to guess where the tunes will go next.

Most Don’t Have Enough is also (as the title suggests) a vehicle for social and political commentary. “Your Dark Shadow Appears at the Door” is a menacing meditation on the onset of the Trump era; titles like “Homage to Elijah Cummings” and “Organized Religion” speak for themselves.

Also speaking for themselves are Weiss’s brilliant collaborators. Blake is both a superb frontline partner for Weiss and a stunning improviser on “Humpty Dumpty” and the band’s cover of Chris Speed’s “Really Ok,” and the rhythm section of Davydova, Ishenko, and Smith make for a thrilling blend of stable and adventurous support, with each turning in remarkable solos of their own. Sanchez’s presence illuminates “Homage to Elijah Cummings” and “Akira: Sun and Moon,” imbuing both tunes with a jolt of unexpected pathos.

Alex Weiss was born January 5, 1971, in New York City, but was raised in the Boston area. Beginning on saxophone at 12 years old, he was gigging professionally by 15. He studied music at the University of Massachusetts and San Francisco State University, also conducting life-changing “field work” at the latter city’s fabled Saint John William Coltrane African Orthodox Church where he played every Sunday for two years.

Weiss made his way through the 1990s in San Francisco, where he made important connections with saxophonists Roberto DeHaven (who played on Weiss’s 1997 debut recording, Make Your Own Lightning), Marco Eneidi, Glenn Spearman, and John Tchicai. He relocated to Spain in 1999, spending four years in the Madrid-based band Mojo and leading his own Gallo Pinto quintet. Returning to the Bay Area in 2003, he played in multiple contexts and projects—including his quartet Outhead, with which he recorded two albums (2007’s Quiet Sounds for Comfortable People and 2014’s Send This Sound to the King).

Arriving in Brooklyn in 2008, Weiss reunited with Tchicai to record One Long Minute with the Danish saxophonist’s Five Points band, working with bassist Dmitry Ishenko and Ches Smith, who would become longtime collaborators. They worked with him on 2012’s Fighter Planes & Praying Mantis, his second recording under his own name. Weiss also worked with the likes of Wadada Leo Smith, Herb Robertson, Sean Conly, Shahazad Ismaliy, Marcella Lucatelli, Liz Kosack, and Santiago Leibson; played in the hora/klezmer outfit K’nock Brigade; and earned a master’s degree in music therapy from New York University.

The 2013 birth of his son took Weiss off the bandstand for a few years; shortly after he formed Glad Irys in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic forced another long hiatus, which he used to compose much of the music that now makes its way to the world as Most Don’t Have Enough.

Alex Weiss will be performing a CD release show with the band heard on Most Don’t Have Enough on Tuesday 3/14, 6pm, at P.S. 133, 610 Baltic St., Brooklyn, NY. 

Jane Bunnett & Maqueque | "Playing With Fire"

Playing With Fire could refer to the feeling emanating from any member of Maqueque, the all-women band formed by veteran Toronto jazz musician Jane Bunnett with young female grads of the Cuban conservatory.

A decade ago, Bunnett met the core of the band at a jam session with her band Spirits of Havana, at the Cohiba Hotel in that city. Ten years later, Maqueque has created opportunities for composing and performing extraordinary jazz that has taken the pioneering ensemble around the world. It has expanded to include not only women players from Cuba, but also the brilliant vocalist Joanna Majoko (from Zimbabwe) and musicians from the Dominican Republic, Latin America, Spain and Lebanon.

On Playing With Fire, much of the heat comes from new guitarist Donna Grantis. Donna, who also hails from Bunnett’s home of Toronto, performed for many years with Prince as a member of 3RDEYEGIRL in the 2010s. Three pieces in particular feature Donna’s contribution to the recording process: “A God Unknown,” “A Human Race” and “Sierra.”

Maqueque has won a Juno Award, was nominated for a Grammy and annually tours Europe, Latin America, the U.S. and Canada. Downbeat magazine picked them as one of the Top Ten Touring Groups of 2019. NPR has featured the band on Tiny Desk Concert. Maqueque has been wildly successful in its mission, which is to elevate the profile of women musicians in Cuba. “There was so much creative energy there,” says Bunnett, “but not many outlets. We also realized that many of the girls at the conservatories were not really encouraged to ‘take the stage’ in a male-dominated scene. We witnessed this first-hand while taking technicians, jazz materials and instruments to Cuban conservatories — that the best way to solve this issue was to create a performance opportunity, which became an all-female ensemble.”

Maqueque continues to evolve and welcome new generations. Playing With Fire marks the debut of 19-year-old violinist Daniela Olano, sister of the band’s co-founder and pianist, Danae Olano. Her composition “Daniela’s Theme” is a highlight on the new recording. In addition to new compositions, the collective also reimagines two jazz classics: “Tempus Fugit” by pianist Bud Powell and “Jump Monk” by Charles Mingus.

Playing With Fire is the first Maqueque album to feature vocalist Joanna Majoko. The Zimbabwean took the music to new heights, improvising with a creative power in the studio that inspired everyone. The electrifying rhythm section — including the two founding members, pianist Danae Olano and drummer Yissy Garcia, along with bassist Tailin Marrero (who wrote the track “Bolero”) and percussionist Mary Paz — is the foundation that the music is built upon.

“Playing with Fire is a stunning example of the strength and beauty of the evolution of Jane Bunnett and Maqueque.”  -The Boston Globe’s Jon Garelick.

3-Time Grammy Winner TAJ MAHAL To Release New Album 'Savoy'

Stony Plain Records has announced the release of roots music legend Taj Mahal’s ground-breaking new album Savoy, on April 28. 2023. 

Taj Mahal can rightfully be called a living legend for his contributions to popular music.  With a voice as instantly recognizable as Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, or Johnny Cash, throughout his career Taj has pushed the envelope of American roots music forward by incorporating sounds from the Caribbean, Africa, traditional blues and jazz. He has won three Grammy Awards from 14 nominations, was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame, and presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association.  

With Savoy, Taj takes a new direction in his musical journey, exploring a collection of blues-tinged classic material with his good friend and acclaimed record producer John Simon, whose resume includes producing classic albums by The Band, Leonard Cohen, Gordon Lightfoot and Blood Sweat & Tears.  Recording Savoy is the realization of a musical collaboration they had been discussing for decades, finally locking in the studio time in Oakland, California to make it happen in August, 2022.

In the introduction to the first track “Stompin’ at the Savoy,” Taj Mahal talks about his parents meeting for the first time at the famous Savoy Ballroom in Harlem during the initial run of Ella Fitzgerald with the Chick Webb Band in 1938, writes Stony Plain Records co-founder Holger Petersen in the album’s informative liner notes.  The album is a loving throwback to the sounds of the swing jazz big band era. With guest vocals of Maria Muldaur on “Baby It’s Cold Outside” and Evan Price’s violin on two tracks, the album covers 14 standards composed by the likes of Duke Ellington, Louis Jordan, George Gershwin and Louis Armstrong, brought to life by the unique voice and character of the one and only Taj Mahal.

Taj explains, “I heard [the songs on Savoy] as a kid when all of those people who made those musics were alive and speaking to us through the records. Those weren’t just records to collect. Those were like listening to your relatives, your uncles, your cousins, your grandparents speaking to you through that medium, the medium of music.”

“The music was good then. It’s going to be good now,” concludes Taj, “especially when you got people who really respect what it is. Also, [who] respect the gift they’ve been given. It’s a gift to be able to play music, art, dance, write, do science, whatever, ‘cause you’re contributing to humanity. What you’ve been sent to do, that’s the whole thing.

Taj’s exploration of music began as an exploration of self. He was born in 1942 in Harlem to musical parents -- his father was a jazz pianist with Caribbean roots who collaborated with Buddy Johnson, Taj’s godfather.   His mother was a gospel-singing schoolteacher from South Carolina -- who cultivated an appreciation for both personal history and the arts in their son. “I was raised really conscious of my African roots,” Taj says.   ”My parents came together around music, which was swing and the beginnings of bebop.  That was significant, in terms of what kind of music I heard from them.”   

Fans of Taj know that he started working with Ry Cooder in the mid-60s LA band, The Rising Sons.  His first two solo Columbia albums, Taj Mahal’ (1967) and The Natch’l Blues (1968), are two of the most influential blues albums of all time.   Never one to be pigeonholed, Taj has recorded more styles of roots music than any other artist.  Those releases include music from the Caribbean, Hawaii, Africa, and India, as well as gospel, rock, early R&B, children’s music, soundtracks, and nearly every kind of acoustic and electric blues.  He brings a musicologist’s quest to each project.  

Taj first met producer John Simon at the New York City Columbia Records Studios in 1968.  John was producing and playing piano on the first Electric Flag album. Taj was already a fan of John’s productions, playing and arrangements, in particular his arrangements for an album featuring Marshall McLuhan, the influential media guru.  At the time, John was a staff producer at Columbia.  Taj invited John to play keyboards on his tours during the ‘70s and he also played on Taj’s landmark The Real Thing (1972) album as part of an adventurous band that included four tuba players.  Taj and John have remained close friends and kept in touch over the years and toured together again in 2006.  Talk eventually turned to their mutual love of classic standards with a blues twist and to doing another album together.  Trading songs, the two came up with a list of 59 possibilities before settling in on the 14 contained in Savoy.  

Savoy was recorded at 25 th Street Recording in Oakland with engineer Gabriel Shepard.   Taj showed up the first day about 1:00 PM and settled in with cups of sweet tea. Backing Taj Mahal vocals and harmonica on Savoy is a rhythm section comprised of Danny Caron – guitar; Ruth Davies – bass; John Simon – piano; and Leon Joyce, Jr. – drums; with background vocals by Carla Holbrook, Leesa Humphrey, Charlotte McKinnon, Sandy Cressman, Sandy Griffith and Leah Tysse. 

On the first day of recording, the band was running down John Simon’s arrangement of “Stompin’ at the Savoy” with encouragement from Taj.  Chick Webb had the first hit with the song in 1934 and Ella later recorded it with Louis Armstrong.   Taj said, “It needs a little more sashay.  You’ll know it when you hear it.”  Co-Executive Producer Holger Petersen who was at the session shares, “and everybody did!  Taj’s scat singing is a highlight.  Except for “Killer Joe, fans would likely have heard all the others at one time or another at the Savoy Ballroom during its long run from 1926 to 1958. This is a Taj album like no other and a deep part of his long history. “ 

Michael Kaeshammer | "The Warehouse Sessions"

Music is a great and powerful connector. There’s nothing quite like hearing the palpable and electric connection between musicians in an inspired performance or feeling an intrinsic connection to a song that causes your emotions to take flight. Making that connection happen on his new recording is acclaimed Canadian pianist and singer Michael Kaeshammer with live-off-the-floor performances on his joyful and inspired new album, The Warehouse Sessions.

A delectable concoction of funky soul, gospel revival and rollicking boogie-woogie, The Warehouse Sessions showcases the fine-tuned prowess of a trio that has spent countless hours together on stage and off, honing their musical connection. Not wanting that connection to dissipate, Kaeshammer, bassist David Piltch and drummer Johnny Vidacovich gathered at Bryan Adams’ famed Warehouse Studio in Vancouver to capture their unique symbioses together in more permanent form.

A lost-in-the-moment capture of the multi-JUNO and WCMA winner and his hot trio, the punchy lead-off single “You’ve Got It In Your Soulness” is a lovingly reverent but progressive take on the Les McCann jazz-soul song that first appeared on McCann’s and trumpet player Eddie Harris’ 1969 Grammy nominated live album Swiss Movement. 

“The concept was simple,” reflects Kaeshammer. “Let’s call a tune and then, let’s record it.  These are all first takes, loose and energetic.”

That approach has made The Warehouse Sessions a collection that is imbued with an immediacy and excitement that’s apparent from the first notes of “You’ve Got It In Your Soulness”, through the trio’s engaging takes on other classics like “Ain’t She Sweet”, “Down By The Riverside” and “Bourbon Street Parade”. All songs that “show a group having so much fun it’s infectious” says JAZZ.FM91’s Brad Barker, who wrote the album liner notes.  “It’s simply three friends finding joy in making music for each other and we all get to crash the party.”

A mélange of styles masterfully conveyed is a hallmark of Kaeshammer’s versatility and inclusive approach to making music. Throughout decades as a professional performer first in Germany and then Canada after making Vancouver Island his family home, the double JUNO winner has interwoven elements of classical, jazz, blues, boogie-woogie, stride, and even pop into his signature brand of music.

“When I play, I don’t worry about if it’s jazz or pop or classical or whatever; I just play what I hear and let the music decide what it wants to be,” Kaeshammer explains. “Sure, there are different styles, different eras, different approaches, but when you really look at it, it’s all just music based on 12 notes.”

Sure, you can always distill music down to those 12 simple notes but, the wondrous art you can build them into is the magic. On The Warehouse Sessions and all the music he’s released since his 1996 debut album Blue Keys, Kaeshammer displays his keen handle on creating that art for all of us to enjoy.

He’s definitely got it in his soulness.   

Montreal's Jazz and Electro Combo Little Animal! Release Eponymous EP

Little Animal! is a group of Montreal musicians that transcends the boundaries of jazz and electro. Their eponymous digital album is now available via Justin Time Records.

Little Animal! is led by bassist Morgan Moore (The Barr Brothers, Martha Wainwright, Yannick Rieu, Ranee Lee), who is also co-founder of Blood & Glass and Black Legary. For the past two decades, Morgan has been travelling the world playing bass. More recently, he has been composing and producing cutting-edge electronic music.

In 2021 he was approached by Jim West of Justin Time Records to create an album uniting electronic music with the intensity of jazz.  Morgan called on some well-known musicians to collaborate on the project and the chemistry and beauty of their work is undeniable. Besides Morgan Moore on bass, Little Animal! consists of Joe Grass (Patrick Watson, Elisapie) on pedal steel, Tommy Crane (Aaron Parks, Melissa Aldana) on drums and Lex French (Christine Jensen, CODE Quartet, Diana Krall) on trumpet. Together they create lush improvisations and mind-blowing grooves. When integrated into the lush landscape of Morgan's electronic creations, the result is unique and inspiring sound.

The music of Little Animal! pushes the listener to explore the relationship between humans and technology: both our addiction and our aversion to it. Jazz is an art form that embodies human expression in its most spontaneous creation.

Listening to Little Animal! you can almost feel the musicians fighting the electronic sounds at times while other sections coexist in perfect harmony. The constant tug of war between man and machine begs the question: is technology controlling us or are we controlling it?

The band followed up a spring residency at Montreal music venue Ursa with their first appearance in July 2022 at the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal with more Canadian dates to follow in 2023.  Little Animal! is gearing up to make waves in the jazz and avant-garde music scenes around the world.