THE JAZZ CHILL CORNER THE ESSENTIAL BOZ SCAGGS FEATURES 32 SONGS SPANNING 1969-2013 |  |
- THE ESSENTIAL BOZ SCAGGS FEATURES 32 SONGS SPANNING 1969-2013
- ERIC DIVITO - THE SECOND TIME AROUND
- HERBIE HANCOCK JAPANESE PRESSING SERIES REISSUED, FEATURES THE HEADHUNTERS & THE HERBIE HANCOCK TRIO
- NEW RELEASES - SID TOURE, SIBA, THE NEWCOMERS
- 3 COHENS - TIGHTROPE
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Posted: 11 Oct 2013 10:45 AM PDT
Grammy Award®-winner Boz Scaggs' unique mix of blues and soul, rock, and sophisticated R&B all comes together on The Essential Boz Scaggs, a new collection of his work that will be available everywhere October 29th through Columbia/Legacy..
The Essential Boz Scaggs is the first 32-song, double-CD collection to track his solo career from 1969 (his seminal self-titled American debut LP on Atlantic Records, produced by Rolling Stone editor/publisher Jann Wenner in Muscle Shoals, with Duane Allman on lead guitar) all the way to 2013 (his Memphis album, a tribute to that city's musical greats). At the heart of this collection are 23 cuts that cover his near two-decade stay at Columbia Records starting in 1971, including 14 Hot 100 chart singles that established him on radio in the U.S.
The well-crafted liner notes essay for The Essential Boz Scaggs (which utilizes exclusive interview material gathered for the occasion) is written by Rolling Stone contributing editor Anthony DeCurtis. He analyzes Scaggs' Texas rhythm & blues-flavored vocal mastery, and points to his hitmaking years at Columbia as "a seemingly unstoppable roll."
The juggernaut began with Slow Dancer in 1974 (produced by Johnny Bristol), and reached cruising speed in the spring of 1976, with the release of Silk Degrees. That album's string of four hits kept him inside the Top 40 on pop and R&B lists for more than a year: 'It's Over," "Lowdown" (Grammy Award® for Best R&B Song), "What Can I Say," and "Lido Shuffle." All four of those touchstones are included on The Essential Boz Scaggs, along with the Silk Degrees album tracks "We're All Alone" (which served as a B-side on two separate singles) and "Harbor Lights."
Silk Degrees was aided immeasurably by pre-Toto musicians Jeff Porcaro on drums, bassist David Hungate, and 21-year old David Paich on keyboards, Scaggs' backing rhythm section on the road for more than two years. Silk Degrees remains an iconic album which set the stage for much of what followed in the late '70s, with sales over 5 million copies to date in the U.S. alone. For Scaggs, it was the kickoff of the "seemingly unstoppable roll" that propelled him through the rest of that first decade with Columbia and his next three albums, each represented on The Essential Boz Scaggs:
• Down Two Then Left (RIAA platinum, 1977, with "Hard Times");
• Middle Man (RIAA platinum, early 1980, with "Breakdown Dead Ahead" and "JoJo," both Top 20 hits co-written by Scaggs and David Foster, plus album tracks "Isn't It Time" and another Foster co-write, "Simone"); and
• Hits! (RIAA platinum, late 1980, with another pair of Top 15 hits, "Look What You've Done To Me" with the Eagles' Glenn Frey, Don Henley and Tim Schmit on backing vocals, from the Urban Cowboy movie soundtrack, and "Miss Sun").
After more than six years of non-stop touring and recording, Boz Scaggs took a well-earned sabbatical that turned into an eight year hiatus.
Scaggs' final Columbia album (and his first in the CD era) arrived in 1988, Other Roads, featuring the Top 40 chart hit, "Heart Of Mine." In 1994, he was the guest of the syndicated Columbia Records Radio Hour. One of the show's highlights was his version of the vintage blues "As The Years Go Passing By," backed by Booker T. & the MG's.
That same year (1994), Scaggs began his three album stint on Virgin Records with Some Change. Critics praised the co-production (his first official time behind the console) with Ricky Fataar of the Beach Boys, and the album became the source of "Some Change" and "Sierra." Come On Home, a thematic album of Scaggs' favorite soul and R&B numbers followed in 1997, featuring Earl King's "It All Went Down The Drain."
Twenty years after Silk Degrees and Toto, David Paich returned to co-produce (with Danny Kortchmar) Dig, Scaggs' final Virgin album, the source of "Miss Riddle," "Thanks To You" (both co-written by Scaggs and Paich), and "I Just Go." The Essential Boz Scaggs concludes with "Gone Baby Gone" (produced by Steve Jordan), the opening track on Memphis, released on the Los Angeles-based roots-rock label, 429 Records.
"Scaggs feels more conviction about the quality of work he is doing than ever before," DeCurtis writes of the artist. "There's a point at which you rely on inspiration, which is there from the beginning, but as with any career that has any kind of arc, I eventually began to recognize my own style. I really began to find out what I was doing here."
THE ESSENTIAL BOZ SCAGGS
Disc One – Selections: 1. I'll Be Long Gone (A) • 2. Loan Me A Dime (A) • 3. Runnin' Blue (C) • 4. We Were Always Sweethearts (B) • 5. Painted Bells (B) • 6. Near You (B) • 7. Dinah Flo (D) • 8. Might Have To Cry (D) • 9. You Make It So Hard (To Say No) (E) • 10. Slow Dancer (E) • 11. What Can I Say (F) • 12. It's Over (F) • 13. Harbor Lights (F) • 14. Lowdown (F) • 15. Lido Shuffle (F) • 16. We're All Alone (F) • 17. Hard Times (G).
Disc Two – Selections: 1. JoJo (H) • 2. Isn't It Time (H) • 3. Simone (H) • 4. Breakdown Dead Ahead (H) • 5. Miss Sun (I) • 6. Look What You've Done To Me (I) • 7. Heart Of Mine (J) • 8. Some Change (K) • 9. Sierra (K) • 10. As The Years Go Passing By (with Booker T. & The MG's) (L) • 11. It All Went Down The Drain (M) • 12. Miss Riddle (N) • 13. I Just Go (N) • 14. Thanks To You (N) • 15. Gone Baby Gone (O).
Album index:
A – from Boz Scaggs, originally issued 1969, as Atlantic 8239
B – from Moments, originally issued March 1971, as Columbia 30454
C – from Boz Scaggs & Band, originally issued November 1971, as Columbia 30796
D – from My Time, originally issued September 1972, as Columbia 31384
E – from Slow Dancer, originally issued March 1974, as Columbia 32760
F – from Silk Degrees, originally issued March 1976, as Columbia 43920
G – from Down Two Then Left, originally issued November 1977, as Columbia 34729
H – from Middle Man, originally issued April 1980, as Columbia 36106
I – from Hits! originally issued November 1980, as Columbia 36841
J – from Other Roads, originally issued May 1988, as Columbia 40463
K – from Some Change, originally issued April 1994, as Virgin 7243 8 39489 2
L – from The Best Of The Columbia Records Radio Hour, Volume 2, originally issued 1996, as Columbia 67498
M – from Come On Home, originally issued April 1997, as Virgin 7243 8 42984 2 5
N – from Dig, originally issued September 2001, as Virgin CDVUS206
O – from Memphis, originally issued March 2013, as 429 Records FTN17889
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Posted: 11 Oct 2013 10:34 AM PDT
The gifted guitarist Eric DiVito made a strong impression last year with his well-received debut Breaking the Ice and its program of original compositions. On his even more impressive follow-up, The Second Time Around, DiVito highlights his interpretive skills by concentrating on standards -- from the Great American Songbook as well as modern jazz classics by Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, and Joe Henderson. The Canadian Pioneer Jazz Collective label (PJC) will release the disc November 12.
A trio date with bassist Corcoran Holt and drummer Alyssa Falk Verheyn, The Second Time Around also features two special guests -- Steve Wilson, the saxophonist's saxophonist who's heard on three tracks, including the driving original ("2nd Story") that opens the album; and vocalist Mavis Swan Poole, one of whose two numbers is a duet ("Skylark") with DiVito.
"I didn't want the album to come off like a jam session," says DiVito, who co-produced the date with Portland-based pianist (and Breaking the Ice co-producer) Ezra Weiss. "The tunes were fairly straightforward, but with little arranging touches that set them apart."
One stand-out is the trio's treatment of Wayne Shorter's "Iris," transformed from a waltz-time classic into a funk-infused workout in 4; another comes at the beginning of Joe Henderson's "Inner Urge," on which Verheyn (whom DiVito knew from blowing gigs in college) plays the head unaccompanied to make a bold opening melodic statement before entering into lively interplay with the leader.
The duo reading of "Skylark" is DiVito's "homage to tradition. I got into jazz through standards like 'Skylark,'" he says, "and I like the tradition of the guitar and voice duo. Swan brings a nice mix of classical Sarah Vaughan and a more soul-oriented sound."
DiVito found the recording process energizing and inspiring. "By the end of the session," he says, "the vibe of the group was so strong, I felt like playing with them forever. In the beginning, it was a little tricky. I sometimes felt weird telling Steve Wilson what to do. I mean he has played on all of these great recordings and made great recordings of his own. But he was so great and accommodating and easy to be around, it was a joyful experience."
Eric DiVito, 32, was born in Huntington, Long Island and raised in nearby Northport. He started out playing xylophone and other percussion instruments in elementary school and took up the guitar in middle school. A fan of Guns N' Roses and Jimi Hendrix, he played his share of rock music in high school (and since 2006 has performed in a Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute band he formed called PepperSpray), he was more strongly drawn to the improvisational possibilities of jazz as embodied by such greats as Pat Metheny and Jim Hall.
DiVito majored in classical guitar and music education and minored in jazz at the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, NY, from which he received a B.M. in guitar performance and music education. While attending the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, where he earned an M.A. in jazz performance, he became increasingly involved in the New York jazz scene -- performing in such clubs as Iridium, Smalls, Miles' Café, the Garage, and Puppet's Jazz Bar and teaching music at Castle Middle School on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
The CD release show for The Second Time Around takes place at Smalls, New York City, on Sunday 12/8, 4:30pm. DiVito will appear with Corcoran Holt and Alyssa Falk Verheyn, plus special guests to be announced. The guitarist has also booked a four-city Canadian tour with Verheyn and bassist Daniel Foose: 11/28 Resonance Café, Montreal; 11/29 GigSpace, Ottawa; 11/30 The Rex, Toronto; 12/1 The Jazz Room, Waterloo.
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HERBIE HANCOCK JAPANESE PRESSING SERIES REISSUED, FEATURES THE HEADHUNTERS & THE HERBIE HANCOCK TRIO
Posted: 11 Oct 2013 06:10 AM PDT
HERBIE HANCOCK - FLOOD
Live mid 70s genius from Herbie Hancock and the Headhunters – one of Herbie's greatest records ever, and only ever issued in Japan! Herbie's playing in fine funky form with Bennie Maupin, Paul Jackson, Mike Clark, and Bill Summers – and the record stands to this day some of the best work this team ever set to wax in the 70s. The whole session's live, peformed with amazing energy, and it's beautifully recorded – with Hancock on acoustic piano, Rhodes, Arp and clavinet, Maupin on saxes, clarinet and flute, Clark on drums, Summers on percussion and Blackbird McKnight on guitar. Titles include "Actual Proof", "Spank A Lee", "Hang Up Your Hang Ups", and good remakes of "Chameleon" and "Watermelon Man". (Blue Spec CD2.) ~ Dusty Groove
HERBIE HANCOCK – HERBIE HANCOCK TRIO
An excellent Japanese-only album by Herbie – featuring all acoustic playing, recorded in San Francisco, in 1977 – in an incredible trio setting with Ron Carter on bass and Tony Williams on drums! Really, really wonderful stuff – right at home among many of Herbie's electric recordings at the time! Despite the absence of electric keyboards, there's a bit of a light funky groove on some tracks – with lots of warm bass sounds from Carter, and some beautiful light work on the drum kit from Williams. Titles include "Watch It", "Speak Like A Child", "Look", "Milestones" and "Whatcha Waitin For". All tracks are long, and the record's got a nice sweet mellow vibe! (Blue Spec CD2.) ~ Dusty Groove
HERBIE HANCOCK – HERBIE HANCOCK TRIO WITH RON CARTER / TONY WILLIAMS
A brilliant Japanese-only album from Herbie – quite different than his US work at the time! Although the Herbie in America in 1981 was very heavily involved in electric keyboard work and more R&B-oriented styles of expression – this Japanese-recorded Herbie's an all-acoustic one, working here in a great trio with Ron Carter and Tony Williams, grooving nicely on some long lyrically soulful tracks! The record's straight and sweet – and Herbie's work on piano is stunning – easily flowing with inventive solos that never cease to delight. And the warm accompaniment he gets from Carter and Williams really make the album sparkle – easily the best sort of session of its sort you'll find from the time. Titles include "Stablemates", "Dolphin Dance", "A Slight Smile", and "La Maison Goree". (Blue Spec CD2.) ~ Dusty Groove
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Posted: 11 Oct 2013 06:01 AM PDT
SIDI TOURE - ALAFIA
Stunning sounds from Sidi Toure – an artist who's been making music for quite a few years now, but seems to get better and better with each new release! This set's got a wonderful sense of flow right from the start – a warm blend of Sidi's guitar and vocals with additional lead guitar from Kalil Toure, N'Goni from Abdoulaye Kone, and these basslines that percolate strongly throughout – adding an additional stringed sense of rhythm to the tracks, as Toure and other singers soar out forward on the vocals. The presentation has a positive feel, but without any commercial overtones – and definitely shakes free of any Mali cliches you might have from other overwrought recordings. Titles include "Mali", "Boro Gana", "Ay Hora", "Ay Takamba", "L'Eau", "Waayey", and "Gandyey". ~ Dusty Groove
SIBA – AVANTE
Sublime sounds from Siba – a contemporary Brazilian artist, but one who comes across with all the charm of the 70s MPB generation! Instrumentation on the set is relatively spare, but very inventive – guitar lines and viola from Siba – mixed with quartet instrumentation that includes vibes and keyboards, plus a tuba instead of the usual bass – which makes for a very cool sound that's all bumpy and gritty on the bottom! Siba's lead vocals are wonderfully warm – a slight rasp that adds a lot of personality to the lyrics – and which provides a deeply personal contrast with some of the more creative instrumental flourishes. Great stuff – one of those contemporary Brazilian albums that goes way beyond the boundaries of knowledge or culture – and which can grab you up instantly without warning. Titles include "Brisa", "Ariana", "Qasida", "Um Verso Preso", "Mute", "Canoa Furada", "Bravura E Brilho", and "A Bagaceira". ~ Dusty Groove
THE NEWCOMERS – MANNISH BOYS: THE STAX, VOLT & TRUTH RECORDINGS 1968-74
A long overdue collection of the Stax, Truth and Volt singles by The Newcomers – a largely under-appreciated sweet soul group from Memphis! While the Stax empire had broken so much stylistic and commercial ground on a number of levels in the preceding years, the sweeter vocal group style was never really an area in which Stax found much surefooted ground – especially at the very end of the 60s and into the 70s, when the label's finances were getting too shaky to break newer groups in a big way. The Newcomers are wonderful, though, and this set of rare singles, unreleased tracks and demos is a terrific introduction! Includes "Girl, This Boy Loves You", "Open Up Your Heart (Let Me In)", "You Put The Sunshine Back In My World", "Still A Boy In My Heart", "Humpty Dumpty", "Reaching The Age", "Betcha Can't Guess Who", "The Whole World's A Picture Show", "Mannish Boy" and other great singles – some previously unissued – plus a handful of lost demos with finished feel, which are really just as great as their rare singles! ~ Dusty Groove
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Posted: 11 Oct 2013 05:16 AM PDT
To be released Oct. 22, 2013, via Anzic Records, "Tightrope" features the 3 Cohens improvising as an a cappella horn choir and teaming with special guests Fred Hersch, Christian McBride & Jonathan Blake
One of the reasons jazz improvisation excites performer and listener alike is that it's akin to walking a tightrope - chances are taken, stakes are high. A musician can create thrilling, in-the-moment art, or fall flat. Collective improvisation ups the ante - it's never a given that multiple players can be so attuned to one another that they know when to listen as well as when to speak. The 3 Cohens - siblings Anat Cohen (clarinets, tenor saxophone), Avishai Cohen (trumpet) and Yuval Cohen (soprano sax) - explore this concept fully on Tightrope, their fourth extraordinary album together, to be released October 22, 2013, via Anzic Records. The material ranges from free improvisations and fresh originals to classics by Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Tadd Dameron, Art Farmer and Gerry Mulligan, plus tunes associated with João Gilberto and Jo Stafford.
Most of the tracks on Tightrope see the three horn players walking that fine titular line without a net - performing a cappella, with no chordal instrument or rhythm section for support; moreover, they venture a sequence of "Conversations" as unaccompanied free improvisations, spontaneously composing the music in interplay - an evolutionary development for the group. But when they're not going it alone on Tightrope, the 3 Cohens are adding a special guest to the mix, with pianist Fred Hersch, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Johnathan Blake each appearing to make the 3 Cohens a quartet on several tracks. "We treat our horns as voices, so we call it playing a cappella when it's just the three of us," Anat says. "But even though we wanted to do an a cappella album, we couldn't resist having a few guests, musicians we really love - Fred, Christian and Jonathan." Yuval adds: "Sometimes people say, `Why were your parents so lazy - why did they stop at three? You could've had a rhythm section..."
In a recent video interview (3 Cohens - Tightrope EPK), the 3 Cohens talked about Tightrope in this way, finishing each other's sentences and playing music from the album. Anat says: "When you play the saxophone or the trumpet in jazz with a rhythm section, you're almost always the soloist. But when you're playing as we are here most of the time, with just the three horns, you're also an accompanist. So on this album, we're playing both roles, of soloist and accompanist." Avishai adds: "And the roles can change in a second, based on what the other is doing... But we know each other so well - we can feel what the other is thinking."Yuval points out that in the trio improvisations of Tightrope, "It's a constant dialogue with yourself, your own ego - to be concerned just with what the music needs." As The Boston Globe observed about the band: "The 3 Cohens have forged a sumptuous group sound built upon a selfless love of blending their instrumental voices."
The sound of intertwined horns was in the ears of all three Cohens early on. A common inspiration growing up in Israel was a 1959 album by the piano-less Gerry Mulligan Quartet featuring Art Farmer, with the brothers and sister naturally drawn to its melody-oriented weave. Tightrope includes two tunes from that band's book: Farmer's "Blueport" and Mulligan's "Festive Minor." There are other pieces from the Cohens' youth. "Ai Li Lu Li Lu" is a Yiddish lullaby their mother sang to them. The standard "Indiana" underscores their love of Louis Armstrong and the collective improvisation from New Orleans, while Tadd Dameron's "Hot House" reflects their ties to the bebop tradition. Even the free "Conversations" - spurred by little more than "why don't you start" or "let's think long tones" - have their echoes, as the pure polyphony and quotes from Prokofiev, Mussorgsky, etc. evoke the siblings' early experience in classical ensembles.
As for the quartet tracks on Tightrope, pianist Fred Hersch joined the 3 Cohens in the studio straight from the airport, teaming with the siblings for his "Song Without Words #4: Duet" (a piece that both Anat and Avishai had performed on stage with him). With Hersch, they also recorded the Italian ballad "Estaté" made popular in the jazz realm by João Gilberto; and, at the pianist's suggestion, they captured a playfully baroque version of Thelonious Monk's "I Mean You." Bassist Christian McBride dropped by the sessions for a spontaneous take on Duke Ellington's "Just Squeeze Me," his woody tone a delightful addition. Drummer Jonathan Blake has played for years live in the 3 Cohens Sextet, and his studio visit yielded a quartet version of Avishai's grooving original "Black."
Avishai goes lyrically solo for the ballad "There's No You" (an early hit for Jo Stafford), and the three-horn choir voices Yuval's "It Might as Well," a piece inspired by Rodgers & Hammerstein's "It Might as Well Be Spring." For Avishai's closing "Mantra," Anat adds dark hues on bass clarinet. Throughout Tightrope, the filial "telepathy" among the 3 Cohens is a marvel but so is the beauty of sound each conveys on his or her instrument. This is an album about balance and buoyancy - and the sheer joy of communicating through music.
The best jazz groups are made up of kindred spirits, but the rare family band has something more - an intuitive feel for each other that goes beyond words and gestures. The 3 Cohens are that sort of uncommon collective, a trio of siblings from Tel Aviv, Israel, whose sense of improvisational interplay is both uncannily fluent and wonderfully, infectiously warm. Along with performing on stages the world over, the 3 Cohens have three previous studio albums to their credit: One (2004), Braid (2007) and Family (2011). The new album, Tightrope, underscores the fact that there is something special about the music the three make together, even with the individual careers each of the Cohens pursue to increasing international success - Anat with her string of hit albums (including 2012's Claroscuro), Avishai with his hot Triveni and Third World Love bands, and Yuval with his recent Song Without Words release and his status as an award-winning educator in Israel.
All About Jazz, reviewing One, said: "What gives the 3 Cohens a certain edge is the simpatico they share, extending beyond merely being siblings; it involves all three sharing the common bond of music from an early age, and the kind of comfort level and intuition that can only come from playing together for many years... Throughout, a joyfulness pervades these performances." All About Jazz was again full of enthusiasm about Braid, pointing out how the threesome's "inside jokes, finishing of each others' sentences and playful sibling rivalries spur the ensemble to refined heights... The sextet offers fresh, modern jazz full of energy, daring and emotion." The New York Times also enthused over the group's "family sound" and "intuitive counterpoint" before pointing out the players' individual qualities: "Anat has emerged as one of the best clarinet players in jazz, with a warm and singing tone; Avishai can play bebop and ballad lines and outer-limit trumpet sounds with tireless fluency; and Yuval has a full and relaxed sound on soprano."
Upon the release of Family, the 3 Cohens were featured on the cover of DownBeat Magazine. The article depicted the character of the group this way: "Chemistry. Alchemy. Telepathy. All are appropriate words to describe the otherworldly quality of improvisation by a band with longstanding personnel credentials... There's something special at work - a new level of anticipation and celebration. Witness the joyful - and at times, whimsical and intimate - conversations and interweaving horn textures."
"Tightrope"
1. "Blueport" (Art Farmer)
2. "Conversation 1" (Yuval & Avishai Cohen)
3. "Song Without Words #4: Duet" (Fred Hersch)
4. "Conversation 2" (3 Cohens)
5. "Black" (Avishai Cohen)
6. "Just Squeeze Me" (Duke Ellington, Lee Gaines)
7. "Hot House" (Tadd Dameron)
8. "There's No You" (Hal Hopper, Tom Adair)
9. "Estaté" (Bruno Martino, Bruno Brighetti)
10. "Converation 3" (3 Cohens)
11. "Indiana" (Ballard MacDonald, James Hanley)
12. "I Mean You" (Thelonious Monk)
13. "It Might as Well" (Yuval Cohen)
14. "Festive Minor" (Gerry Mulligan)
15. "Conversation 4" (3 Cohens)
16. "Conversation 5" (3 Cohens)
17. "Ai Li Lu Li Lu" (traditional)
18. "Mantra" (Avishai Cohen)
Anat Cohen, clarinets and tenor sax; Avishai Cohen, trumpet; Yuval Cohen, soprano saxophone, Fred Hersch, piano (#3, #9, #12); Christian McBride, double-bass (#6); Johnathan Blake, drums (#5) // Produced by Oded Lev-Ari & the 3 Cohens // Recorded at Systems Two, Brooklyn; engineered by Joseph Marciano, assisted by Max Ross, Mixed and edited by Brian Montgomery; mastered by Mark Wilder at Sony Music Studios
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