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Posted: 14 Nov 2013 11:37 AM PST
NANCY SINATRA - SHIFTING GEARS
A trove of previously unissued recordings from Nancy's vault will no longer be lonely as she shares them with the world in her latest album, Shifting Gears (available December 3). Culled from hundreds of masters, this collection of "Unreleased and BIG!" ballads delivers Nancy's interpretations of late 1960s and early 1970s pop classics, as well as standards derived from iconic Broadway and movie musicals. Having invested years in restoring and remixing these masters, Nancy reported on the early progress (as of 2008) in rescuing her unreleased gems: "It's been a real struggle because when we say 'vault' we really mean 'garage,' which is where the tapes were for decades before we had the vault. Some were multi-track, some were 1/4 inch and some were only cassettes!" Here is the full tracklisting: As Time Goes By / When I Look in Your Eyes / Holly Holy / I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise / Cockeyed Optimist (Guitar Version) [feat. Billy Strange] / I Can See Clearly Now / Killing Me Softly with His Song / Play Me / Something / MacArthur Park / The Hungry Years / Cockeyed Optimist (Orchestra Version) / Why Did I Choose You? / I Don't Know How to Love Him / We Need a Little Christmas
BARB JUNGR - MAN IN THE LONG BLACK COAT: BARB JUNGR SINGS BOB DYLAN
Internationally renowned as 'one of the best interpreters of Bob Dylan' (Village Voice, NY), Barb Jungr pays tribute to her musical hero with a compilation of her favorite Dylan songs. Originally released in 2011 to mark Dylan's 70th birthday year, Man In The Long Black Coat is re-issued as part of Linn's ECHO series that offers a second chance to enjoy the best of the label's award-winning catalog. Barb's unique interpretations of some of Dylan's most popular songs draw on the huge range of influences she has absorbed during her varied and extensive career, from cabaret to European jazz. Her imaginative re-workings not only reveal her passion for Dylan's songs but also her great skill as an interpreter and singer. Man In The Long Black Coat saw the inclusion of four never before recorded tracks: 'Sara,' 'Man In The Long Black Coat,' 'It Ain't Me Babe' and 'With God On Our Side.' With rave international reviews and two prestigious New York awards (2008 Nightlife Award for Outstanding Cabaret Vocalist and Best International Artist 2003 Backstage Award), Barb is renowned for her unique vocal style, interpretation of song and radical approach to arrangements. Her acclaimed releases and revelatory live performances have brought her to audiences all around the world. ~ amazon
BRENDA HOLLOWAY - TH ARTISTRY OF BRENDA HOLLOWAY
First it was an appetiser to the career of Brenda Holloway with The Early Years - Rare Recordings 1962-1963 (ACE 1241). Now we have the main course with this expanded reissue of The Artistry Of Brenda Holloway, a compilation LP released exclusively in the UK in 1968. The album contained all nine of Brenda's Tamla A-sides, five B-sides and two titles from her Every Little Bit Hurts LP, which are joined here by eight bonus titles from the Motown vaults. The Artistry album was issued in mono and stereo, but the stereo version is much rarer today, so we've gone with that, with one exception. The track Every Little Bit Hurts exists only in mono and fake stereo; in the absence of a true stereo version, we've used the original mono master here. The bonus titles span Brenda's Motown career, from 1964's pop-sounding Mr Lifeguard (Come And Rescue Me) to the soulful It's Love I Need, completed just a few months before her departure from the company in 1968. One stand-out track that deserves special mention is After All That You've Done, a typically breathy gem from the pen of Smokey Robinson. ''I'm so very grateful to my loyal fans all around the world, especially those in the UK who have never stopped supporting my career,'' says Brenda. ''I'm truly delighted that my name and work are still relevant today. When The Artistry Of Brenda Holloway album was first released in the UK in 1968, I always wished that the rest of the world could have been able to enjoy it as well. Now they finally can.'' Compiled and annotated by noted Motown historian Keith Hughes.
 
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Posted: 14 Nov 2013 10:58 AM PST
MARQUEAL JORDAN - CATALYST
Chicago-based artist, and Los Angeles native, Marqueal Jordan is the rare musician who is blessed with the gift of being equally proficient as an instrumentalist and a vocalist. His distinctive saxophone tone and style, combined with his soulful vocals, places him in the tradition of legendary dual talents, George Benson, Donny Hathaway and Ronnie Laws. Described by fellow saxophonist Mike Phillips as "one of the most versatile saxophonists in the game today", Marqueal (pronounced Mar-KWELL) earned his reputation as an electrifying live performer after moving to Chicago in 1995. He was the front man for the Chicago-based funk unit, Fat Time, and became an integral member in numerous Jazz, R&B and Blues bands in the city. In 2008, Smooth Jazz star Brian Culbertson asked Marqueal to join his touring band and since then he's captivated audiences around the world with his talents. As a sideman, he's performed with an amazing list of major artists such as Oleta Adams, Gerald Albright, Patti Austin, Avant, Average White Band, Rick Braun, Peabo Bryson, Jonathan Butler, Stanley Clarke, George Duke, Aretha Franklin, Savion Glover, Larry Graham, Buddy Guy, Lalah Hathaway, Al Jarreau, Earl Klugh, Dave Koz, KRS-ONE, Jeff Lorber, Maysa, Najee, Ray Parker, Jr., Phil Perry, Eric Roberson, David Sanborn, Jill Scott, Sinbad, Gerald Veasley, and Kirk Whalum. "Catalyst" is Marqueal Jordan's solo debut CD. After years of sideman work and being involved with original bands and projects over the years, "Catalyst" reveals the focused vision and emergence of Jordan as an artist, songwriter and producer. ~ marquealjordan.
JASON WEBER - IN TOO DEEP: THE BARITONE SESSIONS
"In Too Deep" is saxophonist Jason Weber's 8th CD release. Unlike Weber's previous work, this album is exclusively a baritone saxophone feature. "I feel the bari is an under-utilized voice, except when holding down the bottom end of a horn section like Doc Kupka in Tower of Power", Weber explains. "Typically it's tenor, alto or soprano handling the melodies & solos. There are some obvious exceptions with albums by some great bari players like Pepper Adams, Ronnie Cuber & Gerry Mulligan, but their music is primarily straight ahead jazz. This album has more of a funky, contemporary vibe. I also wanted to showcase the extended altissimo range of the bari on several of the cuts which is also something that you don't hear often enough. It has a very cool, fat texture that you can't get on tenor & alto." ~ cduniverse.com
NICK VAYENAS - SOME OTHER TIME
Trombonist, trumpeter and vocalist Nick Vayenas presents his third release as a leader, 'Some Other Time'. The album is a truly eclectic set of music comprised of four original compositions by Vayenas (which range from multi-metered funk grooves to full on driving rock) and four expertly arranged covers. It features saxophonist Patrick Cornelius, bassist Michael Janisch and guitarist Doug Wamble. The covers on 'Some Other Time' include Michel Legrand's "You Must Believe in Spring", Leonard Bernstein's "Some Other Time", Cole Porter's "So in Love" and Oscar Levant's "Blame It On My Youth". Vayenas' take on these four classics have virtually transformed them into new songs of their own. Nick Vayenas seamlessly straddles both the commercial music industry and the creative jazz world, having worked comfortably with international pop superstars like Michael Bubl‚ and Josh Groban, and respected New York jazz artists like Kendrick Scott, Dayna Stephens, and Patrick Cornelius. He is equally at home performing in intimate New York jazz clubs such as The Jazz Gallery and The Blue Note as well as in huge arenas around the world. All of these diverse music experiences that make up Vayenas' colourful history have found their way into the music on 'Some Other Time'. ~ cduniverse.com
 
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Posted: 14 Nov 2013 10:44 AM PST
COSMIC MACHINE - A VOYAGE ACROSS FRENCH COSMIC & ELECTRONIC AVANT GARDE 1970 TO 1980
Incredible electronics from the French scene of the 70s – spacey, funky, trippy, and even a bit clubby too – a perfect cross-section of all the cool analogue elements that were ebbing forth from Paris at the time! A few of the bigger French artists broke big on these shores – often paving the way for soppier work of the next generation – but this set features a much deeper range of talents than we ever would have expected – plenty of cats who easily match the most experimental styles of the German prog electronics world, or the dark corners of Italian soundtrack composers, or even some of the fiercer grooves to come in the pre-house years in the clubs! Reading the set list, you might be surprised to hear some of these artists in the same company as each other – but hearing the set, you'll be wonderfully pleased at the way the whole thing comes together – a great range of cuts that includes "Motel Show" by Pierre Bachelet, "Shanti Dance (parts 1 & 2)" by Droids, "Magic Fly" by Space, "Temps X" by Didier Marouani, "Le Reve" by Patrick Juvet, "Le Bracelet" by Alain Gouraguer, "Rocket Man (inst)" by Rockets, "Disco Energy" by Universal Energy, "Love Machine" by Space Art, "Survol" by Francois De Roubaix, "Le Physique Et Le Figure" by Serge Gainsbourg, and "Spirit" by Frederic Mercier. ~ Dusty Groove
COSMIC EYE - DREAM SEQUENCE
The most mindblowing work we've ever heard from guitarist Amancio D'Silva – a really freewheeling blend of jazz and Indian music, and a set that goes far beyond most of his other albums! The album definitely lives up to the dream sequence promised by the title – as it features one long track that spins out in a beautiful blend of tablas, sitar, flute, percussion, violin, and Amancio's own great electric guitar! The leader crafts these trippy solos that are a bit like the work of Gabor Szabo, but even more open-ended and exotic – and the group also features some great work on sax from Alan Branscombe, plus violin from John Mayer – who'd worked on previous experiments of this nature with Joe Harriott. Despite the length of the track, the record is never over-indulgent or repetitive at all – as D'Silva constantly shifts the mood and the sounds – creating this wonderful interplay that really makes for a scenic richness throughout – an evocative journey in music that holds us completely rapt all the way through. ~ Dusty Groove
THE ELECTRIC PEANUT BUTTER COMPANY - TRANS-ATLANTIC PSYCH CLASSICS VOL. 2
A really wonderful collaboration between Shawn Lee and Adrian Quesada – and a set that maybe goes further than a lot of recent work from the artists on their own! Quesada's ear for the psychedelic mixes wonderfully with Lee's funky grooves – in a space that's as trippy as it is soulful, and which wonderfully skirts a space between all the different genres you'd be likely to find in the coolest crate digger's collection! There's vocals on many tracks – but slung out over core instrumentation that really gets things going from a soulful perspective – so much so that even some of the more rockish moments soon get plenty funky. Keyboards are wonderful, production is rock-solid, and the whole thing's exactly the kind of nugget you'd guess from the title. Tracks include "Going In Circles", "Christophe Waltz", "Tape Lifter", "Cold Blood", "Dreams", "Mono Man", "Big Tweed", and "Backstreet Wall". ~ Dusty Groove
 
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Posted: 14 Nov 2013 10:35 AM PST
MILES DAVIS - THE ORIGINAL MONO RECORDINGS
Vintage Miles Davis – heard the way most folks first enjoyed these albums at the time – in glorious mono fidelity! The set brings together rare mono mixes of these gems from Miles – with a bold sound that really gets to the heart of the trumpeter's classic approach – and which has mostly been out of commercial circulation for decades! Every record in the package is a stunner – the kind of work that never gets old, and which is maybe even truer to its original spirit in this format than in stereo. The package features a cool slipcover, a nice booklet, and LP-sleeve versions of the CDs – just like having tiny little records – with nine full albums that include Round About Midnight, Jazz Track, Miles Ahead, Milestones, Porgy & Bess, Kind Of Blue, Sketches Of Spain, Someday My Prince Will Come, and Miles & Monk At Newport. ~ Dusty Groove
HARRISON BANKHEAD - VELVET BLUE
A wonderful small group set from bassist Harrison Bankhead – and a record that really showcases the overlooked spiritual side of his music! Bankhead's bass has been a key part of Chicago avant jazz for decades, but with this set he really finds a great space all his own – on long tracks that often have strong modal undercurrents, thanks to his own work in the lead – which then really stretch out with strong reed solos from Ed Wilkerson on tenor and clarinet, and Mars Williams on alto, tenor, and soprano sax. In the best AACM tradition, both players also dabble in some other instrumentation as well – Wilkerson on didgeridoo and harmonica and Williams on kalimba – and the quartet also features Avreeayl Ra on drums and additional thumb piano too. A few moments get a bit more outside, but still hew to the spiritual quality of the music – and titles include "Ancestors Of The Pharoahs", "Right On It", "After Hours", "Velvet Blue", and "Rhythm Of The Earth". (In a beautiful hand-pressed cover, too!) ~ Dusty Groove
TEOTIMA - COUNTING THE WAYS
Counting The Ways is the debut album from Teotima, a 14 piece spiritual jazz ensemble from London. Guitarist-composerGreg Sanders started Teotima; taking powerful, elegant but deceptively complex grooves of West Africa, Cuba and Brazil and adding the sensibility of classic American soul and funk he brought together a loose collective of musicians in 2011 to workshop ideas. As an intrinsically live project, all the individual band members were key to the project and their improvisation is a central part of the album. Recorded as-live at London's Fishmarket Studios under the watchful eye of engineer Ben 'Nostalgia 77' Lamdin, the record achieves a synchronicity that only this kind of old-fashioned approach can produce. One of the most striking things about the record is the huge scope that it encompasses - the arrangements of Gil Evans and David Axelrod, grooves reminiscent of Arthur Verocai and the Fania All Stars and the textures of more modern groups such as The Floating Points Ensemble and Snarky Puppy. All of these truly organic facets combine to create a striking 43-minute long debut album from Greg Sanders and his Teotima Ensemble.
 
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Posted: 14 Nov 2013 10:29 AM PST
They were right among the first rank of British Invasion bands, with 11 American chart hits in their first two years of existence. They were responsible for some of the most enduring recordings of their era, songs like "The House of the Rising Sun" (which famously caused Bob Dylan to jump out of his car seat when he first heard it on the radio) and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood." And their lead singer, Eric Burdon, had (and still has) one of the most distinctive voices in all of rock 'n' roll. Yet, unlike their famous peers, the Animals have never had a box set devoted to their work…till now, 50 years after their first release!
The Mickie Most Years and More offers for the first time ever on CD the group's first four American albums (all of which charted, the first three produced by Mickie Most)—The Animals, The Animals on Tour, Animal Tracks and Animalization—in their original mono versions, all newly remastered by Adam Ayan at Gateway Mastering from the original tapes. And each album features a bevy of bonus tracks, 16 in all, including their first release ever, the I Just Wanna Make Love to You EP that came out on the Graphic Sound label in 1963 (later reissued by Decca in 1965 as In the Beginning There Was Early Animals), four tracks previously unreleased in the U.S., three single versions (including "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" and "It's My Life"), four alternate versions (three in stereo) of such tracks as "Talkin' 'Bout You" and "Don't Bring Me Down," and one U.K.-only track ("Roadrunner)." Liner notes to each album are by Rolling Stone's David Fricke and, to sweeten the pot even more, we're including an Animals T-shirt (100% cotton; size extra large) exclusive to this set. No collection of British Invasion and, for that matter, '60s rock and roll is complete without these records…this collection brings it on home. Brought to you by ABKCO Music and Records and Real Gone Music!
Disc One: I Just Wanna Make Love to You (1963) / 1. I Just Wanna Make Love to You / 2. Big Boss Man / 3. Boom Boom / 4. Pretty Thing
Disc Two: The Animals (1964) / 1. House of the Rising Sun / 2. The Girl Can't Help It / 3. Blue Feeling / 4. Baby Let Me Take You Home / 5. The Right Time / 6. Talkin' 'Bout You / 7. Around and Around / 8. I'm in Love Again / 9. Gonna Send You Back to Walker / 10. Memphis, Tennessee / 11. I'm Mad Again / 12. I've Been Around / Bonus Track: 13. Talkin' 'Bout You (full version)
Disc Three: The Animals on Tour (1965) / 1. Boom Boom / 2. How You've Changed / 3. Mess Around / 4. Bright Lights, Big City / 5. I Believe to My Soul / 6. Worried Life Blues / 7. Let the Good Times Roll / 8. Ain't Got You / 9. Hallelujah, I Love Her So / 10. I'm Crying / 11. Dimples / 12. She Said Yeah / Bonus Tracks: 13. Baby What's Wrong / 14. F-E-E-L / 15. New Year's Radio Spot
Disc Four: Animal Tracks (1965) / 1. We Gotta Get Out of This Place / 2. Take It Easy Baby / 3. Bring It on Home to Me / 4. The Story of Bo Diddley / 5. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood / 6. I Can't Believe It / 7. Club A-Go-Go / 8. Roberta / 9. Bury My Body / 10. For Miss Caulker / Bonus Tracks:
11. Roadrunner / 12. Don't Want Much / 13. We Gotta Get Out of This Place (U.K. single version) / 14. It's My Life / 15. I'm Gonna Change the World
Disc Five: Animalization (1966) / 1. Don't Bring Me Down / 2. One Monkey Don't Stop No Show /
3. You're on My Mind / 5. She'll Return It / 6. Inside-Looking Out / 7. See See Rider / 8. Gin House Blues / 9. Maudie / 10. What Am I Living For / 11. Sweet Little Sixteen / 12. I Put a Spell on You / Bonus Tracks: 13. Don't Bring Me Down (stereo) / 14. Cheating (stereo) / 15. See See Rider (stereo)
~ Real Gone Music
 
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Posted: 14 Nov 2013 10:21 AM PST
On May 14, 1974, Tower of Power went to radio station WLIR in Hempstead, Long Island and played a live-in-the-studio show that set the station ablaze as well as the radios of any listeners that were lucky enough to hear it.
Flash forward nearly 40 years. On a whim, a tape collector sends us the show, saying that of his 10,000-plus recordings of live concerts, this set was his favorite. Well, people send us stuff all the time; but within about five minutes of listening to this show, we know we HAVE to find a way to expose the record-buying public to this performance. So, fingers crossed, we send it to the band, and much to our delight, they agree with us. In the words of Emilio Castillo, founding member and leader of Tower of Power: "We were clearly at the top of our game firing on all 10 cylinders."
Indeed, Hipper Than Hip captures the band at their commercial peak, fresh from releasing their fourth album, Back to Oakland, and featuring such key early tracks as "You're Still a Young Man," "Down to the Nightclub," "So Very Hard to Go," "Time Will Tell" and, of course, "What Is Hip?" with Lenny Williams on vocals. What makes the recording particularly overpowering—aside from the band's performance, which is so on the money that calling it "tight" doesn't really do it justice—is that it was a live-in-the-studio session, so the fidelity is the equal of a studio recording, yet it has all the passion and immediacy of a live concert.
This Real Gone Music release includes photos and liner notes by noted R&B producer, scholar—and long-time friend of the band—Leo Sacks. 2013 marks the 45th anniversary for Tower of Power—Hipper Than Hip (Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow—Live on the Air & in the Studio 1974 marks a major addition to the band's discography.
DISC ONE: Intro / Oakland Stroke / Squib Cakes / This Time It's Real / Soul Vaccination / You're Still a Young Man / Clean Slate / So Very Hard to Go / Get Your Feet Back on the Ground
DISC TWO: Intro / Time Will Tell / Man from the Past / Down to the Nightclub / Just When We Start Makin' It / Knock Yourself Out / What Is Hip
~ Real Gone Music
 
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Posted: 14 Nov 2013 10:13 AM PST
Uniting internationally acclaimed jazz artists, renowned educators and jazz fans from around the globe, the 11th Annual Panama Jazz Festival will be held January 13-18, 2014 at The City of Knowledge in Panama City. The festival honors the 500th Anniversary of the re-discovery of the Pacific Ocean, as well as the 100th Anniversary of the Panama Canal.
Among the headliners for this year's festival is founder and Artistic Director Danilo Pérez and his recently assembled Panama 500 band, featuring violinist Alex Hargreaves, bassist John Patitucci, drummer Adam Cruz and percussionist Roman Diaz. The group will perform music from the pianist's forthcoming album, Panama 500 (February 4, Mack Avenue Records).
"Balboa's re-discovery of the Pacific Ocean and the construction of the Panama Canal have had a tremendous importance in the world because they created and connected the new great sea route between America, Europe and Asia," explains Pérez. "Panama has become a path of adventure that unites the world and it makes great sense to celebrate it with Jazz. The history of Panama is connected with globalization like no other country and this is why we want to celebrate Panama's unique contributions to the world through jazz music."
Additional headliners include vocalist Lizz Wright, the Kenny Garrett Quintet, jazz fusion collective HBC Trio (guitarist Scott Henderson, bassist Jeff Berlin and drummer Dennis Chambers), Peruvian drummer Jorge Pérez with special guest saxophonist George Garzone, vocalist Nedelka Prescod, guitarist Shea Welsh, vocalist Michelle Coltrane (daughter of John Coltrane), and pianist Kevin Harris.
Larger ensemble performances include Puerto Rican percussionist Eguie Castrillo with the Panama Jazz Festival Latin Band and special guest vocalist Wichy Camacho, along with the John Patitucci Latin Jazz Project in collaboration with the Berklee Global Jazz Institute. Four national bands will be featured at this year's festival: Osvaldo Ayala Transismico Project, Luci and The Soul Brokers, Señor Loop and The Danilo Pérez Foundation Band.
Furthermore, the festival will host The 2nd Latin American Music Therapy Symposium, bringing music therapists from the Chile, Argentina, Panama, Venezuela, Costa Rica (among other Latin American countries) and the United States together to present on the therapeutic effects of music.
Since its inception in 2003, the Panama Jazz Festival has attracted over 200,000 jazz fans worldwide and has announced over three million dollars in international scholarships. Last year, the festival welcomed 1,700 students from around the world who participated in the educational events. This year, the festival continues its commitment to education by hosting the Golandsky Institute, a not-for-profit organization based in New York. They will offer master classes for jazz and classical pianists as well as other instrumentalists, emphasizing the application of the Taubman approach to build technical ease and to explore musical interpretation. This approach has proven to be highly effective in the resolution of technical and artistic limitations, as well as in curing and preventing repetitive stress injuries in musicians.
Other participating educational institutions include Boston-based schools, Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory, which will both be holding auditions for admission and scholarships. The Berklee Global Jazz Institute will hold master classes, perform social work with Panamanian youth and perform in various settings throughout the festival. The school will also start a program where students will earn one college performance credit to Berklee. In addition to these various universities, Crossroads High School (Los Angeles) will be participating in this year's events.
"In the past 10 years, the festival has provided scholarships for admissions to various universities around the world. These scholarships have often gone to youth from poverty-stricken neighborhoods."
Pérez concludes, "with the diversity and quality of artists that we bring to Panama, our first commitment has always been to showcase the best of what jazz can offer."
 
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