THE JAZZ CHILL CORNER PIANIST KRIS BOWERS RELEASES HEROES + MISFITS ON CONCORD JAZZ

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1. PIANIST KRIS BOWERS RELEASES HEROES + MISFITS ON CONCORD JAZZ
2. OKEH RECORDS PRESENTS THE SOUND OF NEXT WITH SEVEN NEW SIGNINGS
3. ANTON SCHWARTZ - FLASH MOB, DUE JAN 28, 2014
4. RUBEN STUDDARD TO RELEASE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, DUE FEB. 2014 ON VERVE RECORDS

PIANIST KRIS BOWERS RELEASES HEROES + MISFITS ON CONCORD JAZZ Posted: 19 Nov 2013 01:43 PM PST Twenty-four-year-old pianist Kris Bowers has grown up in an era of highly accelerated technological advancement. Digital technology has afforded him and his contemporaries access to unprecedented levels of information and communication channels. In many respects, his generation is more powerful than any that has come before it. Bowers' awareness of this power and potential is at the heart of Heroes + Misfits, an ambitious debut album that positions him at the forefront of a talented sextet and showcases a musical and compositional style that – while clearly rooted in the jazz tradition – is also reflective of an eclectic musical age. Heroes + Misfits is set for release on March 4, 2014, on Concord Jazz Records. The sense of creative eclecticism and diversity woven into Heroes + Misfits is characteristic of a generation that has been exposed to more information than any other generation in history, says Bowers, winner of the annual Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition at the end of 2011. While the sheer volume of information can be potentially overwhelming, it can also be empowering when channeled properly. "Even before I started writing the music for the album, I started noticing this shift in society where, for the first time, our generation was starting to speak out and be more vocal all over the world," says Bowers. "It was our turn to be heard, and that was evident in social and political phenomena like the Occupy Wall Street movement and the Arab Spring. Generation theorists have donned us the 'Hero Generation,' not unlike the generation that committed itself to a great cause during World War II." And yet, his is a generation of individualism as well. "Radio and the media in general used to define what we would listen to or watch or consume," he says. "But in the age of the internet, people can choose what they want to listen to or follow. They don't need to conform. Being an individual and being unique – indeed, being a misfit – is celebrated now more than ever." Joining Bowers on this exploration of his times is a team of talented individuals, many of whom he has toured with over the past year or two. The roster of Heroes + Misfits includes: alto saxophonist Casey Benjamin, tenor saxophonist Kenneth Whalum III, guitarist Adam Agati, bassist Burniss Earl Travis II, and drummer Jamire Williams. Guest vocalists Julia Easterlin, Jose James and Chris Turner also lend a hand on four of the album's ten tracks. "Bringing this album into the world was a matter of figuring out how to create the most honest representation as possible of who I am as a musician and a composer," says Bowers. "I wanted to take all the different types of music and all the different influences that are part of who I am, and make all of those things a part of my original compositions." The album opens with "Forever Spring," a brief and atmospheric interlude that positions a gentle but persistent piano line amid chirping birds and other ambient sounds of spring. The peaceful opening gives way to the much more urgent and electrified "Wake the Neighbors," which features Agati's recurring electric guitar riff atop a churning foundation created by Bowers with assistance from the rhythm team of Travis and Williams. Bowers and Benjamin square off in the foreground of "#TheProtester," an intriguing track that's alternately pensive and forceful. The piece is inspired by Time magazine naming the protester as its Person of the Year in 2011. "This was the point at which I really started thinking about what my generation was about and the things it could potentially do to affect change," says Bowers. "Forget-er" is a churning, hypnotic piece that features vocalist Julia Easterlin singing a sensual melody above numerous layers of looped harmonies. Chris Turner steps up to the mic in the following track, "WonderLove," a composition that shimmers with the resonant undercurrent of Bowers' Fender Rhodes and synthesizers driven by Williams' syncopated backbeat. "Drift" is equal parts smoky and soaring, thanks in large part to tenor and alto saxes moving in tandem atop a persistent snare drum pattern, while "First" is a quiet, wistful solo piano interlude that showcases Bowers' skill at conjuring up moods with the simplest of melodic and harmonic patterns. "First" segues into the equally melancholy and evocative closer, "Ways of Light," which features the warm vocals of Jose James. The emotionally stirring coda is just what Bowers is after throughout this entire debut recording. "It's important to me that this record touches people in some way," he says. "I want people to have some kind of immediate response to it – whether it makes them feel good, or makes them feel sad, or makes them think about things. I want this music to help people – especially people of my generation – realize the potential and the power that is inside of them. I want it to be an optimistic look at their unlimited possibilities." ~ Concord Records

OKEH RECORDS PRESENTS THE SOUND OF NEXT WITH SEVEN NEW SIGNINGS Posted: 19 Nov 2013 12:22 PM PST Following its re-activation in January 2013 with releases that included projects by Bill Frisell, Bob James & David Sanborn, Michel Camilo and John Medeski, SONY Masterworks' OKeh Records is proud to announce their next wave of signings. The artists, who are part of the label's "The Sound of Next" campaign are: saxophonist Craig Handy, Tunisian oudist/vocalist Dhafer Youssef, guitarist Nir Felder, drummer Jeff Ballard, saxophonist James Brandon Lewis, African vocalist Somi, and trumpeter Theo Croker. "Each label, and OKeh is no exception, needs a good balance of established artists and newcomers to reflect what is happening in the world of music today," states Wulf Müller, who oversees A&R for OKeh Records and ideated the re-launch. "The second phase of the re-launch is to focus on great new artists with different backgrounds and different takes on what jazz can be, but they all have one thing in common - they are part of Global Expressions in Jazz." To showcase the label's new talent in "The Sound of Next" campaign, OKeh will release a 7 track "The Sound Of Next" sampler featuring one song from each of these artists. "The first wave of OKeh presented well-known masters of the jazz arts: John Medeski, Bob James & David Sanborn, Michel Camilo, and Bill Frisell," explains Chuck Mitchell, Senior Vice President at Sony Masterworks U.S. "Now comes 'The Sound Of Next' - fresh expressions by established voices: Craig Handy's 2nd Line Smith and Jeff Ballard's Trio. And new dimensions opened by new voices: Somi, James Brandon Lewis, Dhafer Youssef, Theo Croker, and Nir Felder. 'The Sound Of Next' is a divining rod, a no-risk device to discover great global expressions in jazz, amidst the daily noise. For OKeh, 'The Sound Of Next' is also 'The Sound Of Now.'" Upcoming OKeh Album Releases: January 21, 2014 Craig Handy - Craig Handy & 2nd Line Smith - Renowned saxophonist continues the brass band tradition with a creative edge and groove derived from the tight 2nd Line funk of the Crescent City Dhafer Youssef - Birds Requiem - Oud master of the highest caliber creates music for an imagined movie, blending delicate and melodic tones with modern sensibility Nir Felder - Golden Age - Stylistically diverse, Brooklyn-based guitarist, composer and songwriter creates new, unique sounds on the electric guitar February 4, 2014 Jeff Ballard Trio - Time's Tales - First-time band leader, this in-demand drummer and composer breaks out with forward thinking, modern jazz James Brandon Lewis - Divine Travels - Eclectic saxophonist channels the late avant-garde style of Coltrane, creating free jazz with a spiritual theme March 25, 2014 Somi - The Lagos Music Salon - Inspired by her time in Lagos, Nigeria, the East African vocalist and songwriter straddles the worlds of jazz, pop and soul TBA: Theo Croker - Afro Physicist - Trumpeter, vocalist and composer's powerful modern jazz that pays respect to the tradition of the music while moving jazz forward Sony Masterworks comprises the Masterworks, Sony Classical, OKeh, Portrait, Masterworks Broadway and Flying Buddha imprints.

ANTON SCHWARTZ - FLASH MOB, DUE JAN 28, 2014 Posted: 19 Nov 2013 12:17 PM PST With Flash Mob, his first new recording in seven years, the expressive and swinging tenor saxophonist/composer Anton Schwartz delivers a disc notable for its well-crafted tunes, riveting ensemble work, and abundance of attitude. Schwartz's Antonjazz label will release the CD, his fifth since his 1998 debut When Music Calls and first since 2006's Top 5 radio staple Radiant Blue, on January 28. An audiophile recording, Flash Mob is available as a standard CD and also from HDtracks in high-resolution 96kHz 24-bit digital. Presenting a diverse program of original tunes, plus one each by Kenny Dorham and Thelonious Monk, Schwartz is joined by a superlative cast including Grammy Award-nominated pianist Taylor Eigsti, rising Bay Area drum star Lorca Hart, big-toned New York trumpeter Dominick Farinacci, and the imperturbably grooving South Bay bassist John Shifflett (who has anchored just about all of Schwartz's recordings). As usual, the saxophonist creates unabashedly appealing music that bristles with intriguing ideas, unbridled energy, and unexpected rhythmic juxtapositions.    "I always aim to write the music I'd like to hear," says Schwartz, who for the last three years has divided his time between Seattle and Oakland. "A lot of great music out there doesn't hold my attention the way Stevie Wonder does. I like music that goes someplace. I write for my own impoverished attention span, and it seems to serve me well."    The drummer and longtime jazz radio personality Bud Spangler, who's co-produced all of Schwartz's albums, including Flash Mob, is not surprised that Schwartz's music has found a national audience, noting his gift for crafting "catchy compositions. They grab you and stay with you. He works really hard, and he's swinging his butt off." One reason that Schwartz sounds more lyrical than ever is that he's keeping company with some of jazz's most accomplished vocalists. He plays a key role on Ed Reed's 2011 album Born to Be Blue and his well-received new release I'm A Shy Guy, serving as a thoughtful foil to the late-blooming octogenarian balladeer. He's worked extensively with the crystalline improviser Inga Swearingen, collaborated with many others such as Judy Wexler and young phenom Laila Smith, and, since moving to Seattle, has forged potent ties with the supremely soulful vocalist Gail Pettis and the highly versatile Greta Matassa. The native Manhattanite (b. 1967) caught the jazz bug early and as a teenager studied with the brilliant but oft-overlooked tenor saxophonist Warne Marsh and the renowned clarinetist Eddie Daniels. Schwartz went on to study math and philosophy at Harvard University, though he found time to play in the school's jazz band, holding down the first tenor saxophone chair after tenorman Don Braden, in a section that included future jazz star Joshua Redman. Schwartz moved to the Bay Area in 1989 and had nearly completed a Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence at Stanford when he decided to forgo the degree and devote himself to music full time. An active teacher, Schwartz maintains a strong presence in both Seattle and the Bay Area, mentoring jazz ensembles and private students in both regions. He has been Artist in Residence at Harvard University and the Brubeck Institute Summer Jazz Colony and is a dedicated clinician, giving frequent master classes and workshops on an impressive range of subjects, from advanced music theory to the physics of woodwind instruments, to the fine details of swing and phrasing, to the business of music. "It's such a fun challenge to get inside another musician's head, figure out how they understand things, and help build them a ladder that will take them to where they want to go," says Schwartz. "Each time I make an album, the writing and the execution get more and more fun for me, as the process of creating and realizing a vision becomes more and more fluid. It's been a heck of a journey, refining my musical craft over the years -- and amazingly rewarding. To be able to help others along their journey too is doubly gratifying." Schwartz will be working the following dates with his quintet in support of Flash Mob (East Coast dates are being planned for the spring): 3/1 San Jose Jazz Winterfest 3/1 Pacifica Performances 3/2 Sonoma Jazz Society 3/4 Yoshi's, Oakland 3/6 Kuumbwa, Santa Cruz 3/7 Vitello's, Los Angeles 3/9 JB's, Sacramento 3/11 KPLU in-studio performance, Seattle 3/11-3/12 Jazz Alley, Seattle 3/13 The Cellar, Vancouver BC 3/14 Ivories, Portland antonjazz.com/new-cd

RUBEN STUDDARD TO RELEASE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, DUE FEB. 2014 ON VERVE RECORDS Posted: 19 Nov 2013 12:10 PM PST Ruben Studdard will be releasing Unconditional Love, his first studio album in two years, it was announced today by his label, Verve Records. Along with beautiful standards, Unconditional Love contains two original tunes, one of which is the first single, "Meant To Be" which will be released tomorrow, November 19th simultaneous to Studdard's appearance on 'The Biggest Loser.' 16 time Grammy winning producer and Verve Records Chairman David Foster is one of several producers on the CD. "Silky, classy, sexy, romantic--bring you to your knees--this is how I describe the incredible voice of Ruben Studdard. He feels every note and every word he sings. He is a man with an extraordinary voice," commented Foster. Unconditional Love is filled with some of the most romantic songs Studdard has ever recorded including "My Love" by the Beatles, The Carpenters classic, "Close To You" which includes Stevie Wonder on harmonica and Bonnie Raitt's poignant, "I Can't Make You Love Me." Additional tracks include a steamy version of Teddy Pendergrass' "Close The Door" which was produced by singer Eric Benet who also produced Studdard's breathtaking version of the Boz Scaggs hit "Look What You've Done To Me." The album also contains a soaring duet with Laylah Hathaway of "With You I'm Born Again" which was originally recorded by Syreeta Wright and Billy Preston.  "Unconditional Love is my most romantic album yet. I've wanted to record many of these love songs for a really long time. It's the most heartfelt album I've ever recorded and includes many of my favorite songs from all different eras," commented Studdard. Fans of Ruben--and they are legend--will get to see him perform in February during several shows scheduled including one at NY's Beacon Theatre on February 15th Studdard will also be going on tour with Laylah Hathaway – dates to be announced. It's been a decade since Fox Television's 'American Idol' crowned Studdard, a Birmingham, Alabama native, its 2003 winner after he pulled in 24 million votes. In the years since, the "Velvet Teddy Bear" (as Gladys Knight nicknamed him) has had a string of gold and platinum records, top ten albums and r&b and pop singles. Along with performing around the world, he has toured as Fats Waller in the national stage tour of "Ain't Misbehavin" and managed to pick up several Grammy and American Music Award nominations along the way.