THE JAZZ CHILL CORNER JAMES BRANDON LEWIS - DIVINE TRAVELS

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1. JAMES BRANDON LEWIS - DIVINE TRAVELS
2. THE PEPPER POTS - WE MUST FIGHT
3. JAREZ GOES "ON TOP OF THE WORLD"
4. DHAFER YOUSSEF - BIRDS REQUIEM

JAMES BRANDON LEWIS - DIVINE TRAVELS Posted: 03 Dec 2013 01:20 PM PST Even for an artist hailed by Ebony Magazine as one of "7 Young Players to Watch" who has studied with jazz heavyweights like Charlie Haden, Wadada Leo Smith, Dave Douglas, Joshua Redman, and Matthew Shipp, it takes considerable confidence and courage for a young musician to match wits with veteran improvisers like William Parker and Gerald Cleaver. But on his second release, Divine Travels, saxophonist James Brandon Lewis does just that, not only holding his own with that masterful rhythm section but leading them down fresh and unexpected pathways. Divine Travels melds the holy spirit of a gospel service with the fiery expression of free jazz, the intuitive dialogue of skilled improvisers with the stunning invention of a first meeting. Lewis' music draws in equal parts on his considerable studies and his roots in the church, as well as his considerable curiosity to discover more and deeper connections within his music. Parker and Cleaver have a long history together, having co-founded the collective trio Farmers By Nature with pianist Craig Taborn and played together with artists like Ivo Perelman, Matthew Shipp, and Joe Morris. And both have worked with some of modern jazz's greatest saxophonists: Parker with David S. Ware, Peter Brötzmann, and John Zorn, Cleaver with Roscoe Mitchell and Tim Berne. Lewis calls the prospect of stepping into such esteemed shoes "a humbling experience." It was demanding for me to keep my composure and to really be honest with myself in that scenario. How do I go into this session and not think about everyone that these two gentlemen have worked with in the past? I truly respect them to the nth degree, but I had to be honest and give who I am as a person, to be vulnerable to however the recording was going to come out. And I think that I left an impression, just like they left a huge impression on my being." Lewis' unique stamp can be heard throughout Divine Travels, which results in Parker and Cleaver revealing new facets in their own strongly individual voices. Fragments of gospel melodies emerge and evoke starkly spiritual meditations in tunes like "Wading Child in the Motherless Water," which weaves together the familiar melodies of "Wade in the Water" and "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child." But even when not explicitly referencing such traditional fare, Lewis shows a predilection for direct, memorable folk-like melodies that he can then develop, evolve and explore. The album also contains two collaborations with poet Thomas Sayers Ellis, who Lewis has been working with since the two met at a residency in 2011. The Brooklyn-based poet recites works from two of his books, Skin, Inc., and The Maverick Room, which won the John C. Zacharis First Book Award in 2005. The title Divine Travels pays homage to Lewis' belief that the music contained within is an expression of his own spiritual journey, marking both distance traveled and experiences yet to unfold. Lewis' own travels began in Buffalo, New York in 1983. Lewis was raised in the church, which formed the core of the saxophonist's spiritual outlook. While many musicians are inspired by the church, Lewis says that its most important impact was not musical but personal, laying the foundation for his creative approach. After graduating from the Buffalo Academy for the Visual and Performing Arts, Lewis attended Howard University, where he studied with Charlie Young, performed with the likes of Benny Golson, Geri Allen, and Wallace Roney, and backed John Legend, k.d. lang, and Vanessa Williams at the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony with the Howard University Jazz Ensemble. In 2006, Lewis moved to Colorado and pursued a career in gospel music, working with Grammy® Award-winning singer Dorinda Clark Cole and the late "Queen of Gospel Music," Albertina Walker. He relocated again to earn his Masters at CalArts, where he was mentored by Charlie Haden, Wadada Leo Smith, Vinny Golia, and Weather Report bassist Alphonso Johnson, who later hired Lewis to play in his ensemble. Lewis released his debut album, Moments, in 2010, before moving to New York City in 2012. Since arriving in the city, he has performed with a wide range of artists, including Charles Gayle, Ed Shuller, Kirk Knuffke, Jason Hwang , Marilyn Crispell, Ken Filiano, Cooper Moore, Darius Jones, Eri Yamamoto, Federico Ughi, Kenny Wessel, Marvin "Bugalu" Smith, and Sabir Mateen, and has worked with the dance company CircuitDebris under the direction of Mersiha Mesihovic. He currently leads his own trio with Luke Stewart on bass and Dominic Fragman on drums.

THE PEPPER POTS - WE MUST FIGHT Posted: 03 Dec 2013 07:52 AM PST The Pepper Pots will release their new record "We Must Fight" on the back of 10 years and 6 albums, world tours that have taken in the United States, Japan, the UK, France, Russia and Germany and collaborations with some of the most important artists in the recent history of Soul music (Binky Griptite, Eli 'Paperboy' Reed) as well as the past (the Impressions, Maxine Brown). These 10 years have seen the band's approach to Old School Soul mature into this, their best album so far, representing a leap forward for both the songs and the sound of the group. "We Must Fight" is a record that signals a number of changes. The first noticeable one is in the vocals, with the group for the first time employing two voices, those of Adriana Prunell and Aya Sima, who build up layers of emotion throughout the album, reaching the highest peaks. They are helped by some of the most personal lyrics that the group has written, inspired by the social issues around us today and the need for change, while still reaching out for fun, vitality and also love, the other great inspiration behind the record. Apart from the lyrics and vocals, the group's sound has also undergone an evolution by combining the classic Motown sound, which has made them one of the stand-out new soul acts, with deep soul from the late 60s and early 70s, incorporating thrilling string arrangements, percussion, keys and guitars, and creating a deep groove which was already hinted at on "Train to your lover". For the album's recording, the Pepper Pots were back in their own studio, brimming with analogue equipment from the golden era of Soul. Alongside them and finetuning the vocals has been Binky Griptite of the Dap Kings, one of the most important names in the new soul scene, a man who lists collaborations with Amy Winehouse, Janet Jackson, Sharon Jones, Lee Fields, Lily Allen, Ghostface Killah, Nas and Robbie Williams, among others. Alongside this impressive list, the Pepper Pots feel honoured to have crossed paths with Binky on so many occasions in the last five years, forming such a solid bond between Girona and New York over time that we can now consider Binky an "Honorary Pepper Pot!"

JAREZ GOES "ON TOP OF THE WORLD" Posted: 03 Dec 2013 07:44 AM PST Following the sizzling release of "On Top of the World," R&B saxophonist Jarel Posey (AKA "Jarez") will be touring in the States and overseas with hip hop music rapper Coolio. Jarez's tour dates are not the normal jazz venues and haunts you would expect either. He tours regularly on the hip hop scene, incorporating the smooth sounds of jazz into cutting edge beats. Jarez is perhaps one of the few jazz artists able to successfully blend the two diverse musical genres. In fact, for several years, Jarez toured with Coolio around the world, dazzling audiences unfamiliar with jazz with his playing skills and showmanship. "Touring in over 30 countries, the experience was an unforgettable one," explained Jarez. "Performing is one of the most satisfying experiences because I have a spiritual connection with the audience when I'm playing. To have them feel what I feel – well, it's a divine connection. It is a double blessing and joy to be able to bring the gift of jazz to an audience not typically familiar with it, and yet have them embrace and welcome it." Just as his touring schedule challenges the public's perception of jazz, "On Top of the World" marks a strategic release for this entrepreneurial artist. While the music itself appeals to a broad audience base, Jarez desires to unite the younger generation with jazz. By adding a splash of urban groove with luxurious melodies, Jarez paints a musical tapestry that is culturally rich and brazenly accessible. It is music that inspires change within the contemporary jazz landscape. The saxophonist's commitment to America's future includes having served as a spokesperson for Environmental Justice and Climate Change's (EJCC) campaign, which served Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in an educational initiative regarding global warming. This opportunity also lent him a chance to develop his fan base even further with selections from one of his previous CD releases, " SAXOHOLIC ," providing the musical signature for the accompanying radio show, "Just Environment" which broadcasted weekly on from Atlanta's Clark University's WCLK 91.9, "The Jazz of the City," and live online at www.wclk.com. His ability to expand his musical outreach to fans of all ages included multiple appearances on "Cooking with Coolio." Jarez also assisted in the production of Coolio's cookbook  of the same name, along with ongoing management of various aspects of Coolio's business operations. For information on Jarez and to view all available tour dates, please visit www.jarezmusic.com.

DHAFER YOUSSEF - BIRDS REQUIEM Posted: 03 Dec 2013 07:37 AM PST The oud-the 11-string, fretless, acoustic relative of the lute so central to the culture of the Middle East, North Africa and the Mediterranean-is inextricably tied to tradition, more than 5,000 years of it. But in the hands of Dhafer Youssef, one of the most highly respected and influential virtuosi of the instrument in the world, the oud takes a giant leap into the future. For more than two decades, Youssef has paid his respects to the ancient legacy of the oud while integrating its melodious, robust and resonant-but simultaneously delicate tones-with modern sounds and sensibilities, transcending genre and defying the expected. On his new album Birds Requiem (OKeh Records) Youssef has created his most breathtakingly powerful work to date, a suite of 11 interconnected compositions that, he says, were "constructed as music for an imagined movie." Recorded primarily in Gothenburg, Sweden, with additional recording in Istanbul, Birds Requiem features Youssef on oud and vocals, clarinetist Hüsnü Senlendirici, trumpeter Nils-Petter Molvaer, Aytaç Dogan on the zither-like kanun, Eivind Aarset handling electric guitar parts and electronics, pianist Kristjan Randalu, double bassist Phil Donkin and drummer Chander Sardjoe. Birds Requiem didn't start out as such. "At first, the title of the album was Incantations," says Youssef. "Even in my interviews, I mentioned the project using that title, which I found suitable. But once the album was recorded, the more I listened to it the more Birds Requiem imposed itself as a title." The album is structured around what he has dubbed the "Birds Requiem" suite, whose four parts ("Birds Canticum," "Fuga Hirundinum," "Archaic Feathers" and "Whirling Birds Ceremony"), form the centerpiece of the recording. "This structure creates a leitmotif," he says, "which also symbolizes two entities that intermingle, represented by voice and clarinet." Those two essential elements produce an ethereal and welcoming pairing of sounds that, along with Youssef's oud and the other supporting instrumentation, is both otherworldly and simultaneously suggestive of something earthy and primordial. Youssef envisions the entirety of Birds Requiem as a score for a film that exists only in his creative mind. "I imagine the movie being about two entities," he says, "myself and my permanent search for a wandering soul. It symbolizes the idea of the disappearance of the body and the wandering of the soul. This idea is also reflected in the image of the birds depicted in the songs and in the album's pictures." Of all of his works to date, this album is closest to his heart. "It's a very personal album, that of souvenirs and memories," he says. "I was preparing this album at a turning point in my life, and at that moment, a return to the origins occurred-mine but also the origins of music." The album took shape, Youssef recalls, after a performance he gave in Ludwigsbourg, Germany, with Senlendirici and Dogan, both of whom are from Turkey. "I always wanted to work with these great musicians and this encounter accelerated the process," he says. Youssef then brought in the other musicians and, with Lars Nilsson at the helm of the recording process, the project came together. "I composed the entire album except for the song 'Khira,' which was totally improvised between me, Kristjan Randalu and Nils-Petter Molvaer," Youssef says. For Youssef, Birds Requiem marks the continuation of a journey into the possibilities of the oud that began during his childhood in Tunisia, where he was born in 1967. He discovered jazz as a youth and knew as he explored his instrument and composition that his lot in life would be the fusion of Eastern and Western styles into something wholly exhilarating and new. He relocated to Europe in the '90s and his reputation as an artist who blurred the lines between world music, jazz, classical and even contemporary genres such as funk grew exponentially with each new release. Albums such as 2002's Electric Sufi and 2006's Divine Shadows redefined the role of the oud in modern music, and Youssef's compositions, which also often featured his impassioned vocals, have been hailed as cutting-edge. He has received many honors for his work including a nomination for the BBC Music Awards For World Music in 2006. "I've always been in a permanent search for new sonorities," he says. "Even at the age of 6, I was curious. I discovered the echo of my voice and its resonances. Later, I experienced the undulations and the resonances of sounds that we find in Electric Sufi." Birds Requiem is a culmination of all that he's accomplished previously, taking Dhafer Youssef's music to the next level. But he prefers not to overanalyze it all. "I sincerely think it is hard to succeed in describing the mood in this album or the others," he says. "I am convinced that its essence can only be felt while listening. It solicits the participation of the listener and the audience. Each one can feel it according to his own background or experience. Birds Requiem continues my search."