THE JAZZ CHILL CORNER OFFIONG BASSEY SETS OFFICIAL RELEASE FOR DEBUT ALBUM

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OFFIONG BASSEY SETS OFFICIAL RELEASE FOR DEBUT ALBUM Posted: 28 Jan 2014 08:49 AM PST On her own - without the muscle of a promotional or publicity campaign - Nigerian-American singer-songwriter-poet Offiong Bassey let her captivating self-titled debut album trickle out earlier this year. Last month, the Boston Globe ran a full-page color feature that helped Bassey sellout her first concert at her hometown's famed Scullers Jazz Club. The Boston Strong Nigerian's Moonlit Media Group label will give the cross-cultural cornucopia of Afro-Peruvian, Nigerian Ekombi, R&B, jazz, gospel, funk, soul and hip hop songs that she wrote and co-produced an official release date – February 4th – that will be boosted by a marketing campaign.       Bassey, whose name means "God's moon," shines by writing lyrical poetry of inspiration, social commentary and empowerment set to rousing rhythms, lilting harmonies and soulful grooves. Alternately singing or rapping in English, her native Efik or Nigerian Pidgin English, the topical storyteller sometimes utilizes the pageantry of festive global beats to transcend language barriers. Bassey was joined in the studio by producer Blethy Emmanuel Tiegnon of the Ivory Coast along with an international cast of musicians and percussionists. As seen in the first video from the disc, "Edidem," a song inspired by a traditional Efik prayer as passed down by her grandmother, Bassey not only incorporates authentic cultural elements from her Nigerian-born parents and grandparents into her colorfully textured aural mosaics, she also invites family into the experience. Her brother, percussionist Eniang Bassey, performs on one track on the album. The radio campaign to support "Offiong Bassey" will be spearheaded by a two-prong attack. "Legitimate Child" is a spiritually-inspired affirmation surfing an invigorating Calypso workout aided by Calabar-style Nigerian drumming while bombastic Afrobeats, blaring horns and funk guitar riffs spark the celebratory "Conclusion."             "The album was inspired by my varied experiences with people and the ways in which we respond to triumph, challenge and nuance as we move through the human experience. As such, whether utilizing African, soul or gospel undertones, I write music that speaks to the spirit. I decided to self-title the album because it is such a pure and holistic representation of who I am as an individual and who I am as an artist," said Bassey, who elaborates in detail on the origins and meanings of each song in her EPK (http://tinyurl.com/lslmcgs). Presently booking a slate of first quarter 2014 concert dates to perform with her nine-piece band, Bassey, a Yale graduate, plans to record an unplugged session in the spring comprised of new material and cuts from "Offiong Bassey." For more information, please visit www.OffiongBassey.com. The songs contained on "Offiong Bassey" are: "Legitimate Child" "Edidem" "Weatherman" "Full Moon" "Mistaking Chivalry for Chauvinism" "Conclusion" "Chasing After the Wind" "Owo Iba Me Ita" "Wild Oats" "It Might Be Hard" "Efik Praise Medley" "Edidem (Traditional Mix)"

NEW RELEASES: PHILLIP HAMILTON - HEALING WATERS; PLUNKY & ONENESS - NEVER TOO LATE; JOHN ZORN - THE HERMETIC ORGAN Posted: 28 Jan 2014 07:17 AM PST PHILLIP HAMILTON - HEALING WATERS Philip Hamilton is one of the most captivating voices in music today. The New York Times calls this inventive vocalist and composer "contemporary and cutting-edge" for his explosive recordings and performances. Hamilton has a voice that displays a combination of majesty, power and intimacy like Nina Simone and Bob Marley. His music is a funky layered blend of rock, jazz and blues with global grooves and sensibilities that is reminiscent of Massive Attack, Sting and Stevie Wonder. Hamilton has brought his distinctive sound to many of the world's leading concert halls and music festivals, including New York's Lincoln Center, Indonesia's Java Jazz festival, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Joy of Jazz Festival in Johannesburg, the Montreal International Jazz Festival, Kaunas Jazz in Lithuania and the Telluride Bluegrass Festival.  He has performed and recorded with many notable artists from various genres including Jazz (Mike Stern, the Pat Metheny Group, Ronny Jordan), World Music (Gilberto Gil, Ivan Lins, Sara Tavares), Rock (Donald Fagan/Steely Dan, Vernon Reid), Dance (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ballet Hispanico) Classical (John Cage, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Tobias String Quartet) and the Jam Band scene (John Medeski, Billy Martin, Medeski, Martin & Wood). He has also been the featured vocalist for several prominent jazz fusion groups throughout his career including Spyro Gyra, Steps Ahead, Special EFX, Sixun and Full Circle. PLUNKY & ONENESS - NEVER TOO LATE One of the deeper albums we've heard from Plunky in awhile – a set that's still got some of the smoother jazzy styles of his past decade or two, but one that also seems to offer a lot of input from a younger, fresher generation too! The "Oneness" on the cover is well-put – as the whole thing almost seems to be a Neo Soul reworking of his older Oneness Of Juju material from the late 70s/early 80s – that point when Plunky took his spiritual jazz modes, and forged them with a bit more of a dancefloor groove – a style that echoes all the older Oneness elements, but with a more contemporary vibe overall. Titles include the original numbers "Be About The Future", "Never Too Late", "A New Fantasy", "Space Jungle Love", "Sax Afrique", "Tableau Noir", and "Tribal Vibe". ~ Dusty Groove JOHN ZORN - THE HERMETIC ORGAN: ST. PAUL'S CHAPEL John Zorn really takes off here with some amazing sounds on the organ of St Paul's Chapel – an exploration of the large pipe organ variant of the instrument, really pushed to the limits in a way that recalls Zorn's early experiments on alto sax! Despite the "hermetic" in the title, which might make you think of some private proceedings, or stowaway sounds – the album's got this very spacious, room-widening sort of feel – as Zorn really reaches forth with new sonic possibilities and very dark tones – of the sort that hardly befit the usual uses of a chapel of that nature. There's lots of very deep, bass-heavy notes in the mix – and titles include "Ascent Into the Maelstrom", "Prayer", "In Gloria Dei", "Battle Of The Angels", and "Holy Spirit" – all improvised by Zorn. ~ Dusty Groove