THE JAZZ CHILL CORNER INTERNATIONAL DEBUT OF BELGIAN SINGER/SONGWRITER/PIANIST SUSAN CLYNES 'LIFE IS' SET FOR RELEASE FEB 18, 2014 |  |
- INTERNATIONAL DEBUT OF BELGIAN SINGER/SONGWRITER/PIANIST SUSAN CLYNES 'LIFE IS' SET FOR RELEASE FEB 18, 2014
- HALIFAX MEETS DETROIT ON SINGER & SONGWRITER CRISSI COCHRANE'S NEW ALBUM LITTLE SWAY
- JAMES BRANDON LEWIS - DIVINE TRAVELS
- JEFF BALLARD TRIO WITH LIONEL LOUEKE & MIGUEL ZENON - TIME'S TALES
- MIKE LONGO - STEP ON IT
- THE DUKES OF SEPTEMBER: DONALD FAGEN, MICHAEL MCDONALD, BOZ SCAGGS LIVE AT LINCOLN CENTER
- RONNIE BURRAGE - HEAL
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Posted: 10 Feb 2014 08:23 AM PST
"Life Is..." marks the international debut of Belgian singer/pianist Susan Clynes, on New York based MoonJune Records. This release was compiled from three live concerts done at two different locations, each one with a unique band configuration.
The Archiduc, an historic Art Deco bar in Brussels dating back to 1937, served as the backdrop for two of these performances. The first was done in trio format with Nico Chkifi on drums and Pierre Mottet on bass. The second was a more intimate solo performance at the Library of The Cultural Center of Bree. The third and final performance saw the return to the Archiduc, this time as a duet with Simon Lenski on cello. Each band configuration provided its own framework and pallet of tonal colors for these diverse sound portraits.
"A Good Man" and "Ileana's Song" make playful use of the drumkit and bass. These clever songs lie somewhere between Slapp Happy-era Dagmar Krause, Elaine Di Falco's work with Thinking Plague, Annette Peacock and early period Kristin Hersh in her band, Throwing Muses. The chiefly instrumental piece, "Les Larmes", a composition about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, is brimming with emotional expression making excellent use of the cello as a universal human voice.
The distilled and emotive songs for voice with piano accompaniment bring to mind such undervalued luminaries as Laura Nyro and Essra Mohawk. Susan's piano work runs the gamut from such radio-friendly performers as Tori Amos and Fiona Apple, briefly dipping into Tony Banks-like arpeggiations and cascades, and arriving at the jazz-inflected polytonality of French composer, Darius Milhaud.
Tracks:
1. Life Is (4:21)
2. A Good Man (3:49)
3. Childhood Dreams (6:31)
4. Les Larmes (9:35)
5. Tuesday Rain (5:08)
6. Ileana's Song (3:37)
7 .When You're Dead (7:15)
8. Pigeon's Intrusion (6:00)
9. Le Voyage (3:22)
10. Linear Blindness (4:12)
11. Butterflies (6:38)
SUSAN CLYNES, vocals, piano (all tracks)
SIMON LENSKI cello (tracks 3, 4, 7, 8 & 11)
PIERRE MOTTET bass (tracks 2 & 6)
NICO CHKIFI drums (tracks 2 & 6)
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Posted: 10 Feb 2014 08:16 AM PST
Windsor, Ontario, Canada - Windsor-based pop singer & songwriter Crissi Cochrane marries the heart of the East Coast with the soul of Detroit on Little Sway, a new 10-song album released worldwide today on iTunes and at CrissiCochrane.com.
Produced in Windsor with local engineers and musicians, Little Sway sees Crissi stepping into new creative territory. While the artist's previous release, the Pretty Alright EP (2011) reached #5 on the national campus radio Folk chart, this new album carries the influence of jazz, soul, bossa nova, Motown, and R&B. It is a spirited and charming album, with a modern pop sensibility, which pays homage to great swing & blues musicians of the past - such as mid-century sax players Stan Getz and Lester Young (whose styles influenced the sax arrangements on the record), and writers George & Ira Gershwin (whose 1924 song "The Man I Love", popularized by Billie Holiday, is reinterpreted by Crissi on this album). This warm, vintage spirit is painted anew with modern, crafted beats & programming from the creative genius of Windsor producer Adam Rideout-Arkell.
Crissi attributes the change in her musical style to the change in her environment. Born and raised on the East Coast of Canada, Crissi moved to Windsor from Halifax, Nova Scotia in 2010. Windsor/Detroit's dense radio airwaves, second-hand vinyl shops, and rich musical history sparked a creative revolution in the young writer.
The record received funding support from the Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent on Recordings (FACTOR), the Ontario Arts Council, and the Windsor Endowment for the Arts. It features bass & drums by Mike Hargreaves & Stefan Cvetkovic, both of local rock/soul trio The Walkervilles, and a sax section arranged and led by Drew Jurecka (who has arranged songs for internationally acclaimed artists Jill Barber, Raine Maida, and Jully Black).
Next week, Crissi returns to Halifax to perform at The Company House (2202 Gottingen St.) on Friday, February 7, with special guests Jon Samuel & Willie Stratton. For ticket sales and more info, please visit http://crissihfx.brownpapertickets.ca
In Windsor, Crissi will celebrate Little Sway with an album release show at The Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. W.) on Saturday, February 15, with special guests Sarah Hiltz & Mike Hargreaves.
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Posted: 10 Feb 2014 07:54 AM 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.
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.
James Brandon Lewis · Divine Travels / OKeh · Release Date: February 4, 2014
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Posted: 10 Feb 2014 07:51 AM PST
Drummer and composer Jeff Ballard makes his long overdue, much anticipated debut as a leader with the diverse and wide-ranging Time's Tales. A master of the trio format who anchors the renowned Brad Mehldau trio and is one-third of the inventive collective group FLY with Larry Grenadier and Mark Turner, Ballard here documents his own longstanding trio with guitarist Lionel Loueke and saxophonist Miguel Zenón.
With sounds ranging from forward-looking modern jazz to traditional African and Latin rhythms to heavy metal intensity, Time's Tales reflects the Jeff Ballard Trio's adventurous, multi-faceted identity, which has been honed on stages around the world since its formation in 2006. A landmark release in its own right, the album also arrives just as Ballard is celebrating an important benchmark in his own life, his 50th birthday.
"I'm getting into the middle of my years. So I think recording this project, with this band, makes a meaningful statement. It's a telling of my times up until this point."
A multi-faceted drummer with a keen interest in rhythms from Africa and Latin America, Ballard could have found no better partners for this endeavor than the Benin-born Loueke and Puerto Rico native Zenón. The two have imbibed the rhythms of their homelands and incorporated them into their own expansive sonic palettes, making them ideal foils for Ballard's polyrhythmic approach.
"It's where we meet, for sure," Ballard says. "Their sophistication and awareness of rhythm is so high. Lionel's listening to three different rhythms at the same time; Miguel can hear everything. I pick up something melodically from what they're playing and put it on the drums, and they do the reverse."
Both of Ballard's bandmates are among the most innovative and acclaimed musicians on the scene today. Loueke was mentored by Herbie Hancock and Terence Blanchard, and has worked with legends like Jack DeJohnette and Charlie Haden as well as peers such as Gretchen Parlato, Esperanza Spalding, and Robert Glasper. Zenón is a Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellow who has forged a distinctive blend of jazz and Latin American folkloric music. He's also a founding member of the SFJAZZ Collective and has worked with the likes of Bobby Hutcherson, Fred Hersch, David Sánchez, and Steve Coleman.
Born in Newport Beach, California, Jeff Ballard moved to New York after a three-year stint with the legendary Ray Charles, where he immediately began building a diverse resume with artists including Lou Donaldson, Buddy Montgomery, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and Mike Stern. In the late '90s he became a part of the Danilo Pérez Trio and Chick Corea's New Trio and Origin, and later joined Joshua Redman's groove-oriented Elastic Band. In 2003, Ballard formed the collective trio FLY with Larry Grenadier and Mark Turner, which has since released three critically acclaimed recordings.
Since 2005 he has been the drummer for the Brad Mehldau Trio, one of the most renowned groups in modern jazz. In addition to his trio, Ballard leads the ensemble Jeff Ballard Fairgrounds, which exists as a quintet featuring Eddie Henderson, Kevin Hays, Jeff Parker and Grenadier, and as a quartet with Loueke, pianist Tigran Hamasyan, and The Bad Plus bassist Reid Anderson on electronics.
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Posted: 10 Feb 2014 07:44 AM PST
In his distinguished and sometimes surprising career, pianist Mike Longo has established himself as an invaluable sideman, most notably with Dizzy Gillespie, and as a versatile leader of groups ranging from his 17-piece New York State of the Art Jazz Ensemble to his six-man eponymous Funk Band. Longo is also a master of the trio format, and he dedicates his new CD, "Step On It," to explorations of jazz standards in the company of two favorite trio-mates, bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Lewis Nash. Longo's label, Consolidated Artists Productions, will release the disc on March 4.
"To the average listener he is playing great jazz," says producer Bob Magnuson of Longo, "but anyone who has followed the curve of his career hears the highly refined development of a consummate artist."
The trio had previously been heard on "Sting Like a Bee" (2009), a Top 5 jazz radio staple, and its follow-up "To My Surprise" (2011), which added guest soloists Jimmy Owens and Lance Bryant. "We seem to have an enormous amount of rapport as a unit once the downbeat hits," understates Longo. For Step On It, he rehearsed with Cranshaw and Nash for two hours the day before the recording: "We just ran down the heads so we would know the direction each composition would take and the concept of performing them." Almost everything at the session was nailed in one take.
Playing songs you've heard hundreds of times, Longo makes you think you're hearing them for the first time. Wayne Shorter's "Nefertiti," a pensive modal classic by the Miles Davis Quintet, is transformed on Step On It into what Longo called "a real groove thing." Joe Henderson's mini-tone poem, "Black Narcissus," is pumped with energy. "We play it like a delicate waltz," said the pianist. His polymetric threesome's treatment of "Poinciana" was influenced not by Ahmad Jamal's classic cocktail recording but the Four Freshmen's textured, high-spirited rendition.
"Jazz is like a baseball game," says Longo. "People say, oh man, I've seen all this before. But then you start playing, even with the least bit of preparation, and you find something new in the themes, the time conception, the band's touch. The three of us all come from the same school of playing. We don't know what's gonna happen."
Born in Cincinnati in 1939, Mike Longo was 8 when his family moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he crossed paths with (and got some early breaks from) Cannonball Adderley. He got "hooked on" Oscar Peterson and, in the fall of 1961, spent six intensive months in Toronto taking private lessons from the keyboard virtuoso. "I had to practice 13 hours a day," he says, "but it was worth it."
Back in New York, he accompanied such singing greats as Jimmy Rushing, Nancy Wilson, and Joe Williams. Serendipity struck at the Metropole, where Longo was performing downstairs with trumpeter Red Allen at the same time Dizzy Gillespie was leading his band in the room upstairs. During a break, Gillespie saw Longo perform and was impressed enough to name him as one of the best young talents around in the union magazine, International Musician.
Two years later, Gillespie saw Longo perform at Embers East; some months after that, Gillespie asked him to become his pianist after seeing Longo's trio (with bass great Paul Chambers) back Roy Eldridge, a hero of Dizzy's, at Embers West. Longo held down the piano chair in Gillespie's quintet from 1966 to 1973 (following Kenny Barron). He became Dizzy's music director, composer, arranger, and devoted blood brother, and continued working with the man long after going out on his own.
"When I first heard Dizzy and Charlie Parker's music in the eighth grade, it was like listening to tape running backwards," says Longo. "But something I heard stuck in my head, a certain sound in Dizzy's playing. I had this weird dream in which I went to the piano and played that sound like I knew it, the sound of that place in his playing that was falling in a strange place in the time. Everything seemed different to me after that."
Longo's 1962 debut album, "A Jazz Portrait of Funny Girl," was one of numerous jazz-goes-Broadway collections released during that era. In the intervening years, he has amassed a deep body of originals, including a wide assortment written for or about Dizzy ("Matrix," "Soul Kiss," "Samba," "I Miss You John," and the orchestral work, A World of Gillespie). He also has enjoyed a successful second career as an educator and creator of instructional books and videos.
"One of the most important things I learned was discovering the place inside you where real music comes from," says Longo. "You don't really compose something, you uncover it. Dizzy used to say music is out there, waiting for someone to come get it."
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Posted: 10 Feb 2014 07:39 AM PST
 429 Records has announced the release of The Dukes of September Live on DVD and Blu Ray DVD on March 18th to coincide with its PBS debut airing on Great Performances in March and subsequent airings during PBS' March pledge drive (in New York, Thirteen will air the concert Thursday, March 13 at 9:30pm) . The Dukes of September Rhythm Revue—a super group comprised of pop/rock/R&B icons Donald Fagen (Steely Dan), Michael McDonald (Doobie Brothers) and Boz Scaggs--formed in 2010 as a touring entity which evolved out of the New York Rock and Soul Revue which showcased the three musicians performing the R&B and soul music that inspired them as well as a selection of their respective hits. Directed by David Horn, the concert was filmed in November of 2012. The Dukes of September Live will be released worldwide by 429 Records March 18th.
The Dukes of September Rhythm Revue, a moniker hearkening back to the aristocratic names of doo wop groups from the '50s, features Fagan, McDonald and Scaggs and is rounded out by Jon Herrington (guitar), Freddie Washington (bass), Shannon Forrest (drums) Jim Beard (organ), the horn section consisting of Jay Collins, Michael Leonhart and Walt Weiskopf; and vocalists Carlyn Leonhart and Catherine Monet Owens; has performed worldwide since its inception in 2010 and garnered rave reviews. The super group is a touring act which resurrected the short lived 1990's New York Rock and Soul Revue which also included Phoebe Snow, Charles Brown, Chuck Jackson, the Brigati Brothers and Walter Becker. Their concept of a rock and soul revue is a rollicking showcase that focuses not just on their well-known hits such as "Reelin' in the Years," "Lido Shuffle" and "Takin' it to the Streets", but also forays into rock and R&B gems such as "Sweet Soul Music" and "Love T.K.O."
 Says Boz Scaggs in Huffington Post: "It's been a rare treat exploring the Great American Soul and R&B songbooks with aficionados, Fagen and McDonald and the Steely Dan Band. Great company indeed. We've covered Ray, Aretha, James, the Isleys, Chuck, Gladys, the Stones (that would be Sly and the family), Marvin, Muddy and more celebrating the Masters. And I feel like I've had the best seat in the house."
Says Donald Fagen: "I love revues like the Dukes. Different singers, all kinds of surprises. If the listener's indifferent to one tune, they'll dig the next. Plus, we're a real band. Mike, Boz, the musicians and singers are on stage all night."
Says Michael McDonald: "Having a history with Donald and Boz that has been so meaningful to me personally, makes the experience of stepping on stage with them both all these years later, an especially profound one. They were both a significant part of my musical education and two of the musician/composers I've held highest in regard over the years."
Songs performed include:
"People Get Up and Drive Your Funky Soul"
"Who's That Lady?"
"Sweet Soul Music"
"I Keep Forgettin'"
"Kid Charlegmagne"
"The Same Thing"
"Miss Sun"
"You Can Never Tell"
"What A Fool Believes"
"Hey Nineteen"
"Love T.K.O."
"Peg"
"Lowdown"
"Takin' It To The Streets"
"Reelin' In The Years"
"Lido Shuffle"
"Pretzel Logic"
"Them Changes"ber
Directed for television by David Horn, Donald Fagen, Michael McDonald, Boz Scaggs: The Dukes of September, was produced by Mitch Owgang. John Beug and David Horn are executive producers. For Great Performances, Bill O'Donnell is series producer. David Horn is executive producer.
~ 429 Records
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Posted: 10 Feb 2014 07:29 AM PST
Ronnie Burrage is considered one of the best jazz musicians on the world scene today. His latest release "Heal" with his "Band Burrage" is innovatively formed, rooted in jazz tradition, and evokes good vibes, with a sound quality of a multitude of creative influences.
Ronnie's latest recording "Heal" with 'Band Burrage' blends fusion, hard bop, rock and pop elements in a diverse, contemporary fashion. There are sections featuring unison playing and Afro-Latin rhythms, then periods with free, skittering passages as drummer/keyboardist Ronnie Burrage, EWI/saxophonist Rick Tate, guitarist Eric Slaughter, bassist Nimrod Speaks and vocalist Shenel Johns take turns offering frenetic, exuberant solos. Influenced by groups like Wayne Shorter, U.K., Milton Nascimento, Weather Report, Mile Davis, Radio Head, Yes, Tribe Called Quest, Funkadelics, Sly & The Family Stone, Alan Holdsworth, Stevie Wonder to name a few.
"I'm looking to reach as many people as possible, agents, bookings, CD sales, most importantly international and national music festivals. This band live is super hot and I need to be touring all the time like in my younger days" says Ronnie.
Burrage is considered a virtuoso, exceptionally skilled and regarded as one of the best in the business at his craft. He has toured all four continents from Siberia to South Africa to Japan and is a well respected educator who's biography is vibrant and dynamically diverse. He has graced stages with the who's who of jazz ie. Wayne Shorter, Sonny Rollins, Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius, Frank Morgan, Wallace Roney, Jackie & Rene McLean, James Moody, Gary Bartz, Archie Shepp, Reggie Workman, Joe Zawinul, Cedar Walton, Wood Shaw, McCoy Tyner, Pepper Adams and is featured on over 100 recordings throughout his career.
"The Jazz Network Worldwide is honored to be featuring such a legend in jazz. His musical offerings are well-suited for our jazz community where worldwide music festivals and booking agents can learn about his amazing musical history and latest release. Ronnie's music is not only for the jazz aficionado to be fed but for the up-and-coming artists that need to open their ears to a historical thread of jazz history through his music" says Jaijai Jackson, creator of The Jazz Network Worldwide.
Music has healing properties, according to Burrage. "We have not yet begun to explore all that music can do for us, individually and on a global level," he said. He believes music can provide one avenue to erase all the divisions and hate in the world. (Examiner.com)
"Prof Burrage is known not only for his virtuoso ability with all forms of percussion, but as an innovative composer and program designer who can put together dramatic musical programs which are deeply educational and altogether entertaining. I am writing these things because I think more people need to know Ronnie Burrage, who has been on the scene, like they say, and has been saying something musically, at a very high level." — Amiri Baraka
"Mr. Burrage is articulate and interesting in my opinion because of his ability to communicate and entertain large and diverse audiences and I have followed and witnessed his work for many years." – Broadwayworld.com (2013)
Upcoming events:
February 11-13 ~ Penn State Music Festival 7:30 PM ~ 11:00 PM HUB Heritage Hall University Park, PA This festival will feature international artist, local bands and PSU student performers involved in courses taught by Ronnie Burrage.
February 23 ~ Tribute to Horace Silver. Ronnie Burrage w/Patience Higgins, Rick Germanson & Gerald Cannon The Bass Line 5 ~ 8PM http://basslineclub.com.
March 21 ~ "Band Burrage" The Side Door CD release party
http://thesidedoorjazz.com Old Lyme, CT
March 27 ~"Band Burrage" The Gamble Mill, Bellefonte, PA
http://www.gamblemill.com
Visit THE JAZZ NETWORK WORLDWIDE "A GREAT PLACE TO HANG" at: http://www.thejazznetworkworldwide.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network
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