THE JAZZ CHILL CORNER CONCORD MUSIC GROUP REISSUES VINCE GUARALDI’S CLASSIC SOUNDTRACK TO A BOY NAMED CHARLIE BROWN |  |
- CONCORD MUSIC GROUP REISSUES VINCE GUARALDI’S CLASSIC SOUNDTRACK TO A BOY NAMED CHARLIE BROWN
- NEW RELEASES: DAVID HAZELTINE - FOR ALL WE KNOW; CLAUDINE FRANCOIS / HUBERT DUPONT / HAMID DRAKE - FLYING EAGLE; HYUNGJIN CHOI - TALES OF A DREAMER
- IVO PERLMAN RELEASES TRIO OF ALBUMS: THE OTHER EDGE, TWO MEN WALKING, AND BOOK OF SOUND
- TED ROSENTHAL TRIO - RHAPSODY IN GERSWHIN
- MESTRE CUPIJO E SEU RITMO - SIRIA
- NEW RELEASES: MICHAEL WOLLNY TRIO - WELTENTRAUM; NILES LANDFREN - ETERNAL BEAUTY; SNARKY PUPPY - WE LIKE IT HERE
- SHARON MARIE CLINE - THIS IS WHERE I WANNA BE
- KALBATA - MIXMONSTER: CONGO BEAT THE DRUM
- ANDREW HADRO - FOR US, THE LIVING
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Posted: 24 Mar 2014 01:47 PM PDT
Most of us recall A Charlie Brown Christmas — the classic animated special that originally aired on network television during the holiday season of 1965 — as the moment when pianist Vince Guaraldi first breathed life into the entire Peanuts gang with a series of compositions that have since become as iconic as the characters themselves.
But a year earlier, Guaraldi had scored a Peanuts TV special of an entirely different kind. After the success of A Man Named Mays, a documentary of San Francisco Giants center fielder Willie Mays, TV producer/director Lee Mendelson set out to tell the story of another ball player who had soared to similar fame during that same era: the hapless but resilient sandlot underdog, Charlie Brown. The result was A Boy Named Charlie Brown, a 60-minute documentary about Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz.
A limited edition, collectible vinyl reissue of the original 1964 Jazz Impressions of a Boy Named Charlie Brown soundtrack is set for release by Fantasy Records via the Concord Music Group on May 13, 2014. As adoring fans of both Guaraldi's and Schulz's work, Concord has proudly put significant effort into faithfully restoring all components of the LP with a special bonus: orange vinyl. The reissue comes complete with Schulz's classic, quirky design, historic liner notes in a gatefold jacket, and reproductions of 8 x 10 lithographs of Peanuts characters.
A reissue of A Boy Named Charlie Brown will also be made available on CD. Enhanced with 24-bit remastering by engineer Joe Tarantino and brand new liner notes by Peanuts historian Derrick Bang, the release marks the 50th anniversary of the original Fantasy soundtrack to the television documentary with one of the most interesting backstories in entertainment history.
Due to the whims of network programmers at the time, A Boy Named Charlie Brown never aired. Even an alternate version edited down to 30 minutes wouldn't sell. Nevertheless, Fantasy forged ahead with the 1964 release of the documentary soundtrack — originally titled Jazz Impressions of a Boy Named Charlie Brown, but later shortened in subsequent pressings — without the cross-promotional support of its television counterpart. Regardless of the project's hamstrung origins, Guaraldi's compositions, augmented by bassist Monty Budwig and drummer Colin Bailey, paint an evocative backdrop to Schulz's cast of engaging and enduring characters.
"Consider the historical irony," says Bang. "This must be one of the few times (the only time?) that a record label has released a soundtrack album for a film never granted public exposure."
Among the nine tracks from the original Fantasy recording is the now-iconic "Linus and Lucy," which eventually made its way to prime-time television a year later in the soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas, which aired on the CBS network in December 1965.
"It just blew me away," says Mendelson of the first time he heard the song. "It was so right — so perfect — for Charlie Brown and the other characters … I have no idea why, but I knew that song would affect my entire life. There was no doubt in my mind that if we hadn't had that Guaraldi score, we wouldn't have had the franchise we later enjoyed."
But "Linus and Lucy" is just a part of the larger palette that is A Boy Named Charlie Brown. Bang notes that "music historians familiar with early 20th century honky-tonk rags no doubt smiled the first time they heard 'Oh, Good Grief,' a familiar melody that had been used in other pop contexts prior to being 'borrowed' by Guaraldi …"
Elsewhere, the waltz-time "Baseball Theme" originally served as a backdrop to a sequence in the documentary devoted to Charlie Brown's ill-fated efforts on the pitcher's mound. "Jazz fans will appreciate this remastered edition's special treat: an alternate take of 'Baseball Theme,' whose gentler tempo more closely approximates the version heard in the documentary," says Bang. "Guaraldi's keyboard chops are prominent in both versions, of course, but note how remastering engineer Joe Tarantino has brought up Budwig's equally deft bass work."
Unfortunately, we can only speculate how the album's remaining tracks were employed in the film's longer edit, which included numerous celebrity appearances. Bang suggests that "'Pebble Beach,' a joyful bossa nova piece with a piano bridge, no doubt augmented golf legend Arnold Palmer's unused segment. The delightfully bouncy 'Freda (with the Naturally Curly Hair)' obviously would have accompanied one of that narcissistic little girl's animated appearances."
Is there a point on the creative landscape where disparate art forms like comic strips, animated cartoons and jazz can intersect? Ralph Gleason suggested in his liner notes to the original 1964 recording that Guaraldi had found such a place: "He took his inspiration from the creations of Charles Schulz and made music that reflects that inspiration, is empathetic with the image and is still solidly and unmistakably Vince Guaraldi."
Gleason added: "Jazz is a music of individualism. As such, it is truly a music of people, not styles. Each person develops his own sound, his own voice, his own musical personality, which in some is expressed only in their own playing. With Vince, the personal sound, the personal voice and the individual musical personality is expressed not only in his playing but in his composing as well."
"All the characters in Peanuts are artists confronted with the illogical, blind and mechanistic world. It was natural that Vince Guaraldi's music should fit so well."
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Posted: 24 Mar 2014 01:38 PM PDT
David Hazeltine is known for his harmonic sophistication and elegant pianism, traits that were also hallmarks of Cedar Walton's playing. When Hazeltine initially set out make what would become his Smoke Sessions release, For All We Know, making a tribute record was the furthest thing from his mind and it should be pointed out that For All We Know is definitely not a tribute record. Yet, it's hard to ignore the importance of Cedar Walton's legacy to it. Hazeltine is one of the important heirs to Walton's piano tradition, so it is only natural that his gratitude and affection would be dominant themes on this recording. It is also a special record because it documents what is essentially the first collaboration between Hazeltine and tenor saxophonist Seamus Blake. It was a partnership that both enjoyed immensely and that worked particularly well with the rest of the quartet, bassist David "Happy" Williams and drummer Joe Farnsworth. The album opens with one of Hazeltine's inventive originals, "Et Cedra" which is also one that was overtly written with Walton in mind. In it's melodic twists and turns and it's subtle yet unexpected harmonies, it is quickly apparent why Hazeltine has such a strong following. Other highlights include Kurt Weill's "My Ship" and Hazeltine's obstreperous "Eddie Harris" which gives Blake an opportunity to pay some respects of his own, this time to the funky saxophone master. When For All We Know concludes with "A.D. Bossa," the realization sets in that although jazz has lost some of its greatest talents, there is another generation that is dedicated to keeping the art form vital and alive.
CLAUDINE FRANCOIS / HUBERT DUPONT / HAMID DRAKE - FLYING EAGLE
Claudine Francois is a beautiful pianist, and we love her work on other records – but she sounds especially great here in the company of bassist Hubert Dupont and drummer Hamid Drake – both players who bring a heck of a lot of texture to the session! Dupont's bass is wonderful – often more melodic than rhythm, at a level that's also echoed by Drake's always-creative work on the drum kit – providing these shifting shapes, like different platforms in sound – from which Francois' piano lines take off boldly. Titles include "Flying Eagle", "African Flower", "Nkosi Sikelel Africa", "Scot", "Tapiwa's Vision", and a nice take on Jim Pepper's classic "Witchi Tai To". ~ Dusty Groove
HYUNGJIN CHOI - TALES OF A DREAMER
Hyungjin Choi, a New York based jazz pianist and vocalist, has been making her mark in the city of dreams since 2008. After training as a classical pianist from her early age, Choi graduated from the prestigious Seoul Institute of the Arts in 2006 and moved to New York to attend the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music where she earned a BFA degree in performing arts in 2010 with a jazz scholarship and the Noah Osnos scholarship. There, Choi received the finest jazz education from such jazz masters as Sam Yahel, Reggie & Workman, Charles Tolliver, Jimmy Owens, Charlie Persip and Kevin Hays, and also became involved in many projects including that of the great Billy Harper. She has recorded and performed actively in many venues across the United States both as a sideman and a band leader. She has built her skills as both an artist and a performer and now she has released her debut album Tales Of A Dreamer. The album was recorded at Acoustic Recording in Brooklyn on October 2, 2013. Hyungjin's band is comprised of ascendant trumpeter and composer Takuya Kuroda, alto player Uri Gurvich, award-winning saxophonist Yacine Boulares, drummer and percussionist Alex Wyatt, and bassist Pablo Menares.
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Posted: 24 Mar 2014 01:24 PM PDT
In his latest, triple-pronged attack on artistic complacency, the hyper-expressive saxophonist Ivo Perelman employs the tactic of accretion: in duo, trio, and quartet formats, he displays not only his wide artistic range but also his exceptional capacity for subtle variety. Each of these albums can stand completely on its own; taken together, they offer a snapshot of this particular juncture in Perelman's artistic evolution. (All three were recorded between October 2013 and January 2014.) These albums also extend the rarely paralleled burst of creative activity that has seen Perelman - a productive musician and graphic artist, even in his "slow" periods - release nearly 20 albums in the last four years.
"I had an intense creative frenzy maybe 15 years ago," Perelman has recalled, referencing a two-year span in the mid-90s during which he released a dozen albums. "And now it's happening again, after spending a lot of time practicing some new ideas involving my mouthpiece, tonguing, sound production - the saxophone in general."
THE OTHER EDGE
In contrast to that earlier period, Perelman now works almost exclusively with a small pool of collaborators - a testament to the challenge of finding simpatico collaborators for his daring approach to improvisation. To achieve variety for the listener, as well as novelty and inspiration for himself, the Brazilian-born saxophonist mixes and matches from within this pool of artists so that his recordings almost never feature the exact same personnel and instrumentation. Each album shuffles the deck: one features this bassist with that drummer; or both those artists with piano; or piano, bass, and a different drummer; or sax and drums only, or maybe with two bassists added. The faces remain familiar, but the group portrait changes with each new project.
That philosophy makes this latest set of releases especially intriguing, in that they show Perelman's willingness to "regroup," in a sense - to re-investigate some of the musical relationships that have proved particularly satisfying. One album reunites him with the Matthew Shipp Trio, with whom he previously recorded in 2012; another re-creates the trio that last met on the album Cama Da Terra, in 1996. The third release allows him to solidify his partnership with violist Mat Maneri, a new star within the saxophonist's tiny galaxy. "Each of my projects holds a set of parameters that will never be repeated," Perelman says, explaining his relentless quest to elude creative stasis. But in certain cases - when there is "so much potential," in his words - he's more than willing to challenge his own rule.
That was certainly the case for Two Men Walking, the new album of Perelman-Maneri duets, which follows close on the heels of their first meeting in May 2013; that recording (which also featured pianist Shipp) produced an album of music used on the soundtrack of the Brazilian film A Violent Dose Of Anything. After that session, says Perelman, "I felt like, Wow! I've got to play with this guy again! I felt a kinship in our thinking. He's like an alter ego, almost telepathic. It's like each of us is playing both instruments." Perelman has a special fondness for the string family, having himself played cello (the viola's big brother) as a youth, before taking up the saxophone: "I find I can mutate, like a chameleon, in the presence of string instruments. . . . And I find tenor and viola in particular is a match made in heaven."
TWO MEN WALKING
Neil Tesser in the liner notes writes, "Perelman and Maneri adore the highest (altissimo) register of their instruments, which further tightens their specific partnership - that, and the fact that each has studiously developed the ability to produce these difficult, dangerous, and easily maligned octaves." Indeed, one of the distinguishing features of this partnership is the ability of the tenor and viola to complement each other in this extreme range of their instruments - as if they in fact inhabited that sonic aerie by right, and descended into the "normal" registers of their instruments for variety, instead of the other way around. (Maneri learned to explore the outer reaches of timbre, as well as melody and structure, from his father and mentor, the iconoclastic saxophonist Joe Maneri; their 1996 album Three Men Walking inspired the title of the current project.)
In contrast to his recent alliance with Maneri, Perelman has had plenty of experience with the artists joining him on The Other Edge - most recently on its namesake, the 2013 album The Edge (also on Leo Records). The quartet heard on both discs comprises the members of Matthew Shipp's trio. Perelman has recorded more than a dozen albums with pianist Shipp, and has often performed with him in varying contexts; Shipp's bassist (Michael Bisio) and drummer (Whit Dickey) have each recorded separately with the saxophonist as well. The second production by this foursome results in a spectacularly eclectic collection, with wholly improvised works as likely to reference classic swing as Balinese gamelan, delicate rubato harmonics, or American Indian stomps.
BOOK OF SOUND
Shipp again joins Perelman on Book Of Sound, their reunion in a trio setting with bassist William Parker, the acclaimed bassist and new-jazz activist with whom Perelman and Shipp each played early in their professional careers. "In creating the finished product," liner-notes writer Neil Tesser explains, "Perelman allowed himself only one of the plenary options available to a modern recording artist: he altered the order in which the tracks were recorded. . . . Book Of Sound presents what amounts to one large composition: a multi-movement, album-length piece, tectonically balanced between exuberance and introspection, light and dark." The titles of the various "movements," all of which reference ancient Latin aphorisms, further binds these disparate performances into a single work.
Born in 1961 in São Paulo, Brazil, Perelman was a classical guitar prodigy who orbited a series of other instruments before finally gravitating to the tenor saxophone. His initial influences, cool jazz saxophonists Stan Getz and Paul Desmond, could hardly have presaged the galvanic, iconoclastic improvisations that have become Perelman's stock-in-trade. But those early influences helped shape the romantic warrior at the heart of his most heated musical adventures.
In 1981, Perelman entered Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he focused on the mainstream masters of the tenor sax, to the exclusion of such pioneering avant-gardists as Albert Ayler, Peter Brötzmann, and John Coltrane - all of whom would later be cited as precedents for Perelman's own work. He left Berklee in 1983 and moved as far from Boston as possible - to Los Angeles, where he studied with mainstream vibraphonist Charlie Shoemake, at whose monthly jam sessions Perelman discovered his penchant for post-structure improvisation. "I would go berserk, just playing my own thing," he explains now. Emboldened by this approach, Perelman began to research the free-jazz saxists who had come before him. So Perelman undertook a survey of post-60s avant-gardists. In 1989 he recorded the first of more than 50 albums now under his own name, featuring a number of mainstream and Brazilian jazz musicians, and a program comprising traditional Brazilian folk melodies. But even then, he recalls "moments of real free playing, and I decided I liked it. I finally moved to New York and hung out with like-minded players, and I knew I had found my crowd."
In the last few years, Perelman has immersed himself in music from the 16th and 17th centuries, specifically music written for the natural trumpet - the instrument used before the invention of valves - which required players to create all the notes simply by varying the air pressure applied to the horn. Perelman now applies the techniques of natural-trumpet playing to the saxophone, in order to gain even more command of the squeaky-high altissimo range - this despite his already unsurpassed mastery of this register. He has gone so far as to commission the construction of saxophones without any keys at all, training himself to play full scales using air pressure alone, which is unprecedented in the history of reed-instrument praxis.
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Posted: 24 Mar 2014 01:16 PM PDT
No living pianist is better equipped to address the music of the iconic composer George Gershwin than Ted Rosenthal, as is amply displayed on Rhapsody in Gershwin, his 15th release as a leader. Fulfilling The New Yorker's description as "a musician's musician who balances technique and taste," Rosenthal launches the proceedings with a kaleidoscopic trio arrangement of Gershwin's enduring concerto Rhapsody In Blue, and continues with personalized interpretations of seven enduring hits from Gershwin's canon.
The treatments by Rosenthal and his impeccable trio (bassist Martin Wind, drummer Tim Horner) further burnish his long-standing reputation as one of the leading jazz pianists and improvisational conceptualists of his generation, as a jury panel comprising Barry Harris, Tommy Flanagan, Sir Roland Hanna and Roger Kellaway affirmed in November 1988, when they named him winner of the second annual Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition.
"The 'Rhapsody' trio arrangement was born of practical considerations," Rosenthal writes in the liner notes, explaining that he received an offer to perform Rhapsody In Blue that did not include a sufficient budget for a full orchestra. Intimate with the piece through frequent performances as a solo pianist, with various symphony orchestras, and, most recently, with a Paul Whiteman style jazz orchestra in a February 2014 concert at New York's Town Hall celebrating Rhapsody's 90th anniversary, Rosenthal decided to take on the challenge. Throughout the epic journey that is Rhapsody in Blue, he hews to the original score, never losing sight of the melodies and motifs, "while adding my own jazz improvisations in the cadenza sections" and postulating an array of colors, moods and textures for the trio to navigate.
"What was tricky, challenging and fun was to strike a balance between the notes that Gershwin
wrote and the new directions that we take it," Rosenthal says. "If you take the jazz and the solos too far, you might start to lose the focus; if you just play the piece, someone may say, 'Where's the jazz?' I've played Rhapsody in a more historical context, with all the notes and nothing extra. But I'm a jazz musician, and I prefer to do it with improvisation, which I think is natural. In a way, I'm bringing a few worlds together with this recording."
On Rhapsody In Gershwin, much as he did on the acclaimed 2010 Playscape album Impromptu, on which he addressed a cohort of 19th century classical themes, and last year's Wonderland, a far-flung recital of songs associated with the winter holidays, Rosenthal references a broad range of jazz history and expression in presenting the Gershwin tunes.
"One thing I enjoy is taking a standard and finding my own way to present and play it in the jazz trio context," Rosenthal says. An example is "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off," on which he sets up a sly, witty, smoky ambiance that mirrors the lyric and melody, creating simple cohesive phrases, deploying a force-of-nature left hand, swinging deeply at a slow-medium, adults-only tempo.
Tinges of Monk infuse the introduction to "Fascinatin' Rhythm," before the trio launches a brisk, multi-sectional treatment with various rhythmic twists and turns. Rosenthal cites "a Bill Evans influence" on reharmonized versions of "I Loves You Porgy" and "Someone To Watch Over Me," and observes that "Strike Up The Band" and "Love Walked In" are examples of his "derangements," on which he uses "various rhythmic and harmonic approaches to personalize the song."
"Some of my most important influences were pianists who had an historical and wide-ranging approach," says Rosenthal, particularly emphasizing that lessons during high school years with stride-to-avant maestro Jaki Byard influenced his inclusive penchant for embracing the language and aesthetic principles of jazz piano tradition while restating it in his own manner. "With Jaki it was almost an absence of dogma. I was drawn to the idea of being able to play many pianistic techniques. Whether playing stride or free, I don't feel constrained in any way."
"Gershwin is almost taken for granted, because he's such a staple of American culture," says Rosenthal, 54, who himself stands only a degree or two of separation from Roberts by dint of close proximity to hardcore stride practitioners like Byard and Dick Hyman. "But he wrote both songs and extended pieces, and he was a wizard-like pianist who could play his pieces all night at a party to dazzle the party-goers, especially the ladies. When I think about my musical identity, I'm also a pianist, composer and arranger."
After graduating from Manhattan School of Music and receiving Bachelors and Masters degrees in piano performance, Rosenthal spent the next decade gigging around New York on freelance jobs with the likes of Phil Woods, Ron Carter, Mel Lewis, Clark Terry, Grady Tate, and Lionel Hampton, among others. In 1992, the pianist also joined Gerry Mulligan's Tentette and recorded three albums and performed in major jazz festivals throughout the world with the band until Mulligan's death in 1996. Rosenthal went on to perform as a sideman with artists including Art Farmer, Jon Faddis, Randy Sandke, Ken Peplowski, Ann Hampton Callaway, and more.
Despite his extensive experience as a sideman, Rosenthal has released more than a dozen albums as a leader. Most recently, the pianist released Wonderland (2013), and Impromptu (2010), on which Rosenthal reimagined classical themes for a jazz trio. Both albums, similar to Rhapsody in Gershwin, have strong influences and homages but still exhibit Rosenthal's own attitude and approach: expressive, creative, and sparkling.
Ted Rosenthal's Rhapsody in Gershwin Album Release Performance:
May 14 / Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola / New York, NY
Ted Rosenthal · Rhapsody in Gershwin / Playscape Recordings · Release Date: May 13, 2014
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Posted: 24 Mar 2014 11:16 AM PDT
Cametá, a historical little Amazonian town on the shores of the river Tocantins, is the birthplace of the scorching music known as "Siriá"; a cross pollination between the music of the inhabitants of the quilombos, a Brazilian hinterland settlement founded by escaped slaves of African origins, and the indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest. It is a breathing, pulsing, emphatic beat, and the modernised version of this local music, created by Mestre Cupijó, has been igniting street parties and traditional festivals across the state of Pará in Northern Brazil for decades. And at last in 2014, the combustible sound of Siriá will be celebrated internationally as the feverish, tropical sound of the summer!
Foretelling his talent to flow between cultures, Cupijó was named after a local river when he was born in 1936, into a family of musicians. His father, Mestre (Master) Vicente Castro, was also known as Mestre Sicudera, the musical director of Centennial Euterpe, one of Brazil's oldest bands, founded in 1874. At 12, Cupijó started to play the clarinet. He also became proficient at the piano, mandolin and guitar, although the instrument that came to personify his sound was the alto saxophone. Waltz, bolero, cha cha cha and an assortment of dance hall music became part of Cupijó's repertoire, but it was Carimbó and Siriá, the music played by the black communities of Pará, that had the strongest impact on the young musician.
To grasp the soul of this music, Cupijó went to its source and lived with the quilombolas (maroon) community of the Amazon. Upon his return, enriched by this life-changing experience, he founded the band "Jazz Orquestra os Azes do Ritmo" with the goal of reinventing Siriá and modernising Samba de Cacete, Banguê and other folkloric music of the state of Pará. Airwaves from the Caribbean and Latin America had also brought the cumbia sound of the mighty Colombian orchestras, Merengue from the Dominican republic and Cuban music to the Amazon, all of which had an impact on the music of Northern Brazil, Mambo especially! Mestre Cupijó took these influences and mixed them in with the ingredients he had studied in the Quilombos. That fusion – as we are witnessing on this record – had explosive effects.
His fresh new sound became the soundtrack to Cametá's legendary Carnival and soon his troupe were invited to other festivals along the river. Transportation to these concerts was via small boats, where three or four musicians would share a vessel with their instruments tucked between their legs. In those days there were no posters or radio adverts to promote the shows in any way, yet Cupijó's shows became notorious. In an interview one of his band members explains: "Whenever there was a party – on a Saturday for example – and it was known that Mestre Cupijó would play, the news would spread incredibly fast, just by word of mouth. We didn't understand how that was possible, but it certainly was amazing."
After the initial wave of enthusiasm, the first two LPs were recorded with rudimentary equipment in a dance club in Cametá. However, it was the third attempt, recorded in a studio in Belém, which would trigger a phenomenal success. "Caboclinha Do Igapo" and "Mambo do Martela", included on this record, became instant hits. A year later, "Mingau de Açai", one of Cupijo´s most popular tunes, took the region by storm. In total six LPs were recorded by Mestre Cupijó.
He then created "Concurso de Musicas Carnavalesco de Compositores Cametaenses", a contest for carnival music composers. The songs composed expressly for these contests in the 70s are still performed today during carnival season. In addition to evolving the Pará music culture in this way, he also owned a makeshift soundsystem, "Musicolor", to spin the discs of local artists before his own shows to the frenzied crowds. Mestre Cupijó proved himself a philanthropist as well as a conductor for the people's music, and acted as a provisional lawyer for the city of Cametá, specialising in help for the poor. He also had a short spell in politics and was elected by a vast majority to the station of Municipal Councillor of Cametá.
Master Cupjó, the pillar of Pará's festive culture, and a humble pop icon who was ushered prominently into the country's history books, passed away on 25 September 2012, at the age of 76.
We at Analog Africa are ferociously proud and honoured to have the chance to present these carefully selected tracks from Mestre Cupijó's six studio albums. We hope that his music captivates you with the magic and bewilderment that is has us. We recognise his compositions as true anthems of life and vitality, vibrantly encouraging all to drink and dance until sunrise! Let go of your inhibitions and immerse yourself in the wonderful world of Mestre Cupijó … Segura!!!
analogafrica.blogspot.com
Tracklisting:
01. Mingau de Açai
02. Mambo Do Martelo
03. Caboclinha Do Igapo
04. Tubarao Branco
05. Morena Do Rio Mutuacá
06. Papa Chibe
07. Farol Do Marajó
08. Cadé O Anel
09. Ventinho Do Norte
10. Siriá Quente
11. Eu Quero O Meu Anel
12. Perereca
13. Pra Dança Meu Siriá
14. Passarinho Siriri
The album Mestre Cupijo e Seu Ritmo "Siria" (Analog Africa) is going to be released April 25, 2014.
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Posted: 24 Mar 2014 10:48 AM PDT
MICHAEL WOLLNY TRIO - WELTENTRAUM
Wollny's new trio recording Weltentraum is a stunning example of contemporary interpretation in the hands of a unique, fluidly virtuosic artist. Wollny, with both elegance and wit, explores the connection between songs that are worlds apart in terms of both centuries and cultures on the upcoming release. But in the pianist's hands, the combination of interpretations of "God is a DJ" by the pop star Pink and the piece 'Lasse!' by Guiliaume de Machaut (the French Medieval composer and poet) gets to feel entirely natural. With the resourcefulness of a world-class contemporary jazz improviser, Wollny finds common value in the songs starkly haunting melodies in spite of arriving from hugely diverse sources.
NILES LANDFREN - ETERNAL BEAUTY
Landgren has once again reverted to the select band of brothers Wollny, Lars Danielsson, and Rasmus Kihlberg with the further addition of guitarist Johan Norberg who Landgren has performed with on and off for decades. "It is my dream team, and one that I hope will play together for a long time," says Landgren of this group. It is also ideal for the approach that Landgren pursued on Eternal Beauty: "I wanted to make a really homogenous record - just us playing the simple and beautiful melodies simply and beautifully." The album title indicates the direction that the songs chosen by Landgren, Wollny, Norberg and producer Siggi Loch took: "The music and lyrics had to fit us, and they had to be songs that are eternal for me, personally." Most of the songs on Eternal Beauty should resonate with many listeners, with tracks ranging from George Harrison's "Isn't It A Pity" to Mr. Mister's "Broken Wings" on through to "We Don't Need Another Hero", made popular by Tina Turner. He also includes jazz ballads like "One More Angel" from the jazz bassist John Patitucci, and "Another Kind Of Blue" by the New York-based German guitarist Torsten de Winkel. Michael Wollny wrote the title track together with Eva Svensson, Esbjörn Svensson's widow. Much is left up to this talented team that Landgren trusts without reservation. Landgren explains, "We did have an idea of how we could play each of the songs, but we didn't prescribe much and we arranged them very sparingly, because with these guys the musical concept arises when we meet. When we start to play, the magic begins."
SNARKY PUPPY - WE LIKE IT HERE
A brilliant set of live Snarky Puppy, in all its tightly grooving, though boundlessly creative jazzy soul glory – and it's as great as anything we've heard or seen from them to date! The "Here" of We Like It Here is Utrecht, Netherlands – where they recorded it live (with no overdubs. . .which is incredible, given the deft musicianship) – over 4 days at Kytopia Studios, complete with a studio audience. It's amazing stuff, bringing in even more diverse influences than before, including some kinda proggy funk, which suits the group and the live setting very well. The package includes the set on both CD and DVD, and the titles include "Shofukukan", "What About Me" "Sleeper" "Jambone", "Kite", "Outlier", "Tio Macaco" and "Lingus". ~ Dusty Groove
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Posted: 24 Mar 2014 10:24 AM PDT
Featured This Week On The Jazz Network Worldwide: Vocalist, Sharon Marie Cline Introducing Her Latest CD Project "This Is Where I Wanna Be" and upcoming first west coast CD Release Concert.
Sharon Marie Cline is celebrating her third release with a CD Release Concert on March 28th, 2014 at the House of Music and Entertainment H.O.M.E. in Beverly Hills.
Sharon Marie Cline has much to be excited about. The new year has a steady heartbeat as she not only launches her new CD release "This Is Where I Wanna Be" but a new artist mobile app that keeps her fans up-to-date with all her musical musings. On March 28th at 7:30 pm, she will be celebrating the launch of her new CD at H.O.M.E in Beverly Hills with her Bad Boyz of Jazz as well as some surprize guests.
"This Is Where I Wanna Be" has some of the best musicians in LA lending their expertise to the recording such as: Rich Eames on Piano/Keyboard, sharing the bass chair on various tracks are Adam Cohen, Luther Hughes, Trevor Ware, Ryan Cross and John Belzeguy, Jon Stuart, Peter Buck on Drums, Jon Stuart and Victor Orlando on percussion, Lee Thornberg on Trumpet, Rich Eames on organ, Ryan Cross on cello, Reinhold Schwarzwald and Bram Glik on Saxophone, Jacques Lesure and Derek Bombeck on guitar, Rob Hardt on flute. Sound Mixing & mastering by Les Brockmann and recorded at Palm Mountain studio. All arrangements by Rich Eames, Sharon Marie Cline and Jon Stuart. Sharon took the leap of penning two original songs on this project one being "Sugar On My Lips" with co-writer Mark Winkler and Rich Eames as well as "This Is Where I Wanna Be" co-written by Rich Eames. "If Dreams Come True" was arranged by internationally acclaimed Pianist and Arranger Tamir Hendelman.
"This is an exciting time for me. I've worked so hard, and am still working so hard to bring these creative dreams to fruition.... and I've kind of manifested a creative storm around myself. One creation begets another.... and I am constantly surprised and pleased about what gets birthed from this energy. My goal is always to stand in the midst of that creative storm and just be still.... allowing what MUST to flow through me. I feel as if I am growing.... My artistry is growing.... my band is becoming more cohesive.... and we are not only making music, we are making ART, and I am expressing my soul.... all of us are on this album.... and there is more to come!" says Sharon.
"The Jazz Network Worldwide has supported 'all things Sharon' in the past few years, its rewarding to see how she keeps the heartbeat of her music consistently moving forward. Sharon is a real go-getter when it comes to keeping her relationship to her fans fresh and inviting, she is one innovative marketer and creative vocalist, her latest offering is a cohesive groove all the way through", says Jaijai Jackson of The Jazz Network Worldwide.
"Sharon's a great example of a singer who knows how to bring an audience into her universe. She wins her way into your heart the first time you hear her." ~ LA Jazz Scene
Sharon plans on touring the country this year performing selections from her new CD pleasing crowds through jazz festivals, music venues and radio airplay.
Visit THE JAZZ NETWORK WORLDWIDE "A GREAT PLACE TO HANG" at: http://www.thejazznetworkworldwide.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network
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Posted: 24 Mar 2014 10:19 AM PDT
Kalbata (Ariel Tagar) is a techno & 2-step producer who previously released on labels such as Soul Jazz, Brownswood and Greenmoney. Kalbata did a string of high profile remixes for artists such as Fat Freddy's Drop, Spank Rock, The Count & Sinden and Roll Deep, collaborated with Warrior Queen and is also the man behind reissue labels Fortuna and Spring Hill Records. Mixmonster (Uri Wertheim) is the man behind funk band 'The Apples' as well as a member of cut-n-paste duo Radiotrip.
Ariel and Uri went into their home studio ago in Tel Aviv, Israel with the purpose of recording a 100% analogue dub album in the spirit of the late King Tubby and the early dancehall era of the late 70's and early 80's. A 16-track tape machine and an old analogue mixing desk were their main instruments, with musicians playing live all throughout the album.
A year after recording the instrumental backing tracks, they travelled to Kingston, Jamaica and started tracking down their favourite singers and deejays from days gone by.
The resulting long playeris on the one hand truly loyal to the origins of Jamaican music and on the other, a well produced forward thinking album, sounding totally fresh in today's music aesthetics. It will also rattle your speakers in ways not heard since the heyday of reggae & dub!
The highlights of this quite amazing long player are many, but from the beautiful & mellow 'Prisoner In Love' ft Little John, though the utterly original, drum driven title track Congo Beat The Drum on which Major Mackerel displays his amazing vocal talents as the earth shattering rhythm shakes the floor.
There is yet another amazing musical moment when JA legends Trinity & Jah Thomas join forces over a dub style rhythm on Trouble In The Dance, as reverberating rimshots and analogue synths bubble and squeal on this dark dance floor destroyer.
Echo Minott worked with luminary King Jammy at the tender age of just 17, and his dreader than dread vocal performance on Out A Road, and the fully analogue production of this album really rings true on this track.
Sadly, Voice make A Joyful Noise may be the last recording made by the late Prince Jazzbo before his untimely passing in September 2013. Another genuine Jamaican legend who collaborated with Coxsone Dodd and Lee Scratch Perry, as well as running the highly respected Ujama Records for many years. Voice make A Joyful Noise is a wonderful epitaph to a great career in original Jamaican music.
The final cut features multi talented genius Kutiman on the CRB organ - adding his keyboard skills to an instrumental version of Prisoner In Love - finishing off what may just be the greatest new reggae album for years past and even years to come!
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Posted: 24 Mar 2014 10:16 AM PDT
In the world of jazz, innovation is tradition. Baritone saxophonist and flutist Andrew Hadro embodies this idea on For Us, The Living, his debut CD as a leader. Hadro uses a classic quartet format, paired with fresh material by current composers, to show listeners his own particular vision of the music's future. The album features tunes by Maria Schneider, Julian Shore, Ryan Anselmi, James Davis, and Hadro himself, all current composers who are very much part of the 21st century jazz scene.
"This is my dedication to the musical giants on whose shoulders I stand," said Hadro. "Rather than reinterpret their works, I want to extend the timeline of jazz with new compositions and performances by the best living composers and musicians today."
Hadro's band is a powerhouse, starting with veteran drummer and bandleader Matt Wilson, whose unerring time and creative use of sound give the rest of the band a strong foundation for exploration. Pianist Carmen Staaf, recently accepted to the exclusive Monk Institute, shows again why she's one of the current jazz scene's most sensitive and inventive players. Bassist Daniel Foose works well with Wilson rhythmically and with Staaf harmonically. Together the quartet creates a rich sonic world for each of these compositions.
The album's title comes from President Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. Lincoln's speech, which marked its 150th anniversary in 2013, urged Americans to appreciate, honor and respect the unsung and fallen heroes, and to further their unfinished work and thus usher in a new era. Hadro felt it a fitting title for an album featuring current American composers who are carrying on the tradition of those who came before.
Wilson's majestic drumming opens Hadro's "Allegrecia," the first track. The tune then takes an introspective turn, led by Staaf's deep harmonies. Julian Shore's "Give" shows off the intense listening and interplay between all four members, particularly Staaf and Hadro, whose plaintive baritone sounds like a distantly heard voice in the night. Staaf is a standout on this record. Her fluid,
surprising solos are consistently engaging, and her harmonic choices are always just right. The band can cook, too, as shown on Hadro's "Bright Eyes," which Wilson propels like a rocket. Hadro's sweet baritone glides perfectly atop Wilson's drums on Ryan Anselmi's "Paola." Hadro has a gift for choosing songs that fit his own personality and those of his bandmates, perhaps none better than James Davis's "Cotton," which feels like a gospel take on Paul McCartney's "Blackbird." This is an album of real songs. Melodies, intention, concise statements, endings.
Andrew Hadro was born in Mexico City. He and his family moved to Brazil while he was still young, then to the East Coast of the U.S., and finally to the Chicago area. He began his studies on flute and soon found his way to the baritone saxophone, which became his primary instrument. Hadro attended the prestigious New Trier High School and performed with several of the school's DownBeat-award-winning ensembles. He then attended New York's New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, where he was named salutatorian in 2007. He left soon after to tour and record with several of the school's founding jazz faculty.
Hadro has performed around the world with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, James Moody, the Bjorkestra, Tony Malaby, Chico Hamilton, and Junior Mance, among others. He is active in the New York music scene and involved in several projects, including performances with the Andrew Hadro Quartet, and tours with Junior Mance's quintet. He is on the faculty of the Litchfield Jazz Camp and maintains an active private lesson studio through the Lucy Moses School. He's the curator of JazzBariSax.com, a website dedicated to the baritone saxophone.
For Us, The Living was recorded May 28th & 29th, 2013 at Stadium Red by Tyler McDiarmid | Mixed and Mastered by Michael Perez-Cisneros | Co-Produced by Julian Shore | Artwork Images by Daniel Mottet
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