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THE JAZZ CHILL CORNER ELIO VILLAFRANCA AND THE JAZZ SYNCOPATORS - CARIBBEAN TINGE | Musique Non Stop

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Thursday, May 8, 2014

THE JAZZ CHILL CORNER ELIO VILLAFRANCA AND THE JAZZ SYNCOPATORS - CARIBBEAN TINGE


THE JAZZ CHILL CORNER ELIO VILLAFRANCA AND THE JAZZ SYNCOPATORS - CARIBBEAN TINGE

Link to THE JAZZ CHILL CORNER


    1. ELIO VILLAFRANCA AND THE JAZZ SYNCOPATORS - CARIBBEAN TINGE
    2. LEGENDARY DRUMMER GINGER BAKER’S FIRST NEW ALBUM IN 16 YEARS, WHY?, TO BE RELEASED JUNE 24
    3. NEW RELEASES: DUMPSTAPHUNK - DIRTY WORD; QUASIMODE - MY FAVORITE SONGS; BOSSA NOVA HAPPINESS
      Posted: 05 May 2014 11:11 AM PDT
      Pianist Elio Villafranca is much-in-demand these days with a new CD release (Caribbean Tinge-Motema Music) some special dates at Jazz at Lincoln Center and a performance at the annual Jazz Journalists Awards ceremony. With his all-star band, the Jass Syncopators, Villafranca is a breath of fresh air, or as Wynton Marsalis says "Pianist and composer Elio Villafranca is an inspired and visionary musician. With his band, The Jass Syncopators, Elio expands what Jelly Roll Morton called The Spanish Tinge to what Elio calls The Caribbean Tinge."

      Percussion, brass and ivory keys set the stage for folkloric dance, Caribbean rhythms and 21st century jazz. Together, the music and dance integrate a new body of movement and syncopation within the performance of the eight original Villafranca compositions.

      The Caribbean Tinge CD celebration release is at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola on June 13-15. 

      Elio Villafranca will be honored with the first-ever Jazz at Lincoln Center Millennium Swing! Award on June 23. Joining Villafranca at the 1st Annual Jazz at Lincoln Center Swing! Awards are recipients Jonathan Batiste and Cecile McLorin Salvant.

      Tour Dates:
      May 16-17 - Nuevo Jazz Latino - JALC - The Appel Room
      June 11 - Jazz Journalists Assoc. Jazz Awards - The Blue Note
      June 13-15 - CD Release Celebration - Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola
      June 23 - JALC Millennium Swing! Award
      June 24 - CD Release - Caribbean Tinge (Motema Music)
      August 10 - San Jose Jazz Festival (CA)
      August 31 - Elio Villafranca Quartet feat. Eric Alexander - Detroit Jazz Festival
      September 15 - Premiere of Mary Lou William's Zodiac Suite - Santa Cruz Jazz Festival, Bolivia

      "The band swings hard and brings a traditional yet innovative style to the roots of jazz and Afro Caribbean music. I am profoundly moved by Elio's vision and musicianship. He is a treasured member of the family here at Jazz at Lincoln Center."
      - Wynton Marsalis

      "Elio's music is passionate. A brand new application of ancient ways."
      - Chick Corea

      There are good reasons why Wynton Marsalis and Chick Corea have taken a personal interest in Elio Villafranca. Hailing from Havana, Cuba, Elio is rooted in the tradition and rhythms of the Caribbean, yet fully embraces the elements of modern jazz. Caribbean Tinge is his 7th album as a leader, and was recorded during two live performances at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City.

      Since the beginning of jazz and Latin music, syncopation has been an important element in the rhythmic foundation and development of these musical genres. For Grammy nominee pianist and composer Elio Villafranca, the concept of syncopation is intrinsic to his music. Elio was deeply inspired by Duke Ellington's approach to music of the 1940's and is also proudly aware of his Cuban-Latin heritage. The Jass Syncopators is a performance ensemble that challenges the boundaries of jazz by fusing it with the syncopated nature of Afro-Caribbean music, rhythms and dance, thus creating authentic cultural experiences. With this exotic combination, Elio Villafranca and The Jass Syncopators strive to create a multi-layered musical dialogue where intellectual understanding of the music is secondary to its full experience.


      Posted: 05 May 2014 11:03 AM PDT
      Ginger Baker was once considered the musician least likely to survive the '60s. And yet, in 2014, he finds himself on the ascent. The award-winning 2012 documentary Beware of Mr. Baker brought renewed attention to his singular music, fiery and self-destructive personality, and dramatic life story. Ironically, his extreme adventurousness and impulsivity—evidenced, for example, by his leaving England and moving to Nigeria in 1970 to play and record music—are the same qualities that helped make him such a versatile and continually evolving musician. Baker has long ranked among the world's greatest drummers, and critics have deemed his recent live shows with his quartet, Jazz Confusion, some of the best work of his career. On June 24, Motéma Music releases Why?, his first new recording in 16 years, coinciding with a thirteen-date North American tour with Jazz Confusion June 14-30.

      For his time with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted band Cream, Baker is often credited with revolutionizing rock drumming and influencing countless other rock drummers. But he has always been, first and foremost, a jazz musician. What distinguished his playing in Cream, Blind Faith and other bands, aside from his stunning virtuosity and dramatic flair, was the fact that he was essentially the first "jazz-rock fusion" drummer. He brought to rock the jazz technique he learned from his deep study of music by the likes of Baby Dodds,Max Roach, Elvin Jones and Art Blakey. Baker's setup (two bass drums instead of one) and style (improvised drum breaks and solos) made him unique amongst his peers.

      Baker's love of jazz also cannot be decoupled from his deep appreciation for African music, introduced to him in the early '60s by his idol and friend Phil Seamen, which Ginger manifested in own his playing through the heavy use of toms, introducing an oft-imitated tribal sound to rock. This influence has been an essential part of Baker's style throughout his career. It is no surprise then that African rhythm is a key ingredient on Why?

      The inclusion of Abass Dodoo in Jazz Confusion accentuates the African feel of the album and hearkens back to Baker's friendship with another Ghanaian percussionist, the master drummer Guy Warren. While visiting Warren in 1970, Baker became fascinated with the music he heard on a Nigerian radio station, contacted his friend Fela Kuti, went to Lagos, and decided to build a recording studio, Batakota (ARC). During construction, Baker and Kuti recorded Fela Ransome-Kuti and Africa 70 with Ginger Baker: Live at Abbey Road and London. Baker still considers that album one of the high points of his career. (Once ARC opened, in 1973, Paul McCartney and Wings recorded part of Band on the Run there.)

      Baker continued to reveal his jazz chops in the Ginger Baker Trio (with Charlie Haden and Bill Frisell) and DJQ20 (with Ron Miles, Artie Moore and others), with whom he recorded his last album, Coward of the County in 1998. Why? is the next step in Baker's return to his jazz roots, a culmination of his storied career and an amalgamation of his jazz and African music influences.

      Why? features material Baker has explored while performing live over the last two years with Jazz Confusion. The music ranges from Wayne Shorter's "Footprints" and Sonny Rollins' "St. Thomas," to "Aiko," which adapts a Nigerian folk tune. The album's title track echoes Baker's early music with the Graham Bond Organisation, and represents Baker reflecting on his life: on the personal loss he's experienced, the dreams he's had fulfilled and destroyed, asking the question "why?" The tune starts with a prison work song about a man who killed his wife, and also includes "Wade in the Water" as a remembrance of Graham Bond, who died tragically in 1974.

      Reviewing Baker and Jazz Confusion at Iridium last fall—Baker's first New York City club gig since 1997—Ben Ratliff wrote in The New York Times that the band "comes to jazz sideways or through very old roots…Mr. Baker's sound is so imposing and broad, slow and confident. It's not loud with ambition, but with spirit and intent."

      Ginger Baker's recognition as a drummer began during his time in the Graham Bond Organisation, a band that toured with The Who, The Troggs, The Moody Blues and Chuck Berry in the early 1960s, attracting press interest for their outrageous behavior and riotous fun. By 1964, Melody Maker journalist Chris Welch had deemed Baker "one of Britain's great drummers."

      Baker met Eric Clapton in 1966. The two were mutually impressed with each other's playing after jamming together,  leading to Baker inviting Clapton to join his band. They soon added bass player Jack Bruce to form Cream. In Baker's own words, they created "instant magic" and as a touring act broke box office records previously held by The Beatles.

      After Cream came Blind Faith, in which Steve Winwood and Rick Grech joined Baker and Clapton. The band made just one album. When Clapton and Winwood left to pursue their own projects, the remaining members went on to form the jazz-rock fusion group Ginger Baker's Airforce, which added sax, flute, organ and extra percussion.

      During a trip to Africa Baker found himself inspired by Nigerian radio. Although there was a war going on, he was adamant about visiting Nigeria, and pushed to set up Batakota Studios in Lagos. Music aside, Africa afforded Baker a wonderful climate and a healthier lifestyle than that of rock n' roll and touring. He discovered his love for polo and rally driving there, too.

      Baker's work with Airforce and his friendship with Fela Kuti paved the way for Baker's next musical project: to work with African musicians. With his friend Fela Kuti, at Abbey Road, he recorded the landmark Fela Ransome-Kuti and Africa 70 with Ginger Baker.

      Baker then went on to form the British band The Baker Gurvitz Army. Baker provided "extra sounds" on the debut album, such as wheel spins from his Jensen FF on the song "Mad Jack." He also rode a wheeled swivel chair backwards down a flight of stairs for the LP's second track.

      After setting up a second recording studio, in North London, Baker formed Energy. Since then he has performed at various live events, such as Verona's Percussion Summit and his own 70th birthday party, with special guest Steve Winwood, at Camden's Jazz Café.


      Ginger Baker's Jazz Confusion made a sold-out four-night debut in 2012 at Ronnie Scott's Club in London.

      ~ Motema


      Posted: 05 May 2014 10:46 AM PDT
      DUMPSTAPHUNK - DIRTY WORD

      A decade into the formation of Dumpstaphunk, the New Orleans all-star collective Ivan Neville (vocals, B3 and Clav), the double bass attack and soulful voices of Tony Hall and Nick Daniels III, Ian Neville on guitar, and the monster addition of Nikki Glaspie (formerly with Beyonce s all-female band) on drums and vocals releases their third studio album, Dirty Word. Initially started as an impromptu line-up of some of New Orleans tightest players, hand-picked by Ivan Neville to accompany his 2003 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival performance, Dumpstaphunk has become a stalwart touring act, richly deserving the title 'Heavyweight Champions of Funk.' Press accolades for the band have ranged from the New York Times hailing, in 2007, 'Dumpstaphunk is the best funk band from New Orleans right now,' to Bass Player Magazine saying, 'The colossal low end and filthy grooves they threw down from the Gentilly Stage must have set a Jazz Fest record for baddest bass jams ever.' Dirty Word offers a fresh and varied take on funk, blues, gospel, second-line, R&B and rock n roll. The album features special guest appearances by Art Neville, Trombone Shorty, Rebirth Brass Band, Skerik, Ani DiFranco and Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers). ~ Amazon.com

      QUASIMODE - MY FAVORITE SONGS

      A great new groove from Quasimode – and a set that has the combo really coming across with a sound that's more sensitive than before! The quartet still have their great ear for a strong bottom on their jazz tunes, but most numbers here move in a midtempo speed, instead of their previous pounding jazz dance approach – and this change really allows for some greater warmth in the music, particularly on the round, soulful basslines – and the especially strong piano! A few cuts add in a bit of tenor and trumpet, but the main focus is on these wonderfuly flowing piano lines over nicely groovy rhythms – and as the title indicates, the set features favorite tunes, remade by Quasimode in their own style. Titles include "Love Theme From Sunflower", "Open Your Eyes", "High & Dry", "Overjoyed", "Cleopatra's Dream", "Day Dreaming", and "Can't Take My Eyes Off You".   Dusty Groove

      BOSSA NOVA HAPPINESS - VARIOUS ARTISTS

      Plenty to be happy about here – a sweet set of classic bossa tracks from the 60s, and one of the first to equally mix gems from the vaults of both Universal and EMI Records! The recent merger of the musical giants means that Blue Note tracks sit next to Verve numbers from the US, and older Brazilian recordings on labels like Odeon or Elenco – more than enough music to make a mighty great selection of music! The set also features a few numbers of more recent vintage – and titles include "The Dolphin" by Bill Evans, "Latona" by Big John Patton, "Sambou Sambou" by Doris Monteiro, "Monsieur Binot" by Joyce, "Soul Bossa Nova" by Quincy Jones, "Chup Chup I Got Away" by Marcos Valle, "We & The Sea" by Tamba 4, "Dindi" by Sylvia Telles, "Summer Samba" by Walter Wanderley, "Upa Nequinho" by Duke Pearson, "Wave" by Ron Carter, and "Inutil Paisagem" by Milton Banana Trio. ~ Dusty Groove



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