THE JAZZ CHILL CORNER Jazz-Flamenco Vocalist and Composer Rebeca Vallejo Releases Azucar, Canela |  |
- Jazz-Flamenco Vocalist and Composer Rebeca Vallejo Releases Azucar, Canela
- Origin Records to Release “The Forward (Towards Equality) Suite” by Composer & Bandleader Anthony Branker & His Octet Word Play, July 15
- CHRIS STANDRING RELEASES NEW SINGLE "IMAGINE THAT" FROM "DON'T TALK, DANCE!" CD
- Bolivian Vocalist Gian-Carla Tisera Showcases Operatic Roots and Creates Latin American Folklore and Jazz Inspired Album Nora la Bella - Available August 19
- JASON PAUL CURTIS - FAUX BOURGEOIS CAFE
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Posted: 07 Jul 2014 02:09 PM PDT
Madrid born vocalist and composer Rebeca Vallejo is a most versatile and innovative performer. Known for combining her ancestral Flamenco roots, her deep love and understanding of Brazilian music, with the language of Jazz, Rebeca Vallejo deftly weaves all these elements into a sound that is truly unique. Equal parts nomad and musician, Rebeca Vallejo's life has led her across several continents and infused her music with an awareness and understanding of a multitude of cultures. Born into a family of singers in Madrid, Spain, Rebeca was immediately immersed in the rich musical language of Flamenco, learning at the feet of her grandfather, himself a Flamenco singer.
Beginning her public performances at the age of four, the musical journey that started in an urban neighborhood of Madrid eventually took Ms. Vallejo to Great Britain, where she developed a deep passion for Jazz. Arriving in New York in 2000, Rebeca began collaborating and performing with the most sought after musicians of the Latin-Jazz scene. Through this exposure, she uncovered the emotional beauty and rhythmic complexity of Brazilian music. It was there that she discovered the third corner of a musical triangle that, together with Jazz and Flamenco, would shape her musical foundation. In addition to being an acclaimed performer, Rebeca Vallejo is the creator and bandleader of the musical projects EuroLatinJazz and EuroLatinFunk, an accomplished composer/Jazz arranger (among her composition projects are 300 children songs written for the national franchise "The Language Workshop") and for two years she was the main vocalist of the Flamenco Dance Company "Día Flamenco".
Since 2012 Rebeca Vallejo has been an active performing member of the Brooklyn Conservatory Chorale. In 2009 Rebeca Vallejo was granted a scholarship to the prestigious Flamenco institution Cristina Heeren in Seville, Spain, where she focused on the study of Flamenco repertoire and Flamenco singing techniques. During the year of 2012 Rebeca Vallejo served as the director of SMINYC, a collective of musicians from Spain residing in New York, sponsored by the Spanish Cultural institution Centro Español. The mission statement of SMINYC was to support and promote musicians from Spain in New York by producing monthly events where projects of all musical genres are showcased. Through the success of the events organized by SMINYC, Rebeca Vallejo nurtured a lasting relationship with the Spanish Embassy in Washington and Spanish Consulate in NY (which became official sponsors of all her musical presentations) as well as with the world-wide prestigious cultural institution of Instituto Cervantes Among Rebeca Vallejo's musical accomplishments are numerous performances in renowned events (Jazz Aspen Gala accompanied by Chucho Valdes's band, Havana, Cuba), festivals (Gentse Feesten, Gent, Belgium), and venues such as the Modern Art Museum in Salvador, BRAZIL, The Kennedy Center (Washington), Carnegie Hall (with the NY Youth Orchestra, NY), and the United States Capitol (accompanying Gospel Grammy award winners Yolanda Adams and Dorinda Clark at the "Unveiling of Sojourner Truth's bust").
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Posted: 07 Jul 2014 11:07 AM PDT
With a unique combination of depth and accessibility, composer and bandleader Anthony Branker is able to put forth a jazz perspective steeped in soulful optimism. "The Forward (Towards Equality) Suite," the Princeton University professor's latest project for Origin Records, is a stylistically diverse twelve-movement work spotlighting Branker's exceptional prowess as a composer and guided by thought-provoking material meant to embody the essence of America and its people.
.I wanted this music to be reflective of our democratic spirit; our dedication to the principles of freedom and equality. (PRWEB) July 07, 2014
"The Forward (Towards Equality) Suite" is Anthony Branker's seventh recording as a leader and sixth for Origin Records. Featuring his all-star group "Word Play," we hear the latest from the pen of this forward-thinking composer whose work has steadily been gaining recognition worldwide. Recently, Branker was named in Down Beat magazine's 62nd Annual Critics Poll as a "Rising Star Composer."
As a composer who takes delight in incorporating an eclectic array of styles and approaches in his recordings, Branker's new CD features a broad range of influences – from jazz to spoken word and funk – to modal music and R&B – to African and Afro-Latin sensibilities – to freer methods of music-making.
As Branker shares, "I wanted the music for this project to be reflective of our democratic spirit; our dedication to the principles of freedom and equality; the multiplicity of cultures that have come together to comprise our country; the array of diverse influences that have shaped us; as well as our passionate, vibrant, and soulful nature."
Anthony Branker is joined on this captivating recording by a powerhouse edition of his group "Word Play" featuring several long-time collaborators that include tenor & soprano saxophonist Ralph Bowen, pianist Jim Ridl, bassist Kenny Davis, drummer Donald Edwards, and conguero Renato Thoms as well as new additions to the collective – alto saxophonist David Binney, trombonist Conrad Herwig, and vocalist Alison Crockett. Also appearing as guests are 5th Grade students from the Martin Luther King Elementary School in Piscataway, New Jersey who provide spoken word offerings.
Branker recognizes how extraordinary it was to work with this collection of musicians: "Every member of the group is someone whose music I have greatly admired for a long time. I am absolutely blessed to have these brilliant artists involved in this project…they have infused the music with their unique sensibilities and, together, have provided an indescribable spirit!"
According to Branker, the concept for "The Forward (Towards Equality) Suite" was realized during the fall of 2012 when he was out of the country on sabbatical and watching the final weeks of the presidential election campaign unfold by way of international television news media. "During this time, I thought long and hard about what America meant to my family, who came to the United States from the West Indies in the 1950s, and what it might mean to future generations of my family…I thought about notions of democracy, freedom, justice, and equality…I thought about where we have been as a nation and what we can still aspire to be and accomplish in the name of all Americans, if we, as a people, could simply come together as one, on behalf of all…"
Branker's new "Forward Suite" release is filled with an abundance of memorable moments, created, in no small part, by the emphasis he places on presenting lyrical melodies, infectious grooves, and passion-filled collective conversations within the ensemble. "The principle I value most as a composer is the importance of communicating and connecting with the listener in some way. In fact, I believe that melodic lyricism and rhythmic feel can be used in powerful ways to bring others into our musical world, because it is through these elements that most people come to interact with music as listeners."
While there are far too many musical highlights on this CD to give adequate attention to in this space, several are worth noting. Composed in 2005, the Woody Shaw-John Coltrane influenced "Forgotten Peoples" is packed with imaginative solos and fiery ensemble play. This was Branker's creative response to images he viewed of victims of Hurricane Katrina living in New Orleans stranded and huddled together waiting on rooftops above the flood waters; hoping to be rescued and wondering whether America had turned their backs on them during their time of despair.
Constructed around the rhythm of the syllables found in its title, the contagiously joyous "Equality" features vivid and dazzling improvisational performances by saxophonist Binney and pianist Ridl in a quartet setting with Davis and Edwards. "Its performance," as Branker writes in his liner notes, "reveals the kind of communicative interaction that can take place when individuals are connected to each other by a necessary mutuality. Here, each member is viewed as an equal and what guides the creative process is an unspoken obligation to a spirit of we, which I believe is symbolic of our democratic disposition. It also illustrates what can emerge when diverse voices unite and work together."
Special mention should also be given to "Our Dreams," the Suite's seventh movement on which Branker collaborated with sixteen 5th Grade students from the Martin Luther King Elementary School who shared their dreams for the future of this country and the citizens of the world. As Branker states, "It was incredible to return to the town in which I grew up to work with these remarkable young people who talked about, with hope and innocence in their voices, such pressing social issues as poverty, gun violence, hunger, racism, education, pollution, and joblessness. They also spoke of their desire to one day live in a world where the concept of peace could be experienced by all."
Since 2004, Anthony Branker has led two jazz collectives ("Ascent" and "Word Play") and has added seven recordings to his musically rich discography as a composer. They include the Origin releases "The Forward (Towards Equality) Suite" (2014), "Uppity" (2013), "Together" (2012), "Dialogic" (2011), "Dance Music" (2010), "Blessings" (2009), and the 2006 "Spirit Songs" recording on Sons of Sound Records.
Besides the musicians found in his current Word Play ensemble, Branker's recording projects have also featured Mark Gross, Tia Fuller, Steve Wilson, Antonio Hart, Andy Hunter, Clifford Adams, Eli Asher, Jonny King, Bryan Carrott, John Benitez, Belden Bullock, Adam Cruz, Ralph Peterson Jr., Wilby Fletcher, Kadri Voorand, and Freddie Bryant.
Branker holds an endowed chair in jazz studies and is the director of jazz studies at Princeton University, where he has taught for the past 25 years. Internationally, he has served as a visiting composer at conservatories in Denmark, Germany, and Estonia, and has had his music featured in performance in Italy, Australia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, China, Russia, Lithuania, and Japan. In addition, his music has also been presented in such New York venues as the Iridium Jazz Club, Sweet Basil Jazz Club, The Five Spot, Symphony Space, and the Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture.
Branker is very enthusiastic when he talks about "The Forward (Towards Equality) Suite" release and feels it represents some of his best work to date as a composer/bandleader. "I am so proud of this project as both a recording and as an extended composition! Yet, anyone who knows me is aware that I've never been fond of sitting still too long. I guess at the heart of it all is this desire to keep on exploring and discovering, to continue to use music as a means to provide commentary on life and our world, and to create interesting music with others that will hopefully resonate in some way with listeners."
"The Forward (Towards Equality) Suite" will undoubtedly be a recording that will resonate with many because of its beauty, infectious energy, and positive messages. When composer Anthony Branker brings you into his musical world, you may never want to leave!
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Posted: 07 Jul 2014 10:54 AM PDT
Guitarist Chris Standring has released a new single and video off of his latest release Don't Talk, Dance! entitled Imagine That. The song juxtaposes an infectious mid tempo groove and funky rhythm guitars with a darker lead guitar melody. Standring has always been a masterful ballad composer, and balances the high energy of most of the tunes on Don't Talk, Dance! with a few slices of mid-tempo wistful elegance.
The recent success of the Don't Talk, Dance! album has Chris Standring filling up his tour calendar, and we've got a partial list of what he's got booked for the next couple of months all the way into 2015.
2014 Tour Dates:
July 10 - Atlanta, GA @ Atlanta Suite Lounge
July 17 - Laguna Beach, CA @ Festival Of Arts
July 25 - Newport Beach, CA @ Hyatt Regency Summer Concert Series August 8 – Philadelphia, PA @ The River Sage at Penn's Landing
September 11 – Germany @ Augsburg Jazz Festival
October 12 - Avalon, CA @ Catalina Island Jazz Festival
December 11- Studio City, CA @ Vitello's Jazz & Supper Club
2015 Tour Dates:
January 8 - Southend, UK @ The Jazz Mix at Cliff's Pavillion
January 9 - Soho, London, UK @ Pizza Express Jazz Club
January 10 - Soho, London, UK @ Pizza Express Jazz Club
January 10 - Soho, London, UK @ Pizza Express Jazz Club
January 14 - Chichester, UK @ Chichester Inn
January 15 - Wavendon, UK @ Stables
January 16 - Manchester, UK @ Cinnamon Club
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Posted: 07 Jul 2014 09:13 AM PDT
Any true fusion in music represents a delicate negotiation. It requires both respect for the different genres in play, their traditions and codes and a 'why not?' attitude. Cutting-and-pasting is one thing, translating the approach, technique and sensibility of one tradition to another demands a special talent and commitment.
On Nora La Bella, her debut recording, New York-based Bolivian soprano Gian-Carla Tisera makes bold, daring crossings between opera, jazz and Latin American folk music, art song and political song, experimentation and roots music.
Throughout the recording, she sings in English, Spanish, Italian and Quechua. Co-produced by Tisera and Grammy-nominated Cuban pianist Elio Villafranca, Nora La Bella includes original songs, provocative versions of two works from the classical vocal repertoire and several pieces from the Latin American songbook, including a couple from the socially committed Nueva Canción.
But this is not a lab project. Rather, it's an expression of her experience and her personal search.
"I had this idea for a new kind of opera, something different, accessible and fresh," says Tisera. "I love opera and that's my training, and while I am not a jazz singer or a traditional folk singer, both genres have been an integral part of my life and my musical experience. And I also thought: how can I express my immigrant experience? How can I speak of my perspective as a Bolivian woman, as an American woman looking back at my country from a distance? All of that came into play when working on Nora La Bella."
Accompanied by a quartet featuring Villafranca at the piano and guest artists such as trumpeter Diego Urcola and five-time Grammy Award-winning bassist John Benitez, Tisera's music includes nods to Bolivian folklore (her original "Señora Chichera" and "Cueca Lejanía") and her own versions of the aria "Tu che le vanita" from Giuseppe Verdi's Don Carlo, appearing here as the source for "Ernesto in the tomb," and the madrigal "Amarilli" from Giulio Caccini's Le Nuove Musiche.
She offers a very personal take, often celebrating at once vanguard and tradition, of the folk song "La Llorona" and folk based pieces such as "Alfonsina y El Mar" and "Mujer, Niña y Amiga."
As for her social and political ideals, Tisera draws her lines in broad strokes with her classically-tinged re-interpretations of the Chilean folk group Quilapayún's "The people united," and Carlos Puebla's "Hasta Siempre," an ode to Che Guevara and his revolutionary principles that Tisera personalizes with a musical quote inspired by Puccini.
"These songs carry deep social messages, and I chose them for how they inspired broken societies and gave hope to generations with powerful ideals of love and unity," she says. "They transcend time, culture and race and through them I express my artistic and political thoughts using my classical voice. Also, these choices help me challenge the perceptions that separate artists, especially classically trained artists, from their communities and from the music that speaks to the modern world."
Born to a Bolivian mother and Italo-Argentine father, Tisera was raised in Cochabamba, a city surrounded by mountains located in the center of Bolivia. She studied at the Instituto Eduardo Laredo, in Cochabamba, and later moved to Los Angeles, CA, where she completed her Masters Degree in Opera Performance at the University of Southern California.
"I moved to New York in 2008, and I arrived here as an opera singer and with the dream of being an opera singer. That was it," she says. "I've loved Latin American folk music all my life, I've been intrigued and inspired by jazz and I'm very socially conscious. But as a musician, my choice had always been opera and the classical stage. That was my posture for my first three years in New York and, frankly, I started to feel empty. In the opera world it's very hard to have your own project and your own ideas. There is a repertoire, you are a performer, and that's that."
She worked in the United States and Bolivia, performing with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the National Symphony Orchestra of Bolivia and the Pasadena Symphony, among others, and for five years she toured with the Bolivian Baroque Project, performing 17th century music found in the Jesuit missions of the Bolivian jungle - a project that showcased her voice on the world's greatest concert halls. But once in New York, she also started collaborating with visual artists and dipping her toes in the murky waters of jam sessions. "Of course, many looked at me like an odd duck and I would tell them: 'Yes, I am an opera singer. No, I don't know jazz standards, but I do know Latin American music, I sing boleros and I can improvise so, why not?' And that's how I met Elio."
Fittingly, their first musical encounter was in the baroque style - the improvisatory nature of baroque being an area of contact between jazz and classical music.
As Tisera began working on the recording she chose pieces based on how they affected her vocally and for the possibilities they offered for reinvention. "I tried many, many songs and ideas. It took me a year of trial and error, to polish the arrangements, create new pieces and let them grow," she says.
For those who see her approach as avant-garde, Tisera says she is "pushing the vanguard but to bring audiences to experience the greatness of opera as it relates to modern themes of love, politics and culture. I long to present opera not like an old, precious form but instead, as a vibrant, contemporary style that speaks to our concerns now. That's why there are operatic moments in Nora La Bella - but they might include improvisation, or the musical treatment might include Bolivian or Afro-Latin rhythms, and elements of Rock or Spoken Word. I remember during the recording we were listening to the second take of 'Ernesto in the Tomb,' with its Afro-Cuban groove and my operatic voice soaring above the music. The musicians heard it and said 'Wow, it works!' and I had to laugh. 'Yes guys, of course it works'."
Upcoming New York City Performances:
August 21 @ Joe's Pub - 7:30 PM
(w/ Elio Villafranca, piano; Edward Perez, bass;
Franco Pinna, drums; Paulo Stagnaro, percussion)
joespub.publictheater.org
September 13 @ St. Peters - 8:00 PM
featuring Bolivian Folklore Dancers
(w/ Octavio Brunetti, piano; Edward Perez, bass;
Franco Pinna, drums; Reinaldo de Jesus, percussion)
saintpeters.org/jazz
September 30 @ Americas Society - 7:00 PM
(w/ Elio Villafranca, piano; Edward Perez, bass;
Franco Pinna, drums; Reinaldo de Jesus, percussion)
as-coa.org
Gian-Carla Tisera · Nora la Bella
Release Date: August 19, 2014
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Posted: 07 Jul 2014 06:57 AM PDT
Jason Paul Curtis On a hot Virginia night in June, 2009, and with only a sound system, a microphone and a suit, Jason performed his first public solo gig. Three hours of Sinatra, Italian and American Songbook later, the stage was set for countless more engagements over the next five years.
Soon, he was performing with DC-area big band, Swing Machine, and in 2010, he founded Swinglab with pianist Ray Mabalot, drummer Woody Hume and Baltimore bassist, John Dahlman.
In 2011, the quartet performed two sets at DC's Twins Jazz and were immediately invited to play the Christmas season at the Gaylord, National Harbor Hotel in Washington, DC. Jason and the band continued with the Gaylord, playing over 64 nights in 2012. In November, 2012,
Jason released his first full-length album, Lovers Holiday. With five originals and two arrangements with Swing Machine, Lovers Holiday received across-the-board critical acclaim and international airplay. Other venues through 2014 have included repeat engagements at Lansdowne Resort (Northern Virginia's largest), Bethesda Blues and Jazz, Blues Alley, The Willard Hotel, with the McLean Orchestra, the National Building Museum, The Metropolitan Club and the White House Holiday Tours in 2012 and 2013.
On June 20, 2014, Jason releases his second full length album, Faux Bourgeois Cafe, welcoming bassist, Ephriam Wolfolk, Jr, saxophonist Dave Schiff and guitarist John Albertson. Cafe includes eight brand-new songs by Jason.
"For a guy who's relatively new to the jazz community, I'm humbled and thrilled to be listed among the striving and thriving who are putting their best voice out there for the world to experience. "Faux Bourgeois Cafe" comprises an (almost) entirely original song writing effort, and I hope you feel and appreciate the variety of energies the band and I poured into each track. I hope you like it, and I hope you have a great summer" says Curtis. Just came in, track 5, "Back of My Mind" is featured on Italy's Animajazz this week!
Visit THE JAZZ NETWORK WORLDWIDE "A GREAT PLACE TO HANG" at: http://www.thejazznetworkworldwide.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network
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