THE JAZZ CHILL CORNER Bassist Jeff Denson releases first-ever live album, titled Jeff Denson Live |  |
- Bassist Jeff Denson releases first-ever live album, titled Jeff Denson Live
- The Pete McGuinness Jazz Orchestra offers a sweeping, virtuosic overview of the jazz big band tradition on its third album
- Romain Collin - Tiny Lights...With Obed Calvaire, Matthew Stevens, the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
- Pianist Luke Gillespie's Moving Mists, out July 12, 2019
- Wayne Wallace blends chamber orchestra, jazz horns, spoken word, and his acclaimed Latin Jazz Quintet on The Rhythm of Invention
- Santana's New Album 'Africa Speaks' Debuts At #3 On Billboard Top 200
- Peter Frampton Band's 'All Blues' Debuts #1 On Billboard Blues Albums Chart
- New Music Releases: Reel People – Retroflection Remixed; Re:Funk - Let Her Lead feat. Ira May; Ollie Gabriel Something New
- New Music Releases: Althea Rene - Flawsome; Dr. Dave & The HouseCall Band - Midnight Daydream; Shawn Myers -The Silent Life
- Guitarist Gregory Goodloe is “Stylin’” with his first Billboard No. 1 single
- New Music Releases: Prince – Originals; Dila; Timo Lassy & Teppo Makynen
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Posted: 21 Jun 2019 12:43 PM PDT
Acclaimed bassist, vocalist, and composer Jeff Denson's ambitious 2019 includes two stellar new albums, extensive touring, a new role at California Jazz Conservatory plus introducing Bay Area artists to the world through his Ridgeway Records label
Releases include Denson's first-ever live album, simply titled Jeff Denson Live, on May 17, 2019, and Between Two Worlds, a collaboration with French guitarist Romain Pilon and acclaimed U.S. drummer Brian Blade, on October 25, 2019
Internationally acclaimed bassist, vocalist and composer Jeff Denson-a musician of high (and steadily increasing) renown in the jazz world-has embarked upon what will be among the most bountiful and consequential years of his career. 2019 will see the release of two new and very different recording projects from the prolific musician, along with other releases on his Ridgeway Records label. In addition, Denson will maintain his busy schedule of tours and live performances as well as ongoing work as full professor at the California Jazz Conservatory (CJC)-to which, in the fall, he will also add the role of Dean of Instruction.
The first new album Jeff Denson Live, his seventh recording as a leader and first live album, is slated for a May 17 digital-only release via Ridgeway Records. Live was recorded at the CJC with a superlative band, including saxophonist Lyle Link, pianist Dahveed Behroozi and drummer Dillon Vado; it continues his development toward giving his formidable vocal prowess (as documented on 2018's Outside My Window) equal prominence with his remarkable bass playing.
"After Outside My Window came out, I took my quartet all over the country, and I was loving the pursuit of singing along with playing," Denson says. "The chemistry in the band kept growing in a really great way, and that's when I decided, 'Okay, I want to do a live album.' I love working in the studio, but live, we extend things and take a lot of risks-and I don't worry about track lengths. We let it go wherever it's gonna go."
Live features five of Denson's original compositions, along with scintillating covers of songs by Jeff Buckley, Abbey Lincoln, Peter Gabriel and the Beatles.
Denson's second release in 2019 will be a studio collaboration with superb French guitarist Romain Pilon, a friend of Denson's from their days together at Berklee College of Music, now based in Paris; and iconic, jazz drummer Brian Blade, one of Denson's longtime heroes. Between Two Worlds is due for release on October 25, 2019, also on the Ridgeway label. The group plans a US tour the last week of August, with more dates in February 2020.
An admirer of Blade's work for two decades, Denson finally got to meet and play with the drummer in 2017, when they both joined New York guitarist Joel Harrison on a tour with his band Spirit House.
"We deeply connected right away: from the first notes in the sound check," says Denson. "It felt like kindred spirits, rhythmically; a whole other language was taking place behind the soloists, and it was totally enthralling." They kept in touch. Denson, searching for another opportunity to collaborate with Blade, thought of Pilon as an ideal third partner-"He's a virtuoso player but very sensitive and very musical, the same words I would use to describe Brian," he says-and extended an invitation to both.
Between Two Worlds is a collection of all original material, with Denson and Pilon each contributing half the compositions.
Denson's own projects are not the only items on Ridgeway Records' release schedule. The bassist's label will be issuing a handful of other recordings this year. Among these is the debut recording by multi-instrumentalist Dillon Vado (who plays the drums on Jeff Denson Live), which will be released in the summer, and the third album by the expansive electro-acoustic ensemble Negative Press Project co-led by bassist Andrew Lion and pianist/keyboardist Ruthie Dineen, with other projects to follow.
In addition, Denson maintains an ever-rigorous performing schedule, often with some 60 to 70 concerts per year. Among the highlights are upcoming performances with his own bands including the Jeff Denson Live quartet and the San Francisco String Trio (with guitarist Mimi Fox and violinist Mads Tolling) whose tribute to the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the 2017 album May I Introduce to You, earned critical praise. Denson will also pay tribute to Bill Evans' landmark album Sunday at the Village Vanguard with pianist Joe Gilman at SFJAZZ; he's also got gigs as part of New York trombonist John Fedchock's quartet; another quartet with pianist Susan Muscarella and vocalist Kenny Washington; with a trio led by pianist Edward Simon; as well as the Anton Schwartz Quartet.
Denson's work as an educator at the California Jazz Conservatory will also expand in the fall 2019 semester when he officially becomes Dean of Instruction. But that role won't sideline his commitment to teaching and community outreach. He'll still teach students at CJC and will be part of a number of summer educational initiatives including a week-long Jazz Piano Intensive headed by Susan Muscarella, a two-day Vibraphone and Bass Boot Camp, co-led by Denson and Philadelphia-based vibraphonist Tony Miceli, and a Guitar-Intensive Workshop headed by Mimi Fox, as well as serving on the faculty of the Golden Gate Bass Camp.
It's all part of Denson's quest to push his creative ability to its limits. "I've got so many ideas I want to try, and I don't want to put myself in any kind of box," he says. "Everything I do has a thread that runs through it-and that thread is me. It's who I am."
Born December 20, 1976 in Arlington, Virginia, Jeff Denson grew up in the Washington, DC area. He began playing alto saxophone in the third grade, switching in high school to bass and vocals. He studied at Virginia Commonwealth University and Northern Virginia Community College, all the while freelancing heavily on the DC jazz scene, before transferring to Boston's prestigious Berklee College of Music to complete his degree. At Berklee, Denson co-founded the trio Minsarah, touring and recording with the band for fifteen years and becoming the accompanist for the legendary saxophonist Lee Konitz for over twelve years. In the meantime, Denson completed a master's degree at Florida State University and a DMA at the University of California at San Diego, and recorded his first solo project in 2012's Secret World. Denson moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2011 to become a professor at the California Jazz Conservatory. Since then, he has become a major player on the international scene and earned wide critical acclaim for his musicianship. DownBeat Magazine has cited Denson's "considerable gifts as an improviser, interpreter and sonic trailblazer..." earning him a spot on the DownBeat International Critics Poll. Germany's Jazz Podium Magazine noted that "Denson is breaking new groundŠ(he is) one of the leading bassists of contemporary jazz." Denson has released twelve albums as a leader or co-leader and performs in some 60 concerts annually. He also spearheads Ridgeway Arts, a nonprofit designed to enhance and fortify the Bay Area scene with educational initiatives, concert presentations and recordings released on Denson's Ridgeway Records label.
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The Pete McGuinness Jazz Orchestra offers a sweeping, virtuosic overview of the jazz big band tradition on its third album
Posted: 21 Jun 2019 12:35 PM PDT
After 13 years and two critically acclaimed albums, The Pete McGuinness Jazz Orchestra has begun to feel like a well-oiled machine - especially considering the fact that its component parts are some of the most skilled musicians on the New York City jazz, studio and Broadway scenes. So it's understandable that McGuinness chose Along For the Ride as the title for his big band's dazzling third release; at this point, Pete clearly feels that he can set his music in front of them and let them go. But one listen to the album's intricate, expressive arrangements and compelling original compositions, not to mention the leader's own virtuosic trombone soloing and stirring vocal turns, leaves no doubt who's behind the wheel.
For Along For the Ride (due out June 7, 2019 on Summit Records), McGuinness has crafted his most diverse and stunning line-up of big band charts to date. The repertoire ranges from familiar standards by George Gershwin and Michel Legrand to an impressively varied slate of original pieces that reach back to classic big band swing and reach forward into modern programmatic concepts. Throughout, the constantly surprising set list reveals McGuinness as one of the most versatile and creative bandleaders in contemporary jazz today.
"Along for the Ride" is more about the band than it is about me," McGuinness insists modestly. "At this point, I know the band, the players, and their abilities so well that I'm confident when I write something challenging that they'll execute it brilliantly. I trust them totally, and the studio experience was incredibly fun because once I stomped off a chart I could just enjoy how amazingly the band executed my music."
The formation of the Pete McGuinness Jazz Orchestra was the culmination of a life-long dream for the bandleader. He fell in love with the classic swing band sound as a kid, delving into the record collection of his father, who had been a radio DJ in the early 1950s. "It became my absolute passion," McGuinness recalls. "When I was young I basically wanted to be Duke Ellington when I grew up. I realize those were big shoes to fill for a 13 year old, but it's what I was striving for."
McGuinness got his first real taste of the power of playing with a large ensemble as a trombonist. He made his New York City/Blue Note club debut with the Buddy Rich Orchestra (directed by Steve Marcus). He also worked with the Woody Herman Big Band after that leader's passing, though he was able to play with the Lionel Hampton and Jimmy Heath bands under the batons of those jazz giants. More recently he spent a decade guesting occasionally with the Maria Schneider Orchestra, the leading modern purveyor of the big band tradition.
McGuinness' history-spanning love of the big band sound places him directly in the center of that timeline, combining the vigorous, full-blooded swing of the classic era with the vibrant color palette and narrative sweep of the more contemporary approach, which he studied with one of its innovators, Bob Brookmeyer. "A lot of arranger/composers stay within a very narrow confine," McGuinness explains. "I'm not such a purist; I like a little more variety. Bob Brookmeyer encouraged me to take chances, but by the same token I often find I have one foot in the past. Along For the Ride is a mosaic of my entire musical sentiment."
The two worlds collide in a sense on the album's opener, a cleverly deconstructed rendition of "Put on a Happy Face," the (some might say excessively) cheery earwig from Bye Bye Birdie. McGuinness completely reinvents the tune, putting a surprising and sophisticated twist on a song that, in its original form, might come off as corny. "Sometimes a tune sticks in your ear for reasons that are personal," McGuinness says. "It's the kind of tune that Chet Baker or Gerry Mulligan or Sonny Rollins would have recorded; they all did these cutesy songs that nobody would touch and put their personal stamp on them, and I love that."
McGuinness steps to the microphone for the first time on "You Must Believe In Spring," a romantic masterpiece in tribute to the recently deceased composer, Michel Legrand. He also showcases his Chet Baker-inspired vocal prowess on the lovely ballad "May I Come In," which also features an emotional trombone solo. His virtuosity is on jaw-dropping display on the blistering original samba "Point of Departure," on which the leader duels with the similarly fire-breathing tenor saxophonist Rob Middleton and trumpeter Bill Mobley.
Another McGuinness original, the breathtaking "Old Roads," looks wistfully back at the composer's childhood neighborhood in West Hartford, Connecticut, with heart wrenching piano courtesy Mike Holober. "Aftermath" is also profoundly personal, a multi-movement suite inspired by the death of a college friend that cycles through the stages of grief. On this recording, the piece becomes almost a concerto featuring the emotional soprano sax of Dave Pietro, a longtime member of the Maria Schneider Orchestra, the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra, and Darcy James Argue's Secret Society.
Originally commissioned by the Westchester Jazz Orchestra, McGuinness' take on Nat Adderley's "Jive Samba" is athletically funky, an infectiously joyous romp featuring spirited solos by trombonist Matt Haviland and baritone saxophonist Dave Reikenberg. Finally, "One For the Maestro" reaches deep into the Count Basie bag to pay homage to McGuinness' high school band director, the late Bill Stanley. The most traditional piece on the album, the song deliberately evokes Sammy Nestico's classic arrangements for Basie's New Testament band. "Bill Stanley changed my life," McGuinness says. "They should build him a statue. He turned me on to the tradition of cats like Basie and Thad Jones - the best writing, the best bands - and that changed my trajectory in life dramatically."
That trajectory has now brought McGuinness to Along For the Ride, a journey along which he very rarely rode shotgun. It's only felt this easy since he so astutely assembled one of the best bands in modern jazz.
"The beauty and excitement of the big band is that you have the potential for power and color and nuance that you don't quite get from small group jazz," he says. "I write for a wide array of people: the seasoned modern jazz listener, someone who enjoys music of the swing era, and everyone in between."
Originally from West Hartford, Connecticut, Pete McGuinness has been an active New York City-based jazz musician since 1987. His creativity is expressed in many capacities: in-demand jazz trombonist, GRAMMY-nominated composer/arranger, award-winning jazz vocalist, and longtime jazz educator. His credits as a trombonist over the years are many, including performances with such artists as Maria Schneider, Lionel Hampton, Jimmy Heath, The Woody Herman Orchestra, Mike Holober's Gotham Jazz Orchestra, and Bill Mobley's Smoke Big Band. McGuinness appears as a sideman on over 50 jazz CDs, including the GRAMMY-winning CD by Maria Schneider, Concert In The Garden. He has also performed in the pits of many Broadway shows throughout the years. As a composer-arranger, he writes for his own big band, The Pete McGuinness Jazz Orchestra, which has been nominated for three GRAMMY Awards. McGuinness is currently an Associate Professor of Jazz Studies/Arranging at William Paterson University.
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Romain Collin - Tiny Lights...With Obed Calvaire, Matthew Stevens, the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
Posted: 21 Jun 2019 12:32 PM PDT
On his fourth studio recording, released May 24, 2019 via XM Records in partnership with Revive Music Group, Collin transcends all traditional notions of the modern piano trio. The album features Collin on piano and the bass synthesizer Moog Taurus, Obed Calvaire on acoustic and electronic drums and Matthew Stevens on electric guitar, plus string arrangements composed by Kazuma Jinnouchi and performed by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.
"Tiny Lights are a reflection of your personal and unaffected blueprint. They symbolize the ceaseless intuition that flickers deep within, they push you to follow your true north, to pursue a vision that belongs to you, and you alone. They are the expression of your primal life force and drive you to become all you can become. Tiny lights live inside everyone." - Romain Collin
Described by NPR host Jon Weber as "a visionary composer, an extraordinary jazz pianist and a very bright young rising star in the jazz world," pianist, composer and Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz alum Romain Collin transcends all traditional notions of the modern piano trio on his fourth full-length studio album Tiny LightsŠ Four years removed from the 2015 release of Press Enter, Collin's latest effort as a leader is a drastic departure from his earlier work. The concept record released in partnership with Revive Music Group is guided by an original and personal narrative about a boy on a journey to realize his "purest essence."
The theme of the album is derived from Collin's lifelong compulsion to manifest a universe of sounds, textures and colors that has inhabited him since childhood - a world that finds him composing heavily nuanced arrangements and exploring haunting existential questions through sonic experimentation. Tiny LightsŠ is colored by sharp turns and brilliant bursts of light that underscore the poignant statements dominating the trilogy of chapters that comprise the album.
Tiny LightsŠ is split into three moving parts and is scheduled for a three-stage release. Each stage reflects a part of Collin's fictional tale.
Tiny Lights: Genesis - Available April 12, 2019
Featuring three songs, part one of the EPK, a live video and music video.
"Inner visions of a promise and a destiny. The boy is pushed into the light violently, out of pain. Everything turns dark. There is noise and chaos, brutal and piercing, cold needles and blades crawling like ants. Tiny lights flicker, they whisper and gently move inside the boy's mouth and body. They make beautiful clicks and noises."
Tiny Lights: Blood - Available May 3, 2019
Featuring three more songs, the second part of the EPK and a live video.
"There is resistance and bloodshed, the eradication of the old to give birth to the new. His past seems tired and distant, his future unfathomable. The young man must realize his vision with his hands, his heart, his ankles and his knees. He stares deeply into the abyss. To create, the young man must destroy violently. Tiny Lights and his personal truth are all that he has."
Tiny Lights: Gold - Available May 24, 2019
Featuring the full album, full EPK and final live video.
"Every day the boy burns more intensely into his light, to be all that he can be, to give all that he can give. As he moves toward his purest essence, he slowly turns to gold and is swallowed whole by the ocean and the burning sun."
The record chronicles the protagonist's violent journey to transcendence, and moves deftly through expansive compositions with a frenetic pace that captures Collin's commitment to unbounded self-expression. The far-reaching, cinematic aesthetic of this album is supported by a unique approach to instrumentation that features Collin on piano and the bass synthesizer Moog Taurus, Obed Calvaire on acoustic and electronic drums and Matthew Stevens on electric guitar. Co-produced and engineered by Jeremy Loucas, this compilation of original music calls upon Romain Collin's experience scoring films, while reflecting a bevy of influences ranging from Bjork and Bon Iver to Steve Reich and Keith Jarrett. The group achieves a much more progressive, alternative sound than listeners might expect from a piano trio. The band's visionary approach is reflective of a collective urge for artistic growth, with each member of the group contributing to crafting specific parts and sonic textures around Collin's compositions. The seamless integration of music, text and video further transcends the constraints of the average sound recording to enable Tiny LightsŠ to take on a virtuosic and multi-dimensional life of its own. LA filmmaker Matthew Palmer directed the music video for Tiny Lights that move and Speak, and Spain-based production house Neutrø directed a short documentary, as well as a series of live video performances by the group.
"Overflow" opens the album with a luminous, pop-rock sound punctuated by acoustic and electronic percussion designed to be unique to the release. Collin's contrapuntal piano is doubled with his own voice and painstakingly crafted to sound much simpler than it is to perform. "This piece feels like light pouring out of one's mouth and nose, like a life force that can't be contained," explains Collin. "There Will Be Blood" is a call to arms. Its brooding, guttural grunge sound alludes to bloodshed and the necessary destruction of the old to make way for the new. It also borrows its ethos from the film of the same name, and exists as a tribute to composer and Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood. "Dark Matter" explores the darkness of human nature and the personal, as well as societal, responsibility to confront it.
Composer Kazuma Jinnouchi is featured on Tiny LightsŠ, bolstering the contributions of Collin, Stevens and Calvaire with string arrangements performed by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra on both "Dark Matter" and "Repeat & Fade;" the latter illustrates the inexorable journey from life to death. "Gold" conveys transcendence at the end of the narrative behind Tiny LightsŠ, as the peripatetic leader turns to gold and melts into the Pacific Ocean before being swallowed by the sun. "Tiny Lights That Move and Speak" is the title track and finds Collin further exploring electronics and vocal loops. The piece climaxes into a rock anthem, an explosion of sonic energy beautifully illustrated by Matthew Palmer's haunting music video.
The irony of the title Tiny LightsŠ is that the album is not, in fact, tiny at all. It is powerful, vividly colored and incandescent. It is an evocative journey toward the deepest urge within, a celebration of the unique life force imparted to all human beings.
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Posted: 21 Jun 2019 12:28 PM PDT
When pianist/composer Luke Gillespie went on sabbatical from his professorial post in spring 2018, he proposed to his department head a project that would allow him to write for and record with his faculty colleagues. It's not your everyday proposal: Gillespie is professor of jazz piano at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music, one of the world's most prestigious conservatories, and his colleagues at the time included the likes of vocalist Tierney Sutton, guitarist Dave Stryker and saxophonist Walter Smith III. The final project, Moving Mists, will be released July 12, 2019 through Patois Records.
"My colleagues are some of the greatest musicians in the world, and some of the most professional," says Gillespie. "We do play together several times a semester, in different venues. But this gave me a chance to actually record with my colleagues. It's nice to have a document that we have played together."
In addition to Smith, Stryker and Sutton, Moving Mists features the acclaimed talents of trumpeters John Raymond and Pat Harbison, trombonists Wayne Wallace and Brennan Johns, saxophonist Tom Walsh, bassists Jeremy Allen and Todd Coolman, and drummer Steve Houghton, working in various combinations. Another of Gillespie's IU colleagues, Brent Wallarab, contributed two arrangements for sextet and septet.
"I wanted to use as many of my colleagues as I could," says Gillespie, who regards his faculty mates as his musical family. "Nobody plays on everything-except me-but everybody plays on something, though I chose not to solo on 'This I Dig of Grew' on purpose to honor the late Mulgrew Miller."
The pianist also wanted to give features to the album's participants, both showcasing their remarkable talents and thanking them for their work with him. Houghton has the first such feature with the opening "I Hear a Rhapsody," an inventive trio arrangement for Gillespie, Houghton and bassist Jeremy Allen. The latter has his own turn in the spotlight on the album's second trio setting, "My Funny Valentine."
Trumpeter Raymond and saxophonist Smith team up for a double feature. "Blues for All" is a Gillespie original that, as the title suggests, is an upbeat variation on Miles Davis's iconic 6/8 "All Blues" that allows the two horn men to attack it with relish. Then comes "Giant Steps," John Coltrane's perennial minefield. Both Smith (who begins with only drums accompanying) and Raymond show grim determination on their solos, but also absolute assurance in their melodic and rhythmic choices.
Raymond returns to center stage on his own, this time with flugelhorn, on Gillespie's "Moving Mist." The tune is a subtle nod to Japan's cultural influence: Though his family is American, Gillespie grew up in Osaka. "I've got one foot in Japanese culture and one foot in American culture," he says. Specifically, "Moving Mists" reflects the influence of Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi and his film score work, especially for director Hayao Miyazaki.
"Beautiful Love" is a duet for Gillespie and the acclaimed vocalist Sutton, which they recorded shortly before Sutton left the faculty at IU to concentrate on her performing career. Its stark, haunting beauty is in many ways a tribute to the singer's perfectionism. "We did three takes," Gillespie says. "Each time, the engineer and I were ready to sign off on it, but Tierney kept insisting she could do better. And sure enough, she did."
"This I Dig of Grew" and "DaNaBar," both Gillespie's, are Wallarab's arrangements for septet and sextet, respectively. Both are tributes to recently departed influences of Gillespie's. The former, of course, salutes piano great Mulgrew Miller, who died in 2013. (The composer was also thinking when he wrote the tune of the late, great pianist Tommy Flanagan.) The graceful "DaNaBar" is for another IU faculty member who is an unspoken presence throughout the album: David Baker, who founded both the university's jazz program and, arguably, the entire academic discipline of jazz studies. "I could have dedicated the whole CD to his memory," says the pianist. "I owe everything to him." The two Wallarab arrangements, he adds, demonstrate his colleagues' top-flight professionalism. "We looked at those charts for the first time at the session-and in both cases they nailed it in the first take."
Gillespie features himself on two solo tunes, both of them remarkably delicate takes on bebop standards. "Round Midnight" becomes a solemn minuet with echoes of composers John Field and Frederic Chopin, a glimpse into Gillespie's parallel background in classical music. (While his bachelor's and master's degrees are in jazz piano, he studied classical for his doctorate.) The closing "All the Things You Are" takes on a slow, eerie aspect, with the pianist's bass lines casting unusual shadows against his melodic right hand.
About Luke Gillespie
Born April 16, 1957 in Kyoto, Japan, Luke Gillespie grew up in Osaka, the son of a Baptist missionary from Memphis, Tennessee. His father loved black gospel music, such as Mahalia Jackson and the Edwin Hawkins singers, and his older brother (who, like Luke, took piano lessons at their father's behest) was a fan of Ray Charles and James Brown. Against that soulful background, however, Gillespie was transformed when a friend played him a Thelonious Monk record. From that moment on, he was a jazz fanatic.
After graduating from the International School in Kobe, Gillespie matriculated at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN-compelled by its jazz studies director, David Baker, whose book Jazz Improvisation he had devoured in high school. Though he enrolled as a classical piano major, Baker heard Gillespie play and allowed him to change to jazz studies, where he ultimately earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees. While studying for his doctorate in classical piano, Gillespie took an adjunct position as the university's jazz piano professor, which became full-time after he completed his studies in 1997.
In addition to his teaching career, Gillespie frequently performs around the Midwest, the US and the world, both as a sideman and a leader. He has received numerous awards, including best performance from the Indianapolis Star in 1993, the 1990 Copland Piano Concerto Competition at Indiana University, and the 1994 Indianapolis Jazz Festival Competition. His first album, Footprints (2003), was a solo performance, while 2009's Live at the Station and 2011's Third Base Line both placed him at the head of a trio with bassist Jeremy Allen and drummer Jason Tiemann. Moving Mists is his fourth album.
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Posted: 21 Jun 2019 12:24 PM PDT
On his previous album, the critically adored Canto América, Wayne Wallace broke with his own tradition to co-lead a chamber orchestra featuring horns, winds, a double string quartet, and an array of vocalists. On The Rhythm of Invention - released by Patois Records on June 7, 2019 - Wallace set an equally ambitious goal: to combine these added resources with his Latin Jazz Quintet, whose albums have garnered three of Wallace's four previous GRAMMY nominations.
"I wanted to come up with a way of coherently mixing the quintet with the brass and strings from Canto," explains the esteemed trombonist, innovative arranger, and notable educator. That desire now finds voice in a dazzling set of new compositions and classic jazz standards (and even one impressive mashup) on which Wallace uses the expanded sonic palette of an orchestra to highlight the strengths of his core conjunto. Undergirding it all is an effortlessly instructive survey of Latin rhythms, from the familiar to the arcane, that reflect Wallace's lifelong study of these sounds.
"I wanted to retain the energy of Canto without repeating it," he explains. To do so, he chose to redirect the music's focus onto the quintet, while retaining the almost tangible richness of brass chorales and the elegance of string ensemble writing; peppering the proceedings are solos from such luminaries as Mary Fettig (flute) and Melecio Magdaluyo (baritone saxophone). Wallace also features rapper and spoken-word artist Akida Thomas on the title track, where he contributes a spontaneously composed ode to this music - and to the spirit of all music - that also utilizes an interview with Wallace's colleague and mentor, the late Dr. David Baker.
To tie all this together, Wallace came up with a three-layered approach, built upon the foundational expertise of his longtime musical co-conspirator, percussion master Michael Spiro. "The concept was to have Michael play four congas" - the usual conga setup has three at most - "and to have him play as melodically as possible." As a result, "A good way to hear the record is to listen all the way through and focus on Michael, and then to drummer Colin Douglas's cymbal work - and then put it together. It's like a history of Latin music." From there, Wallace created a second layer by highlighting the other members of the Latin Jazz Quintet's rhythm section, pianist Murray Low and bassist David Belove, and leaving space for his own forceful yet lyrical trombone solos. Only then did he add the composed material; the vital frosting to this multi-tiered concoction, it draws its flavors from the previous ingredients.
As its title suggests, the album doesn't lack for inventiveness. One case in point is Wallace's arrangement of the durable Paul Desmond composition "Take Five," which famously contains five beats in each measure (instead of the usual four). After some research, Wallace realized that no one had previously recorded this song with a clave rhythm, the heartbeat of Latin music - despite the fact that the clave itself comprises five notes (within four beats). The finished product marries these two views of musical time; add in a Santeria-derived coro section sung by the quintet, and you have a memorable new take on a 60-year-old jazz hit.
Another example comes on "So Softly," in which the ancient pop standard "Softly as in a Morning Sunrise" - from the 1928 operetta The New Moon - slides seamlessly into Miles Davis's "So What," written three decades later. The idea to combine them arose from one of the Latin Jazz Quintet's earliest experiments, in which the band presented these two songs as a medley; but, says Wallace, "After time I pleasantly found that the two melodies worked conversationally without detracting from each other. This inspired the idea of re-imagining them as a mashup" - an idea that, he points out, "stretches back to the beginnings of recorded music."
Less complex (but no less inventive) are several homages, including Wallace's slightly shrouded cover of "Vamanos Pa'l Monte" one of Eddie Palmieri's biggest hits. Although this version mimics the blend of trombone and flute that characterized Palmieri's famous band La Perfecta, "The melody is really an extrapolation of what Eddie wrote," says Wallace. (But anyone who knows the original will recognize it as the framework of this arrangement.) Meanwhile, the completely unexpected inclusion of "In a Mist" - an impressionistic piano composition by the legendary early-jazz cornetist Bix Beiderbecke - represents a sort of personal triumph for Wallace. "It took me eight years to figure out how to arrange it, because it's just so idiosyncratic and challenging," he admits. "The original piece was a kind of collision between ragtime and danzon rhythm; I tried to combine the danzon with clave to get a Cuban feel. And I thought that a string quartet was applicable because it would bring out the sonorities in a modern way" - not to mention hinting at the classical roots of Beiderbecke's small masterpiece.
The album highlight is the title track, which brings together funk, bata, and traditional Cuban rhythms and encompasses three generations of musical wisdom. On one end is Dr. David Baker, "the father of jazz education," with whom Wallace worked closely as a professor at Indiana University before Baker's death in 2016, and whose resonant voice is heard, midway through the track, discussing the essence of jazz rhythm. On the other end is Wallace's son-in-law, Akida Thomas, channeling the music to speak of The pulse gyrating through the system . . . Boom-clacks all rolled into one, stay connected through the soul of the drum. "There's this crazy counterpoint between the strings and the horns," Wallace says; "it's some of the most texturally adventurous writing I've done. Akida just listened to the track and started writing." The invention took on a rhythm of its own.
But The Rhythm of Invention refers to something altogether different from the riot of Afro-Latin beats and layered percussion that characterize the album. For Wallace, the rhythm of invention is the pace that allows him to be open to creativity: the tempo "that allows a space for the muse to be available to me," as he puts it. It is the rhythm of a gentle river, slowed but not stilled: the "flow" that banishes mere busy-ness in favor of reflection and, yes, invention. "That's when I get the best ideas," he says; in fact, the "Take Five" arrangement "literally came to me when I was pulling weeds out of my garden."
When you slow the rhythm enough, you can better see the speed of thought.
In a career that spans four decades, San Francisco native Wayne Wallace has collaborated with artists ranging from Count Basie to Stevie Wonder, Sonny Rollins to Carlos Santana, Tito Puente to Lena Horne and Aretha Franklin, lending his talents as sideman, composer, arranger, and producer. His debut album as a leader, 2000's Three In One (Spirit Nectar), showcased his writing skills and his encyclopedic knowledge of Afro-Cuban rhythms, which he developed in the close-knit Bay Area jazz community - most notably in his role as music director of John Santos's Machete Ensemble, where he spent 20 years as music director. Wallace's outsized role in Bay Area jazz includes his creation of Patois Records, with a catalog that includes not only his own albums but also recordings by vocalists Kat Parra and Alexa Weber Morales as well as two highly regarded anthologies of Bay-Area salsa and Latin jazz. A gifted educator, Wallace now spends the academic year as professor of jazz trombone and practice in jazz studies at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, having previous taught at San Jose State University and Stanford University.
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Posted: 21 Jun 2019 12:18 PM PDT
Music legend Carlos Santana's new album Africa Speaks, out now via Concord Records, has debuted at #3 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart. Santana surpassed the Rolling Stones and, along with Barbara Streisand, is one of only two music acts in Billboard history to score at least one Top Ten album for six consecutive decades from the 1960s on. This is Santana's third Top Ten release this decade and his highest charting debut since 2005's All That I Am. Additionally, Africa Speaks debuted #1 on both the Billboard Rock Albums and Billboard Latin Albums charts.
Santana has amassed an iconic body of work by pioneering a unique fusion of rock, Latin and jazz. On Africa Speaks, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist goes deeper and further than ever before to create one of his most groundbreaking albums yet. Inspired by the melodies, sounds and rhythms of Africa, he enlisted legendary producer Rick Rubin, convened with his band at Rubin's Shangri La Studios in Malibu, and recorded an astonishing number of tracks, many of them in one take. Another dramatic element in the creation of Africa Speaks came in the form of Spanish singer Buika, whose heavenly lead vocals cast a magical spell throughout the album.
Carlos Santana said, "It is an honor to share my hearts music with the world. This music gives people hope and courage. We call it mystical medicine music for a twisted, crooked world. The incredible synergy between Buika, Cindy Blackman Santana, the magnificent Santana Band, Rick Rubin and Concord Records made this masterpiece of joy come to fruition. Now more than ever, this is the consciousness that the world needs."
"Fifty years after his 'Soul Sacrifice' made hippies' jaws drop all over Woodstock, Carlos Santana's guitar playing remains a force of nature…Woodstock was 50 years ago; this is Santana now. The spirit is the same, yet somehow it's even freer." - Rolling Stone
Africa Speaks track listing:
1. Africa Speaks (4:47)
2. Batonga (5:43)
3. Oye Este Mi Canto (5:58)
4. Yo Me Lo Merezco (6:12)
5. Blue Skies (9:08)
6. Paraísos Quemados (5:59)
7. Breaking Down The Door (4:30)
8. Los Invisibles (5:54)
9. Luna Hechicera (4:47)
10. Bembele (5:51)
11. Candombe Cumbele (5:36)
Supernatural Now Tour Dates:
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Posted: 21 Jun 2019 12:13 PM PDT
As Peter Frampton gets ready to kick off his Farewell Tour tonight in Tulsa, the Grammy-winning guitarist is also celebrating another first in his long and distinguished career: All Blues, his first-ever blues album with his Peter Frampton Band, is debuting at #1 on the Billboard Blues Albums Chart in the U.S. The new collection, released via UMe, also marks his best overall sales numbers and chart positions since the release of Fingerprints in 2006.
All Blues, which features Frampton and his longtime touring band made up of Adam Lester (guitar/vocals), Rob Arthur (keyboards, guitar and vocals) and Dan Wojciechowski (drums) putting their spin on some of Frampton's favorite blues classics like "Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover," "She Caught The Katy," "The Thrill Is Gone," "I Just Want To Make Love To You," and "Georgia On My Mind," continues to receive widespread critical acclaim:
The album was recorded at Frampton's studio in Nashville, Studio Phenix, and was co-produced by Frampton and Chuck Ainlay. It features collaborations with Kim Wilson, Larry Carlton, Sonny Landreth and Steve Morse.
The vinyl will be available as a double LP and also as a limited edition translucent blue color pressing on August 16 exclusively at PeterFrampton.com. The double LP includes the bonus track "I Feel So Good" (written by Big Bill Broonzy, originally performed by Muddy Waters).
Moreover, Peter Frampton Finale—The Farewell Tour, presented by SiriusXM and produced by Live Nation, starts tonight. The approximately 50-date tour will run throughout the summer and fall. Frampton will retire from regular vigorous touring at the end of this year due to his diagnosis of the autoimmune disease Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM). IBM is a progressive muscle disorder characterized by muscle inflammation, weakness and atrophy. Frampton discussed his diagnosis with CBS "This Morning: Saturday," watch the segment HERE, and also recently discussed on the Consequence of Sound Podcast, listen HERE.
The tour will feature the Peter Frampton Band, plus Steve Mackey on bass. Special guests include Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Evening, as well as Julian Frampton Band on the west coast stops. Tickets are on sale now and VIP packages will also be available at www.frampton.com. $1 of every ticket sold, as well as any donations, will benefit The Peter Frampton Myositis Research Fund at Johns Hopkins, a newly established fund by Frampton and Johns Hopkins, where he's being treated.
Peter Frampton remains one of the most lauded artists in rock history. The Music Business Association just presented him with the Chairman's Award for Sustained Creative Achievement at the Awards & Hall of Fame Dinner that is part of the Association's annual conference—Music Biz 2019. Frampton was also recently honored with the Les Paul Innovation Award at the 2019 NAMM Show's 34th annual TEC Awards, and celebrated the 43rd anniversary of his fifth solo album, Frampton Comes Alive!, one of the top-selling live records of all time (over 17 million copies sold worldwide).
ALL BLUES TRACK LISTING
I Just Want To Make Love To You (featuring Kim Wilson)
She Caught The Katy
Georgia On My Mind
Can't Judge A Book By The Cover
Me And My Guitar
All Blues (featuring Larry Carlton)
The Thrill Is Gone (featuring Sonny Landreth)
Going Down Slow (featuring Steve Morse)
I'm A King Bee
Same Old Blues
PETER FRAMPTON LIVE
*with Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Evening
†with Julian Frampton
+not a Live Nation date
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Posted: 21 Jun 2019 12:06 PM PDT
Reel People – Retroflection Remixed
Band leader Oli Lazarus widens the collective, inviting the world's finest producers and remixers to add their funky splices to the Retroflection blueprint. Retroflection Remixed, featuring Mousse T., Osunlade, DJ Spinna, John Morales, Atjazz, Terry Hunter, Sebb Junior, Scott Diaz, Da Brownie, Tall Black Guy, Matt Cooper's OUTSIDE, BusCrates and Art Of Tones, is a majestic rebooting of the soulful flow that swept us away in 2018. Art Of Tones gets his sparkly mitts on Don't Stop The Music, swaggering synth 'n' bass riffs further underlining Angie Stone's classy strut through Yarbrough & People's 1980 hit, whilst Buscrates – true to the name of his remix – pumps irresistible funk bounce into I'm In Love, a truly lowdown re-skinning of Reel People's Evelyn 'Champagne' King tribute where Navasha Daya's vocal sounds sassier than ever. Osunlade eases us in with an elegant re-interpretation of Reel People's Pleasure cover Joyous, deep throbs of electronica and rippling percussion carrying loops of the vocal and that iconic sax solo to stunning new heights – or depths.
Similarly, Atjazz dims the lights and intensifies the mood for his take on Twilight. Where Reel People played impressively close to Maze's original, Atjazz treads to shuffling jazz drums, double-bass and piano. Respected UK house DJ-producer Scott Diaz gives the Sharlene Hector-led cover of Side Effect's Always There greater guitar-licked urgency but without compromise to the song's soulful poise and power, and revered Chicago veteran Terry Hunter is a match made in heaven for Tony Momrelle, who soars through the former's soulfully-charged remix of Buttercup (Carl Anderson's mid-Eighties, Stevie Wonder– penned gem) with all of its funky drums, b-line twists and warm musical arrangements. With Retroflection Remixed, the collective – overseen by experienced studio-hands Lazarus, Mike Patto, Matt Cooper (of Incognito fame) and Toni Economides – swells its talented cast and finds dynamic new ways to connect past with future.
Re:Funk - Let Her Lead feat. Ira May
Founded in 2015 by drummer Dario Milan and singer-songwriter Maqs Rossi in Lugano, Switzerland, Re:Funk have quickly made a name for themselves as a high-energy live band that never fails to engage its audience with its powerful performances. The group draws heavily from the classic sounds of 60s & 70s funk and soul: from James Brown to Tower of Power, passing by Sly & The Family Stone, Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield. But also Average White Band, Ohio Players, Mandrill, The Brothers Johnson and the list could go on & on & on. If it makes you move, you can bet Re:Funk have listened, studied and interiorized it into their repertoire.
In the short time since its inception the group has already performed on some of the most prestigious stages Switzerland has to offer, including Montreaux Jazz Festival, Jazz Ascona Festival and Locarno Film Festival, as well as being invited to perform at the 2019 Porretta Soul Festival, perhaps the most important event of its kind in Italy. All members of the band are experienced musicians and have worked alongside artists such as Manu Chao, Ian Paice & Don Airey (of Deep Purple), Derrick McKenzie (from Jamiroquai), Gogol Bordello, Tonino Carotone, Roy Paci, Bob Mintzer, Jennifer Batten and more.
Re:Funk's strength resides in the chemistry of its rhythm section, formed by band leader and drummer Dario Milan, bass player Francesca Morandi and guitarist Mad Mantello, all guided by the energetic stage presence and formidable voice of Maqs Rossi. Their live performance is designed to shake audiences to their bone, resuscitating the original spirit of funk and soul for the modern dance floor. What started as a group that performed covers of classics quickly evolved into another beast altogether; improvising, jamming and finally experimenting with their own compositions.
First single "The Harder We Try" saw the light in 2018, released independently via digital download by the band itself. The surprisingly warm reception and extensive radio play it enjoyed firmly established Re:Funk as one of the most interesting emerging funk & soul bands to come out of Switzerland, and convinced the members to seriously commit to the process of writing, and then recording an album. The result is debut full-length "Borderline", 10 tracks of pure, unadulterated funk & soul, no added sugar nor artificial coloring!
Ollie Gabriel Something New
Louisiana native and internationally charting soul singer Ollie Gabriel was introduced to the American people on the new NBC series "Songland". "Songland" pulled back the curtains on how today's hit records are made. Five songwriters competed and performed their original song for the chance to have it recorded by a celebrity artist. In the highly anticipated premiere released on May 28, 2019, Ollie Gabriel performed and pitched an original song to John Legend. Ollie Gabriel's inspirational debut single "Running Man" went to the top of the radio charts in Europe and currently has over 22 million streams on Spotify and recently won a Hollywood Music In Media Award for Best Male Vocal in 2018.
Music Connection Magazine named him one of the top unsigned live artist to watch (2) two years in a row, 2017 and 2018. He has performed around the world, televised to millions and to concert audiences of 40,000+ fans. Since his overseas success in 2017, Ollie has toured the world and married his longtime girlfriend who inspired the song he performed on NBC's Songland. Ollie's big heart of love and conscious spirit shine through in his upcoming EP "The Good Fight". The 6 song EP is a soulful sonic blend of legends like Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye, with a new school swag of Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak. Not only does Ollie sing about love like back in the day; but, the upcoming EP also addresses relevant social issues like discrimination, materialism, the environment and homelessness.
Aside from being an accomplished performer and songwriter, Ollie is a talented producer and has had over 500 sync placements in film and tv since 2009. His music has been featured in countless hit shows like Grey's Anatomy, Ray Donovan, Shameless, and Deadliest Catch to name a few. As a songwriter and producer he's worked with Grammy winning artists like John Legend, Mel B, En Vogue, and others. The new single "Something New" has anticipated radio impact June 2019.
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Posted: 21 Jun 2019 11:51 AM PDT
Althea Rene - Flawsome
In 2018, the former Detroit Deputy Sheriff who's been putting stylish funk in the flute for more than 20 years authored an autobiography called "Becoming Chocolate Barbie – A Guide for Professional Women in the Music Business." Translating her passionate mentorship and advocacy for women's empowerment to the studio, Rene's cleverly titled eighth album FLAWSOME perfectly reflects its vulnerable yet empowering concept of "flawed" + "awesome." Vibing with an iconic lineup of Smooth Jazz greats – including Maysa, Jeanette Harris, Euge Groove and Gerald Albright – Althea tackles jazz, rock, funk and even an exotic island flow. She balances pure, flowing flute with steamy, sizzling sax and flute jams, some wild trumpet fun and horn section sizzle. Smooth Jazz doesn't get any more FLAWSOME than this! ~ smoothjazz.com
Dr. Dave & The HouseCall Band - Midnight Daydream
Dr. Dave® is a popular smooth jazz guitarist having played with the greats including Freddie Hubbard, Ernie Watts and the late Fattburger members Carl Evans, Jr., Hollis Gentry, legendary brothers Ronnie and Hubert Laws and of course with The HouseCall Band®. Turning a onetime clever album title into the name of his high energy ensemble, Dr. Dave & The Housecall Band® work major musical healing miracles on their latest album MIDNIGHT DAYDREAM. With a sizzling swirl of pop, R&B, traditional and contemporary jazz, topped off with tasty touches of Latin, blues and swing, Dr. Dave embraces the freedom to improvise more than ever before and tackle jazz classics and a popular TV theme in addition to a slate of ultra-infectious originals. Two new singles out this year from Dr. Dave's coolest collection yet, on the heels of his chart-topping "Sexy Cindy," (named for Cindy Sanchez Medina, Miss Santander, Colombia 2018), expect the tropical jazz of "Cabo Time" and the sensual title track, "Midnight Daydream" to saunter up the Smooth Jazz charts as well.
Shawn Myers -The Silent Life
Award winning, New Orleans-based drummer, composer, and band leader Shawn Myers released The Silent Life, his debut album as a leader on March 12, 2019. The album features 10 original compositions of Myers' and a diverse line-up of some of New Orleans' top musicians. Combining the sounds of African-American Music, Haitian Voudou, West African Voudou, and Electronic Ambience, The Silent Life refers to a concept outlined by Hazrat Inayat Khan in the book The Mysticism of Sound and Music, where all vibrations and life arise from the stillness of nothing. The Silent Life is available on all major streaming platforms. Based in New Orleans, Shawn Myers currently tours nationally and internationally with multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Leyla McCalla, and maintains an active local performing schedule. He has performed with many local and international luminaries, including Dave Liebman, Kenny Werner, Roland Guerin, Nduduzo Makhathini, Andrew Duhon, and Sarah Quintana. He has studied drums and percussion with Billy Hart, Jamey Haddad, Jason Marsalis, and in Ghana, Togo, Benin and Haiti.
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Posted: 21 Jun 2019 11:06 AM PDT
The urban-jazz artist tops three national charts with the title track to his forthcoming album.
R&B-jazz guitarist Gregory Goodloe is typically lowkey and chill, but he was especially humbled when he received the call that his single, "Stylin'," went No. 1 on the Billboard singles chart. The song, written and produced by hitmaker Darren Rahn and showcasing Goodloe's electric jazz guitar bravura, serves as the title track to the guitarist's upcoming album, due this fall.
Goodloe's sound straddles jazz straight-ahead and contemporary, jacked with a swig of hip hop swagger. Packaged with Rahn's glossy pop sensibilities and a soul-powered R&B groove laid down by an agile rhythm section - bassist Mel Brown, drummer Tarrell Martin and wah guitarist Allen Hinds - the winning combo sent "Stylin'" to the top of the Billboard chart, Goodloe's first. It also topped the Mediabase and Smooth Jazz Top 20 charts.
"In today's modern world and culture, I wanted to bridge the gap between the standard jazz flow of Wes Montgomery, the smooth flow of George Benson and the hip hop culture of Jay-Z. 'Stylin'' is a means of expression in today's music and culture," said Goodloe. "Going number one is a dream come true, an unexpected blessing of God's grace and very encouraging."
Goodloe is working with Rahn to finish the album. "I nicknamed Darren 'Dr. D' because when he and I go into the lab (studio), it's total chemistry between us."
While Goodloe plans to ride the hot "Stylin'" single well into the peak of summer, he's got something planned to cool things down before the album drops. He wrote "Cool Like That" with soul-jazz icon Bob Baldwin, which will be the next single.
"'Cool Like That' captures the true essence of soul-jazz in a cool, laidback style," said Goodloe, who gigs a couple times a month in the Denver area, his hometown.
As an accompanist, Goodloe has flanked an interesting mix of R&B, jazz and gospel greats spanning R&B crooner Howard Hewett, soul balladeers Surface, R&B heartthrob Tank and original Earth, Wind & Fire keyboardist Larry Dunn; smooth/contemporary jazz luminaries Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson, Norman Brown and Ben Tankard; and non-secular giants Shirley Caesar, John P. Key, The Rance Allen Group and Angela Spivey. He's also served as music director for soul-jazz chanteuse Aysha.
A self-taught musician and a US Army veteran, Goodloe wrote, produced and played all the instruments except for a couple of keyboard parts on a 2010 demo collection titled "It's All Good" in order to introduce himself as a solo artist. He didn't pursue airplay until 2016 with the Rahn penned and produced single, "All The Way," which earned most added status on the Billboard chart. Goodloe and Rahn reteamed the following year for another radio single, "Get'n It," which featured the same musicians who play on "Stylin'." Along with earning most added honors, the cut rose to No. 5 on the Billboard New & Active chart. Both singles appear on Goodloe's "Get'n It" album (2017).
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Posted: 21 Jun 2019 05:55 AM PDT
Prince – Originals
A fantastic collection of unreleased material from Prince – not spare demos or home recordings, or studio snippets either – but instead some fully-formed songs that come right from the glory days of the singer's career! Almost all the material here is from the early 80s – and most tracks were later recorded by other artists in the Prince spectrum – including The Time, Apollonia 6, Mazarti, The Family, Jill Jones, and Sheila E – but are done here by the man himself, with all of the slinky, funky qualities that he brought to his own music at the time – qualities that are especially well-noted on some of the other cuts that were recorded by The Bangles and Kenny Rogers – which really feel different in the hands of Prince. Titles include "Love Thy Will Be Done", "Nothing Compares 2 U", "Baby You're A Trip", "Manic Monday", "Jungle Love", "Sex Shooter", "Noon Rendezvous", "Make Up", "The Glamorous Life", "Holly Rock", "You're My Love", "100 MPH", "Dear Michaelangelo", "Wouldn't You Love To Love Me", and "Gigolos Get Lonely Too". ~ Dusty Groove
Far Out Recordings is releasing the first and only album from the mysterious Brazilian vocal sensation Dila (pronounced "Jee-la"). Having reportedly died in a car crash shortly after the album's release in 1971, there is very little known about the woman behind the voice. But the joyous music Dila left behind, gives us a picture as good as any, of a powerful feminine soul at the top of her game. The liner notes on the elusive original LP, written by composer Arnoldo Medeiros attest: "Friend, look out! Because when this girl starts to sing, you're in trouble. Hold the railing so you don't fall down the stairs, because she's coming this way and shaking up everything." Arranged and produced by Durval Ferreira, alongside his studio band affectionately known as "Os Grillos" (The Crickets), Dila (1971) is a rare glimpse into the authentic soulful Samba sound of Rio's favelas in the late sixties and early seventies. A blast of funky, percussive Brazilian breaks, scorching hot brass and swing-laden piano, the music is as iconic as the album's stark cover, as is clear on opener 'Inez', composed by The Crickets' bassist Romildo. There's a fantastic interpretation of the Ivan Lins classic 'Madalena' (made famous by Elis Regina), a moving version of the Tom Jobim and Vinicius De Moraes classic 'O Morro Não Tem Vez', and a number of sunny original compositions by Arnold Madeiros, who's other writing credits include music for Marcos Valle, Wanderlea, Evinha and Dom Salvador. With original LPs extremely hard to come by, this rare treasure of Brazilian soul, which fans of Gal Costa, Celia, Evinha and Elis Regina will love, gets a much-deserved official reissue: remastered and pressed to 180g vinyl.
Timo Lassy & Teppo Makynen - Timo Lassy & Teppo Makynen
Music that you'd hardly expect, if you only know the more groove-oriented side of saxophonist Timo Lassy – the sounds he's given us from the Ricky-Tick years onwards – because this album is straight jazz overall, and a relatively improvised one at that! The album shows off a whole different side of Timo's talents – one we didn't know he had at all, and which really shine out here a lot more strongly than on some of his records with more programmed rhythms – thanks in no small part to the really creative efforts of drummer Teppo Makynen, who duets here with Lassy on tracks that really run the gamut – not free jazz overall, but certainly with a similar spirit – all inside, often rhythmic, but with much looser, more open, and wonderfully expressive solos than we've ever heard from Timo. Teppo's great, too – very creative on the drum kit as a whole, with lots of cool percussive effects – on titles that include "Fallow", "Goldenrod", "Aero", "Kobi", "Heliotrope", "Dark Cyan", "Firebrick", "Resolution Blue", "Catawba", and "Liberty (part 1)". ~ Dusty Groove, Inc.
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