THE JAZZ CHILL CORNER BILLBOARD CHARTING REGGAE MUSICIAN LANDON MCNAMARA EMBARKS ON US TOUR |  |
- BILLBOARD CHARTING REGGAE MUSICIAN LANDON MCNAMARA EMBARKS ON US TOUR
- Sarah Vaughan's Golden Hits!!!
- NEW KINGSTON DROPS NEW SONG “BRING YOUR RAYS”
- DOR HERSKOVITS Presents FLYING ELEPHANTS
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Posted: 15 Aug 2019 01:00 PM PDT
Reggae artist sensation Landon McNamara is set to embark on a US tour this August! From California to Florida, all the way to New York, Landon is touring in support of his latest album release Still Kickin'. A dubby and relaxing album full of soulful vocals and honest lyrics, the new album is sure to leave listeners feeling irie.
Landon's music is inspired by reggae, alternative and acoustic music. His debut album titled "A Dollar Short & A Minute Late" impressively reached #1 on the iTunes and Billboard Reggae Album charts. And now with his sophomore album Still Kickin' out now, Landon McNamara will serenade audiences with his new tunes and fan favorites including "Stony Haze" and "Loss for Words". Landon says,"Much Mahalos to everyone out there who has supported my career! Without your guys' support I would not be where I am today." Keep on the lookout for him to come to a city near you!
Tour Dates:
AUG 28 – Jupiter, FL – Guanabanas
AUG 29 – Jacksonville, FL – 1904 Music Hall
AUG 30 – Orlando, FL – The Social
AUG 31 – Brooklyn, NY – Knitting Factory Brooklyn
SEP 01 – Asbury Park, NJ – Asbury Lanes
SEP 02 – Amagansett, NY – The Stephen Talkhouse
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Sarah Vaughan's Golden Hits!!!
Posted: 15 Aug 2019 11:40 AM PDT
Sarah Vaughan's Golden Hits Celebrates A Golden Voice
Best-Selling 12-Track Hits Collection From Legendary Jazz Vocalist Receives Remastered LP Reissue On August 30
On August 30, Verve/UMe is set to release Sarah Vaughan's Golden Hits on vinyl in two different color options: black and gold. Remastered at Capitol Studios from the original analog tapes, this collection of an even-dozen of the legendary jazz vocalist's greatest performances showcases the scope of her wide vocal range, bop-phrasing innovations, and expert yet effortless vibrato control. Upon the album's original release in November 1961, a featured review in Billboard magazine proclaimed, "Mighty good listening here." No doubt: both sides of Sarah Vaughan's Golden Hits LP lend ample proof as to why Vaughan has been long acclaimed as one of the pre-eminent vocalists of all-time, right alongside the likes of Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, who once called Vaughan "the world's greatest singing talent." Preorder here: https://UMe.lnk.to/GoldenHits.
Vaughan, who passed away at age 66 in 1990, was a three-octave contralto equally adept at singing traditional jazz, contemporary pop, and classically arranged material with much verve, panache, and personal swagger, earning her the nickname "Sassy" in the process. Witness her operatic mastery of "Misty," the appreciative drive of "Smooth Operator," and the catchy swing of "Broken Hearted Melody," the latter of which remained a fixture in Vaughan's live repertoire for many years to come. Vaughan also saw success on multiple charts, having taken "Broken Hearted Melody" to No. 7 on the Billboard Singles chart and No. 5 on the R&B chart while "Smooth Operator" reached No. 8 on the R&B chart, all in 1959. More recently, the sly "ooh-ooh" come-on appeal of "Make Yourself Comfortable" is featured in a prominent global Lincoln Continental ad campaign starring Serena Williams.
Additionally, Vaughan's scintillating, scat-driven take on George Shearing and George David Weiss' "Lullaby Of Birdland" and her sensual, sultry pass at John Blackburn and Karl Suessdorf's "Moonlight In Vermont" set new standards for inventive vocal reimagining of such well-known jazz perennials.
In the 1930s, Vaughan began developing her vocal and piano-playing chops in a local church choir in Newark, New Jersey. Following that, she would soon frequent jazz clubs in Newark and New York City, ultimately leading to her securing featured vocalist stints in the 1940s with big-band jazz impresarios Earl Hines and Billy Eckstine before embarking on a solo career. Vaughan was also a nine-time GRAMMY® nominee, ultimately earning a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1989. In 1988, she was inducted into the American Jazz Hall of Fame, and in 1989, she was given the NEA Jazz Masters Award.
A vocalist for the ages, Sarah Vaughan's indelibly seductive tone and wide-ranging influence extend well into the 21st Century. Sarah Vaughan's Golden Hits is both the perfect entry point for neophyte listeners and a fine turntable refresher for longtime appreciators alike. Turn the lights down, make yourself comfortable, and enjoy the timeless charms of Sarah Vaughan, her golden throat, and her Golden Hits.
SARAH VAUGHAN'S GOLDEN HITS [black vinyl & colored gold vinyl]
Side A
Misty
Broken Hearted Melody
Make Yourself Comfortable
Autumn In New York
Moonlight In Vermont
How Important Can It Be
Side B
Smooth Operator
Whatever Lola Wants
Lullaby Of Birdland
Eternally
Poor Butterfly
Close To You
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Posted: 15 Aug 2019 09:00 AM PDT
New York-based family band New Kingston continues to be one of the most prolific and relatable bands in the U.S. reggae community and the announcement of their rock2rootsproject continues their upward trajectory. "Bring Your Rays" will be the second single from the rock2roots series, which will showcase the many styles and vibrations New Kingston brings both on the road and in the studio. The single was released on August 9th, 2019, via their longtime label Easy Star Records.
Instead of focusing on a full-length album to follow up their last studio album, 2017's A Kingston Story: Come From Far, New Kingston has put its energy into a series of singles to be released throughout 2019 for their rock2roots project. This will encompass the band's approach to roots reggae fused with their many other influences, including rock, R&B, dancehall, and hip hop. Tahir Panton states, "The rock2roots series will showcase the wide range of our musical styles that we've been crafting for over a decade." The diversity and quality of the band's musical output thus far have made press take notice, including tastemakers such as Yahoo! Music, Paste Magazine, KCRW, KEXP, The Jamaica Observer, Sirius XM, and many more. According to the band, the second single "Bring Your Rays," was inspired by humanity's collective soul, adding, "In this changing world, love is something we need more of. It will solve more than we know. So be the sunlight in the darkness and "bring your rays"!" It's the perfect follow up to their fiery last single release "Fyah Nuh Hot Like You," which dropped on March 1st, 2019.
The Brooklyn-based group is comprised of a trio of brothers: Tahir Panton (keys/vocals), Courtney Panton Jr. (drums/vocals), and Stephen Suckarie (guitar/vocals). They first came together as a band performing for friends and neighbors under the watchful eye of their father (and bassist) Courtney Panton Sr. They dubbed themselves New Kingston, to appropriately reflect the combination of their Jamaican heritage and their home in New York City. The fusion of these two identities, both their cultural roots and their home, guides their musical and stylistic direction.
New Kingston will embark on their Summer + Fall 2019 tour in support of their new singles "Fyah Nuh Hot Like You" and "Bring Your Rays," and will kick things off next week on the East Coast! You can check out New Kingston's upcoming tour dates here and stay tuned for more touring throughout the rock2roots series in 2019.
Tour Dates:
AUG 31 – East Providence, RI – Bold Point Park
SEP 04 – Philadelphia, PA – World Cafe Live
SEP 05 – Washington, DC – Union Stage
SEP 06 – Asbury Park, NJ – House Of Independents
SEP 08 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl
SEP 10 – Wilmington, NC – Brooklyn Arts Center
SEP 12 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade (Heaven)
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Posted: 15 Aug 2019 06:42 AM PDT
The prolific Israeli-born, Boston-based, drummer/composer Dor Herskovits' new album, Flying Elephants, available September 20, 2019, is chock-a-block with expressions of love, humor and creativity. Like most great works of art, music, dance, architecture, etc., the music on Flying Elephants began as just a seed of an idea in the brain of Herskovits, which was then transferred to notes engraved on paper. It came to exist in the material world, and then took on a life and uniqueness of its own once Herskovits' band mates got a hold of the music and ran it through their minds, bodies and ultimately their instruments. The result is a resplendent suite of music, played by what is in essence a "family", a band that Herskovits calls his "dream team"; Hery Paz - saxophones, Caio Afiune - guitar, Isaac Wilson - piano, Max Ridley - bass, and Dor Herskovits - drums and compositions.
Flying Elephants was conceived of with these specific musicians in mind - in fact, choosing this cast was the very first step the leader took. Knowing their strengths and utilizing their strong personal/musical connections, the album became a true group effort, shining a light on the member's uniqueness, their fearless and ego-less creative instincts, and unparalleled abilities as true improvisers.
In Herskovits' vision for this album, he aimed to make it a rich and complete work of art. Combining the liner notes with poetry, paintings, and descriptive nuggets, in order to create full, multi-faceted experience for his audience. He has also created a stop motion animated video for the title track. "This shows the eclectic nature of the album and the array of colors, atmospheres and purpose each of the songs might play, for me, and for the listener, such as invoking humor, introspection, peregrination, energy, aggression, romance, dance. "It was a natural to have the album art work done by our saxophonist Hery Paz, as his work is a big influence in my life," explains Herskovits.
Stylistically, the album encompasses a wide variety of influences and styles - traditional jazz (New Fashioned, Recursion), avant-garde/free jazz (Scottish Fold, Bangin'), modern jazz (Palette, Come to light), Cinematic music (Recursion, Flying Elephants) meditation music (Water), rock/metal (Flying Elephants), progressive rock (Magenta), and classical (Sob). The drummer/bandleader elaborates, "I believe that it is accessible music that can potentially bring any listener in. Yet, it is fresh, original and has many layers one can enjoy as the music is explored deeply."
The title track, an avant-garde leaning lullaby, and the seed from which the entire album was born, "Flying Elephants," is a gift to the drummer's newborn son, in utero when the band was in the studio laying down this music. This composition is a heartfelt soundtrack to his future dreams, which symbolizes the power of our imaginations. "Flying Elephants" tells the story of, "a baby in a crib who falls into a wonderful dream filled with adventure. Elephants, stretched from a mobile coming to life, baby asking them to play, they embark on a voyage, flying into a dream world, elephants joyfully marching with heavy feet...Until baby is woken back to our world," explains Herskovits.
"As the knowledge of the pending baby inspired me to write a song for him, each of the other compositions have their own story and identity, some of which are embedded in this composition, and others took on a shape of their own as they were performed. Since music is the most abstract art form, it also engages our imagination in a powerful way and I wanted to celebrate that with this album. To me, music always opened up an inner world and a strong spiritual connection to people and nature. This is what always drew me to music, what excites me about it and ultimately what I hope to pass on to the listeners."
Flying Elephants band bios:
Isaac Wilson, is a pianist, keyboardist, and composer. A native of Los Angeles, he began playing the piano at the age of 4, teaching himself to play his favorite songs and piano works by ear. He moved to Boston to attend New England Conservatory of Music, graduating in the spring of 2015, having studied with Fred Hersch, Jason Moran, Ran Blake, and many others. While in Boston, Wilson performed on numerous occasions with saxophone greats Jerry Bergonzi and George Garzone. A recent recipient of a Master's Degree from Berklee's Global Jazz Institute lead by Danilo Pérez, he studied under many Jazz luminaries while attending the one-year program, and had the opportunity to perform at the 2015 Monterey Jazz Festival, the 2016 Panama Jazz Festival, and the 2016 Newport Jazz Festival. Wilson also won first prize at the 2016 Keep an Eye Jazz Awards in Amsterdam. Wilson has also conducted clinics around the world, and was on faculty of the inaugural Berklee Newport Jazz Festival Summer High School Program. Wilson is an artist committed to the exploration of folkloric music from around the globe, and the possibilities of melding jazz with other genres and disciplines within the Arts. He performs internationally and in the United States in a wide variety of musical contexts, and his debut trio album, Dis-Connect, was released in February of 2018.
Hery Paz, saxophonist and painter originally from Cuba, embodies a rich and diverse color and sonic palette. His eclecticism is explicit not only in painting but also in his distinction as a musician and composer. He has won the acclaim and respect of legendary jazz musicians such as Fred Hersch, who called him, " . . . a revelation, a musician of extraordinary strength". Paz is currently an integral element of the creative music scene in New York City, where he has worked with artists such as Francisco Mela, Ralph Alessi, Fred Hersch, Dave Liebman, Thomas Morgan, George Garzone, Tony Malaby, Ingrid Laubrock, Kris Davis, Ethan Iverson, Miguel Zenón, Frank Carlberg, Tom Rainey, Gerald Cleaver, Bob Moses, Ran Blake, Joe Morris, Charles Downs and Michael Attias. Paz also holds a Master's degree from the New England Conservatory in Boston.
Guitarist and composer Caio Afiune is making a lasting impression on the East Coast jazz scene. Currently in Boston, Afiune has not only been performing extensively as a leader and a sideman, but is a part time faculty member of the prestigious New England Conservatory. Originally from São Paulo, Afiune's compositions uniquely blend together the essence of Brazil and his immensely deep knowledge of the North American jazz tradition. He can be seen performing along jazz giants such as Jerry Bergonzi, Luciana Souza, Jaques and Paula Morelenbaum, Mark Zaleski, Phil Grenadier, and most recently Christian Sands.
Max Ridley is a Boston-based musician, composer and educator. He was awarded full-tuition scholarships to study at Berklee College of Music for both his undergraduate and graduate degrees. Ridley earned his graduate degree from Berklee's Global Jazz Institute under the direction of pianist and educator Danilo Perez and has gone on to share the stage with renown musicians such as Kenny Werner, Ingrid Jensen, Bob Mover, Jason Palmer, George Garzone, Terri Lyne Carrington, Ra-Kalam Bob Moses and Perico Sambeat. He has performed in venues such as the Blue Note, Dizzy's Club at Jazz @ Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center and the Umbria Jazz Festival. Ridley has toured domestically and internationally and has also spent time embedded in the artistic community of Valencia, Spain, which he considers his second home. Ridley remains very active in the musical community of Boston as a first-call sideman, leader and co-leader of various groups.
Dor Herskovits is an Israeli drummer and composer based in Boston. As a sought after sideman, he plays in various jazz and experimental groups on the Boston-New York line. He has also toured around the US, Canada, Europe and China. Herskovits has recorded many albums as a sideman, featured on labels such as Newvelle and Endectomorph music, alongside musicians such Grammy award-winning guitarist Bill Frisell, Michael Blake and Jason Palmer. He has also performed with George Garzone, Jon Cowherd, Steve Cardenas, Elan Mehler, TJ and the revenge, Bert Seager's Tet-rap-tych, Max Ridley's Basement Philharmonic, Daniel Rotem and Xiongguan Zhang. As co-leader of Earprint, he received critical acclaim from publications such as Downbeat magazine, NPR's critics' poll and many more. In 2018, he established the Dor Herskovits Quintet, featuring saxophonist Hery Paz, guitarist Caio Afiune, pianist Isaac Wilson and bassist Max Ridley. Their debut album Flying Elephants will be released in September 2019.
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