The Joe Parillo Trio with Jay Hoggard issues the lush Segments
There’s magic in the air when Joe Parillo sits down at the piano. The award-winning musician, a former winner of the Best Jazz Artist title in The Phoenix arts weekly, is an evocative instrumentalist and visionary straddling genres and creating an intoxicating hybrid of melodic styles.
On Segments, his dazzling new trio album with guest vibraphonist Jay Hoggard, Parillo proves that while he’s a jazz player, he also enjoys the fertile gray areas between instrumental, jazz, and classical constructs. “People get pretty confused,” Parillo admits, “I do so many different things that what I call myself really depends on what I’m doing at the time.”
Which is, indeed, a lot. Parillo, the current director of the Jazz Studies program at the University of Rhode Island, has a full complement of achievements under his belt, including trio, duo, and solo works. He is a Steinway Artist and holds a master's degree in composition from the New England Conservatory. He has written and arranged music for theater and film, has been commissioned to write three jazz ballets, and has arranged and recorded over 25 full-length children’s productions. He has recorded a handful of CDs. These include Almost Carefree, Block Island Summer, Morning in the Garden, and Sandbox, all of which are available through Neoga, his own label. And, in perhaps his crowning achievement thus far, Parillo earned a Grammy nomination for his tune “One Day In January” from Sandbox.
His immense creative spirit abounds on Segments. With his trio—Bryan Rizzuto on bass, Eric Platz on drums, and special guest Hoggard—Parillo creates music that washes over his listeners with lush waves of melody. His all original compositions are more beautiful than ever, from the opener “Clouds,” with Hoggard on vibes to the super-romantic, blues-tinged “Where Are You Now” and the hopeful “One Day In January,” which has an irresistible pop hook coming from Hoggard’s vibes. Finally, the cinematic closer “Aura” may be Parillo’s most complete composition to date, complete with strings, woodwinds and a solo French horn all contributing to the piece. Throughout this CD, recorded and engineered by George Dussault of Galilee Productions, Parillo demonstrates that his writing has grown more textured and intricate without losing the spark of spontaneity.
“When people hear that tune and what it achieves,” he says, “I think they’ll be surprised.” Then again, it will certainly keep the lines of his artistic identity blurred, something Parillo is accustomed to. “When people ask me what kind of a musician I am, I tell them that I’m eclectic.”
Seraphic Light explores the music of late Coltrane; dedicated to Michael Brecker
When Michael Brecker, Dave Liebman and Joe Lovano – arguably the greatest jazz saxophonists of their time – first assembled in the mid-1990s as Saxophone Summit, their mission was to explore the outermost edges of jazz, most notably through the experimental avenues originally paved by saxophonist John Coltrane a few decades earlier. When Saxophone Summit released their debut album, Gathering of Spirits, in 2004, the critics raved. JazzTimes called the recording “ridiculously good,” while Amazon.com suggested that the album invoked “the collective vision and apocalyptic energies of John Coltrane’s 1960s meetings with…Eric Dolphy and Pharoah Sanders…”
Unfortunately, with the death of Michael Brecker in early 2007, a followup album featuring these three titans was never to be. But in keeping with the forward-thinking and forward-moving spirit that both Brecker and Coltrane embodied – not just in jazz but across the entire musical landscape – Saxophone Summit reconvenes with the June 3, 2008, release of Seraphic Light, an album that continues to celebrate and explore Coltrane’s later body of work. Liebman and Lovano return for the followup recording, while saxophonist Ravi Coltrane – heir to the elder Coltrane’s incalculable legacy – steps in and more than fills the void created by Brecker’s passing.
Seraphic Light, dedicated to Brecker, is in many ways two different projects in a single recording, says Liebman. “The original idea was to follow up where Gathering of Spirits left off,” he explains, referring to the previous album’s emphasis on some of the characteristics of Coltrane’s later period: simultaneous solos, abandonment of specific tempo and melodies and harmonies that ranged from diatonicism to dissonance. “The Coltrane compositions we chose for Seraphic Light reflect those directions… On the other hand, we wanted everyone in the group to have a compositional voice represented. So in essence we have two albums in one. The original tunes are, to my ears, quite accessible and compact in their performances, offering a needed contrast to the weightier Coltrane material.”
By tragic coincidence, Alice Coltrane – Ravi’s mother and John’s widow – passed away within 24 hours of Brecker’s death in January 2007, a turn of events that adds another layer of emotional resonance to Seraphic Light, says Lovano. “In the wake of Mike’s untimely passing and also with the loss of one of our spiritual leaders and inspirations, Alice Coltrane, this project took on a very personal life of its own,” he says. “Ravi Coltrane’s voice and presence gave us all a solid, warm feeling, and the music speaks for itself.”
“Dave and Joe both inspire me greatly, and it’s a thrill to play with them,” says Coltrane. “I admire Dave’s commitment and passionate drive in bringing the late period of Coltrane’s music to people’s attention. His scholarly exploration of these compositions is so important. And Joe’s expressive, elegant spirit emanates through everything he does. I simply look forward to any opportunity to play music with him.”
Each track on Seraphic Light is a journey into the limitless potential of jazz. The set opens with “Transitions,” a piece that is both melodic and yet sonically challenging at the same time. Further in, “Message To Mike” is written and arranged by guest trumpeter Randy Brecker as a way of reaching out across the void to his late brother. “Having Randy’s contribution on this recording brought Mike’s energy, inspiration and aura into the room in a real way,” says Lovano. The surviving Brecker reappears with additional solo work in the closing track, John Coltrane’s “Expression.”
In keeping with the original Saxophone Summit philosophy, the three final tracks – “Cosmos,” “Seraphic Light” and “Expression” – all focus heavily on Coltrane’s later period. “There are some tunes on this record that are a little more accessible than the last record,” Liebman explains. “But at the same time, we’re not getting too far from the core aesthetic or the founding principles of the group. That’s why we bunched the late Trane tunes in the last three tracks. When you get to that final part of the record, you know you’re in that part of the voyage that reflects his later years. There’s nothing more that needs to be said after that.”
The title Seraphic Light is a reference to angels of the highest order who stand in the presence of God. Like the angels, great artists enter the world and then leave it all too quickly to ascend to a higher plane, but their immortality lies in their ability to inspire those they leave behind.
“Michael would have wanted us to keep moving and play the music,” says Liebman. “This project certainly was different without him, but Ravi more than filled in. We’ve been able to keep this project alive after ten years, two recordings and the loss of one of its founding members. I think the music itself reflects the commitment by the surviving members to keeping Saxophone Summit special in the world of jazz.”
Tracklisting: * 1. Transitions * 2. The Thirtheenth Floor * 3. Reneda * 4. All About You * 5. Message to Mike * 6. Alpha and Omega * 7. Our Daily Bread * 8. Cosmos * 9. Seraphic Light * 10. Expression
Keyboardist David Benoit will conduct a June 7th performance of the Asia America Symphony Orchestra with special guest saxophonist Sadao Watanabe at the Aratani Japan America Theatre in Los Angeles. The program will include Beethoven's Symphony Number 6 in F, Opus 68 "Pastorale," and the world premiere Benoit's composition "Dolores Del Carmen" for Spanish guitar & Orchestra, with special guest guitarist Sir Angel Romero.
Benoit is thrilled to be debuting his latest orchestral work, which is based on the life of a dancer who in later years became a paraplegic after a tragic accident. He explained: "It's called Dolores Del Carmen. It's a piece inspired by an aunt Dolores that I had, a wonderful lady that danced with the Jose Greco dance troupe and performed at Carnegie Hall and toured around the world. I had never had a relative that was quite that exotic before. When I moved to Hollywood as a young man she lived in Hollywood and we got to be very close."
Benoit is the artistic director of the Asia America Symphony Orchestra.
The performance is being sponsored by audio company Pioneer, which has invited members of the deaf community to the performance to try out the company's Listening Through The Body technology on loan from Japan for this special event. The system combines a vibrating seat with an optional magnetic loop, headphones and/or hearing aid to enable the deaf and hard of hearing to experience musical performances.
Benoit has just released his latest studio CD, Heroes, featuring his jazzy version of Michael Jackson's "Human Nature."
Herbie Hancock and Michael Bublé are atop the list of nominees for the first annual International Jazz Awards. The two artists are tied with three nominations each.
The ceremony is set for Sunday, June 29, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills with comedian D.L. Hughley hosting. In addition to the awards, the ceremony will include musical tributes to Lena Horne, Count Basie, Clint Eastwood, George and Ira Gershwin and Antonio Carlos Jobim.
The International Jazz Awards will celebrate over a hundred years of Jazz. It will entertain a worldwide audience by annually featuring guest hosts, exuberant dance numbers, and live performances by international jazz stars. The show is also being taped for television broadcast, details of which will be announced in the near future.
Nicknamed “The Louie”, in honor of the 16th note turned upside down, the award statuette will be presented to honorees in 24 encompassing categories. The nominees were selected by a 200-person committee comprised of jazz critics and writers, nightclub owners, record retailers, concert promoters, radio programmers, and radio personalities.
For further information including the complete list of nominees you can visit their website, here.
Akane Matsumoto - Phineas Ni Koi Shite-10dai De Saisho (Pid ) Antonio Carlos Jobim - Rio Revisited (Verve ) Antonio Carlos Jobim - Ellis & Tom (Verve ) Antonio Carlos Jobim / Elis Regina - Elis & Tom (Verve ) Astrud Gilberto / Walter Wanderley - Certain Smile A Certain Sadness (Verve ) Baron / Salis - Keys & Skins (Pid ) Barry Harris Trio - Breakin It Up (MSI Music/Super D ) Bebo Valdes - Mucho Sabor (Essential Media GRP ) Bebo Valdez - Mucho Sabor (Essential Media Group ) Bill Evans - Live In Paris 1965 ( ) Bill Evans & Jeremy Steig - What's New (Universal Japan ) Billie Holliday - Best Of (Pid ) Billie Holliday - Columbia Original Masters (Pid ) Blue Drag - I'll See You There (Filmharmonix) - Book Carlo Muratori - La Padrona Del Giardin (Pid ) Caroline Henderson - No 8 ( ) Ceramic Dog / Marc Ribot - Party Intellectuals (Pid ) Charlie Parker - Days & Birds (Universal Japan ) Charlie Parker - Complete Jatp Performances (Definitive ) Chick Corea - Chick Corea Acoustic Band (Universal Japan ) Clifford Brown - Clifford Brown & The Ladies Of Jazz (Pid ) Clifford Brown - And Max Roach (Pid ) Col Nolan Soul Syndicate - Buckingham Palace / What's The Use (Pid ) Col Nolan Soul Syndicate - Buckingham Palace/What's The Use (Pid ) Deli Sound Store 1 - Deli Sound Store 1 ( ) Dizzy Gillespie - 20th Century Jazz Masters (MSI Music/Super D ) - DVD-Video Duke Ellington - Best Of Duke Ellington (Pid ) Duke Ellington - Columbia Original Masters (Pid ) Duke Jordan / Clark Terry - Tribute To Ben Webster ( ) - DVD-Video Enrico Rava - Italian Ballads (Pid ) Fire! - Fire!-Reggae 2008 (Pid ) Fred Wesley & Bootsy Collins - Funk For Your Ass (Pid ) Glenn Miller - Best Of Glenn Miller (Pid ) Hiromi Uehara - Beyond Standard (Pid ) Illinois Jacquet - Complete Sessions 1945 - 1950 (Definitive ) Javaughn - Super Star (Pid ) Jazz Voice 2: Ladies Sing Jazz - Jazz Voice 2: Ladies Sing Jazz ( ) - DVD-Video Jet Set Swe - From Sweden With Love (Water Music Records ) Jimmy Greene - The Overcomer's Suite (Nu Jazz Records/Nu Jazz Entertainment) - Download John Coltrane - Complete Recordings With Dizzy Gillespie (Definitive ) John Coltrane - Four Tenors ( ) - DVD-Video John Coltrane / Duke Ellington - Duke Ellington & John Coltrane (Universal Japan ) Kenny Barron / James Moody - Fly Me To The Moon (Lonehill Jazz) Kosuke Mine - Plays Standard (Pid ) Lars Duppler - Alliance Urbaine (Pid ) Lee Konitz Trio Minsarah - Deep Lee (Pid ) Louis Armstrong - Best Of Louis Armstrong (Pid ) Louis Armstrong - Columbia Original Masters (Pid ) Luiz Bonfa - Brazilian Scene (Verve ) Luiz Bonfa - Braziliana (Verve ) Mathias Eick - The Door (Pid ) Mccoy Tyner - Nights Of Ballads & Blues (Universal Japan ) Mel Torme - Swings Shubert Alley (Universal Japan ) Memphis Minnie - Columbia Original Masters (Pid ) Michiel Borstlap - Eldorado (Pid ) Miles Davis - Ascenseur Pour L`echafaud (Universal Japan ) Miles Davis - Complete Vocalist Sessions (Definitive ) Miles Davis - Complete 1951 Birdland Recordings (Definitive ) Monica Zetterlund - Waltz For Debby / SHM (Universal Japan ) Monica Zetterlund - Waltz For Debby (Universal Japan ) New Riders Of The Purple Sage - Gypsy Cowboy (Wounded Bird ) Per Texas Johansson - Per Texas Johansson (EMI Sweden ) Performers - Performers (Phantom Sound & Vision ) Pierre / Schweizer - Ulrichsberg (Pid ) Quincy Jones - Dude (Universal Japan ) Rabih Abou-Khalil - Em Portugues (Pid ) Richard Galliano - Live In Marciac 2006 (Milan ) Rico - Man From Wareika (Universal Japan ) Rosemary Clooney - Complete 1950-1952 Columbia Master Takes (Jazz Factory ) Sam Barsh - I Forgot What You (Pid ) Sandra De Sa - Softly (Rev-Ola ) Saxophone Summit - Seraphic Light (Telarc International Corp./Fon ) Schwaller Sextet, Ro - Further Expectations (Pid ) Shigeharu Mukai - Plays Standard (Pid ) Singers Unlimited - Capera (Universal Japan ) Sonargemeinschaft - Drift (Pid ) Sonny Stitt - Move On Over: Eddie Buster Sides ( ) Stan Getz - Stan Getz With Guest Artist Laurindo Almeida (Verve ) Stan Getz - With Guest Artist Laurindo Almeida (Verve ) Stan Getz - Getz/Gilberto #2 - Live At Carnegie Hall (Verve ) Stan Getz / Joao Gilberto - Getz Gilberto #2: Live At Carnegie Hall (Verve ) Steve Evans - 2 Sets (Pid ) Steve Lacy - Master Of The Soprano Sax ( ) - DVD-Video Steve Reynolds - Carnival Papers (429 Records ) Sunday Night Orchest - Overcast-The Music Of (Pid ) Sven Libaek - Dark World / Danger Reef (Pid ) Sven Libaek - Dark World/Danger Reef (Pid ) Teddy Wilson - Touch Of Teddy Wilson ( ) Tommy Potter - Tommy Potter's Hard Funk (Pid ) Tomuya - Un Japonais A Paris (Pid ) Various Artists - Rare Groove Experience Vol 1 (Phantom Sound & Vision ) Various Artists - Feelin The Spirit (Phantom Sound & Vision ) Various Artists - Boogaloo Experience (Phantom Sound & Vision ) Various Artists - Groove Train (Phantom Sound & Vision ) Various Artists - High Voltage (Phantom Sound & Vision ) Various Artists - Radikal Jazz Experience (Phantom Sound & Vision ) Various Artists - Cinematic Experience (Phantom Sound & Vision ) Various Artists - Deli Sound Store V.1 (Bonnier Music ) Vlasman Quintet, Jac - Vitrine Vocale (Pid ) Walter Wanderley - Rain Forest / SHM (Universal Japan ) Wilson Quartet / Young - Pres & Teddy (Pid ) Young Sinatras - This Day (Pid ) Young Sinatras - This Day! (Water Music )
Anita O'Day - This Is Anita / SHM (Universal Japan ) Anita O'Day - This Is Anita (Universal Japan ) Astrud Gilberto - Album (Universal) Astrud Gilberto - Look to the Rainbow (Universal) Astrud Gilberto - Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness (Universal) Astrud Gilberto - Astrud Gilberto Album (Universal Japan ) Astrud Gilberto - Album / SHM (Universal Japan ) Bill Evans - Trio 65 / SHM (Universal Japan ) Bill Evans - Trio 65 (Universal Japan ) Billie Holiday - Strange Fruit (Jazz World) Carmen McRae - Book Of Ballads / SHM (Universal Japan ) Carmen McRae - Book Of Ballads (Universal Japan ) Charles Mingus - Legendary Trios (Gambit) Charlie Barnet - Lonely Street & More (Pid ) Charlie Parker - April In Paris (Dreyfus ) Charlie Parker - Complete Verve Masters With Strings (Definitive (Spain) ) Charlie Parker - April In Paris / SHM (Universal Japan ) Eric Dolphy - Last Date / SHM (Universal Japan ) Eric Dolphy - Last Date (Universal Japan ) Gal Costa / Antonio Carlos Jobim - Rio Revisited (Verve) Jimmy Smith & Wes Montgomery - Dynamic Duo / SHM (Universal Japan ) Jimmy Smith & Wes Montgomery - Dynamic Duo (Universal Japan ) John Coltrane - Quartet-Complete 1963 Copenhagen Concert (Pid ) Junior Murvin - Police & Thieves (Island) Lennie Tristano - Supersonic (Definitive (Spain) ) Luiz Bonfa / Maria Toledo - Braziliana (Universal) Marty Paich - I Get A Boot Out Of You (Rhino ) Mccoy Tyner - Nights Of Ballads & Blues / SHM (Universal Japan ) Michel Legrand - Legrand Jazz (Philips (Japan)) Michel Legrand - Legrand Jazz / SHM (Universal Japan ) Miles Davis Quintet - Live In Saint Louis 1956 (Jazz Facto) Nina Simone - My Baby Just Cares For Me (Verve Reco ) Oliver Nelson - Blues & Abstract Truth / SHM (Universal Japan ) Oliver Nelson - Blues & Abstract Truth (Universal Japan ) Ornette Coleman - Live In Paris 1971 (Phantom Sound & Vision ) Oscar Peterson - West Side Story / SHM (Universal Japan ) Oscar Peterson - West Side Story (Universal Japan ) Peggy Lee - Black Coffee (Verve) Sims / Stitt - Somplete Recordings (Pid ) Singers Unlimited - Capera / SHM (Universal Japan ) Tal Farlow - Tal / SHM (Universal Japan ) Tal Farlow - Tal (Universal Japan ) Walter Wanderley - Rain Forest (Universal Japan )
The title track to Infinita growing at radio, album garnering praise
The soundtrack to an alluring world voyage, a festive exaltation of music, art and life, guitarist Lawson Rollins’ solo debut album, Infinita, was released last week (May 20) via the artist’s Infinita Records, distributed by Baja/TSR Records.The collection of eleven original compositions, guided by Rollins’ classical Spanish guitar, explores diverse cultures and unveils intriguing and tantalizing mysteries with the spirit of romance.Rollins wrote the album and produced with Shahin Shahida (of the Persian-American group Shahin & Sepehr) and Dominic Camardella (Ottmar Liebert, Flora Purim, Airto Moreira).Virtuoso musicianship, soulfully inspired songs and meticulous production values create infinitely exciting possibilities, free in form and spontaneity yet cohesive and focused.
The title track, blessed with divine vocals from Brazilian chanteuse Purim, was the first single serviced to smooth jazz and college radio stations.It was the #1 most-added single in its first week at smooth jazz radio and has been the #1 most-added single at college radio in three consecutive weeks.“Infinita” is receiving national radio spins from outlets including XM Satellite Radio, DMX and Music Choice.YouTube honored a brief yet astounding Rollins performance clip as a “Music Spotlight” selection and placed the clip on its home page over the weekend, which generated over 500,000 views in one day and almost 700,000 views to date(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQ9PRzIyzFA). iTunes selected Infinita’s cover art to be featured at the top of their World Music page.The album will be featured in listening station programs at major retail chains across the country throughout the summer.
Rollins is a prodigious professional committed to using music to celebrate cultural uniqueness while making the world seem just a little smaller.With his dexterous fretwork serving as the luminous golden thread thoughtfully laced throughout Infinita’s opulent musical tapestries, Latin, Indian, Persian, Arabic, Middle Eastern and European percussion and rhythms beat the path for lilting guitar and graceful piano melodies to roam unimpeded through expansive fields of World Music and jazz.Authenticity was important to the San Francisco-based Rollins, thus he surrounded himself with a masterful ensemble capable of bringing his vision to fruition.
Early reviews are praising Infinita.In the All Music Guide, veteran critic Jonathan Widran called the album a “…masterful genre-busting collection of Latin, Indian, Persian, Arabic, South American and European sounds…” and described it as a “…provocative and seductive project…”SmoothJazz.com enthused, “It’s impossible to resist the ethnically diverse grooves that drive Lawson Rollins’ new multi-cultural solo debut.From the loungey, ‘Café Jobim’ featuring Purim, to the rich groove of ‘In Motion,’ to the cinematic, Middle Eastern-influenced ‘New World Raga,’ Lawson Rollins carves out his solo place in the eclectic world of nu music.”Midwest Record stated, “Totally tasty adult world beat stuff that’ll really get your ears tingling.”Music Graffiti wrote,“There’s an unmistakable Mediterranean aesthetic in Lawson Rollins’ music.But the collection exhibits reservoirs of Latin and African rhythm and texture. The roster of artists is stellar, almost like the Yankees of old – not a single light spot in the batting order…This is an album that satisfies the casual listener’s moods and the thirsty quest of more discerning musicphiles.”Smooth-Jazz.de concluded, “Lawson's album Infinita is a must for serious lovers of the acoustic guitar.”
Incognito Rides the Wave of Human Emotion on its Heads Up International Debut
Since the late 1970s, the UK unit known as Incognito has taken elements of American R&B, soul, funk, disco and other high-energy sounds and merged them with the multicultural sensibilities of founder and frontman Jean-Paul Maunick, the Mauritius-born guitarist/producer better know to fans worldwide as “Bluey.”
More than just a UK band copping U.S. grooves, though, Incognito has built a rock-solid reputation for diversity by borrowing music and musicians from a host of exotic cultural centers: South Africa, India, Brazil, Cuba, Jamaica, Israel, France, Germany, Russia and so many more. An ongoing work in progress more than a band in the traditional sense, Incognito is a creative melting pot that captures the most infectious, dance-oriented beats from around the globe and distills them into an upbeat, high-octane blend.
With three decades worth of innovative recordings and stunning live performances under their collective belts, Incognito joins Heads Up International with the June 24, 2008, worldwide release of Tales From The Beach, a 15-track set of refreshing and uplifting songs that capture the best elements of the band’s classic sound: driving rhythms, high-impact horns and stirring lyrics delivered by an array of expressive vocalists (including Maysa Leak, an intermittent but consistently popular member of the Incognito lineup since the early ‘90s).
The album title is a reference to Bluey’s musical evolution since his childhood on the small island of Mauritius (off the coast of Madagascar). “When I was a kid, my first taste of music came from the beaches of Mauritius,” he says. “I spent a lot of time listening to the hotel bands, or the bands playing around the bonfires and cookouts. It’s a small island, so there were beaches everywhere. I was always watching live musicians play. So for inspiration for this album, I went back to various beaches around the world – in Italy, Indonesia and elsewhere – and just let the music flow.”
But on a more metaphorical level, Tales From The Beach tracks the continuing ebb and flow of certain personal yet universal experiences that make up the emotional landscape of our lives. “I just took inspiration from what has come to pass in the last year of heavy touring that we’ve been doing as a band,” says Bluey. “Each of us has experienced a lot of changes in our personal lives. Some of us have had relationships end. Some of us have entered new relationships. I think some of my best writing is on this record. In terms of lyrics and storytelling, I was able to get a lot of things out of my system.”
Tales From The Beach opens on a defiant note with “Step Aside,” a declaration of independence delivered by lead vocalist Joy Rose and propelled by a pulsating bass line, funky horns and the shimmering rhythm of the exotic-sounding African shekere.
The pop-flavored “When the Sun Comes Down,” sung by Tony Momrelle, examines the potential benefits and perils of making an emotional leap of faith. “I got goose bumps when Tony sang this song in the studio,” says Bluey. “It was a high point for me in the making of this record, a very emotional moment. It was a one-take vocal. He just took the lyrics, went into the booth and belted it out. When he finished, I was shaking. He said, ‘Was it okay?’ And I said, ‘Was it okay?! Are you kidding?’”
Maysa makes one of four lead-vocal appearances on the record with “I Remember a Time,” a poignant ballad co-written by Bluey and percussionist/keyboardist Matt Cooper, who had recently weathered a heart-wrenching breakup with his girlfriend. “I was writing songs with him while all this was going on, and he kind of confided in me,” Bluey recalls. “He’d written a piece of music – a skeleton of what the song would eventually become – and I came up with some lyrics. He took one look at the lyrics and he disappeared for a while. I later found him out in the garden crying. To me, this is what writing music is all about. Whether you like this song or not, I know we have achieved something great with this piece of music.”
The album closes with the title track, a brief interlude propelled by the formidable bass lines of Julian Crampton and the syncopated chugging riff of Bluey’s guitar. On top of this seamless combination is the lighthearted vocal scatting of Momrelle. The song is the satisfying final stretch of the journey to that place – in the mind and the heart, if not on the map – where the sand is soft and the ocean breeze is intoxicating.
Throughout Tales From The Beach, even in those moments that are melancholy or bittersweet, there’s an underlying message of hope and positivity. That message, says Bluey, is no accident. “When people come to Incognito gigs,” he says, “they’re saying, ‘Look, man, give us something.’ They come as if they’re in need of some kind of healing, or some kind of wisdom. I’m not a doctor or a prophet, so all I can do is give them something through the music and the message in the music. That ends up being part of the band’s greater goal, whether we’re on stage or in the studio – to bring people together, to be a platform to energize people.”
Tracklisting:
* 1. Step Aside * 2. I've Been Waiting * 3. When The Sun Comes Down * 4. Love Joy Understanding * 5. I Come Alive (Rimshots and Basses) * 6. Happy People * 7. N.O.T. * 8. Freedom To Love * 9. I Remember A Time * 10. It May Rain Sometime * 11. Never Look Back * 12. When Words Are Just Words * 13. Feel The Pressure * 14. Silence Of My Mind * 15. Tales From The Beach
Jimmy McGriff, the acclaimed blues organist, who scored his first hit in the 1960s with an instrumental arrangement of “I’ve Got A Woman,” then continued to record hard swinging grooves that appealed to audiences across musical boundaries, died Saturday at a nursing home in New Jersey. He was 72.
The cause of death was not known but was believed to be heart failure, said his wife, Margaret McGriff. Jimmy McGriff was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis many years ago.
Although sometimes described as a jazz organist, McGriff considered himself a bluesman; the blues was what he felt when he played and what distinguished his music from other greats of the organ.
“Jimmy Smith is the jazz king on the organ, but when it comes to blues, I can do things where he can’t touch me,” McGriff once said.
In a 2000 Los Angeles Times article, jazz writer Don Heckman described McGriff’s concert performance with saxophonist Hank Crawford and others as “an impressive display of the depth and power of the blues.”
McGriff’s “rich-textured organ timbres creating a roiling undercurrent of rhythm. At climactic points they gathered to generate tsunami-like waves of energy before breaking off into sudden, dramatic moments of silence,” Heckman wrote.
Born April 3, 1936, in Philadelphia, McGriff’s love of the organ began when he was a boy. Both his parents played piano and by the age of 5 McGriff was playing. Later he learned the saxophone and the bass, but the sound of the organ captured his attention. With the encouragement of his father he switched from piano to organ.
“He was hearing something I wasn’t hearing,” McGriff said in a 2006 interview posted on the Web site, All About Jazz. “He told me to play the organ, because I had that gospel thing.”
McGriff trained at Julliard and the Combe College of Music in Philadelphia and also took private lessons from Smith and another legendary organist, Richard “Groove” Holmes. The music of Count Basie, whom he met, also influenced McGriff.
“It was big band music. And I liked that big band kinda thing. That’s what turned me on,” McGriff said in the 2006 All About Jazz interview. “(Basie) was the father of Harlem musicians. He wouldn’t teach you nothing wrong. If you did something wrong, the changes I would play, he would just say, “That’s wrong. You don’t wanna do that.’ … I liked that.”
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(Pid ) Cartola - Verde Que Te Quero Rosa (Pid ) Cartola - 70 Anos (Pid ) Charlie Byrd - Bamba Samba Bossa Nova (Collectables ) Chick Corea - Inner Space (Collectables ) Cosmologic - Eyes In The Back Of My Head / Jewl (Cuneiform ) Costel Nitescu - Forever Swing, Grappelli Forever (Chant du Monde ) Curumin - Japan Pop Show (Pid ) Daniel Zamir - I Believe (Tzadik ) David Benoit - Heroes / Bonus Track (Universal Japan ) David Benoit - Heroes (Concord Records (USA) ) Eddie Gomez - Street Smart (Sony Japan ) Elmo Hope - Homecoming (Pid ) Eric Longsworth - Sans Souci (Pid ) Francois Lindemann - Thai (Amori ) Fumio Karashima - Piano Solo (Pid ) Furio Dicastri - Zapping (Pid ) Galliano / Louiss - European Jazz Masters: Richard Galliano & Eddy Lou (Dreyfus ) George Winston - Linus & Lucky Music Of Vince Guarldi (24 Bit K2 Re (Pid ) George Winston - Plains (BMG Japan ) Glenn Miller - Standard Book On Miller Sounds (Phantom Sound & Vision ) Glenn Miller Orchestra - Chesterfield Radio Shows (Pid ) Goodman / Lee - Where Or When (Pid ) Harumi Igarashi - Tears (Pid ) Herbie Hancock - Late Night Jazz Favorites (Cleopatra -- Navarre -- ) Hot Club De Norvege - Gloomy (Hot Club / Norway ) Hot Club De Norvege - Swing De Paris (Hot Club / Norway ) Humair / Koppel / Promalli - European Jazz Factory (Pid ) Ibomeka DK - I'm Your Man (Pid ) Ivan Lins - Modo Liver (Pid ) Jack Teagarden - Memories Of You (Collectables ) Jackie & Roy - Bits And Pieces/The Glory Of Love (Jasmine ) Jenny Scheinman - Jenny Scheinman (Koch Records (USA) ) Jens Joneleit - In-Between: Blues Pieces (Neos Productions ) Jens Joneleit - Maze Drum Solo (Neos Productions ) Joey Sommerville - Like You Mean It (Three Keys Music ) Joey Summerville - Like You Mean It (Three Keys Music ) Joey Summerville - Mean It (Three Keys Music ) Johnny Alf - Giagonal (Pid ) Lee Wiley - Lee Wiley (Pid ) Lee Wiley - Back Home Again (Pid ) Link Davis - Gumbo Ya Ya-The Best Of 1948-58 (Pid ) Lutzeier Quartet, Mi - Schlagerhitz (Pid ) Marcos Valle - Marcos Valle (Pid ) Mario Castro-Neves - Mario Castro Neves & Samba S.A (Pid ) Markus Stockhausen - Electronic Treasures (Pid ) Masahiko Sato - Amrphism (Sony Japan ) Maunalua - Ho'Okanaka (Pid ) Michiel Borstlap / Bill Bruford - In Two Minds (Summerfold Uk ) Miucha - & Antonio Carlos Jobim (Pid ) Mori / Parkins - Phantom Orchard (Tzadik ) Nils Wuelker - My Game (Pid ) Norma Winstone - Distances (Pid) Ok I Ok - Eating Mantis (Now Forward ) Ok Ok - Eating Mantis (Kindred Rhythm ) Outhouse - Outhouse (Pid ) Pepi Taveira - Reunion (Pid ) Phantom Orchard - Orra (Tzadik ) Phantom Orchard - Phantom Orchard (Tzadik ) Plastic Art Foundati - Or (Pid ) Quadro Nuevo - Antakya (Pid ) Raul De Souza - Vontade Mesmo (Pid ) Rca Jazz! 100 - Rca Jazz! 100 (Pid ) Rebecca Jenkins - Blue Skies (Maximum Jazz) - Book Red Garland Trio - Last Recording 1:My Funny Valentine (Phantom Sound & Vision ) Red Garland Trio - Last Recording 2:Autumun Leaves (Phantom Sound & Vision ) Rene Mailhes - Chtildo (Pid ) Revolutionary Snake Ensemble - Forked Tongue / Jewl (Cuneiform ) Richard Galliano - European Jazz Masters (Dreyfus Music ) Richard Galliano & Eddy Louiss - European Jazz Masters: Richard Galliano & Eddy (Dreyfus ) Richard Galliano & Eddy Louiss - European Jazz Masters (Dreyfus ) Sabina Hank - Music In A Mirror (Quinton ) Scorch - Brolt (Rune Grammofon ) Sergio Mendes - Encanto (Pid ) Simone - Simone On Somone (Koch ) Simply The Very B.O. Today's Smooth Jazz - Simply The Very B.O. Today's Smooth Jazz (Shanachie ) Simply The Very B.O. Today's Smooth Jazz - Simply the Very Best of Today's Smooth Jazz Guitar (Shanachie ) Simply The Very Best Of Todays Smooth Jazz Guitar - Simply The Very Best Of Todays Smooth Jazz Guitar (Shanachie ) Soo Choo Quartet - Prayer (Challenge Records ) Stanley Clarke - Hot Fun-Best (Pid ) Stephane Grappelli - Stardust-180 GR (Pid ) Sun Ra All Stars - Milan Zurich West Berlin Paris (Transparency ) Tamba Trio - Tamba (Pid ) Tina May - Tina May Sings The Ray BR (Pid ) Tom Mcdermott - All The Keys & Then Some: Piano Music From New (Parnassus ) Tommy Whittle - Tommy Whittle (Pid ) Various Artists - Verve Unmixed 4 (Verve ) Various Artists - Simply The Very Best Of Today's Smooth Jazz Guitar (Shanachie ) Verve Remixed - Verve Remixed Vol. 4-Verve Remixed (Verve ) Verve Remixed 4 - Verve Remixed 4 (Universal Japan ) Wardell Gray - Gray,Wardell Vol. 2-Memorial (Pid ) Yan Steindl - Ode To A Mermaid (Gnp/Cresndo ) Yitzhak Yedid - Oud Bass Piano Trio: Suite In Five Movements (Challenge ) Yusa - Haiku (Pid ) Zeena Parkins - Phantom Orchard (Tzadik )
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“The process of choosing the songs, arranging them and recording the music on Heroes, gave me a wonderful opportunity to pay tribute to artists like these who engaged my musical sensibilities throughout the years.” - Benoit Preview the Mountain Dance track click here
On Heroes, his latest Peak Records release, five-time Grammy nominated pianist/composer arranger and producer David Benoit celebrates 30-plus years as a recording artist by putting fresh, exuberant spins on classic songs by legendary pop, rock and jazz artists whose brilliance inspired his own.
While paying homage to jazz piano icons Dave Grusin, Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, Horace Silver and Dave Brubeck, on Heroes he also lets those fans in on an exciting little secret--he's an unabashed lover of pop and rock music who was equally influenced by The Beatles, Elton John, Michael Jackson and The Doors. Benoit's re-imaginings of ten instantly recognizable hits by this array of artists paint a vivid portrait of the artist's own unique multi-faceted artistry.
Focusing more on intimacy, on Heroes, Benoit rediscovers his roots with a self-produced collection that features his Steinway piano surrounded by the engaging ensemble work of his regular touring band: acoustic and electric bassist David Hughes, drummer Jamey Tate, percussionist Brad Dutz and special guest saxophonist Andy Suzuki. The only other instrumentation is a string quartet featuring members of the Asia American Symphony-which Benoit has conducted for the past seven years-on a lush and poignant, classical flavored take on "She's Leaving Home." The pianist has long credited The Beatles 1967 landmark Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band-which included that track--as an album that changed his life.
"The process of choosing the songs, arranging them and recording the music on Heroes," Benoit says, "gave me a wonderful opportunity to pay tribute to artists like these who engaged my musical sensibilities throughout the years. The tracks chart the course from my childhood growing up in L.A.'s South Bay through my first professional gigs and even into my career as a jazz artist. I've done so much work over the years as an arranger, composer and conductor that it was nice to get back to my real bread and butter and make a true piano record.
"These songs are really a part of me and such a joy to play," he adds. "Being in the studio working with longtime friends was a very comfortable situation. I've covered Brubeck and Evans before, and ‘Blue Rondo A La Turk' is as much a staple of my live show now as ‘Linus and Lucy' once was. Oscar and Horace touched most pianists from my generation, and I'm a huge fan of Dave Grusin and was signed to his GRP label for many years. Beyond that, some of my other choices may surprise people, and that's exciting to think about. Listening back to some of these gave us goose bumps, and I want listeners to share in that excitement and magic that we felt in the studio. One of my favorite Peanuts strips has Charlie Brown walking into Schroeder's living room as Schroeder is listening to the stereo in a huge overcoat. Charlie Brown asks, ‘Schroeder, why do you have an overcoat on? His reply: "Because I get chills listening to Beethoven. That's the power of music."
Listening to Heroes is like taking a whimsical stroll through key consciousness shifting changing moments in Benoit's life. He considers Grusin's "Mountain Dance" one of contemporary jazz's finest compositions, and breaks from the traditional melody at one point for some lively improvisation with his core trio. Heroes' first single is "Human Nature," the hypnotic John Bettis-Steve Porcaro tune that was part of the historic Quincy Jones produced Thriller album and later covered by Miles Davis. Benoit's been an Elton John fan since his senior year in high school, and in recent years has come to appreciate John's talents as a pianist as well as an artist. On his recording of "Your Song," Benoit adds a jazz touch that captures the beautiful timelessness of the song's melody. As one of the first rock bands to incorporate rich keyboard textures into their music, The Doors captured the teenage Benoit immediately; he learned "Light My Fire" when he was 15, and his haunting and hypnotic arrangement does Ray Manzarek proud.
For "Never Can Say Goodbye," which he remembers playing on the Fender Rhodes at one of his first paid gigs when he was 17, Benoit creates a percussive Ramsey Lewis styled arrangement. After "She's Leaving Home," which gives listeners a glimpse into Benoit's other thriving career as a classical composer/conductor, he digs into the powerful traditional jazz influence of Horace Silver (on a coolly swinging, bass-driven take on "Song For My Father") and Oscar Peterson's "You Look Good To Me."
A lighthearted revisit of Bill Evans' "Waltz For Debby" keeps alive the tradition Benoit started when he recorded the song on 1985's This Side Up; he paid full homage to his hero on 1992's Letter To Evan. Before closing with a percussive piano/sax jam through Brubeck's "Blue Rondo A La Turk," Benoit spices Heroes with the album's one original composition, "A Twisted Little Etude," that draws directly from Brubeck's inimitable style.
Tracklisting 1. Mountain Dance 2. Human Nature 3. Your Song 4. Light My Fire 5. Never Can Say Goodbye 6. She’s Leaving Home 7. Song For My Father 8. You Look Good To Me 9. Waltz For Debbie 10. A Twisted Little Etude 11. Blue Rondo A La Turk
This summer Return To Forever, Chick Corea (keyboards), Stanley Clarke (bass), Lenny White (drums) and Al Di Meola (guitar), reunite for an unprecedented return to the concert stage after more than 25 years apart. To commemorate the World Tour 2008 they have personally selected and overseen the careful remixing and remastering of their ground-breaking repertoire, The Anthology, which will be released by Concord Records on May 27, 2008.
Selected out of their virtual explosion of creativity the band culls tunes from their classic albums Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy (1973), Where Have I Known You Before (1974), the Grammy-winning No Mystery (1975) and their top-selling gold record Romantic Warrior (1976) - 20 tracks that propelled the band into history and made them a titanic influence on an entire generation of players. Free-form FM radio of the 70's played these tunes alongside rock peers Yes, King Crimson and Genesis and other burgeoning jazz crossovers like Headhunters and Mahavisnu Orchestra in a heady aural stew of progressive jazz & rock.
Mick Guzauski, whom has a Grammy to his credit for Eric Clapton's Back Home and Latin Grammy's (Alejandro Sanz, Thalia), approached this with a sincere yet workmanlike esthetic taking the original master tapes right back down to the basics and building it all back up with studio tools certainly not available back then; most are considered cutting edge even in the present. Not a reinvention or reimagination - more a restoration of how the band really sounded before less-than perfect digital transfers and other vagaries of the industry's rapid transition to CD. You'll wonder if your stereo really wasn't that good back then - trust us, it was fine - no one has ever heard Return To Forever like this.
Truly, no one has ever held a collection such as this, uniting the Electric period from the vaults of two major labels (Sony & Universal) on a single must-have set. Nearly all the music from that startling and concussive Electric period is represented here, over two and a half hours of RTF-ness across the two discs. Highlights will be different for every fan though surely the frenetic "Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy" is on most people's list as well as Stanley's loping syncopated "Dayride", Lenny's funky radio hit "Sorceress" and Al's arena jazz-rock workout "Majestic Dance". Remember this band is comprised of four real leaders: gifted with huge chops and composers of melodic, challenging rhythms
Clearly, contemporary bands like Medeski, Martin and Wood, Rudder, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, the Flecktones et al have felt the imprint of RTF's iconic canon. Even the hip hop contingent has found riffs for clever sampling and artists including Lupe Fiasco and Dr. Dre acknowledge the power of the group's grooves.
The packaging of this new collection is no less definitive than the music it exhibits.
Designed by Peter Gabriel's (Real World) Creative Director, Marc Bessant the comprehensive and personal nature of this release is displayed in its ample parts.
Never-before-seen photos of the band, individual recollections from each band member and a deeply honorific and entertaining narrative liner essay from Miles Davis reissue producer Grammy-winner Bob Belden all contribute to the top-notch treatment this collection exudes on every page (and every groove.)
There is a moment in a short clip (view at www.return2forever.com) where the band ensconced at famed Mad Hatter studios rips through a tune fueled by the stomp funk bedrock of Stanley & Lenny, ignited by Chick's analog keyboards and gem-cutting flurries from Al's beautiful inlaid wood guitar and you can't imagine it's been 25 years plus. It's as though they just stepped out for a cup of coffee (albeit a long one) came back in and (jazz) rocked out again. A brief reunion in 1982 set a seed in the collective field for this reassembly of talents whom now, almost organically find it the right time to play together again. Long-time fans and new converts should also take heart that the ready for prime time again RTF is already talking about new material and recording as well as DVD projects and continued touring.
This collection will relight the fires of the loyalists and find new cachet in the hip, musical youth of the jam generation.
Tracklisting Disc one 1. Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy 2. After the Cosmic Rain 3. Captain Senor Mouse 4. Theme to the Mothership 5. Space Circus, Part I & II 6. The Game Maker 7. Vulcan Worlds 8. The Shadow of Lo 9. Beyond the Seventh Galaxy 10. Song to the Pharoah Kings
Disc two 1. Dayride 2. Sofistifunk 3. No Mystery 4. Celebration Suite, Part I & II 5. Medieval Overture 6. Sorceress 7. The Romantic Warior 8. Majestic Dance 9. The Magician 10. Duel of the Jester and the Tyrant, Part I & II
There’s magic in the air when Joe Parillo sits down at the piano. The award-winning musician, a former winner of the Best Jazz Artist title in The Phoenix arts weekly, is an evocative instrumentalist and visionary straddling genres and creating an intoxicating hybrid of melodic styles.
