Alex Von Schlippenbach - Blue Hawk ( )
Alexander Von Schlippenbach - Blue Hawk (Jazzwerkstatt )
Ali McGregor - Jazz Cigarette (Metropolitan Groove Merchants )
Amanda Brecker - Blossom (Phantom )
Andre Williams - Mr Rhythm Is Movin ( )
Andy Manndorff - Dirt & Soil (Phantom )
Annie Ross - Sings A Song With Mulligan! (Phoenix )
Barney Kessel - Military Swing (Amj Jap/Zoom )
Bateman Brothers Jazz Band - Now You Has Jazz (Phantom )
Ben Webster - At The Renaissance ( )
Benny Goodman - Benny Rides Again ( )
Brotherhood Of Breath - Chris Mcgregors Brotherhood Of Breath ( )
Charlie Parker - Rough Guide To Charlie Parker (Reborn & Remastered (Phantom )
Charlie Parker - Rough Guide To Jazz Legends: Charlie Parker (World Music Network )
Chet Baker (Trumpet / Com / Vocals - Complete Original Chet Baker Sings Sessions (Phoenix )
Chet Baker (Trumpet / Com / Vocals - Chet Baker & Art Pepper: Complete Recordings (Phoenix )
Christophe Goze - Long Way Home (Anything Goze Productions )
Clifford Brown - Complete Recordings (Phoenix )
Crooners-From Sinatra To Buble - Crooners-From Sinatra To Buble (Phantom )
Dave Brubeck - At The Free Trade Hall 1958 ( )
Dexter Gordon - Resurgence Of Dexter Gordon (Universal )
Diane Kane - Sings For All Seasons (Amj Jap/Zoom )
Don Davis - Tripolarliveatroulettenyc (Jazzwerkstatt )
Duke Ellington - Ellington Indigos (Jazz Track )
Eliane Elias - Light My Fire (Concord )
Elisabeth Welch - This Thing Called Love (Traditions Alive LLC )
Elton Dean - Ninesense / Natal (Jazzwerkstatt )
Elton Dean / Nine Sense & Beckett - Elton Deans Nine Sense Suite ( )
Frank Sinatra - Swing Along With Me (Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab )
Frank Sinatra - Concert Sinatra (Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab )
Greatest Jazz Divas - Greatest Jazz Divas ( )
Harry James - Complete Harry James In Hi-Fi ( )
Heart In Hand - Only Memories (Phantom )
Helen Merrill - Complete Recordings ( )
Hersh Hamel - Hersh Hamel's Songbook (Traditions Alive LLC )
Hilary Kole - Moments Like This (JVC Japan/Zoom )
Horace Silver - Complete Recordings (Disconforme )
Howard McGhee - Sharp Edge (Disconforme )
J. D. Souther - Natural History (Entertainment One Music )
J.D. Souther - Natural History (Entertainment O )
J.J. Johnson - At The Opera House (Poll Winners )
Jeremy Udden - If The Past Seems So Bright (Sunny Side )
Jeremy Udden's Plainville - If The Past Seems So Bright (Sunnyside Communications )
Jim Hall - Good Friday Blues ( )
Jim Snidero - Interface (Savant )
John Lindberg - John Lindbergs Tripolar ( )
John Scofield - Moment's Peace (Emarcy )
Larry Goldings - In My Room (Var�se Sarabande (USA) )
Laszlo Gardony - Signature Time (Sunny Side )
Lee Konitz - Someone To Watch Over Me (Phantom )
Lettieri Trio, Joe - Birth Of Group (Amj Jap/Zoom )
Louis Armstrong - Rough Guide To Louis Armstrong (Reborn & Remastere (Phantom )
Louis Armstrong - Rough Guide To Jazz Legends: Louis Armstrong (World Music Network )
Luce - Premiere Phalange (Phantom )
Magos Herrera - Mexico Azul (Sunny Side )
Marcus Miller - Tutu Revisited ( )
Mattia Cigalini - Res Nova (Phantom )
Maurice Jarre - London Concert ( )
Miles Davis - Rough Guide To Miles Davis (Phantom )
Miles Davis - Tutu: Deluxe Edition (Phantom )
Miles Davis - Legendary 1960 European Tour (Disconforme )
Miles Davis - Rough Guide To Jazz Legends: Miles Davis: Birth Of A Legend (World Music Network )
Nice Jazz Orchestra - Festival (Indie Europe/Zoom )
Ornette Coleman - 1987 Hamburg Concert (Disconforme )
Red Snapper - Key (Phantom )
Robin Duhe - Life (Blaise Two/City Hall )
Shawn Brock - Sight Unseen (Innervision )
Shelly Manne - Proper Time (Disconforme )
Sly Johnson - 74 (Phantom )
Sonny Rollins - Live In Munich 1965 (Disconforme )
Stefano Bollani - Big Band! (Phantom )
Stephanie Heins - It's Only Music (Amj Jap/Zoom )
Tom Harrell - Time Of The Sun (Highnote Records, Inc. )
Tommy Smith - Karma (Phantom )
Tonbruket Dan Berglund - Dig It To The End (Phantom )
Workout Mix-Summer - Workout Mix-Summer (Phantom )
Reissues
Cannonball Adderley - Somethin' Else (Pid )
Clifford Brown - At The Cotton Club 1956 (Lonehill Jazz)
Dave Brubeck - Dave Digs Disney (Sbme Special MKTS. )
By Mitch Myers
http://jazztimes.com/
A reunion of the original quartet known as Béla Fleck and the Flecktones can be considered something of an event. Banjoist Fleck is probably the most accomplished “newgrass” player of the last three decades, bassist Victor Wooten a virtuoso in his own right and brother Roy “Futureman” Wooten is practically otherworldly on his ever-evolving, custom-made Drumitar. Add to all of this the return of pianist/harmonica wizard Howard Levy, and the potential for genre-defying instrumental improvisation is high. Basically, these guys can play anything they want, and for the first recording of this particular group in nearly 20 years, Rocket Science shoots for the stars.
In some ways, Howard Levy’s unique musicianship and creativity have provided a real boost for his old comrades. The compositions are all quite bold, showcasing everyone’s versatility and highlighting the collective power of the band. Fleck’s impressive banjo style somehow works in the foreground and background simultaneously, as Wooten’s liquid bass weaves between Fleck and Futureman’s authentically rhythmic drum-work samples. Levy’s harmonica can be the least fascinating sound here, but the sonic direction of the Flecktones is still much more adventurous whenever he’s involved.
The composition “Life in Eleven” uses Bulgarian dance rhythms, and it might be the most engaging use of the unusual time signature since the Grateful Dead’s group-mind-meld on “The Eleven.” Futureman struts his stuff convincingly on “The Secret Drawer,” which segues nicely into Levy’s piano-based composition “Sweet Pomegranates.” Mostly following the old Weather Report adage of always soloing and never soloing, the Flecktones are simply amazing musicians whose rapport can’t be beat.
From the opening infectious and danceable notes rhythmically tapped out by keyboardist Patrick Cooper on Struttn, the first radio single from his forthcoming second album, The Way It Used To Be, the vibe is instantly set for a throwback collection that puts a contemporary spin on vintage jazz funk. The disc comprised of eight original songs penned and produced by Cooper that celebrate the best qualities of the past will be released July 12th on the artists own Depth In Sound record label, which is distributed by Allegro Distribution.
Coopers loving salute to music from the seminal experimental days when soulful R&B balladry and grooves, free-spirited improvisational jazz and feel-good funk first intersected adopts the best traits from that bygone era. Coopers recipe begins with writing quality songs. His potent hooks constructed of memorable melodies meaningfully touch and inspire. Coopers piano and keyboards occupy the throne in the kingdom of organically produced tracks outfitted with live drums, bass, guitar and sax along with soothing vocal and horn section swatches that add warmth, lilt and animation. Joining Cooper in the studio were bassists David Dyson, Tommy Tordsson and Corey Baker, drummers Dwayne Thomas, Jay Williams and Mark Stewart, guitarists Stanley Cooper, Alvin White and Robert WaWa LeGrand, saxophonists Phillip Doc Martin and Bryan Mills, and vocalist Nehemiah Booker. Tony Hemming contributed additional keyboards and co-produced the single and title track with Cooper, an artist who has the passion and ambition to build an enduring musical brand by creating music that follows the fundamentals and ideals of yesteryear.
I titled the album The Way It Used To Be with the goal of capturing the sound and spirit from music produced decades ago. To me, it feels like artists have gotten away from writing music with substance and significance. When I look at the body of music created by artists like George Duke, The Crusaders and a myriad of other jazz greats that influence my work, its amazing how they were able to blend sounds and to work magic with the keys. Thats the sound and style I had in mind. I believe that the best music from our past forms the foundation from which the best music of today and tomorrow emerges, Cooper stated.
A video clip for the flirtatious urban adult contemporary track, Im That Man, which features a vocal chorus sung by Booker, has garnered considerable airplay throughout the country. The clip can be viewed on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxP26OOgxO4&feature=youtube_gdata_player.
While growing up in Portland, Oregon, Cooper was fascinated by the harmonies, color and voicing created by church organists and keyboardists. He taught himself how to read music and jazz theory. By 18, he became his churchs primary keyboardist and organist. A few years later, he honed his songwriting skills in the secular world by playing in a popular local contemporary jazz band, N-Touch, that garnered acclaim via performances at clubs and festivals. After a move to Washington, DC a decade ago, Coopers music career began to flourish via recording collaborations with Dyson, Martin, Jackiem Joyner, Marcus Johnson, and Jaared. He has shared the concert stage with Nick Colionne, Michael Lington, Freddie Jackson, Bobby Lyle, Regina Belle, Mike Phillips, Marion Meadows, Maysa, and Kim Waters. Cooper appeared on television as the musical director for the nationally syndicated series Eighty-One-O-One (8101). In 2007, he released his debut album, That Day, which was reissued the following year as Vibin after adding two new tracks and landing a distribution deal. The title track earned most added honors at radio where it peaked at #38 on the charts. Additional information is available at www.pcoopjazz.com.
The songs on Coopers The Way It Used To Be are:
Struttn
Come Sunday
Next 2 U
The Way It Used To Be
Im That Man
Side Steppn
Denise
Its OK To Move
All distance is relative, especially where geopolitical borders and ideologies are involved. We speak one language, they speak another. We follow our system, they follow theirs. When we focus on the differences, a relatively short stretch of land or water starts to look like a yawning chasm. But when we look at each other as individuals and focus on the similarities, that “chasm” is actually a very short distance. Less than a hundred miles.
Musicians – especially jazz musicians, whose craft is in many ways an improvised form of communication – understand this principle inherently, perhaps better than any politician or diplomat could ever hope to. Vibraphonist Stefon Harris, saxophonist David Sánchez and trumpeter Christian Scott cross that divide in their new recording, Ninety Miles.
Recorded entirely in Havana, Cuba, with the help of some highly talented Cuban players – pianists Rember Duharte and Harold López-Nussa, each leading their own quartets – the nine-song set is an experiment that examines the fascinating chemical reaction that takes place when musicians from different cultures come together and converse in a common language that transcends mere words. The set also includes a DVD that is a sneak peek of the forthcoming documentary of the same name that chronicles the recording process of the album in Cuba. It will also include two bonus live performances of “City Sunrise” and “La Fiesta Va.”
“This record is about the power of music to communicate, and break down some of the barriers that result from language and politics and culture,” says John Burk, Chief Creative Officer of Concord Music Group and producer of the album. He developed the idea for the project after hearing a number of Cuba's extraordinary young jazz pianists. "Cuba seems to have an amazing amount of incredible musicians, and I was particularly impressed with Harold and Rember," recalls Burk. "I found it really interesting that these musicians had studied and embraced the jazz genre (an American art form) and taken it to such a high level. Their circumstances, a very solid music educational system with Afro-Cuban roots, coupled with the isolation of the embargo throughout their lifetimes, had created something unique and special in their music." It took about year to get permission from the U.S. Government, and then Burk, along with co-producer Chris Dunn, booked Harris, Sánchez and Scott to perform in Havana in May 2010 with quartets lead by Harold and Rember. Ninety Miles is a snapshot of the rehearsals just prior to the 2010 performance.
Despite the logistical hurdles, “once we got down there and got into the music, everything worked,” says Burk. “And what we witnessed was a very high level of musicianship, a very high level of communication, and a very sophisticated conversation.”
Harris, a four- time GRAMMY® nominated vibist-percussionist, is no stranger to adventurous collaborative projects. A native of Albany, New York, his earliest work included session gigs with Steve Turre and Charlie Hunter in the 1990s before he recorded his solo debut in 1998 on Blue Note (A Cloud of Red Dust). He’s cut seven albums since then, including his GRAMMY® nominated Concord Jazz debut Urbanus.
Harris contributes three tracks to Ninety Miles. New arrangements of “Black Action Figure” and “This Too Shall Pass” and “Brown Belle Blues” written especially for this project. “Before I wrote it, I listened to a bunch of recordings by Rember and his rhythm section as a way to capture some of their energy in the song,” he says. “On top of that, I put a real soulful, bluesy, almost gospel-like melody on top of it as a way to bring all of our influences together.”
Sánchez brings plenty of his own cross-cultural sensibilities to the project. A native of Puerto Rico, he moved to New York City at 18 and studied at Rutgers University under Kenny Barron while gigging with numerous Latin jazz specialists, including Paquito D’Rivera, Claudio Roditi and Dizzy Gillespie. In a body of recorded work that stretches back to the mid-1990s, Sánchez has crafted a signature sound that seamlessly merges elements of Afro-Cuban rhythm with bebop.
Sánchez’s “City Sunrise” was inspired by music from Cameroon. “I had planned to record it on one of my own projects, but it made perfect sense to use it here,” he says. “It not only has a Cuban sound, but there are other elements there as well that give it a world groove.” His second contribution, “The Forgotten Ones” – written for the people of post-Katrina New Orleans – is a quieter, more subtle piece that provides a contrast to some of the more energized tracks in the set.
Both of Sanchez’s offerings are propelled by López-Nussa and his rhythm section, which provides a counterbalance to Duharte and his crew elsewhere in the set. Each of the two pianists contributes two tracks of his own, which further thickens the album’s cultural mix. “Harold and Rember are from the same generation, and yet they have two completely different approaches,” says Sánchez. “Rember is more rooted in the African sound, and he’s a little more raw in some ways. But Harold is completely different. You hear the Cuban influences in his music, and perhaps more of the western European classical piano.”
Born and raised in New Orleans, GRAMMY® nominated trumpeter Christian Scott has been blending elements of Alt Rock, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Classical since his 2006 debut recording, Rewind That. On Ninety Miles, he taps into the Cuban roots that are not only a part of his home but his family history as well. “New Orleans is in many ways an extension of the Caribbean,” Scott explains. “There are a lot of Cuban people in New Orleans as well as Dominican’s and Haitian’s. They come to the city and become very much a part of the culture there. My great-grandmother was born in Cuba, and when I was growing up, she would sing Cuban songs to me. I grew up around that music. So while I don’t particularly think of myself as Cuban, it doesn’t necessarily mean that I was not able to pick up on and appreciate certain aspects of the culture.”
The brilliance and innovation of Ninety Miles is only part of the story. The recording is also a clear statement about the power of music to unite in ways that politics and diplomacy can’t. “The arts can lead the way, because they are the universal language,” says Burk. “And music is certainly one of the most powerful forces within the arts. You can change someone’s life in five minutes with the right piece of music. I don’t know of any other art form that can do that. This record does illustrate a way – or at least the ability – for people to work together despite differences.”
Alexey Kruglov / Vladimir Tarasov - Dialogos ( )
Ambrose Akinmusire - When Heart Emerges Glistening (EMI Japan/Zoom )
Ari Hoenig - Lines Of Oppression (Phantom )
Arthur Verocai - Arthur Verocai (Luv N' Haight )
Augmented Reality - CD Release Party (Daywood Drive Records)
Chordettes - Sentimental Journey (Traditions Alive LLC )
Coco D'Or - Coco D'Or 3 (Phantom )
Dave Bailey - 2 Feet In The Gutter ( )
Dick Hyman Trio - Serenade In Blue (Venus Jap/Zoom )
Eddie Bert - Kaleidoscope (Phantom )
Frank Strozier - Fantastic Frank Strozier (VeeJay )
Garage A Trois - Always Be Happy, But Stay Evil (Royal Potato Family )
Harold Lopez Nussa - Canciones (Phantom )
Harrison Bankhead - Morning Sun Harvest Moon (Engine Studios )
Harrison Bankhead Sextet - Morning Sun Harvest Moon (Egr )
Horace Arnold - Tales Of The Exonerated Flea (Jazz Secrets )
Horacee Arnold - Tribe/Tales Of The Exonerated Flea (Phantom )
Humphrey Lyttelton - High Class (Phantom )
James Torme - Love For Sale (Entertainment O )
Jo Basile & Orchestra - Jazz Accordion (Traditions Alive LLC )
Jochen Ruckert - Somewhere Meeting Nobody ( )
Joe Lovano Us Five - Bird Songs (EMI Japan/Zoom )
John Scofield - Moment's Peace (Emarcy )
La Locomotora Negra - Originals: Play Their Own Compositions (Swing Alley )
Laika - Nebula (Phantom )
Louis Armstrong - Icon (Hip-O )
Marc Copland - Crosstalk ( )
Nina Simone - Collection (Red Box )
Nina Simone & Other Sisters Of The 1950S - Absolutely Essential (Phantom )
Ogam - O Gam I Gam (Traditions Alive LLC )
Rebecca Pidgeon - Raven (Chesky )
Sabir Mateen / Matthew Shipp - Live In Moscow ( )
Slide Hampton - Fabulous Quartet (Phantom )
Steve Khan - Parting Shot (Boundee )
Sun Ra - Mayan Temples (Black Saint )
Triptet - Imaginary Perspective (Egr )
Trojan Presents: R & B & Mento - Trojan Presents: R&B & Mento (Phantom )
Adam Kolker - Reflections (Sunnyside Commu )
Adam Rudolph - Both/And (Meta Records -- City Hall -- )
Adam Rudolph - Both / & ( )
Agoria - Fabric 57 (Fabric )
Alberto Iovene - Wired Along (Phantom )
Alberto Org Marsico - B Side Of The Fish (Phantom )
Alessandro Ducoli - Brumantica (Phantom )
Alex Sipiagin - Destinations Unknown (Criss Cross (Hol) )
Ali McGregor - Jazz Cigarette (Metropolitan Groove Merchants )
Alphonse Mouzon - Angel Face (Tenacious )
Andre Williams - Mr Rhythm Is Movin ( )
Andrea Centazzo - Departed Angels (Ictus Records )
Andrea Centazzo - Midnight All Day (Ictus Records )
Andrea Centazzo - Visions (Ictus Records )
Andrea Centazzo - Mandala (Ictus Records )
Andrea Centazzo - Moon In Winter (Ictus Records )
Andrea Centazzo - Cetacea (Ictus Records )
Andrea Centazzo - Cthe Secret Of Joy (Ictus Records )
Andrea Centazzo - September Impressions (Ictus Records )
Annie Ross - Sings A Song With Mulligan (Disconforme )
Annie Ross - Sings A Song With Mulligan! (Phoenix )
Asguests - Universal Mind (Origin )
Barbara Casini - Angoli Confusi (Phantom )
Barron / Sharp / Zorzi - Beyond (Ictus Records )
Beegie Adair - Cocktail Party Jazz (Camden )
Beegie Adair & Friends - Cocktail Party Jazz... (Emm/Chordant )
Bela Fleck - Rocket Science ( )
Ben Webster - At The Renaissance ( )
Ben Webster - At The Renaissance 1960 (Disconforme )
Benny Goodman - Benny Rides Again ( )
Benny Goodman & His Orchestra - Goodman,Benny & His Orchestra Vol. 6-Afrs Benny Goodman Show (Sounds Of Yesteryear )
Benny Goodman / His Orchestra - Afrs Benny Goodman Show 6 ( )
Big Broadcast-Jazz & Popular Music Of The 1920S - Big Broadcast-Jazz & Popular Music Of The 1920S & (Rivermont )
Big Broadcast: Jazz & 1920S & 1930S 6 - Big Broadcast: Jazz & 1920S & 1930S 6 ( )
Billie Davis - Whatcha Gonna Do? Singles, Rarities And Unreleased 1963-1966 (Rpm )
Billie Holiday - Essential Rare Collection (Cleopatra -- Navarre -- )
Blood Command - Hand Us The Alpha Male (Phantom )
Bruce Ditmas & Bley Pau / Pat Metheny / Jaco Pastorius - Live In New York City 16th June 1974 (Phantom )
Cab - Live On Sunset (Brunel Music )
Camillo Pace / Connie Valentini - Uhuru Wetu (Bob Marley) (Phantom )
Campus Filomena - Jester Of Jazz (Phantom )
Carlo Magni - Notturni (Phantom )
Carol Sudhalter - Great Film Music Of The Sixties (Phantom )
Centazzo / Leppin / Sebastian / Zook - September Impressions ( )
Cher Baker & Art Pepper - Complete Recordings (Disconforme )
Cher Baker / Art Pepper - Complete Recordings ( )
Chet Baker (Trumpet / Com / Vocals - Chet Baker (Fresh Sound )
Chet Baker (Trumpet / Com / Vocals - Complete Original Chet Baker Sings Sessions (Phoenix )
Chet Baker (Trumpet / Com / Vocals - Chet Baker & Art Pepper: Complete Recordings (Phoenix )
Chris Taylor - Nocturnal (Abstract Logix )
Clare Teal - Hey Ho (Phantom )
Clarence Williams - Washboard Bands 1926-1929 'Gimme Blues' (Frog (Uk) )
Clarence Williams - Gimme Blues (Frog )
Clifford Brown - Complete Recordings (Phoenix )
Coleman Hawkins - Evolution Of An Ar (Phantom )
Cristiano Angelini - L'Ombra Della Mosca (Phantom )
Cromax - Life Behind (Phantom )
Cy Coleman - Cool Coleman (Blue Moon Import )
Dallape - Soittajan Sussu (Phantom )
Daniel Danjam Orchestra Jamieson - Sudden Appearance (OA2 )
Daniel Jamieson - Sudden Appearance ( )
Daniele Gorgone - On The Way Home (Phantom )
Danny Grissett - Stride (Criss Cross (Hol) )
Dargenio / Decorato / Maccuro / Pentassu. - Lands (Phantom )
Dave Ballou / Daniel Barbiero / Andrea Centazzo - Moon In Winter ( )
Dave Brubeck - At The Free Trade Hall 1958 ( )
Dave Brubeck & Paul Desmond - At The Free Trade Hall 1958 (Disconforme )
David Binney - Barefooted Town (Criss Cross (Hol) )
Dexter Gordon - Resurgence Of Dexter Gordon (Universal )
Di Lenge / Orsi / Petrosillo - Riot (Phantom )
Dida Pelled - Plays & Sings (Phantom )
Dimitri Vassilakis - Across The Universe (ZONE 7 )
Dinah Washington - Anthology 1943-59 (Cleopatra -- Navarre -- )
Dinah Washington - Anthology 1943-1959 (Cleopatra )
Dinah Washington - Complete Recordings ( )
Dinah Washington - Anthology: 1943-1959 (Cleopatra )
Dinah Washington & Clifford Brown - Complete Recordings (Disconforme )
Dorf - Le Record (Leo Records -- City Hall -- )
Duke Ellington - Ellington Indigos (Jazz Track )
Edith Piaf - Sous Le Ciel De Paris (Sunny Side )
Edward Simon - La Bikina (Phantom )
Elliott Sharp - Age Of Carbon (Phantom )
Enrico Pieranunzi - 1685: Plays Johann Sebastian Bach Georg Friedrich (Phantom )
Euge Groove - Seven Large (Shanachie )
Eugene Chadbourne - Roll Over Berlosconi (Phantom )
Felice Clemente Quartet - Nuvole Di Carta (Phantom )
Francesco Nastro - Waiting For A New World (Phantom )
Frank Salis - Mad Dog (Phantom )
Gaspare Bernardi - Cor'N Connexion (Phantom )
Giorgio Li Calzi - Organum (Phantom )
Glenn Miller - Plays Harry Warren (Sounds Of Yesteryear )
Gori Nesti Onorati - Millenovecento (Phantom )
Harold Vick - Caribbean Suite (RCA )
Harry James - Complete Harry James In Hi-Fi ( )
Helen Merrill - Complete Recordings ( )
Helen Merrill & Clifford Brown - Complete Recordings (Disconforme )
Hersh Hamel - Hersh Hamel's Songbook (Traditions Alive LLC )
His Orchestra / Stan Kenton - Afrs Jubilee Recordings ( )
Horace Silver - Complete Recordings (Disconforme )
Hot Club Roma - Django Mon Amour (Phantom )
Hotel Bossa Nova - Bossanomia (Phantom )
Howard McGhee - Sharp Edge (Disconforme )
Hugo Montenegro - Moog Power ( )
J.D. Allen - Victory! (Sunnyside Commu )
J.J. Johnson - At The Opera House (Poll Winners )
Jack Jezzro - Gershwin On Guitar-Gershwin... (Emm/Chordant )
Jack Jezzro - Gershwin On Guitar-Gershwin (Green Hill Productions )
Jaco Pastorious & Ali Rashid - Live In Cannes France 19th Dec. 1984 (Phantom )
James Carter - Caribbean Rhapsody (Emarcy )
Jazz A La Gitane - Jazz A La Gitane Vol. 3 (Phantom )
Jazz A La Gitane-Bands Of Gypsies - Jazz A La Gitane-Bands Of Gypsies (Phantom )
Jazz At The Flamingo 10th Anniversary - Jazz At The Flamingo 10th Anniversary Tribute ( )
Jazz Couriers - Jazz Couriers In Concert Featuring Ronnie Scott & (Speciality )
Jazz Couriers - In Concert ( )
Jazz Couriers - Jazz Couriers In Concert Featuring Ronnie Scott & Tubby Hayes (Speciality )
JD Allen Trio - Victory! (Sunnyside Communications )
Jed Levy - Good People (Reservoir -- City Hall -- )
Jessie Hou - When Jazz Meets Erhu (Phantom )
Jim Hall - Good Friday Blues ( )
Jim Hall & His Modest Jazz Trio - Good Friday Blues (Disconforme )
Jim Stranahan - Free For All (Tapestry )
Jimmy Rushing - Complete Goin' To Chicago & Listen To The Blues (Disconforme )
Jimmy Rushing - Complete Goin To Chicago & Listen To The Blues ( )
Joey Barron - Beyond (Ictus Records/City Hall )
Joey Barron / Elliott Sharp / Roberto Zorzi - Beyond ( )
John Coltrane - Evolution Of An Ar (Phantom )
John Stowell & Michael Zilber Quartet - Shot Through With Beauty (Origin )
John Stowell / Michael Zilber - Shot Through With Beauty ( )
Julian "Cannonball" Adderley - Somethin Else ( )
Kairos 4tet - Statement Of Intent (Edition Records )
Kapedani Markelian Trio - Balkan Bop (Phantom )
Karen Aoki - Voyage ( )
Keinchi Sonoda - Dixieland Jazz Best (King Japan/Zoom )
Lazzara Salvo Pensiero Nomade - Materia E Memoria (Phantom )
Lee Konitz - Live At Birdland (Ecm )
Lenoci Gianni 4tet Feat.W.Parker - Secret Garden (Phantom )
Louie Belogenis - Tiresias ( )
Louie Belogenis Trio - Tiresias (PORTER )
Louis Armstrong - Great Chicago Concert 1956 ( )
Luca Aquino - Chiaro (Phantom )
Ludovic Beier - Pop Swing & Fire (Indie Europe/Zoom )
Manhattan Graffiti Four - MG4 (Why Not )
Mardi Gras Parade Music From New 2 - Mardi Gras Parade Music From New 2 ( )
Mardi Gras Parade Music From New Orleans - Mardi Gras Parade Music From New Orleans Vol. 2-Mardi Gras Parade Music From New Orleans (GHB )
Marilyn Monroe - Greatest Moments (Cleopatra -- Navarre -- )
Marius Neset - Golden Xplosion (Edition Records )
Mark Feldman Quartet - Hotel Du Nord (Intakt )
Martin Ettore - Diecistorie (Phantom )
Maurizio Pagnutti - Secret Stories (Phantom )
Mauro Negri - Line Up (Phantom )
Mauro Ottolini - I Separatisti Bassi (Phantom )
Metheny.Pat - Live In Cannes 28th January 1983 (Phantom )
Michele Fazio - Visione Passeggera (Phantom )
Mike Moreno - First In Mind (Criss Cross (Hol) )
Miles Davis - Legendary 1960 European Tour (Disconforme )
Mills Brothers - Meet The Big Bands (Blue Moon Import )
Nate Aronow Nextet - Xpression
Nico Di Battista - Segreti (Phantom )
Nicole Jo - Go On (Phantom )
Nicole Mitchell - Awakening (Delmark )
Omara Portuondo - Magia Negra 1959-61 (Traditions Alive LLC )
Open Quartet - Back To The Roots (Phantom )
Ornette Coleman - 1987 Hamburg Concert (Disconforme )
Ornette Coleman - Live In Beograd Yugoslavia 2 November 1971 (Phantom )
Oscar Aleman - Ritmo Loco: El Rey De La Guitarra Swing (Sunny Side )
Pablo Bobrowicky - Southern Blue (Phantom )
Paolo Di Sabatino - Voices (Phantom )
Pasquale Bardaro - Move On (Phantom )
Pmjo Giammarco M - Open On Sunday (Phantom )
Progressive Jazz From Italy 1977-89 - Progressive Jazz From Italy 1977-89 (Ictus Records )
Progressive Jazz From Italy 1977-89 - Progressive Jazz From Italy 1977-1989 ( )
Quartetto Z - Volume 1 (Phantom )
Ran Blake - Grey December: Live In Rome (Tompkins Square )
Ricardo Scales - Summertime & You (Bay Sound )
Ricardo Scales - Summertime And You (BAY SOUND )
Riccardo Arrighini - Suona Verdi (Phantom )
Riccardo Zegna - Monk-A-Ning (Phantom )
Roberta Marcone - Volo Sola E Sola Volo (Phantom )
Sean Khan - Slow Burner ( )
Shelly Manne - Proper Time (Disconforme )
Simona Bencini - Spreading Love (Phantom )
Sonny Rollins - Live In Munich 1965 (Disconforme )
Special Jazz Duo - Dream Dancing (Phantom )
Stan Getz & J.J. Johnson - At The Opera House (Disconforme )
Stan Getz / J.J. Johnson - At The Opera House ( )
Stan Kenton - Live Birdland Encores ( )
Stan Kenton And His Orchestra - Afrs Jubilee Recordings (Sounds Of Yesteryear )
Starlicker - Double Demon (Delmark )
Stefano Di Battista - Woman's Land (Discograph )
Sun Ra Arkestra - Live At The Storyville Nyc 24th October 1977 (Phantom )
Sun Ra Arkestra - Live At The Storyville Nyc 29th October 1977 (Phantom )
Swing Dealers - Soul Traders (Zyx )
Sylvie Courvoisier-Mark Feldman Quartet - Hotel Du Nord (Phantom )
Taj-Mahal Travellers - Live At The Moderna Museet In Stockholm 9 July 197 (Phantom )
Taj-Mahal Travellers-Live At The Moderna Museet In - Live At The Moderna Museet In Stockholm 1 July 197 (Phantom )
Terry Shannon - Tubby's New Groove (Candid )
Timex All Star Jazz Show 1 - Timex All Star Jazz Show 1 ( )
Tiziana Ghiglioni / Alberto Tacchini - Songs (Phantom )
Tommaso Vivaldi - Phil Woods Sonata (Phantom )
Tony Cabot & His Orchestra - Swingin' On Campus (Montpellier )
Tony Cabot / His Orchestra - Swingin On Campus ( )
Toshiko Qu Akiyoshi - Toshiko Mariano Quartet Live At Birdl (Yoshimoto Jap/Zoom )
Tubby Hayes - Tubby's New Groove (Candid )
Tunnel Six - Lake Superior (OA2 )
Varela Israel - Border People (Phantom )
Veronika Todorova - Balktan Train (Zyx )
Vincent Courtois - L'Imprevu (Phantom )
Vito Di Modugno - East Side (Phantom )
Wadada Leo Smith - Heart's Reflection (Cuneiform )
Wadada Leo Smith - Heart's Reflections (Cuneiform )
Walt Dickerson - 1976 (Why Not )
Warren Smith - Dragon Dave Meets Prince Black Knight From The Dar (PORTER )
Warren Smith - Dragon Dave Meets Prince Black Knight ( )
Way - Live In Woodstock One (Ictus Records )
Yusuf Lateef - Love Is Eternal (Phantom )
Reissues
Cannonball Adderley - Somethin' Else (Pid )
Chet Baker - Chet Baker Sings Sessions (Gambit)
Clifford Brown - At The Cotton Club 1956 (Lonehill Jazz)
John Coltrane - Coltrane Plays The Blues ( )
The recording of S7VEN LARGE was a monumental undertaking in Eugene Grove’s life, befitting of this stage in the artist Euge Groove’s career. The number seven is a very powerful and significant number. God rested on the seventh day, there are seven wonders of the ancient world, seven celestial bodies visible to the naked eye, and many other miraculous instances of the number seven throughout history. “On my 7th, I’m hoping that listeners will hear the evolution and growth in my music,” says Euge. “My last recording SUNDAY MORNING had more of an old school sound, and this time out I wanted something more modern. I locked myself in my studio for five months and made this album. Once my head opens up to the process, I’m afraid to back off for even a second in fear I’ll lose the momentum!”
S7VEN LARGE eases into things with an enticing and sweet number simply called “Track 1,” featuring Euge’s soulful and free flowing soprano saxophone. Then Euge picks up his tenor for “The Funky Bunch,” an escalating, greasy and funky groove that keeps the feel-good vibe going strong. The poppin’ horn section and nasty minor 13 chords remind us that Euge graduated from the University of Tower of Power! Euge Groove is a master at crafting great feeling grooves with singable melodies. S7VEN LARGE seamlessly moves from one track to the next making it a joy to listen to in its entirety. The album’s title track is an uplifting number reminiscent of the title track of Euge’s 2004 recording LIVIN’ LARGE. The counterpointal interplay between guitarist and labelmate Paul Brown and Euge is infectious. Bassist Corney Mims adds to the mix with an ultra funky slap bass solo in the breakdown that leads to a sexy and jazzy acoustic piano solo. At 5 1/2 minutes long, you really get a chance to hear Euge and the band stretch out. –Euge Groove.com
Four week residency at Trousdale in Los Angeles starts April 25
James Tormé examines time-honored pop and classic jazz standards with swinging arrangements and an old-school R&B twist on Love For Sale, out on eOne Music/Tormé Jazz on May 31. For his debut, Tormé also premieres several original tunes reflecting a broad spectrum of musicality. Leading up to the release, Tormé will perform a four week residency at Los Angeles hot spot Trousdale. (See below for dates)
The son of legendary entertainer Mel Tormé, James was literally born into the musical traditions he celebrates on Love For Sale. While Tormé is his own man musically, he sets out to live up to the standards instilled in him by his father. Having performed around the world with his own jazz trio, Tormé assembled the producing team of jazz composer/trumpet player John Daversa and veteran musician/arranger/producer David Paich for this release.
Love for Sale features a number of James Tormé originals alongside covers including the big-band jazz of Alan Jay Lerner’s “Come Back to Me” and the Cole Porter penned title track. He also takes on the pop standards “Autumn Leaves” and “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?” Tormé even manages to fashion songs like Al Green's classic "Let's Stay Together" and Michael Jackson's "Rock With You" into signature songs of his own.
Tormé’s musical history has long been intertwined with that of his family. “My dad was a hero to me, and his lifelong love affair with music inspired my own,” he notes. “My musical vocabulary was born out of the music of my dad and his contemporaries mixed with my own childhood loves like Michael Jackson and Earth, Wind and Fire.” He continues, “Growing up in the U.K., things like Jamiroquai and The Brand New Heavies showed that it was possible to keep the jazz textures I grew up with—brass, strings and woodwinds—in my music, yet let it remain totally fresh at the same time.”
Pianist and composer Hiromi Uehara, whose passionate and incendiary keyboard work has been a shining light on the jazz landscape since her 2003 debut, believes that the voice that never speaks can sometimes be the most powerful of all.
Her newest release, a nine-song trio recording simply titled Voice, expresses a range of human emotions without the aid of a single lyric.
“When I play music, I realize that it really filters emotions,” says Hiromi. “I called this album Voice because I believe that people’s real voices are expressed in their emotions. It’s not something that you really say. It’s more something that you have in your heart. Maybe it’s something you haven’t said yet. Maybe you’re never going to say it. But it’s your true voice. Instrumental music is very similar. We don’t have any words or any lyrics to go with it. It’s the true voice that we don’t really put into words, but we feel it when it’s real.”
Although a mesmerizing instrumentalist in her own right, Hiromi enlists the aid of two equally formidable players for this project – bassist Anthony Jackson (Paul Simon, The O’Jays, Steely Dan, Chick Corea) and drummer Simon Phillips (Toto, The Who, Judas Priest, David Gilmour, Jack Bruce). Jackson had previously played on a couple tracks from each of Hiromi’s first two albums – Another Mind in 2003 and Brain in 2004 – but they had never recorded an entire album together. “I’ve always been a huge fan of his bass playing,” she says. “I’ve always liked playing with him, and I was very happy that we finally had the chance to make an entire album together.”
She hadn’t crossed paths with Phillips prior to this project, but he came highly recommended by not only Jackson but also Stanley Clarke, the legendary jazz fusion bassist who gave her a prime spot on his two most recent projects, Jazz in the Garden in 2009 and The Stanley Clarke Band in 2010. “The more music I wrote for this album, the more clearly I heard the sound of Simon on drums,” says Hiromi. “When I told Anthony and Stanley that I was thinking of Simon to play drums for this project, they both encouraged me to ask him, so I did, and I’m so happy with how it turned out. From the first note of the first rehearsal, I was very excited about where we could go with this recording.”
Further in, “Temptation” is relatively understated in comparison to the preceding tracks, but with a solid piano melody that keeps beckoning. The song invites the listener to ponder what happens when we finally give in to that thing we find so seductive and alluring. Hiromi asks: “Is the result of that temptation sweet or bitter?”
“Haze,” the one solo piano track in the entire recording, is just what the title suggests – a shimmering piece whose melodic edges are sometimes sharp and other times undefined. The song suggests “unclear vision, focused then blurry again,” says Hiromi. “There was so much excitement among all three of us when we were recording this record. Even when I was tracking this solo piece, Anthony and Simon were giving me a lot of encouragement about the different takes, what was working and what wasn’t.”
Taken as a whole, the individual tracks on Voice do tell a story, says Hiromi, but she’s quick to note that the story is open-ended and subject to interpretations. “I’m not talking about a story in the sense of a novel,” she says. “People can just listen to it and decide how it reflects their own lives. They can just imagine whatever the music makes them imagine. That’s the beautiful thing about music without words. It’s just a matter of using your imagination, finding your own voice within the music, and traveling with it wherever it takes you.”
1. Voice 9:13
2. Flashback 8:39
3. Now or Never 6:14
4. Temptation 7:49
5. Labyrinth 7:40
6. Desire 7:16
7. Haze 5:49
8. Delusion 7:43
9. Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 8, Pathetique 5:13
