SmoothJazz.com Top 100 Album Chart
THE WORLD'S ONLY SMOOTH JAZZ ALBUM CHART - FORMERLY THE GAVIN REPORTThis chart is valid for this week only if there is a new chart published next Monday.
Monday, June 29, 2020
Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - June 29, 2020 #jazz
Monday, June 22, 2020
Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - June 22, 2020 #jazz
SmoothJazz.com Top 100 Album Chart
THE WORLD'S ONLY SMOOTH JAZZ ALBUM CHART - FORMERLY THE GAVIN REPORTThis chart is valid for this week only if there is a new chart published next Monday.
Thursday, June 18, 2020
TOP STREAMING CLASSICAL PIANIST MICHAELSILVERMAN CO-WRITES FIRST CONTEMPORARY JAZZALBUM WITH GRAMMY WINNER JEFF LORBER #jazz
Human Spirit scheduled for release on July 15, 2020 via Autumn Hill Records
For Immediate Release – While you may have never heard his name, you’ve almost certainly heard his music. Michael Silverman is one of the most streamed and downloaded instrumentalists in the world, with over six billion streams on Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon. His classical recordings can be heard in hundreds of televisions during film productions, including “The Good Wife,” “Two and a Half Men” and “American Horror Story.”
He and his brother Rob Silverman have built an empire in the instrumental music world when they founded Autumn Hill Records in 2007, streaming over three million tracks daily in a variety of styles, ranging from classical to new age to world music. With 14 number one albums on iTunes in the US, and countless others on charts around the world, Autumn Hill Records has become a leader in instrumental music.
When Michael’s friend Jeff Lorber asked to collaborate on a contemporary jazz album, Silverman was thrilled at the opportunity. Lorber is not only a musical legend, but recently won a Grammy Award for his most recent album, Prototype. In the world of contemporary jazz, no one is more prolific and omnipresent on the charts as a band leader, a composer and a producer of so many of his fellow artists. He is responsible for much of the current sound of the genre, bringing new elements of what he incorporates from pop and R&B hits into the cutting edge of jazz, and has been doing so for more than four decades.
The collaboration of Lorber’s amazing production and writing skills, blended with Silverman’s classical and New Age melodic sensibilities combined to create an inspired collection of new pieces entitled Human Spirit, scheduled for release on July 15, 2020 via Autumn Hill Records.
“I was very excited to try this new way of working, since I have never collaborated with another composer like this,” says Silverman. “Jeff’s music has always been a huge inspiration for me as I was coming up, so it ended up working out wonderfully. He and I bounced one inspiration after another back and forth, and the album fell together very organically. It was truly amazing and one of the best musical experiences of my life!”
“I’m really proud of the work I did with Michael Silverman on Human Spirit because it’s something really different and special for me,” Lorber explains. “I love the melodies and classical-inspired themes that Michael came up with for these songs. To me it feels like something that will stand the test of time.
“I hope people discover this record because there’s something really unique going on here that differentiates this project. Michael suggested that we get Vinnie Colaiuta to play on a number of these songs and I think that was a great idea – he really supports the track in a sensitive and musical way. I think there’s a calmness and peacefulness here that’s needed in these troubling times, and I believe that repeated listening will reveal some real depth and soulfulness.”
Additional musicians on the album include a who’s who of instrumental jazz: bassist Jimmy Haslip (Yellowjackets, Jeff Lorber Fusion), drummer Colaiuta (Frank Zappa, Sting), drummer Gary Novak (Chick Corea), guitar legend Michael Thompson (Eric Clapton, Seal, Quincy Jones), pianist David Benoit, guitarist Paul Jackson, Jr., and Michael's brother, top-selling drummer and world percussionist Rob Silverman.
Michael Silverman was raised in University City, an inner-ring suburb of the city of St. Louis. Known locally as U City, the neighborhood has produced many internationally known musicians.
“The heart of U City is called the Loop,” recalls Silverman. “It had all the ingredients necessary to cultivate musical artists: a blues club, rock clubs, reggae, jam sessions, street performers and artists of every kind, an old music store where we all bought pre-owned instruments, a record store called Vintage Vinyl where we got cheap used records. A third of the world-renowned St. Louis Symphony lived in the neighborhood, so there were a bunch of classical kids at school, along with the state’s best jazz ensemble.
“Every kid on my street played music. There was a drum set in practically every basement. My brother, Rob, was the hot shot drummer in town, and he encouraged me to play keyboards. He was so supportive that he saved up several hundred dollars at his job at Burger King to buy me a keyboard so I could play in his band with much older kids. That was life-changing, and we still perform together to this day.”
Michael Silverman on the web:
Official Site: https://www.michaelsilvermanpiano.com/
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
“BAM!” Guitarist H Allan kicks up his “Heels” again on the EP that drops Friday #jazz
The title track began collecting playlist adds on Monday
H Allan is a guitar player who likes to shred yet his career has always been closely tied to the saxophone thus it’s natural that the title track to his EP that drops Friday, “BAM!” was written by and for a sax player. Allan’s rocking rendition of the pumped up, horn-powered original penned by Horace-Alexander Young, who appears on Allan’s version, began collecting playlist adds on Monday. Allan produced the EP and four of the five tracks were mixed and mastered by Robert Martin (Frank Zappa).
Allan’s first job after college was as the artist rep for LA Sax Company and he often traveled with saxophonists to various music education conferences. He brought his guitar with him and after being on the floor all day, he and the artists would head to a local nightclub to sit in with local musicians. During one impromptu jam session in San Antonio with Allan, Young wrote “BAM!” and it was recorded and released on an LA Sax Company compilation CD in 1995 that was distributed to music stores as an instrument demo and was sent to radio stations.
“We had a great time at these spontaneous jam sessions. One night at a river walk bar, we played with a group and Horace wrote this song. I've loved the song and since it was originally done on sax, I thought it should be done on guitar with an all-star cast of the best players,” said Allan, who was joined on the track by Young, drummer Eric Valentine, keyboardist Ron Reinhardt, Keith Vivens (bass and vocal line) and trumpeter-trombonist Steve Jankowski (Nile Rodgers and Chic).
Another saxophonist, Derrick Edmondson (Jody Watley, Chaka Khan), helmed the second tune on the EP, “Rise,” the Herb Alpert gem. Atop a rocksteady groove anchored by Valentine and bassist Darryl Williams, Allan shines on funky rhythm guitar and cool electric lead guitar.
“I wanted to do a song by a trumpet player and there's no more iconic song on trumpet. I thought it would sound cool on guitar in a lower octave: kind of new and hip. I thought it would be a great opportunity to work with Derrick Edmondson, who I met at LA Sax. I tried to be authentic to the melody and harmony, but still push it out of bounds a bit for fun. Derrick's arrangement totally fit the bill,” said the Chicago-based Allan who was named H by his parents at birth.
Allan revels in his rock roots on a mashup of “All Along The Watch Tower” and “Stairway To Heaven,” presented on the “BAM!” EP as a chill contemporary jazz medley.
Allan said, “I heard the similarities between these two rock ‘n’ roll classics while playing ‘Watchtower’ at a show and at the end of it, I transposed and went into the guitar solo from ‘Stairway To Heaven’ because it sounded similar. This medley is more rock than jazz so it's straddling the line musically - sort of like me.”
The EP contains two bonus tracks. The first is a rocked-out version of Allan’s debut single, “Stiletto Heels,” a reboot of the original written and recorded by saxophone heavyweight Richard Elliot with whom Allan worked at LA Sax Company. Allan’s version tied as the most added new single on the Billboard BDS chart when it was released in August 2017.
“This is the rock guitar version that I recorded before the smoother, more R&B version that I released. Its drum beat is the same as the original and I played the keyboard solo on the guitar as well. The lead guitar on this version is more of a heavier rock sound,” said Allan.
Sweetly, Allan gathers his family - kids Zoey, Henry and Ellie, and sister Stacey - to sing on the second bonus cut, “Love Is A Rose,” a Neil Young song that Allan originally recorded for his mother. The guitar slinger surprises by singing and playing banjo on the track.
The “BAM!” EP contains the following songs:
“BAM!”
“Rise”
“All Along The Watchtower/Stairway To Heaven Medley”
Bonus Tracks:
“Stiletto Heels”
“Love Is A Rose”
For more information, please visit https://www.hallan.info.
Best selling smooth jazz at amazon.com
Jazz from Amazon.com
Tuesday, June 16, 2020
World jazz band Special EFX emerges from quarantine ready to shine #jazz
The collective will resume its “All Stars” concert tour on Friday and drop a new single in August
GRAMMY nominated world music-contemporary jazz band Special EFX was in Denver one month into their concert tour promoting their 21st album, “All Stars,” when the coronavirus pandemic forced their return home to shelter in place. For band leader Chieli Minucci, home is the epicenter of COVID-19 in the US: New York City. After three months of quarantine, Special EFX will resume its concert tour this Friday when they take the stage of Southern California jazz hotspot Spaghettini for a show performed in front of half the capacity of normal in order to comply with Orange County restrictions. The concert will be streamed live at 8pm PT/11pm ET via Spaghettini’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/SpaghettiniSB).
“I feel GREAT about resuming the tour! For three months, I've been writing and recording in my home studio, so I'm fairly limber as far as playing guitar goes, but all that solitude has gotten to me as much as anyone else. I can't wait to play for a melody-hungry audience. I can't wait to see the guys and play the songs again,” said Minucci, an Emmy-winning composer, guitarist and producer.
Minucci will share the Spaghettini stage with keyboardist Lao Tizer, drummer Gene Coye and bassist Ric Fierabracci. When he last led his band of rotating collaborators to whom the album title refers as “All Stars,” the new collection had been out for four weeks and the band’s blues-jazz single, “Hanky Panky Boys,” was moving up the national charts. When the plug had to be pulled on the tour, they still had another month of concert dates ahead of them before playing Minucci’s hometown album release concert that was slated to take place in New York City at The Cutting Room on April 11. No timeline yet for when that show can be rescheduled so when the opportunity was presented to play the new music for fans in person as well as for a global audience via the livestream, Minucci was eager to make it happen. While many artists began livestreaming pseudo concerts during quarantine, Minucci does not feel comfortable in that setting, but he does embrace livestreaming a performance where he is actually on stage with his band members.
“Livestreaming is definitely here to stay although traditional live concerts will certainly return once the all-clear has been sounded. Streaming shows has been around before this, but now is becoming more mainstream simply out of necessity. As long as the video/audio work is elegant, it can be a cool, unusual and different kind of experience for our audience. When I fell in love with that irresistible combination of music, touring and hanging with the guys and gals of the arts, I never imagined the world would experience something like what is happening right now,” said Minucci.
Another reason that Minucci leapt at the opportunity to resume the Special EFX tour was to begin introducing the forthcoming second single from “All Stars,” “Mr. Marzipan,” which will begin collecting playlist adds on August 10. The track opens the new collection with a horn-powered dose of fusion, contemporary jazz, an off-kilter funk/hip hop beat and a vibrant chorus illumined by David Mann’s saxophone and Lin Rountree’s muted trumpet along with some tasty electric guitar riffs issued by Minucci.
“The sax and trumpet combination was completely new for Special EFX, who usually does not feature a horn-based vibe. Dave is our longtime sax-man and Lin is my label mate at Trippin N Rhythm. After hearing their inspired playing, I knew the song could use a big, fat horn section to top it off to add that final sweet frosting so to speak. David Mann's fantastic horn arrangement makes the tune the perfect ‘sister-song’ to our first single from the album, ‘Hanky Panky Boys,’ which had a similar horn section arrangement. The song's inspiration was the opening bass-keyboard riff. I just loved the way the two sounded together. The whole piece evolved from that simple, repetitive groove,” said Minucci, the deft guitarist who wrote and produced “All Stars,” tapping nearly two-dozen musicians to bring to life the album of contemporary jazz, fusion and world music utilizing sounds, rhythms and textures from Africa, Brazil, the Aboriginal outback and the Asian Pacific Rim.
Who exactly is this mysterious “Mr. Marzipan?”
“Mr. Marzipan is not a person, but instead a jazzy, tongue-in-cheek reference to my love affair with chocolate. It is also a reference to a famous cake that I used to devour with my mother every time I'd come visit my folks while they lived in Los Angeles. She had discovered a fantastic bakery that had the most talented owner/baker. Each trip to Los Angeles would begin with a visit to my folks and that amazing cake.”
Shortly before the lockdown, Special EFX was in Washington, DC to record a short concert at SiriusXM’s studio for national radio broadcast. The airdate will soon be announced.
For more information, please visit http://www.specialefxmusic.com and https://chielimusic.com.
Best selling smooth jazz at amazon.com
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Monday, June 15, 2020
Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - June 15, 2020 #jazz
SmoothJazz.com Top 100 Album Chart
THE WORLD'S ONLY SMOOTH JAZZ ALBUM CHART - FORMERLY THE GAVIN REPORT
This chart is valid for this week only if there is a new chart published next Monday.
Euge Groove - "Sing My Song" - Relase on Shanachie, June 26 - #jazz
Chart-Topping Saxophonist/Composer & Producer
Euge Groove
Reminds Us Of The Rewards Of Staying True On Sing My Song
Anticipated New CD Due Out On June 26th Features Guest Appearances From Maysa, Peter White, Paul Brown & Phillipe Saisse & Others!
“These times have unleashed a creativity in me that I haven’t felt in years. I think it’s been a time of self-reevaluation. A cleaning of the house so to speak,” confides Euge Groove, who has been first call for everyone from Tina Turner, Richard Marx and Joe Cocker to Tower of Power and Huey Lewis. The chart-topping saxophonist, composer and producer who has scored close to a dozen #1 hits, will release his twelfth recording as a leader, Sing My Song, on June 26, 2020. “I started work on the album about two and a half years ago. I definitely put everything I had in to it. I had been touring non- stop over the last few years and just found it hard to find the time to dig in without distractions,” says Euge. “Along comes Covid-19 and all I have is time. Ever since we went into Lockdown in LA in mid March, I worked nonstop, literally, on finishing the project. Working sometimes 24-hour days. It really wasn’t until after I finished last week that the seriousness of the world’s situation sunk in. I’ve decided to continue on that creative path.” Euge Groove’s unleashed ambition and intention has resulted in an inspired 11-track excursion that is his finest work yet. Surrounded by a cadre of some of the most revered artists on the Contemporary Jazz scene, including Maysa, Peter White, Phillipe Saisse and Paul Brown among others, the camaraderie on Sing My Song transcends the music. “I love these guys. I think of them as friends more than just musicians, even though I love their work. They all brought so much to the table.”
Euge Groove has garnered a devout following with his irresistible mix of danceable grooves, mind-bending hooks, technical agility, R&B infused melodies and inspired solos. Sing My Song opens with the sensual and joyous “Hey Boo,” which shows off his flawless multi-layered saxophones to perfect effect. He tips his hat to his Tower of Power Days on “Dirty Dozen,” the album’s first single which is a spunky and intriguing thriller that would work well as the newest James Bond theme. Euge Groove’s tenor saxophone snakes through all the choruses on a soulful chase, hitting all the right notes. The song “Rise” transports us back to the classic CTI sound as Euge Groove does a dazzling recreation of Herb Alpert’s 1979 hit. The track features guitarist Paul Brown, who creates beautiful synergy with Euge on the song. “Paul Brown has been a mentor of sorts when it comes to mixing and arranging the songs,” confides Euge Groove. Sing My Song also features the gorgeous gospel-tinged ballad “Until Tomorrow,” featuring Euge’s pristine soprano and guitarist Peter White. “Peter is one of my besties. I also look up to him as an artist. He never disappoints!” Returning the favor to us all Euge Groove does not disappoint on “Say I Won’t” as he serves up his growling tenor on the energized and playful and modulating ditty.
Sing My Song’s title track and show-stopping number is co-penned by Euge and his label-mate, singer songwriter Lindsey Webster and features the dynamic and always consistent songbird Maysa. Webster was a guest vocalist on Euge’s album Groove On and this is the first time he and Maysa have recorded with one another. “I love Lindsey and her writing and I’ve been a huge Maysa fan for years,” confides the saxophonist. “The lyric, song and performance really hit the core of my soul. I think the theme is something everyone can relate to no matter what your ‘song’ may be. To me, it’s all about staying strong inside no matter what others may think. You have to value yourself from within, not through the eyes of others.” There is a re-mix version of this song at the album’s finale that highlights a lush orchestral arrangement by Phillipe Saisse. “Phillipe is truly a gifted artist in so many ways. His orchestral arranging is just beautiful. I asked him to do a full orchestral arrangement, not just strings, but strings, brass, woodwinds, percussion, the whole thing,” explains Euge. “I remember getting his arrangement on a Friday evening. Shortly after he sent me the remix version of ‘Sing My Song’ with just Maysa, myself, and the orchestra. I was blown away. He did it just for fun, but I knew it had to make the album. So, I included it as a sort of a bonus cut. His arrangement is another reason the song became the title track.” The romanticism sustained and legato tension of Euge Groove’s tenor playing on “Gatito” is a memorable tribute to Argentinean saxophonist Gato Barbieri. “He was very influential in my early years of playing,” shares Euge Groove. “He played with such passion.” Euge shifts to cruise-control for “The Journey Ahead” and explains, “This song is all about pushing forward. When one door opens to the next we often have no idea where it will lead us. There are moments when you open those doors where you just feel like “ahhhhhhhh.” It just feels so good. The bridge to ‘The Journey Ahead’ captures that feeling for me.” Euge Groove shows off his ability to paint melodies that have a way of staying in your mind on the assuring “Of Course” and the composition “Good Night” closes the chapter and turns the page on another winning Euge Groove recording.
Euge Groove’s musical sensibilities are hard-won. Born Steven Eugene Grove in Hagerstown, Maryland, he grew up in a musical home. His mother played piano and taught the church choir and Euge began his musical pursuits at the age of seven, beginning with piano and adding saxophone at nine. Two saxophonists had a profound effect on his approach to playing. “One was French classical player Marcel Mule, who really defined what the sax was supposed to sound like for me and the other was David Sanborn, who took that sound and brought it into the mainstream world,” Euge reminisces. Through the years, Euge’s love of Jazz, R&B, Gospel and Blues have all come together to inform his personalized sound. He explains, “I’ve listened to everyone from Grover (Washington, Jr.) and Sanborn to (Charlie) Parker and Coltrane, as well as (Michael) Brecker, (Stan) Getz, King Curtis, Jr. Walker, Richard Elliot and Kirk Whalum. The more mature we become the more those influences fuse into something new. A graduate of Miami’s School Of Music, Euge launched his professional career in Miami in the mid-80s, playing in salsa bands, Top 40 club bands and doing the occasional high-profile session date like Expose’s “Seasons Change,” a #1 Billboard AC hit. In 1987 he moved to L.A., wrote a track for Richard Elliot’s The Power of Suggestion and Elliot recommended Euge to take over his spot in Tower of Power. Euge toured with TOP for four years, including a year backing Huey Lewis & The News. He went on to record, tour or perform with the likes of Joe Cocker, The Eurythmics, The Gap Band, Elton John, Bonnie Raitt, Aaron Neville and Richard Marx (that’s Euge’s horn on “Keep Coming Back,” a #1 AC hit duet he recorded with Luther Vandross). In 1999, Euge started recording his own material, dubbing himself Euge Groove, and posting his music on the now-defunct MP3.com website; downloading started almost immediately and Euge was soon topping the MP3.com Jazz chart. He signed soon thereafter with Warner Bros. “Vinyl,” his first single from his eponymous Warner Bros. debut, set a record by spending 27 weeks on the R&R charts, eventually ranking #24 for the year. In 2004, Euge Grooves’ Narada debut, Livin’ Large, spent 68 weeks on the Billboard charts. The title track was the #5 most played song for 2004 on the R&R singles chart. Just Feels Right followed in 2005 and its first single was #1 for two months. There followed in the next decade a string of hit singles and best-selling albums; his hit “Religify” was ‘song of the year’ in 2007, and his albums S7ven Large and House Of Groove each spawned #1 hits. Got 2 Be Groovin’ came in 2014 and 2016 saw the release of Still Euge, which featured the hit title track as well as memorable vocal appearances from Oleta Adams and Rahsaan Patterson. Groove On was released in 2017 featuring and the title track scored yet another #1 for him.
With the release of Sing My Song Euge Groove hopes the music will connect with his fans. He concludes, “They call turning in an album to the record label ‘delivery’ for a reason! Each of these songs are like children to me. There is so much time and focus put into each one. I hope the music touches people and they will hear this and feel this labor of love.”
Saturday, June 13, 2020
Ute Lemper Channels Dietrich on "Rendezvous with Marlene" #jazz
It takes a kind of fearlessness to address the mythical talent of superstar Marlene Dietrich. Dietrich’s stardom is legendary; her story a picaresque of adventure, fantasy, imagination, and coveted reality. Yet, if anyone can begin to touch Dietrich’s transcendent nature, to tell her story, it would have to be Berlin-born, New York-based Ute Lemper.
Lemper, a multi-talented musical theater and cabaret star, has lit up stages—acting, singing, dancing, writing, even painting—since the early ’80s. She began with Chekhov and Weill, among others, making a name for herself as an outsized talent.
But it was as a songstress, particularly as an exponent of the music of the Weimar Republic, that Lemper made her most lasting impact. She brings immense theatricality to her music, along with irony, sexuality, satire, and humor. She received a tremendous amount of attention for her dramatic cabaret-style performances and was heralded as the “New Dietrich.” In 1988, after receiving a Moliére Award for her performance in “Cabaret” in Paris, Ute sent a note to Dietrich, essentially apologizing for all the comparisons. I explained to her that I was just starting my career and that the comparisons were inappropriate,” said Lemper. I thanked her for inspiring me to become a performer and mentioned how much I admired her many achievements on stage and screen.”
A month later, Dietrich, then in her late 80s, called Lemper. Dietrich was a recluse by that time and had not left her Paris home for many years. But she and Lemper connected and the discussion was incredibly rich and profound. She told me everything about her life–emotional and historical—and I was very overwhelmed by it all,” said Lemper. It took me thirty years to think about it and finally be ready to put it into a show.” The three-hour conversation the two had discussing Dietrich’s fascinating life, forms the foundation of Rendezvous with Marlene, a lavish, lovable homage to the great performer. It began as a performance and is now a spectacular recording of the same name.
Ute sings to us Marlene’s story, fabulous songs from all the chapters of her life, from the Berlin cabaret years to her Burt Bacharach collaborations, with whom Dietrich toured for 15 years. Lemper puts her own spin on the material, injects them with modern drama, melodrama, and unfiltered flourishes of Dietrich’s sensuality.
Ute Lemper Rendezvous with Marlene is “An unforgettable evening: stylish, graceful, heart-warming and powerful, this is an event not to be missed,” says Shane Morgan of St. George’s Bristol, UK.
Essentially, Rendezvous with Marlene is the sound of one enormous talent passing her story along to another. And while we don’t know what motivated Dietrich to transfer her life story to Lemper, she most certainly sensed they were kindred spirits. You don’t have to listen long to the many lush tracks on Rendezvous with Marlene to understand that the two possess a simpatico life, sharing a kind of distinct versatility, attitude, humor, and multi-faceted approach to art. One critic raved: “An extraordinary, unforgettable evening with a sublime artist at the height of her powers – it should on no account be missed!” (Musical Theatre Review)
“A superb tribute to one astonishing woman from another, fascinating, enlightening, intense, often moving, and always entertaining,” according to Northern Soul.
“What a gift it was to hear Marlene talk about her life,” says Lemper. “This recording is my personal tribute to her. She was sexy, tough, and funny and her comic timing was ever-present, even in her singing,” said Lemper. “She was a free spirit,” Lemper recalls. “She was politically and morally outspoken and courageous. She was ladylike and bossy. She had class but loved whiskey, dirty jokes, and a good smoke. I tell her story through my eyes and sing her songs with my voice. She is using my body and voice to speak.”
Successfully. Says a critic writing for Gay UK, “By a huge margin the finest act of sustained, emotional intensity and fearless self-revelation I’ve ever seen. Ute – like Bowie, Callas and Garland before her – is in an unprecedented class of her own.”
But it was as a songstress, particularly as an exponent of the music of the Weimar Republic, that Lemper made her most lasting impact. She brings immense theatricality to her music, along with irony, sexuality, satire, and humor. She received a tremendous amount of attention for her dramatic cabaret-style performances and was heralded as the “New Dietrich.” In 1988, after receiving a Moliére Award for her performance in “Cabaret” in Paris, Ute sent a note to Dietrich, essentially apologizing for all the comparisons. I explained to her that I was just starting my career and that the comparisons were inappropriate,” said Lemper. I thanked her for inspiring me to become a performer and mentioned how much I admired her many achievements on stage and screen.”
A month later, Dietrich, then in her late 80s, called Lemper. Dietrich was a recluse by that time and had not left her Paris home for many years. But she and Lemper connected and the discussion was incredibly rich and profound. She told me everything about her life–emotional and historical—and I was very overwhelmed by it all,” said Lemper. It took me thirty years to think about it and finally be ready to put it into a show.” The three-hour conversation the two had discussing Dietrich’s fascinating life, forms the foundation of Rendezvous with Marlene, a lavish, lovable homage to the great performer. It began as a performance and is now a spectacular recording of the same name.
Ute sings to us Marlene’s story, fabulous songs from all the chapters of her life, from the Berlin cabaret years to her Burt Bacharach collaborations, with whom Dietrich toured for 15 years. Lemper puts her own spin on the material, injects them with modern drama, melodrama, and unfiltered flourishes of Dietrich’s sensuality.
Ute Lemper Rendezvous with Marlene is “An unforgettable evening: stylish, graceful, heart-warming and powerful, this is an event not to be missed,” says Shane Morgan of St. George’s Bristol, UK.
Essentially, Rendezvous with Marlene is the sound of one enormous talent passing her story along to another. And while we don’t know what motivated Dietrich to transfer her life story to Lemper, she most certainly sensed they were kindred spirits. You don’t have to listen long to the many lush tracks on Rendezvous with Marlene to understand that the two possess a simpatico life, sharing a kind of distinct versatility, attitude, humor, and multi-faceted approach to art. One critic raved: “An extraordinary, unforgettable evening with a sublime artist at the height of her powers – it should on no account be missed!” (Musical Theatre Review)
“A superb tribute to one astonishing woman from another, fascinating, enlightening, intense, often moving, and always entertaining,” according to Northern Soul.
“What a gift it was to hear Marlene talk about her life,” says Lemper. “This recording is my personal tribute to her. She was sexy, tough, and funny and her comic timing was ever-present, even in her singing,” said Lemper. “She was a free spirit,” Lemper recalls. “She was politically and morally outspoken and courageous. She was ladylike and bossy. She had class but loved whiskey, dirty jokes, and a good smoke. I tell her story through my eyes and sing her songs with my voice. She is using my body and voice to speak.”
Successfully. Says a critic writing for Gay UK, “By a huge margin the finest act of sustained, emotional intensity and fearless self-revelation I’ve ever seen. Ute – like Bowie, Callas and Garland before her – is in an unprecedented class of her own.”
Wednesday, June 10, 2020
Brazilian jazz pianist Ricardo Bacelar makes a “Live” statement with “Nothing Will Be As It Was” #jazz
His “Live in Rio” album drops August 21 preceded by the single that aptly reflects our times
Brazil is leading the world per capita in coronavirus cases making it unlikely that people will be cramming into a concert venue anytime soon to hear live music. Then there is the recent unrest that erupted in response to civil injustices in the US that bodes to spark meaningful change around the world. These are the events that inspired contemporary jazz pianist Ricardo Bacelar to release a new version of the Milton Nascimento classic “Nothing Will Be As It Was (Nada Sera Como Antes)” as a single ahead of the release of his “Live in Rio (Ao Vivo No Rio)” album, which drops August 21 from Bacelar Productions.
“‘Nothing Will Be As It Was’ summarizes the existential questions raised globally by the coronavirus pandemic. Add to it the civil injustice and unrest that has surfaced over the last couple of weeks with Black Lives Matter, which is an especially important movement. We’re talking about the subject here in Brazil, too. We have a lot of problems with racism here, but our people have not yet taken the streets to protest and have social demonstrations. The world is watching the United States and people are talking about these issues everywhere,” said Bacelar who produced the 11-song “Live in Rio” collection.
Bacelar’s 2018 album, “Sebastiana,” contains a very different version of “Nothing Will Be As It Was,” which was sung in English by American singer Maye Osorio and accompanied by an animated video that suited the pop-electronic rendition of the song. The new live version has a different arrangement and features Bacelar dueting with Brazilian vocalist-pianist Delia Fischer in Portuguese backed by a jazz band.
“I chose to release this single thinking about this moment and the lyrics of the song. The lyrics are like a photograph of the moment. It’s a very famous song in Brazil that was originally recorded in 1976 when we were under a military dictatorship. The lyrics say ‘I know that tomorrow nothing will be like before, What news of my friends will they give me? What news of you will they give me?’ People were disappearing at the hands of the dictatorial military regime. And now people are disappearing – dying – because of the virus. Everyone in Brazil, the United States and all over the world have lost friends due to the virus,” said Bacelar.
“Live in Rio” was recorded in May 2018 at The Blue Note in Rio while Bacelar was promoting “Sebastiana.” He trimmed the 17-song set to the eleven tunes that appear on the live record feeling that the selected song list on the disc represents a balanced sampling of his repertoire and body of work. The outing includes tunes penned by Brazilian icons Nascimento, Tom Jobim, Gilberto Gil and Flora Purim along with American greats Benny Golson, Horace Silver, Pat Metheny and Chick Corea. Also included is a composition that Bacelar wrote with producer Cesar Lemos (Ricky Martin, Paulina Rubio) titled “Sernambetiba, 1992” from “Sebastiana.”
“I love the sound of the album because you can hear the energy of the live performance and the sound of playing in a jazz club. The Blue Note isn’t a big place – about 300 people – so you can hear the ambiance of playing in a small club. The microphone on the piano picked up the other instruments like the drums and saxophone because it’s a small place. The sound is very different than what you get in the studio where the sound is more clean,” said Bacelar who was accompanied by guitarist João Castilho, saxophonist-flutist Danilo Sina, double bassist Alexandre Katatau, drummer Renato Endrigo and percussionist André Siqueira.
The idea of dropping the live album now began earlier in quarantine when Bacelar sat to record a solo piano piece for his social media. It made him think about the isolation people were feeling and the role live music plays and the unique energy it possesses.
“The time in isolation is accompanied by multiple experiences and music is a fundamental vehicle for perception, connection and the formation of perspectives that bring meaning to the events on personal, spiritual and emotional levels. I wanted to remind people of the sound of live music. People need the warm sound and feelings of live music as opposed to the electronic stuff we hear on studio recordings. By listening to this live album, you can embrace the warm sound from the safety and comfort of your home.”
As an artist, Bacelar wants “Live in Rio” to be viewed as more than just a live recording. He wants the album to have impact, to say something, which is clearly reflected in his choice of the first single.
“The album is not only about the songs. Without art and abstraction, life is meaningless. Artists have to have a position, make a statement about something and have a voice – not just sing and play piano. The album is a concept – with the arrangements, the cover, the lyrics. It’s important to me to send an important message.”
“Live in Rio (Ao Vivo No Rio)” contains the following songs:
“Killer Joe”
“Toda Menina Bahiana”
“Nothing Will Be As It Was”
“Senõr Blues”
“Partido Alto”
“So May It Secretly Begin”
“Caicó Cantiga”
“Água de Beber”
“Sernambetiba, 1992”
“Nanã”
“Blue Miles”
For more information, please visit http://ricardobacelar.com.br.
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