MPS cracked open the vault to reissue albums by jazz illuminati on vinyl and CD #jazz

Albums by Ella Fitzgerald, Freddie Hubbard, George Duke, Oscar Peterson Trio, Baden Powell, Bill Evans and Joe Henderson dropped Friday via Edel Germany in partnership with Bob Frank Entertainment

 

The treasure trove of MPS Records album reissues that began last month from Germany’s first jazz label continued last Friday with vinyl and CD releases of albums by such luminaries as Ella Fitzgerald, Freddie Hubbard, George Duke, Oscar Peterson Trio and Baden Powell while albums by Bill Evans and Joe Henderson dropped as limited-edition colored vinyl LPs. The records arrived via Edel Germany in partnership with Bob Frank Entertainment.    

 

Reissued in June as limited-edition color vinyl LPs exclusively through Vinyl Me, Please, Fitzgerald’s “Sunshine Of Your Love” and Hubbard’s “The Hub of Hubbard” are now available on traditional black vinyl and CD.       

 

Known as the Queen of Jazz, Fitzgerald challenged herself by electing to sing an album of rock and pop classics by such artists as Eric Clapton, the Beatles, and Burt Bacharach along with a few standards. Half of “Sunshine Of Your Love” (1969) was recorded live using a big band while the other half features Fitzgerald’s longtime accompanists, the Tommy Flanagan Trio.

 

While on a European tour in 1969 with his world-class quintet, Hubbard trekked to the German Black Forest to record “The Hub of Hubbard” for MPS. The trumpeter had already forged a unique sound that mixed hard bop, soul and fusion. Hubbard and the band, which features saxophonist Eddie Daniels, pianist Roland Hanna and a taut rhythm section formed by bassist Richard Davis and drummer Louis Hayes, stretch out on the four-song set that includes a 13-minute exploration of the standard “Without A Song.”

 

A pair of jazz-fusion albums by Duke, “Feel” and “I Love the Blues, She Heard My Cry,” were reissued on vinyl and CD. When “Feel” was released in 1975, it came at a transitional time when Duke was establishing himself as a solo artist after being a noted sideman. Mixing fusion and rock, the keyboardist exhibits experimental use of synthesizers to create orchestral textures on the disc that includes appearances from frequent collaborator Frank Zappa and a Brazilian jazz expedition alongside iconic vocalist Flora Purim and percussionist Airto Moreira.

 

On “I Love the Blues, She Heard My Cry” (1976), Duke diversifies his blend of fusion further while singing frequently throughout the record. He packs a punch on metal/hard rock tracks mashed up with funk, soul and blues. With the rhythm section anchored by longtime collaborator Ndugu Chancler on drums, among the guitarists who shred on the record are Lee Ritenour and George Johnson (Brothers Johnson). Purim and Moreira reappear to provide Brazilian nuances.   

 

Canadian jazz pianist Oscar Peterson leads an astute trio completed by bassist Georg Mraz and drummer Ray Price on a set list that includes some of Peterson’s original compositions along with pages from the Great American Songbook on 1970’s “Walking The Line.” The vinyl and CD reissues capture the threesome reimagining timeless tunes by Cole Porter, Michel Legrand, Sammy Cahn, Richard Rodgers and Johnny Mercer.     

 

Powell began his nine-year association with MPS with 1966’s “Tristeza on Guitar,” and despite the title, it is far from a sad-themed outing. Deploying sambas and Afro-Brazilian rhythms, the Brazilian guitar master runs the gamut of emotion - from intimacy and mystery to celebration and exuberance - on the reissued vinyl LP and CD.

 

Released as a limited-edition orange vinyl LP, Evan’s “Symbiosis” is an adventurous outing by the legendary jazz pianist who typically performed in trio settings. This 1974 album is a rare treat, pairing Evans with a philharmonic conducted by prolific composer-arranger Claus Ogerman. Whether on acoustic or electric piano, Evans’ lyrical play guides listeners through sprawling expanses ranging from big band grandiosity to minimalism, from exotic samba to jazz, and from lavish string arrangements to dramatic film music.         

 

Henderson’s “Mirror Mirror” garnered reissue as a limited green vinyl LP. The GRAMMY-winning tenor saxophone titan surrounds himself with greatness on this all-star 1980 recording that could have been attributed to a quartet since the musicians – pianist Chick Corea, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Billy Higgins - share the spotlight equitably.

  

For more information and to see what else is coming soon from MPS, please visit https://www.mps-music.com.

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Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 100 - July 12, 2021 #jazz

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Celebrated Vocalist Kurt Elling Announces U.S. Tour Dates Ahead of Forthcoming Album SuperBlue out Oct 8 #jazz

New collection features Charlie Hunter along with Butcher Brown Band members Corey Fonville and DJ Harrison
 
The SuperBlue Band will make its live debut, performing songs from the album, at Chicago’s Ravinia Festival July 13

Grammy winning vocalist Kurt Elling has confirmed a new run of 2021 U.S. tour dates ahead of the highly anticipated October 8 release of new album SuperBlue on Edition Records. The follow up to his 2019 Grammy winner Secrets Are the Best Stories, SuperBlue is a head-turning torrent of roisterous funk, indelible beats and all-too-current lyrics that boasts the talents of producer-guitarist Charlie Hunter and two stars of the hip-hop generation: drummer Corey Fonville and bassist-keyboardist DJ Harrison (both of the genre-hopping band Butcher Brown).   Spread throughout the summer Elling’s new dates will see him perform with a variety of musicians, both as headliner and guest. The SuperBlue Band will make its live debut, performing songs from the album, at the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, IL Aug 15. The full SuperBlue band tour will take place in October with dates to be announced in coming weeks.   Elling has always been a master of grooves, ranging from bebop to pure pop and progressive jazz to neo-soul, but he’s never filled an album with grooves quite like these. Thanks to newly sprung melody and lyrics from Elling, along with Hunter & co.’s fresh grooves, SuperBlue features all-new songs, innovative takes on compositions from jazz lions Wayne Shorter and Freddie Hubbard, and a raw and stripped-down treatment of “The Seed,” a still-dynamic, decades-old riff on immortality written by Cody Chestnutt. There is even a slamming new version of a Tom Waits tune. On SuperBlue, the grooves are generous and bountiful and the mix is phat and vibrant, creating springboards for some of the most vivid tracks of Elling’s career. The new rhythmic playground shows off Elling’s still-broadening vocal prowess. The arrangements extend the singer’s already remarkable range and expand his role as a gifted storyteller, adept at both hipster humor and soul-shattering pathos. SuperBlue, continues Elling’s path of bold collaboration on a project guaranteed to gain new listeners and stretch the ears of his devoted admirers.   Kurt Elling on Tour: 7/13 – Ravinia Festival – Highland Park, IL w/ Charlie Hunter/Corey Fonville/DJ Harrison 7/20 – 92Y – New York, NY w/ Bill Charlap 7/24 – Great Lakes Center for the Arts w/ Kurt Elling Quartet 7/30 – 8/1 – Catalina’s Jazz Club w/ John Beasley’s Monk’estra Trio 8/4 – The Soiled Dove – Denver, CO w/ Kurt Elling Quartet 8/6 – Jas Café: St. Regis Hotel – Aspen, CO w/ Kurt Elling Quartet 8/15 – San Jose Jazz Festival – San Jose, CA – w/ SuperBlue band, Charlie Hunter/Corey Fonville/DJ Harrison 9/4 – Detroit Jazz Festival – w/ Dee Bridgewater and Ben Vereen 9/5 – John Coltrane Jazz Festival – High Point, NC w/ Kurt Elling Quartet   More dates to be announced soon.

Kurt Elling Online: Website Facebook Instagram YouTube Edition Records: Website

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Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 100 - July 5, 2021 #jazz

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Have A Happy And Safe 4th Of July [Video] #jazz

Barbecues and fireworks, flags and parades, Independence Day evokes so many images of the American summer. Its original purpose to celebrate the birth of the American nation on July 4th, 1776 has given way to festivities that celebrate both America and the lives and freedoms that the accomplishments of American Independence have allowed. The commemoration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence is a time not only to reflect on what happened at America's founding but also to look again at the nation's values and recommit oneself again to those ideals.

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Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 100 - June 28, 2021 #jazz

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Soul-jazz saxophonist Isaac Edwards’ “On The Town” is on the Billboard chart #jazz

His first single with Next Paradigm Records is his first ever to hit the industry bible’s chart

 

After nearly twenty years as a recording artist plus four months of persistence, patience and promotional pushing from his new record label, soul-jazz saxophonist Isaac Edwards has hit the Billboard singles charts for the first time. Released in early February, “On The Town” finally debuted on the Billboard chart last week at No. 24. The funky R&B instrumental, Isaac’s first single after inking with Next Paradigm Records, was written by the saxman and produced by label head, Jacob Webb, who has produced several Billboard chart toppers.

 

As the world emerges from coronavirus restrictions, the marketplace - and the Billboard charts – have become quite crowded with new releases, especially from marquee artists, which makes Edwards’ chart debut that much more of an accomplishment.

 

“It has been a huge battle at radio this year with just about every A-lister releasing a track, sometimes more. Due to COVID, most of the artists were at home, not touring, and presumedly finishing their tracks, and now they're releasing them. To give you an idea of how hard it has been to hit the Billboard charts this year, this is our 19th week promoting the single at radio! It took this long to debut on Billboard, but we never gave up! It is rare for a single to take this long to hit the charts and there were lots of moments when we thought that we weren't going to make it, but we did. Now we are on the chart with a bunch of A-listers,” said an excited Isaac. 

 

“On The Town” features Isaac’s alto saxophone engaging in a discourse with Randall Haywood’s flugelhorn. The groove is anchored by drummer Kevin Bowden and Webb’s rubbery basslines with melodies added by Webb’s keyboards and programming along with Sonny Dumarsais’ piercing electric guitar riffs. COVID precautions and geographic distance required that all of the tracks except for sax to be recorded at Webb’s New York studio compound while the saxophone tracks were laid down in a vocal booth set up in Edwards’ San Diego home.      

 

Edwards has released three albums since the early 2000s, juggling his desire to be a jazz musician with busy days in court as a litigation attorney. His recording projects have incorporated jazz, R&B, pop, rock and gospel, and have included collaborations with GRAMMY-winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum, multiple GRAMMY nominee Darren Rahn, and Joel Kibble, a 10-time GRAMMY-winning member of Take 6. Edwards’ 2002 gospel-jazz album, “Here,” was nominated for a Vibe Award, Canada’s Dove Awards equivalent. He studied under the tutelage of noted saxophonists Eric Marienthal and Jeff Clayton and has opened concerts for multiple GRAMMY winners Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith.      

 

Last July, Edwards dropped the independent single, “Bird Rock,” which not only garnered national airplay from SiriusXM’s Watercolors, but captured Webb’s attention, leading to the recording pact with Next Paradigm.   

 

“The title for ‘On The Town’ came to me during the recording process. I had just signed the record deal and it made me think that I had really stepped up my game. I have released albums and singles before, but this is the first time I had a label behind me. I guess you could say that it made me feel like I was really on the music scene, or ‘on the town,’” said Edwards.  

 

For more information, please visit https://isaacedwardsmusic.com.

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Brian Simpson – All That Matters - Released June 25, Shanachie #jazz

“It’s Brian’s incredibly memorable and infectious melodies that truly set him apart. I am a huge fan!” – Dave Koz

“The title of my new recording was purely inspired by the events of the past year and half,” reflects acclaimed pianist, composer and producer Brian Simpson. “My family and loved ones became more important than ever and all that matters became more apparent after witnessing the tragic loss of others.”

On June 25, 2021, Shanachie Entertainment releases a milestone recording from Simpson, who will commemorate his tenth recording as a leader. Revered for his ability to sculpt timeless love songs, soulful party anthems and breath-taking melodies that stay on your mind, Simpson delivers all this and more on his new recording All That Matters. From penning the #1 pop hit “The First Time” for R&B group Surface to touring and or recording with Janet Jackson, Stanley Clarke and Dave Koz, Simpson’s golden touch, has long made him one of the go-to guys in the industry.

All That Matters is the perfect amalgamation of influences that are close to Brain Simpson’s heart: Jazz, R&B, Funk, Soul.  It’s a joyous celebration of life and a shining demonstration of Simpson’s ongoing quest for the ultimate sound. “I will forever be in search of the perfect song, with the perfect melody that is performed perfectly,” confesses the pianist, who is the Musical Director of the wildly popular Smooth Jazz Cruise. The recording process for All That Matters was dramatically different for the pianist who tours relentlessly.

The absence of touring during the pandemic afforded Simpson the opportunity to focus solely on recording. He eagerly jumped into the project and surrounded himself by friends to help with the compositional process; guitarist and labelmate Steve Oliver and keyboardists Nicholas Cole and Oliver Wendell. The collective commenced remotely and later were able to collaborate in person.  As the album progressed Simpson also enlisted saxophonists Najee (and flutist) and Steve Alanis, trumpeter Ron King, drummers Michael White and Tony Moore, bassist Dwayne “Smitty” Smith and Roberto Vally, percussionist Brain Kilgore and guitarists Ray Fuller and Yarone Levy.Highlights from ‘All That Matters’ include the first hit single, title track “All That Matters”, the inspired duet with Najee “Mystical Morning”, the romantic ballad “When I Found You” and more brilliant Brian Simpson originals.

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Clarinetist-Vocalist Kristen Mather de Andrade prepared to drop her debut global music album, “Clarão,” on July 23 #jazz

How the principal clarinetist and soloist from West Point’s Army Special Band decided to make her debut recording an authentic Brazilian album on which she plays and sings in Portuguese in jazz big band settings is a story centered on love more than a decade in the making. There is also an Olympic connection to the release of Kristen Mather de Andrade’s global music offering “Clarão,” which drops July 23, the same day as the opening ceremony for the Tokyo Olympics. 

 

Mather de Andrade was enamored by Brazilian music at a young age, and her affinity rose to the next level when she met and married a Brazilian man in 2011. Desiring to immerse herself in the culture, the classically trained clarinetist and saxophonist began learning songs in Portuguese in order to learn the language. She started playing choros, classic instrumental Brazilian pop music dating back a century ago, finding that the style suits the clarinet. To celebrate the 2016 Rio Olympic athletes, Mather de Andrade performed a handful of tunes live on the West Point Band Facebook page. The enthusiastic response even garnered coverage from the Brazilian media. The seeds were planted and have blossomed into “Clarão,” which means “flash of light.” Teaming with producer Sergio Krakowski helped bring this passion project together.

 

“I wanted to show the diversity of Brazil in the music selections on this album. I learned so much from the music producer, Sergio Krakowski, who really helped me dig deeper into the styles that I was already familiar with and find some music that was really interesting and would flatter the band. I wanted to showcase music beyond Bossa Nova and bring attention to some amazing styles and composers that I have found so inspiring,” said Mather de Andrade, a Youngstown, Ohio native now based just outside of New York City.

 

With Krakowski’s assistance, Mather de Andrade gathered several Brazilian musicians to accompany her and selected the repertoire. Half of “Clarão” is comprised of instrumental covers, three of which are performed big band-style and were made famous by Brazilian clarinetists. The album includes four original songs penned by Brazilian singer-songwriter Roque Ferriera, tunes that showcase Mather de Andrade’s silken, yearnful voice singing sublimely in Portuguese. Krakaowski relied upon genuine Brazilian instrumentation from Vitor Gonçalves (accordion), Cesar Garabini (violão) and Eduardo Belo (bass) while playing pandeiro himself. A lively four-piece horn section adds luster to the ten-track album brimful of exuberance, lush harmonies and masterful musicianship.

 

The recording process began two summers ago with Mather de Andrade recording live with the horns and rhythm section. She recorded her vocals just prior to the coronavirus quarantine, which delayed the project’s completion and forced some additional accordion and pandeiro tracks to be added remotely. Mather de Andrade describes “Clarão” as a multicultural offering.

 

“What I like about the album is the uniquely ‘New York’ experience: the horns are all American, the rhythm section is all Brazilian, and the arrangers are American and Brazilian. We had a French guitarist - the studio owner was Italian - there were a ton of languages flying around the sessions. It was a great combination of talents to create a sound that I have come away thinking is just as much ‘New York’ as it is Brazilian,” said Mather de Andrade of the global music record quilted together from swatches of Brazilian music, jazz and classical.

 

Preceding the album release, an animated video for the song “Guelê Guelê” created by the record’s bassist, Belo, will be released on June 25. The tune is one of the originals composed by Ferriera. Mather de Andrade said, “Roque Ferreira is a major composer from the North East of Brazil in the style of Bahian Samba. His style is very evocative and creates vivid imagery, which lent itself to an animated video treatment.”

 

To launch the album, Mather de Andrade will perform selections from “Clarão” on August 8 at 6pm ET accompanied by several of the musicians who performed on the album during a special livestream event broadcast from Studio 42 Brooklyn using Stretto.live, a new interactive visual platform that enables audiences to work together to control certain aspects of a performance in real time and provide the performer with visual feedback they can see and react to while performing.

 

Mather de Andrade has been with the West Point Band since 2007. She also plays with, co-founded and serves as artistic director for the New York City-area ensemble Vent Nouveau, which performs and records music for woodwinds and brass, as well as the mixed instrument group Quintette 7. Mather de Andrade has performed at such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall and The Kennedy Center. Equally important to the artist, she uses music to unify and breakdown barriers culminating in performances in countless schools, veterans’ homes, and three prisons. Mather de Andrade has taught master classes and professional clinics at universities and conservatories, and presently serves on staff at Manhatanville College. For more information, please visit https://kristenmather.com.  

        

“Clarão” contains the following songs:

 

“Um Chorinho Diferente”

“Côco Tara Tá Tá”

“Guelê Guelê”

“Chorinho Pra Ele”

“Doce Melodia”

“Sagrado”

“Bendito”

“Modulando”

“Santo Forte”

“O Clarinete Gostoso”

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Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 100 - June 21, 2021 #jazz

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Have a proud and happy Juneteenth! #juneteenth

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.

From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond.

Today Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. It is a day, a week, and in some areas a month marked with celebrations, guest speakers, picnics and family gatherings. It is a time for reflection and rejoicing. It is a time for assessment, self-improvement and for planning the future. Its growing popularity signifies a level of maturity and dignity in America long over due. In cities across the country, people of all races, nationalities and religions are joining hands to truthfully acknowledge a period in our history that shaped and continues to influence our society today. Sensitized to the conditions and experiences of others, only then can we make significant and lasting improvements in our society.

From juneteenth.com - Read more at the juneteenth.com website by clicking here

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Guitarist Blake Aaron struts to No. 1 on four charts simultaneously #jazz

“Sunday Strut,” the energizing single featuring Najee, becomes the third Billboard No. 1 hit from the “Color and Passion” album

 

Guitarists Blake Aaron and Adam Hawley wrote “Sunday Strut” for Aaron’s “Color and Passion” album while in the throes of the coronavirus quarantine and now that things are reopening, the hard-charging, high-energy contemporary jazz instrumental tops four singles charts simultaneously. The horn-powered track featuring urban-jazz icon Najee and produced by Hawley is No. 1 on the Billboard, Mediabase, Smooth Jazz Network and SmoothJazz.com charts. It’s the third single to go No. 1 on the Billboard chart from the Innervision Records release that dropped last September, following “Groovers and Shakers” and “Fall For You.”   
 
Much of “Color and Passion” was written and recorded last year while Aaron was unable to tour due to COVID-19 restrictions, so he used the time productively to produce projects for other artists and to finish his sixth album, which continues to be a celebrated release. 
 
“2020 was a tough year, and incredibly tough for some of us. I know I greatly missed being able to get out and play music for my friends/fans. One silver lining for me was being able to spend more time in the studio to create and produce music, so I released ‘Color and Passion.’ I am so grateful to be blessed with three No. 1 Billboard singles from that CD,” said Aaron who will finally get the opportunity to perform music from the new album live when he resumes touring this summer, an itinerary that includes concerts at premier events such as Berks Jazz Festival (August 14-15) in Reading, Penna. and the Mallorca Smooth Jazz Festival (October 6-10) in Spain.  
 
Apropos of his entire catalogue as an artist, “Color and Passion” is a diverse collection, an inviting blend of colorful melodies and prodigious, impassioned guitarwork neatly encased in capsules of jazz, R&B, pop, Latin, Caribbean, funk, fusion and rock. Aaron mindfully infused the album with hope, positive energy, optimism and joy. In addition to the contributions made by a top-drawer cast of musicians, the set showcases Billboard hitmakers saxophonist Darren Rahn and flautist Kim Scott as guest soloists, with Rahn, who has produced more than 25 No. 1 singles and received multiple GRAMMY nominations, cowriting and coproducing “Groovers and Shakers” with Aaron.    
 
Aaron produced “Fall For You,” which became his first Billboard No. 1 single as a producer. He recently celebrated his second Billboard chart-topper as a producer when keyboardist Sean U’s “Magic Hour” went No. 1, a cut on which the guitarist is also a featured guest.
 
Fully aware of how difficult the last year has been for so many people, including his fanbase, Aaron remains humbly grounded and hopeful that his musical offerings can elevate spirits.
 
“If ‘Sunday Strut,’ or the previous two No. 1 singles, or any song from ‘Color and Passion’ that speaks to our friends/fans for that matter, can bring a little light or joy in what can otherwise be a challenging time, then I am successful,” said Aaron, who plans to drop his next single in August, “Feels Right,” which was produced by prolific producer-keyboardist Greg Manning.

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Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 100 - June 14, 2021 #jazz

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John Stein - "Serendipity" - Release on Whaling City Sound, June 18 - #jazz

Like many serious musicians, John Stein was trying to find a way to reach his audience following the Covid-19 breakout. He had just released Watershed, a career-defining recording to mark his planned retirement from Berklee College of Music, where he was an acclaimed educator. Of course, as with live music in general, the tour in support of Watershed was scrapped. Prior to the pandemic, Whaling City Sound’s Neal Weiss had asked Stein to bring a trio for an outdoor September show he had booked in New Bedford. But when hell broke loose, Neal moved the show inside, to the New Bedford Art Museum, and made plans to broadcast it virtually, as well as record the audio and video. “Thanks to Neal’s ability to see other possibilities,” recalls Stein, “it would be the only public concert I played the entire year.”

Stein’s trio for the date, Ed Lucie on bass and Mike Connors on drums, played as they normally would in front of a packed house. The session was live. There were no second takes, no overdubs, no corrections. They simply played each tune and then moved on. It succeeded as a video, of course, because of the trio’s remarkable chemistry. The set was stellar. But that wasn’t all. “Weeks after the show,” Stein recalls, “I had some tasks to do around the house and I let the video run in the background. For the first time, I experienced the soundtrack as pure music without the distraction of the visuals.” Stein heard subtle but extraordinary details that he hadn’t noticed before. “I became aware of the superb musicianship. At that moment, I realized that the audio itself was worthy of release.”

Serendipity is that release. It is the document of that gig, played for an audience of one, John Farrell, who taped and edited the video. Farrell, as it turns out, is also a professional sound engineer. He captured the audio and skillfully did the mixing. It’s obvious that the session, originally assembled as a way to let the music play, was an enormous creative success. From the opener, a take on Sonny Rollins’ “Alfie’s Theme,” to the closing, upbeat “Happy Hour,” a Stein original, the recording is a pure celebration of bristling energy and subtle, intuitive performances.

While the pandemic may have stifled our collective musical voice, it also yielded beautiful and unexpected moments from musicians that simply wouldn’t be denied. Count the aptly titled Serendipity as one of those moments. When hope for live music had temporarily faded, one trio decided they simply had to do what great musicians were compelled to do. Serendipity is the sound of happiness unleashed, as captured by musicians destined to play.

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Ledisi celebrates the songs of the legendary Nina Simone #jazz

LEDISI SINGS NINA IS SECOND RELEASE ON LISTEN BACK, FOLLOWING A TRIUMPHANT YEAR OF ACCOMPLISHMENT AND OVERCOMING LOCKDOWN

Ledisi, the New Orleans-born and Oakland-raised singer, pays tribute to the legendary Nina Simone with the album Ledisi Sings Nina. Featuring seven songs of social and personal import drawn from Simone’s celebrated songbook, Ledisi Sings Nina is a finely crafted, arrangement-driven collection recorded in Holland, Los Angeles, London, and New Orleans—before and after the pandemic began. It balances upbeat, big-band energy with atmospheric balladry, and an attention to historic detail that succeeds in updating the music for a modern hip-hop/R&B era. With the prowess of Ledisi’s voice, the messages of Simone’s music—of personal empowerment and collective protest—retain a relevancy for a BLM generation facing the same harsh challenges and bitter struggles of the 1960s.   The performances on Ledisi Sings Nina find the singer benefitting from top-tier support in a variety of contexts: the majority of tracks feature the world-renowned Metropole Orkest conducted by Jules Buckley with arrangements by Jochen Neufer, and others. “I’m Going Back Home” features the all-star New Orleans Jazz Orchestra directed by Adonis Rose. “Four Women” is powered by Ledisi in the company of three vocalists of equal authority: Lisa Fisher, Lizz Wright, and Alice Smith. “Wild Is The Wind”—with Spanish guitar, piano and drums—is the album’s sole live recording, taken from the 2020 PBS special broadcast Ledisi Live: A Tribute to Nina Simone.   Ledisi Sings Nina—the singer’s tenth album—caps more than a year of impressive achievement that includes (in reverse order): Garnering a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Performance with the single “Anything For You” in March 2021 (her first after twelve nominations!) Starring in her first PBS TV special, Ledisi Live: A Tribute to Nina Simone in December 2020. Performing as part of an all-star cast of artists and activists on HBO’s Between the World and Me, a poetic adaptation of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ groundbreaking book, in November, 2020. Releasing the album Wild Card, the debut recording on her own label Listen Back in August 2020. Publishing her second book, Don’t Ever Lose Your Walk: How To Embrace Your Journey, on her Chinwe’ya Publishing imprint, in January, 2020.   Ledisi Sings Nina also serves as an inevitable career move for a singer who feels as fated to be a singer, as she was to focus on and celebrate the music of Nina Simone. She remembers being woken by her mother singing the lyric to a Simone protest song. “We lived in a shotgun house in New Orleans and my mom would wake us up by singing ‘…and everybody knows about Mississippi Goddam!’   "Later I learned that was Nina. But when I heard her for real I was still very young—in Oakland in my 20s. I was depressed, my life was a mess, and I heard her on the radio singing ‘Trouble in Mind.’ I heard the life in there. It woke me up. I was feeling discouraged for being different, for being the oddball that liked every style—blues and jazz and Broadway and hip-hop. I had sung every club in the Bay Area, done every gig. Nina’s voice said to me I was not alone. Her voice saved my life and woke me up and taught me to be fearless. I had two pieces of luggage and moved to New York City after that."   Ledisi Sings Nina is the culmination of a series of projects revealing the depth of Ledisi’s continuing sense of gratitude and debt to the woman born Eunice Kathleen Waymon, whom Ledisi calls her “shero.” In the past eight years, Ledisi has produced and toured popular tribute shows to Simone, and performed concerts on television, in major concert halls and at music festivals, featuring her interpreting Simone’s songs and explaining her importance and history. In 2019, she wrote and starred in the autobiographical theatrical production The Legend of Little Girl Blue that ran for three weeks. “What I’m doing now with my version of her music is honoring it with my own experience,” says Ledisi, “which means touching and agreeing and moving into a newer version.”   Paying tribute to, as well as embodying great black vocalists of historic stature, has become a Ledisi specialty. In 2014, she portrayed Mahalia Jackson in the film Selma, and in 2020, she was Patti Labelle in BET’s dramatic series American Soul. She admits playing a legend is far different that paying tribute. “When you’re acting you have to be the character, it’s not about you at all. It’s the hardest thing to do because people love when I do covers but I want them to know I’m always Ledisi while honoring them.”   But her relationship with one special singer is unlike any other.   "I’ve played Mahalia, but I go to another level if I have to do something that involves Nina. It’s crazy. For me, I’ve done Broadway and films and my own music, but no matter what it’s like she’s been here the whole time. There’ve been times I’ve avoided Nina, trying to go around her music.  Every time I do my own thing her energy comes up."   Ledisi Sings Nina began as an idea and developed over the years into a collection of digital files waiting for their moment. As it contains music of self-determination and strength, the very story of its release stands as a testament to the power of musical inspiration.   "I was going to do this years ago but we hadn’t finished it yet—Collecting recordings from sessions and live performances. Then so much stuff started to happen with my career, then the pandemic, and then we couldn’t find a home for it. It was a real time of uncertainty and although some labels wanted it, they either didn’t fully believe or know what to do with it.  So this year, after everything else had happened, I said, 'Fine, I’ll finish it myself and just put it out on my own label.  I can’t let this music sit in the computer for another year.' It just felt right."   Ledisi’s path forward promises to be as varied stylistically and format-wise as ever— more original music as well as tributes, more films and TV: her appearance on FX’s hit show Pose; her role in Jussie Smollet’s upcoming feature B Boy Blues. In many ways, Ledisi feels like the wave she’s riding is less of her own design, and more a result of a life philosophy that finds value and direction in life itself.   "I don’t care what genre you’re singing, when you’ve lived and add life in between the notes, that’s soul. It takes a while to get there and some of us get it quicker from living, from not limiting myself. Most people have no idea of the range of stuff I study. Where I am now feels like it’s just part of my journey—I didn’t choose this, it chose me." By Ashley Kahn   Order link for Ledisi Sings Nina: https://ledisimusic.lnk.to/LedisiSingsNina LEDISI TOUR DATES: 7/24/21            Los Angeles    CA       The Hollywood Bowl 7/31/21            Newport         RI        Newport Jazz Festival at Adams State Park 8/17/21            San Diego       CA       The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park 1/14/22            Miami             FL       Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of                                                             Miami- Dade County (Knight Concert Hall) 3/26/22            Chandler         AZ      Chandler Center for the Arts TRACK LIST: 1 Feeling Good 2 My Baby Just Cares For Me 3 Ne Me Quitte Pas 4 Wild Is The Wind (live) 5 Work Song 6 Four Women 7 I'm Going Back Home   LEDISI ON THE WEB: Website: https://www.ledisi.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ledisi/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ledisi Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ledisi/

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