The Stanley Clarke Band -- The Stanley Clarke Band
Never Can Say Goodbye -- Joey DeFrancesco
Now Is The Time -- Jeff Lorber Fusion
To The One -- John McLaughlin
Backatown -- Trombone Shorty
Best Jazz Vocal Album
Eleanora Fagan (1915-1959): To Billie With Love From Dee Dee -- Dee Dee Bridgewater
Freddy Cole Sings Mr. B -- Freddy Cole
When Lights Are Low -- Denise Donatelli
Ages -- Lorraine Feather
Water -- Gregory Porter
Best Improvised Jazz Solo
"Solar" -- Alan Broadbent, soloist (Track from: Live At Giannelli Square: Volume 1)
"A Change Is Gonna Come" - Herbie Hancock, soloist (Track from: The Imagine Project)
"Body And Soul" -- Keith Jarrett, soloist (Track from: Jasmine)
"Lonely Woman" -- Hank Jones, soloist (Track from: Pleased To Meet You)
"Van Gogh" -- Wynton Marsalis, soloist (Track from: Portrait In Seven Shades (Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra) )
Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group
Positootly! -- John Beasley
The New Song And Dance -- Clayton Brothers
Historicity -- Vijay Iyer Trio
Moody 4B -- James Moody
Providencia -- Danilo Perez
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
Infernal Machines -- Darcy James Argue's Secret Society
Autumn: In Moving Pictures Jazz - Chamber Music Vol. 2 -- Billy Childs Ensemble Featuring The Ying String Quartet
Pathways -- Dave Holland Octet
54 -- Metropole Orkest, John Scofield & Vince Mendoza
Mingus Big Band Live At Jazz Standard -- Mingus Big Band
Best Latin Jazz Album
Tango Grill -- Pablo Aslan
Second Chance -- Hector Martignon
Psychedelic Blues -- Poncho Sanchez
Chucho's Steps -- Chucho Valdés And The Afro-Cuban Messengers
¡Bien Bien! -- Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet
Telarc International and Heads Up International, divisions of Concord Music Group, received 7 GRAMMY® nominations, as announced by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) on December 1, 2010. The nominations were in an array of categories including Best New Artist, pop, jazz, blues and classical. All nominations were for albums released from September 1, 2009 to September 30, 2010. Winners will be announced at the 53rd Annual GRAMMY® Awards on Sunday, February 13, 2011 (8:00-11:30 PM, ET/PT), at Staples Center in Los Angeles, airing live on the CBS Television Network.
The Telarc and Heads Up nominations are:
Best New Artist
ESPERANZA SPALDING
Bassist, singer and composer Esperanza Spalding combines the imaginative flights of a serious improviser with the musical accessibility of a pop star and within two years of her solo debut has beguiled success at nearly unimaginable heights. Esperanza, her 2008 release, spent over 70 weeks on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart and was the most successful internationally selling debut that year.
Spalding’s most recent release, Chamber Music Society, is a brilliant marriage of string and jazz trio, and a showcase for her eclectic sensibilities along with her vocal and compositional talents. Other career highlights include two televised performances at the White House, a Banana Republic ad campaign, features in Oprah Magazine and The New Yorker, numerous awards and high profile tour dates, capped by an invitation to perform at the 2010 Nobel Prize Ceremony in Oslo, Norway.
Spalding was nominated for Best New Artist along with Justin Bieber, Drake, Florence & the Machine, and Mumford and Sons. Her inclusion in this mainstream category signifies her considerable appeal to a broad audience.
Best Pop Instrumental Performance
NO MYSTERY
Stanley Clarke
Track from: The Stanley Clarke Band
[Heads Up International]
Best Pop Instrumental Album
PUSHING THE ENVELOPE
Gerald Albright
[Heads Up International]
Best Contemporary Jazz Album
THE STANLEY CLARKE BAND
The Stanley Clarke Band
[Heads Up International]
NOW IS THE TIME
Jeff Lorber Fusion
[Heads Up International]
Best Traditional Blues Album
JOINED AT THE HIP
Pinetop Perkins & Willie ‘Big Eyes’ Smith
[Telarc]
Best Engineered Album, Classical
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN...?
Robert Friedrich, engineer (Turtle Island Quartet, Stefon
Harris & Mike Marshall)
[Telarc]
Since 1980, Telarc International, a division of Concord Music Group, has won 58 GRAMMY® Awards for performance, production and engineering. Other important awards include the French Grand Prix du Disque and Diapason d’Or; Japan’s Record of the Year; Germany’s Audiophile CD of the Year; and Gramophone Magazine’s 2004 Label of the Year. Although it began as a classical-only label, Telarc now boasts a catalog of more than 1000 recordings, ranging from classical and classical-crossover to jazz, contemporary jazz, Americana, pop and blues.
For nearly 20 years, Heads Up International, a division of Concord Music Group, has been successfully carving its niche in the world of contemporary instrumental music. Heads Up artists and releases have consistently landed on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz, Traditional Jazz and World Music charts, and have garnered numerous industry awards, including Billboard’s Contemporary Latin Jazz Album of the Year, the AFIM’s Independent Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year, seven GRAMMY® Awards and numerous GRAMMY® nominations. Heads Up was also the winner of JazzWeek’s Radio Programmers Album of the Year Award for two consecutive years, and Gibson Guitar’s Best Female Jazz Guitarist. In addition to the awards and accolades, Heads Up artists have regularly captured the #1 slot in national radio airplay.
Ack Van Rooyen - Homeward/Pictures From My Album Of Friends (Inakustik )
Akk Van Rooyen - Homeward/Pictures From My Album Of Friends (Inakustik )
Albert Mangelsdorff - Hut Ab/Two Is Company (Inakustik )
Annie Ross - Singin & Swingin ( )
Archie Shepp - Blue Ballads (Venus )
Art Pepper - Surf Ride ( )
Art Pepper / Sonny Redd - Two Altos ( )
Barbara Carroll - I Wish On The Moon (Venus )
Big Band Legend: The Hollywood Years - Big Band Legend: The Hollywood Years ( )
Booker Ervin - Cookin ( )
Buddy Rich - Speak No Evil/Plays & Plays & Plays (Beat Goes On )
Cannonball Adderley - Presenting Cannonball ( )
Chano Dominguez - Con Alma (Venus )
Chris Massey's Nue Jazz Project - Vibrainium (SPECTRA )
Collection Of Progressive & Independent Spiritual - Collection Of Progressive & Independent Spiritual (Forcex )
Curtis Fuller - Blues Ette (Fifty Second Street )
Dave Douglas - Spark Of Being: Expand (Green Leaf )
Denny Zeitlin - As Long As There's Music (Venus Jazz )
Deodato - Prelude ( )
Disney Jazz 1 - Disney Jazz 1 ( )
Dizzy Gille / Giovanni Hidalgo - Giovanni Hidalgo / Dizzy Gille- Villa Hidalgo (Timba )
Dizzy Gillespie - Champ ( )
Dizzy Gillespie - Villa Hidalgo (Timba )
Donald Byrd - Byrds Word ( )
Duke Jordan - Trio & Quintet ( )
Eddie Harris - Freedom Jazz Dance (Venus Jap/Zoom )
Eddie Higgins - Christmas Songs (Pid )
Eddie Higgins - Don't Smoke In Bed (Pid )
Eddie Higgins - I Can't Believe That You're In Love W (Venus Jap/Zoom )
Emilie-Clair Barlow - Beat Goes On (JVC Japan/Zoom )
Eric Alexander - Gentle Ballads 3 (Pid )
Frank Sinatra - Night And Day (Synergy Distribution )
Frank Wess - Opus In Swing ( )
Freddie Hubbard - Red Clay (Phantom )
Free Fall - Gray Scale (Smalltown Superjazz/Carrot Top )
Gene Krupa - Drummin' Man (Synergy Distribution )
George Benson - White Rabbit (Sbme/Masterworks )
Gianni Basso - Body And Soul (Venus Jap/Zoom )
Hank Jones - Quartet Quintet ( )
Hank Mobley - Jazz Message 1 ( )
Hank Mobley - Jazz Message 2 ( )
Harold Mabern - Falling In Love With Love (Venus )
Harold Mabern - Don't Know Why (Venus )
Harold Mabern - Fantasy (Tokuma )
Ink Spots - Java Jive (Synergy Distribution )
Irakere - Misa Negra (Timba )
J.J. Johnson / Kai Winding - Jay & Kai (Pid )
Jay Leonhart - Fly Me Too The Moon (Venus )
Jazzinvaders - 3 (Unique Germany )
Jean-Philippe Collard-Neven - Fleeting Music ( )
Joe Beck - Brazilian Dreamin (Venus Jap/Zoom )
Joe Wilder - Wilder N Wilder ( )
John Coltrane / Wilbur Harden - Jazz Way Out ( )
Juan Pablo Torres - Torres, Juan Pablo - Identidad (Timba )
Juan Pablo Torres - Identidad (Timba )
Ken Peplowski - Gypsy Lamento (Pony Canyon Japan )
Kenny Burrell - Jazzmen Detroit ( )
Kenny Clarke - Telefunken Blues (Pid )
Kenny Clarke - Bohemia After Dark ( )
Lee Konitz - Brazilian Rhapsody (Venus )
Lee Morgan - Introducing Lee Morgan ( )
Lonnie L. Smith - Afro Blue (Venus Jap/Zoom )
Mangelsdorff Dauner Quintett - Hut Ab/Two Is Company (Inakustik )
Michael Sagmeister - Dualism (Timba )
Mike Mandel - Sky Music ( )
Miles Davis - First ( )
Milt Jackson - Opus De Jazz ( )
Milt Jackson - Plenty, Plenty Soul (Essential Jazz )
Noah Howard - Black Ark (Bo Weavil Recordings/Forced Ex )
Pharoah Sanders - Ballads With Love (Venus )
Pharoah Sanders - Crescent Of Love (Venus )
Phil Woods - Ballads & Blues (Phantom )
Phil Woods - Birds Night ( )
Renato Sellani - Amapola (Venus Jap/Zoom )
Roland Hanna - Apres Un Reve (Venus )
Roland Hanna - Dream (Venus )
Roma Trio - Four Seasons (Venus )
Sara Mitra - April Song ( )
Sebastian Schunke - Schunke, Sebastian - Vida Pura (Timba )
Sebastian Schunke - Vida Pura (Timba )
Sleep Walker - Into The Sun (Pid )
Stanley Turrentine - Sugar (Pure Pleasure )
Stefano Bollani / Riccardo Chailly - Rapsodia In Blu (Phantom )
Steffano Bollani - I'm In The Mood For Love (Venus Jap/Zoom )
Steve Kuhn - Baubles Bangles And Beads (Venus Jap/Zoom )
Sylvi Lane - the SOULSILLY Xperience (independent)
Tom Scott - Honeysuckle Breeze ( )
Tony Addison - He Is Love (Pacific Coast Jazz )
Toquo Bossa Trio - Since I Feel For You (Video Arts Japan/Zoom )
Trish Clowes - Tangent (Basho )
Tubby Hayes / Dizzy Reece - Changing Jazz At Buckingham Palace ( )
United Jazz + Rock Ensemble - Round Seven/Team Work (Inakustik )
United Jazz + Rock Ensemble - Die Die Neunte Von United/X (Inakustik )
United Jazz + Rock Ensemble - Die Neunte Von United/X (Inakustik )
Reissues
Dexter Gordon - Dexter Rides Again (Columbia)
Duke Ellington - Essential (Legacy)
Fats Navarro - Nostalgia (Columbia)
Herbie Mann - Yardbird Suite (Fresh Sounds Spain )
Modern Jazz Quartet - Modern Jazz Quartet ( )
Stan Getz - Opus de Bop (Columbia)
Sun Ra - Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra (Hep Cat)
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) are pleased to announce that bassist, vocalist and composer Esperanza Spalding, in response to the Diversity and Innovation Fund Request for Proposals, has been asked to host Find The Beat, a progressive new television show on PBS.
Find The Beat, a new program that promotes diversity, features Spalding joining with a group, a band or solo musician to explore the roots of their music. Their journeys take them to see authentic performers, explore cultural connections and investigate musical history.
PBS and the CPB issued a request for proposals for a new television show to be sponsored by their Diversity and Innovation Fund. The DI Fund, “seeks to diversify the National Program Service by attracting younger and more racially and ethnically diverse viewers and visitors.” More than 200 submissions were received in response to the request for proposals, from which only 16 were chosen by their editorial staff to advance to panel review.
Esperanza Spalding combines the imaginative flights of a serious improviser with the musical accessibility of a pop star and within two years of her solo debut has beguiled success at nearly unimaginable heights. Esperanza, her 2008 release, spent over 70 weeks on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart and was the most successful internationally selling debut that year.
Spalding’s most recent release, Chamber Music Society, is a brilliant marriage of string and jazz trio, and a showcase for her eclectic sensibilities along with her vocal and compositional talents. Other career highlights include two televised performances at the White House, a Banana Republic ad campaign, features in Oprah Magazine and The New Yorker, numerous awards and high profile tour dates, capped by an invitation to perform at the 2010 Nobel Prize Ceremony in Oslo, Norway.
Archie Shepp - True Blue (Venus Jazz )
Ariel Ramirez - Misa Criolla ( )
Beady Belle - At Welding Bridge (Universal Distribution )
Big Joe Turner - Essential '40's Collection (Phantom )
Buddy Rich - Speak No Evil / Plays & Plays & Plays ( )
Christian Weidner - Inward Song ( )
Christina Sturmer - Nahaufnahme (Universal Distribution )
Claude Williamson - Song For My Father (Venus )
Clouds - Up Above Our Heads ( )
Clouds - Up Above Our Heads (Clouds 66-71) (Beat Goes On )
Dan Nimmer - Yours Is My Heart Alone (Venus )
Diana Krall - Girl In Other Room (Phantom Sound & Vision )
Diana Krall - When I Look In Your Eyes (Phantom Sound & Vision )
Dinah Washington - 1943-53 Fabulous Miss D! Keynote Decca & Mercury (Verve )
Dinah Washington - Fabulous Miss D The Keynote Decca & Mercury Single ( )
Dinah Washington - Fabulous Miss D! The Keynote, Decca And Mercury Singles 1943-1953 (Hip-o Select )
Duke Grand Erandole - Diamond Best:Classic Best (Universal Japan/Zoom )
Earl Klugh - Earl Klugh/Living Inside Your Love/Magic In Your Eyes (Beat Goes On )
East New York Ensemble De Music - At The Helm (Folkways Records )
Eddie Higgins - Standards By Request 1st Day Eddie Hi (Venus Jap/Zoom )
Eddie Higgins - Standards By Request 2nd Day Eddie Hi (Venus Jap/Zoom )
George Gruntz - Matterhorn Matters ( )
George Lewis & His Orchestra - Dr. Jazz & Blues From The Bayou (Phantom )
Halie Loren - After Dark ( )
Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage (Blue Note Records )
Jazz Chill - Chill Jazz (Phantom )
Kenny Werner - With A Song In My Heart (Venus Jazz Japan )
King Curtis - Music For Dancing / The Twist ( )
Klaus Ignatzek / Jean Rassinfosse / Claudio Roditi - Dedication ( )
Kristine W - Power Of Music (Indies Japan/Zoom )
Landau Orchestra - Janus Plays Telephone (Warner Uk/Zoom )
Lou Donaldson - Sunny Side Up (CLASSIC )
Lou Donaldson - Time Is Right (Indies Japan/Zoom )
Louis Jordan - Let The Good Times Roll (Phantom )
Marc Ford - Neptunes Blues (Provogue Uk/Zoom )
Maurice Jarre - Soundtracks (Indie Europe/Zoom )
Max Roach - Members Don't Get Weary (Warner )
Michael Henderson - Wide Receiver ( )
Mukta - Jade ( )
Orlando "Maraca" Valle - Tremenda Rumba ( )
Patricia Barber - Mythologies (Blue Note)
Patrick Moraz - Resonance (United States Of Distribution LTD. )
Pepe Lienhard - Best Of Swing (Phantom )
Quartett Escualo - Piazzolla Del Angel (Pid )
Ramsey Lewis - Upendo Ni Pamoja / Sun Goddess ( )
Right On ! 2 - Right On ! 2 ( )
Rupert Clemendore - Jazz Primitif From Trinidad (Phantom )
Russell Malone - Wholly Cats (Venus )
Santino - Nadie Es Como Tu (Warner Uk/Zoom )
Soel - Memento (Warner Brothers)
Uli Fiedler - Tre Pane ( )
Velvet Jazz II - Velvet Jazz II ( )
Velvet Love - Velvet Love ( )
Walter Bishop Jr. - Speak Low Again (Venus Jap/Zoom )
Word From Pulpit - Word From Pulpit ( )
Wynton Marsalis - Popular Songs: The Best Of Wynton Marsalis (BMG (distributor) )
Reissues
Diana Krall - Look Of Love (Universal )
Freddie Hubbard - Hub Cap (Blue Note)
Freddie Hubbard - Hub-Tones (Blue Note)
Joe Beck - Strangers in the Night (Venus)
Richard Galliano - Luz Negra (JVC)
Scott Joplin - Ragtime Piano Roll (Milan Records )
Sonny Stitt - Stitt Plays Bird (Atlantic)
As the former Tonight Show's music director for 18 years, guitarist Kevin Eubanks admirably performed the necessary duties of leading the house band, trading comedic barbs with host Jay Leno, and whatever else it took to get the job done. But before the glamor and glitz of Hollywood, most folks probably didn't know that Eubanks was and still is a superb jazz musician who has performed with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, bassist Dave Holland, and released a number of fine recordings.
Eubanks' new chapter begins with Zen Food, showcasing his continued guitar mastery with a new band and fresh material. The recording's dynamics mirror his talent: an intrepid player with the ability to play with deep feeling; and a robust writer, covering a range of hard hitting vamps (”The Dancing Sea”), stealthy grooves (”Spider Monkey Cafe”), and blue serenity (” The Dirty Monk”), and tender ballads (”I Remember Loving You”).
The band's symbiotic connection is crucial, beginning with the cornerstone of bassist Rene Camacho and veteran trap-master Marvin “Smitty” Smith who was also a member of the Tonight Show band. Moments such as the hymnal inspired “Adoration” are vivid, as Eubanks' acoustic chord-work is the perfect accompaniment to Gerry Etkins' ethereal keyboards. The set feels, at times, like a potpourri of styles, but the high level of musicianship elevates tracks such as the Wes Montgomery-like storm of “6/8,” and the infectiously hip “G G (Gerry's Groove),” where Bill Pierce's saxophone laments sweet blues and Eubanks' electric guitar echoes the sentiment with elongated and improvised notes.
Eubanks is a complete player, whether delivering jaw-dropping solos or flavorful comps. On top of that, he's not lost his superlative chops on acoustic guitar, as “Das It” attests. This short barn-burner displays a dexterity, intensity, and muscular finger picking reminiscent of his killer Shadow Prophets (GRP, 1998). What lies ahead for Eubanks is anyone's guess, but it is sure to be an interesting journey that begins with the welcome return of Zen Food.
Track Listing: The Dancing Sea; Spider Monkey Cafe; The Dirty Monk; Adoration; Los Angeles; I Remember Loving You; 6/8; G.G.; Offering; Das It.
By Mark F. Turner allaboutjazz.com
Personnel: Kevin Eubanks: guitars; Bill Pierce: saxophone; Gerry Etkins: keyboards; Rene Camacho: bass; Marvin "Smitty" Smith.
Art Blakey - Three Classic Albums (Avid Jazz )
Arthur Verocai - Timeless (Mochilla )
Arve Henriksen - Cartography (ECM )
Bill Evans - Very Last Performance ( )
Buddy Cole - Hot And Cole ( )
Charles Mingus - Blues & Roots (Atlantic )
Chris Botti - Unforgettable:Best (Universal Japan/Zoom )
Chris Minh Doky - Scenes From A Dream (Video Arts Japan/Zoom )
Cyrille Aimee - Just Two Of Us (Venus Jap/Zoom )
Dale Hawkins - Oh! Suzy-Q (Ais )
Danilo Rea - Romantica (Venus Jap/Zoom )
Dave Brubeck - Definitive Dave Brubeck On Fantasy Co (Fantasy Records/Concord Jazz )
David Hazeltine - Pearls (Venus )
Dee Clark - Dee Clark ( )
Dee Clark - Dee Clark/How About That (Ais )
Dexter Gordon - Blows Hot & Cool (Disconforme )
Dexter Gordon - Dexter Blows Hot & Cool (Essential Jazz Classics )
Don Cherry - Copenhagen 1963 & Hilversum 1966 ( )
Don Cherry - Copenhagen 1963/Hilversum 1966 (Free Factory )
Donald Smith - Luv (Why Not )
Enrico Rava - Italian Ballads (Pid )
Eric Alexander - Lazy Afternoon (Venus )
Francesco Cariso - Seven Steps To Heaven (Venus )
Freddie Hubbard - Groovy ( )
Gideon Van Gelder - Perpetual ( )
Giovanni Mirabassi - Live At Blue Note Tokyo (Video Arts Japan/Zoom )
Halie Loren - Many Times Many Ways:Xmas Collection (JVC Japan/Zoom )
Hank Ballard - Hank Ballard & The Midnighthers / Singin & Swinin ( )
Hank Jones - Talented Touch (EMI Japan/Zoom )
Heatwave - Hot Property ( )
Ja - Balls And Kittens, Draught And Strangling Rain (Hubro )
Jack Parnell - Two Classic Albums Plus Two Eps (Phantom )
Jacky Terrasson - Lover Man (Venus )
JAE - Balls And Kittens Draught And Strangl (Hubro/Forced Exposure )
Janis Siegel - At Home ( )
Jazz Workshop All Stars - Complete 1961-1962 Birdland Broadcasts (Rare Live )
Jazz Workshop All Stars / Charles Mingus - Complete 1961-1962 Birdland Broadcasts ( )
John Carter - Mosaic Select: John Carter And Bobby Bradford (Mosaic Select )
John Scofield - New Morning: The Paris C (Inakustik )
John Zorn - Dreamers-The Gentle Side (Tzadik )
John Zorn - Dreamers: The Gentle Side (Tzadik )
Jon Hassell - Last Night The Moon Came Dropping Its Clothes In ( )
Keith Jarrett - My Song (Pid )
Keith Jarrett - Belonging ( )
L Almeida / Bud Shank - Holiday In Brazil ( )
Marion Brown - Offering (Pid )
Marty Paich - Rock-Jazz Incident (Tartare )
Mats Eilertsen - Elegy (Hubro )
Miles Davis - Live At Newport 1966-1967 ( )
One For All - No Problem (Venus Jap/Zoom )
Pat Metheny - American Garage (Pid )
Pat Metheny - 80 ( )
Quartetto Alborada - Ethos (Phantom )
Reine Gianoli - Menderus Zone ( )
Renato Sellani - My Foolish Heart (Pid )
Renato Sellani - O Sole Mio (Disconforme )
Richie Beirach - No Borders (Venus )
Romantic Jazz Trio - Music Of The Night (Venus )
Ronin - Llyria ( )
Ruffin & Kendrick - Ruffin & Kendrick ( )
Russ Lossing - Personal Tone ( )
Simone - Moonlight Serenade (Venus )
Sonny Rollins - Shadow Waltz ( )
Stefano Bollani - L'Orchestra Del Titanic (Phantom )
Suzanne Carrico - What Christmas Time Means To Me ( )
Three Sounds - Introducing The 3 Sounds (Analogue Prod. )
Tubby Hayes - Three Classic Albums Plus (Phantom )
Walter Wanderley - World Of Walter Wanderley ( )
Wolfgang Dauner - Knirsch (Promising Music )
Reissues
Jimmy Smith - Midnight Special (Blue Note Records (USA) )
Keith Jarrett - Facing You (ECM (Japan))
Tal Farlow - Tal (Universal Japan )
Albert Mangelsdorff - Folk Mond And Flower Dream (Tropical Music, Inc. )
Amato Jazz Trio - Well (Phantom )
Angle - Wrecks (Phantom )
Anita O'Day - Live In Tokyo 75 (Emily )
Anita O'Day - Let Me Off Uptown (Mr. Music )
Ann Malcolm - Crystal Paperweight (Phantom )
Anna Sini - Sound Of Night (Phantom )
Anthony Branker & Ascent - Dance Music (Origin )
Ascent - Dance Music (Origin )
Banjo Clan - Blues & Soda (Phantom )
Barbara Errico - Endrigo In Jazz (Phantom )
Basie Bandsmen - Basie 2 A Tee (Quicksilver )
Bauer 4 - Familiy Affairs (J+K )
Be Little Trio & Quartet - Sueno (Phantom )
Benny Goodman - Afrs Benny Goodman Show, Vol. 3 (Sounds of Yester Year )
Bernie Cummins - Original 20S-30S Hot Dance Music (Vintage Music Prod. )
Big Band Legend: The Hollywood Years - Big Band Legend: The Hollywood Years ( )
Bobby Darin - That's All (Boxstar )
Bobby Darin - Thats All ( )
Butch Thomspon & His Boys - In Chicago-Featuring Frank Chace (Jazzology )
Cafiso Francesco 4 Out - Same (Phantom )
Celesti Erika Quartet - Io Speriamo Che Me La Can (Phantom )
Charles Earland - Slammin' & Jammin' (Savant Records (Jazz))
Chet Baker - Sesjun Radio Shows (Pink )
Chico Freeman - Lord Riff & Me (Why Not )
Chie Ayado - Live (Boxstar )
Chie Ayado - Live! (Boxstar )
City Champs - The Set-Up (Electraphonic Recordings )
Conny Bauer - Der Gelbe Klang (J+K )
Conny Bauer / J Bauer / M. Bauer / Louis Rastig - Familiy Affairs ( )
D'Attoma Donatello - Logos (Phantom )
Damir Tanic Quartet - Tra Due Terre E Di Nessun (Phantom )
Daniel Erdmann / Samuel Rohrer / Jonas Westergaard - Sleeping With The Enemy ( )
Dave Brubeck - Navy Swings (Sounds of Yester Year )
Dave Brubeck - Time Further Out ( )
Dave Brubeck - Legacy Of A Legend ( )
David "Fathead" Newman - I Remember Brother Ray (Highnote Records, Inc. )
David Murray & Blac - In Berlin (Pid )
Dinah Washington - 1943-53 Fabulous Miss D. (Phantom )
Dynamic Quartet - Play Soft (Phantom )
Eero Koivistoinen - 3rd Version (PORTER )
Elvio Favilla - My Big Band (Phantom )
Erdmann / Rohrer / Westergaard - Sleeping With The Enemy (J+K )
Erskine / Galati / Patitucci / Sheppard - Jason Salad! (Phantom )
Esther Ofarim - Back On Stage (Tropical Music, Inc. )
Esther Ofarim - I'll See You In My Dreams (Tropical Music, Inc. )
Esther Ofarim - Ill See You In My Dreams - Li (Tropical Music )
Feliciati / Gwis / Smimmo - Wasabi Closer (Phantom )
Ferraiuolo Trio - Artnam/Mantra (Phantom )
Forecast - Forecast ( )
Gary Husband - Dirty & Beautiful (King Japan )
Gary Husband - Husband,Gary Vol. 1-Dirty & Beautiful (Abstract Logix )
Gary Husband - Dirty And Beautiful, Vol. 1 (Abstract Logix )
Gene Lake - Here & Now (PASSIN THRU )
George Black Diamond Jazz Band Knoblauch - Takes Off (Merry Makers Record Co. )
George Knoblauch's - Takes Off (Merrymakers )
Gil Evans - Tokyo Concert 1976 (Indies Japan/Zoom )
Glenn Miller - Glenn Miller Plays The Music Of Harold Arlen & Irving Berlin (Sounds of Yester Year )
Gordon Lee - This Path (OA2 )
Harry James - Performance ( )
Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage (Blue Note Records )
Herbie Hancock - Complete Columbia Collection Box Set (Sony Music )
Houston Person - My Romance (Highnote Records, Inc. )
James Mosley - With Roger Williams And Members Of TH (Morada Music )
James Mosley - James Mosley With Roger Williams & Members Of The London Symphony ( )
Jazz Couriers - Featuring Ronnie Scott (Specialty )
Jennifer Warnes - Well (Cisco)
John Coltrane - John Coltrane Quartet Plays (Verve )
Johnny Hartman - Voice That Is! (Analogue Productions )
L.A. Jazz Trio - Piano Trio Christmas (Phantom )
L.Mannutza / Menconi A. / Romano - Adventures Trio (Phantom )
La Sonora Matancera - Azucar Y Candela (ANS )
Lauren Hooker - Life Of The Music (Miles High )
Leon Lerena Ricardo Trio - Fuego Uruguayo (Phantom )
Lou Band Grassi Po & Marshall Allen - Grassi Po,Lou Band & Marshall Allen Vol. 1-Live At The Knitting Factory (PORTER )
Lou Donaldson - Sunny Side Up (CLASSIC )
Lou Donaldson - Time Is Right (Indies Japan/Zoom )
Lou Grassi - Live At The Knitting Factory, Vol. 1 (Porter )
Louis Armstrong - French Love Affair (Phantom )
Luigi Campoccia - On The Way To Damascus (Phantom )
Luigi Ruberti - Dedicated To Bill Evans (Phantom )
Malaguti Trio Comparcini / Zemolin - Corde E Vocali (Phantom )
Maria Winther - Dreamsville (Opus 3 ) - SACD
Max De Aloe Quartet - Bradipo (Phantom )
Mildred Bailey - Original Ink Spots Live (Mr. Music )
Milena Paradisi & Tallini Arturo - Rainbow Inside (Phantom )
Miles Davis - Perfect Way: The Anthology -The Warner Bros. Years (Phantom )
Mitchellrobert Panacea - Cusp (Edition Records )
Nexus - Plays Nexus (Phantom )
Norah Jones - ...Featuring Norah Jones (Blue Note )
P4 - Contraire (Phantom )
Paolo Big Band Tomelleri - Any Old Time (Phantom )
Paul Brusger Quintet - Definitely ! (Phantom )
Planet Zu - In The Light Of Day (Blue Canoe )
Radici Ensemble - Radici (Phantom )
Ranjit Barot - Bada Boom (Abstract Logix )
Rick Frystak - Blue Light Vista (Intone Music )
Robert Mitchell Panacea - Cusp (Edition )
Robert Mitchell's Panacea - The Cusp (EDITION RECORDS )
Sabino De Bari - Pas De Chat (Phantom )
Santino Carcano Quintet - L'Albero E Il Fiume (Phantom )
Sonny Fortune - Invitation (Why Not )
Sonny Rollins - Sonny Rollins With The Modern Jazz Quartet (Prestige )
Sonny Rollins & Modern Jazz Quartet - Sonny Rollins With The Modern Jazz Quartet (Original Jazz Classics )
Stephane Grappelli - And Friends (Phantom )
Tamco - Don't Think Twice (Edition )
Tarace Tommaso Quartet - Blood & Champagne (Phantom )
Ted Shafer - Takes Off (Merrymakers )
Ted Shafer & Jelly Roll Jazz Band - Takes Off (Merry Makers Record Co. )
Tee Carson & The Basie Bandsmen - Basie 2 A Tee (Quicksilver )
Tentacion Tango - Hijos Ilegitimos De Astor (Phantom )
The Transgress - Oneirism op.1 (Ropeadope Records) - Download
The Transgress - Oneirism op.1 (Ropeadope Records) - Download
Thomas Marriott - Constraints & Liberations (Origin )
Thomas Marriott - Constraints And Liberations (Origin )
Tommy Dorsey - Land Of Dreams 1944-46 (Circle )
Tony Kinsey - Evening With Tony Kinsey 'Mr. Percussion' (Speciality )
Tony Kinsey - An Evening With Tony Kinsey (Specialty )
Tubby Hayes & The Jazz Couriers - Featuring Ronnie Scott (Speciality )
Vescovi Massimo Trio - Schiuma (Phantom )
Reissues
Albert Mangelsdorff Quintet - Folk Mond & Flower Dream (Tropical M )
Django Reinhardt - Swing from Paris (Chant du Monde)
Freddie Hubbard - Hub Cap (Blue Note)
Freddie Hubbard - Hub-Tones (Blue Note)
Jennifer Warnes - Famous Blue Raincoat (Cisco )
Ray McKinley - Howdy Friends (Living Era)
Thelonious Monk / Gerry Mulligan - Mulligan Meets Monk (Universal Japan )
Herbie Hancock and his Imagine Project Band have been invited by the Norwegian Nobel Committee to perform at this year's Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway, December 11th.
Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington will host the 17th annual Nobel Peace Prize Concert which will take place at the Oslo Spektrum arena and be televised worldwide.
In addition to Hancock, the show will feature performances by world-renowned artists including Florence + the Machine, Colbie Caillat and many others to be announced in coming weeks.
Saxophonist Paul “Shilts” Weimar knows a thing or two about living on the raw edge of contemporary jazz, R&B and funk through his associations with groove bands like Down to the Band, Brand New Heavies and Was (Not Was). Now, his unfiltered, energetic and high-octane energy reaches its apex with “Going Underground,” 52 minutes of richly textured instrumental music that’s leading the way for a new generation of musicians no longer tethered to the restrictive demands of major record labels.
“Going Underground,” available on ITunes, Amazon and CD Baby, is Shilts’ fourth solo CD and his first independent release, offered on his own Blanket Records. “I wanted to something a bit rawer, not too overproduced with too many instruments,” Shilts says. To achieve this, Shilts recorded much of the music live and with the same musicians. Breaking away from his past, Shilts also brought in other writers – Jay Rowe, John Gilutin, Randy Jacobs and Bill Steinway – to collaborate on a few songs. “Throwing a lot of ideas about just beefed up my sound. I’m really proud of it.”
The nine songs on “Going Underground” add up to 52 minutes of music that mixes in Shilts’ trademark blistering Yamaha tenor sax – he’s a signed Yamaha artist – with his dedication and unbridled joy of the groove. The CD’s title references both the train system of his native London and the yoke-freeing of his new independent career. “Lambeth Strut,” which features an robust Nick Colionne guitar solo, is a nod to the famous “Lambeth Walk” song in the 1937 musical “Me and My Girl.” “Lambeth is an area in south London,” says Shilts, who now lives in Los Angeles with his family and is firmly entrenched in the area’s high-profile smooth jazz scene. “I changed the song to ‘Strut’ since my version has a walking tempo to it.”
“Sneakin’ Up Behind You” is the CD’s only cover, and it’s among one of Shilts’ most energetic, jazziest tunes ever. Featuring the Hammond B3 of Ricky Peterson, the song boasts an old-school funk sound and daring, off-the-cuff solos from Shilts. The song is from the Brecker Brothers’ 1975 debut, which they dubbed “skunk funk.” Shilts himself gets filthy on the tune. “The Brecker Brothers and David Sanborn introduced me to the whole fusion, fun-rock thing. ‘Sneakin’ Up Behind You’ has always been one of my favorites. Instead of covering a vocal tune, I thought why not put my stamp on this great instrumental. I’m pleased how it turned out.”
Another track that will surprise and delight Shilts fans is “Hip Bop,” a traditional jazz tune with a modern sheen. It features smooth jazz superstar Rick Braun on trumpet. Another tune, “Five o’clock in Rio,” took its inspiration from Shilts’ fascination with music legend Sergio Mendes and his recent updating of cool and classic Brazilian music. “I gave it a Latin feel and threw in an underground hip-hop beat while still keeping an eye on tradition.” The song has contemporary jazz stars Marc Antoine on guitar and Brian Simpson on piano.
The funk and blues are well-represented on “Tunnel Vision,” “Uncontainable,” and “Standing Room Only,” while Shilts slows things down – but not too much – with “Seeing Things Clearly” and jam-band groove of “Eyes Down.”
“Going Underground” follows 2008’s “Jigsaw Life” and 2006’s “HeadBoppin’,” which features the hits “Back to the Hudson,” “Broken Silence” and “Look What’s Happened.” His solo debut came in 2001 with “See What Happens,” which received a glowing debut from JazzTimes magazine: “This here music’s party in a box, baby.” Fans will be glad to know that Shilts recently gained musical rights to the CD, which has been out of print for a long time. It will soon be available via digital outlets for the first time and one track, “Short Island Iced Tea,” is ready for downloading now on Shilts’ website, shiltsmusic.com. “I want to also re-record some of my older stuff, do some remixes,” he says. “It’s a benefit of having my own record label.”
A native of London who grew up about 20 miles outside of the city in Luton, Shilts took to the sax early and at 14 joined the National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Great Britain, which backed such jazz greats as Nancy Wilson, Buddy Greco, Rosemary Clooney, George Shearing and Mel Torme. He scored his first pro gig at 16 working in a house band that backed up legends such as the Temptations, Tom Jones, Four Tops, The Drifters and Rose Royce. After gigs in Hong Kong, the Middle East, Europe and the Caribbean, Shilts became a popular presence on the London session scene via dates with David Bowie (on the “Absolute Beginners” soundtrack), Jimmy Page, Conner Reeves and Dina Carroll. In the 1980s, Shilts was a member of the U.K. pop band Breathe, which had Top 10 U.S. hits with “Hands to Heaven” and “How Can I Fall.”
After co-founding System X with other London session musicians, in 1994 Shilts joined the British acid jazz/funk band Brand New Heavies, an association which lasted six years and overlapped his work with Down To the Bone in the late 1990s. Shilts went on to front Down to the Bone for 11 productive years.
What about Shilts’ stage name? It came from this love of soccer. At a party with his band while watching England play during the 1999 World Cup, the atmosphere was rightly rowdy and festive. When English goalkeeper Peter Shilton allowed a goal to go through his legs, the saxophonist jumped up and screamed at the TV, “Shilts! What have you done?” Subsequently on tour, whenever Shilts had his solo feature, the band members would shout, “Shilts, what are you doing?” It soon became the saxophonist’s nickname.
Whatever you call him, Shilts is simply one of the most energetic fan favorites on the tour circuit. As part of his high status in the music industry, Shilts will be performing all four days in March at the Oasis Contemporary Jazz Awards in San Diego. Fans are sure to see a lot of action. “I like to go out there with a lot of energy,” Shilts says. “I like to establish a rapport with the audience. It’s almost like a comedy jazz show – I mess around, try to engage the audience and just let the band members have fun, too. We just play music and have some fun. That’s what it’s all about.”
, soloist (Track from: Portrait In Seven Shades (Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra) )
