Saxophonist Matt Otto releases recording "Ephemeral" #jazz #music

 

Saxophonist/Composer Matt Otto releases new recording "Ephemeral" Release Date: OUT NOW!

About "Ephemeral" A blink of an eye. The sour from a lemon drop. A flash of lightning or the sudden glow before sunset. An echo through the canyon, or the gong of a church bell or meditation bowl, resounding until it isn’t anymore. Names of people you once were close to. A hug from someone you love. The anger you felt during the argument just before. The best summer of your life. The cold bitterness of the worst winter. Some of these last longer than others, but none last forever. They are ephemeral. Of all the arts, music is most like this. Sound waves dissipate the instant they are produced. Melodies once had to be remembered to endure; the advent of written notation and audio recording only helps to keep the notes from fleeing as fast. Perhaps a simpler song can be retained more easily. Matt Otto has come to this conclusion. “At this point in my life I mostly try to write songs I hear in my mind and that I personally like the sound of,” he says. “I’ve mostly stopped writing complex, long form difficult music and instead focused on short, heartfelt pieces that have a vibe and are easy for good musicians to work with right away. I don’t think this is a conscious decision, it’s just what tends to happen when I sit down to write – I feel like I’m a simple person and my music is beginning to reflect that more as I age.” By human standards, Otto has been on a decidedly long musical journey, approaching forty years; twice as long as Coltrane’s incandescent but ephemeral career. Otto’s steady burn has also spanned distance – from Laguna Beach to Bloomington, Boston, New York, Tokyo, Los Angeles, and ultimately Kansas City, where he has found a lasting home. Over those stretches of time and space, he has written hundreds of compositions, yet he rarely revisits most of them, preferring to write new songs. “I’ve always thought of an album as a diary of recent personal and emotional events expressed through music,” he explains. It follows then that all the tunes on this latest album save one are new expressions of Otto’s current life moments. He’s decided to title it Ephemeral, aptly describing both the nature of those moments and his compositional vignettes. Start with the title track, essentially a 5-bar tune that divvies up a prime number of beats: 7-7-7-4-4. “Scroll” is another short piece, a repeated 10-bar form with a vamp. Otto says he wrote that “in reference to phone obsession,” with the relentless images that project from our screens into and out of our minds keeping with the album’s theme. And then there is “Twilight,” an unadorned but beautifully affective melody. “At the time I wrote it, I was contemplating my old age which is quickly approaching…it felt like the song was a glimpse into the emotional state of my late life,” Otto muses. Even a long life lived into its latter stages can indeed seem ephemeral. It is perhaps why Otto (and all of us) would counter the inevitable by encapsulating that which we cherish. These songs do that. “Dune Town” is the lone tune from years ago, a Coltrane contrafact, an homage to the arid hills of Los Angeles. “Elliot” is for the composer Elliot Carter, one of Otto’s musical inspirations who passed away in 2012. “Sobule” memoralizes singer/songwriter Jill Sobule, who tragically died in a fire earlier this year. “Wadada” honors trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, one of Otto’s mentors who gave him some sage advice: “When you solo, play one thing you know followed by one thing you don’t know.” And “Rachel” is for Otto’s sister-in-law, bestowing on her this beautiful tone-poem as a lovely birthday present. The lives of the people we know and the moments we share are poignantly ephemeral. Otto also recognizes this in his fellow artists. “I can say that all the musicians on the album are my friends,” he states. “I try to get strong players for sure, but the friendship comes first. That feeling of trust which allows you to be yourself when you play really grows on and off the bandstand. When you are friends, that trust is there even when you’re not at your best.” Writing melodies for those you love and admire and playing them with those you trust helps to place all of them in something that helps us to remember, to endure in us past their ephemeral existence. Otto’s musical snapshots help us do the same for him. About Matt Otto Matt Otto is currently the Associate Professor of Jazz Studies at Kansas University (KU) teaching Jazz Theory and Performance, Jazz Combo, Mindful Musicianship (meditation for musicians) and private lessons. Matt was also an Adjunct Professor at the Rutgers New Brunswick teaching online courses in jazz improvisation, theory and performance. Matt Otto pursued his education in music performance and composition at Indiana University, Berklee School of Music, New School Jazz (BFA) and California Institute of the Arts (MFA) during which time he studied under Lee Konitz, George Garzone, Billy Pierce, Charlie Haden, Andy McGhee, Don Hawkins, Paul Carman and many others. Having lived in Japan for 6 years, New York City for 7 years and Los Angels for 6 years, he has performed with a variety of artists including Anthony Wilson, Larry Koonse, Rashid Bakr, Ben Monder, Willie Jones III, Albert "Tootie" Heath, Gregory Hutchinson, Jonathan Kreisberg, Joe La Barbera, Leroy Vinegar, Dick Berk, Bob Bowman, Jimmy Smith (drums), Paul Jackson, Ari Honig, Josh Roseman, Ben Street, Mike Moreno, Sara Gazarek, Josh Nelson, Peter Schlamb, Danny Weiss, Roger Wilder, William Parker, Matt Wilson, Ed Neumeister, Steve Cardenas, Bobby Watson, Bob Weir, Deborah Brown, Larry Goldings, Eric Harland, Sheryl Bailey, Darek Oles, Erik McPherson, John Stowell, Danny Embrey, Alan Pasqua, Alan Ferber, Mark Ferber, and many others. While in Los Angeles, Matt co-founded of the Los Angeles Jazz Collective (lajazzcollective.org). The mission of the collective (LAJC) is to help create opportunities for creative jazz composers and performers to showcase original artistic work and to set up an ongoing Jazz outreach program for young jazz musicians in and around Los Angeles. Matt currently performs his original compositions and jazz standards with his Kansas City based quartet as well as traveling several times per year to NYC and LA for performances and recordings. Matt has recorded and performed with the Grammy nominated Anthony Wilson Nonet (The Power of Nine, Groove Note 1035, 2006), The Rashid Bakr Quintet (Earth Native Majic Records 2001), has performed in Los Angeles with the Grammy Nominated Alan Ferber Big Band as well as having recorded on over 50 CD's as both a leader and a side man. See below for a discography of noteworthy recordings. Matt Otto's Website

Jazz Trumpeter and Juno Winner Gabriel Mark Hasselbach Surges Into Summer with New Album, Single, and Book #jazz #music

                                        

                          

Juno Award winner Gabriel Mark Hasselbach’s new straight‑ahead jazz album and contemporary jazz single, both released during Jazz Appreciation Month, are tracking toward the top 50 on the JazzWeek and Billboard charts. Simultaneously, the trumpeter-flugelhornist-flutist’s new instructional book continues to educate and inspire new and veteran trumpeters.

 

Hasselbach is a rare jazz artist who works fluently in two distinct genres. His Windtunnel Records released MidCentury Modern Vol. 4 in April, a wide-ranging 20-song collection composed of jazz standards and two Hasselbach compositions. Seven-time GRAMMY®-winning trumpeter Randy Brecker said the album features “a first rate cast of characters…Very artfully executed and enjoyable from start to finish!”

 

“Randy and I met backstage at a show decades ago, and he’s offered me encouragement and support ever since. He’s a legendary trumpeter so I’m particularly proud of his review of MidCentury Modern Vol. 4,” said Hasselbach. “His support means a lot, especially on a project that reflects my deepest roots in straight‑ahead jazz.” 

MidCentury Modern Vol. 4 is the latest chapter in the series Hasselbach conceived years ago as an outlet for his love of jazz without compromising the classic jazz essence. He refers to this fourth volume as his “legacy project” on which he is featured playing trumpet, flugelhorn, flute, and valve trombone as well as vocals. He produced the album, which features standards by icons such as Freddie Hubbard, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, and Thelonious Monk along with two originals, including “Coming Home for Mardi Gras,” inspired by Hasselbach’s formative years living and playing in New Orleans.

On the contemporary jazz front, Hasselbach’s collaboration with Billboard chart-topping guitarist Chris Standring, “Swizzle Stick,” is building momentum on the charts through airplay. It’s a feel-good, groove-laden track co-written and co-produced by the duet partners, who released the single on Standring’s Ultimate Vibe Recordings.

 

Hasselbach, who hit the Billboard charts eleven times in the contemporary jazz format, said, “Chris’s style is the perfect pairing with mine - succinct and accessible yet informed by the deep and thoughtful history of jazz. He reached out a year ago and suggested I get on his record label, and so we created something that expressed our mutual tastes.”

 

Inkwell Publishing recently published Hasselbach’s compact guide Top Tip Masterclass Jazz Trumpet in which he shares his wealth of knowledge, teaches technique, offers tips, and provides education to longtime players and newbies. The book’s release is perfectly timed, arriving as Hasselbach showcases his versatility across both straight‑ahead and contemporary jazz.

 

“I had a strong calling to help up-and-comers bypass the trials and challenges of the trumpet. I wanted to help fast track the rewards and increase the fun quotient while keeping attrition low. So, I created a distilled handbook that is not about what to play, but how to play,” said Hasselbach. “If you start properly and stick with it, the joy will bloom.”

 

While all three build momentum, Hasselbach is working on his next album, a bluesy, contemporary jazz project titled Le Trompette Bleu. Half the album will be composed of Hasselbach originals. The other half will feature an eclectic array of reimagined covers such as “End Credits” (John Lee Hooker and Miles Davis), “Inner City Blues” (Marvin Gaye), “Pop’s Cool Groove” (Norman Brown), and “Slippin’ Into Darkness” (War).

 

The Denver-born, Vancouver-based Hasselbach has won several Juno Awards (Canada’s GRAMMY® equivalent). Among the many GRAMMY® winners and Billboard hitmakers he’s played with are Michael Bublé, Bob James, Jeff Lorber, Paul Brown, Greg Manning, and Darren Rahn. He also has performed on festival stages in Australia, Canada, Europe, Mexico, South Africa, and Japan.

 

Hasselbach is equally adept in straight‑ahead and contemporary jazz, refusing to limit his artistic expression to a single lane.

 

Stream or purchase MidCentury Modern Vol. 4 at https://lnk.to/KUeVK2.

 

Play or download “Swizzle Stick” at https://lnk.to/5oPZHTjw.

 

To get Top Tip Masterclass Jazz Trumpet, visit https://tinyurl.com/2wxm4eck.

 

For more information, go to www.gabrieljazz.com.

Toronto's Noah Kosta Brings Classic Jazz Pop Into a New Generation With Debut Album 'Right Here' #jazz #music

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At just 22, Noah Kosta has already spent seven years building the kind of stage command that usually takes decades to earn, and his debut album 'Right Here,' out now, marks the arrival of a jazz pop vocalist with the tone, phrasing, and instincts to carry that tradition forward. Raised on the classic sound of Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack in his grandfather's home, Kosta channels that Big Band lineage through a voice that is entirely his own, drawing inevitable comparisons to fellow Canadian vocalists Michael Bublé and Matt Dusk for a new generation of listeners discovering that sound for the first time.

'Right Here' was recorded at Mark Camilleri's Imagine Sound Studios in Toronto, with arrangements by Charles T. Cozens that Kosta credits with pushing the songs to another level entirely. The seven track collection blends three original compositions co-written with longtime family friend Aaron Dean alongside four carefully chosen covers, and Kosta has assembled four separate ensembles, a big band, quintet, quartet, and trio, to bring the material to audiences across formats. "I want to respectfully bring what the legends of the past created into the present," Kosta says of the project, "and I think, and I hope, that we've succeeded."

The album's title track and Kosta's favourite song on the record began as an unreleased collaboration with Dean back in 2021, revived when Cozens's new arrangement convinced him the moment had finally arrived. "Pull me closer, let's put love into practice, don't get emotional yet, and wonder what we have right here," Kosta sings on the track, a lyric that captures the same warm, direct intimacy that defines his stage presence. "Someone Else," the first song he ever recorded with Dean at seventeen, remains just as personal, with Kosta noting it captures exactly how he felt navigating high school and early heartbreak, singing "should've seen it comin' from the start, told myself it's over, that there's no place left to fall down."

Kosta's rise has been shaped by an unusually accomplished list of mentors and collaborators for an artist his age. At seventeen, he won the Grand Prize at the LIVECITY Music Awards, and at eighteen, he won the Long & McQuade Singing Contest with John Santos, earning the chance to record eight songs with producer Anthony Wright, whose credits include Bryan Adams, Christina Aguilera, B.o.B, Jadakiss, and Flo Rida. Before turning twenty, he had trained with vocal coaches Elaine Overholt, whose past students include John Travolta, Zac Efron, and Shawn Mendes, and Stanislas Vitort, a finalist on The Voice in Russia, while also working alongside respected artists Alma Deutscher and Bill King. More recently, Kosta has been closely mentored and managed by music industry veteran Laura van Leest, CEO of Bellefair Artists, who brought several key pieces of 'Right Here' to his attention, including its arrangement direction and repertoire choices.

That combination of instinct and mentorship has already carried Kosta to some of Toronto's most recognizable stages, including Koerner Hall, Casino Rama, Mel Lastman's Square, and the International Beaches Jazz Festival, performing both with his own band, The Experience, and with The Metro Big Band. A recent appearance on Canada's Got Talent further introduced his voice to national audiences, building momentum ahead of the 'Right Here' release.

What separates Kosta from a simple nostalgia act is the specificity he brings to his song selection and phrasing, treating each cover as a piece of his own story rather than a museum piece. His take on "Way Back When" reshapes an earlier synth leaning demo into what Kosta describes as a wistful, last song at the prom feeling, while his rendition of a ballad chosen specifically for the album's closing moment was recorded with just Cozens on piano, a deliberately intimate counterpoint to the record's fuller arrangements. It is that instinct, choosing restraint exactly when a lesser vocalist might reach for spectacle, that makes the Bublé and Dusk comparisons feel earned rather than assigned.

With 'Right Here' now arriving and four live configurations ready to tour the material, Noah Kosta is positioned as one of the most credible young voices in Canadian jazz pop, an artist building his sound the old-fashioned way: through mentorship, repetition, and an unmistakable respect for the songbook he is now adding to.

In Case You Missed It! "Windward" featuring Jerry Bergonzi, Sean Pentland, Julian Shore, & Jongkuk Kim #jazz #music

 

The Pentland/Bergonzi Quartet  releases new recording "Windward" Jerry Bergonzi - Tenor Saxophone  Sean Pentland - Bass Julian Shore - Piano Jongkuk Kim - Drums Release Date: Out now!

The Pentland/Bergonzi Quartet is an intersection of generations and singular voices, where saxophone legend Jerry Bergonzi joins forces with bassist/composer Sean Pentland, pianist Julian Shore, and drummer Jongkuk Kim. The eminently individual sounds of the tenor master and younger luminaries animate Pentland's intricate and vivid compositions, which feature colorful, contrapuntal harmonies, nuanced, polyrhythmic grooves while maintaining a deceptively simple melodicism and organic spirit. This project arose from the tragic and unexpected death of a friend and colleague, Sebastian Nay, with whom Jerry and Sean were meant to reunite on a German tour and The Pentland/Bergonzi Quartet's June 5th release, Windward is dedicated to him. Bios Jerry Bergonzi has performed throughout the world at all the major jazz festivals and jazz venues, with his own ensembles as well as with numerous jazz greats. His music is renowned for its innovation, mastery, and integrity. His discography includes more than 60 recordings, notably Standard Gonz with the Jerry Bergonzi Quartet on the Blue Note label; he also has 60 recorded song titles registered with ASCAP. He deeply loves the saxophone and enjoys practicing, excited at the thought of being able to do something musically that he could not previously do. He reharmonizes standards by stretching chord progressions beyond their furthest reaches because he wants to challenge himself as a soloist. For Bergonzi, it is all about the music. Accolades and glory are far from his mind. In a world that rarely recognizes such dedication, he has carved out a life in Boston, where he can compose music, play a weekly gig with his quintet and teach at New England Conservatory with no curriculum restrictions. He travels about 130 days a year performing. All this he balances with a rich family life: He and his wife, the accomplished pianist Jeri DiMarco Bergonzi, have two children.   Sean Pentland has been making his mark as composer, arranger, and leader, not only in his work with the Pentland/Bergonzi Quartet, but also with his contemporary septet, Ensemble Caduceus, formed in early 2021. They were selected to perform at the 2023 Seoul Arts Center Summer Festival, the 2021 Naju Contemporary Music Festival, and have made regular appearances at Seoul Arts Center and other notable venues around Korea. Their first album, Transmutation is due to come out in 2026. Intertwined, impartial counterpoint, vivid, imaginative harmonies, and intricate, polyrhythmic grooves characterize his music, which maintains an organic spirit complementing the underlying complexity. Honing his string-writing skills since 2016, Sean takes inspiration studying, re-imagining, and incorporating textures and harmonies from great works by composers such as Schönberg, Bartók, Schubert, Mahler, Wagner, and Fauré. Shaped by his years in Great Britain, Germany, and South Korea, Sean's worldly musical voice has led him to perform and tour with masters such as Jerry Bergonzi, George Garzone, Don Braden, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Jim Snidero, Luciana Souza, Bobby Wellins, Tina May, Damon Brown, Noah Preminger, and Johannes Enders at venues and festivals around the world. He is currently based in Seoul, where he teaches bass and composition at Hanyang University and performs regularly with Ensemble Caduceus, Danny Koo, Yoonseung Cho, John Nam, and many others of Korea's great musicians. Julian Shore is known for his "deep maturity as a composer and bandleader" (DownBeat), and his work as both a versatile sideman, and experienced bandleader has JazzTimes calling him one of the “leaders of the young jazz piano scene.” Bandcamp glows “his melodies are fueled by a powerful blend of contemplation and exploration. It’s just as easy to immerse yourself in any single moment as it is to be swept away by the entire epic journey.” Based in New York, Shore has become one of the city’s most sought-after pianists. He has performed domestically and abroad with artists as varied as John Patitucci, George Garzone, Dayna Stephens, Gretchen Parlato, Theo Bleckman, Toninho Horta, Caroline Davis, Noah Preminger, Don Braden, among many others. He’s appeared at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Blue Note, Jazz at Lincoln Center and major venues and festivals worldwide. Jongkuk Kim, a drummer, composer, and electronic musician from Incheon, Korea, is recognized as one of the most innovative voices in contemporary jazz. A full scholarship graduate of the Berklee College of Music, Kim has performed with world-renowned artists including Dave Santoro, Hal Crook, George Garzone, Darren Barrett, John Clayton, Robin Eubanks, Maria Schneider, Rudresh Mahanthappa, and Terence Blanchard. He has appeared on major international stages including at the Monterey Jazz Festival, Blue Note Jazz Club, and Toronto Jazz Festival. His music blends traditional jazz with electronic music, rock, and improvisation. Collaborations with artists such as BTS’ RM, Aaron Parks, Meshell Ndegeocello, Dayna Stephens, Eric Nam, and So!YoON! have solidified his presence on the global music scene, and he has been featured in leading publications including Billboard, Grammy, and Vogue, earning recognition as one of the most prominent jazz drummers of his generation. Groundtone Records Website

New Release from Nicholas Payton & Butcher Brown 'A Supreme Blue' on Concord Jazz / Concord #jazz #music

Nicholas Payton and Butcher Brown’s A SUPREME BLUE Out Today   Two of the Greatest Albums Ever Made, as You’ve Never Heard Them

GRAMMY Award-winning multi-instrumentalist, producer, and arranger Nicholas Payton teams up with Virginia-bred collective Butcher Brown for A Supreme Blue, a bold and deeply considered reimagining of two of the most revered albums in recorded music, Miles Davis's Kind of Blue (1959) and John Coltrane's A Love Supreme (1965). Created in honor of the centennial year of both Davis and Coltrane, the album arrives digitally today on Concord Jazz with vinyl release to follow on August 14. The second track, "Pursuance," is available now.   Recorded at Spacebomb Studios in Richmond, Virginia, A Supreme Blue does not position itself as tribute. Payton, in collaboration with Butcher Brown, brings the full weight of his musical voice to a band that meets him at every turn. The album’s rhythmic architecture draws on the modal and spiritual common ground shared by both source records, refracted through the pulse of House music, dub, and the full breadth of the Black American musical tradition.   Liner notes for A Supreme Blue are written by Ashley Kahn, author of both Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece and A Love Supreme: The Story of John Coltrane's Signature Album, making him a rare voice capable of fully contextualizing what Payton and Butcher Brown have achieved here. The album was mastered by Michael Fossenkemper at Turtletone Studios, with photography by Ryan Gary of The Sunroom and package design by Jamie Breiwick. The album will be available digitally and as a 2-LP limited edition of 1,500 worldwide in standard black vinyl. Videos “All Blues” and “Resolution”

While many reimaginings by acknowledged innovators end up being overcooked, here we have subtle yet distinctive threads from Coltrane’s A Love Supreme and Davis’s Kind of Blue being woven into a lucid but never overstated fabric of contemporary styles. -- BBC Music Magazine (5/5 Stars)   A fresh, modern sounding record that engages playfully and creatively with the legendary source material...absolutely brilliant. -- Jazzwise (4/5 Stars)   It’s the shared love of these richly spiritual tunes that shines through. -- MOJO (4/5 Stars)

Conceptualized by Nicholas Payton / Produced by Nicholas Payton and Butcher Brown   PERSONNEL Nicholas Payton: Trumpet, Rhodes, Piano, Vocoder, Vocals, Thumb Piano Tennishu: Tenor Saxophone Morgan Burrs: Guitar DJ Harrison: Keyboards, Melodica, Guitar R4ND4ZZO: Bass Guitar, Synth Bass Corey Fonville: Drums, Percussion   About Nicholas Payton Nicholas Payton is a New Orleans-born GRAMMY Award-winning trumpet virtuoso, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and arranger whose career spans more than three decades across swing, funk, R&B, and the avant-garde. A singular force in Black American music, Payton has consistently repositioned himself at the intersection of tradition and innovation across a catalog of acclaimed recordings and performances. nicholaspayton.com   About Butcher Brown Butcher Brown is a Richmond, Virginia-based collective formed in 2009 whose music draws on jazz, hip-hop, funk, and electronic music in equal measure. Comprising DJ Harrison, Marcus "Tennishu" Tenney, Morgan Burrs, R4ND4ZZO, and Corey Fonville, the band has built a devoted following through relentless touring and a series of critically lauded recordings, earning a reputation as one of the most creatively restless ensembles in contemporary music.   Butcher Brown Online Website Instagram Facebook YouTube TikTok X   Nicholas Payton Online Website Soundcloud YouTube TikTok X

# Artist and Track Title Time 1. Nicholas Payton, Butcher Brown - So What 07:59 2. Nicholas Payton, Butcher Brown - Freddie Freeloader 07:17 3. Nicholas Payton, Butcher Brown - Blue In Green 06:14 4. Nicholas Payton, Butcher Brown - All Blues 07:58 5. Nicholas Payton, Butcher Brown - Flamenco Sketches 06:30 6. Nicholas Payton, Butcher Brown - Acknowledgement 07:47 7. Nicholas Payton, Butcher Brown - Resolution 08:23 8. Nicholas Payton, Butcher Brown - Pursuance 05:23 9. Nicholas Payton, Butcher Brown - Psalm 10:56