Taj Mahal Celebrates Four Decades of Blues, Roots, Reggae and Beyond
New Album Maestro Includes Guest Appearances By: Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Angelique Kidjo, Los Lobos, Ziggy Marley and more
Also Available On Limited Edition 40th Anniversary Collector’s Double LP
The mythology of American blues is filled with images of the lone musician standing at the crossroads, caught in that gray area between light and shadow, cutting impossible deals with dark forces, offering up nothing less than his soul as collateral.
Composer and multi-instrumentalist Taj Mahal, a two-time GRAMMY® winner and one of the most influential American blues and roots artists of the past half-century, has made no Faustian deals in his long and distinguished career, but he stands at an important crossroads nonetheless. In his never-ending exploration of the complex origins and underpinnings of American music, he has forged a four-decade career by gathering and distilling countless musical traditions from a range of geographical and cultural sources: the Mississippi Delta, the Appalachian backwoods, the African continent, the Hawaiian islands, Europe, the Caribbean and so much more. Taj Mahal doesn’t just stand at the crossroads. He is the crossroads.
On September 30, 2008, he makes his Heads Up International debut with the worldwide release of Maestro (HUCD 3164). This twelve-track set – his first U.S. release in five years – marks the fortieth anniversary of Taj’s rich and varied recording career by mixing original material with chestnuts from vintage sources and newcomers alike. Guests on this anniversary gala include Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Angelique Kidjo, Los Lobos, Ziggy Marley and others – many of whom have been directly influenced by Taj’s music and guidance.
But Maestro is much more than just a tribute to past glories. It captures the same level of intensity and depth that has characterized every one of Taj’s recordings since his self-titled debut album in 1968. Simply put, four decades have done nothing to dilute his energy quotient. “The one thing I’ve always demanded of the records I’ve made is that they be danceable,” he says. “This record is danceable, it’s listenable, it has lots of different rhythms, it’s accessible, it’s all right in front of you. It’s a lot of fun, and it represents where I am at this particular moment in my life.”
In addition to the standard CD release, Maestro will also be available on vinyl in a Limited Edition 40th Anniversary Collector’s Double LP (HULP 8164).
Ben Harper joins in on the vocals on “Dust Me Down.” Written by Harper, this jagged and gritty tune is the latest chapter in a longstanding association between these two musicians hailing from separate and distinct generations. Harper’s grandparents, proprietors of the Folk Music Center and Museum in Claremont, California, were fans of Taj who booked him to play numerous gigs at the center many years ago. “Later on, I met their grandson,” says Taj. “I coached him with his guitar playing when he was a teenager. He really had a sensitivity to the music, and over the years we’ve done some performing and recording together.”
Jack Johnson steps in to share vocals on Taj’s well-known “Further On Down the Road.” Taj’s banjo and harmonica juxtaposed against the horn riffs provided by the Phantom Blues band give the song a vibe that’s equal parts down home blues and vintage Stax.
In “Black Man, Brown Man,” Taj takes a trip to the islands with the help of Ziggy Marley and his six-piece band. “It was a tune that came to me back in the ‘70s, when we were in the midst of recording a lot of that Caribbean, African and Latin music,” Taj explains. “I thought it would be a good song for Ziggy and I to do. It not only has a nice reggae vibe, but it addresses a timely topic.” The collaboration on this track represents the third generation of Marleys with whom Taj has now been associated. Reggae icon Bob Marley, along with Jamaican bassist/keyboardist/producer Aston “Family Man” Barrett, helped record and mix Taj’s 1974 album, Mo’ Roots (Family Man also played piano on the Mo’ Roots track, “Slave Driver”). Two decades later, Taj enlisted Bob Marley’s mother, Cedella Marley-Booker – Ziggy’s grandmother – to record an album of African children’s songs on Music for Little People in the early ‘90s.
The set closes with Taj and the Phantom Blues Band serving up a swaggering, roadhouse rendition of the Willie Dixon/Bo Diddley classic “Diddy Wah Diddy.” In the end, as in the beginning, it’s always about the blues, always about making people move.
“With his record, as with all my records, I want people to roll back the rug and go for it,” says Taj. “This record is just the beginning of another chapter, one that’s going to be open to more music and more ideas. Even at the end of forty years, in many ways my music is just getting started.”
Tracklisting
* 1. Scratch My Back
* 2. Never Let You Go
* 3. Dust Me Down
* 4. Further On Down The Road
* 5. Black Man, Brown Man
* 6. Zanzibar
* 7. TV Mama
* 8. I Can Make You Happy
* 9. Slow Drag
* 10. Hello Josephine
* 11. Strong Man Holler
* 12. Diddy Wah Diddy
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Saturday, August 30, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Upcoming Jazz Releases | 9/2/08
Akio Sasaki - Berklee Connection (Pid )
Al 3rd Williams - Heart Song (Pacific Coast Jazz )
Al Williams - Heart Song (Pacific Coast Jazz )
Bass Desires - Bass Desires: Touchstones Seriesdig (Ecm )
Beegie Adair - Dancing In The Dark (Spring Hill Music )
Beegie Adair - Yesterday (Spring Hill Music )
Billie Holiday - Playlist: The Very Best Of Billie Holiday (Legacy (label) )
Billy Cobham - Crosswinds (Pid )
Brinkmann Trio, Joer - Ha! (Pid )
Bruce Eskovitz - One For Newkii (Pacific Coast Jazz )
Bruce Eskovitz - One For Newk 2 (Pacific Coast Jazz )
Burns / Taylor - 1:Am (Pid )
Carole King - Jazzman (Pid )
Chick Corea - Trio Music Live In Europe: Touchstones Series (Ecm )
Chico O'Farrill - Fiebre Tropical (Phantom Imports )
Chris McGregor - Up To Earthdig (Fledg'Ling Uk )
Curtis Fuller - Opener (Blue Note )
Daniel Paboeuf - Daniel Paboeuf Unity (Pid )
Dave Holland - Extensions: Touchstones Seriesdig (Ecm )
Dejohnette / Holland / Jarrett / Kenny Wheeler - Gnu High: Touchstones Seriesdig (Ecm )
Dirk Band Quinn - Quinntet (Sunset Classics & Jazz )
Dirk Quinn - Quinntet (Sunset )
Django Reinhardt - Anthologydig (Wagram Electronica )
E.S.T - Leucocyte (Pid )
Eddie Henderson - Heritage (Blue Note )
Edo Castro - Phoenix (Indie)
Eiji Nakayama - Conversation (Pid )
Flexkoegel - Wilde Gezeiten (Pid )
Fourplay - Energy (Heads Up )
Freddie Hubbard - Sing Me A Song Of Songmy (Pid )
Gary Burton / Pat Metheny - Dreams So Real: Touchstones Seriesdig (Ecm )
Goombay Dance Band - Best Of Goombay Dance Band (Pid )
Graham Collier - Deep Dark Blue / Portraits / Alternate Mosaics (BGO - Beat Goes On )
Graham Collier - Deep Dark Blue/Portraits/Alternate Mosaics (BGO - Beat Goes On )
Graham Collier - Deep Dark Blue Centre/Portraits/The Alternative Mosaics (BGO - Beat Goes On )
Hank Mobley - Hank Mobley Quintet (Blue Note )
Heidepriem Trio, Luc - Next Return (Pid )
Hits & Swing Bands - Swing Bands (Sunset Strategic Marketing )
J.R. Monterose - J.R. Monterose (Blue Note )
Jack DeJohnette - Special Edition: Touchstones Seriesdig (Ecm )
Jake Shimabukuro - Inventions (Pid )
Jazz Cafe - Sight Unseen (Unison )
Jeremy Steig - Howlin' For Judy (Blue Note )
Jimmy Smith - Plays Fat Waller (Blue Note )
Joe Lovano - Symphonica (Blue Note )
John Abercrombie / Ralph Towner - Sargasso Sea: Touchstones Seriesdig (Ecm )
John Surman - Private City: Touchstones Seriesdig (Ecm )
Jon Cleary & Absolute Monster Gentlemen - Mo Hippa (Megaforce )
Keiko Nemoto - Shadow Of Your Smile (Pid )
Keith Jarrett - Facing You: Touchstones Seriesdig (Ecm )
Kenny G - Playlist: The Very Best Of Kenny G (Legacy (label) )
Kevin Lyttle - Untitled (Pid )
Koichi Matsukaze - Good Nature (Pid )
Konosuke Saijo - Manhattan Showcase (Pid )
Larry Washington - Extensionz (Beatworkz Music)
Lee Ritenour - Amparo (Pid )
Lisa Bassenge - Won't Be Home Tonight (Pid )
Lou Donaldson - Lou Takes Offrmst (Blue Note )
Manfred's Silent Bass Bruendl - Crosshatched (Pid )
Mario Bauza - Afro-Cuban Jazz (Yemaya )
Matovsgarage - Matovsgarage (Pid )
Matt Belsante - Blame It On My Youth (Green Hill )
Max Hacker - Deconstructing Max Hac (Pid )
Michael Feinstein - The Sinatra Project (Concord )
Michael Lington - Heat (Nu Groove )
Michael Philip Mossman - Misa Afro Cubana (Pid )
Nils Wuelker - Turning The Page (Pid )
Oddjob - Sumo (Pid )
Ok Ok - Eating Mankis (Now Forward Music Inc. )
Oregon - Oregon: Touchstones Seriesdig (Ecm )
Orquesta Cubana De Msica Mod - Orquesta Cubana De Msica Modrna (Disconform )
Orquesta Cubana De Musica Moderna - Orquesta Cubana De Musica Moderna (Disconforme Spain )
Pat Metheny - American Garage: Touchstones Seriesdig (Ecm )
Paul Bley - Open To Love: Touchstones Seriesdig (Ecm )
Pete Zimmer - Chillin' Live @ Jazz Factory (Tippin' Records)
Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon: A Jazz Tribute (Xon Xon )
R134 - Black & Blue-Shounan Seaside Cruisin (Pid )
Ralph Towner - Solstice: Touchstones Seriesdig (Ecm )
Resort Jazz - Resort Jazz (Pid )
Reuben Wilson - Set Us Free (Blue Note )
Ric Laue - The Weight (Sunset Classics & Jazz )
Ric Laue - Lessons Of Loneliness (Sunset Classics & Jazz )
Ric Laue - Weight (Sunset )
Roy Ayers - Stoned Soul Picnic (Phantom Sound & Vision )
Roy Ayers - Virgo Vibes (Pid )
Sadao Watanabe - Basie's At Night (Koch )
Sadayasu Fujii - Prelude To A Kiss (Pid )
Smooth Jazz Tribute - Nelly Tribute: Smooth Jazz Tribute (CC Ent / Copycats )
Smooth Jazz Tribute - Nelly Smooth Jazz Tribute (CC Ent / Copycats )
Steve Tilleli - Field (Sunset Classics & Jazz )
Steve Tilleli - Mezzanote (Sunset Classics & Jazz )
Three Sounds - Soul Symphony (Blue Note )
Three Sounds - Elegant Soul (Blue Note )
Tony Schilder - Solo Piano (Pid )
Torsten Goods - 1980 (Pid )
Various Artists - Jazz Manouche Vol. 4 (Wagram )
Various Artists - Swing Bands (Sunset )
Bobbi Humphrey - Fancy Dancer (Blue Note)
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Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Tisdale has part of right leg amputated
Tisdale, 44, revealed on his Web site that the surgery was scheduled for Monday. His wife, Regina, told The Associated Press on Tuesday night the surgery had taken place as planned.
"Everything went well," she said.
Tisdale, a 6-foot-9 Tulsa native who played for Oklahoma before spending 12 seasons in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns, first learned he had cancerous cyst below his right knee after he broke his leg in a fall at his home in Los Angeles on Feb. 8, 2007.
Tisdale, now an award-winning jazz musician, under went treatment and later had knee replacement surgery and resumed touring. Tisdale was still undergoing chemotherapy when he told the AP in June that "I feel better than ever. I'm excited. I've got a whole new look on life. I look at life on a whole 'nother radar."
Tisdale told the AP that his latest album, "Rebound," was inspired by his ongoing fight against the cancer.
On his Web site, Tisdale said removing a portion of the leg would be the best way to ensure that the cancer would not return.
"This may sound drastic, but I have put it in God's hands and now have peace, knowing that this is the best way to put this disease in check," he said. "I have complete faith that with the Lord's blessings this surgery will eliminate the cancer from my body and I'll soon be back on the road doing what I do best."
Tisdale said he planned to resume touring in the fall and that he would attend an annual cruise that he hosts.
According to statistics from the National Cancer Institute, about 63 percent of people diagnosed with bone cancer live at least 10 more years.
In 1983, Tisdale became the first freshman to make The Associated Press' first-team All-America list.
Tisdale was also an All-American in 1984 and 1985. He was the Big Eight Conference's player of the year in each of his three seasons with the Sooners and still holds Oklahoma's single-game, season and career scoring records. He played on the U.S. team that won the gold medal in the 1984 Olympic Games.
He went on to average 15.3 points per game during his pro career.
Edit: The editors, friends and family of JazzHQ extend our very best wishes to Wayman and his family for a full and speedy recovery.
The other day on MySpace Wayman wrote::
"This may sound drastic but I have put it in God’s hands and now have peace, knowing that this is the best way to put this disease in check.
"I have complete faith that with the Lord’s blessings this surgery will eliminate the cancer from my body and I’ll soon be back on the road doing what I do best. After recovery and rehab I plan to resume touring in the Fall.
"By the time January rolls around, I will be dancing on the deck onboard the [Jazz Cruises LLC] Smooth Jazz Cruise that I host annually. There is a lot more music inside me, and once I am back on my feet, I look forward to sharing my joy with my fans, friends and fellow musicians.
"I thank you in advance for your prayers and well wishes. "
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Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Boney James Working On New CD
Still untitled, Boney James had been hard at work on his upcoming album that is set for release, fittingly enough, around Valentine’s Day.
“This is my 12th record, but for the first time, I did have a loose concept,” James said from his Los Angeles area home, where much of the recording has been taking place. “I started to think about what it is about my playing or my sound that people have been digging. And it does have a little bit of that seductive quality; it does have that low, fat-tone thing.
“So I wanted to make almost like a Marvin Gaye record where you can put it on and it can set this almost incredible mood. It’s like make-out music.”
Sounds promising, but don’t expect a sneak preview of any new material if you see James play prior to his album’s release. The saxophonist said he prefers to stick to audience-familiar fare when he plays live.
On the other hand, fans of such James albums as “Pure” (2004), “Shine” (2006) and his best-selling Rick Braun collaboration “Shake It Up” (2000) can expect a far livelier, jazzier sound than what they’ve encountered on disc.
“It’s rising to the needs of the medium,” James said. “If you go out and play a show just like the record, it doesn’t have the right feeling. You want a whole lot of energy and intensity when you’re onstage.”
This is an edited version of an article that was recently posted on The Record’s website. The Record is a newspaper based out of Stockton, California. This original article can be read in its entirety by following this link, recordnet.com
For more information on Boney James you can visit him online at boneyjames.com
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“This is my 12th record, but for the first time, I did have a loose concept,” James said from his Los Angeles area home, where much of the recording has been taking place. “I started to think about what it is about my playing or my sound that people have been digging. And it does have a little bit of that seductive quality; it does have that low, fat-tone thing.
“So I wanted to make almost like a Marvin Gaye record where you can put it on and it can set this almost incredible mood. It’s like make-out music.”
Sounds promising, but don’t expect a sneak preview of any new material if you see James play prior to his album’s release. The saxophonist said he prefers to stick to audience-familiar fare when he plays live.
On the other hand, fans of such James albums as “Pure” (2004), “Shine” (2006) and his best-selling Rick Braun collaboration “Shake It Up” (2000) can expect a far livelier, jazzier sound than what they’ve encountered on disc.
“It’s rising to the needs of the medium,” James said. “If you go out and play a show just like the record, it doesn’t have the right feeling. You want a whole lot of energy and intensity when you’re onstage.”
This is an edited version of an article that was recently posted on The Record’s website. The Record is a newspaper based out of Stockton, California. This original article can be read in its entirety by following this link, recordnet.com
For more information on Boney James you can visit him online at boneyjames.com
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Spyro Gyra | "A Night Before Christmas" 9/23/08
As the seasons change and the end of the year draws near, even the most forward thinking and cutting-edge artists take a nostalgic moment to count their blessings. Spyro Gyra has spent more than three decades pushing the boundaries and definitions of jazz beyond the commonly accepted parameters. In so doing, they continue to forge an edgy, enduring sound that incorporates some of the best elements of jazz and merges them with R&B, pop, Latin and various other styles.
But it isn’t always about breaking new ground. All five of these talented innovators – saxophonist Jay Beckenstein, pianist Tom Schuman, guitarist Julio Fernandez, bassist Scott Ambush and drummer Bonny B – agree that there’s a time and a place for reconnecting with tradition and celebrating the fundamental values at the core of their music and their lives.
This year, Spyro Gyra celebrates the holiday season with A Night Before Christmas (HUCD 3145), a collection of eleven tracks that capture the yuletide spirit with a decidedly traditional jazz vibe.
“We’ve always had a yearning to do a record that was kind of a straightahead record – or at least something closer to a straightahead record than what we normally do,” says Beckenstein. “But it’s always been very difficult to make that work in the context of what we do on most of our records. But a Christmas record was sort of an opportunity to really go someplace a little more subtle, a little more acoustic and more traditional.”
Beckenstein brings his own perspective to the project. “Christmas has always been a huge part of my life,” he says. “There’s so much about it that’s universal, separate and apart from the religious aspects. It’s a celebration of all the things that are good and redeeming about humanity – compassion, hope, generosity, forgiveness, renewal, family, all those things.”
The traditional “O Tannenbaum” opens the set with an improvisational vibe. “It was set up as kind of a jam, and it went to some nice places,” says Beckenstein. “It sounds sort of contemporary, without really losing the acoustic feel of the song.”
Tony Award winning vocalist Christine Ebersole delivers a simple and pure rendition of “It Won’t Feel Like Christmas,” a new song that is destined to become a Christmas classic. “These days families are often so far apart physically and then there are people like us who travel for a living. It’s important to get home, to be home. Then there are the folks who just aren’t going to get home, like the situation a lot of military families are finding themselves these past few years.”
No Christmas music is complete without bells, and guest vibraphonist Dave Samuels – founder of the acclaimed Caribbean Jazz Project – evokes the sound of holiday chimes on two tracks, “Winter Wonderland” and “Carol of the Bells” (the latter includes engaging phrases and snippets of the timeless traditional “What Child Is This” and Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “My Favorite Things”).
Guest vocalist Janis Siegel – a founding member of Manhattan Transfer – joins drummer Bonny B on the mischievous Frank Loesser wintertime duet, “Baby It’s Cold Outside.” Beckenstein recalls: “We wanted to go in sort of an Ella Fitzgerald direction, and that’s Janis’ turf big-time. She just does it so beautifully. When we got her into the studio, it was a breeze. The song is very much about projecting a personality, and Janis has personality to burn. She brings all kinds of fun and spunk to this track.”
If Christmas is about tradition, then Spyro Gyra has tied both together in a festive package. “There’s something about traditional jazz that harkens back to my childhood,” says Beckenstein. “On top of that, I have many nostalgic memories of Christmas. The holiday, and this kind of music, have created some of the fondest memories of my youth. These connections make this a very heartfelt record for me and for everyone in the band.”
Put another log on the fire. A Night Before Christmas might well be the best musical moment of this holiday season.
Tracklisting
* 1. O Tannenbaum
* 2. It Won't Feel Like Christmas
* 3. Winter Wonderland
* 4. Christmas Time Is Here
* 5. Baby It's Cold Outside
* 6. Carol Of The Bells
* 7. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
* 8. The First Noel
* 9. Silent Night
* 10. This Christmas
* 11. The Christmas Song
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But it isn’t always about breaking new ground. All five of these talented innovators – saxophonist Jay Beckenstein, pianist Tom Schuman, guitarist Julio Fernandez, bassist Scott Ambush and drummer Bonny B – agree that there’s a time and a place for reconnecting with tradition and celebrating the fundamental values at the core of their music and their lives.
This year, Spyro Gyra celebrates the holiday season with A Night Before Christmas (HUCD 3145), a collection of eleven tracks that capture the yuletide spirit with a decidedly traditional jazz vibe.
“We’ve always had a yearning to do a record that was kind of a straightahead record – or at least something closer to a straightahead record than what we normally do,” says Beckenstein. “But it’s always been very difficult to make that work in the context of what we do on most of our records. But a Christmas record was sort of an opportunity to really go someplace a little more subtle, a little more acoustic and more traditional.”
Beckenstein brings his own perspective to the project. “Christmas has always been a huge part of my life,” he says. “There’s so much about it that’s universal, separate and apart from the religious aspects. It’s a celebration of all the things that are good and redeeming about humanity – compassion, hope, generosity, forgiveness, renewal, family, all those things.”
The traditional “O Tannenbaum” opens the set with an improvisational vibe. “It was set up as kind of a jam, and it went to some nice places,” says Beckenstein. “It sounds sort of contemporary, without really losing the acoustic feel of the song.”
Tony Award winning vocalist Christine Ebersole delivers a simple and pure rendition of “It Won’t Feel Like Christmas,” a new song that is destined to become a Christmas classic. “These days families are often so far apart physically and then there are people like us who travel for a living. It’s important to get home, to be home. Then there are the folks who just aren’t going to get home, like the situation a lot of military families are finding themselves these past few years.”
No Christmas music is complete without bells, and guest vibraphonist Dave Samuels – founder of the acclaimed Caribbean Jazz Project – evokes the sound of holiday chimes on two tracks, “Winter Wonderland” and “Carol of the Bells” (the latter includes engaging phrases and snippets of the timeless traditional “What Child Is This” and Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “My Favorite Things”).
Guest vocalist Janis Siegel – a founding member of Manhattan Transfer – joins drummer Bonny B on the mischievous Frank Loesser wintertime duet, “Baby It’s Cold Outside.” Beckenstein recalls: “We wanted to go in sort of an Ella Fitzgerald direction, and that’s Janis’ turf big-time. She just does it so beautifully. When we got her into the studio, it was a breeze. The song is very much about projecting a personality, and Janis has personality to burn. She brings all kinds of fun and spunk to this track.”
If Christmas is about tradition, then Spyro Gyra has tied both together in a festive package. “There’s something about traditional jazz that harkens back to my childhood,” says Beckenstein. “On top of that, I have many nostalgic memories of Christmas. The holiday, and this kind of music, have created some of the fondest memories of my youth. These connections make this a very heartfelt record for me and for everyone in the band.”
Put another log on the fire. A Night Before Christmas might well be the best musical moment of this holiday season.
Tracklisting
* 1. O Tannenbaum
* 2. It Won't Feel Like Christmas
* 3. Winter Wonderland
* 4. Christmas Time Is Here
* 5. Baby It's Cold Outside
* 6. Carol Of The Bells
* 7. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
* 8. The First Noel
* 9. Silent Night
* 10. This Christmas
* 11. The Christmas Song
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Monday, August 25, 2008
Smooth Jazz Chart | 8/25/08
LW - TW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Earl Klugh - "The Spice Of Life" - (Koch)
2 - 2 - The Sax Pack - "The Sax Pack" - (Shanachie)
3 - 3 - Paul Hardcastle - "Hardcastle V" -(Trippin 'n' Rhythm)
4 - 4 - Brian Culbertson - "Bringing Back The Funk" - (GRP/Verve)
5 - 5 - Eric Darius - "Goin' All Out" - Blue Note)
6 - 6 - Wayman Tisdale - "Rebound" - (Rendezvous)
8 - 7 - Kenny G - "Rhythm & Romance" - (Concord)
22 - 8 - Dave Koz - "Greatest Hits" - (Capitol)
7 - 9 - Gerald Albright -"Sax For Stax" - (Peak)
21 - 10 - Tim Bowman - "Tim Bowman" - (Trippin 'n' Rhythm)
11 - 11 - Larry Carlton - "Greatest Hits" - (Rerecorded)
9 - 12 - Chuck Loeb - "Presence" - (Heads Up)
10 - 13 - Jessy J - "Tequila Moon" - (Peak)
12 - 14 - Boney James - "Shine" - (Concord)
14 - 15 - Norman Brown - "Stay With Me" - (Peak)
15 - 16 - Mindi Abair - "Stars" - (Peak)
17 - 17 - Warren Hill - "La Dolce Vita" - (Koch)
20 - 18 - Mick Hucknall - "Tribute To Bobby" - (simplyred.com/ATCO)
18 - 19 - Jesse Cook - "Frontiers" - (Koch)
16 - 20 - Euge Groove - "Born 2 Groove" - (Narada/BlueNote)
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Brian Culbertson Pushes The Funk
Currently on the road with his 11-piece band, jazz musician/songwriter/producer Brian Culbertson says he also plans to do a Christmas tour again this year. "We're still working on the lineup," he tells Billboard.biz during a recent tour break.
But right now the Los Angeles-based keyboardist and trombonist is busy promoting his latest GRP album, "Bringing Back the Funk." It features six original compositions and covers four '70s classics, including Kool & the Gang's "Hollywood Swinging." Guest artists and musicians include Ledisi, Musiq Soulchild, and Larry Graham (Sly & the Family Stone). The album - executive produced by Earth, Wind & Fire founder Maurice White - stands at No. 15 this week on the Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart.
"I'd been thinking about doing a funk record for a long time," says Culbertson. "But the timing was never right. Then 18 months ago I went to Las Vegas and got to sit in on a Prince jam session. It was an inspiring night of music; I also met Larry Graham then. All that started me thinking, it's time."
Culbertson notes that a remix of the opening track, "Funkin' Like My Father" featuring Bootsy Collins, is coming soon. And looking down the road to his next album, Culbertson is mulling the idea of "doing a kind of straight, mid-tempo R&B record with a lot of cool vocal guests."
Culbertson's current tour winds up Oct. 2 in Baltimore, Maryland. Prior to that, he'll be making stops in Las Vegas (Sept. 5), Orlando (Sept. 11) and Atlanta (Sept. 19).
By Gail Mitchell, L.A.
billboard.biz
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But right now the Los Angeles-based keyboardist and trombonist is busy promoting his latest GRP album, "Bringing Back the Funk." It features six original compositions and covers four '70s classics, including Kool & the Gang's "Hollywood Swinging." Guest artists and musicians include Ledisi, Musiq Soulchild, and Larry Graham (Sly & the Family Stone). The album - executive produced by Earth, Wind & Fire founder Maurice White - stands at No. 15 this week on the Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart.
"I'd been thinking about doing a funk record for a long time," says Culbertson. "But the timing was never right. Then 18 months ago I went to Las Vegas and got to sit in on a Prince jam session. It was an inspiring night of music; I also met Larry Graham then. All that started me thinking, it's time."
Culbertson notes that a remix of the opening track, "Funkin' Like My Father" featuring Bootsy Collins, is coming soon. And looking down the road to his next album, Culbertson is mulling the idea of "doing a kind of straight, mid-tempo R&B record with a lot of cool vocal guests."
Culbertson's current tour winds up Oct. 2 in Baltimore, Maryland. Prior to that, he'll be making stops in Las Vegas (Sept. 5), Orlando (Sept. 11) and Atlanta (Sept. 19).
By Gail Mitchell, L.A.
billboard.biz
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Sunday, August 24, 2008
Saxophonist Michael Lington Releases "Heat"
Contemporary saxophonist Michael Lington will release his new album, Heat, on September 2nd.
This album finds Lington crossing over into the mainstream pop/adult contemporary realm with vocal collaborations. That’s When You Save Me is an original track penned by young songwriter Claude Kelly, performed with soul legend Aaron Neville, and a rock-edged version of Gerry Rafferty’s classic Baker Street, with former American Idol finalist and Grammy-award nominated songwriter Ace Young.
Lington co-produced seven of the tracks on the album with legendary keyboardist Greg Phillinganes. Veteran musicians appearing on the album include keyboardist Randy Waldman, guitarists Michael Thompson and Kim Pierce, bassists Neil Stubenhaus and Nathan East, and drummers Teddy Campbell and Vinnie Colaiuta.
Lington also introduces two rising female vocalists on the album, Keely Hawkes and Janie Clewer.
A Copenhagen native, Lington began performing in the U.S. with such vocalists as Little Richard, Gary “U.S.” Bonds and Randy Crawford. His major breakthrough came with singer Bobby Caldwell, with whom he played from 1994-1998. Lington’s 2000 breakthrough release titled, Vivid, featured the #2 hit Twice In A Lifetime, and Sunset (Por Do Sol) which reached #4.
Lington recently opened for Barry Manilow with contemporary jazz keyboardist Brian Culbertson, and is lending his artistry to the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, which raises funds for children’s music programs and provides instruments to public schools throughout the U.S.
He also participates in Create Now mentoring troubled teens in Los Angeles, and Acres of Love which provides for abandoned and AIDS-infected children in South Africa.
For more information on Michael Lington, visit him online at michaellington.com.
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This album finds Lington crossing over into the mainstream pop/adult contemporary realm with vocal collaborations. That’s When You Save Me is an original track penned by young songwriter Claude Kelly, performed with soul legend Aaron Neville, and a rock-edged version of Gerry Rafferty’s classic Baker Street, with former American Idol finalist and Grammy-award nominated songwriter Ace Young.
Lington co-produced seven of the tracks on the album with legendary keyboardist Greg Phillinganes. Veteran musicians appearing on the album include keyboardist Randy Waldman, guitarists Michael Thompson and Kim Pierce, bassists Neil Stubenhaus and Nathan East, and drummers Teddy Campbell and Vinnie Colaiuta.
Lington also introduces two rising female vocalists on the album, Keely Hawkes and Janie Clewer.
A Copenhagen native, Lington began performing in the U.S. with such vocalists as Little Richard, Gary “U.S.” Bonds and Randy Crawford. His major breakthrough came with singer Bobby Caldwell, with whom he played from 1994-1998. Lington’s 2000 breakthrough release titled, Vivid, featured the #2 hit Twice In A Lifetime, and Sunset (Por Do Sol) which reached #4.
Lington recently opened for Barry Manilow with contemporary jazz keyboardist Brian Culbertson, and is lending his artistry to the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, which raises funds for children’s music programs and provides instruments to public schools throughout the U.S.
He also participates in Create Now mentoring troubled teens in Los Angeles, and Acres of Love which provides for abandoned and AIDS-infected children in South Africa.
For more information on Michael Lington, visit him online at michaellington.com.
Find more Michael Lington CDs at amazon.com
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Saturday, August 23, 2008
Roy Hargrove | "Earfood"
Discovered by Wynton Marsalis who heard him perform at his high school, Booker T. Washington School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas, Hargrove recorded his first solo album in 1990, Diamond in the Rough, on Novus/RCA. He recorded four more with the label before signing with Verve, where he recorded several top-tier albums (including With the Tenors of Our Time with various tenor saxophonists and the Grammy Award-winning Habana with his Afro-Cuban band Crisol). In addition to critically acclaimed classic jazz albums, Hargrove also experimented with a contemporary jazz band, The RH Factor, which applies elements of hip-hop, funk, soul and gospel music into the rarefied jazz mix.
"Being a musician is a gift," says Hargrove, who is arguably the hardest working and most active musician in the jazz world - whether he's on tour with his quintet or RH Factor bands, regularly fronting his big band at the Jazz Gallery in New York, or doing guest appearances at concerts ranging from the May 2008 hip-hop-meets-jazz summit in Paris with legendary jazz bassist Ron Carter and French rapper MC Solaar to a June 2008 celebration of Hank Jones' 90th birthday at the JVC Jazz Festival in New York.
As for Earfood, his maiden voyage on Groovin'High/Emarcy, Hargrove says with pride, "I wanted to make music that lasts awhile, to make an album that people can enjoy for a lot longer than one month." He adds in his liners, "I hope the pleasure in listening to the results is commensurate with the pleasure we had during the process."
Tracklist:
I'm Not So Sure
Brown
Strasbourg / St. Denis
Starmaker
Joy Is Sorrow Unmasked
The Stinger
Rouge
Mr.Clean
Style
Divine
To Wisdom The Prize
Speak Low
Bring It On Home To Me
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"Being a musician is a gift," says Hargrove, who is arguably the hardest working and most active musician in the jazz world - whether he's on tour with his quintet or RH Factor bands, regularly fronting his big band at the Jazz Gallery in New York, or doing guest appearances at concerts ranging from the May 2008 hip-hop-meets-jazz summit in Paris with legendary jazz bassist Ron Carter and French rapper MC Solaar to a June 2008 celebration of Hank Jones' 90th birthday at the JVC Jazz Festival in New York.
As for Earfood, his maiden voyage on Groovin'High/Emarcy, Hargrove says with pride, "I wanted to make music that lasts awhile, to make an album that people can enjoy for a lot longer than one month." He adds in his liners, "I hope the pleasure in listening to the results is commensurate with the pleasure we had during the process."
Tracklist:
I'm Not So Sure
Brown
Strasbourg / St. Denis
Starmaker
Joy Is Sorrow Unmasked
The Stinger
Rouge
Mr.Clean
Style
Divine
To Wisdom The Prize
Speak Low
Bring It On Home To Me
Find more Roy Hargrove CDs at amazon.com
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Thursday, August 21, 2008
Upcoming Jazz Releases | 8/26/08
5 After 4 - Drums Of Avila (Almaviva )
Adam Kolker / Xavi Maureta - Perfeccio De La Irrealitat (New Mood Jazz )
Amina Figarova - September Suite (In Memory of My Father) (Munich )
Anna Maria Jopek - Barefoot (Universal )
Ari Hoenig - Playground (Pid )
Art Blakey - Caravan (Jazz Messengers) (Pid )
Art Pepper - Paris Live 1980 (Pid )
Atjazz - Full Circle (Mantis Recordings )
Awa - L'Amour (Pid )
Azimuth - Butterfly (Pid )
Azimuth - Light As A Feather (Pid )
Bei Xu - You Are So Beautiful (Pid )
Bennie Wallace - Nearness Of You (Pid )
Bennie Wallace - Someone To Watch Over Me (Pid )
Bennie Wallace - In Berlin (Pid )
Bennie Wallace - Talk With The Town (Pid )
Bill Charlap - S'Wonderful (Pid )
Bill Evans - Partrait In Jazz (Pid )
Bix Beiderbecke - Bix Beiderbecke (Livre-CD Illustre (Pid )
Bix Beiderbecke - Bix Beiderbecke (Phantom Sound & Vision )
Blink - Epidemic Of Ideas (Thirsty Ear )
Blink - The Epidemic of Ideas (Thirsty Ear )
Bob Big Ban Mintzer - Swing Out (MCG Jazz/Fontana )
Bob Mintzer - Swing Out (MCG Jazz )
Bobo Stenson - Cantando (Pid )
Boz Scaggs - Boz Scaggs (1st LP) (Friday Music )
Cafe Lounge Chinese Tea - Cafe Lounge Chinese Tea (Limited) (Pid )
Cafe Lounge Hosted By Shanghai Lounge - Cafe Lounge Hosted By Shanghai Lounge (Limited) (Pid )
Charles Lloyd - Dream Weaver-The Charles Lloyd Anthology-The Atlan (Pid )
Charles Lloyd - Dream Weaver - Charles Lloyd Anthology: Atl (Welt Packet )
Chet Baker - Baker,Chet Vol. 5-Live In Chicago (Pid )
Chet Baker - NDR Big Band (Pid )
Chet Baker - Baker,Chet Vol. 2-I Remember You (Pid )
Chet Baker - Baker,Chet Vol. 3-Why Shouldn't You Cry (Pid )
Chet Baker - Baker,Chet Vol. 4-Oh! You Crazy Moon (Pid )
Chet Baker - My Favorite Songs-Last Great Concer (Pid )
Chet Baker - Straight From The Heart-Last Great (Pid )
Cutie Bossa - Cutie Bossa (Pid )
David Hazeltine - Alice In Wonderland (Venus )
Degibri Trio, Eli - Live At Louis 649 (Anzic )
Detox Life - Detox Life (Pid )
Dominique Di Piazza Trio - Princess Sita (Sunnyside Communications )
Dominique Dipiazza - Princess Sita (Sunny Side )
Duke Pearson Nonet - Honeybuns (Collectables )
Eddie Higgins - Again (Pid )
Eddie Higgins - Don't Smoke In Bed (Pid )
Eddie Higgins - Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (Pid )
Eddie Higgins - My Foolish Heart (Pid )
Eddie Higgins - If Dreams Come True (Pid )
Eddie Higgins - My Funny Valentine (Pid )
Eli Degibri - Live At Louis 649 (Anzic )
Eric Alexander - Gentle Ballades 3 (Pid )
Eric Alexander - Gentle Ballads (Pid )
Etana - Strong One (Pid )
Firma Weijland - Duik! (Pid )
Gary Burton / Pat Metheny - Dreams So Real (The Music Of Carla Bley) (Ecm )
George Duke - Dukey's Treats! (Pid )
George Russell - Ezz-Thetics (Pid )
Grant Green - Feelin' The Spirit (Pid )
Hank Mobley - Turnaround (Pid )
Hiromi Uehara - Beyond Standard (Pid )
Hiromi Uehara - Spiral (Pid ) - SACD
Hiromi Uehara - Time Control (Pid ) - SACD
Horace Silver - Doin' The Thing: Quintet At The Vil (Pid )
Hubert Laws - Wild Flower (Collectables )
Ike Quebec - Heavy Soul (Pid )
Inaki Arakistain - Tiempos De Busqueda (New Mood Jazz )
Jackie McLean - Quintet (Pid )
Jake Langley - Movin & Groovinenh (Alma Records )
Jammin' Zeb - Dream (Pid )
John Pizzarelli - With A Song In My Heart (Telarc )
Kenny Barron - Traveler (Pid )
Kenny Barron - The Traveler (Sunny Side )
Kicks & Sticks-Lande - Corazon Latino Especia (Pid )
L.A. Chillharmonic - L.A. Chillharmonic (Artistry )
La Chillharmonic - La Chillharmonic (Artistry Music )
Lana & Flip - Dust Of A Week (Pid )
Lee Morgan - Lee-Way (CLASSIC )
Lin Rountree - Sumthin Good (Nu Millennium )
Lin Rountree - Sumthin' Good (Nu Millennium )
Makana - Under The Surface (Pid )
Malino - Always Be Mine (Pid )
Miles Davis - Essential 3.0 (Legacy )
New York Trio - Stairway To The Stars (Venus )
New York Trio - Things We Did Last Summer (Pid )
Nicola Conte - Rituals (Pid )
Ohm - Circus Of Sound (Tone Center )
Ok Ok - Eating Mantis (Kindred Rhythm )
Oliver Jones - Second Time Around (Pid )
Original Silence - Second Original Silence (Smalltown Superjazz )
Portinho - Vinho Do Porto (Telarc )
Portinho Trio - Vinho Do Porto (Manchester Crafts-Man's Guild )
Quintorigo - Play Mingus (Pid )
Ray Barretto - Que Viva La Musicarmst (Fania / Umgd )
Ray Barretto - Que Viva La Musica (Fania / Umgd )
Renaud Garcia-Fons - Arcoluz (Enja/Justin Time )
Renaud Garcia-Fons - Arcoluzwith DVD (Enja Justin Time )
Richie Beirach - What Is This Thing Called Love? (Pid )
Robin Kenyatta - Terra Nova (Wounded Bird )
Robin Kenyatta - Until (Wounded Bird )
Roy Ayers - No Stranger To Love (Universal Japan )
Rudresh Mahanthappa - Kinsmen (PI )
Rudresh Mahanthappa - Kinsmendig (Pi Recordings )
Sabu - Palo Congo (Pid )
Shakatak - Invitations (Pid )
Shakatak - Out Of This World (Pid )
Shakatak - Drivin Hard (Pid )
Shakatak - Down On The Street (Pid )
Shakatak - Nightbirds (Pid )
Shakatak - Live (Pid )
Sonny Rollins - Sonny Rollins (Livre-CD Illustre Pa (Pid )
Sonny Rollins - Freedam Suite (Pid )
Three Plus - Best Of Three Plus-From Honey Baby (Pid )
Tim Cunningham - Manchester Rd. (B-dub )
Tommy Flanagan - Jazz Poet (Pid )
Tommy Flanagan - Beyond The Bluebird (Pid )
Tony Greene - Midnight Blue (VP )
Tuck & Patti - I Remember You (Artist Garage )
Various Artists - Latin Nights: The Essential Pulse Series (Mirana Music )
Various Artists - Roger Sanchez Presents Release Yourself Vol. 7 (SPG )
Vito Rezza & 5after4 - Drums Of Avilaenh (Alma Records )
Vito Rezza & 5after4 - Drums Of Avila (Almaviva )
Wes Montgomery - Incredible Jazz Guitar Of (Pid )
Woodhands - Heart Attack (U Music-CA )
Bill Evans - Everybody Digs (Universal)
Blue Mitchell - Blue Soul (Fantasy Records (USA) )
Cannonball Adderley - In San Francisco (Fantasy)
Cannonball Adderley - In New York (Fantasy Records (USA) )
Chet Baker - Chet (Universal)
Clark Terry - Serenade To A Bus Seat (Riverside )
Jimmy Heath - Really Big (Fantasy Records (USA))
Jimmy Smith - Home Cookin' (Blue Note)
Kenny Dorham - Trompeta Toccata (Blue Note)
KennY Dorham - Jazz Contrasts (Fantasy)
Milt Jackson - Bags Meets Wes! (Fantasy Records (USA) )
Nat Adderley - Work Song (Universal Japan )
Shakatak - Ultimate Collection (Universal Records (Netherlands) )
Sonny Rollins - Sonny Rollins (Prestige )
Sonny Rollins - Sound Of Sonny (Pid )
Thelonious Monk - Plays Duke Ellington (Fantasy)
Thelonious Monk - Brilliant Corners (Universal)
Thelonious Monk - At Town Hall (Fantasy Records (USA) )
Wes Montgomery - Full House (Fantasy)
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Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Saxophonist LeRoi Moore Dies Unexpectedly
Dave Matthews Band saxophone player LeRoi Moore, one of the group’s founding members and a key part of its eclectic jazz-infused sound, died Tuesday from sudden complications stemming from injuries he sustained in an all-terrain vehicle accident in June. He was 46.
Moore “died unexpectedly” at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, according to a statement released on the band’s Web site. The statement did not specify what led to his death.
Moore was initially hospitalized in late June after the accident on his farm outside Charlottesville, Va. He was later discharged and had recently returned to his Los Angeles home to begin a physical rehabilitation program when complications forced him back to the hospital on July 17, the band said.
The group went ahead with a scheduled show Tuesday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Jeff Coffin, saxophonist for Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, has been sitting in for Moore since Moore’s accident.
Matthews announced the death of the band’s “dear friend” to the crowd.
Moore, who liked to wear his trademark dark sunglasses at the bands’ live concerts, had classical training but according to his biography he considered jazz music to be his main musical influence. “But at this stage I don’t really consider myself a jazz musician,” Moore said in the biography. Playing with the Dave Matthews Band was “almost better than a jazz gig,” he said. “I have plenty of space to improvise, to try new ideas.”
Lead singer Dave Matthews credited Moore with arranging many of his songs, which combine Cajun fiddle-playing, African-influenced rhythms and Matthews’ playful but haunting voice.
The band formed in 1991 in Charlottesville, when Matthews was working as a bartender. He gave a demo tape of his songs to Moore, who liked what he heard and recruited his friend and fellow jazzman Carter Beauford to play drums.
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Moore “died unexpectedly” at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, according to a statement released on the band’s Web site. The statement did not specify what led to his death.
Moore was initially hospitalized in late June after the accident on his farm outside Charlottesville, Va. He was later discharged and had recently returned to his Los Angeles home to begin a physical rehabilitation program when complications forced him back to the hospital on July 17, the band said.
The group went ahead with a scheduled show Tuesday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Jeff Coffin, saxophonist for Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, has been sitting in for Moore since Moore’s accident.
Matthews announced the death of the band’s “dear friend” to the crowd.
Moore, who liked to wear his trademark dark sunglasses at the bands’ live concerts, had classical training but according to his biography he considered jazz music to be his main musical influence. “But at this stage I don’t really consider myself a jazz musician,” Moore said in the biography. Playing with the Dave Matthews Band was “almost better than a jazz gig,” he said. “I have plenty of space to improvise, to try new ideas.”
Lead singer Dave Matthews credited Moore with arranging many of his songs, which combine Cajun fiddle-playing, African-influenced rhythms and Matthews’ playful but haunting voice.
The band formed in 1991 in Charlottesville, when Matthews was working as a bartender. He gave a demo tape of his songs to Moore, who liked what he heard and recruited his friend and fellow jazzman Carter Beauford to play drums.
Best selling smooth jazz at amazon.com
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