Monday, April 29, 2019
Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - April 29, 2019 #jazz
TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 2 - The Rippingtons - "Open Road" - (Peak Records/EOne Music
2 - 1 - Norman Brown - "The Highest Act of Love" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
3 - 3 - Keiko Matsui - "Echo" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
4 - 6 - Brendan Rothwell - "Sentiment" - (Independent)
5 - 4 - Jazz Funk Soul - "Life And Times" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
6 - 7 - Paul Hardcastle - "Hardcastle VIII" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythem
7 - 5 - Paul Brown - "Uptown Blues" - (Woodward Avenue)
8 - 8 - Eric Darius - "Breakin' Thru - (SagiDarius Music)
9 - 11 - U-Nam - "Future Love" - (Skytown)
10 - 10 - Chris Standring - "Sunlight" - (Ultimate Vibe)
11 - 9 - John Novello - "Good To Go" - (529 Music)
12 - 15 - Kim Scott - "Free To Be" - (Innervision Records)
13 - 14 - Adam Hawley - "Double Vision" - (Kalimba)
14 - 16 - Cindy Bradley - "I'm All Ears" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
15 - 21 - Euge Groove - "Groove On" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
16 - 27 - Julian Vaughn - "Black Dynamite" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
17 - 13 - Darren Rahn - "Moxified" - (Side 2 Music)
18 - 17 - Jeff Ryan - "Embrace" - (Woodward Avenue)
19 - 20 - Nelson Rangell - "By Light" - (Independent)
20 - 24 - Rheza Kahn - "Next Train Home" - (Painted Media)
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Cruise to wine country Memorial Day Weekend for the 15th annual Temecula Wine & Music Festival
Pablo Cruise and an all-star band led by Michael Paulo and Patrice Rushen headline the
May 25 event benefiting Boys & Girls Club of Southwest County
For over forty years, saxophonist Michael Paulo has made a living making records and performing with some of the brightest stars in pop, R&B, and jazz, but when he produces events like next month’s Temecula Wine & Music Festival, it’s personal. He’s not only a longtime Murrieta resident but the festival’s beneficiary, Boys & Girls Club of Southwest County, directly impacts his own family.
“A few years ago, my youngest daughter, Natasha, volunteered to help out the Club. She came home and said they don't even have supplies for the kids she was working with. We are close friends with one of the founding members who said that they needed help. This is the fifth year that the festival will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Southwest Riverside County,” said Paulo, whose Apaulo Productions produces the festival that will mark its 15th edition this Memorial Day Weekend.
Taking place on Saturday, May 25 from 12-6pm at Hawk Ranch, Paulo has assembled a diverse international musical lineup along with world-class winemakers. Topping the marquee is platinum-selling pop-rockers Pablo Cruise who are certain to include hits “Love Will Find A Way,” “What You Gonna Do” and “A Place in the Sun” in their set list. Paulo’s relationship with the group dates back many decades.
“Pablo Cruise toured the same circuit I was on during my stint with the Hawaiian rock band Kalapana in the 1970s and 80s,” said the Hawaii native who injects the generous and joyous aloha spirit into everything he does.
Paulo will team with Grammy-nominated jazz/R&B keyboardist-vocalist Patrice Rushen who returns to the festival for an all-star performance that will feature members of contemporary jazz band Hiroshima, Japanese sax man Kanzaki, and some of the finest sidemen in music including bassist Freddie Washington, drummer Michael White, and guitarist Fred Schreuders. Paulo’s father, Rene Paulo, will sit in with the ensemble on piano. The first to take the stage will be regal jazz singer Barbara Morrison, who will be accompanied by Japanese guitarist Yu Ooka, keyboardist Kimo Cornwell, trumpeter Ron King, bassist JV Collier, percussionist Arno Lucas, and drummer Land Richards.
Festivalgoers will have the opportunity to partake in some of the region’s finest vintners such as Wilson Creek Winery, Falkner Winery, San Antonio Winery, 14 Hands Winery, Domaine Ste. Michelle, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Crest, BWSB, Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Drumheller and Murder Ridge.
This year’s festival is the second consecutive to take place at Hawk Ranch. “The venue sets the mood for the festival with its scenic park setting nestled among trees and a quaint pond,” said Paulo.
Tickets are on sale now at Tix.com priced at $40 for general admission lawn seats, $55 gold reserved seats, $85 reserved table seating, $95 premium seating up front that provides entrance to an exclusive artist meet & greet reception. Sponsor seating is available for $250 that includes the reception along with complimentary wine and food.
Paulo’s professional career spans more than forty years and includes playing alongside Al Jarreau, James Ingram, Patti Austin, Jeffrey Osborne, Kenny Loggins, Johnny Mathis, Peter White, Bobby Caldwell, and Rick Braun. Producing and performing at the Temecula Wine & Music Festival is a way he gives back to his community.
“Every year, with the help and support of our friends, family and the community, we are able to host our festival. After moving to the Temecula Valley 16 years ago, we are so fortunate to continue this wonderful community event now in its 15th year. Last year, we raised over $14,000 from the festival for the Boys & Girls Club. We are hoping to surpass that this year. We hope everyone will come out and support the festival.”
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Monday, April 22, 2019
Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - April 22, 2019 #jazz
TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Norman Brown - "The Highest Act of Love" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
2 - 4 - The Rippingtons - "Open Road" - (Peak Records/EOne Music
3 - 2 - Keiko Matsui - "Echo" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
4 - 3 - Jazz Funk Soul - "Life And Times" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
5 - 5 - Paul Brown - "Uptown Blues" - (Woodward Avenue)
6 - 7 - Brendan Rothwell - "Sentiment" - (Independent)
7 - 6 - Paul Hardcastle - "Hardcastle VIII" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythem
8 - 8 - Eric Darius - "Breakin' Thru - (SagiDarius Music)
9 - 9 - John Novello - "Good To Go" - (529 Music)
10 - 10 - Chris Standring - "Sunlight" - (Ultimate Vibe)
11 - 12 - U-Nam - "Future Love" - (Skytown)
12 - 13 - Brian Bromberg - "Thicker Than Water" - (Mack Avenue Records)
13 - 11 - Darren Rahn - "Moxified" - (Side 2 Music)
14 - 14 - Adam Hawley - "Double Vision" - (Kalimba)
15 - 15 - Kim Scott - "Free To Be" - (Innervision Records)
16 - 17 - Cindy Bradley - "I'm All Ears" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
17 - 22 - Jeff Ryan - "Embrace" - (Woodward Avenue)
18 - 19 - Blake Aaron - "Color And Passion" - (Innervision)
19 - 18 - Byron Miller - "Psychobass 2" - (Byron Lee Miller Studios)
20 - 23 - Nelson Rangell - "By Light" - (Independen
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Monday, April 15, 2019
Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - April 15, 2019 #jazz
TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Norman Brown - "The Highest Act of Love" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
2 - 2 - Keiko Matsui - "Echo" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
3 - 3 - Jazz Funk Soul - "Life And Times" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
4 - 7 - The Rippingtons - "Open Road" - (Peak Records/EOne Music)
5 - 4 - Paul Brown - "Uptown Blues" - (Woodward Avenue)
6 - 5 - Paul Hardcastle - "Hardcastle VIII" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythem
7 - 6 - Brendan Rothwell - "Sentiment" - (Independent)
8 - 8 - Eric Darius - "Breakin' Thru - (SagiDarius Music)
9 - 9 - John Novello - "Good To Go" - (529 Music)
10 - 10 - Chris Standring - "Sunlight" - (Ultimate Vibe)
11 - 11 - Darren Rahn - "Moxified" - (Side 2 Music)
12 - 13 - U-Nam - "Future Love" - (Skytown)
13 - 14 - Brian Bromberg - "Thicker Than Water" - (Mack Avenue Records)
14 - 12 - Adam Hawley - "Double Vision" - (Kalimba)
15 - 17 - Kim Scott - "Free To Be" - (Innervision Records)
16 - 33 - Euge Groove - "Groove On" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
17 - 29 - Cindy Bradley - "I'm All Ears" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
18 - 18 - Byron Miller - "Psychobass 2" - (Byron Lee Miller Studios)
19 - 15 - Blake Aaron - "Color And Passion" - (Innervision)
20 - 16 - Will Donato - "Infinite Soul" - (Innervision Records)
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Tuesday, April 09, 2019
Tito's Handmade Vodka, Newbury Comics and Record Store Day Team For 'WTF With Marc Maron Compilation Album Out On April 13th And Much More!
TITO’S HANDMADE VODKA, NEWBURY COMICS AND RECORD STORE DAY TEAM FOR WTF WITH MARC MARON COMPILATION ALBUM, AVAILABLE THIS RECORD STORE DAY, APRIL 13TH, WITH PROCEEDS BENEFITING MUSICIANS ON CALL
AHEAD OF THE RELEASE, WHICH MARKS THE FIRST TITLE ON THE NEW RECORD STORE DAY LABEL, NEWBURY COMICS CELEBRATED ITS 41ST ANNIVERSARY ON APRIL 6TH AS ‘NEWBURY COMICS DAY’ WITH IN-STORE PERFORMANCES AND A CHECK PRESENTATION TO THE MUSICIANS ON CALL ORGANIZATION
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Monday, April 08, 2019
Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - April 8, 2019 #jazz
TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 1 - Norman Brown - "The Highest Act of Love" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
2 - 2 - Keiko Matsui - "Echo" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
3 - 3 - Jazz Funk Soul - "Life And Times" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
4 - 4 - Paul Brown - "Uptown Blues" - (Woodward Avenue)
5 - 5 - Paul Hardcastle - "Hardcastle VIII" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythem)
6 - 8 - Brendan Rothwell - "Sentiment" - (Independent)
7 - 6 - The Rippingtons - "Open Road" - (Peak Records/EOne Music)
8 - 7 - Eric Darius - "Breakin' Thru - (SagiDarius Music)
9 - 12 - John Novello - "Good To Go" - (529 Music)
10 - 10 - Chris Standring - "Sunlight" - (Ultimate Vibe)
11 - 9 - Darren Rahn - "Moxified" - (Side 2 Music)
12 - 13 - Adam Hawley - "Double Vision" - (Kalimba)
13 - 14 - U-Nam - "Future Love" - (Skytown)
14 - 11 - Brian Bromberg - "Thicker Than Water" - (Mack Avenue Records)
15 - 19 - Blake Aaron - "Color And Passion" - (Innervision)
16 - 15 - Will Donato - "Infinite Soul" - (Innervision Records)
17 - 18 - Kim Scott - "Free To Be" - (Innervision Records)
18 - 16 - Byron Miller - "Psychobass 2" - (Byron Lee Miller Studios)
19 - 22 - Nelson Rangell - "By Light" - (Independent)
20 - 23 - Jeff Ryan - "Embrace" - (Woodward Avenue)
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Friday, April 05, 2019
Jazz guitarist Reza Khan’s “Next Train Home” arrives #jazz
“Drop of Faith” featuring Nils and other tracks from the album that dropped Friday are receiving airplay, hitting the charts on multiple formats
Globetrotting guitarist Reza Khan dropped his fifth album, “Next Train Home,” on Friday. The twelve songs that he wrote and produced for the collection symbolize the discovery of his musical home, a multi-genre and multicultural mélange of straight-ahead and contemporary jazz enriched with world music and Brazilian jazz nuances. The album has already climbed into the top 100 on the Jazz Week chart based on radio spins from jazz radio stations while the smooth/contemporary jazz single, “Drop of Faith,” featuring guitarist Nils, has earned most added honors on the Billboard chart.
The Bangladesh-born Khan “daylights” as a program manager for the United Nations, playing a role in peace and conflict operations throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East. He composed the album during a six-week trek abroad, a trip that included a hospitalization and a forced recovery period after collapsing and suffering from severe dehydration. While traveling, Khan totes in his backpack a folding guitar, a primitive keyboard and a laptop that were used to write and record the material. When he returned to his New York City home, he fully fleshed out his concepts and ideas in the studio where he was joined by an array of first-call session players and prominent soloists. In addition to Nils, Khan called upon saxophonists Jeff Kashiwa and Andy Snitzer, keyboardist Philippe Saisse, pianist Matt King, bassist Mark Egan, horn man David Mann (sax and flute), percussionist Gumbi Ortiz, and drummers Mauricio Zottarelli and Graham Hawthorne to meticulously craft the lush tracks heard on “Next Train Home.” At the core is Khan’s deft nylon and electric guitars plucking lofty melodic statements and strumming harmonic passages with verve. When soloing, he astutely bends notes, indulging his imaginative wanderlust and impulse to riff evocative etchings.
While Khan gears up for an album release concert at the City Winery in New York City on May 9, he’s begun making the media rounds in support of “Next Train Home.” Recently he was interviewed on internet radio show Hybrid Jazz and for the summer issue of national jazz magazine Jazziz.
For more information, please visit http://www.rezakhanmusic.com.
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DEBUT ALBUM FROM NEW ORLEANS-BASED VOCALIST QUIANA LYNELL, A LITTLE LOVE, RELEASED APRIL 5TH VIA CONCORD JAZZ #JAZZ
A Year-In-The-Making, Project Has Been Mentored By Grammy-Winning And Oscar Nominated Musician/Composer Terence Blanchard And Features A Stellar Band Including Cyrus Chestnut and Jamison Ross
A Little Love, the striking debut album from vocalist extraordinaire Quiana Lynell, was released by Concord Jazz on April 5th, 2019.
A feast of soul, gospel, r&b, groove and jazz, A Little Love blooms with songs about searching, trying times, buoyant love, deep reflection and social action. Lynell sings with the voice of authority and the takeaway from the album as a whole is honesty. She’s a truth-seeking storyteller with a spirited resolve - covering a wide range of songs from Nina Simone to Chaka Khan, from Duke to the Gershwins, from Donny Hathaway to Irma Thomas; with the bookends of the album featuring songs by powerful modern artists Alina Engibaryan and Joshuah Campbell. Accompanied by a powerhouse band featuring Cyrus Chestnut on piano, Jamison Ross on drums, Ed Cherry on guitars, George DeLancey on bass and Monte Croft on vibes, the release of A Little Love will be accompanied by tour dates including a stop at the 2019 Playboy Jazz Festival in Los Angeles in June.
“Quiana is a dynamic and compelling vocalist,” said John Burk, President of Concord Records. “She has an incredibly rich voice and unique ability to effortlessly blend gospel, soul, and jazz into her music. We’re thrilled to add Quiana’s debut album to the longstanding lineage of exceptional artistry on Concord Jazz.”
Born in Texas and raised on Gospel, in 2017 Quiana Lynell made her salient mark on the jazz-and-beyond musical world as a wise, heartfelt, warm vocalist whose voice is singular in its soul, intensity, ecstasy and outright spiritual courage. She played with her trio at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival which led to her performing in Poland with trumpeter Terence Blanchard’s Spike Lee tribute with a 75-piece orchestra and a continued period of mentoring on Blanchard's part. In November of 2017, after considering for a couple of years whether she was ready, she decided to vie for the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition Award. She commanded the finals stage at NJPAC’s Victoria Theater and wowed the judges and audience with her vocal prowess that earned her the prize, which afforded her the opportunity to record an album for Concord Jazz. The result, 2019’s A Little Love, produced by the renowned Brian Michel Bacchus, is testament to what a rare, mesmerizing artist can achieve on her auspicious debut.
Blanchard said his take on hearing Quiana for the first time was “a serious vocal discovery.” He added, “Quiana Lynell was already a vocal presence. When I first heard her sing, my initial thought was ‘Who are you, where have you been, and why am I just hearing you now?’”
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Thursday, April 04, 2019
Marc Jordan - "Both Sides" - Release on Linus Entertainment April 5 - #jazz
Marc Jordan’s songs have appeared on over 25 million records and counting.
From a musician who has never been concerned very much about following trends in his career Marc Jordan’s latest, “ Both Sides” is a sonically rich, orchestral pop-jazz record, is yet another intriguing turn.
In his forty-plus year career he has been a hit solo artist (‘Marina Del Ray’, ‘Survival’), a sought after songwriter (‘Rhythm of My Heart’), a group member as part of the quartet “Lunch At Allens," and in the last decade, he took up a paintbrush and became a visual artist.
Trends come and go, but for an artist of Marc’s breadth, marrying his talent with inspiration has never been an issue. There’s always been a project in the headlights.
But “Both Sides” is something different. It’s a fulfillment of a long-held dream that has been waiting for the right moment to be realized.
Marc and Lou brought some of the best and most in-demand studio musicians together for the sessions including Tommy Emmanuel and Kevin Breit on guitars, the legendary Randy Brecker on trumpet (“He has such a beautiful mind for harmony and played so appropriately. His tone is beautiful”) They formed the “in-studio” nucleus.
Canadian opera superstar Measha Brueggergossman adds her velvety vocals to an interpretation of the Oscar-nominated song “Calling You”.
https://marcjordan.com/
http://linusentertainment.com/
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From a musician who has never been concerned very much about following trends in his career Marc Jordan’s latest, “ Both Sides” is a sonically rich, orchestral pop-jazz record, is yet another intriguing turn.
In his forty-plus year career he has been a hit solo artist (‘Marina Del Ray’, ‘Survival’), a sought after songwriter (‘Rhythm of My Heart’), a group member as part of the quartet “Lunch At Allens," and in the last decade, he took up a paintbrush and became a visual artist.
Trends come and go, but for an artist of Marc’s breadth, marrying his talent with inspiration has never been an issue. There’s always been a project in the headlights.
But “Both Sides” is something different. It’s a fulfillment of a long-held dream that has been waiting for the right moment to be realized.
Marc and Lou brought some of the best and most in-demand studio musicians together for the sessions including Tommy Emmanuel and Kevin Breit on guitars, the legendary Randy Brecker on trumpet (“He has such a beautiful mind for harmony and played so appropriately. His tone is beautiful”) They formed the “in-studio” nucleus.
Canadian opera superstar Measha Brueggergossman adds her velvety vocals to an interpretation of the Oscar-nominated song “Calling You”.
https://marcjordan.com/
http://linusentertainment.com/
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Wednesday, April 03, 2019
Charles Di Raimondo - The Sound of Jazz - Release April 12 - #jazz
“Charles Di Raimondo displays a highly trained vocal instrument of terrific scope”
- WHOLE NOTE MAGAZINE
“A Superb classically trained Tenor”
-TANDEM MAGAZINE (Toronto/Montreal)
“The Sound of Jazz” is a blend of original Jazz songs composed by Charles and performed by world class musicians Terry Clarke on Drums, Ross Macintyre on Bass, and Stu Harrison on Piano.
Building on the successes of his earlier releases, (“Summer Rain”, “Passione” and “The Christmas Collection”) Charles blends skillful vocal technique, with sophisticated arrangements, lyrics and bold innovation resulting in a fresh musical experience that leaves a striking impression.
Every now and then you come across a voice that catches your attention. It may be its skillful technique or soulful authenticity that catches your ear. All you know is that you’re captivated and moved. You will surely be enchanted by the lush tenor voice of Charles Di Raimondo.
Charles Di Raimondo is a voice to listen to and a name to watch. A classically trained singer and pianist, Charles’ talent and versatility are evident as he sings in an array of genres. His busy singing career has brought him to many venues across Canada, and he recently had the pleasure of performing for Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister of Canada, at a recent event along with the Canadian Tenors.
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- WHOLE NOTE MAGAZINE
“A Superb classically trained Tenor”
-TANDEM MAGAZINE (Toronto/Montreal)
“The Sound of Jazz” is a blend of original Jazz songs composed by Charles and performed by world class musicians Terry Clarke on Drums, Ross Macintyre on Bass, and Stu Harrison on Piano.
Building on the successes of his earlier releases, (“Summer Rain”, “Passione” and “The Christmas Collection”) Charles blends skillful vocal technique, with sophisticated arrangements, lyrics and bold innovation resulting in a fresh musical experience that leaves a striking impression.
Every now and then you come across a voice that catches your attention. It may be its skillful technique or soulful authenticity that catches your ear. All you know is that you’re captivated and moved. You will surely be enchanted by the lush tenor voice of Charles Di Raimondo.
Charles Di Raimondo is a voice to listen to and a name to watch. A classically trained singer and pianist, Charles’ talent and versatility are evident as he sings in an array of genres. His busy singing career has brought him to many venues across Canada, and he recently had the pleasure of performing for Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister of Canada, at a recent event along with the Canadian Tenors.
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Monday, April 01, 2019
Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 20 - April 1, 2019 #jazz
TW - LW - Artist - Album - (Label)
1 - 4 - Norman Brown - "The Highest Act of Love" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
2 - 1 - Keiko Matsui - "Echo" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
3 - 3 - Jazz Funk Soul - "Life And Times" - (Shanachie Entertainment)
4 - 2 - Paul Brown - "Uptown Blues" - (Woodward Avenue)
5 - 5 - Paul Hardcastle - "Hardcastle VIII" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythem)
6 - 7 - The Rippingtons - "Open Road" - (Peak Records/EOne Music)
7 - 6 - Eric Darius - "Breakin' Thru - (SagiDarius Music)
8 - 11 - Brendan Rothwell - "Sentiment" - (Independent)
9 - 16 - Darren Rahn - "Moxified" - (Side 2 Music)
10 - 8 - Chris Standring - "Sunlight" - (Ultimate Vibe)
11 - 15 - Brian Bromberg - "Thicker Than Water" - (Mack Avenue Records)
12 - 10 - John Novello - "Good To Go" - (529 Music)
13 - 12 - Adam Hawley - "Double Vision" - (Kalimba)
14 - 13 - U-Nam - "Future Love" - (Skytown)
15 - 17 - Will Donato - "Infinite Soul" - (Innervision Records)
16 - 9 - Byron Miller - "Psychobass 2" - (Byron Lee Miller Studios)
17 - 14 - Nick Colionne - "Just Being Me" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
18 - 20 - Kim Scott - "Free To Be" - (Innervision Records)
19 - 19 - Blake Aaron - "Color And Passion" - (Innervision)
20 - 31 - Cindy Bradley - "I'm All Ears" - (Trippin 'N' Rhythm)
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A funky big band revolutionizes “The Search For Peace” #jazz
BT ALC Big Band seeks to breathe new life into big bands and music education with the release of their fourth album, dropping May 17.
Reaching back to the past in order to move a musical artform forward, the BT ALC Big Band turns loose the might and muscle of a 13-piece horn section to huff and puff and blow down any previously held conceptions of what a big band could be. The mission of the 19-piece Boston big band’s forthcoming album, “The Search For Peace,” is part passion, part music education and anything but peaceful. The bombardment of funk and jazz, written by trombonist Brian Thomas and trumpeter Alex Lee-Clark and produced by Alan Evans (Soulive), drops May 17 on Ropeadope.
After researching big band recordings of the 1960s and 70s, Evans decided on an old-school approach to capture the high-volt energy of BT ALC Big Band’s live performance. He propped up one omnidirectional microphone in front of each of the three horn sections - five saxophonists, four trumpeters and four trombonists – in the same studio as the rhythm and melody players, letting them rip through the seven compositions that comprise “The Search For Peace.” The result is an organic sound that jukes and jives, harnessing the vim and vigor of the powerful posse. The album encapsulates the group’s vintage brand of rhythms and grooves they call “big band funk,” an explosive mashup of Duke Ellington and Count Basie meets James Brown and Parliament Funkadelic. Listen closely and you’ll detect some African funk and reggae inflections on this set as well.
“In recent years, the music that most big bands play, either professional or student, falls into two categories: tributes to the music of the past or new art music meant for the concert hall. We want to play music that's new, accessible and culturally relevant; music that reflects the music we put on in the car when we're zooming around in our day-to-day lives. We want to take the great art form of the big band and breathe new life into it,” said Thomas.
But that’s only half the outfit’s mission. Lee-Clark explains, “Essential to this goal is updating the music we play when we're teaching young musicians. Most of us started out in a band like this in school, and it played a huge part in igniting our passion for music. We firmly believe that the best way we can keep igniting that passion is not just to teach them to play every standard big band chart with precision and good intonation, but to show how they themselves can create new music, how they can push the art forward. We want ‘The Search For Peace’ to be a springboard for us to help bring big band music and music education into the present day.”
BT ALC Big Band walks the walk by regularly engaging in clinics, workshops and performances with students throughout New England. They make their charts available for study and have had their compositions performed at college, university and high school jazz ensembles in the region. Now they are thinking nationally.
Priming the pump for “The Search For Peace,” BT ALC Big Band dropped two standalone singles earlier this month, covers that tip their caps to some of their influences. Evans mans the drumkit on a percussive-heavy excursion through The Meters’ “Africa.” On a superfly take on Fred Wesley & The J.B.’s “Damn Right I’m Somebody,” an incendiary tenor sax throwdown erupts between Mike Tucker and Tucker Antell.
“The Search For Peace” will be launched with an album release concert in Boston on the release date (May 17) at City Winery. After the record streets, BT ALC Big Band will play a residency at Sally O’Brien’s in nearby Somerville on May 20, June 27, July 25, August 29 and September 26.
BT ALC Big Band issued their debut album in 2013, “Superhero Dance Party.” Three years later, they dropped the two-volume “The Herd Sessions.” Thomas and Lee-Clark met while studying music at UMass Amherst and have been collaborating ever since.
“The Search For Peace” contains the following songs:
“Soft-Shoe”
“Dance”
“Make It Your Job”
“The Search For Peace”
“Tune For Lou”
“Live 9”
“Paging Dr. Cooperman”
For more information, please visit https://btalc.com.
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