Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 100 - August 30, 2021 #jazz

Smooth Jazz Chart 
This chart from smoothjazz.com generally updates every Monday. 
When it updates, this post will be repeated with the most recent chart. 






Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Grammy-winning & Towering Guitar Giants Larry Carlton and Paul Brown Align on Soul Searchin’ Creating A Thrilling Canvas For 10 New Originals #jazz

Carlton & Brown’s First Co-Led Album Out 9/24/21 Celebrates The Blues, The Power Of The Groove, The Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers, Prince & More


What do you get when two of the greatest creative musicians of our time join forces for a friendly fire no holds barred guitar showdown? You get Soul Searchin’, an electrifying meeting of the minds that surpasses expectations and showcases unbridled joy and virtuosity.  Grammy-winning guitar extraordinaires Larry Carlton, who has played on over 100 Gold and Platinum albums and Paul Brown, who has scored 60 #1 radio hits, join forces for a set of ten thrilling originals on their first co-led album together. Carlton, who was a member of the pioneering super-groups The Crusaders and Fourplay and who is a successful TV and Film scorer (including TV show themes “Hill Street Blues,” “Who’s The Boss” and film “Against All Odds”), first collaborated with Brown in the 90s when Brown produced tracks for his Finger Prints album. “Paul’s engineering and production speak for themselves but his guitar playing and creativity in writing is also very appealing to me,” says Carlton, a 19 time Grammy nominated and four-time Grammy winning artist. Brown’s extensive credits include work as an engineer having engineered for R&B divas Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross, among others. Brown confesses, Larry and I had been toying with the idea of doing a CD together for a few years. I always thought our styles and sounds would be beautiful together. From a production, writing, arranging and playing point of view, this is as good as it gets for me.” Collectively between Carlton and Brown, the dynamic duo has collaborated with everyone from Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan and Quincy Jones to George Benson, Patti Austin and Norman Brown, to name a few. The goal for Soul Searchin’ was simple. Paul Brown explains, “We hope it will be musical bliss and that you will allow it to take you on a ride and your mind and ears will be happy, happy, happy!”


“This is a marriage made in heaven,” states Danny Weiss, VP of Jazz A&R at Shanachie Entertainment.  “Larry Carlton has rightfully achieved legendary status as one of the world's greatest guitarists, and Paul Brown, a great guitarist in his own right, is probably the finest contemporary jazz producer on the scene today.   The fact that they both share the same soulful, bluesy style makes listening to this album a truly tasty experience,” 


The synergy between Larry Carlton and Paul Brown on Soul Searchin’ is impalpable. Their telepathic interplay, and joyful exchange create numerous moments to willingly get lost inside the music. Larry Carlton reveals their ingredient. “We have different musical backgrounds but, the common thread for Paul and I is that we both like melodic music with a great groove.” Joining Larry Carlton and Paul Brown on Soul Searchin’ are bassist and guitarist, Shane Theriot (who co-wrote many of the compositions), drummer Gorden Campbell, keyboardists León Besquera and Gregg Karukas, bassist Travis Carlton (Larry’s son), drummers Roberto Vally, Doug Belote and Gordon Campbell, trumpeter Ron King, saxophonist Greg Vail and percussionist Lenny Castro (Tower Of Power).  Soul Searchin’ was recorded this past year and afforded Carlton and Brown the opportunity to give the music their undivided attention.  Carlton shares, “The advantage of recording the album during the pandemic was that we both had more available time. Paul worked at his studio in Los Angeles and would send me tracks while I created at my studio in my home outside of Nashville.” Brown adds, “Honestly it probably would not have been possible in normal circumstances because both of us would have been too busy to get it done.”


Soul Searchin’ opens with the mystical, cool and breezy “Miles And Miles To Go.” Taking divergent paths Carlton and Brown meet in the center lane crusin’ and soulfully trading choruses to beautiful effect. Paul Brown shares “More than any of the other songs on the album this tune shows off the difference in our sounds and styles and lets the both of us sing on the melodies with our guitars.” The dynamic duo roll up their sleeves and lay down a gritty but yet sweet and fun little groove on “Stomp.” It might hard to resist stomping your heels on this exhilarating and insatiable bluesy number. Carlton plays a Larry Carlton model SIRE H7 through his Bluedotone amp on all of the tracks while Paul Brown uses his arch top on most of the tracks. Brown’s heavy strings create a punchy sound while Carlton’s strings create a slinkier feel allowing him to bend his notes more easily.


Affectionately dubbed ‘Brother Paul Brown,’ Paul lays down a mean Hammond B3 on this track, which is also graced by the horns of trumpeter Ron King and saxophonist Greg Vail. “Gone Fishin’ is a good-get-together, feel-good anthem that is sure to rock any house. The snappy and pulsating swing of “Hip Pocket” is another winner and the funky “Aftershock” hits with a seismic force as Carlton and Brown pull out all the stops. Soul Seachin’ also features “Blue Skies,” which forecasts bright days and smooth sailing while the show-stopping “Keep Truckin’” is a special tribute as Paul Brown explains. “It is my homage to the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers and it really captures that southern rock vibe.” Carlton and Brown have a meeting of the minds on “Say What’s On Your Mind,” as the duo stretches out and struts their stuff illustrating why they are both at the top of their game.  The track also features Larry’s son and bassist Travis Carlton and Shane Theriot on keys. “Shelter” offers refuge from life’s rainstorm with an intimate down home performance from the duo featuring vocals from Brother Paul Brown.  The ethereal album title track is a gorgeous and pensive ballad, which Brown confides is inspired in part by Prince’s “Purple Rain.”


The iconic and revered Grammy-winning guitarist Larry Carlton picked up his first guitar at the age of six but it was in high school upon hearing Gerald Wilson’s album Moment of Truth with guitarist Joe Pass, that he got his first introduction to jazz. It was not long before Barney Kessel, Wes Montgomery, B.B. King and John Coltrane changed his world. Celebrated for his lithe technique, sweet-toned, blues-inflected sound, and distinctive use of volume pedals, Carlton first came to prominence as a member of crossover jazz and R&B ensemble The Crusaders. In the 70s he remained busy with a who’s who list of collaborations from Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell and Michael Jackson to Quincy Jones, Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt.  Carlton made his debut as a leader in 1978 when he was signed to Warner Brothers and began a long stretch of releasing his own albums. A native of Torrence, California, he has been equally successful as a film and television scorer. By the 80s Carlton had amassed over 3000 studio sessions. In 1988, Carlton was the victim of a random gun violence crime that shattered his vocal cords and left him with severe nerve trauma. Through intensive therapy, a positive mind and sheer will, a courageous Carlton made a remarkable recovery proving to be as remarkable off the stage as he is on it. He founded the organization Helping Innocent People (HIP), a nonprofit group to aid victims of random gun violence.  Carlton, has recorded 34 albums as a leader including his last album Lights On with the WDR Big Band. 


 “Music is my spirituality and has been my entire life. Everyday I’m either writing, playing recording or performing and I’m still loving it,” confesses two-time Grammy winning guitarist, producer and vocalist Paul Brown. Born in Los Angeles to musician parents who sang with Mel Tormé, Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, among others, Brown started playing drums at age five and picked up his first guitar two years later. His influences are as far reaching as Wes Montgomery, Peter Gabriel and Johnny “Guitar” Watson. Brown has been a foundational artist in Contemporary Jazz from since the late 80s. As accomplished as Brown is center stage as a guitarist he is equally revered for his Midas touch as a producer. The renaissance man has been first call for everybody from George Benson, Al Jarreau and Luther Vandross to Boney James, Kirk Whalum and Peter White among countless others. As a leader he has recorded ten albums and Soul Searchin’ make this his eleventh and his second recording for Shanachie. His first for the label was Love You Found Me in 2010. 



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Saturday, August 21, 2021

A Time for Celebration - Dave Zinno's Unisphere fab third recording, Fetish #jazz

While it was done predominantly within the constraints of Covid isolation, Dave Zinno’s third recording with UnisphereFetish, feels like a massive celebration, an uncorking of fizzy jazz freedom. 

Like most musicians for most of the past 18 months, Zinno and his bandmates—Mike Tucker on tenor sax, Eric Benny Bloom on trumpet and flugelhorn, Leo Genovese on keyboards, Tim Ray on piano, Rafael Barata, drums and percussion, and special guest Rafael Rocha on trombone—have been, no surprise, writing and practicing, biding their time until the light of day began again to shine through life’s window. Somehow, Zinno and friends took advantage of the down time and recorded a brilliant album. 

“The song ‘Fetish’ grew out of pandemic isolation,” he says. “I came up with the bass figure for this piece one day while improvising. It's kind of over the top and I was calling it ‘Bass Fetish.’” Zinno then took that motif and turned it into a song for Unisphere.

Without question, Zinno’s 2020 fetish was his bass, and we’re all the better for it. Zinno and the boys recorded Fetish in late November 2020 in two six-hour sessions. Because everyone was writing at the time, the band’s set list had grown to a whopping 16 numbers. They ended up recording 12 of them. All told, Zinno believes the tunes on the record are incredibly diverse, reflecting the personalities and styles of all his accompanists. “Everyone contributed compositions or arrangements to the project, which I feel creates a picture of the diversity of the group. Tim Ray, for example, arranged a beautiful tune from Edu Lobo that is a wonderful breathing point and definitely a highlight of the record.” Further to Zinno’s point, Mike Tucker contributes three originals in three different styles. Leo Genovese's tunes are strongly rooted in modern jazz and are written with strength and energy. Eric Bloom contributed two tunes that reflect his love for contemporary jazz styles. Zinno’s own tunes - “Fetish,” “So Close So Far,” and “Nile” all vary in style as well. “‘Fetish’ begins sounding like ‘the sky is melting,’ but settles into a joyful groove meant to offer hope. ‘So Close So Far’ experiments with an Afro groove framing a hummable theme, and ‘Nile’ explores exotic soundscapes.”

The colorful panorama, tonal palette, and sonic breadth featured on Fetish are breathtaking. Zinno’s Unisphere is—through all three of its recordings for Whaling City Sound—jubilant, rapturous, and free. It could be that walls aren’t closing in on us any longer; the prospects of playing out and unleashing the spirit of live music is finally at hand. And this may be the sound of that catharsis, a primal release of beautiful energy. “This project is the culmination of a year without live music,” says Zinno. “Every ounce of energy and ambition, in reserve from not expending it for so long, is on this record. I hope people feel what we felt while creating it.”



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Friday, August 20, 2021

Lawson Rollins "Rise" Release date September 17, 2021 on Infinita Records #jazz #world #guitar

With the release of RISE, Lawson Rollins offers a bold collection of ten original songs that showcase his signature virtuoso guitar style and eclectic compositional flair for melody and rhythm. Lawson explores new collaborations with Haitian vocalist Jeff Pierre, saxophonist Mary Fettig, and Grammy winning violinists Charlie Bisharat and Mads Tolling on several tracks, while deepening his connection with regular band mates Stephen Duros, Davo Bryant, and Dan Feiszli throughout the album. Each song finds Lawson rising to his peak abilities as a guitarist and composer. Lawson states, “This album was forged during the unprecedented difficulties the world has seen over the past year, but as the Latin motto “Ad Astra Per Aspera” proclaims, we can reach the stars through difficulty. It is in that spirit that this album was made."

Few artists inhabit their music as seamlessly as multiple award-winning, Billboard Top 10 ranked guitarist and composer Lawson Rollins. He plays his instrument with a soulful intensity that combines the stimulating rhythmic drive of rumba, salsa, and samba with graceful melodic finesse and free-flowing improvisational flair. Acoustic Guitar Magazine describes his playing as 'impeccable' and 'dazzling', while the prestigious Guitar Player Magazine ranks Lawson as one of the “50 Transcendent Acoustic Guitarists” of all time and writes, "Lawson Rollins is a bona fide star...The key to Rollins' mass appeal is his signature artistic balance between classically influenced compositional refinement, infectious exotic rhythms, and the unbridled intensity of full-on shred."

Over the past 20 years, Lawson’s 10 solo albums and 4 albums with his prior group Young & Rollins have landed in the Billboard Top 10 World Music Chart and spawned several Billboard Top 30 contemporary jazz hits, winning him an ever growing fan base attracted by his melodic, exhilarating solos and exotic, cross-genre instrumentation performed by internationally renowned musicians. Sensational videos like “The Fire Cadenza” and "Locomotion" - a jaw dropping display of his electrifying speed and gift for merging rhythm and melody - have attracted millions of broadcast television and internet viewers including over 10 million views alone on YouTube.

Lawson's critically acclaimed, award-winning, genre defying solo albums - INFINITA, ESPIRITO, ELEVATION, FULL CIRCLE, TRAVELER, INFINITE CHILL, 3 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT, AIRWAVES: THE GREATEST HITS, DARK MATTER: MUSIC FOR FILM and TRUE NORTH - landed high on the contemporary jazz radio charts and produced a Billboard #1 song - "Moonlight Samba" from ESPIRITO. For two consecutive years, he earned a 1st Place award in the prestigious USA Songwriting Competition. He also won three Gold Medals in the Global Music Awards for Instrumentalist, Album, and Top 10 Albums of the Year for his TRAVELER album. As a testament to his enduring appeal on radio he was asked to serve as "Celebrity Guest DJ" on Sirius-XM Radio, available to listen to here.

His albums feature numerous collaborations with artists from around the globe, including Grammy Award winners and nominees like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Charlie Bisharat (of Shadowfax), Airto Moreira, Flora Purim, Mads Tolling, Kayhan Kalhor (of the Silk Road Ensemble) and Horacio Hernandez, as well as Billboard #1 charting contemporary jazz masters like 3rd Force and Praful. An ever growing cast of eclectic, notable artists continues to expand his world-fusion sound, with musicians such as Idan RaichelBuckethead, William Aura (of 3rd Force), and Shahin Shahida (of Shahin & Sepehr) contributing to the mix.

In his globally-inspired music, Lawson incorporates the propulsive drive of Afro-Cuban rhythms with a style based on the music of Spain, India, Persia and the Arab world. "All music has a hybrid quality," Lawson believes. "Thousands of years of travel, trade and communication between cultures created new forms of musical expression. The Spanish guitar embodies this with its ties to the Arab oud, the Persian tar, even the sitar, so weaving those strands together seems natural to me."


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Tuesday, August 17, 2021

Healing through music and art: Multidisciplinary artist Harley Cortez dropped the Avant-classical album "An Inventory of Memory: Vol. II

Healing through music and art

 

Multidisciplinary artist Harley Cortez dropped the Avant-classical album “An Inventory of Memory: Vol. II” on Friday

 

Composing, producing and performing the music for “An Inventory of Memory: Vol. II,” which dropped last Friday, was cathartic for multidisciplinary artist Harley Cortez. The album release represents the next phase in his healing process after losing his mother and nephew last year. The musician, painter, filmmaker and writer created a collection of aural examinations of genetic memory purposed with turning loss into something beautiful, which is a fitting description of the eight ambient-classical tracks that comprise the second volume of the four-volume “An Inventory of Memory” recording series.

 

With a history that includes being part of indie solo, duo and band projects and touring as the opener for alt-rock icon Morrissey, Cortez now records electronic instrumentals that are introspective, meditative and moody ruminations. Etching simple yet exquisite melodies and haunting minimalistic refrains, he crafts intimate compositions on piano and keyboards with sparse accompaniment by Modeste Colban (flute and saxophone), Andy Baldwin (violin) and Nancy Kuo’s (Janelle Monae) strings.

 

Cortez’s art over the last few years – music, paintings, drawings, sculptures, writings and experimental films – has focused on the “An Inventory of Memory” theme. He released the first album in the series last December. Early next year, he plans to publish “An Inventory of Memory” book, which is a collection of short stories, poetry and recollections tied to the motif.

 

One of the things I think is really interesting about genetic memory is the idea behind how so much of what our ancestors did can dictate where we’re at, what we’re doing or who we are. Memories we perhaps didn’t know we had, so on and so forth. My mom was a very mystical person; being Native American, she was very spiritual, and my father, who I really didn’t know growing up, was a writer and a pretty well-known painter and musician for where he was. That’s how he made a living. I never really knew him, yet our trajectory was very similar. That’s what really sparked my curiosity in genetic memory, along with the theme of mortality. Those are both very apparent themes in my work,” Cortez recently told the Monster Children website.

 

“The third and fourth ‘An Inventory of Memory’ records are essentially done. I’m putting the finishing touches on both. The third volume will be out in the autumn or early next year around the book release. I’m still adding a couple of little things to the book. Traveling abroad this summer has been great inspiration for the book as well as for my upcoming art exhibitions,” said Cortez while traveling in the Greek Isles.

 

The artist who has exhibited his work in New York City, Los Angeles and Tokyo has several exhibitions slated to open this fall. Late next month, Cortez’s work will be exhibited for two weeks at the Museo Tamayo in Mexico City. In October, he will be part of a major exhibition in New York City curated by noted art critic and poet Donald Kuspit  at the Georges Bergés Gallery. A third show taking place at La Galleria Nuevo Progreso in Mexico in November will include a performance element.

 

“For my solo show opening in Mexico in November, I will conduct a string quartet playing ‘Y (Be Still)’ from “’An Inventory of Memory: Vol. II.’ I’m very excited that the live music will be accompanied by a special dance performance in collaboration with renowned Mexican choreographer Diego Vega,” said Cortez who recently found out that his short film, “The Sick Oyster,” will premiere at the Kinsasha International Film Festival in September.

“This is a bit of a big deal because the lead actors are African and the characters in the film are Congolese. It is a Pan-African film,” said the Los Angeles-based Cortez.

 

For more information, please visit https://www.harleycortez.com.




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Monday, August 16, 2021

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 100 - August 16, 2021 #jazz

Smooth Jazz Chart 
This chart from smoothjazz.com generally updates every Monday. 
When it updates, this post will be repeated with the most recent chart. 






Saturday, August 14, 2021

MPS Records’ summer reissue parade concludes on a high note #jazz

Albums by jazz vocalist Mark Murphy and pianist Monty Alexander dropped Friday on vinyl and CD via Edel Germany in partnership with Bob Frank Entertainment.


It’s been a special summer for jazz lovers and record collectors and another treat arrived on Friday when MPS Records reissued jazz vocalist Mark Murphy’s “Midnight Mood” and pianist Monty Alexander’s “Montreux Alexander: The Monty Alexander Trio Live! at the Montreux Festival” on vinyl and CD. With these two releases, Germany’s first jazz label that was founded in 1968 by Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer has reissued 31 titles by legendary jazz figures, including Ella FitzgeraldDizzy GillespieOscar PetersonDexter GordonFreddie HubbardThe Count Basie Orchestra and George Duke, over the last two months in the US and Canada via Edel Germany in partnership with Bob Frank Entertainment.

 

A quintessential post-bop jazz singer, Murphy was viewed as underrated and revered as one of the finest jazz vocalists of all-time by many. 1967’s “Midnight Mood” finds the inventive singer who crooned blues, scatted bebop and emoted standards with panache paired with eight members of the Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band. However, Murphy opens the collection with a mesmerizing a cappella version of Duke Ellington’s “Jump For Joy.” Murphy swings elegantly on “I Don’t Want Nothin’” and he cowrote the cool “Why and How.” His articulate phrasing stands out on “Alone Together” while the ardent “You Fascinate Me So” is a romantic overture. The singer wrote the somber ballad “Hopeless” and “Sconsolato” cha cha’s to an exotic Latin rhythm. Murphy interprets Ira Gershwin beautifully on “My Ship.” “Just Give Me Time” swings to a bossa nova groove. The set closes with Hoagy Carmichael’s poignant and powerful “I Get Along Without You Very Well.”              

 

The Jamaican-born Alexander teams with bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton for the 1976 set “Montreux Alexander: The Monty Alexander Trio Live! at the Montreux Festival.” Blues, soul and gospel reign on this stellar jazz trio session that rightfully earned Alexander comparisons with his MPS label mate Oscar Peterson. Alexander’s nimble piano is centerstage on this six-song date anchored by the taut rhythm section with each member of the trio afforded equal time to solo.

 

Alexander opens with Ahmad Jamal’s “Nite Mist Blues” before going pop on “Feelings.” He swings on the Ellington, Johnny Mercer and Billy Strayhorn standard “Satin Doll” and then shows off his remarkable speed and dexterity on “Work Song.” Blues and gospel intersect on “Drown in My Own Tears.” The disc marches to an unexpected conclusion with a note of whimsy on “Battle Hymn of the Republic.”   

 

Another tranche of albums from the MPS catalogue will be reissued this fall. For more information and to see what else is coming soon from MPS, please visit https://www.mps-music.com.

 




#  #  #

About MPS

Jazz history was forged in the rustic Black Forest of Germany in 1968 when Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer launched MPS and recorded some of the genre’s seminal artists. Legends like Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson, Dexter Gordon, Freddie Hubbard, The Count Basie Orchestra and George Duke released albums on the prestigious label known for its high-level recording technique and distinctive aesthetic.

About Bob Frank Entertainment

Bob Frank Entertainment (BFE) was formed in 2012 by longtime entertainment business executive and entrepreneur Bob Frank. BFE divisions include Admiral Lane Music PublishingBob Frank Distribution (BFD), independent label Red River Entertainment, and Damson Lane Film Production. BFE has teamed with Germany’s Edel to reissue albums in North America from the famed MPS label.




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Wednesday, August 11, 2021

MPS Records reissued albums by seminal jazz artists Bill Evans and Joe Henderson on Friday #jazz

The albums dropped on vinyl and CD via Edel Germany in partnership with Bob Frank Entertainment.

 

Germany’s first jazz label, MPS Records, reissued a couple of albums from their historic catalogue last Friday when pianist Bill Evans’ “Symbiosis” and saxophonist Joe Henderson’s “Mirror Mirror” dropped on vinyl and CD in the United States and Canada via Edel Germany in partnership with Bob Frank Entertainment.

 

Best known for recording primarily in piano, drums and bass settings, Evans was recognized as the leader of one of the most influential jazz trios and lauded for his work on Miles Davis’s iconic “Kind of Blue” album. 1974’s “Symbiosis” finds Evans in the rare company of an orchestra led by Claus Ogerman, a prolific arranger-composer who has crafted noteworthy recordings in an array of genres by legendary artists such as Frank SinatraStan Getz and Antonio Carlos Jobim to modern day figures like Diana Krall. Ogerman had a flair for melding contemporary classical and jazz, utilizing New York Philharmonic and jazz musicians.

 

The set list on “Symbiosis,” which was reissued last month as a limited-edition orange vinyl LP, is devoid of standards and Evans’ originals. With Evans dispensing lyrical solos on acoustic and electric keyboards, the album’s audacious repertoire is diverse, spanning minimalistic passages, samba-tinged big band numbers, and grand tunes highlighted by lavish string section tracks and cinematic selections typical of the 1970s era. Throughout, Evans inventive finger work remains the captivating centerpiece.

 

Henderson possessed a distinctive sound and style that remained consistent throughout his remarkable career that included a star-making stint playing in Horace Silver’s Quintet and a run as a member of Herbie Hancock’s band. On 1980’s “Mirror Mirror,” which was reissued last month as a limited-edition green vinyl disc, the GRAMMY winner is accompanied by a stellar acoustic lineup recorded in Los Angeles featuring Chick Corea on piano, Ron Carter on bass and Billy Higgins on drums. Corea and Carter each contributed two compositions to the set list while Henderson’s “Joe’s Bolero” is a piece typical of this hard bop, avant-garde recording, a cut that reflects one of the saxman’s primary influences, John Coltrane. The hornman’s virtuoso tenor emotes mellow melodies on the disc’s lone standard, “What’s New?” Although credited as a solo Henderson album, each member of the all-star quartet is given equal opportunity to shine.

 

Since June, MPS has been reissuing albums from their catalogue in North America by jazz royalty, including Ella FitzgeraldDizzy GillespieOscar PetersonDexter GordonFreddie HubbardThe Count Basie Orchestra and George Duke. For more information and to see what else is coming soon from MPS, please visit https://www.mps-music.com.

 

#  #  #

   



    

 

About MPS

 

Jazz history was forged in the rustic Black Forest of Germany in 1968 when Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer launched MPS and recorded some of the genre’s seminal artists. Legends like Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson, Dexter Gordon, Freddie Hubbard, The Count Basie Orchestra and George Duke released albums on the prestigious label known for its high-level recording technique and distinctive aesthetic.

 

 

About Bob Frank Entertainment

 

Bob Frank Entertainment (BFE) was formed in 2012 by longtime entertainment business executive and entrepreneur Bob Frank. BFE divisions include Admiral Lane Music PublishingBob Frank Distribution (BFD), independent label Red River Entertainment, and Damson Lane Film Production. BFE has teamed with Germany’s Edel to reissue albums in North America from the famed MPS label.




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Legendary Pianist Chick Corea Posthumously Releases "Akoustic Band Live" Due September 24 from Concord Records #jazz

Chick Corea Akoustic Band LIVE, due out September 24, 2021 from Concord Jazz, reunites Corea with bassist John Patitucci and drummer Dave Weckl for the first Akoustic Band outing in more than 20 years

Album trailer premiere at WBGO.org

For Immediate Release – The jazz world was stunned and saddened by the unexpected passing of legendary pianist Chick Corea on February 9, 2021, from a rare form of cancer. In a posthumous statement released on his Facebook page, Corea bid farewell to his compatriots and fans in the same joyous spirit with which he always approached the keyboard: “I want to thank all of those along my journey who have helped keep the music fires burning bright. It is my hope that those who have an inkling to play, write, perform or otherwise, do so. If not for yourself then for the rest of us. It’s not only that the world needs more artists, it’s also just a lot of fun.”

Two of the gifted musicians who’d helped Chick keep those fires burning so brightly were bassist John Patitucci and drummer Dave Weckl, the pianist’s bandmates in his storied Akoustic Band. Corea worked hard making sure everything was just right for this first release by the trio in over two decades. Straightforwardly titled Chick Corea Akoustic Band LIVE, the 2-CD set was recorded January 13, 2018 at SPC Music Hall in St. Petersburg, Florida. Due out September 24, 2021 via Concord Jazz, the release serves as a celebratory reminder of Corea’s singular genius, with more than two hours of inspired playing and spirited camaraderie.

WBGO.org has the album trailer premiere here:
https://www.wbgo.org/music/2021-08-09/take-five-a-chick-corea

The Akoustic Band made its debut with 1987’s Summer Night Live, documenting a concert in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. The trio was an outgrowth of Corea’s revered Elektric Band, for which Patitucci and Weckl formed the rhythmic core. The trio remained active through the 1990s, garnering a Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance for their 1989 self-titled studio debut, but then fell silent.

As Robin D.G. Kelley writes in his album notes, the reconvening of the Akoustic Band was a very welcome return, but not exactly a “reunion” in the traditional sense. Corea, Patitucci and Weckl have crossed paths on plenty of occasions over the past two decades, most significantly through the continuing work of the Elektric Band that brought them together in the first place.

“Our Elektric band vibe is never far away,” Corea asserted late last year. “There’s a special relationship that exists from the very beginning of our trio, which was the original nucleus of the Elektric band. We felt it was a good time to re-explore our musical friendship.”

That friendship began in 1985, when Corea enlisted Patitucci and Weckl, both 25 years old and nearly 20 years younger than the renowned keyboardist, for his new project – and electric ensemble to follow on and evolve the innovations sparked by Corea’s ground-breaking Return To Forever. Two years later, the bandleader felt the itch to return to a more traditional jazz setting and surprisingly, instead of recruiting a pair of more acoustically-oriented players, he simply repurposed the rhythm section from the Elektric Band – which spectacular and vaunted results.

With Chick Corea Akoustic Band LIVE, the longstanding rapport forged in the Elektric Band setting is obvious, only bolstered by two further decades of evolution and experience garnered by all three men. “Having made so much music together with the Elektric band,” Corea pointed out, “our rapport had grown deep and there was a lot of riches waiting to be mined after all these years of joyful experience had been had.”

“Playing with Chick and Dave again is really a joy,” said Patitucci prior to Corea’s passing. “The connection we have is very special and stronger than ever.”

Weckl added, “To be able to sit and communicate through the music with Chick and John, two of the most gifted and talented gentlemen to ever touch their respective instruments, is an honor and always a completely gratifying experience.”

The concert begins with a reach back into the vintage Akoustic Band songbook, reprising Corea’s own “Morning Sprite” from the self-titled album. From the get-go, the trio easily picks up where it left off, navigating the tune’s tricky quirks and shifts with an obvious joy at being back together again. It’s followed by the deft elegance of another Corea original, “A Japanese Waltz.”

A shimmering take on the standard “That Old Feeling” gets into the spirit of the lyric, the melody passed among the band members like a memory shared and rehashed between old friends. Duke Ellington’s immortal “In a Sentimental Mood” shifts into a more stately tone, introduced by a mesmerizing Corea solo turn before the full trio essays the familiar composition with a graceful strength. “Rhumba Flamenco,” tapping into the composer’s well-known love for Spanish music, sees the bandmates swept up in an intricate and impassioned triangular dance over its breathless 14-minute span.

Patitucci eloquently introduces another Akoustic Band favorite, Al Dubin and Harry Warren’s “Summer Night,” here a bristling and lush waltz. The first set ends with “Humpty Dumpty,” originally recorded by Corea on 1978’s Alice in Wonderland-themed album The Mad Hatter and by the Akoustic Band on 1991’s Alive. The tune is featured here in two renditions, each bursting with invention and dynamic energy, the second just that much more blistering than the first (and highlighted by a raucous solo intro that finds Corea thundering the strings inside the piano).

Corea also opens the trio’s version of “On Green Dolphin Street” alone, this time twisting the beloved melody through a series of richly layered variations. “Eternal Child,” originally recorded by the Elektric Band on 1988’s Eye of the Beholder, begins with a captivating bowed bass solo by Patitucci, setting an elegiac, aching tone for the poignant ballad. Following with “You and the Night and the Music” would seem to imply a continuation of this wistful tone, but the trio’s twist on the tune takes it into a more brisk, smoldering tempo driven by Weckl’s rifle-crack rhythms.

The music of Thelonious Monk has been a constant inspiration to Corea throughout his career, and he digs deeply into the ruminative “Monk’s Mood” with lush harmonies and eruptive dissonances. Finally, the evening closes with a very special guest appearance by the pianist’s wife, vocalist Gayle Moran Corea, for the demanding ballad “You’re Everything,” originally performed by Flora Purim with the original Return To Forever on 1973’s Light As a Feather.

Gayle’s appearance only underscores the family reunion feel of this long overdue return by the much-missed Akoustic Band. Corea emphasized the collegial nature of so many of his collaborations as he concludes, “I’m blessed with a lifetime of great musical relationships. My best friends are the musicians I’ve worked with. A great part of the joy is the uniqueness of each one of my friends. With each group the musicians‘ creative touch goes way beyond the definition of the instrument that they’re playing. The music of any group I’ve ever played with is defined exactly by the musicians who are a part of it. This applies especially to our trio music, which is created in a very intimate setting.”

Under any circumstances, these thrilling live recordings would be a welcome addition to Corea’s prodigious discography. With the news of his passing still so fresh in listeners’ minds, its release comes as an opportunity for fans to bid farewell while cherishing the communal energy and playful vigor that made the pianist a favorite of jazz lovers around the world for nearly 60 years. And the reunion of the Akoustic Band is emblematic of the esteem in which Corea held his fellow musicians, as he made sure to express in his final statement.

“[To] my amazing musician friends who have been like family to me as long as I’ve known you,” he wrote. “It has been a blessing and an honor learning from and playing with all of you. My mission has always been to bring the joy of creating anywhere I could, and to have done so with all the artists that I admire so dearly—this has been the richness of my life.”
 
Exclusive Chick Corea Akoustic Band LIVE CDs and merchandise available here: http://found.ee/Chick_webstore-j
 
Chick Corea Akoustic Band LIVE is available for pre-order: https://found.ee/ChickCorea_AkousticBandLive 

Track Listing: 
Disc 1:
  1. Morning Sprite
  2. Japanese Waltz
  3. That Old Feeling
  4. In a Sentimental Mood
  5. Rhumba Flamenco
  6. Summer Night
  7. Humpty Dumpty (Set 1)
Disc 2:
  1. On Green Dolphin Street
  2. Eternal Child
  3. You and the Night and the Music
  4. Monk’s Mood
  5. Humpty Dumpty (Set 2)
  6. You’re Everything (featuring Gayle Moran Corea)
Chick Corea on the web:
Official Site: http://chickcorea.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chickcorea/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chickcorea/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/chickcorea/

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R&B-jazz guitarist Adam Hawley certain to stay on top with “Risin’ Up” #jazz

 His fourth album, dropping September 10, features collaborations with Steve Cole,

Vincent Ingala, Julian Vaughn, Riley Richard and Kat Hawley.

 

Dropping his third album two weeks prior to last year’s stay-at-home order due to the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t halt guitarist Adam Hawley’s remarkable chart domination. His R&B-jazz collection “Escape” proved inescapable, scoring three No. 1 singles, including the No. 1 single of 2020, “To The Top.” The musician-songwriter-producer who to date has amassed nine No. 1 singles returns on September 10 with his fourth album, “Risin’ Up,” which will be preceded by the horn-powered title track as the first single that goes for playlist adds on August 16.

 

The second release on Hawley’s MBF Entertainment label, “Risin’ Up” is purposely upbeat after what the world has endured since his last album.

 


“Risin’ Up” represents us as a country ascending over the past year and a half with a sense of renewed purpose and vigor. It’s about overcoming and feeling inspired and hopeful. The title track, featuring a great horn arrangement from David Mann, encapsulates the positivity of this album,” said Hawley, who wrote nine new songs for the set, three of which were cowritten by keyboardist Carnell Harrell.

“I started writing as soon as my last album was released, which coincided with the pandemic. Like many others, I found myself at home with a great deal of time on my hands and spent most of it in the studio writing, experimenting with new sounds, and exploring my creativity.”  

One of the other things that Hawley did during quarantine was launch “AH•Live!,” a weekly Facebook Live show on which he interviews and jams remotely with other prominent musicians from the R&B and contemporary jazz worlds. Connecting with his fellow artists from a different perspective opened the door to new collaborations. That’s how Hawley got saxophonists and fellow chart-toppers Steve Cole, Vincent Ingala and Riley Richard to appear on the album.

“Many of the musicians on the record were people I got to know better through the show and collaborating virtually via my broadcast. It was natural to think of them for this album and I was excited that they agreed,” said Hawley, who will support the new album with concert dates through the end of the year.

Other featured soloists on “Risin’ Up” include bassist Julian Vaughn, who appeared on Hawley’s second album, “Double Vision,” and Kat Hawley, his wife who sings on all of his projects. Kat Hawley’s vocals command the spotlight on “Tell Me You Love Me,” a reimagined Demi Lovato tune that closes the collection.

The album explodes out of the gate with “Gotta Get Up,” a danceable number that recalls the mighty Earth, Wind & Fire horn section. The powerhouse horn arrangement in this case was provided by Michael Stever, Hawley’s former bandmate when the two toured with hitmaker Brian Culbertson.

“I always like to make a statement with the opening track and this funky tune is no exception. Look out for the killer horn break!” said Hawley, who released his first two albums on Kalimba Records, the label founded by EWF visionary Maurice White.

As charismatic as he is a nimble-fingered fretman, Hawley was an in-demand sideman and versatile session player who played with Jennifer LopezNatalie ColeDave KozThe Manhattan TransferBrian McKnight and Backstreet Boys among others before dropping his 2016 debut disc, “Just the Beginning.” He’s performed as a solo artist at festivals, theaters and clubs around the world. An educator who earned a doctorate in music arts from the University of Southern California, Hawley has played in the house band on “American Idol.” For more information, please visit https://adamhawley.com.

        

“Risin’ Up” contains the following songs:

 

“Gotta Get Up”

“Keep It There” featuring Steve Cole

“Right On, Right On” featuring Julian Vaughn

“Let’s Get Down Tonight” featuring Vincent Ingala

“On The One”

“Keep On Dancin’” featuring Riley Richard

“Risin’ Up”

“Come On And Dance”

“Undeniable”

“Tell Me You Love Me” featuring Kat Hawley




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Monday, August 09, 2021

Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 100 - August 9, 2021 #jazz

Smooth Jazz Chart 
This chart from smoothjazz.com generally updates every Monday. 
When it updates, this post will be repeated with the most recent chart. 






Friday, August 06, 2021

Hiromi 'Silver Lining Suite" due out October 8, on Telarc #jazz

VIRTUOSO PIANIST AND COMPOSER HIROMI REVEALS A VIVID, POIGNANT NEW SUITE FOR PIANO AND STRING QUARTET INSPIRED BY
THE EMOTIONAL TOLL OF THE PANDEMIC

Shares dazzling teaser video HERE
 
Silver Lining Suite, due out October 8, 2021 on Telarc, is
a breathtaking blend of jazz invention & classical composition

2020 was a year in which dark clouds gathered early and threatened never to dispel. Silver linings were hard to come by amidst the torrent of bad news, but Hiromi was determined to find one. She found it on the stage of the Blue Note Tokyo, which she helped bring back to life after it was silenced by the pandemic. Dreaming of a quintet with piano and strings she composed Silver Lining Suite, which finds hope in the most trying of times while exemplifying the exhausting range of emotions evoked by the world’s year in quarantine.
 
Due out October 8, 2021 via Telarc (with 2-LP release set for December 3), Silver Lining Suite pairs Hiromi’s virtuosic and emotive piano with a string quartet assembled by violinist Tatsuo Nishie, concertmaster of the New Japan Philharmonic. The results blur the lines between classical music and jazz, crafting a vibrant hybrid possessed of the fervent, rock-inspired energy and cinematic beauty that Hiromi has always instilled in her music.
 
Watch Hiromi’s spectacular teaser video for Silver Lining Suite here: https://youtu.be/g-HjPRjk2zk
 
As the pianist/composer says, “I think there are only two genres: the genre which moves my heart and the genre that doesn’t. So I don’t really mind where this album gets categorized… I’m just playing the music which moves my heart.”
 
Hiromi found herself back in her native Japan after a U.S. tour was suddenly cut short last March. “I had just finished performing in Seattle and had traveled to San Francisco when the state of emergency [was declared],” Hiromi recalls. “We could tell something was starting to happen in Seattle. At night it was a ghost town; people still came to the show, but everybody was so cautious. I couldn't even hug the sound engineer like I always do. Then there was such a weird vibe at the airport. I decided to come to Tokyo to wait and see what would happen, but the situation got worse and worse.”
 
Suddenly cut off from her lifeblood, music, Hiromi was stunned by the unrelenting stream of horrific events affecting lives and livelihoods in the wake of the coronavirus. The devastation wrought on the music business in particular hit close to home. “It was weird, worrying and uncertain in the beginning, full of negative emotions,” she says. “Shows stopped and a lot of venues closed, some of them for good, unfortunately. Whenever I heard that kind of news, I was down. I thought a lot about my friends who work in the music industry, and I started trying to find something positive I could do under this situation.”
 
She found an ideal partner in the Blue Note Tokyo, whose stage usually hosts renowned jazz artists from across the globe. Once venues started to cautiously reopen, Hiromi suggested a series of limited capacity, live-streamed concerts that she dubbed “Save Live Music,” eventually performing a remarkable 32 solo concerts over 16 days in August and September 2020.
 
With a second series scheduled for December and January, Hiromi didn’t want to play alone again. With her usual bandmates an ocean away and unable to travel, she puzzled over what form these concerts would take. She’d befriended Tatsuo Nishie after performing with the New Japan Philharmonic, so the idea of a piano quintet began to take shape. “I’ve always had a passion for writing for strings,” she explains, having studied composition while a student at Berklee College of Music. “I put four chairs on stage near the piano and something clicked in my head. I saw that setting, piano and four empty chairs, and I started to hear something. I knew it was going to work. I called Tatsuo before I even wrote any music.”
 
Nishie was tasked with finding musicians who could play Hiromi’s classically inspired compositions while being able to veer into jazz vocabulary. He enlisted violinist Sohei Birmann, violist Meguna Naka, and cellist Wataru Mukai – the latter a particularly vital choice, called upon to play pizzicato walking bass lines.
 
The suite begins with “Isolation,” an emotional state that everyone became intimate with during the course of the pandemic. A single voice is soon joined by others in a determined, graceful dance that sparks a flurrying solo from Hiromi, sounding as if the floodgates of her creative imagination were suddenly flung open. Dark and agitated lines scatter and converge on “The Unknown,” depicting the fear and unpredictability that marked the progress of the last year.
 
Those sensations left many feeling adrift, lost at sea, a notion captured beautifully on the melancholic “Drifters.” Emotions had a way of ping-ponging from one extreme to another throughout the experience, and Hiromi and the quartet regroup with the steely “Fortitude,” a testament to the resilience of the musical community that has weathered this terrible storm. “Uncertainty,” which opens with an introspective solo turn by the pianist, was a late addition to the suite. Hiromi composed the tremulous piece after her January series was postponed to March by a return to lockdown conditions in Japan, as a portrait of the moment and a gift to the audiences who patiently reconvened in the spring.
 
The three remaining pieces are expanded compositions from Hiromi’s “One Minute Portrait” series, in which she played virtual duos with long-distance collaborators on her Instagram page. Determination turns to hope on the resolute “Someday,” originally played with bassist Avishai Cohen, which seems to insist that an end will, eventually, arrive. The lively “Jumpstart,” initially a fiery pairing with pianist Stefano Bollani, predicts the renewal that will come with that long-anticipated moment. And the tango-inspired “Ribera del Duero,” from a duo with harpist Edmar Castaneda, is named for Hiromi’s favorite wine, something she looks forward to once again sharing with friends.
 
Finally, “11:49PM” is reprised from the 2012 trio album Move, inspired by a quote from Shakespeare’s Macbeth: “The night is long that never finds the day.” The line gave Hiromi hope that she would one day play in front of adoring audiences once again.
 
“The morning will come,” she insists. “The sun will rise again. That's why I kept writing music. It shows my emotional journey through the pandemic.”
 
In the summer of 2021, Hiromi was invited to perform for the opening ceremonies of the Tokyo Olympics.
Silver Lining Suite is available for pre-order here:  https://found.ee/hiromi_silverliningsuite
 
Hiromi on the web:
Website: http://www.hiromimusic.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HiromiFan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hiromimusic/

Best selling smooth jazz at amazon.com