Drummer Holly Channell to release debut recording "Not Just A Standard" #jazz #music

Drummer Holly Channell to release debut recording "Not Just A Standard" Holly Channell - Drums Jason Palmer - trumpet Mike Kocour - piano Ben Headquist - bass Release Date: September 20th, 2024 (Fresh Sound New Talent)

Message from Holly! This is a very special project for me. I chose to do my debut album with arranged jazz standards because that’s how I learned to play and appreciate this music. Black American music is sacred music to me. It cuts deeper, and I am grateful to be a guest within this art form. I became enchanted by this music in January 2017 in a Jazz History class taught by Dr Ryan Nielsen. It was in this class that my life changed. He wasn’t afraid to teach the real meaning of this music, where it really came from, and the realities of the real history of the United States and where we are with those realities today. In this class I learned about Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong and many other incredible human beings who used their gifts in music to fight for their basic human rights and tell their stories. I knew right there and then that I wanted to be on that side of history. Since that class I dedicated myself to the craft, and not just with playing but with striving to understand and respect the seat that I am now sitting in and who sat before me. I will always strive to acknowledge and accept that. I have a debt of gratitude to Dr Ryan Nielsen for his bravery, courage, and willingness to teach the truth in a place where that’s not always accepted.  And Thank YOU of course, to Jordi Pujol and Fresh Sound for taking a chance on me and putting out this record! I hope everyone that listens to this record dances a little. -With Love, Holly

About Holly Channell Holly Channell is an American drummer, musician, educator and composer based in Boston, MA. Versatile, Holly plays everything from Straight Jazz to Pop and Rock. Recently off a tour celebrating the Academy Award Winning lyricist Dorothy Fields, Holly is currently set to release her Debut Jazz Album “Not Just a Standard” with FreshSound Records on a planned 2024 release. Holly’s sound steers from the straight ahead jazz tradition, but is influenced heavily from the 90’s and early 2000’s alternative sounds she grew up listening to. Finding her voice, she resonates heavily with drummers such as Roy Haynes, Max Roach and Elvin Jones, but also appreciates the sounds from the late Taylor Hawkins, Jeff Porcaro, and Nirvana’s Dave Grohl. Holly started playing drums at age 10, being introduced to the craft by her late Metal-Drumming uncle, Brice Chaput. By age 15, Holly was studying percussion classically, touring with a Symphony Orchestra, and teaching privately and in group educational settings. In 2017 Holly was introduced to the world of Jazz, and never looked back. She got her BA in Jazz Studies, her Master of Music in Jazz Performance from ASU studying with the great Lewis Nash, and received a Master of Global Jazz from Berklee College of Music. Through her education and early career she was able to learn, play and create mentorships with Kobie Watkins, Benny Green, Roxy Coss, Jason Palmer, Wycliffe Gordon and many others. At Berklee Global Jazz Institute Holly worked heavily with Danilo Perez, John Patitucci, Joe Lovano, Marco Pignataro, Jerry Leake, Tony Malaby, Ron Savage, Terri Lyne Carrington and Yoron Israel. In 2023, Holly was Recognized and awarded as a Sister in Jazz with the Jazz Education Network where she got to work under the direction of acclaimed bassist Marion Hayden. Along with her upcoming jazz album, Holly has also released self-produced singer-songwriter singles under the pseudonym Holly Marie, which helps her go back to her roots when she first started music; picking up a Guitar for Dummies Book. These releases are available on all streaming platforms. Holly continues to teach privately and in higher education while performing with musicians from around the world. She is also a loving mother and wife. As a member of the LGBTQ+ Community, she continues to be an advocate for human rights not only as a queer member of society, but as a woman in a man’s world. She is currently working on a musical project revolving around the life cycle of a woman in the United States and is set to premiere it at the Berklee Global Jazz Festival in April 2024. Along with educating her own studio of music students and at University, Holly performs and is a clinician at Jazz festivals throughout the world, some of which include the Panama Jazz Festival, BYU-Idaho Jazz festival, Highland Jazz Festival, Berklee Global Jazz Festival and many others.

For more information, please visit: www.hollychanellmusic.com

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TENOR SAXOPHONIST JOEY BERKLEY ROARS BACK FROM BATTLE WITH FOCAL DYSTONIA.. #jazz #music

TENOR SAXOPHONIST JOEY BERKLEY ROARS BACK FROM FOCAL DYSTONIA WITH THE BLISTERING THREE MOVEMENT "A SUITE LIFE" Joey Berkley (tenor sax, compositions), with:  Sarah Cion (piano) Adam Pasqual (keys/organ) Paul Bollenback, Chris Biesterfeldt, Al Orlo (guitars) Josh Sherwood (bass) Chris Parker, Mike Campenni (drums) Doug Hinrichs, Victoria Berdy (percussion) Kaia van der Mark (vocals, track 3) Release Date: July 26, 2024 (Independent)

About the Recording: Toronto-born, New York-based tenor saxophonist Joey Berkley is proud to announce the release of A Suite Life, a new and triumphant extended suite, Berkley’s first release since recovery from the movement disorder called focal dystonia. Even through the ongoing journey toward 100-percent capacity, Berkley proves a captivating presence on the horn, with full-bodied tone, dexterous facility and big ears, drawing on decades of experience among the top ranks. His career as a tenor player and recording artist evolved in stages, from in-demand sideman to the founder/leader and composer/arranger of the Joey Berkley Quartet (Made in NYC, More ’N Four), Funkasaurus Rex (Etched in Stone), Joey Berkley’s Bandits (self-titled) and the Joey Berkley Band (Moving Forward).   “Wired,” the leadoff single from A Suite Life, is accompanied by a self-produced video chronicling Berkley’s entry as Patient #2 in an experimental NIH study that would end up giving him back his cherished career. Via insertion of an electrode into the brain and a battery connected under the collarbone, surgeons were able to restore Berkley’s ability to play, although the muscle memory he’d acquired over 40 years as a working musician would have to be rebuilt. A Suite Life not only charts Berkley’s jaw-dropping progress but pushes forward to new musical terrain.   A Suite Life is a statement of gratitude and joy, but more than that it captures a spirit, the sound of deeply rewarding musical associations that Berkley has formed in the course of his work as a player and veteran music educator and bandleader. The personnel shifts among the three tracks, but the presence of bassist Josh Sherwood, a student at the Westchester Center for Jazz and Contemporary Music (where Berkley serves as director), is as a clear and compelling through-line. Other up-and-coming talent on A Suite Life includes organist/keyboardist Adam Pasqual and guest vocalist Kaia van der Mark, daughter of the album’s producer and engineer Robert van der Mark.   The suite begins with “Day After Tomorrow,” grooving and tight, with hip Rhodes chord patterns kicking off an extended journey with complex written lines, stark dynamic shifts and lyrical, Latin-tinged passages. Berkley’s tenor is fiery and melodic, guiding the piece through its labyrinthine architecture with a soulful and surefooted attack. Sarah Cion is on keyboards, with the sought-after Paul Bollenback on guitar and Mike Campenni on drums.   “Wired” is the rocker of the suite, with a strutting backbeat, ace rhythm and lead work from Biesterfeldt and still more bracing tenor work from Berkley across a furious seven minutes of intricate through-composed development. Pasqual is on keys along with one of Berkley’s most trusted and enduring associates, Chris Parker, on drums. “All Will Be Well,” the epic closing track, ebbs and flows between ballad tempo, relaxed swing and swaying piano-based pop, with layered harmony vocals swirling in and out of the arrangement for haunting atmosphere. Cion, a surefooted harmonic guide on acoustic piano throughout the complex score, delivers a knotty and adventurous solo of her own eight minutes in.   The lyric of “All Will Be Well” is derived from a poem written by Julian of Norwich, a 14th-century mystic who lived through the Black Death. Berkley first heard this poem from a hospital chaplain who visited the night before his brain surgery. “The poem became a mantra for me as the night wore on into the next day,” Berkley recalls, “and it remained important to me during the recovery period as well. To me it is a call to faith beyond our ability to understand.”   Here and throughout A Suite Life, Berkley harnesses his exceptional melodic gift and boldly reclaims his tenor voice, finding closure as he puts his long and established career back on track. “As a jazz musician I’m coming from Miles and Coltrane and Rollins, that era,” he says, “and of course Michael Brecker is a huge influence as he was for everybody. I also enjoy a lot of R&B and I’m into combining different styles. I’m not hung up on labels, I just make music.”   Berkley is also inspired to pay it forward, seeking ways to help other musicians dealing with effects of dystonia and other neurological ailments. In fact, patient #3 and #4 in the NIH study had direct communication with Berkley prior to their decision to seek out the same treatment opportunity. Berkley’s generosity, indefatigable spirit, and above all monster tenor chops all come into focus on A Suite Life, with the promise of still more extraordinary music to come. About Joey Berkley: Born in Toronto Canada, Joey Berkley moved to NYC in 1979 after graduating w/honors from the Music Program at Humber College. A jazz musician firmly rooted in the tradition of Coltrane, Miles, and Monk, Joey Berkley incorporated these influences to develop his own sound. Berkley’s career as a tenor saxophonist and recording artist has evolved through a variety of stages: from in-demand sideman to the founder/leader and composer/arranger of various bands including: The Joey Berkley Quartet (“Made in NYC”, “More ‘N Four”), Funkasaurus Rex (“Etched in Stone”), Joey Berkley’s Bandits (self-titled), The Joey Berkley Band (“Moving Forward”). And more recently the single “Wired” In 2015 Mr. Berkley became the director of The Westchester Center for Jazz and Contemporary Music. An educator with over 35 years’ experience, he developed a curriculum designed to challenge students with a commitment to excellence, focusing on the fundamentals of jazz and a commitment to artistic expression regardless of the playing level. Prior to his role as director of the Center, he served over 15 my years at Fox Lane MS/HS, Bedford, NY. As their Woodwind Specialist, he also directed both the Middle School and High School Jazz Ensembles. Notably in 2016 under his direction, the HS jazz quartet finished 2nd at the Berklee HS Jazz Competition. He is regularly brought in to consult and work with various area high school and university jazz ensembles, including the Westchester All-County Jazz organization and St. John’s University jazz band. 2019 was the beginning of a crisis. Another period of Joey’s life filled with turmoil. It became a turning point in Mr Berkley’s life when he was forced to end a 40+ year career as a saxophonist due to a neurological movement disorder called Focal Dystonia in his left hand. Despite an immense sense of loss and feeling devastated, Joey chose to fight back by seeking a solution. Unwilling to accept his fate, he found one at NIH in Bethesda MD! Joey was accepted into their study program, an experimental treatment for Dystonia. On Friday March 12, 2021 Joey became Patient #2 and underwent brain surgery to implant an electrode into his brain and connecting it to a battery near his collar-bone. Miraculously, this risky choice controlled the symptoms of Dystonia, allowing him to play again. During this entire time it is important to note that Joey was very public about his situation after keeping it hidden for many years until the symptoms became progressively worse. The reason being twofold: wanting the respect of his peers on the NY music-scene, which has always been a major priority for Joey. Plus, having the opportunity to maybe help another musician (worldwide) with a similar fate. As a matter of fact, Patient #3 and #4 had direct communication with Joey prior to their decision to seek out this treatment opportunity. Today Mr Berkley is gradually taking steps to reclaim his life as a jazz musician by recording and performing in clubs. He is set to release “A Suite Life”which he wrote to express his experiences throughout this entire nightmare and therefore finding closure as he moves forward and continues to grow as a musician.

For more information, click below: www.joeyberkley.com

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Smooth Jazz Chart - Weekly Top 100 - May 27, 2024 #jazz #music

Smooth Jazz Chart 

This chart from smoothjazz.com generally updates every Monday. 

When it updates, this post will be repeated with the most recent link. 

Click here to view the smoothjazz.com chart for this week

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A Memorial Day Worth Remembering #memorialday #music

Andy Rooney On How Memorial Day Should Be Celebrated

The following is a weekly 60 Minutes commentary by CBS News Correspondent Andy Rooney.

"There is more bravery at war than in peace, and it seems wrong that we have so often saved this virtue to use for our least noble activity - war. The goal of war is to cause death to other people."



Tomorrow is Memorial Day, the day we have set aside to honor by remembering all the Americans who have died fighting for the thing we like the most about our America: the freedom we have to live as we please.

No official day to remember is adequate for something like that. It's too formal. It gets to be just another day on the calendar. No one would know from Memorial Day that Richie M., who was shot through the forehead coming onto Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944, wore different color socks on each foot because he thought it brought him good luck.

No one would remember on Memorial Day that Eddie G. had promised to marry Julie W. the day after he got home from the war, but didn’t marry Julie because he never came home from the war. Eddie was shot dead on an un-American desert island, Iwo Jima.

For too many Americans, Memorial Day has become just another day off. There's only so much time any of us can spend remembering those we loved who have died, but the men, boys really, who died in our wars deserve at least a few moments of reflection during which we consider what they did for us.

They died.

We use the phrase "gave their lives," but they didn’t give their lives. Their lives were taken from them.

There is more bravery at war than in peace, and it seems wrong that we have so often saved this virtue to use for our least noble activity - war. The goal of war is to cause death to other people.

Because I was in the Army during World War II, I have more to remember on Memorial Day than most of you. I had good friends who were killed.

Charley Wood wrote poetry in high school. He was killed when his Piper Cub was shot down while he was flying as a spotter for the artillery.

Bob O'Connor went down in flames in his B17.

Obie Slingerland and I were best friends and co-captains of our high school football team. Obie was killed on the deck of the Saratoga when a bomb that hadn’t dropped exploded as he landed.

I won’t think of them anymore tomorrow, Memorial Day, than I think of them any other day of my life.

Remembering doesn’t do the remembered any good, of course. It's for ourselves, the living. I wish we could dedicate Memorial Day, not to the memory of those who have died at war, but to the idea of saving the lives of the young people who are going to die in the future if we don’t find some new way - some new religion maybe - that takes war out of our lives.

That would be a Memorial Day worth celebrating.

Written By Andy Rooney © MMV, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
This segment was originally broadcast on May 29, 2005.

Lalah Hathaway Releases New Single “I Am” | LISTEN! New Album “VANTABLACK” Drops June 14th, 2024 #R&B #music

Music Royalty, Multi-Award Winning Singer-Songwriter and Producer, LALAH HATHAWAY Releases Uptempo New Song, “I AM” Lifted From Her Upcoming Eighth Studio Album, “VANTABLACK” 

The up-tempo and already fan-favorite song, “I AM” serves as the second offering from Lalah Hathaway’s upcoming eighth studio album, “VANTABLACK.” “I Am, I think people will be delighted to hear me with some tempo! I’m always trying to figure out how to apply these lush tones over dance music! How can i be featured on the subwoofer in your G Wagon? This is a 4 on the floor full of positive affirmation…I think i may have cracked the code!,” shares Lalah.

The anticipated eighth studio album will be globally released on June 14th, 2024, and is available for pre-orders now, via the Hathaway Entertainment/SRG-ILS Group (Virgin Music Group) label imprint.

Earlier this month, music lovers abroad were introduced to the “VANTABLACK ERA” with the release of the official single, “SO IN LOVE.” The song has already cracked the Billboard R&B Top 40 charts. ‘So In Love’ was written by Philip Beaudreau and I a couple years ago with the intention to pitch it, but we loved it so much and decided to sit with it for a while. I’ve recently added it to my show and it’s one of the most beloved pieces that we perform.” ‘So In Love’ has such a vibe and like a lot of the work i do, it explores some of the more non traditional ideas about love, and self love. The video does this on a grand scale!”, she adds.

Lalah Hathaway comments, “VANTABLACK was always the name of the project. The word itself has so much weight on it, I was really unsure of how to approach the idea of writing the song. At the time, what I thought were conflicting perspectives, actually began to shape the concept of not only this album but also how I saw myself. I started reframing how I saw color, in terms of being the blackest I’ve ever been and even though I’m steeped in who I am, it doesn’t exclude the other things that make up the sum of me. Similar to how all the music around me informs the black music that I create. So it’s all a melting pot and this song truly exemplifies that.”

CONNECT WITH LALAH HATHAWAY:
Website: www.LalahHathaway.com
Instagram: @LalahHathaway
X: @LalahHathaway
Meta: /LalahHathaway

2R’s Entertainment & Media PR

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R&B/Jazz saxophonist Isaac Edwards celebrates love "With You" #jazz #music

                                  

R&B/Jazz saxophonist Isaac Edwards celebrates love “With You”

 

The new single that he wrote with multi-time Grammy nominee Darren Rahn is now collecting playlist adds.

 The seven-year itch, the idea that happiness in relationships declines and divorce rates spike after seven years, certainly does not apply to R&B/jazz saxophonist Isaac Edwards’s marriage. Having recently celebrated his eighth wedding anniversary, Edwards teamed with multiple Grammy nominated hitmaker Darren Rahn (Dave Koz, Blake Aaron, Tim Bowman, Nick Colionne) to write “With You,” a jubilant, high-energy single released last Friday (May 17) that he penned as a bright bouquet to honor his wife, Laura. Edwards produced the Songs in My Pocket Music release that began collecting playlist adds on Monday (May 20).

 

“With You” finds Edwards in the company of frequent collaborator Jacob Webb, bassist and a Billboard chart-topper in his own right. Playing over the sturdy funk groove constructed by Webb and drummer Kevin Marsh, Jordan Love adds guitar to embellish the ebullient melodies created by Edwards’s saxophone, keyboards and synths.

 

With a full and grateful heart, Edwards composed “With You” in an attempt to capture his feelings for his partner.

 

“Life with Laura is very upbeat and magical. When I think of her, the phrase that keeps coming to me is that ‘she literally makes everything better,’ which is totally true. Laura lights up the room when she enters, and she's filled my life with so much joy, hope, and happiness,” said Edwards who resides in Southern California with Laura and their two children.

 

One of Edwards’s previous singles, “On The Town,” hit the Billboard chart. He’s released four albums, including a gospel-jazz outing titled “Here,” which garnered a Shai Award nomination, the Canadian equivalent to a Dove Award. The saxman studied under the tutelage of six-time Grammy nominated saxophonist Eric Marienthal and three-time Grammy nominated sax player Jeff Clayton. His formal training came by earning a bachelor’s degree in music performance (saxophone) and a master’s degree in jazz studies. An overachiever by nature, Edwards also received a law degree from Pepperdine University.

 

Crafting musical collages from jazz, R&B, funk and gospel, Edwards has performed or recorded with Grammy-winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum, guitarist Adam Hawley, soul/funk band DW3, bassists Darryl Williams and Malcolm-Jamal Warner, and ten-time Grammy-winning vocalist Joel Kibble of Take 6. 

 

Catch Edwards perform “With You” live at the Monserate Winery in Fallbrook, CA on June 23.

 

Edwards’ “With You” is now available on Spotify, Apple Music or iTunes by visiting https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/isaacedwards/with-you.

 

For more information, visit https://isaacedwardsmusic.com.

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Roberto Vally Releases "D Train Express" #jazz #music

Roberto Vally D Train Express Impacting April 9, 2024 Format: Jazz

Perhaps for the sake of gaining a toehold in contemporary jazz with colorful takes on the familiar, veteran bassist Roberto Vally began his streak of popular singles on Woodward Avenue Records with playful re-imaginings of “Birdland” and “The Chicken.” Beyond his formidable and inventive bass artistry, his evolution as a composer/producer over the past few years has been an inspiring revelation. On a thematic level, there’s something even deeper going on now. In a genre where artists often just create infectious radio friendly tunes to uplift the spirits of their fans and listeners, Vally’s been giving us something more over his last few releases – fascinating insights into his personal and professional life.   In addition to compelling artwork, Vally’s two releases in 2023 painted unique musical portraits of his passions.  “Woody’s Gap” was inspired by a hike he took on the Appalachian Trail with pianist Carol Albert, who he had just played some gigs with. The title came from a sign he saw for a mount ridge gap in North Georgia. On “Last Flight Home,” he shared a glimpse of his whirlwind life as a veteran touring sidemen for countless contemporary jazz greats. The cover of the single showed him walking towards a small plane at sunset – an ongoing reality for those musicians who live their dreams while contributing to the sound and energy of others living theirs.

The plucky soul, snappy funk groove and exuberant rolling energy of Vally’s latest instantly engaging new single “D Train Express” takes us back to another special time in his life, his early years growing up in Brooklyn – where taking NYC’s “D Train” was a core part of the urban experience. As the song builds cool, easy flowing momentum towards its explosive hook (twice), we can experience it as a soundtrack to a long ride on the tracks – sometimes easing along slowly, then picking up speed to get us to our destination faster. Like being on the train, the musical ride is full of fascinating dynamics, ebbs and flows. After a chill intro driven by Mark Etheredge’s keyboard sparkles (getting on board), Vally draws us into his irrepressible groove, his catchy, seductive and easygoing low toned melody riding over the tight funkiness of Gorden Campbell’s drums. Matching the first gentle, then more intense clackety clack of the train leaving the station, Etheredge’s brighter high notes form a colorful duality with Vally’s darker tones. As the ride picks up speed, Andrew Neu’s always welcome sax magic, combined with the sizzling Vally-Etheredge fire, kicks us into a whole new dimension, complete with subtle rising horns (dynamically arranged by Neu) as we prepare for the train to soar through (and/or below) the city. Full of sax, bass and keyboard fury, with the added dazzle of Vally’s wordless vocals (like chatter among the passengers), the aforementioned hook is fun, lighthearted and exciting, more along the lines of an enjoyable day trip than the hustle and bustle of rush hour.  After a quick, whimsical bass fill, the steady groove and main bass melody return for a short spell before Neu pops in again, doubling mightily with the bass to create a different dynamic than Vally had with Etheredge on the first iteration of the verse part. The second hook is an even greater jam than the first, as if we can imagine the passengers up dancing and forgetting just how fast the train is going. Then things slow down (imagine coasting to a stop to let passengers off) with some echoing synth effects, a few piano chords and a dreamy touch or two from Neu. Etheredge then gets his moment to shine with a spirited piano solo before the chorus kicks in once again. Just to make sure listeners are paying attention before the train reaches its final destination, Vally elevates his vocal presence by showcasing his scatting expertise. In four and a half minutes, the bassist takes us on a rousing, multi-faceted journey through his beloved hometown that none of us listener/passengers will soon forget!

D Train Express Roberto Vally – Bass & Percussion Mark Etheredge – Keyboards, Gorden Campbell – Drums Andrew Neu – Saxophones & Horn Arrangement, Michael Stever – Trumpet Written by Roberto Vally & Mark Etheredge, Produced by Roberto Vally Mixed by Paul Brown, Mastered by Rainer Gembalczyk  Executive Producer – Mark Nordman

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