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RETURN TO FOREVER
ANNOUNCES 2008 TOUR
Return to Forever's classic lineup of keyboardist Chick Corea, bassist Stanley Clarke, guitarist Al Di Meola and drummer Lenny White have announced a tour that will represent their first extensive engagements together in 30 years.
The foursome will play more than 50 dates across North America and Europe, featuring primarily classic music from their chart-topping albums. Beginning in Austin, Texas, on May 29th, the legendary supergroup will swing across the U.S. and Canada in June, cross the Atlantic for July dates in Europe from Lithuania to London, then return to the States for an East Coast run of major venues.
Fans should check their local venues for ticket on-sale information or visit www.return2forever.com for the latest information and unique VIP fan experience ticket packages.
The tour includes top outdoor festivals such as the Montreux Festival, the Montreal International Festival, Spain's San Sebastian festival, France's Nice Festival and the Freihofer’s Festival in Saratoga Springs, NY, as well as theaters and concert halls chosen to showcase what LA Times critic Don Heckman calls Return to Forever's "rich improvisational symbiosis."
"What made me want to do it, " Corea told the Times, "was just recalling how great the feeling was playing with these guys. Just the experience of playing, when I thought, 'Wow, yeah, that was an amazing period -- fun, creative, exciting.'"
Heckman, who attended the band's first rehearsal, said the group is now "bringing a 21st century perspective to the visceral blend of rock energy with the improvisation and compositional structures of jazz that made the quartet a phenomenon of the '70s."
Original Return to Forever fans and a new generation of listeners can experience their unparalleled high-powered, yet grooving, musical mastery themselves this summer. Tour dates are below.
A special Return to Forever anthology, compiled from the classic albums 'Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy', 'Where Have I Known You Before', 'No Mystery' and 'Romantic Warrior' and featuring dramatic sonic improvements, will also be released to coincide with the tour. This definitive collection, which was produced by founding RTF members Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke, is the first to include music from all these albums in one double-CD package.
Find out more about Return To Forever and additional tour dates at www.return2forever.com.
Tour Dates
(Note: Fans should check with their local venues for ticket on-sale dates.)
May
29-30 (Thu-Fri) Austin, TX - Paramount Theatre
31 (Sat) Houston, TX - Verizon Wireless Center
June
1 (Sun) Dallas, TX – Nokia Theater at Grand Prairie
3 (Tue) Denver, CO - Paramount Theatre
4 (Wed) Salt Lake City, UT – Kingsbury Hall
6 (Fri) Portland, OR - Schnitzer Concert Hall
7 (Sat) Medford, OR - Britt Music Festival
8 (Sun) Seattle, WA – The Paramount
9 (Mon) Vancouver, BC – The Centre in Vancouver For Performing Arts
11-12 (Wed-Thu) San Francisco, CA - The Grand At The Regency Center (2 shows/night)
13 (Fri) Los Angeles, CA – Gibson Amphitheatre
14 (Sat) Phoenix, AZ - Dodge Theatre
17 (Tue) St Louis, MO – Fox Theatre
18 (Wed) Omaha, NE - Holland Performing Arts Center
19 (Thu) Minneapolis, MN - Orpheum Theatre
20 (Fri) Chicago, IL – The Chicago Theatre
21 (Sat) Detroit, MI - Freedom Hill Amphitheatre
22 (Sun) Indianapolis, IN - Murat Theatre
24 (Tue) Cleveland, OH – The Plain Dealer Pavilion
25 (Wed) Toronto, Canada - Sony Centre
26 (Thu) Ottawa, Canada - Ottawa Jazz Festival/Confederation Park
27 (Fri) Montreal, Canada - Pelletier Hall/Place Des Arts
28 (Sat) Saratoga Springs, NY – Freihofer’s Jazz Festival
July
2 (Wed) Vilnius, Lithuania - Utenos Arena
4 (Fri) Warsaw, Poland - Congress Hall
5 (Sat) Budapest, Hungary - Budapest Arena
6 (Sun) Belgrade, Serbia - Belgrade Arena
8 (Tue) Paris, France – Olympia Hall
9 (Wed) Vienne, France – Vienne Jazz Festival
10 (Thu) Madrid, Spain - Via Jazz Festival
11 (Fri) Girona, Spain - Cap Roig Festival
12 (Sat) Lorca, Spain
13 (Sun) Valencia, Spain
16 (Wed) Neuhardenberg, Germany
18 (Fri) Montreux, Switzerland - Montreux Jazz Festival
19 (Sat) Essen, Germany - Grugahalle
21 (Mon) London, England – Indigo2
23 (Wed) Nice, France - Nice Jazz Festival
25 (Fri) San Sebastian, Spain
30 (Wed) Miami, FL – The Fillmore Miami Beach
31 (Thu) Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall
August
1 (Fri) Orlando, FL - House Of Blues
2 (Sat) Atlanta, GA - Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
4 (Mon) Baltimore, MD - Merriweather Post Pavilion
5 (Tue) Philadelphia, PA - Mann Center For The Performing Arts – w/ Béla Fleck and The Flecktones
6 (Wed) Boston, MA - Bank Of America Pavilion – w/ Béla Fleck and The Flecktones
7 (Thu) New York, NY - United Palace
2008 ASCAP FOUNDATiON
YOUNG JAZZ COMPOSER AWARD
RECiPiENTS ANNOUNCED
New York, NY, February 7, 2008: ASCAP Foundation President Marilyn Bergman has announced the recipients of the 2008 ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer Awards. This program, established in 2002, was created to encourage gifted jazz composers from throughout the United States. The recipients, who range in age from 14 to 29, are selected through a juried national competition. They receive cash awards, and will be recognized at the annual ASCAP Jazz Wall of Fame ceremony on June 17, 2008, which will be held in The Allen Room, Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center on Broadway at 60th Street, New York City. Commenting on the awards, Marilyn Bergman said, "The young jazz creators recognized through this program represent the future of this uniquely American art form. We congratulate the recipients and extend thanks to the dedicated panel of ASCAP composers who selected the honorees." The Young Jazz Composer Awards are in their third year of sponsorship by Gibson Foundation, the philanthropic arm of musical giant Gibson Guitar Corp. The Gibson Foundation supports The ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer Awards in fulfillment of its commitment to educational excellence through music and the arts. This year’s ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer Award recipients, ages 18-29, are: Roy Assaf, 25 (New York, NY); Sharel Cassity, 29 (New York, NY); Michael Dease, 25 (New York, NY); Jesse Elder, 24 (New York, NY); Quamon Fowler, 27 (Ft. Worth, TX); Ross Garren, 22 (Los Angeles, CA); Tyler Gilmore, 25 (Denver, CO); Nicholas Grondin, 25 (Lee, NH); Alex Heitlinger, 27 (New York, NY); Bryson Kern, 25 (Astoria, NY); Pascal Le Boeuf, 21 (Santa Cruz, CA); Remy Le Boeuf, 21 (Santa Cruz, CA); Ben Markley, 25 (Longmont, CO); Linda Oh, 23 (New York, NY); Rick Parker, 29 (Brooklyn, NY); Joshua Richman, 21 (Hatfield, PA); Sherisse Rogers, (New Castle, DE); Kendrick Scott, 27 (New York, NY); Jaleel Shaw, 29 (Paterson, NJ); Stephen Smith, 27 (Wichita Falls, TX); and Omar Thomas, 23 (Bear, DE). The youngest ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composers, ages 14 to 16, are: Lucas Apostoleris, 14 (MA); Joel Carini, 15 (NY); Grace Kelly, 15 (MA); Noah Kellman, 16 (NY); David Lantz, 16 (PA); and Elijah Shiffer, 16 (NY). Composers receiving Honorable Mention are: Patrick Cornelius, 29 (Astoria, NY); Shaul Einav, 25, (Rochester, NY); Eric Hirsh, 23 (Durham, NC); James Hirschfeld, 26, (New York, NY); Jimmy Macbride, 16 (CT); Adam Ratner, 20 (Encino, CA); Matt Savage, 15, (NH); and Ted Taforo,18, (CA). The ASCAP composer/judges for the 2008 competition were: John Fedchock, Jay Leonhart, and Rufus Reid. About Gibson Foundation
Founded in 2002 as the philanthropic division of Gibson Guitar, the Gibson Foundation is committed to making the world a better place for children worldwide through its own initiatives and by its support of other non-profit organizations that advance music and the arts, health and welfare, education, and environmental causes. Gibson Foundation's environmental partners include A Child's Right, Environmental Defense, Free the Children, Global Green, Rainforest Alliance, and WaterAid. Through its support of these organizations, Gibson Foundation helps to fight global warming and provide clean water, as well as promote biodiversity and sustainable livelihoods, green building, and the safe elimination of weapons of mass destruction. The impact of the support provided by the Gibson Foundation is felt by millions of people each year. About The ASCAP Foundation
Founded in 1975, The ASCAP Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to supporting American music creators and encouraging their development through music education and talent development programs. Included in these are songwriting workshops, grants, scholarships, awards, recognition and community outreach programs, and public service projects for senior composers and lyricists. The ASCAP Foundation is supported by contributions from ASCAP members and from music lovers throughout the United States. www.ascapfoundation.org
FRENCH RAVES FOR JARRETT BOX
As previously noted, ECM celebrates the 25th anniversary of the trio of Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette by re-releasing their first three albums as a specially-priced limited edition box set, accompanied by a booklet with rare photos and an insightful essay by Swiss jazz writer Peter Rüedi. “Setting Standards” revisits “Standards Vol. I”, “Standards II” and “Changes”, recordings made in New York’s Power Station in January 1983.
The French press, always keen to analyze Jarrett, is already dedicating large articles to this reisssue and the trio’s jubilee. The weekly “L’express”, exploring the “story of a success”, observes that “these original albums haven’t lost any of their freshness” and concludes: “In questions of balance between the musicians involved and of sheer inventiveness, these three discs have no equal today.” “Il y a 25 ans, Keith Jarrett faisait sa révolution” reads the headline of Bertrand Dicale’s full-page article for the daily “Le Figaro”. The French journalist suggests that these three records may have represented the “last true revolution” in jazz, leaving no doubt that they amount “to one of the most abrupt and decisive changes of perspective in jazz’s history.”
The trio’s 25th anniversary concerts include a number of dates in the US: Newark, New Jersey (February 2), Los Angeles (March 5), San Francisco (March 8), Philadelphia (September19), and New York (October 18). More details on the tour pages.
Keith Jarrett/Gary Peacock/Jack DeJohnette: Setting Standards (ECM 2030-32)
PAMELA HiNES TRiO CLiMBS THE CHARTS
Return, recorded in 2007 for a January of 2008 release, features Pamela Hines shining in her most stellar offering to date, a combination of well placed standards among the outstanding Hines compositions highlighted by premier Boston musicians, whose friendship and chemistry clearly illuminate this recording., Hines (piano), John Lockwood (bass), Bob Gullotti (drums), and special guest Jerry Bergonzi (sax). Articulation of the jazz language is instantly evident from the first notes.
Hines ability to transition between modern and traditional harmonies, rhythms and flavors clearly defines her as a multi-faceted, well-rounded pianist and composer. A trait difficult to find in today’s industry. Hines prowess on the ivories is exhibited in full view on Return. The ability to create a sensitive and heart wrenching ballad and then switch gears to showcase multi-tiered dexterity within burning lines of arpeggios further resonate Hines as a multi-talented pianist and composer. A full tilt, full throttle artist in all rights.
Bassist, John Lockwood who has toured the U.S. and Europe with Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Gary Burton, the Mel Lewis Big Band, and The Fringe, has also performed with the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Boston Pops, MIT Symphony, Pat Metheny, Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Shaw, Toots Thielemans, Stan Getz, and Art Farmer. Lockwood a long time collaborator with Hines creates the solid foundation of deep swinging lines that compliment and glue the group in a harmonious and adventurous journey into improvisation.
Drummer, Bob Gullotti has performed with J.J. Johnson, Kenny Werner, Joe Lovano, Attila Zoller, and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra and has over 30 recordings to his credit. Gullotti is a master of the skins; you can hear his kit sing as he interacts and ads to each composition with textures, colors and complexities. Gullotti’s ability to create multiple rhythm textures at one time is exemplified in Hines composition “Very.”
Special guest artist saxophonist, Jerry Bergonzi is an International tenor sax man extraordinaire Michael Brecker was once asked if he still practiced daily. His answer was "As long as Jerry Bergonzi is around, no tenor player can rest on his laurels." For those in the know, this is the supreme compliment. From his early days with Dave Brubeck, Jerry has been known as the standard by which other tenor players are judged. Bergonzi adds his definitive sound to two of Hines’ originals, the poignant title cut “Return” and “Very, ” both harmonically complex and rich with inner-voicing which Bergonzi effortlessly weaves through.
THE CHRiS GREEN QUARTETThe Chris Greene Quartet has just released a contemporary masterpiece that will hopefully bring jazz to the masses. "Soul and Science, Volume One" is a standout recording from start to finish. AllAboutJazz.com states that Chicago saxophonist Greene "shows that pop, jazz, and r&b tunes can all exist on a jazz record. Because stripped to its core, it is all music. What a great discovery!" Having honed his craft in the Windy City, Chris Greene has performed and recorded with Common, (Rock and Roll Hall of Famers) Otis Williams and the Temptations, Justin Roberts, Colonel Abrams, Robert Cornelius, Lonie Walker, The J. Davis Trio, Liquid Soul, Jessie de la Pena, Andrew Bird, Jere MacAllister, Kevin O'Donnell, the Mighty Blue Kings, Ron Carroll, Nicholas Barron, Tautologic, Mr. A.L.I., and Steve Cole.
His influences include Prince, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Steve Coleman, Maceo Parker,, Stevie Wonder, Roger Troutman, Debussy, Branford Marsalis, A Tribe Called Quest, Vangelis, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Chaka Khan amongst many others.
On "Soul and Science, Volume One", Greene is joined by a phenomenal band: Damian Espinosa-piano, Marc Piane-acoustic bass and Tyrone Blair-drums. JazzChicago.net says, "Greene and his quartet dish up a tasty brew that mixes soul, jazz, R&B and pop into the enjoyable mix.".
The kickoff song is a spectacular take on Stevie Wonder's "Boogie On Reggae Woman" which really showcases Greene's virtuosity. And each band member gets a place to shine on the track. Already a live concert favorite, the Greene original " 4.23" with its innovative soul groove and Latin flavor is a highlight of the CD . Finally, Greene and his amazing musical cohorts put new life into songs from legends like Sting, Duke Ellington and Tommy Turrentine.
The Chris Greene Quartet are currently on tour in support of "Soul and Science, Volume One". One highlight is a weekly residency at Red Kiva every Sunday from 8 to 11 pm. (Red Kiva is located in Chicago's West Loop neighborhood at 1108 W. Randolph.)
When Horace Silver and Art Blakey formed an unlikely co-operative band
called the Jazz Messengers in 1955, their goal was to make jazz
accessible again to listeners by infusing their music with a blues and
gospel feeling, thus ushering in the hard bop era. When the pair parted
ways the next year, each went on to record as leaders, Blakey keeping
the name Jazz Messengers and Silver giving birth to his quintet, which
until he enlisted trumpeter Blue Mitchell in 1959 went through periodic
personnel shifts. In 1956, "Senor Blues" not only made him famous but
also a marquee performer.
In fact, in 1958, Silver and his
recently assembled new quintet-including the supremely talented but
under-recognized trumpeter Louis Smith along with tenor saxophonist
Junior Cook, bassist Gene Taylor and drummer Louis Hayes-headlined the
Newport Jazz Festival, performing the final set of the Sunday show with
extended renditions of "Senor Blues, " as well as "Cool Eyes" (also
from Six Pieces of Silver), "The Outlaw" and "Tippin'." Previously
unreleased, this historic concert-a rare official document of Silver in
a live setting-sees the light of day for the first time on Blue Note
Records as Live at Newport '58.
The album is produced by Michael
Cuscuna, who originally discovered the documented concert in the
Library of Congress' tape archives of the Voice of America broadcasts.
He then tracked down a professionally recorded three-track master in
Columbia Records' vault (the entire Newport Festival that year was
recorded under the supervision of George Avakian). Live at Newport '58
continues the informal Blue Note series of valuable previously
unreleased recordings, such as Thelonious Monk Quartet With John
Coltrane At Carnegie Hall and Charles Mingus Sextet With Eric Dolphy:
Cornell 1964.
In his liner notes, Cuscuna writes, "Horace Silver
is a dichotomy. He is one of the most meticulous and organized
musicians in modern jazz and yet one of the funkiest." Explaining the
album's significance, Cuscuna says "I came upon this Newport
performance and was struck by the fact that a full performance during
Louis Smith's brief tenure with the group existed and that they
actually performed 'Tippin, ' a little known Silver original that was
recorded three weeks earlier as the flip side of the vocal version of
'Senor Blues.'"
Going on to explain how Silver had come up with
the song and why he neglected to put it on his next album, Cuscuna says
that when he spoke with Silver years later, he told him, "We were
between albums, so I thought I should write something for the back side
of the single instead of using something off the older albums. I guess
that it was forgotten by the time we were planning the next album."
Noting
that he has high standards as far as fidelity and performance go,
Cuscuna says, "I want to continue finding material that offers
something unique. This was Horace at his glory. His solos are great and
you can hear the way he used to comp, stoking the fire for the rest of
the band. Hearing him live, you realize what a great piano player he
was. Horace was a perfectionist who didn't like to record live, so this
is a rare opportunity to hear him in this setting."
Indeed, live
recordings are extremely rare in Silver's recorded output. His Blue
Note album Doin' The Thing: At The Village Gate from 1961 stands as the
only other official live document of Silver in concert that has ever
been released.
Cuscuna notes further special qualities about
Live at Newport '58: "This features unique personnel that includes
Louis Smith who is amazing here. He recorded a couple of albums for
Blue Note around this time, and then left New York to teach. There's
also a unique repertoire, with "Tippin'' and 'The Outlaw, ' which is a
great tune that Horace didn't perform regularly and that has been a
woefully neglected composition in his canon. This all adds up to
special performance that contributes to Horace's legacy."
Cuscuna
concludes his liners by writing: "It would be easy to call this
Horace's golden era, but he never stopped writing great compositions or
putting together great bands. But this early chapter in the history of
[his quintet] is a wonderful performance and a valuable addition to his
discography."
SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTiS USES QUiNCY JONES "WALKiNG iN SPACE' When the Space Shuttle Atlantis launches from Cape Canaveral, Florida on Thursday, December 6th on its mission to deliver the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory to the International Space Station, Astronaut Leland Melvin will have in tow a copy of Quincy Jones' 1969 Grammy Award winning recording "Walking in Space, " which he will use as his wake-up music during the mission. Commented Melvin, "Quincy Jones is someone who I have a great deal of respect and admiration for and I couldn't think of a more appropriate selection to use as my wake-up music." Melvin's duties on the Shuttle Atlantis mission will be to support three space walks using the robotic arm and install the Columbus laboratory from Atlantis' payload bay to its permanent home on the International Space Station. Commented Jones, "I am truly honored that Mr. Melvin has chosen one of my pieces of work for this momentous occasion. I was inspired to record the 'Walking in Space' album in 1969 after Buzz Aldrin told me that he had played my arrangement of Frank Sinatra's 'Fly Me To The Moon' during his space flight to the moon, so to have it come full circle like this is quite remarkable and very humbling." A jazz-R&B-pop fusion album that helped usher in a new era in R&B music in the early 70's, "Walking in Space" won Jones a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance By a Large Group. Citing his groundbreaking work on "Walking in Space, " in 1998 Time Magazine named Quincy Jones one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th Century. In January, Jones will receive the nation's highest jazz honor when he is recognized as a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts.
TOM TALLiTSCH'S 2ND ALBUM MEDiCiNE MAN
Following his self-released album Duality in 2005, Philadelphia area jazz saxophonist and composer, Tom Tallitsch is scheduled to release his second album Medicine Man on February 19, 2008 with Seattle based jazz record company OA2 Records. “Performing articulate, modern jazz, Tallitsch's band explores alternate sonorities with its vibes and guitar led rhythm section of some of Philadelphia's finest musicians, featuring Tony Miceli (vibraphone), Victor Baker (guitar), Paul Gehman (bass) and Dan Monaghan (drums)." --City Hall Records Catalog
JAZZ MY SOUL iS PiCKED AS TOP 25 RELEASE OF 2007
The editors at Indie-music.com have selected "Jazz My Soul" (Rhythm Dynamics Inc.) from thousands of CDs as one of the top 25 independent releases of 2007. Jazz My Soul, by the Jazz Explorers (Rhythm Dynamics) was picked as one of the Top 25 independent releases of 2007 from across all categories of musical CDs by the editors at Indie-music.com. The release has been added to radio and satellite radio playlists in New Orleans and Chicago. This extraordinary project features great performances by a unique gathering of jazz legends, including George Cables, Dave Liebman, Carmen Lundy, Billy Hart, Sonny Fortune, Victor Lewis and Cecil McBee with a strong supporting cast. "Jazz My Soul" propels contemporary mainstream jazz forward with power and subtlety.
NEW iNTERNATiONAL COMPETiTiON FOR EMERGiNG JAZZ COMBOS
The International Center for the Arts at San Francisco State University today announced “Generations,” a unique post-graduate Fellowship and International Competition for already-formed combos of aspiring musicians to receive advanced pre-professional training and career preparation from distinguished jazz artists, invaluable performance opportunities, alone and in collaboration with their mentors. This opportunity for an established jazz combo of exceptional promise to obtain a year-long fellowship at San Francisco State University is the only one of its kind in the world. Kicking off in Fall 2007, the one-year fellowship is supported by a company of master jazz musicians including saxophonist Eric Alexander, trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, percussionist Jimmy Cobb, bassist Ray Drummond, pianist Ronnie Matthews and the program's artistic director, saxophonist Andrew Speight. Young combos from around the world comprised of three to seven outstanding jazz musicians will compete for the opportunity to become Generations fellows. Members of the selected groups will be accomplished jazz musicians who demonstrate an exceptional level of artistic accomplishment, cohesive ensemble and the potential to benefit from a Generations fellowship experience. Finalist combos will be invited to San Francisco State University in May 2008 for a mini-residency with the Generations mentors, which will culminate with a public performance by all finalists and the selection of one combo to return to San Francisco in Fall 2008 for the beginning of the first one-year fellowship residency. “Our goal is to act as both an incubator and springboard for the winning combo,” said Jeffrey Babcock, executive director of the International Center for the Arts. “These musicians will have an unprecedented opportunity to take their performance to the next level, individually and as a combo while preparing to launch successful careers.” The competition gives high performance combos an unmatched opportunity to showcase their artistry, as well as interact with and learn from musical encounters with other talented ensembles under the guidance of renowned jazz artists. Collaborating with Generations mentors in a variety of venues will contribute in a significant way to the artistic and professional development of each individual musician and ensemble. “We are creating an environment where young musicians will go beyond the walls of the classroom and learn through hands-on mentoring, group collaboration and professional advice,” said Andrew Speight, Generations' artistic director and mentor. “We hope to bring growing artists a greater awareness of possibilities for spontaneous expression when working in a group, and nowhere are the tenets of real-time group creativity better exhibited than in jazz music.” The timeline for the Generations International Competition follows: Mid-November 2007: Guidelines and applications available to combos whose members are less than 30 years old as of May 1, 2007 and whose personnel has been stable for at least twelve months. March 14, 2008: Final date for receipt of applications. April 4, 2008: Finalist combos announced Week of May 12: Finalist combos in San Francisco for mini-residency with Generations' mentors. Saturday, May 17: Finalist combos perform; fellowship combo announced. Fall 2008: Winning combo arrives at San Francisco State University to begin fellowship residency with Generations mentors. Combos interested in applying for the first Generations International Competition may request application information beginning November 12, 2007. Early request for guidelines and applications may be emailed to ica@sfsu.edu with Generations Competition in the subject line. The Generations Mentor Ensemble is an all-star group of professional musicians who have experience shaping the legacy of jazz. Together the group's legacy goes back more than 60 years and spans three of the most creative, vibrant and influential generations of contemporary jazz. Members of the ensemble have been integral to the sounds of Miles Davis, Dinah Washington, Nat and Julian “Cannonball” Adderley, Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus, McCoy Tyner, Ray Charles, Benny Carter and the Marsalis Family, among others. Generations' mentors were selected because they learned their art through playing with a group of like-minded musicians who nurtured and explored through collaboration. This vital part of jazz musicianship is what the Generations fellowship strives to provide its up-and-coming ensembles. Believing that the jazz tradition of inspired collaboration is learned through study and practice with a group, these mentors will lay a musical foundation through community. “These three generations of mentors spanning the 1940s to today have played with the best groups and honed their art with the jazz community's greats,” said Speight. This is an opportunity unlike any other for a young ensemble to play with musicians who learned by collaborating with giants and are willing to pass along their wisdom. I can't wait to hear what comes out of this first group of Generations musicians.” The talented and experienced mentor group includes: Eric Alexander, a tough-toned tenor saxophonist known for his sophisticated hard and post-Bop style. He has performed and recorded with many leading artists, including Harold Maburn, Ron Carter, Horace Silver and Nicholas Payton. Marcus Belgrave, a trumpeter and vocalist whose career spans five decades of jazz styles. He has performed and recorded with many leading artists, including Ray Charles, Charles Mingus, Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Jimmy Cobb, an exciting and powerful drummer who has been the foundation of many of the greatest jazz combos and recordings. He has performed and recorded with many leading artists, including Miles Davis, Julian “Cannonball” Adderley, Wynton Kelly and John Coltrane. Ray Drummond, a buoyant and percussive bassist who has been the heartbeat of many great jazz ensembles. He has performed and recorded with many leading artists, including Johnny Griffin, Billy Hart, David Sanchez and Stephen Scott. Ronnie Mathews, a virtuosic and sensitive piano stylist who has been an inspiration for many important artists. He has performed and recorded with many leading artists including Art Blakey, Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon and Freddie Hubbard. Andrew Speight, a clear-toned hard driving alto saxophonist known for his incendiary bebop lines. He has performed and recorded with many leading artists, including Benny Carter, Nat Adderley, Ellis and Branford Marsalis. Generations Fellowship and International Competition, the International Center for the Art's inaugural post-graduate fellowship for gifted artists, builds upon San Francisco State University's half-century of commitment to and leadership in jazz. For decades, the Bay Area's leading jazz artists, including jazz legends Cal Tjader, Paul Desmond, John Handy, and George Duke, received their training at San Francisco State University. The Generations fellowship continues that tradition by providing this significant opportunity for promising jazz ensembles to move from advanced students to sustainable professional ensembles. Led by Generations' Artistic Director and internationally acclaimed jazz saxophonist Andrew Speight, renowned jazz artists serve as artist-mentors to a competitively-selected post-graduate ensemble of gifted young jazz combos (up to five musicians) who are awarded year-long residencies at San Francisco State University. Generations' fellows receive intensive coaching, career development support, and public performance opportunities. Under the guidance of Generations' mentors, the fellows will gain valuable knowledge and experience in navigating the challenges of functioning as a business entity and managing the numerous administrative, promotional, financial and presentation issues that enable a full-time professional jazz combo to thrive in a challenging market. The International Center for the Arts will provide numerous performance opportunities, including national and international competitions during the Residency, and will explore opportunities in publishing, recording, and production of DVDs, webcasts, documentation of workshops, commissioning new work and protection and distribution of today's digital-centered intellectual property.
LATiN JAZZ PERCUSSiONiST MAYRA CASALES iS ON FiRE
New York based artist Mayra Casales is among a diverse group of independent musicians named as finalists of the 7th Annual Independent Music Awards. Mayra is truly one of the most versatile and well-rounded percussionists of her generation. Born in Havana, Cuba and raised in Miami, Florida, Mayra's earlier influences began with the Afro-Cuban musical culture of her surroundings. Before long she was performing with some of the biggest names in Latin and Cuban music such as Celia Cruz, Machito, Joe Cuba, and Miguelito Valdez. In 1978, Mayra moved to NYC where she continued her musical journey, playing with soulful vocalists Phyllis Hyman, Carmen Lundy, and Jon Lucien, and Jazz greats Dizzy Gillespie and Ray Baretto. Her fiery and heartfelt spirit are undeniably present in her divine playing. While Mayra's roots as a Cuban percussionist are strong and refreshing in Mujer Ardiente, this album is a tribute to all of the world music influences and artists who she has had the joy and honor of playing with. IMA Finalists will now advance to the final round of judging by a distinguished group of influential artists and industry insiders. The Judges who will determine this year's IMA Winners include Suzanne Vega; Snoop Dogg, Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers; Les Claypool of Primus; Ray Davies of The Kinks; Susan Tedeschi, Frank Iero of My Chemical Romance; blues legend Charlie Musselwhite; Judy Collins; Rolling Stone contributing editor Anthony DeCurtis, MTV Music Supervisor, Carrie Hughes, Kevin Lyman of Vans Warped Tour and many others. IMA Winners and Finalists winners will appear in the 10th Anniversary edition of The Musician's Atlas 2008, on sale December 18, 2007. Regarded as the industry's most comprehensive contact directory, The Atlas is used by independent musicians and entrepreneurs to market and sell music more successfully. Developed and coordinated by Music Resource Group, publisher of The Musician's Atlas, the Independent Music Award program delivers a variety of premiums to Winners including: · Year-long marketing campaigns, partnerships and distribution alliances that will place the Winners in front of millions of music fans and industry decision makers around the world. · The IMA Winners CD compilation will be distributed to 10, 000 music fans and industry at events such as SXSW, Ozzfest, The Warped Tour throughout the year and promoted to more 650 US & Canadian college & public radio stations. · eMusic will promote IMA Winners to millions of their subscribers throughout 2008. · Borders Books & Music will promote IMA Winners to more than 11 million of their customers. · Exposure to nearly 10 million viewers of ManiaTV.com and Havoc TV. Music fans will be casting their votes for their favorite IMA Finalists at www.IndependentMusicAwards.com at the IMA Vox Populi Jukebox.
CAPE TOWN iNTERNATiONAL JAZZ FESTiVAL
The Cape Town International Jazz Festival is like a house with many rooms. Known as Africa's Grandest Gathering, the festival which will be in its ninth year when it takes place on Friday 28-Saturday 29 March 2008 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre brings together 40 jazz and jazz-related musical groups under its banner. Over the last eight years, African bands have shared the festival's five stages with their overseas counterparts on a 50/50 basis. This presentation of varied musical styles under one festival roof is what gives the Cape Town International Jazz Festival its uniqueness and is the main contributor to its growth in popularity. According to the Melodytrip's ranking of jazz festivals, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival is now No.4 in the world, surpassing events such as Switzerland's Montreaux Festival and the North Sea Jazz Festival in Holland. “The formula of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival is simple: bring jazz together with its popular music siblings. The 33 356 people who attended the 2007 festival is proof that this is a winning formula”, says festival director Rashid Lombard. But since inception, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival has been more than appearances by musicians at the festival's different stages. The festival has been about people coming together, honouring artists and exploring the potential of music in the creation of social cohesion. Sales at the arts and craft market that takes place during the festival reached R52 000 in 2006. Hundreds of people visit the photographic exhibitions that are part of the festival. In 2007, more than 350 people attended the various courses that the festival offers such as the arts journalism course, the course in music business, music training for high schools and workshops for musicians. The festival in 2008 will be no different. Parallel to music performances there will be the Duotone Photographic Exhibition, the South Atlantic Jazz Music Conference, the arts journalism course, the music business course, music workshops for schools, the festival's golf day and clinics where some of the performing artists impart their skills to local musicians. A five day stage lighting workshop will also take place with the first two days of the course focusing on the theoretical aspects of the trade while the last three will see trainees testing at the festival what they learnt at the two-day workshop. Next year, the traditional Free Community Concert will take place on the evening of Wednesday 26 March. Close to 8 000 people attended this year's free concert; which is one way that festival organisers cater for those members of the community that cannot afford tickets to the event. While sticking to the well-tested formula, the festival organisers have a plan to make the festival a 10-day event by 2010. As part of this plan and as a response to growing numbers the location of two of the five stages is to change in 2008. The Bassline which is a stage for newer experimental sounds such as hip-hop, kwaito and house music will move to a dome that will be built outside the Cullinan Hotel. The Moses Molelekwa stage will then move to the venue inside the Cape Town International Convention Centre which previously served as the Bassline stage. Opening the new location of the Bassline will be the popular kwaito star Zola. A London quartet known as The Bays and the Atlanta-based Ananda Project, will join Zola in the inaugural performances at the dome. Also gracing the dome will be the Durban's hip-hop/jazz fusion band, Big Idea. Next year, the build-up to the two-day music concerts on Friday 28 and Saturday 29 March, will kick-off with Gigs for Kids, a Gospel Concert and a “Cape Town Cares” concert for pensioners and senior citizens. These will respectively take place on Saturday 22, Sunday 23 and Monday 24 March. Another exciting addition to next year's events is the move by the South African Association of Jazz Educators (SAJE) to link up with the Cape Town International Jazz Festival. Starting in 2008, the body that brings together the country's jazz educators will have its annual conference in the week of the festival in Cape Town. Not only will the educators will descend on the Mother City but they will bring along their students who will benefit from the festival's music clinics. Previous SAJE conferences hosted public concerts where renowned musicians and educators such as New York Big Band's trombonist and leader John Fedchock, pianist Dennis Tini from the Wayne State University in Detroit and trumpeter Ron McCurdy from the Monk Institute, performed. The 2008 line-up: The performances on 28-29 March remain an anchor of the festival. The complete list of the 19-groups announced today are: Ananda Project (US); Bongani Sotshononda Project (RSA); Gavin Minter with the Mother City Jazz Orchestra (RSA); Gerald Albright (US); Hiromi (Japan); Kenny Barron Trio (US); Lennart Aberg Band (Sweden) feat. Peter Erskine (US); Leslie Klein-Smith and 'Mother City Groove' (RSA); Oliver Mtukudzi (Zimbabwe); Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Band (RSA); The Bays (US); Najee (US); The Big Idea (RSA); The Four Sounds feat Zelda Benjamin & Phyllis Madikwa (RSA); The Manhattans feat. Gerald Alston & Blue Lovett (US); The Soul Brothers (RSA); Tierney Sutton (US); Tutu Puoane (RSA/Belgium); and Zola (RSA). Like in previous years the music will range from straight-ahead chords by older statesmen of jazz such as US pianist Kenny Barron to fiery township lines that South Africa's kwaito artist Zola will belt out. As they did previously, the musicians will come from the East and the West. There will also be representatives from the South and the North in formats that range from trios to big bands. Leading the lot at the Rosies stage next year is Kenny Barron. He leads the smallest unit in the list of 21- musicians announced today. But as the adage goes: dynamite comes in small packets. When Barron takes on a ballad he can make his audience weep as he bends lucidly his chords. Equally, the retired Rutgers University professor of jazz piano can put fire underneath those who are listening to him play. His explorations of Brazilian rhythms in albums such the 1993 Sambao and 2002 Canta Brasil are proof of Barron's versatility and deftness in his touch. It is no flattery that The Los Angeles Times calls Barron “one of the top jazz pianists of the world”. Inducted onto the American Jazz Hall of Fame in 2005, the 64-year old pianist is a leader in his trade. Barron who served his apprenticeship with luminaries such as Dizzy Gillespie, Yusef Lateef and Stan Getz, brings to Cape Town a Japanese bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa and Cuban drummer Francisco Mela. Kitagawa is known for his work with his fellow countryman, Makoto Ozone. The percussive Mela has been creating waves as a member of the Joe Lovano Quartet. As it has become part of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival tradition, there will be lots of smoother sounds between Kenny Barron's lyricism and Zola's “ghetto scandalous” chants about Bhambatha, skoko and umdlwembe. Two musicians that will definitely dominate this range are two US saxophonists, Gerald Albright and Najee. The years that Gerald Albright as the sideman to keyboardist Bobby Lyle, pianist Herbie Hancock, vocalists Anita Baker, Will Downing and Whitney Houston; gave the multi-instrumentalist a sense of how to reach larger audiences through his music. Since turning professional, Albright has sold no less that 1-million units of his recording in the US. Like Albright, Najee is king of smooth jazz. Born in New York City, he cut his teeth performing with the Fatback Band and Chaka Khan. He also collaborated with people like Quincy Jones, Stanley Clarke, Larry Carlton and Billy Cobham. Having garnered wide recognition in South Africa, Najee is featured in Moreira Chonguica debut album. Chonguica is a Cape Town-based Mozambican saxophonist. From the East comes pianist Hiromi. Born in Shizouka in Japan, Hiromi started to play piano at the age of six. At the age of 12 she gave public performances. This is before he went as a 14-year old to the Czech Republic where she played with that country's philharmonic orchestra. Before registering in 1999 to study at the Berklee College of Music, Hiromi had an off-chance opportunity to play with Chick Corea. Pianist Ahmad Jamal co-produced her 2003 debut with Telarc. This was no accident as Hiromi has always looked towards Jamal in developing her piano playing style. Her piano playing ranges from mellow sounds to very virtuosic, choppy and rockish chords. Representing the Scandinavian countries next year is Swedish saxophonist and flautist Lennart Aberg. As a man of many collaborations, Aberg's appearance at the 2008 Cape Town International Jazz Festival will feature US drummer Peter Erskine who is known for his work with Steps Ahead, Yellowjackets and Weather Report. The two have recorded two albums together. Such collaborations are not new for Aberg. In the past, he collaborated with people such Zakir Hussain, Bob Brookmeyer, Clark Terry, Kenny Wheeler and Hariprasad Chaurasia. In July 2007, Aberg was at the Istanbul Jazz Festival where he performed with Oriental Wind, a group that Turkish percussionist Okay Temiz leads. They played a fusion of jazz with Turkish folk and Sufi music. But legendary in jazz circles is Aberg's collaboration with trumpeter. In a relationship that went back to the 1970s, Aberg regularly performed with Don Cherry. The Swedish artist is featured in Cherry's final studio album, Dona Nostra. Aberg's new CD Free Sprit has music that the two musicians performed together. Earlier in his career Aberg had an interest in non-European tonalities. In the 1970s, together with Bobo Stenson, Palle Danielsson and Bengt Berger, Aberg formed Rena Rama - a jazz group that played music based largely on Indian, African and Eastern European influences. Asked about his keenness to work with Aberg, Erskine said “Lennart Aberg's music is worth getting on an airplane and flying 8,873 kilometers for” On the opposite side of the scale are two big bands that come out of Cape Town, Gavin Minter's Friends with the Mother City Jazz Orchestra and the Leslie Klein-Smith & “Mother City Groove”. Led by singer, saxophonist, percussionist, composer and promoter Gavin Minter the band will draw on the cream of Cape Town's jazz musicians - Winston Mankunku Ngozi, Andrew Lilley, Dave Ledbetter, Kevin Gibson, Mark Fransman, Shaun Johannes and John Hassan. The second big band will be led by singer, performer in musicals and cabaret entertainer Leslie Klein-Smith. Counting Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. as his influences, Klein-Smith has perfected his presentation and synchronises his contra-alto voice with his choreographed steps. In a career that spans more than 40-years, Klein-Smith's highpoint was when he performed at the 1992 Miss World Contest to 600-million television viewers. This time he is at his home ground at Africa's Grandest Gathering. Undoubtedly leading the African troupe is none other than Zimbabwe's Oliver Mtukudzi. Mtukudzi is no newcomer at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival having performed at the festival previously. There excitement about his coming appearance is that it takes place after the Zimbabwean singer has revamped his accompanying band, Black Spirits. He has included two mbira players in the band. Tuku as Mtukudzi is affectionately called has recently launched a DVD Wonai on his musical journey. Another band that will rely on indigenous instruments in its performance at the 2008 Cape Town International Jazz Festival is the Bongani Sotshononda Project. Since 1988 Sotshononda has been a member of a marimba group, Phambili. Later the group brought in horns into their music and has been involved in crossover projects with brass musicians from the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra. For next year's festival, Sotshononda is embarking on a new collaboration. In all the years that the Cape Town International Jazz Festival has been in existence, there is always a female vocalist that holds the fort at each of the five festival stages. Taking charge of vocal scores at the Rosies stage is the hottest jazz singer in the US today, Tierney Sutton. Discovering jazz late in her teens, the Los Angeles-based vocalist took to the music when she saw Betty Carter's live performance. Describing her experience of the show, Sutton says, “I thought that it was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen. And after that I knew there was this thing, it was called jazz, and that's what I wanted to do”. Bursting onto the scene in the late 1990s, the Berklee College of Music graduate has built up considerable following since then. Under her belt she has six CDs. Her 2005 I'm with the Band won her a Grammy nomination in the best jazz vocal album. Her infectious voice and her presentation of her material have all the hallmarks of a vocalist destined for bigger things. While Sutton will be the Rosies' vocal anchor, Tutu Puoane takes charge at the Moses Molelekwa stage. Now based in Belgium, Puoane's appearance at the 2008 Cape Town International Jazz Festival is more of a homecoming. Born in Gauteng, Puoane spent years in Cape Town while studying at the University of Cape Town. It is during her stay at the home of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival that Puoane performed with artists such as Frank Paco, Jack van Poll and Marcus Wyatt. A 2004 recipient of the Standard Bank Young Artist of the Year Award for Jazz, Puoane is presently making a name for herself in Europe where she is the vocalist with the Frits Bayens Big Band in Holland. At the 2008 Cape Town International Jazz Festival, the 28- year old vocalist leads her own quartet made up of Belgian and Dutch musicians. The three musicians backed her in her debut album Song, which is a mix of American standards and compositions by South African musicians such as Buddy Wells and Carlo Mombelli. Puoane will certainly be an inspiration to members of the Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Band (SBNYJB). She was the 1999 vocalist of the National Schools Big Band. Made up of nine young musicians and under the directorship of pianist Andrew Lilley from the University of Cape Town, the SBNYJB will definitely enchant festival goers as they demonstrate the abundance of musical talent among youth in South Africa. The nine band members were chosen in July 2007, out of 320 students who participated at the annual National Youth Jazz Festival in Grehamstown. While the Cape Town International Jazz Festival is a space for budding musicians such as the SBNYJB, the festival always honours evergreen bands that are known for longevity of their music. Three groups in next year's line-up fall into this category. These are: The Manhattans, The Soul Brothers and The Four Sounds. The Manhattans: You listen to any ballads or quiet storm radio programme today; then you are bound to hear songs such as “Kiss and Say Goodbye” and “Shining Star”. Both tunes were made popular by The Manhattans. The original group leader of The Manhattans Blue Lovett penned the first song in 1975 and the second one was a 1980 hit that won the group a Grammy in 1980. The fact that 30-years later the music of The Manhattans still lives on is a proof of the artistic abilities of the composers who wrote the songs. Formed in 1964, The Manhattans became a big name in the 1970s and 1980s. This was the era of soul and Motown where lyrics that made reference to many folks' daily existence had popular appeal. Asked to explain his music Gerald Alstone who joined The Manhattans in 1970 declared; “I am comfortable when I sing about love, its ups and downs, all its positiveness and its peace of mind”. The Manhattans will be in Cape Town in March 2008 featuring both Blue Lovett and Gerald Alstone. The Soul Brothers: While the Americans were cooking up a storm with soul music in the 1960s and 1970s, something was brewing in South Africa. This was mbaqanga - cyclical music with strong bass lines. It grew from a fusion of indigenous rhythms and Afro-American musical styles. One band to come out of this milieu are The Soul Brothers. Formed in 1974, the group still warms millions of hearts in Southern Africa and in the rest of the world. Songs like “Mama ka Sbongile” and “Nomasondo” are this country's classics. With David Masondo and Moses Ngwenya as bandleaders, The Soul Brothers combine strong vocal sounds, brassy horns and a rhythmic section similar to that of other mbaqanga groups. Ngwenya's riffs on the Hammond B-3 gives the music a paced-up churchy feel. This sound and choreographed dances makes for spectacular listening and viewing. The Four Sounds feat Zelda Benjamin & Phyllis Madikwa: Every town has a band that develops into an institution; with musicians coming in and out of it while the core remains the same. The Four Sounds are such a band in Cape Town. In a book Jazz People of Cape Town, many of the musicians interviewed such as Gary Hendrikse and Ezra Ngcukana make references to The Four Sounds, claiming to have been part of the group or just jamming with it. Throughout the period the Moses brothers - Cliffie and Basil - together with 79-year old drummer Willy van Bloemestein remained the core as the band moved around and played at venues such as The Carousel, 524 and The Beverley. Gilbert Lang will join the three as The Four Sounds at the 2008 Cape Town International Jazz Festival. Also to be featured are Cape Town's older vocalists, Zelda Benjamin and Phyllis Madikwa. They promise to teach today vocalists how to do it. The remaining 21 artists will be announced at the beginning of 2008. All line-up updates and other festival info can be found at the official Festival website.
BLiND BOYS OF ALABAMA HEAD TO LOUiSiANA
For their new album 'Down In New Orleans' (Jan. 29/Time Life), four-time Grammy winners The Blind Boys of Alabama recorded in New Orleans for the first time in their almost seventy year history. "This particular flavor is new for us", comments Blind Boys founding member Jimmy Carter. "New Orleans musicians have a different feel to their rhythm. They play with syncopation, a push and pull. We had to make some adjustments to get used to that beat. But it wasn't hard."
Those New Orleans musicians supporting The Blind Boys included legendary pianist/producer and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Allen Toussaint, Crescent City icons The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and The Hot 8 Brass Band, one of the city's most vital young acts. Top-flight New Orleans jazz and soul players made up the backing trio: David Torkanowsky (The Neville Brothers, Irma Thomas, Solomon Burke) on piano, keyboards and Hammond B3 organ, Roland Guerin (The Marsalis Family, Marcus Roberts) on upright and electric bass, and Shannon Powell (Harry Connick, Jr.) on drums.
The Blind Boys pay tribute on the album to Mahalia Jackson, the New Orleans native and gospel siren with whom they shared concert billing. Carter exclaims, "One of the greatest gospel singers ever! We do two Mahalia Jackson songs on this album: 'If I Could Help Somebody' and 'How I Got Over.' And, like that Mahalia Jackson song says, if we could help somebody in New Orleans--help them by singing a song, help them by recording this album--then we will feel blessed."
The group also reimagines Earl King's secular song "Make a Better World." King was a lifelong New Orleans blues and R&B mainstay and guitar great. Carter reflects, "We like the message on that one. We do need to make a better world."
As New Orleans writer Ben Sandmel states in the liner notes, "The result is a fusion of style and nuance that links many disparate aspects--both chronological and geographical--of American musical tradition."
'Down In New Orleans' was recorded at Piety Street Studios, where Dr. John; and Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint; Ryan Adams; and others have laid down tracks. The Blind Boys of Alabama are Jimmy Carter, Eric 'Ricky' McKinnie, Joey Williams, Caleb 'Bobby' Butler, Tracy Pierce, Billy Bowers and Ben Moore.
JAZZ SAXOPHONiST RON BLAKE
RELEASES 3RD MACK AVENUE RECORDS CD
With the release of his third Mack Avenue CD, Shayari, the tenor saxophonist Ron Blake, herein, is showcased in an intimate, unplugged, trio setting, that features pianist and producer Michael Cain and special guests Jack DeJohnette, Christian McBride, Regina Carter, and percussionist Gilmar Gomes.
Blake, a strikingly tall, Virgin Islands-born native, is based in New York City. He is a well-rounded musician and has recorded three CDs as a leader; in addition, his discography numbers more than 50 recordings as either a guest or sideman with leading artists. They include Roy Hargrove; Art Farmer; the Christian McBride Band; Spirit Music Jamia; Red, Hot + Riot; and the Grammy® award-winning, Latin pop group, Yerba Buena; also, Blake has recorded soundtracks (most recently on El Cantante starring Marc Anthony/Jennifer Lopez). The multi-talented musician is entering his third season as a member of NBC's Saturday Night Live Band. About the new recording, Shayari (meaning poetry), Blake says, "This record is more introspective then earlier projects. It's an acoustic collection of trios. Compositionally, it lends itself to some of the ideas introduced on my most recent recording, Sonic Tonic, but in an acoustic setting. I worked with Michael Cain to put this recording together; everything stemmed from us trying to find people to collaborate with to create a distinct, aural setting not unlike Sonic Tonic."
That aural setting primarily features the tenor saxophone, the piano, drums and percussion. Blake's broad, tenor tones irradiate all of the 13 tracks buoyed by Michael Cain's florid and fluid piano; Gilmar Gomes's sympathetic nuances, and Jack DeJohnette's all-world drumming. Some of Shayari's songs are reprises of Blake's older material. The opener "Waltz For Gwen", is a pleasing ode to his mother, previously recorded with Blake playing soprano sax on his first outing as a leader, Up Front and Personal, distributed by his (then) own Tahmun Records label. The foreboding piano ostinato drives "Atonement", a previously un-recorded Blake composition in two sections, laced with DeJohnette's dramatic fills and solo. Says Blake, "The groove on this lends itself to something I would connect with [songs/grooves on] Sonic Tonic [on this CD]; structurally, it's a more improvisational approach."
"Of Kindred Souls" is another original Blake composition. It was first recorded by Roy Hargrove in 1993 on the CD of the same name, but has been re-cast here with Regina Carter's classic violin strains. Blake states, "I was looking for a melody that would lend itself to a duet for violin and tenor. Regina came and did what she does so well, adding a beautiful color and presence to the song." Bassist Christian McBride, with whom Blake has worked for eight years, and who produced Lest We Forget, is featured on Bobby Hutcherson's composition, "Teddy", and also on the soulful "What is Your Prayer For?" composed by Blake.
As a musician who is at-home with the jazz tradition, Blake also included some standards on the date. "Please Be Kind", from the Sammy Cahn songbook, is rendered in telepathic reverence as a sax/piano duet. Blake, Cain, and the Brazilian percussionist Gomes add their own interpretation to Ivan Lins' immortal composition, "The Island." "This was a song Michael suggested to me", says Blake. "All we had to do was let it play itself." About "Remember The Rain", the other sax/piano duet featured on Shayari and another original composition, he adds, "This song is related in structure to 'What Is Your Prayer For?' It's a chance to interpret a melody without the use of harmonic improvisation."
Pianist Michael Cain's influence on Shayari is also evident on his two contributions, the Latin-tinged "76" and "Come Sun", a composition that highlights Blake's classical lyricism. Other selections include "Hanuman", named for the Hindu deity [from the Sanskrit epic Ramayan (Way of the Rama) of ancient India]. The track, "Abhaari"-another word from the sub-continent meaning "gratitude"-is a two-movement composition that, along with "Hanuman", was composed collectively by Blake, Cain, and DeJohnette.
The origins of Ron Blake's tradition-honed eclecticism can be traced back to the Virgin Islands where he was born and reared. At age 8, Blake took guitar lessons; then, two years later, he switched to the alto saxophone in his elementary school band. He loved playing calypso and other music from the region. He graduated from Michigan's Interlochen Arts Academy, and later matriculated into Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, where he received the Presidential Award for Outstanding Artistic and Academic Achievement. In 1987, Blake's jazz career began in St. Thomas, where he taught in summer music programs. He was introduced by, and performed with jazz luminaries Dizzy Gillespie, Bobby Hutcherson, and Gary Bartz at the first Virgin Islands Jazz Festival. Later, he won a National Endowment for the Arts Grant to study with Bartz. After his graduation from Northwestern University, Blake worked extensively in the Chicago-area with the Chicago Jazz Orchestra, performing behind such legends as Louis Bellson, Clark Terry, Nancy Wilson. He was mentored by many of the Windy City's jazz statesmen, including Von Freeman, Willie Pickens, and Bunky Green.
In 1990, Blake moved to Tampa, FL, and began work as an Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies at the University of South Florida, and nurtured his classical interests by performing with the Florida Symphony Orchestra. Occasionally, he would fly to New York to sit-in with Branford Marsalis; Mulgrew Miller; and Kenny Kirkland. In 1992, Blake re-located to New York City and joined Roy Hargrove's Quintet, a collaboration that spanned five years. During this period, Blake also worked with dozens of jazz greats including: Johnny Griffin, Art Farmer, Stanley Turrentine, Roy Haynes, Art Taylor, Benny Golson, Betty Carter, Shirley Horn, Abbey Lincoln, and Ray Brown. In 1998, Blake recorded 21st Century, a unique Caribbean-influenced jazz project, with drummer and fellow-Virgin Islander Dion Parson.
In addition to his 2000 debut as a leader on Up Front and Personal with special guest Johnny Griffin, Ron Blake released his first Mack Avenue recording, Lest We Forget in 2003, followed by Sonic Tonic in 2005. In 2006, he was featured in Meshell Ndegéocello's group, Spirit Music Jamia (with Michael Cain), which released a critically acclaimed recording, Dance of the Infidel. Since the year 2000, Blake has been a member of the Christian McBride Band and is featured on McBride's Live at Tonic. Blake also has guest appearances on several Mack Avenue recordings, including: Gerald Wilson, Sean Jones, and Tia Fuller. In 2005, he was invited to join NBC's Saturday Night Live Band, where he plays the baritone saxophone and flute. In 2007, Blake has been appointed to teach in the Jazz Studies program at the Juilliard School of Music. Currently, he is member of the faculty at both New York University and Nyack College (Manhattan campus).
Shayari is Ron Blake's most comprehensive and compelling work to date. It is a recording that unveils all of the musical inventions and dimensions of this evolving artist who has inherited the wisdom of the masters, and has captured the attention of today's young musicians. Concludes Blake, "All of the music I do is a combination of people and ideas."
GREEN HEART FROM
NiLSON MATTA, Ze LUiS AND PAULO BRAGA
A team of award-winning, world-class musicians has converged to create an exciting, first-of-its-kind compilation CD, Green Heart, a collection of songs of varying, sublime textures that epitomize the best in contemporary Brazilian music while they embrace ecological themes.
Three revered Brazilian musician/composers -- bassist NILSON MATTA, saxophonist and flautist ZE LUIS, and master percussionist PAULO BRAGA - have collaborated on GREEN HEART, which will be released on New Orbita, a green, independent record label and media company committed to promoting today's Brazilian musicians while supporting environmental awareness and solutions.
Bassist Nilson Matta, whom world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma calls “a virtuoso bass player,” contributed two original compositions to GREEN HEART, performing as “The Dynamic Duet” with celebrated Brazilian guitarist Romero Lubambo. The 3/4 samba “Paraty” honors Brazil's beautiful 17th-century, Portuguese colonial city where only horses and bicycles are permitted. Considered a National Historical Monument, Paraty is located on the coastline between Rio de Janeiro and So Paulo and is surrounded by many nature parks, including the Environmental Protection Area of Cairuu. His song “Green Heart” is a tribute to Brazil's Amazon Forest.
Saxophonist, flautist, and composer Ze Luis, the shining star of a new generation of Brazilian musicians who has worked most recently with singers Bebel Gilberto and Tania Maria, produced, arranged, and played flutes on four songs on the CD - three by Brazil's most famous composer and primary creator of bossa nova, Antonio Carlos Jobim, who “was raising awareness about the environment long before anyone else,” says Ze Luis, “so I did three of his compositions, plus one about the blackbirds of the dry-lands by the incredible northeast Brazilian composer Luiz Gonzaga.”
In an interview in Modern Drummer Magazine, Pat Metheny calls legendary Brazilian drummer Paulo Braga one of his four favorite drummers and credits Braga with bringing modern drumming into Brazil's samba schools. Braga composed, produced, and performed on four of the CD's cuts, encompassing new Brazilian rhythms as well as old ones, such as marakatu in his composition “Marakatusika,” which features bass lines and arrangements by the late, beloved Brazilian bassist Nico Assumpo. “Balakunde” is dedicated to percussion master Robertinho Silva, who plays on the cut.
Nilson Matta, Ze Luis, and Paulo Braga will perform with Helio Alves and special guest Toninho Horta at the GREEN HEART CD release party at Joe's Pub in New York City on Monday, December 17, 2007.
PIANIST FALKNER EVANS JOINS WITH BASSIST BELDEN BULLOCK
AND
DRUMMER MATT WILSON FOR
DEEP JAZZ EXPLORATION ALBUM, ARC
“The beauty of jazz as an art-form is the freedom of expression allowed, ” explains pianist Falkner Evans. “There is nothing more free in music than jazz improvisation.” So the third recording (Arc) by the Falkner Evans Trio (with bassist Belden Bullock and Matt Wilson), once again uses the classic format of introducing a melody primarily as a jumping off point for spirited, swinging, deeply-organic, exploratory improv and trio interplay.
“When I approach a piece of music, I try not to over-arrange it, ” Evans states. “I want to be as open to possibilities as I can. With only a bare structure, it allows each musician to bring many more ideas to the tune. This trio is continually trying to expand its reach. Of course the further you stretch, the more likely you will occasionally slip and fall, but the excitement and the journey to new places is worth it. I truly believe that when you go somewhere new for the first time, the audience senses that and appreciates it.”
Arc (on CAP Records) can be purchased online at cdbaby.com and the label’s website at jazzbeat.com, and at digital download sites including iTunes, Rhapsody and others. For more information on Evans, go to his website at falknerevans.com.
In subtle ways, Evans’s diverse musical background influences the improvisational solos he performs. He grew up playing pop, rock and blues before turning strongly toward jazz. For several years Evans also toured and recorded with the western-swing/country-rock legends Asleep at the Wheel. In addition Falkner has played Brazilian music and Latin-jazz extensively. Falkner’s first album was Level Playing Field followed by Climbing the Gates, both of which featured several original compositions. As before, on Arc Evans recorded in the studio live-to-two-track with no overdubbing or additional mixing.
There are several changes evident on this third recording by Evans. Matt Wilson returns, but the bassist on Falkner’s two previous outings was Cecil McBee. On Arc Evans brought in Belden Bullock, whom Falkner has worked with frequently in concert for the past 13 years. This new trio played together regularly for seven months before recording Arc to become completely attuned to each other. Falkner feels this may be his most cohesive recording to date. It is evident that the band-leader is relaxed and confident, and that his playing has matured and deepened in the four years since the sessions for his second CD.
Matt Wilson has spent the past decade as one of the more creative drummers on the jazz scene having played with Dewey Redman, Lee Konitz, Fred Hersch, Janis Siegel, Dave Liebman, Charlie Haden and Curtis Stigers, among others. Belden Bullock is a bass-playing stalwart in the New York City area and has recorded with Ralph Peterson, Taja, Oliver Lake, Abdullah Ibrahim, Jay Hoggard and The Cartwright/Oppenheim Quintet.
“At the recording sessions for Arc we kept ourselves completely open to the improvisation, ” Falkner says. “We specifically did not choreograph the solos. We just let the music flow. It all felt natural and right. What I learned from listening to John Coltrane and Miles Davis is to be as free as possible. They were the masters at perfectly blending the melody and the improvisation so it becomes one thing with no lines between.”
Arc features five compositions by Evans beginning with “Regatta” (inspired by a flotilla Falkner saw in Italy) and this samba reflects his love of Brazilian rhythms. The one-take “Singing Darkness” features a strong bassline by both Evans and Bullock, plus “a solo section that starts off very quiet, but by the end of the 16-bars we are really flying with Matt accenting everything beautifully.” “Bar Enigma” (also one take) is one of the more complicated pieces with a difficult chord change, but Evans says, “I have always been interested in taking a complex tune and seeing if can make it sound simple so that it is very accessible to the listener.” “Lucia’s Happy Heart” (inspired by Falkner’s wife) evolved out of playing some Thelonious Monk chord changes and then adding some twists, “but the key to this one is the sense of dynamics.” Evans wrote “Make Tracks, Child” to challenge listeners to “get out in the world and experience life, ” and musically to explore his own bluesy roots.
The trio also does deep exploration of tunes by other composers. “I am a huge John Coltrane fan, ” states Evans. “I chose ‘Central Park West’ as a short, simple interlude ballad for the album. I wanted the silence within the tune to speak to the audience gently.” Falkner chose “Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum” because “I consider Wayne Shorter to be one of the greatest jazz writers ever. We put our own intro on this and end up really swinging.” Evans says “the band specifically never rehearsed the Harold Arlen tune ‘Come Rain or Come Shine’ to see if we could approach it with open minds and be totally fresh with it. It has a great looseness, especially when we push and pull the rhythm a bit.” Falkner ends the album with a solo piano piece, Kurt Weill’s “Lost in the Stars” because “I wanted a simple, poignant exclamation point to close the CD.”
Falkner has lived and performed regularly in New York City for many years, but he was born and raised in Oklahoma where his eclectic musical background began. Initially a drummer who formed his first band in sixth grade, Falkner switched to playing piano four years later performing material by Van Morrison, Bob Dylan and The Band. But in high school Evans also began listening to jazz like John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy and Miles Davis. Evans joined one of Tulsa’s most popular bands, Friends, doing material by acts such as Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears. Evans then formed his own group, The Edge Band, to play blues-rock (Allman Bros., Johnny Winter). The group evolved into Essence which became Tulsa’s top jazz band playing five nights a week at the Nine o’ Cups jazz club. Playing music by Coltrane, Cannonball Adderly and Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Essence opened shows for Pat Metheny, Thad Jones & Mel Lewis, and Stan Kenton. Jazz acts traveling through Tulsa often stopped in (Bill Evans caught a set) and sometimes sat in (Thad Jones, Mel Lewis, Milt Jackson). For several weeks each year, Falkner would travel to New York City to take piano instruction from Dan Haerle and to catch shows by top jazz acts there.
In the early Eighties Falkner got the call to join the country’s top western swing band Asleep At the Wheel. He stayed with the band for four years of national touring, two albums (Asleep at the Wheel on Dot Records and The Best of Asleep at the Wheel: The Milennium Collection), and appearances on television (“Austin City Limits” and the CBS-TV special “From Texas to Tennessee”). One notable concert was at the closing night of the Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin on New Year’s Eve with Commander Cody (Lost Planet Airmen) and Maryann Price (Dan Hicks, The Kinks) sitting in.
Evans moved to New York City in 1985 and contacted Cecil McBee who also is from Tulsa. The first time Evans played with McBee was at the Sweet Basil club after Falkner had only been in town a few days. “I was asked to sit in with Cecil’s group featuring Chico Freeman and Billy Hart. It was quite an introduction to New York.” In the mid-Nineties, Evans became enthralled with Brazilian music, so he put together a band in that genre that performed at Birdland several times a year. This Latin-jazz band, which also went into the studio to record, at times included guitarist Romero Lubambo (Herbie Mann, Grover Washington Jr.) and drummer Portinho (Paquito D’Rivera). Evans also began writing his own compositions, which is appropriate because Falkner shares his first name with the last name of his third cousin, the famous novelist William Faulkner (whose publisher added the “u” to his last name). In addition. Evans has studied with jazz pianists Joanne Brackeen (Dexter Gordon, Stan Getz) and Mike Longo (music director for Dizzy Gillespie). Some of Falkner’s biggest influences have been Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, Billy Strayhorn and Kenny Barron.
Evans says, “The beauty of the trio is that the pianist gets to lead and control the harmonies, but there also is the group interplay that can inspire each of us in our improvisation and push the music to loftier heights. What is great about this current trio is that we are flexible, open to new ideas, and willing to go wherever our mood takes us.”
DAVE TOFANi'S
DECORATED TENOR SAX
LEADS NEW QUARTET iN
NiGHTS AT THE iNN
There is nothing like a new outfit to help you look and feel great. Dave Tofani’s new outfit, in the form of a talented new quartet, also helps him sound great. On his new album, Tofani is unquestionably at his best and most confident. The former Grammy nominee and distinguished sax man continues to highlight his own luminous work, but also provides equal time to his accompanists: Jesse Green on piano, Evan Gregor on bass, and longtime collaborator Ronnie Zito on drums. Together, the band creates beautiful, lyrical and substantive music full of passion and crisp performances.
Nights At The Inn is Tofani’s fourth and most accomplished release on the SoloWinds imprint. Inspired by his quartets captivating gigs at the Deer Head Inn, the storied Pocono Mountains jazz destination, Dave and the group brought the same magic into the studio to capture that intimate club vibe. When you’ve got ace pedigree and a stellar,
first-call reputation like Tofani, capturing that vibe’s a piece of cake. A peek at Dave’s website gives new fans to his work some indication of the width and breadth of his career. Quite simply, his artistry exemplifies modern tenor saxophone. Ever since making his way through Juilliard, Tofani’s been one of NYC’s most sought-after studio
pros. He’s accompanied such legendary artists as Quincy Jones, Natalie Cole, George Benson, Barbara Streisand, Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, Frank Sinatra, Herbie Hancock, Tony Bennett and Simon & Garfunkel. You have heard him on numerous Grammy-Award winning CDs including Steely Dan’s Two Against Nature. He even played on the Double Fantasy sessions with John Lennon.
Dave’s musical sensibilities and sensitivities are evident on every track of Nights At The Inn. Tofani peppers the album with a nice smattering of gorgeous sax, but allows his band mates ample room as well. Up and coming pianist Green, a regular at the Deer Head Inn, proves his mettle on the delicate “I Hear a Rhapsody” and the trotting rendition of Cole Porter’s “What Is This Thing Called Love.” The set list also features three of Tofani’s own delightful compositions: the zesty, up-tempo “You Caught Me, ” the Mediterranean flair of “Trip To Madrid, ” and the percussive “Brushes On The Snare” which features the work of–yes, you guessed it–drummer Zito. Tofani’s original tunes gel well with the standards he has chosen, which include a playful take on Duke’s “Angelica” and a sensitive turn on Thad Jones’ “A Child Is Born, ” which features Tofani’s masterful tenor. “Violets For Your Furs, ” a heartwarming tune popularized, of course, by none other than Ol’ Blue Eyes himself. It’s a tasteful cap to a delightful listen.
Throughout the album, Tofani pays special attention to pacing. The variety of tempos from track to track makes for a satisfying ride through the band leader’s capabilities, which, on Nights At The Inn, are vast and wonderful.
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