Omer Klein’s new album, Sleepwalkers, is due February 17, 2017, and marks Klein’s debut for Warner Music. Omer recorded his newest work with his world-touring trio feat. Haggai Cohen-Milo on bass and Amir Bresler on drums. The 13 original compositions explore themes of Internet-Age isolation, music’s relation to the mysterious, and the trio’s life on the road.
Multiple Grammy Award nominee and winner Peter Erskine leads his New Trio on their second CD outing, turning their collective self towards the Land of the Rising Sun for inspiration. From the Tanizaki essay on esthetics titled “In Praise of Shadows,” to the 60s pop hit “Sukiyaki,” this is the perfect follow-up album to “Joy Luck.” Pianist/arranger Vardan Ovsepian has penned an impressive collection of originals, with Peter contributing one new world music/ acoustic fusion classic (“Each Breath”) — featuring guest cellist Artyom Manukyan (the song is a cross between acoustic Weather Report and the Roger Kellaway Cello Quartet). Electric bass phenom Damian Erskine shines on this recording. Engineered by Rich Breen, this is another Fuzzy Music classic.
The follow-up release to Peter Erskine’s Grammy-nominated “Dr. Um” album, reuniting the production team of Erskine with Grammy-nominated keyboardist and arranger John Beasley. “Second Opinion” is just that: a new look at songs and genres that are ripe and begging for expert musical attention. From funky originals to Henry Mancini covers, the Dr. Um Band delivers. Featuring Peter Erskine, John Beasley, Bob Sheppard and Benjamin Shepherd. Recorded at Sweetwater Studios, engineered by Mark Hornsby and mixed by Talley Sherwood. Peter feels that this is his “best album yet!” The drum sound will blow you away.
« Je suis à cette heure dans le pays des fougères, dans une ville qui devrait être pieusement visitée par les peintres, dans une ville qui a un vieux château flanqué de vieilles tours les plus superbes du monde, avec des moulins à eau, des ruisseaux vifs, des rochers, des jardins pleins de roses, des rues à pignons qui montent à pic, des églises hautes et basses, de vieux buffets de bois luisant dans les boutiques, toutes sortes de vieilles architectures rongées de lierre. J’ai vu tout cela au soleil, je l’ai vu au crépuscule, je l’ai revu au clair de lune, et je ne m’en lasse pas. C’est admirable. » (Victor Hugo, lettre à son épouse, 22 juin 1836). Bien entendu, Victor Hugo parlait de Fougères, ville fortifiée aux marches de Bretagne, la plus grande forteresse médiévale d'Europe et la mieux conservée. Après lui, j'écrirai de Maxime Fougère: je ne m'en lasse pas. C'est admirable. En effet, après un premier volume de ses Guitar reflections consacré à Duke Ellington, auteur d'un album fameux " Piano reflections " joué sans son orchestre, voici que Maxime Fougères se penche sur l'œuvre du plus grand compositeur de Jazz depuis la mort de Duke Ellington (Stan Getz dixit), Wayne Shorter. Suivant le judicieux précepte d'Oscar Wilde, les goûts du citoyen Maxime Fougères sont très simples. Il se contente du meilleur. Une des merveilles du commerce de la musique, c'est que, pour les enregistrements, une truffe noire vous est vendue au prix d'un champignon de Paris. C'est le cas de cet album qui n'est pas vendu plus cher que de la soupe ordinaire alors qu'il s'agit d'un mets de choix. Compositions de Wayne Shorter, Maître en déséquilibres, interprétations sans saxophone par 3 jeunes musiciens fluides, gracieux, réfléchis. Même quand ils ne jouent pas du Wayne Shorter (" Havona " de Jaco Pastorius, n°4, " Heads up " et Wayne's way " de Maxime Fougères, n°5 et 7, " Barracudas" de Gil Evans, n°8), vous avez l'impression d'en entendre. Pour autant, c'est bien la griffe de Maxime Fougères qui est posée sur cette musique. " Les miroirs feraient bien de réfléchir avant de nous renvoyer notre image " (Jean Cocteau). C'est bien ce que font Maxime Fougères, Yoni Zelnik et Antoine Paganotti. Ils réfléchissent avant d'agir. Quant à l'image qu'ils nous renvoient, elle est superbe.
This previously unreleased album by two of Europe's finest jazz musicians, John Taylor and Stan Sulzmann, was recorded in 1990 and features the duo at its artistic peak. It is a testament to its quality that it's more than stood the test of time. The interaction between Stan and John, coupled with their precision and musicality is as listenable and exciting today as in the original performance.
OK:KO is a Finnish jazz band led by drummer Okko Saastamoinen. Land E. is the band’s debut release. Depite the bands short lifespan, it has already won the Young Nordic Jazz Comets competition and was voted as the audience favourite. In the fall of 2016, OK:KO was also nominated as the We Jazz Rising Star of 2016. Okko, 21, has made a long journey from the active folk music scene in Haapavesi to the Sibelis Academy in Helsinki, where he was given the opportunity to immerse himself in the tradition of jazz. In order to bring his own vision of jazz alive, Okko founded his firstensemble as a leader in the fall of 2016 by asking some of Finlands most unique and reknown young jazzmusicians to join him in the quest to make his music come alive. The music on Land E. is dominated by strong and beautiful melodies that clearly reflect Okko´s musical heritage. He puts an emphasis on leaving lots of room for improvisation by his open and spacious approach to songwriting. This helps to keep the music fresh and creates a multidimensional and high-spirited expression, ranging from fragile soundscapes to rough and flamboyant interaction. OK:KO always engages the listener with their personal sound and the evident trust that shines within the band. Recorded at Sonic Pump Studios 11-12 July, 2016 in Helsinki, Finland. Engineered and mixed by Olli Erik Keskinen. Mastered by Jaakko Viitalähde.
«Near and How» is an album documenting the long-standing musical partnership shared by bassist Paolo Benedettini, trumpeter Joe Magnarelli, pianist Bruno Montrone and drummer Adam Pache. The music recorded is a reflection of what they have come to achieve touring together: an aesthetic deeply rooted in the jazz tradition, filtered through the modern sound of New York today, with an emphasis on original compositions and a liberal take on tunes from the standard repertoire. The quartet first came together in Italy, though individually the members come from far and wide: Magnarelli and Benedettini are based in New York, while Montrone lives in his hometown, Bari, Italy, and the Australian born Pache now lives in Rome. The title of the album, «Near and How» refers to their separation geographically by land and sea and the way they always manage to come together with a feeling of unity and cohesion on the bandstand - and now in the studio. This musical empathy is evident as the members navigate their way through Magnarelli’s sublime composition, “Ballad For Barretto”, as well as on more energetic, explosive tracks such as the minor blues, “Simone”, where the drums take a lead role. The quartet enjoy taking risks and remaining open to where the music takes them while at the same time laying down some solid New York-style swing, as can be heard on Bill Evans’ “Show Type Tune”. Joe Magnarelli, the featured soloist of the group, is without doubt one of the leading jazz artists on the trumpet today, having collaborated over the years with Harry Connick, Ray Barretto, Mulgrew Miller, the Carnegie Hall Orchestra and the Lincoln Center Orchestra, amongst many others. Paolo Benedettini, one of Sir Ron Carter’s prized bass students, has held stage with a staggering list of jazz greats and is a master of constructing melodic bass lines. Bruno Montrone, the youngest of the aggregation, is a gifted soloist and also a skilled accompanist, with a flexible comping style that embraces every era of the music, integral to the sound of the group. On the drums, Adam Pache exhibits that for which he has become known: taste and musicality with a warm sound and a cymbal beat that is consistently driving, providing a cushion which the band can lean on. The album was recorded mid-tour during the summer of 2016 at MAST Recording Studios in Bari, and was engineered by Massimo Stano. The final stage of mastering took place in New York City in November 2016, with Michael Perez-Cisneros.
