Jazzmeia Horn - A Social Call (CONCORDE MUSIC 2017)

With an assured maturity and vocal confidence far beyond her years, the young singer Jazzmeia Horn arrives with her debut recording A Social Call, an album that reveals a talent ready to take its place alongside the best headlining jazz vocalists of today. Scheduled for release on May 12, 2017 via Prestige, a division of Concord Music Group, its ten tracks—performed with an all-star acoustic jazz lineup—bristle with a bracing sense of clarity: clarity in Horn’s voice (itself a strong and remarkably supple instrument); clarity in the heady range of vocal legends who have shaped her (from Sarah Vaughan to Rachelle Ferrell); and clarity in the vital message of social uplift and the glowing optimism she conveys through her music.

Horn’s marriage of music and message suffuses the variety of selections on A Social Call: fresh takes of evergreen standards ("East of the Sun (West of the Moon)”, "I Remember You”), hard bop anthems ("Afro-Blue,” "Moanin’”), songs of spiritual intent ("Wade in the Water,” "Lift Every Voice and Song”), a couple of melodies associated with another singer of personal influence, Betty Carter ("Tight,” "Social Call”) and R&B nuggets popularized by the likes of Mary J. Blige and the Stylistics ("I’m Goin’ Down,” "People Make the World Go Round”). Some tunes are woven into medleys with Horn first sermonizing on issues of common concern, giving A Social Call the feel of an intimate, live performance.

With the benefit of Horn’s vocal prowess, A Social Call is an album that satisfyingly combines jazz of the classic, small-group variety—when singers had to step up and carry the same musical weight as any other band member—with more modern flavors of gospel and neo-soul. Horn’s palpable understanding of iconic singers of the 1950s and ’60s makes her the ideal candidate for the historic Prestige label, an imprint that helped introduce many jazz vocalists to the world. Even the name of Horn’s album is drawn from that same time period. "Of course Gigi Gryce’s ‘Social Call’ inspired the title,” says Horn.

JJA Jazz Awards Winners Announced

Winners of 21st Annual Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Awards Announced Pianists Reign Among 41 Categories of Excellence in Music, Music Journalism Chinese Banquet to Present Select Awards Set for June 6 in NYC

McCoy Tyner Lifetime Achievement Winner

The Jazz Journalists Association has announced winners of its 21st annual Jazz Awards, celebrating 41 categories of excellence in music and music journalism. Pianists reign, with 78-year old McCoy Tyner celebrated for his Lifetime Achievement in Jazz, 13-year-old Joey Alexander hailed as Up and Coming Musician of the Year, Kenny Barron (73) named Pianist of the Year, the late Bill Evans’ Some Other Time: The Lost Session from the Black Forest (Resonance Records) winning as Historical Recording of the Year, Robert Glasper acknowledged for his use of electronics, and Vijay Iyer cited for his role in Duo of the Year -- his duet partner being trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, recipient of the Musician of the Year Award.

In addition, two pianists won JJA awards for their work in media: Ted Gioia, recipient of the JJA’s Award for Lifetime Achievement in Jazz Journalism, who played jazz piano, taught and helped set up the jazz program at Stanford University, has composed piano works as well as written ten non-fiction books on jazz and served as editorial director of Jazz.com. Ethan Iverson of The Bad Plus and diverse musical collaborations gets the Jazz Blog of the Year Award for Do The Math .

See all winners and finalist nominees for the 2017 Jazz Awards at www.JJAJazzAwards.org .

Awards for excellence in jazz journalism will be presented at a Chinese banquet at the Golden Unicorn Restaurant, 18 E. Broadway, New York City, from 5:30 to 8:30 pm on June 6, tickets available here . Jazz Awards for musical excellence will be presented at winners’ performances throughout the U.S., dates and places to be announced.

Winners of the Jazz Awards were determined by the two-stage voting of full JJA members -- writers, broadcasters, photographers, videographers and other media professionals engaged in disseminating news and views of jazz.

Besides pianists, women musicians are prominent in this year’s Awards. Composer-arranger Maria Schneider, guitarist Mary Halvorson, multi-reeds player and clarinet specialist Anat Cohen, baritone saxophonist Claire Daly, soprano saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom, flutist Nicole Mitchell and violinist Regina Carter won their respective categories. René Marie won Female Singer of the Year (Gregory Porter won Male Singer of the Year).

Other Awards winners include Composer of the Year Ted Nash, Trumpeter of the Year Brian Lynch, who also won the Record of the Year Award for Madera Latino – A Latin Jazz Perspective on the Music of Woody Shaw (Hollistic MusicWorks), and Krin Gabbard whose Better Git It In Your Soul: An Interpretive Biography of Charles Mingus (University of California Press) won Jazz Book of the Year.

For further information on the Jazz Awards or the Jazz Journalists Association, contact Howard Mandel, President@JazzJournalists.org , or Jim Eigo, Jim@JazzPromoServices.com.

www.jjajazzawards.org

Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks Appear In Barry Levinson's "Wizard of Lies"

The story of Bernie Madoff and his Ponzi scheme starring Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer. 

The 'mini' Nighthawks [Mark Lopeman, Paul Wells, Mark Shane and Vince Giordano] were lucky enough to be a part of this film!

You can catch a glimpse of us in the trailers.

Premieres Saturday, May 20 at 8 PM on HBO

The Wizard of Lies Trailer (Teaser Trailer)

JIM EIGO, JAZZ PROMO SERVICES

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Ph: 845-986-1677 / Fax: 845-986-1699

Cell / text: 917-755-8960

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“Specializing in Media Campaigns for the music community, artists, labels, venues and events.”

Gerald Clayton - Tributary Tales (MOTÉMA MUSIC 2017)

GRAMMY-nominated pianist and composer Gerald Clayton melds together diverse inspirations to create an interconnected musical narrative that resonates with modern styles as boldly as it evokes classic and timeless sounds. 

To record Tributary Tales, Clayton assembled a group of artists both new and familiar, each of whom brings additional, unique influences and experiences to the music. Saxophonists Logan Richardson, Ben Wendel and Dayna Stephens, bassist Joe Sanders, drummer Justin Brown and percussionists Henry Cole and Gabriel Lugo join guest vocalist Sachal Vasandani and poets Carl Hancock Rux and Aja Monet to bring life to Clayton’s range of alluring compositions.

01. Unforeseen 5:58

02. Patience Patients 6:13

03. Search For 1:07

04. A Light 4:19

05. Reach Fo 0:36

06. Envisionings 6:43

07. Reflect On 1:09

08. Lovers Reverie (feat. Aja Monet & Carl Hancock Rux) 3:11

09. Wakeful 5:54

10. Soul Stomp 7:47

11. Are We 7:00

12. Engage In 1:29

13. Squinted 7:10

14. Dimensions: Interwoven (feat. Aja Monet & Carl Hancock Rux) 5:50

Ed Calle - Ed Calle plays Jobim (2017)

Born in Caracas of Spanish parents, Miami-based saxophonist Ed Calle owes his musical career to his father's love of music. When Calle and his family moved to America in 1966, his father suggested that Calle take some music classes. Calle picked tenor saxophone and took to it quickly, soon spending nearly all his free time practicing.

As a student at the University of Miami, Calle decided that music was his calling, and received a master's degree in jazz performance. Even before he left school, however, Calle played with artists like Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine, and toured with performers such as Julio Iglesias and Bob James. Calle has also worked as a sideman for Arturo Sandoval, Jon Secada, Vanessa Williams, and Frank Sinatra, as well as contributing to television and movie soundtracks.

Along with his Latin roots, Calle's playing style is influenced by his love of mathematics--he also holds a bachelor's degree in math from Florida International University. Calle shares his technical background and heritage with the elementary school children he lectures as a traveling music teacher. His solo albums Nightgames (1986), Double Talk (1996), and Sunset Harbor (1999) also reflect his prowess and passion as a musician. The new millennium saw the release of Twilight (2001) on Concord Jazz.

01. Desafinado

02. Corcovado

03. Wave

04. The Girl from Ipanema

05. Triste

06. Once I Loved

07. How Insensitive

08. Dindi

09. If You Never Come to Me

10. Meditation

11. Some One to Light Up My Life

12. One Note Samba

Patti LaBelle - Bel Hommage (2017)

Iconic singer Patti LaBelle will release the new album, Bel Hommage, on May 5, 2017. The project, her first in almost a decade, features a collection of jazz standard records.

‘Bel Hommage’ follows Patti’s 2008 Labelle reunion project, Back to Now. The physical CD is available for pre-order now and the digital album will be available for pre-order on March 24th.

With more than 50 years in show business, LaBelle has recorded and performed music across multiple genres including R&B, disco, pop, and gospel. However, Bel Hommage marks her first foray into jazz. She grew up listening to many of the songs that she recorded for the project and has always admired artists such as Dinah Washington, James Moody, Nina Simone, Nancy Wilson and Frank Sinatra, who’ve made these standards famous.

“I’ve been saying for years that I was going to record a jazz album, but I hadn’t taken that leap of faith to try something different,” says LaBelle. “Now I’m so happy that I did because I really love all of these songs and I pray that everyone else will too!”

In addition to ‘Bel Hommage,’ LaBelle is releasing her sixth book and fourth cookbook, Desserts LaBelle, on April 25th and has a line of successful food products, Patti’s Good Life, which is carried at Walmart stores. She also stars on the hit Cooking Channel show, Patti LaBelle’s Place.