Dori Rubbicco with the John Harrison Quintet - STAGE DOOR LIVE! (WHALING CITY SOUND June 22, 2018)

AN OPEN DOOR: 6.22.18 Dori Rubbicco and the John Harrison Quintet release STAGE DOOR LIVE! on Whaling City Sound

Dori Rubbicco’s musical marriage with John Harrison is the perfect arrangement. While Dori explores the nearly spiritual meaning of some of her well-chosen covers and original compositions, Harrison does his own exploration on piano, laying down lovely melodies for Rubbicco to fall back on. Harrison and his band are wonderful here, and Rubbicco’s interpretive styles serve as the ideal complement. 

Emotional, magical, and unmistakably original, STAGE DOOR LIVE! was recorded at New Bedford’s intimate Zeiterion Theater. The backdrop is ideal for such a captivating live session. As a singer-songwriter inspired by the likes of Joni Mitchell—which makes perfect sense given her penchant for ambitious musical searching—as well as vocal stylists like Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan, Dori understands the power of both style and substance and her performance conveys that power to the audience. Her set list is full of unique interpretations and elegantly imagined covers, revealing an artist able to both compose and interpret with equally successful results. 

The band, Harrison’s quintet, is excellent; full of melodic romanticism and jazzy chops. Bill Miele plays the bass, Yoron Israel on drums, Donn Legge on guitar, Bryan Steel on the saxes, and Ian Rubbico Legge (notice the surnames!) on cello. Harrison leads with his customary elegance. It’s traditional without being too staid. Straight-up without being reserved. It helps that Dori finds her way through the instruments with her probing vocals. 

Both Dori and Harrison have performed across the country, together and separately. Rubbicco has worked as a solo singer-songwriter and with groups, including the Miami Jazz Ensemble, the Gerald Wiggins Trio, and the Blues Train Band. Her work here with Harrison brings out the best in both artists, with Harrison’s extraordinary piano laying lush melodies down for Dori to revel in, on covers like “Imagine” and “I Can See Clearly,” and Jobim’s “Two Kites,” as well as an entertaining original, “Right Here Waiting.” 

Daniel Carter / William Parker / Matthew Shipp - Seraphic Light (AUM Fidelity 2018)

Seraphic Light is an exemplary long-form work of collective creative improvisation, performed by three masters of this high art. It was recorded live in the performance hall of Tufts University (Boston) in April 2017. These three men each possess a complete & total devotion to the music. On this very rare trio meeting they manifest a meditative resonance, replete with lyrical & poetic exploration, throughout a sublime set. 

This concert was the culmination of an event entitled “Art, Race, and Politics in America.” First was a screening of the 1959 documentary film, The Cry of Jazz. The film asserts “jazz is the Negro’s cry of joy and suffering” and “the Negro is [white America’s] conscience...if they have a conscience.” These bold and timely ideas pushed forward the second portion of the program, a discussion / Q&A with Carter, Parker, and Shipp. For 45 free-flowing minutes, these three men spoke truths, told stories, floated ideas, countered assertions, listened to questions, gave advice, told jokes, and laughed together. Having already established an honest and direct bond with the audience, they then seamlessly shifted their discussion to the musical dialogue presented here. 

While William Parker and Matthew Shipp are each deservedly world-renowned as players–improvisers–composers due to their extensive recording and performance work as leaders, the exceptionally gifted Daniel Carter remains an underground figure on the world stage; even relatively so within New York City where he has been ceaselessly active since the mid 70s. He is a masterful player of deep lyricism and passion; in possession of gorgeous tone across a full range of wind instruments: each of the three principal saxophones, trumpet, flute and clarinet. Seraphic Light showcases him on all of these. 

Carter has long subsumed his voluminous gifts to the service of the project or performance at hand; tellingly, every group of which he has been a member has been a collective. He first came to AUM Fidelity label head Steven Joerg’s attention as a part of the seminal group Other Dimensions In Music (w/ Parker, Rashid Bakr, and the late Roy Campbell, deeply missed). Among the greatest fully-improvising bands in jazz history, ODIM were a most welcome & heralded presence on NYC stages throughout the 90s and into the 2000s. One of AUM’s first signings, their album, Now! aumfidelity.bandcamp.com/album/now , was made in 1997, the label’s heady year of birth. 

As Daniel Carter has recently entered his 7th decade, having spent well over 50 years being fully devoted to the music, it is hoped that this brand new recording – in the company of well-esteemed peers – will go some measure to increase recognition of the gifts he has long offered.

More info...

1. Seraphic Light part I 21:27

2. Seraphic Light part II 20:53

3. Seraphic Light part III 13:06

Daniel Carter: flute, trumpet, tenor, alto & soprano saxophones, clarinet 

William Parker: bass 

Matthew Shipp: piano

Kris Funn - Cornerstore: Bodega Deluxe (2018)

CORNERSTORE

The portrait of an artist as a young man. The story of a kid growing up in the 80's in West Baltimore set to the backdrop of sibling rivalry, a father's passion for music, a mother's guidance and a quest for finding oneself. Life lessons meeting at the intersection of blues, rock, bebop and hip hop. See you at the Cornerstore.

1. Welcome 01:18

2. Visceral 07:26

3. Gemini 06:57

4. Boombox 05:03

5. Ghettobird 08:15

6. Thursday Night Prayer Meeting 07:46

7. Wish 05:00

8. PIF 04:47

9. Arithemetricks 03:40

10. Mind Control 05:19

11. The Day After 04:21

12. The Night Before 03:29

13. Time Control 02:03

14. Politricks 01:33

15. FM Jazz Radio 02:09

16. Paige In Full 02:37

17. Swish 02:39

18. Friday Night Live 02:30

19. Ghetto Nerd 01:35

20. AM Jazz Radio 01:40

21. Dedicated 02:25

22. Into You 03:15

CORNERSTORE

Kris Funn - bass

John Lee - guitar

Tim Green - saxophone

Quincy Phillips - drums(2,5,6,7,9,10,11)

John Lamkin - drums(1,3,4,8)

Allyn Johnson - piano(6)

Janelle Gill - piano(8,10)

Paige Hernandez - voice

Engineered, Mixed, and Mastered at Blue House Studios by Jeff Gruber

Carlos Averhoff Jr. - Iqba: Jazz Meets Cuban Tima (INNER CIRCLE MUSIC 2018)

This album has a fresh, energetic and groovy sound. It melts music elements from modern Jazz with the groove of Afro Cuban rhythms and Timba, a modern Cuban dance genre which was born during 1990's. 

The name iQba (iQ-Cuba), was inspired on the economic crisis in Cuba in the 1990's. At that time, Cuban music evolved in response to the social anxiety and hardships in the island. Timba is a dance genre that gave voice to a historical moment in Cuba. The tittle iQba (iQ-Cuba), makes reference to those years in the island and speaks to the innate intellectual capacity of the Cuban people to reinvent themselves with creativity and by using unlikely resources. iQba is a musical representation of the years of Carlos Averhoff's youth listening to Timba music in a neighborhood influenced by the Yoruba religion, and from his learning experiences as a band member of Cuban Timba bands, performing the night away in front of large, dancing crowds.

www.averhoffjr.com

The Midnight Hour - The Midnight Hour (LINEAR LABS 2018)

When two of hip-hop’s most accomplished composers get together to make an album you know the results are going to be special. Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest) & Adrian Younge began their work together in 2013 on the critically acclaimed album There Is Only Now and their partnership cemented on their score work for Marvels’ Luke Cage. Today, they are proud to announce the forthcoming release of their carefully constructed and masterful The Midnight Hour. It is the duo’s long awaited album and it showcases their songwriting ability like never before.

Lead track and first single “Questions” featuring CeeLo Green is out today and has an unlikely origin story that CeeLo, Adrian and Ali originally explained to Pitchfork back in 2016, when a demo version of the song appeared as a sample on “untitled 06 | 06.30.2014.” off of Kendrick Lamar’s untitled unmastered. project. The completed track perfectly captures the album’s underlying roots in hip-hop’s origins and can be heard HERE.

The 20 track, full length double album, will be released on Linear Labs and distributed digitally by INgrooves and vinyl will be distributed by Traffic Entertainment, world wide on June 8, 2018.

Black Beacon

2. Mare feat. LadyBug Mecca

It’s You feat. Raphael Saadiq

Questions feat. CeeLo Green

So Amazing feat. Luther Vandross

Gate 54

Do It Together feat. Bilal

Redneph In B Minor

Better Endeavor

Smiling For Me feat. Karolina

Don’t Keep Me Waiting feat. Marsha Ambrosius

Bitches Do Voodoo feat. Angela Munoz

Possibilities feat. Eryn Allen Kane

Mission

Dans Un Moment D’errance feat. Laetitia Sadier Questlove and Keyon Harrold

Love Is Free feat. Eryn Allen Kane

Together Again feat. No I.D. and James Poyser

Feel Alive feat. Karolina and Loren Oden

There Is No Greater Love feat. Loren Oden and Saudia Yasmein

Ravens

Sunnyside Artists Live

Sunnyside Artists Live:

June 20 - Shamie Royston @ Dizzy's Club Coca Cola - NYC - CD Release Gig for Beautiful Liar

June 21-24 - Vinicius Cantuaria @ Jazz Standard - NYC

June 22 - Harriet Tubman @ Nublu / Alternative Guitar Summit - NYC

June 22 - Camila Meza @ Living Jazz - Oakland, CA

June 23 - Cristina Pato @ Pregón Festas de Ourense - Ourense, Spain

June 23 - Scott Tixier Quartet @ Clifford Brown Jazz Festival - Wilmington, DE

June 24 - Hush Point @ Ottawa Jazz Festival - Ottawa, Canada

June 26 - Chano Dominguez Trio @ Blue Note Festival - NYC

June 28 - Chano Dominguez Flamenco Quintet @ Montreal Jazz Festival - Montreal, Canada

June 29 - Dan Tepfer @ Spectrum Festival of Modern Piano - Brooklyn, NY

June 29-30 - Aaron Goldberg @ Grahamstown Jazz Festival - Grahamstown, South Africa

June 30 - Caroline Davis Quintet @ Fatcat - NYC

July 2 - Camila Meza @ Piedmont Piano - Oakland, CA

July 6 - Camila Meza @ Daly Jazz - Missoula, MT

July 10 - Matt Penman @ Jazz Standard - CD Release Gig for Good Question

July 12 - Greg Reitan Trio @ Blue Whale - Los Angeles, CA

July 13 - Caroline Davis Quintet @ Green Mill - Chicago, IL

July 13 - Clovis Nicolas Quartet @ Sunset - Paris, France

July 14 - Clovis Nicolas Quartet @ Gulf Stream Jazz Festival - Normandy, France

July 17-18 - Michael Leonhart Orchestra @ Jazz Standard - CD Release Gig for The Painted Lady Suite

July 18 - Duane Eubanks Quintet @ Blues Alley - Washington, DC

July 19 - Camila Meza @ Vitoria Jazz Festival - Vitoria, Spain

July 20 - 9 Horses @ Festival Mozaic - Morro Bay, CA

July 21 - Benny Green @ Caramoor Center - Katonah, NY

July 22 - 9 Horses @ Festival Mozaic - San Luis Obispo, CA

July 22 - Randy Ingram & Drew Gress @ The Falcon - Marlboro, NY

July 23 - Caroline Davis Quintet @ Stanford Jazz Festival - Stanford, CA

July 23 - Laszlo Gardony Sextet @ Hartford Monday Night Jazz - Hartford, CT

July 27 - Aaron Goldberg @ Langnau - Emmental, Switzerland

July 28 - Caroline Davis Quartet @ Bird & Beckett Books and Records - San Francisco, CA

July 31-Aug. 2 - Benny Green @ Cotton Club - Tokyo, Japan

Aug. 2 - Cristina Pato Trio @ Festas de Ribeira - Ribeira, Spain

Aug. 3-4 - Duane Eubanks Quintet @ Smoke Jazz Club - NYC

Aug. 5 - Benny Green @ Centennial Hall - Yonsei University - Seoul, South Korea

Aug. 8-11 - Benny Green @ Ubud Village Jazz Festival - Bali, Indonesia

Aug. 11 - Caroline Davis Quartet @ The 1905 - Portland, OR

Don't forget the Mingus Big Band every Monday @ Jazz Standard in NYC!

Davy Mooney & Ko Omura - Benign Strangers (July 27, 2018 SUNNYSIDE RECORDS)

The world is remarkable in that people from far off places and different walks of life can have an immediate, dramatic impact on each other after meeting just once. The notion of meeting a newcomer who embraces new people and ideas but also freely puts forth his own ideas is the theme of guitarist Davy Mooney and drummer Ko Omura’s new recording, Benign Strangers. 

Originally from New Orleans, Mooney is a longtime regular on the New York scene and, for the past year, he has been teaching at his alma mater, the University of North Texas in Denton. Mooney’s two Sunnyside releases, Perrier Street and Hope of Home, highlight his fantastic playing and composing with an incredible cast of musicians graced with the New Orleans magic, including saxophonist John Ellis, pianist Jon Cowherd and drummer Brian Blade. 

Intrigued by the culture after his first visit in 2008, Mooney has been a regular visitor to Japan. After the 2012 release of Perrier Street, he reached out to a Japan based UNT friend for help getting a tour and ensemble together. It was then that Mooney met Ko Omura. 

Omura was born in Tokyo but grew up in the United States and Australia. After graduating from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and a stint in Sydney, Omura returned to Tokyo where he has made his name as a top-notch drummer and organizer and influencer in the local scene. 

Mooney returned to Japan to tour over the next two years. The initial tours mainly featured Mooney’s pieces but a fluid dynamic was enforced as Omura’s influence began to shape the sound of the collaboration by introducing his own music into the touring ensembles. Mooney and Omura’s composing styles are well suited, as they both are melodists of high degree. It wasn’t long before the duo began making plans for further endeavors, including a recording. 

During the brutal cold of January 2018, Mooney and Omura met in New York City to record with a small ensemble. It was a warm, reunion-like atmosphere in the studio, as Mooney had long friendships with all involved. But apart from pianist Glenn Zaleski, it was the first time Omura had met the assembled cast, which included John Ellis, bassist Matt Clohesy and engineer Michael Perez-Cisneros. 

The recording was a true collaboration with Mooney and Omura both providing compositions, which were finely tuned in the studio. The resulting recording is a stirring collection of original pieces that prove that jazz is a language that spans the globe. 

The recording begins with Omura’s sweeping “Benign Strangers,” an homage to individuals, now friends, from all over the globe who have helped him along his musical path. Mooney’s “In This Balance of Time” is a beauty with interesting form and shifting meters, while his “Dim” is an intriguing experiment with the diminished chords. Omura’s “Subconscious Partner” is a breezy tune that shares gratitude to the inner voice that pushes us on our way. Omura has traveled to India to study the tabla over the past four years and his talent on the twin drums is evident on his “Unimagined Virtues,” which is performed in a trio with Mooney and Ellis. 

Named for a street sign he sees on his way to work each day, Mooney’s “Shady Shores” is a bright and inspiring piece, which features solos from Zaleski and Mooney. The title for Omura’s quietly stoic “Hiraeth” comes from a Welsh word meaning nostalgia or longing and provides a perfect vehicle for Clohesy’s bass feature. Mooney’s angular “Polly Pulse” is a tricky, polyrhythmic piece and a departure from the guitarist’s usual compositional style. “The Heights” is another from Mooney’s book that shows his talent at writing catchy material in service to improvisation. The recording concludes with Omura’s “29th Road,” a lilting composition named for a street in a Mumbai suburb that had a spiritual feel and the most jovial stray dogs on the planet. 

Bright things can happen when worlds collide. Two individuals of diverse backgrounds can come together to create beautiful music, as is the case with Davy Mooney and Ko Omura on their lovely new Benign Strangers.

1. Benign Strangers 06:27

2. In This Balance of Time

3. DIM

4. Subconscious Partner

5. Unimagined Virtues

6. Shady Shores 06:25

7. Hiraeth

8. Polly Pulse

9. The Heights

10. 29th Road

Davy Mooney - guitar

John Ellis - soprano, tenor sax, bass clarinet, clarinet

Glenn Zaleski - piano

Matt Clohesy - acoustic bass

Ko Omura - drums, tabla