Sunday, September 9, 2018

Lefto presents Jazz Cats (SDBAN ULTRA October 5, 2018) CD / 2 LP


“Lefto continues to bridge the gap between the old school & new school... elements of traditional jazz meets modern day electronic influenced jazz”
Jamie Strong (Innovative Leisure, Los Angeles)

Growing up around jazz as a child, Lefto’s father would wake him up with the sounds of jazz flowing from the speakers and would often take him to dark and smoky bars around his home town of Brussels to hear the lastest Belgian jazz ensembles. Falling in love with jazz, he would later refine has knack for record digging while working at a record store in Brussels, immersing himself in hip hop and jazz.

Today, Lefto regularly blesses sound systems from Tokyo to Seoul and Singapore to New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. He's not only a deejay and producer but also curates his own stage at the Dour Festival and his own nights in Gent in collaboration with Democrazy.

Other releases on SDBAN include ‘Jack Sels: Minor Works’, ‘Funky Chimes: Belgian Grooves From The 70’s’ and ‘Let's Get Swinging: Modern Jazz In Belgium 1950 – 1970’. SDBAN ULTRA releases include like ‘Steiger: Give Space’, ‘Black Flower: Artifacts’ and ‘STUFF. Old Dreams New Planets’.

1. SCHNTZL – ‘Lindbergh’
2. BRZZVLL – ‘De Vlijtige Kip’
3. 2 Times Nothing – ‘Fuckbox’
4. LABtrio – ‘Elevator’
5. Glass Museum – ‘Tribal Coffee’
6. Steiger – ‘Part One’
7. De Beren Gieren – ‘Oude Beren’
8. Black Flower – ‘Artifacts’
9. Commander Spoon – ‘Introducing - Part III’
10. Compro Oro – ‘Bombarda’
11. STUFF. – ‘strata’
12. Mazzle – ‘Hikari Park’
13. Madame Blavatsky – ‘Steak In The Neck’
14. Collective Conscience – ‘Takeoff’
15. BeraadGeslagen – ‘Suikerbeat’
16. Pudding oO – ‘Hiza Hiza Hey’


StringShot (Roy Rogers / Badi Assad & Carlos Reyes) - Blues & Latin (2018)


Virtuosic Artists Collide in Elegant Conversation of Latin + Blues on StringShot

Trio’s debut album and U.S. tour set to capture the hearts of roots, rock, world, and jazz fans


There’s a bedrock of sound that unites the music of the Americas, despite the remarkable variety of musical expression on the surface. And then there’s the unique, near-magical energy that comes alive when devoted musicians let their skill and artistry converse.

StringShot, the new trio collaboration between legendary blues slide guitarist & producer Roy Rogers, Brazilian guitar virtuoso and songwriter Badi Assad, and South American stringed harp master and violinist Carlos Reyes, harnesses both, bringing blues and Latin music into close dialog while demonstrating how well friendship translates into flawless performances and songwriting. Their beautifully produced debut album, StringShot, leaves ample room for the musical kindred spirits to strut their stuff and move with effortless tenderness.

“I’m always trying to push the envelope, ” laughs Rogers. “It’s conducive to great music. The Latin and blues conversation has always appealed to me, and I love the rhythms and the challenge of a different genre.This is the first time I’ve gotten to explore it outside of a strictly blues context, and it’s been wonderful.”

“Though our styles are totally different, we use them as a way to communicate our hearts out,” explains Assad. “In the lyrics process, we could feel that we take in life in similar way, with day-by-day discoveries, with a lot of simplicity coming from the soul, and a love for music with a lot of freedom. Roy has a very big heart and he embraced me as a sister, with that same kind of care and support. You can hear it in the music, our very special friendship.”

American audiences will get to hear the collaboration live for the first time, as StringShot embarks on its debut tour on the West Coast this autumn.


Roy Rogers

Badi Assad

Carlos Reyes

Back to Havana
Between Truth and Luck
Blues for Brazil
Still Livin' In A Memory
Back Along the Way
God Prayed It
Desires
Lost Again In You
Wounds Of Sight
Love Broken

Fay Claassen & WDR Big Band - Dutch Songbook (CHALLENGE RECORDS 2018)


"This album is a live recording of a very precious musical moment for me. What you hear is exactly as it happened at that special concert. Everything felt right, the great WDR Big Band conducted by Torsten Maass with its fantastic soloists, the gorgeous arrangements, the special guest soloists I could bring from the Netherlands: Peter Tiehuis, Cor Bakker and Theo de Jong, not to mention the enthusiastic audience of the club. A Dutch ‘Friendly Takeover’ in Cologne! "

In November 2015 Fay was asked by the management of the WDR Big Band to put together a programme with music from the Netherlands. Fay got carte blanche to choose all the music and have it arranged for her and the WDR Big Band. Although she had never sung in Dutch before, she loved the idea!

Fay was very happy that she could ask some of her favorite arrangers from the Netherlands, such as Rob Horsting, Ilja Reijngoud, Joan Reinders and Henk Meutgeert, to arrange the songs, but also Torsten Maass and legendary arranger Michael Abene made their fantastic contributions.

This project is recorded live at the ”Jazz-Schmiede“, Düsseldorf on November 28th 2015.

1 Find That Screw  07:36
2 Aan De Amsterdamse Grachten  06:53
3 Reach For The Rose  10:38
4 Is Dit Alles  08:35
5 Zonder Jou  05:47
6 Opzij, Opzij, Opzij  05:21
7 Dat Mistige Rooie Beest  07:42
8 Five Up High  07:21
9 Keep Me In Your Dreams  06:03

Live tour by Fay Claassen and The Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw Fall 2018:

22 sep - Theater De Kom, Nieuwegein
29 sep - Veluvine, Nunspeet
01 okt - Het Concertgebouw, Amsterdam
05 okt - Chasse Theater, Breda
11 okt - Speelhuis, Helmond
12 okt - Theater De Stoep, Spijkenisse
13 okt - Isala Theater, Capelle aan den IJssel
19 okt - De Nieuwe Kolk, Assen
20 okt - Goudse Schouwburg, Gouda
21 okt - Schouwburg Cuijk
26 okt - De Vest, Alkmaar