Stéphane Galland (and the mystery) Kem, nouvel album (OUTHERE MUSIC 2018)

Stéphane Galland & (the mystery of) Kem

Nouvel album

Outhere Music

Stéphane Galland est un batteur d'exception au style très personnel. Il a acquis sa maîtrise des rythmes à travers ses rencontres et ses recherches, que ce soit auprès des Pygmées de Centrafrique, du maître sénégalais de la percussion Doudou Ndiaye Rose ou des spécialistes des figures rythmiques de la musique indienne. On retrouve Stéphane Galland fin octobre 2018 avec la sortie de son second album intitulé Stéphane Galland & (the mystery of) Kem.

Dans l’Égypte ancienne, « kem » désignait la couleur noire, comme celle du limon du Nil, de la terre noire, fertile. Un mot extrêmement positif pour une couleur souvent vue comme négative ou « diabolique ».

Pour ce voyage, Stéphane Galland est entouré de jeunes musiciens audacieux et talentueux : Sylvain Debaisieux (saxophone), Bram De Looze (piano), Federico Stocchi (basse) ; il est rejoint par l’un des plus grands joueurs de flûte carnatique, Ravi Kulur (Ravi Shakar, Anoushka Shankar…), originaire du Sud de l’Inde. L’album présente également Ibrahim Maalouf en invité (très) spécial sur le titre Memetics.

Avec (the mystery of) KEM, Stéphane Galland revisite les racines rythmiques où convergent toutes les traditions musicales qu’il a côtoyées et intégrées dans son propre langage. Il explore un espace spécifique qui permet l’intégration de tous ces concepts sans a priori ou limitation stylistique. Bienvenue sur la terre noire et mystérieuse de KEM.

Originaire de Berchem-Sainte-Agathe (commune de Bruxelles), Stéphane Galland s'est rapidement révélé comme un musicien d'exception. 

Développant un style très personnel, il acquiert la maîtrise des rythmes les plus complexes à travers ses rencontres et ses recherches, que ce soit auprès des Pygmées de Centrafrique, du maître sénégalais de la percussion Doudou Ndiaye Rose ou des spécialistes des figures rythmiques de la musique indienne tels que le Maître Umayalpuram K. Sivamaram.

Stéphane a également joué et enregistré avec Zap Mama, Joe Zawinul, Ozark Henry, Novastar…

En 2012, il crée son premier projet personnel « LOBI » (avec Tigran Hamasyan au piano, Carles Benavent à la basse, Magic Malik à la flute, Misirli Ahmet aux percussions et Petar Ralchev à l'accordéon), qui est salué par la presse Française et Belge. Il continue par ailleurs de participer à de nombreux projets tels ses duos avec Nelson Veras ou Malcolm Braff, le groupe Shijin (avec Jacques Schwarz-Bart, Malcolm Braff et Laurent David), Keyvan Chemirani & the Rhythm Alchemy, Alexandra Grimal “Naga", et beaucoup d'autres. Il est depuis plusieurs années professeur de batterie et rythme avancé au conservatoire royal de Bruxelles (KCB) et donne régulièrement des master classes dans le monde. Stéphane tient les baguettes sur plus de 60 albums.

En Janvier 2014, Stéphane Galland rejoint Ibrahim Maalouf lors de sa tournée “Illusions” et fait depuis lors partie de son groupe pour les projets “Red & Black Light” qui termine sa tournée de concerts au « Accord Hotel Arena » de Paris (anciennement Bercy) devant plus de 17.500 personnes (à sortir en album+DVD en Décembre 2018), "Alice au pays des Merveilles", "Levantine Symphony", ainsi que de nombreux projets exceptionnels, tels “Queen of Sheba” avec la chanteuse Angélique Kidjo, ou “NY tonalism wars” avec Wynton Marsalis, il travaille également avec lui sur plusieurs musiques de films.

Stéphane sortira fin Octobre son second album qui s’intitule “Stéphane Galland & (the mystery of) Kem”, chez Outhere Music, qui réunit de jeunes talentueux musiciens Bruxellois, ainsi qu’un des plus grands flûtistes Carnatique (Sud de l’Inde) actuel : Ravi Kulur (Ravi Shankar, Anoushka Shankar). Ce projet est certainement son plus personnel, car il est nourri de toute l’expérience musicale, et en particulier rythmique, accumulée au cours de ses nombreuses rencontres multi culturelles, et des développements rythmiques contemporains qu’il continue à approfondir, notamment dans son projet de recherche et doctorat au conservatoire de musique de Bruxelles, section flamande (KCB).

Dans l’Égypte ancienne, « kem » désignait la couleur noire, comme celle du limon du Nil, de la terre noire, fertile. Un mot extrêmement positif pour une couleur souvent vue comme négative ou « diabolique ». C’est sur ce terreau symbolique que (the mystery of) KEM développe de nouveaux aspects rythmiques dont les schémas, les « danses » et les improvisations prennent racine dans la complémentarité Yin et Yang des pulsations rythmiques (égales/inégales).

Nov. 17: Trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire in world premiere at Princeton University

Jazz at Princeton University presents renowned trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire in world premiere of Slightly Left of Sorrow's Song

on Saturday, November 17

Work was commissioned by Jazz at Princeton University

in honor of the 150th anniversary of W.E.B. DuBois’ birth

Jazz at Princeton University presents guest artist and Blue Note Records trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire in the world premiere of Slightly Left of Sorrow's Song, commissioned by Jazz at Princeton University to commemorate the 150th anniversary of W.E.B. DuBois' birth. Akinmusire will perform the 8-movement suite with the school's Small Group I under the leadership of saxophonist and program director Rudresh Mahanthappa.

The concert takes place at 8 p.m. on Saturday, November 17 at Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall. Tickets are $15, $5 students.  For information call 609-258-9220 or visit at https://music.princeton.edu/events/ambrose-akinmusire-jazz-small-group-i

Born and raised in Oakland, California, Ambrose Akinmusire, “a thrilling young trumpeter and astute bandleader [with a] unique spark in his playing” (The New Yorker), was a member of the Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble when he caught the attention of saxophonist Steve Coleman. Akinmusire was asked to join Coleman’s Five Elements, embarking on a European tour when he was just a 19-year-old student at the Manhattan School of Music. After returning to the West Coast to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Southern California, Akinmusire went on to attend the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz in Los Angeles, where he studied with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Terence Blanchard. In 2007 he won the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, decided by a panel of judges that included Blanchard, Quincy Jones, Herb Alpert, Hugh Masekela, Clark Terry, and Roy Hargrove. That year Akinmusire also won the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition and released his debut album Prelude…To Cora on the Fresh Sound label.

He moved back to New York and began performing with artists including Vijay Iyer, Aaron Parks, Esperanza Spalding, and Jason Moran. It was during this time that he first caught the attention of another discerning listener, Bruce Lundvall, President of Blue Note Records. Akinmusire’s Blue Note debut When the Heart Emerges Glistening was released in 2011 to rave reviews. The Los Angeles Times praised his “chameleonic tone that can sigh, flutter or soar,” adding that “Akinmusire sounds less like a rising star than one that was already at great heights and just waiting to be discovered.” DownBeat described his playing as “spectacular and not at all shy—muscular, driving, with a forward sound, pliant phrasing and a penchant for intervallic leaps,” concluding that “clearly something very special and personal is at work here, a vision of jazz that’s bigger than camps, broader and more intellectually restless than blowing sessions.” His new recording is his fourth Blue Note release, Origami Harvest, a groundbreaking work that features the Mivos Quartet, rapper Kool A.D., drummer Marcus Gilmore, pianist Sam Harris, and saxophonist Walter Smith III.

Akinmusire has paradoxically situated himself in both the center and periphery of jazz, most recently emerging in classical and hip hop circles. He’s on a perpetual quest for new paradigms, masterfully weaving inspiration from other genres, arts, and life in general into compositions that are as poetic and graceful as they are bold and unflinching. His unorthodox approach to sound and composition make him a regular on critics polls and have earned him grants and commissions from the Doris Duke Foundation, the MAP Fund, the Kennedy Center, the Berlin Jazz Festival, and Monterey Jazz. Motivated primarily by the spiritual and practical value of art, Akinmusire wants to remove the wall of erudition surrounding his music. He aspires to create richly textured emotional landscapes that tell the stories of the community, record the time, and change the standard. While committed to continuing the lineage of black invention and innovation, he manages to honor tradition without being stifled by it.

This year’s exciting programming also features guest artists including world renowned vocalist Nnenna Freelon (February 16, 2019) and Terri Lyne Carrington (May 11, 2019), and the first ever outdoor jazz festival. “With the contribution of so many of jazz's most articulate voices – both as guest artists and ensemble leaders – we are thrilled to offer performances that will engage, inspire and entertain students, educators and the community at large,” says Mahanthappa.

Jazz at Princeton’s six major student ensembles include the Creative Large Ensemble directed by Darcy James Argue, Small Groups I and A directed by Mahanthappa, Small Group X directed by Matthew Parrish, the Jazz Vocal Collective directed by Trineice Robinson-Martin, and the Vocal Improvisation Ensemble directed by Jay Clayton.

Jazz at Princeton University under the direction of Rudresh Mahanthappa serves to promote this uniquely American music as a contemporary and relevant art form.  Our goals are to convey the vast musical and social history of jazz, establish a strong theoretical and stylistic foundation with regard to improvisation and composition, and emphasize the development of individual expression and creativity. Offerings of this program include academic course work, performing ensembles, master classes, private study, and independent projects. They also have the opportunity to participate in academic courses from the music department curriculum that encourage the study of the historical, social, theoretical, stylistic, and creative issues that pertain to the jazz idiom.

Hailed by Pitchfork as “jaw-dropping... one of the finest saxophonists going,” alto saxophonist, composer and educator Rudresh Mahanthappa is widely known as one of the premier voices in jazz of the 21st century. He has over a dozen albums to his credit, including the acclaimed Bird Calls, which topped many critics’ best-of-year lists for 2015 and was hailed by PopMatters as “complex, rhythmically vital, free in spirit while still criss-crossed with mutating structures.” Rudresh has been named alto saxophonist of the year for seven of eight years running in DownBeat Magazine’s International Critics’ Polls (2011-2013, 2015-2018), and for five consecutive years by the Jazz Journalists’ Association (2009-2013) and again in 2016. He won alto saxophonist of the year in the 2015-2017 JazzTimes Magazine Critics’ Polls and was named the Village Voice’s "Best Jazz Artist" in 2015. He has also received the Guggenheim Fellowship and the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, among other honors, and is currently the Anthony H. P. Lee ’79 Director of Jazz at Princeton University.

Born in Trieste, Italy to Indian émigrés in 1971, Mahanthappa was brought up in Boulder, Colorado and gained proficiency playing everything from current pop to Dixieland. He went on to studies at North Texas, Berklee and DePaul University (as well as the Stanford Jazz Workshop) and came to settle in Chicago. Soon after moving to New York in 1997 he formed his own quartet featuring pianist Vijay Iyer. The band recorded an enduring sequence of albums, Black Water, Mother Tongue and Codebook, each highlighting Mahanthappa’s inventive methodologies and deeply personal approach to composition. He and Iyer also formed the duo Raw Materials.

Coming deeper into contact with the Carnatic music of his parents’ native southern India, Mahanthappa partnered in 2008 with fellow altoist Kadri Gopalnath and the Dakshina Ensemble for Kinsmen, garnering wide acclaim. Apti, the first outing by Mahanthappa’s Indo-Pak Coalition (with Pakistani-born Rez Abbasi on guitar and Dan Weiss on tabla), saw release the same year; Agrima followed nine years later and considerably expanded the trio’s sonic ambitions.

Mahanthappa has also worked with Jack DeJohnette, Mark Dresser, Danilo Pérez, Arturo O’Farrill’s Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, the collaborative trios MSG and Mauger, the co-led quintet Dual Identity with fellow altoist Steve Lehman, and another co-led quintet with fellow altoist and Chicago stalwart Bunky Green (Apex). His exploratory guitar- driven quartets on Samdhi and Gamak featured David Gilmore and Dave “Fuze” Fiuczynski, respectively. In 2015 he was commissioned by Ragamala Dance to create Song of the Jasmine for dancers and a hybrid jazz/South Indian ensemble. He was also commissioned by the PRISM Saxophone Quartet to compose a chamber piece, “I Will Not Apologize for My Tone Tonight,” which can be heard on the quartet’s 2015 double- disc release Heritage/Evolution, Volume 1. 

Sebastian Bailey - Ensemble de Magnac (November 9, 2018)

This ensemble features original jazz compositions arranged for six horns and rhythm section, including a vocalist and vibraphone on selected numbers. The name ‘de Magnac’ is my second middle name. It refers to part of my heritage which, to this day, remains somewhat obscure to me. My connection, however, is with the people it points to - the Huguenots, who fled from France worldwide from the 1500s onwards. I find inspiration in imagining the struggle, resistance and perseverance of this ethno-religious minority as they suffered persecution and alienation for their convictions. Protest, rebellion, fighting for recognition/autonomy and seeking refuge have been recurring themes occupying my thoughts, especially during the years leading up to and throughout the months these pieces were written and recorded. 

Thank you to the musicians for excellence in musicianship, improvising and professionalism, to John Hollenbeck, for breaking things down for me, to Solon, for ideas and timely friendship, to Boris for generosity of time and space, to my mother, for supporting since day one, to Addisu for showing up, to Noah, for waking me up and especially to Benita, for believing this was possible against the odds. 

Finally, this production is dedicated to my father, V.J.R. Bailey who passed away on April 12th, shortly after these recordings were made. My hope is that the incorporation of his most-loved Psalm, as recited by him not long before his final admission to hospital, is as much a gift to you, the listener, as it has been to me. It provides some context for the emotions experienced and expressed in and through Chorale IV. His artistry has never before been as obvious to me as it is now. I am ever grateful for his presence here.

1. Intuition 07:19

2. Lady Justice 05:43

3. Psalm 23 + Chorale IV 06:57

4. Rocking Chair in 3 Sittings 04:57

Sarah Rossy (voice)

Sebastian Bailey (alto sax & flute)

Al McLean (tenor sax)

Benjamin Deschamps (baritone sax & bass clarinet)

Andy King (lead trumpet)

Lex French (solo trumpet)

Matthieu Van Vliet (trombone)

Matt Schultz (guitar)

Olivier Salazar (vibraphone)

David Ryshpan (piano/rhodes)

Solon McDade (bass)

Michel Berthiaume (drums)

*In loving memory of V.J.R. Bailey (June 9th, 1937 – April 12th, 2018)

2018 Sebastian Bailey Music. All Rights Reserved

Recorded March 23rd, 2018 at Mixart Studios in Montreal, Canada

Engineered and mixed by Boris Petrowski

Mastered by Guy Hébert at Karisma Audio

Cover Art by Carlo Polidoro Lopez

Design and layout by Leoart

Lyrics for Intuition by Sebastian Bailey

Text of Psalm 23 from the Holy Bible (KJV)

All music composed by Sebastian Bailey (GEMA)

Craig Powe - ALASKAN NIGHTS (2018)

I recently had the opportunity to visit Alaska and Canda and see some of the most beautiful sights. Just like my album "Imperfect", I was inspired to write compositions based off how I felt when seeing such amazing scenery. Hope you enjoy.

All music composed and performed by Craig k. Powe with the exception of the bass solo on Glacier Bay by Dennis Dudley, Trumpet on "Feel So Good/Rise by Jon Garcia and vocals on "Bloom" by Chelsea "Angelique" Forbes.

1. KIM FROM KETCHIKAN 03:42

2. FEELS SO GOOD/RISE 03:30

3. VANCOUVER 03:27

4. BLOOM 03:27

5. GLACIER BAY 03:23

Thomas Steffen - ambifarius (November 5, 2018)

ambifarius means ambiguous - because this album is with and about the love and hate of a drummer in case of drum machines. You hear drums and machines together in those hiphop-postjazz tunes. 

ambifarius bedeutet zweideutig. Das Album spielt mit der Hassliebe der Schlagzeuger zu den Drum-Maschinen. Du hörst Maschinen und akustisches Schlagzeug auf den HipHop-Postjazz-Stücken dieses Albums.

1. cinema 06:50

2. slow fight 07:08

3. chicago 04:49

4. cruel 06:09

5. police 05:17

6. cologne crack 05:44

7. wrong part 07:40

8. ystad 04:57

9. hells kitchen 06:10