Claudio Scolari Project - Cold Water (December 2021)

Cold Water is the new single track from the Claudio Scolari Project, a preview of the new album that will be out in 2022

The album features Claudio Scolari on drums/synth programming, Daniele Cavalca on drums/live synths/rhodes/piano, Simone Scolari on trumpet and finally Michele Cavalca on electric bass (the new entry of the project who turned the trio into a quartet).

Claudio Scolari: drums, percussion, synth 1

Daniele Cavalca: percussion, trombone, keys, synth 2

Simone Scolari: trumpet

Michele Cavalca: electric bass

All music by Scolari/Cavalca

Produced & mixed by Daniele Cavalca

Artwork by Simone Scolari

Principal Records

Copyright © 2021

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Cold Water

Métier - Please Yourself (December 2021)

Infernal jazz outfit, scattered around the world, unlikely to ever play live

1. Whatever You Do, You Have To Live With It 10:15

2. Lark 05:29

3. Strange Desire 04:43

4. Try To Stop Comrade 05:22

5. Heaven's To Betsy 07:59

6. What's Left of Me 16:08

Virk Mastra - Drums

Teddy Powell - Saxophone

Jessie Dervishi - Basses

Earl Franklin - Guitars

Mada Nasser - Pianos

Mixed in Dolby Atmos by Paul @ Audio Animals

Mastered by Nick @ Audio Animals

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Geoff Mason Quartet - GMQ (December 2021)

GMQ is a new album from the Geoff Mason Quartet and includes tunes from modern jazz masters, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane and Herbie Hancock.

The recording was made over two days at the JVG studio in Brixton where it was engineered and produced by Dave O'Higgins. All members of the band work regularly with trombonist Geoff Mason; John Horler (Cleo Laine, Matt Ford), Adam King (Ronnie Scott’s, 606 Club) and Winston Clifford (British Jazz Award winner, 2018).

The CD features Geoff's favourite composers and includes pieces not always associated with the trombone, such as Thelonious Monk's “Trinkle Tinkle” and John Coltrane's “26-2”.

To enhance spontaneity the players recorded together in the same room and most of the tracks were first or second takes.

1. 26-2 05:16

2. Tell me a Bedtime Story 04:55

3. Trinkle Tinkle 08:07

4. Beyond All Limits 08:03

5. Well You Needn't 03:53

6. Riot 07:18

7. L'Bop 05:42

Geoff Mason Trombone

John Horler Piano

Adam king Bass

Winston Clifford Drums

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Elmar Krick - Based on (December 2021)

This record was inspired by the first four notes of a Sonny Rollins solo on Almost Like Being in Love. That short musical cell ignited my imagination and made me write a full-fledged tune over the song’s harmonic structure.

By moving beyond this mere contrafactual approach I discovered a much more original compositional style.

Writing music based on hearing the material that is out there on a granular level, digesting it, evolving it, transforming it and integrating it, and thus making it my music and my style gave me the feeling of a profound connection to this art form called Jazz and its masters past and present.

1. Mrs. C.K. - Based on The Source 04:38

2. Farther than the Sun - Based on East of the Sun 05:21

3. Chicory con Karma - Based on Cherokee 04:37

4. Day Gig - Based on the oeuvre of Don Grolnick 09:12

5. Almost Like Beijing in Laim - Based on Almost like Being in Love 04:18

6. The Sweetest Tea - Based on Sugar 06:11

7. My Writing Hour - Based on My Shining Hour 06:06

8. A Year in A Flat - Based on Reflections 06:27

9. I Love Music 04:57

Elmar Krick - ts, bs

Matthias Preissinger - p, rhodes

Peter Cudek - b

Harald Rüschenbaum - dr

Written, arranged and produced by Elmar Krick, except Track 9 which was composed by Hale Smith.

Recorded and mixed by Florian Oestreicher

Mastered by Christoph Stickel

Artist photography by Konstantin Kern

Background photo and artwork by Elmar Krick

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Daniel Ayala - Sugestión (December 2021)

Pianist and composer from Asunción, Paraguay, He lived in the US for many years, where he got his musical education. His style is a mix of jazz subgenres like hard bop, post bop, modal and latin. He also enjoys playing progressive rock and modern solo piano. His biggest influences are Keith Emerson, Keith Jarrett, Kenny Barron, Lyle Mays, Chick Corea and many more. 

1. Sobrellevando 07:11

2. Ethereal Beauty 07:22

3. Sugestión 04:49

4. Choli 05:57

5. Lucha Interna 08:40

6. South Swingin' 07:13

7. A La Deriva 11:44

8. Tarkus 04:50

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Fred Jackson Jr - GENRE (December 2021)

In 2020 I was awarded the “New works, Fresh Voices” grant. This allowed me to give a call to people that I’ve worked with in the past or had some sort of musical relationship with. For instance Dana Hall (Dr.) was a college professor of mine when I went back to school to get my masters of music (2012-14). Joshua Ramos and Corey Wilkes whom I’ve worked with since I moved to Chicago in 2001. I’ve been a member in Dee Alexander and Maggie Brown’s bands in the past. Dee and Maggie always use Miguel Dela Cerna. I totally understand why now. This is why I asked him to play on more tracks. Isaiah Collier is a new friend that I met over at Vincent Davis’ house. Once we played together there was instant chemistry. I wanted to capture some of that. There is another recording coming out of this with different songs and musicians. During the beginning of the pandemic and all through the shut downs, I wrote over 30 songs. It’s like the world slowed down enough for me to actually write out things I hear. Now I can’t stop. Not complaining:)

The themes in these songs are centered around inspirations and dedications. All the songs were inspired by people who have left an impression on me. I call it Genre because the letters spell different words when you switch them around.

“Genre” New Album Concept (2021)

Genre / Erneg / Negre / Regne

Interesting to me… but also a genre is a category of artistic composition. This is how I hear, this is my Genre. I tried to blur the lines and tell a story about Love and Family as I reminisced through 2020 - 2021. There are no lines really, only stories and perspectives.

F. Jackson Jr 

1. Expose' interlude (feat. Isaiah Collier, Dana Hall & Fred Jackson Jr) 01:30

2. Fred Jackson Jr - All Night Long (feat. Dee Alexander) 04:30

3. Retort (Return of The Moors) feat. Corey Wilkes (trumpet) 06:38

4. Hemphill (Blues at 4:20 (feat. Miguel Dela Cerna) 06:06

5. Those Were Days (feat. Maggie Brown) 04:37

6. Put A Sock In It (feat. Dana Hall & Fred Jackson Jr) 04:43

7. Expose' (feat. Isaiah Collier ; Dana Hall ; Joshua Ramos ; Fred Jackson Jr) 05:00

8. All Night Long Interlude (feat. Fred Jackson Jr) 00:52

9. Long Story, Shorter (feat. Fred Jackson Jr) 04:27

10. Dane Dane (feat. Dana Hall ; Joshua Ramos) 05:45

Joshua Ramos (bass)

Dana Hall (drums)

Miguel Dela Cerna appears on all tracks except Expose’

Special guest:

Dee Alexander (vocals)

Maggie Brown (vocals)

Corey Wilkes (trumpet)

Isaiah Collier (tenor sax)

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Ellery Eskelin - From the Archives: Trio New York - Live in Antwerp, 2013 (December 27, 2021)

De Singer, Antwerp, Belgium, 2013

1. Improvisation / Celestial (The Midnight Sun) & Regret (After You've Gone) 27:39

2. Improvisation: Flame (Flamingo) & Happenstance (Just One of these Things) 29:33

3. Improvisation: Coordinates (East of the Sun), Potential (If I Had You) & Monk (We See) 46:09

4. Improvisation: Aspiration (My Ideal) 08:33

Ellery Eskelin - tenor saxophone

Gary Versace - Hammond organ

Gerald Cleaver - drums

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Ellery Eskelin - From the Archives: Trio New York - Live at Cornelia Street Cafe in NYC, 2010 (December 27, 2021)

Cornelia Street Cafe, NYC, 2010

Recorded by Jimmy Katz

1. Improvisation: Monk (Off Minor) & Rumination (Memories of You) 31:56

2. Improvisation: Conjuring (Witchcraft) 31:28

3. Improvisation / Desire (Lover Come Back) & Fortune (Just in Time) 01:06:23

Ellery Eskelin - tenor saxophone

Gary Versace - Hammond organ

Nasheet Waits - drums

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Ellery Eskelin - From the Archives: Trio New York - Live in Montreal, 2012 (December 2021)

Recorded by John Klepko

Suoni per il Popolo Festival in Montreal, June, 2012

1. Improvisation / Regret (After You've Gone) 24:56

2. Improvisation / Monk (We See) 14:12

3. Improvisation / Spirits (Ghost of a Chance) 11:50

4. Improvisation / Aspiration (My Ideal) 09:15

5. Improvisation / Happenstance (Just One of Those Things) 22:07

6. Improvisation / Endless (How Deep is the Ocean) 10:44

7. Improvisation / Flame (Flamingo) 13:59

Ellery Eskelin - tenor saxophone

Gary Versace - Hammond organ

Gerald Cleaver - drums

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Ellery Eskelin - From the Archives: Trio New York - Live in New Haven, 2012 (December 2021)

New Haven, 2012

1. Improvisation / Happenstance (Just One of Those Things) 22:44

2. Improvisation / Aspiration (My Ideal) 18:24

3. Improvisation / Monk (We See) 14:25

4. Improvisation / Watchful (I Cover the Waterfront) 18:12

5. Improvisation / Regret (After You've Gone) 21:54

6. Improvisation / Spirits (Ghost of a Chance) 20:32

Ellery Eskelin - tenor saxophone

Gary Versace - Hammond B3 organ

Gerald Cleaver - drums

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Ellery Eskelin - From the Archives: Trio New York - Live in Switzerland, 2012 (December 2021)

Switzerland, 2012

1. Improvisation / Conjuring (Witchcraft) 23:04

2. Improvisation / Spirits (Ghost of a Chance) 11:45

3. Improvisation / Regret (After You've Gone) 15:57

4. Improvisation / Happenstance (Just One of Those Things) & Aspiration (My Ideal) 36:04

5. Improvisation / Monk (We See) 11:24

6. Improvisation / Watchful (I Cover the Waterfront) 10:09

Ellery Eskelin - tenor saxophone

Gary Versace - Hammond B3 organ

Gerald Cleaver - drums

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Ellery Eskelin - From the Archives: Trio New York - Live at the 55 Bar in NYC, 2010 (December 2021)

These performances are free improvisations. They each involve a sort of meditation on or poetic homage to certain classic 20th century popular and jazz compositions. In this way they function a bit like musical contrafacts, pieces of music historically played by jazz musicians in which the melody of a standard tune is replaced with something new and the existing harmonic form utilized as a vehicle for improvisation. In our case it’s even looser than that. You will hear some quotations and references but each of these long form improvisations might best be thought of as a weather pattern, a mix of conditions in which elements come and go but the overall focus is on the big picture.

The 55 Bar NYC, 2010

1. Introduction 00:35

2. Improvisation / Rumination (Memories of You) & Desire (Lover Come Back) 46:18

3. Improvisation / Blues 11:11

4. Improvisation / Conjuring (Witchcraft) 17:36

5. Improvisation / Time Past (Yesterdays) & Coordinates (East of the Sun) 35:10

Ellery Eskelin - tenor saxophone

Gary Versace - Hammond B3 organ

Ted Poor - drums

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