holding hands - the dancer in light (February 4, 2022)

'The Dancer in Light' was composed for holding hands, and is dedicated to the Vermont-based composer Kathy Eddy, and was composed on her birthday in 2020.

The piece was composed with the intention that it is different every time, especially in the second half of the piece, with a series of open repeats. The EP explores this variation through versions ranging from the full octet version with vibraphone patterns, to a glistening solo piano interpretation by Matthew Bourne, to evocative remixes.

A booklet of the piano score facilitates the opportunity to explore the piece and its flexibility in the comfort of your own home. We hope you enjoy dipping into various versions, or listening through as a whole journey. Many thanks to Kathy Eddy for all her support.

PLEASE NOTE: There will be a piano booklet with this release on the launch date (4th February - Bandcamp Friday), which will be at a reduced price with the digital release, if you'd like to wait...

1. The Dancer in Light (for Kathy Eddy)

2. Dancing in the Light (Second Hand Plan Remix)

3. The Dancer in Light (piano) 04:31

4. Dancer in the Dark (Morris Masuda Remix)

5. The Dancer in Light (harp)

6. Skating in the Light (Second Hand Plan Remix) 05:56

7. The Dancer in Light (tack piano)

8. The Dancer in Light (Rob Milne Remix)

Track 1 recorded on 28th May 2021 at the Hexagon Theatre, Midlands Arts Centre. Recorded by Luke Morrish Thomas. Mixed by Rob Milne. Performed by holding hands:

Chris Dowding (piccolo trumpet)

Raph Clarkson (trombone & effects)

Dee Byrne (alto sax & electronics)

Rob Milne (bass clarinet & clarinet)

Ben Higham (tuba)

Martin Pyne (vibraphone)

Mark Howe (electronics)

Andrew Lisle (drums)

Track 2 & 6 remixed by Bob Percy. Track 3 performed and recorded by Matthew Bourne. Track 4 remixed by Morris Masuda. Track 5 performed and recorded by Noah Horne. Track 7 performed and recorded by Zac Gvi. Track 8 remixed by Rob Milne.

'The Dancer in Light (for Kathy Eddy)' composed by Chris Dowding in March 2020. All tracks mastered by Paul Keeler. Artwork by Rob Milne with design by Chris Dowding.

The octet recording of this piece was made possible with Arts Council funding.

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Wataru Sato - Fading Spaces (February 2, 2022 Playwright)

1. Existence

2. Our Home

3. Tidal Current

4. Fading Spaces

5. New Days

6. Air

7. Undercurrent

8. Nowhere

9. Timeless

10. Paradise

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Late Works - 4 (February 2, 2022)

Spontaneous musical constructions in response to two painted folding screens by Finlay Abbott Ellwood & Oliver Pearce.

The musicians are asked to respond for a total of 30 minutes to the artworks, with them being rotated half way through the performance. The screen itself stands in front of both the audience and the musicians, with everyone - including the musicians - experiencing it simultaneously, and for the first time.

1. Pleached Paper Machine 30:37

2. The Battle Of 32:52

Billy Leach (Guitar)

Jesse Doniach (Piano)

Joe MacLaren (Double Bass)

Jordan Hadfield (Drums)

Alex Dmochowski (Saxophone)

Wilf Diamond (Trombone)

Band organised by Billy Leach

Mastered by Enzo Samuel

Concept, curation & screens built by Joseph Bradley Hill

Recorded in front of a live audience at Gallery 46, Whitechapel 12/9/21

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Dick de Graaf - Festive

As a jazz musician, Dick de Graaf is a man for whom the moment counts … Also, for this record, the pursuit of perfection has been confirmed by reality.

(Jazznu)

Like the great baroque composers, De Graaf masters counterpoint down to the finest details. The result is impressive.

(Jazzenzo)

Always looking for a balance between the mainstream and the avant-garde.

(Jazzism)

After listening to this album, the question becomes more and more pressing, when will Dick de Graaf finally receive the Boy Edgar prize?

(Rootstime)

Please enjoy these seven original compositions and my arrangement of a famous Paul McCartney. I have written this music during the recent covid-19 restrictions imposed by the government on public life in the Netherlands. As a matter of fact, they turned out to be a fertile source for boundless creativity and musical deepening of my work.

In “Luca” (dedicated to my grandson), and in “The Night before the Morning After”, there is link with classical music. I loosely apply Olivier Messiaen’s fourth ‘mode of limited transposition’, both in the compositions and in my improvisations. “Festive” stands for the celebration of the moment, the magic of the moment that brings a composition to life, every time in a different way. In “Wetland”, the varying tempos reflect the capricious cultural policy in the Netherlands.

As a youngster, “Eleanor Rigby” rose my interest in polyphonic music. In my actual arrangement, I took McCartney’s piece apart and reassembled it with new chords. “Alla Prima” is a term from painting: wet-on-wet. This tune is distantly based on Thelonious Monk's composition "Bemsha Swing”. The melody of “Passeggiata anno Corona” came to mind spontaneously during one of my frequent lockdown walks. “Fly on the Wall” evocates a rhythmic groove that I used to hear and play a lot during my frequent journeys to West African countries Burkina Faso and Mali.

1. Luca 06:02

2. Festive 07:15

3. The Night Before the Morning After 06:31

4. Wetland 05:57

5. Eleanor Rigby 06:40

6. Alla Prima 03:57

7. Passeggiata anno Corona 05:35

8. Fly on the Wall 06:53

Dick de Graaf – tenor saxophone

Barry Green – piano

Jos Machtel – bass

Pascal Vermeer – drums

Recorded by Micha de Kanter at Wedgeview Studios, NL. September 11 and 12, 2020

Mixed by Micha de Kanter and Dick de Graaf

Mastered at Q Point digital Audio by Peter Brussee

Photography by Ruud van der Graaf

Cover design by Geert Hermkens, Löss Ontwerp

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Lena Bloch & Feathery Quartet - Live at iBeam Brooklyn (February 1, 2022)

Recorded live at iBeam Brooklyn, 12/12/021.

"Superior ensembles develop deep levels of telepathy, a singularity of purpose. That is evident here. It has become a cliche to say someone—usually a rhythm section player, a drummer, bassist or pianist—elevates the music. With Lena Bloch's Feathery, everyone participates in the four-way elevation"

- Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz

"The concept behind the group’s name lies in their ability to rapidly shift direction, darting from point to point like a feather borne on the wind. Lossing shares compositional duties, and rounding Bloch’s tight-but-loose ensemble are veteran bassist Cameron Brown, still an electrifying presence, and undersung drum hero Billy Mintz."

- Fred Grant, Jazz Journal

1. Rivers (L.Bloch) 10:17

2. Valzer Quadrato (L.Bloch) 08:14

3. Wintry Mix (R.Lossing) 11:10

4. Curieux (R.Lossing) 14:06

5. Esmeh (L.Bloch) 12:52

Lena Bloch - tenor saxophone

Russ Lossing - piano

Cameron Brown - bass

Billy Mintz - drums

Randy Thaler - sound engineer, mix & mastering

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Marie Krüttli & Ganesh Geymeier - After The Rain (February 1, 2022)

1. After The Rain 42:04

Marie Krüttli: piano

Ganesh Geymeier: saxophone

Recorded by Wolfgang Zwiauer on the 26th of October 2021 in Bern, Switzerland

Mixed and mastered by Antoine Etter on the 24th of January 2022 in Renens, Switzerland

Graphics by Ganesh Geymeier

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Various Artists - Mainstream Funk (Wewantsounds)

WEWANTSOUNDS COMES WITH ANOTHER FUNKY SELECTION FROM BOB SHAD'S EXTRAORDINARY MAINSTREAM RECORDS CATALOGUE RECORDED BETWEEN 1971 AND 1975.

Wewantsounds continues its collaboration with Bob Shad's formidable label Mainstream Records, to present a selection of 12 turntable-friendly tracks recorded between 1971 and 1975 and showcasing the label's superb blend of Spiritual Jazz, Funk and Soul by the likes of Buddy Terry, Sarah Vaughan, LaMont Johnson and Johnny Coles. Most of the tracks are released on vinyl for the first time since their original release in the early 70s.

1. Sarah Vaughan - Inner City Blues 04:10

2. Buddy Terry - Quiet Afternoon 10:13

3. Blue Mitchell - Last Tango In Paris 02:49

4. LaMont Johnson - M'Bassa 07:18

5. Prophecy - Betcha Can't Guess My Sign 02:55

6. Dave Hubbard - Family Affair 02:34

7. Sugar Billy Super Duper Love 03:16

8. John White - Right Off 07:40

9. Mike Longo - Matrix 05:17

10. Barry Miles - Little Heart Of Pieces 04:33

11. Johnny Coles - Betty's Bossa 04:34

12. Pete Yellin - It's The Right Thing 09:27

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Massimiliano Cignitti - Buio in sala (February 1, 2022 Dodicilune / IRD)

MASSIMILIANO CIGNITTI

feat. NGUYÊN LÊ, GRÉGOIRE MARET,

EDMAR CASTANEDA E MARK COLENBURG

BUIO IN SALA

DODICILUNE

Prodotto nella collana Controvento dall’etichetta Dodicilune, distribuito in Italia e all’estero da IRD e nei migliori store on line da Believe, martedì 1 febbraio esce “Buio in sala” di Massimiliano Cignitti featuring Nguyên Lê, Grégoire Maret, Edmar Castaneda e Mark Colenburg. Il bassista romano propone dieci composizioni originali, immaginate come ipotetiche colonne sonore dedicate e ispirate a personaggi della storia del cinema, e due brani dell’indimenticabile Nino Rota (“O Venezia, Venegia, Venusia” dal film “Il Casanova di Federico Fellini”) e del compositore, pianista ed etnomusicologo ungherese Bela Bartok (“Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta”, tema utilizzato dal regista Stanley Kubrick per il film cult “Shining”).

Nel progetto discografico il musicista è affiancato dalla band composta da Mauro Scardini (piano e tastiere, autore della conclusiva “Sentimento del tempo”), Giancarlo Ciminelli (tromba e flicorno), Marco Guidolotti (sax, flauto) e Marco Rovinelli (batteria) e impreziosita dalla presenza di Nguyên Lê. Il chitarrista franco-vietnamita, riconosciuto per la cifra stilistica che coniuga sapientemente i ritmi della musica rock, jazz e funk con quelli delle sonorità nordafricane, vietnamite e indiane, negli anni ha collaborato con Michel Portal, Dave Liebamn, Ray Charles, Trilok Gurtu, Renaud Garcia-Fons, Paolo Fresu e altri nomi del jazz internazionale.

Ospiti in alcuni brani anche l’armonicista svizzero Grégoire Maret, considerato da molti l’erede di Toots Thielemans, vincitore di un Grammy Award con il Pat Metheny Group e collaboratore, tra gli altri, di Herbie Hancock, Cassandra Wilson, Prince, Sting, Elton John, Jimmy Scott, Tito Puente, Steve Coleman, Kurt Elling, l’arpista colombiano Edmar Castaneda, che ha lavorato, solo per fare qualche nome, con Rickie Lee Jones, Sting, Paco de Lucía, John Scofield, John Patitucci, Ivan Lins, e il batterista statunitense Mark Colenburg, vincitore del Grammy Award con il progetto “Robert Glasper Experiment”, che ha suonato con Cecil McBee, Chico Freeman, Kenny Garrett, Stefon Harris, Mos Def, Lauryn Hill, Amel Larrieux, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Lalah Hathaway, Macy Gray e altri.

Massimiliano Cignitti (Photo Ramy Elkot)

Massimiliano Cignitti (Photo Ivano Piterà)

Nguyên Lê (Photo Christophe Charpenel)

Completano la line up Paolo Alimonti (chitarra), Roberto Schiano (trombone), Valentina Petrossi, Federica Zavaleta, Susanna Stivali (voce) e il quartetto d'archi formato da Diego Matthey (1° violino), Aurianne Philippe (2° violino), Claire HÉlÈne Rignol (viola) e ThÉmis Bandini (violoncello).

Dopo l’apertura riservata a Nino Rota il disco prosegue con i brani “Nostalgia del presente” (titolo tratto da una poesia di Jorge Luis Borges) dedicato al cinema visionario di Elio Petri e Gian Maria Volontè, “Un'eclisse”, che guarda al mondo di Michelangelo Antonioni e Wim Wenders, “Tanguedia 2020”, pensata per Fernando Solanas, regista argentino morto a causa del Covid-19 nel dicembre 2020, e Astor Piazzolla, autore di tante musiche dei suoi film, “Shaft is back”, ispirata al cinema blaxploitation degli anni '70. La title track, unica canzone del brano con testo di Cignitti affidato alla voce di Valentina Petrossi, evoca il cinema come “fabbrica dei sogni” per le generazioni degli anni '60, il mondo della Dolce Vita, il sogno di stelle irraggiungibili, lo schermo come possibile realtà dove rifugiarsi, immaginando una vita migliore. Dopo “Ennio’s dream”, omaggio a Ennio Morricone, il cd è completato da “Choro per Glauber”, che rimanda a Glauber Rocha, regista, scrittore, poeta, agitatore rivoluzionario del Cinema Novo brasiliano, “JLG”, iniziali del Maestro della Nouvelle Vague francese Jean Luc Godard, “Snaporaz”, nomignolo affibbiato a Marcello Mastroianni da Federico Fellini, e le già citate “Music for strings, celesta and percussion” di Bela Bartok e “Sentimento del tempo”, epilogo firmato da Mauro Scardini.

Romano, classe 1972, Massimiliano Cignitti intraprende lo studio del basso elettrico nel 1991 alla Città della musica di Tivoli sotto la guida di Claudio Zanghieri. Prosegue i suoi studi alla Scuola popolare di musica di Testaccio frequentando tra gli altri i corsi di Luca Pirozzi, Sandro Satta, Stefano Arduini, Carlo Mezzanotti, Giovanna Marini. È stato membro della Testaccio Jazz Orchestra diretta da Claudio Pradò con la quale si è esibito nel dicembre 1999 accompagnando un solista di fama internazionale come il trombettista Marvin Stamm. Ha studiato con Marco Siniscalco e Pietro Ciancaglini e ha partecipato a numerose clinics (Berklee school clinics at Umbria jazz 97-98, Siena Jazz 99), avendo la opportunità di studiare con Furio di Castri, Enrico Pieranunzi, Giancarlo Schiaffini, Giovanni Tommaso, Bruce Gertz, Jim Kelly, Larry Monroe). Ha preso parte a seminari di Alain Caron, Gary Willis, Bobby Mc Ferrin, Elvin Jones, Victor Bailey. Oltre a un intensa attività live con formazioni che spaziano dal jazz al pop, da ricordare la presenza nel cd "Electric city" pubblicato dagli Electric City per la Panastudio Productions, gruppo di cui è membro fondatore. Con il Thierry Valentini quartet (insieme a Thierry Valentini, Mauro Scardini, Alberto Delfini) ha ottenuto il primo premio nei concorsi Jazz di Mentana e Colleferro e si è esibito nei festival Along came jazz ’99 di Tivoli e Siena jazz ’99 con la partecipazione straordinaria di Paolo Fresu. Nel marzo 2000 è stato pubblicato per la MAP il cd "Ecch…!" del Fabrizio La Fauci 5tet . Nel 2002 ha pubblicato il secondo disco con la sua band Electric City dal titolo “Tambo” uscito per la Splasch records con la partecipazione di Gegè Telesforo, Giancarlo Ciminelli, Daniele Scannapieco, Mauro Scardini, Marco e Pietro Ciancaglini, Juan Carlos Albelo. Nel 2009 prende parte al progetto pop Nuvola9 con il disco “Ora” pubblicato da Terre Sommerse.

1 - O Venezia venusia venaga

2 - Nostalgia del presente

3 - Un'eclisse

4 - Tanguedia 2020

5 - Shaft is back

6 - Buio in sala

7 - Ennio's dream

8 - Choro for Glauber

9 - JLG

10 - Snaporaz

11 - Theme from 2 movement of Music for strings, celesta and percussion

12 - Sentimento del tempo

Musica di Massimiliano Cignitti (Dodicilune edizioni)

tranne 1 di Nino Rota, 11 di Bela Bartok, 12 di Mauro Scardini

Line up

Massimiliano Cignitti - basso

Mauro Scardini - piano e tastiere

Giancarlo Ciminelli - tromba e flicorno

Marco Guidolotti - sax, flauto

Marco Rovinelli - batteria

featuring

Nguyên Lê - chitarra

Grégoire Maret - armonica (4, 9)

Edmar Castaneda - arpa (7, 12)

Mark Colenburg - batteria (6, 11)

with

Paolo Alimonti - chitarra (6)

Roberto Schiano - trombone (10)

Valentina Petrossi - voce (6)

Federica Zavaleta - voce (7)

Susanna Stivali - voce (8)

Diego Matthey - 1° violino (7)

Aurianne Philippe - 2° violino (7)

Claire HÉlÈne Rignol - viola (7)

ThÉmis Bandini - violoncello (7)

Nguyên Lê appare per cortese

concessione di ACT Records

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Announcing Tank and the Bangas new album Red Balloon! + TOUR

NEW ALBUM 'RED BALLOON' - OUT MAY 13

LISTEN TO NEW SINGLE "NO ID" NOW!

FEATURING COLLABORATIONS WITH ALEX ISLEY, MASEGO, LALAH HATHAWAY, QUESTLOVE, JACOB COLLIER, TROMBONE SHORTY, WAYNE BRADY AND MORE

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TANK ON TOUR

Upcoming Tour Dates

FEB 4, 2022 | BATON ROUGE, LA, USA

FEB 19, 2022 | NEW ORLEANS, LA, USA

FEB 24, 2022 | NEW ORLEANS, LA, USA

FEB 25, 2022 | ST. AUGUSTINE, FL, USA

SEE MORE DATES