NEW RELEASE: Kristen Lee Sergeant’s ‘Falling’ is due out February 25, 2022 via Tiger Turn

Kristen Lee Sergeant presents magical concept album ‘Falling’ due out February 25, 2022 via Tiger Turn

Release show at Joe’s Pub on March 31, 2022

Watch the Lyric Video for First Single “Let’s Fall”

Tiger Turn Productions is delighted to announce the February 25, 2022 release of Falling, a new album by effervescent vocalist Kristen Lee Sergeant.  This wide-ranging new release further enhances the singer’s well-earned reputation for artistic versatility; here, she combines the roles of vocalist, composer, artist and curator in a striking departure from her previous two critically acclaimed albums. Accompanied by Jeb Patton (piano), Hannah Marks (bass), Jay Sawyer (drums), Jody Redhage Ferber (cello) and Ted Nash (soprano saxophone), Sergeant surrenders herself entirely to the concept of ‘falling’ in a daringly creative leap of faith. 

Based in New York City, both her debut and sophomore releases (Inside Out and Smolder) were awarded DownBeat Magazine ‘Editor’s Pick’ designations and she was praised for “moments of engaging drama, whether she’s seductively sliding into a note with a near-whisper, delivering a breathy revelation or belting out a lyric with full-throated muscularity”. That variety of musical color derives from Sergeant’s rich tapestry of influences that stretch far across artists (Dianne Reeves, Judy Garland, Joni Mitchell and Fiona Apple) and art forms (jazz, theater, opera and 1970s pop). 

Falling, her third studio album, sees a change of direction as Sergeant revisits her formative feel for musical drama. A wholly-immersive experience, Falling is a full-bodied concept album that brings listeners on an extraordinary musical journey, touching on numerous emotional high points along the way. Informed by the precarious times we’re in, but never bogged down by it, Sergeant’s latest is an exploration of the feeling, the state, and even the mythos surrounding the act, and the gravity, of ‘falling’. 

The aptly titled “Let’s Fall” sets the scene, as Sergeant drops headfirst into a dusky night-time landscape full of nocturnal thrills. It flashes through vaudevillian chansonnery and bristling quintet textures, where Patton emerges as a stellar soloist. Sergeant’s natural penchant for storytelling appears on the mythical cathartic journey of  “Sisyphus”, where she tells the age-old tale of “pushing that rock up that hill”. Perpetual resistance is eventually overtaken by a sense of acceptance, as the tune settles into a bobbing, lilting feel that transports the musicians higher and higher.

Sergeant composed “Infinity Blues” after meeting an astronaut, and this piece begins its flight with Nash’s searching soprano solo. “Swing doesn’t have to be retro,” Sergeant notes. She sings, “I’ve got the infinity blues / I want no weight in my shoes”, epitomising the song’s essential, existential drifting through life.

Kristen Lee Sergeant by Jordan Frey

“Chiaroscuro” is an allusion to Renaissance art captured in music, with well-crafted counterpoint featuring starkly lit moments that wax and wane throughout. Next up, the ingenuity of Sergeant the lyricist comes to the fore as “Honey” squeezes out a stream of rich, gooey imagery over a classic get-up blues, where bassist Hannah Marks really lays it down. 

More strong imagery flows out of the ensemble on the fluttering “Birdsong”, as Sergeant warns us of the dangers of settling for illusory comfort when freedom is still an option. “The prize isn’t worth the game,” Sergeant reflects on “Better Off”, but this is an altogether more personal affair, that’s fleetingly brief yet packed with lingering sentiment. “Aren’t I naked enough for you?” she sings, pointedly.

Myths and legends abound on this record – next is the bold, dramatic “Orpheus”. What might Hades sound like? Drummer Jay Sawyer gives us some sort of answer, grooving through triple time into a head-nodding pocket surrounded by Greek chorus-style vocal arrangements. “Autumn Nocturne” then takes it down a notch in a cool, elegant presentation of Sergeant the vocal technician. The energetic span of “Black Magic” is fuelled by Nash and Sergeant’s warring trades and vaults into unhinged surrender. 

With elements of jazz, musical theater, chamber music and 1970’s pop dotting her vast musical landscape, Sergeant paints a vivid musical portrait that is easy to get lost in. “From Greek myths to outer space, I hope to bring listeners on a rewarding and thoughtful journey in sound,” Sergeant reflects. “And I get to be their Virgil, stumbling down ahead of them.” Conceived as a rich multidisciplinary work, partnered with the recording is an immersive conceptual concert, scheduled to take place on March 31 at Joe’s Pub within The Public Theater in New York City.

1. Let’s Fall

2. Sisyphus

3. Birdsong

4. Chiaroscuro

5. Honey

6. Infinity Blues

7. Better Off

8. Orpheus

9. Autumn Nocturne (Josef Myrow, Kim Gannon)

10. That Old Black Magic (Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer)

All music by Kristen Lee Sergeant unless otherwise noted

Kristen Lee Sergeant (vocals, song, arrangement)

Jeb Patton (piano)

Hannah Marks (bass)

Jay Sawyer (drums)

Jody Redhage Ferber (cello)

and Ted Nash (soprano saxophone)

Kristen Lee Sergeant Website

BSDE 4tet, led by Saxophonist Daniele Nasi, will release his debut album Elavating Jazz Music Vol. 1 On February 25th 2022 via GleAM Records

GleAM Records is proud to announce the release of Elevating Jazz Music Vol. 1, the recording debut of the

Emilian saxophonist Daniele Nasi and his BSDE 4tet, available on CD and digital download / streaming from

February 25th 2022.

Elevating Jazz Music Vol. 1

We play Elevating music, not Elevator music, quoting a phrase by Eminem on Rap God. By doing so, we try to emphasize the social and communicative aspects of music, too often put aside to favor the so-called usability.

The album presents itself as a collection of stories about recent events, less-recent ones, and what’s going on right now. Some serious, some not so serious, our dialogues want to encourage reflection on different aspects of the world around us, depicting the feelings evoked by them.

The open-ended writing style of the compositions was conceived with a specific sound in mind, which led to the founding of the BSDE 4tet. At the same time, it leaves space for interaction among all who participate, so the personal and expressive contribution of both musicians and audience become essential. Interplay and a collective sound are aspects that the band feels very strongly about, to the point that the album was recorded the "old-fashioned way", in a single room and without headphones or double-glazing to separate the vibrations of the instruments.

The album begins with T.R.i.P., dedicated to a missing person. A physical and metaphysical journey that explores the contrasting emotions triggered by the events and the memories linked to this person, in a time frame that re-initiates at each conclusion.

Drowning in Guilt was written in response to an episode that occurred 8 years ago, but linked to a theme that remains terribly relevant, that of migrations. More specifically it addresses the Mediterranean Sea, where too often the hopes of many migrants, who have embarked on a desperate journey, are cut short. The tune seeks to evoke those moments, the depths of an unforgiving sea, a drowning in guilt. Dedicated to the 268 people who lost their lives on October 11, 2013, while Italy was trying to bounce to Malta the responsibility of sending aid.

Waltz for Palestine is dedicated to the Palestinian people, to those who have to endure a compromised daily life, a condition that has been going on for too many years. Mahmoud Darwish's poem, "I Have A Seat In The Abandoned Theater", perfectly describes the feeling we have when confronted with these situations as spectators; but to what extent are we mere spectators? Who is the author? What was the beginning like? “So peremptorily did these shades beckon him, that each day mankind and the claims of mankind slipped farther from him. Deep in the forest a call was sounding [...]”. Callin', inspired by Colin Stetson's music.

Water Eyes is a ballad, inspired by the story in "Memoirs of a Geisha". In this tune, every blow, every breath seek a sound belonging to a floating world, with its ethereal beauty and somber secrets.

The foundation of the BSDE project took place in Groningen (NL), where the pianist and the sax player undertook part of their studies. Here they both had the opportunity to play and study with many musicians from the Balkan area, where a lot of folk music is based on claves in odd time signatures. 7 is the new 5 is inspired by this tradition, trying to turn a complex rhythm into something simple, a dance.

Ban Orban or Ban our Band is not meant to be just a tongue twister, but a critique to that homophobic strand still present in the European Union. In the tune the words of Katalin Cseh, Member of the European Parliament, illustrate part of the problem, the music the rest of it.

The album wraps up with a track that is meant to be a homage to the jazz tradition and the giants of the past, with a touch o f BSDDE 4 tettouch of BSDE, The Tapping Changes.

1. T.R.i.P. 7:39

2. Drowning in Guilt 11:26

3. Waltz for Palestine 10:40

4. Callin’ 13:07

5. Water-eyes 7:50

6. 7 is the new 5 8:56

7. Ban Orban or Ban our Band 12:03

8. The Tapping Changes 5.22

Daniele Nasi - Tenor & Soprano Saxophone

Jung Taek "JT" Hwang - Piano, Moog & Fender Rhodes

Giacomo Marzi – Double-bass

Andrea Bruzzone – Drums

Recorded, Mixed & Mastered on July 2021 at Sonic Temple Studio, Parma (Italy)

Sound Engineer: Domenico Vigliotti

Artwork: Ike Edgerton

Graphic: Studioclessidra.it

Produced by GleAM Records

Printed in Italy 2022

EAN 8059018220070

AVAILABLE ON THIS PAGE

Scott Feiner & Alex Taub - Six Feet Apart (February 25, 2022)

Six Feet Apart is Scott Feiner & Alex Taub’s first duo recording together. Feiner’s previous 4 albums with his Pandeiro Jazz project are considered to have created a genre unto itself due to the unique sonic palette created by incorporating the Brazilian pandeiro into the jazz universe. This co-led duo, with the up-and-coming pianist Alex Taub, is an exciting musical adventure between two musicians, who from the first time they played together, knew they had a special musical connection. The album’s eclectic repertoire flows naturally, fueled by highly personal arrangements and rhythmic diversity.

1. Lush Life 04:42

2. Home At Last 06:02

3. It Could Happen To You 04:23

4. 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover 05:59

5. I Wish I Knew What It Would Feel Like To Be Free 05:13

6. Cherokee 04:15

Scott Feiner: Pandeiro

Alex Taub: Piano

Produced by Scott Feiner & Alex Taub

Recording on July 19, 2021 by Phil Ludwig at Seclusion Hill Music, Asheville, North Carolina

Mixed & Mastered by Marcos Suzano at Sambatown Studio, Rio de Janeiro

Cover art by Marcelo Gluz

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Donatas Petreikis - Another Spirit (February 25, 2022)

Another Spirit is my debut album and it represents my personal development as a human being and a composer. Every song on the album has an idea and message that I wish to pass on to the listeners through the music. I hope that listening to this vinyl will make You feel and experience my personal musical world and relate to the feelings that I intend to share. I enjoyed composing this music so much - hopefully You will enjoy listening to it as much!

I want to thank everybody who contributed to my album being released and making my dream come true! The support from my family, friends and musicians was huge and I am beyond words thankful for that. Every word and cup of coffee was important and precious to me and helped a small piece of my personal world come to life.

Donatas Petreikis

1. Flying Tale 05:48

2. Another Spirit 06:13

3. Bow To 05:54

4. Dark African Sky 07:00

5. Open Your Heart for the New Changes 04:56

6. One Happy Week In The Bed 05:57

7. House Of Autumn 05:18

8. Dream Of Venus 05:52

Donatas Petreikis - saxophone, compositions

Malthe Kaptain - trumpet

Rahel Talts - piano

Jens Samuel Schleicher Bønnerup - double bass

Jesper Lørup Christensen - drums

Emil Mathiasen - mix and master

Art Belikov - art direction and design

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Sylvain Rifflet with Verneri Pohjola - Cake Walk from a Spaceship (February 25, 2022 Eclipse Music)

French world-class saxophonist Sylvain Rifflet and Finnish trumpet star Verneri Pohjola released a joint album, Cake Walk from a Spaceship, in February 2022.

Sylvain Rifflet's unique tenor sound and Verneri Pohjola's original, rich expression combine into an seamlessly stylish whole with the album.

Sylvain Rifflet is known not only as a saxophonist but also as a clarinetist and composer. Rifflet, one of the most acclaimed French musicians of his generation, has performed and recorded with many front-line musicians in both Europe and America, and is considered one of the top names of his generation. Rifflet has released four of his own records and won several awards.

Trumpeter and composer Verneri Pohjola is known around the world for his distinctive, warm sound and expressive improvisation. Titled "The Miles Davis of the North", Pohjola's debut album Aurora grabbed the Finnish Emma Award in 2009 and received praise all over Europe and America. Pohjola, who has since released five more records and won numerous awards, has established himself as one of Europe's most respected jazz musicians.

1. Déjà Vu

2. Abbey

3. Mésanges

4. Cake Walk from a Spaceship

5. Sven Coolson

6. Ryuichi, Fennesz, Alva et les Autres

7. Awkward Commute

8. The Viking's Waltz

9. Baldwin

10. Duo 2

Sylvain Rifflet - saxophone

Verneri Pohjola - trumpet

Philippe Gordiani - guitar

Benjamin Flament - drums

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Benedicte Maurseth - Hárr (February 25, 2022 Hubro)

An homage to the wildlife and mountain people of Benedicte Maurseth’s home area in Hardanger

“This is a beautiful shapeshifter of an album. Part a portrait of a landscape, part the opening of a veil on some family history, part nature walk in Norway. It’s satisfying and strangely elusive, all at the same time. The music follows winding paths of the imagination, mixing Maurseth’s Hardanger fiddle with subtly-placed electronics and other instruments to create a moving, inviting bed of sound. “Heilo,” for instance, the longest piece on the disc, presents an utterly different artist from her 2019 solo release. Or does it? The music certainly isn’t traditional by any means, but the nature, the history that goes back generations – what is that but tradition? No pyrotechnics here, no devil’s trills. It’s Maurseth, embracing the past and touching the ground that has formed who she is. The result is gently majestic.» - Chris Nicson (Rootsworld)

The acclaimed and innovative visionary musician Benedicte Maurseth is coming forth with the wonderful all-consuming album Hárr. The sound of her magic Hardanger fiddle is woven seamlessly together with that of birds and the other musicians’ musical impressions. Always moving forward with a steely calm disposition, the record draws you into a world where one feels to be one with nature, wandering over a mountain plateau. Benedicte was raised in Maurset in Eidfjord – near Hardangervidda National Park – and has hiked through the mountains her whole life, clearly laying the foundation for this musical expedition. 

As traditional folk musicians have always been, Maurseth is open to contemporary influences from interactive art and music styles. The work Hárr oscillates between Norwegian folk tunes, free improvised music, American minimalism, and extensive use of musique concrète. In the tracks you will also hear natural soundscapes via the shufflings of reindeer, reindeer herders, birds and insects all recorded in Hardangervidda. 

“Working creatively and hiking in the mountains are very much the same to me. Both evoke and require the same presence as well as a deep listening that makes the senses open and clear. They are both something that can be done alone or in company, in conversation or in silence. Both require time, patience and thoughtful repetition and give a necessary reminder of something else, something bigger than ourselves.” -Benedicte Maurseth 

Benedicte is among other things inspired by ecosophy, the school of environmental philosophy developed by Arne Næss which states that humankind is not the center of the natural world but rather an equal participant in it. The tune “Heilo” displays what it is to be one with nature in the best way; the musicians play with and variate upon the rhythm of the characteristic bird sound. The track “kollasj I” summarizes in many ways the vision behind the whole work. It consists of interviews with Benedicte’s great-great-grandfather Franz Gustav Andersson Törna from Northern Sweden and her great-grandfather Leif Maurseth, both of them being hunters and reindeer herders.

Hárr was commissioned by Hardanger Musikkfest in 2019, composed by Maurseth, and arranged and performed in collaboration with master musicians Mats Eilertsen and Håkon Stene among others. “Hárr” is the Norse name for Hårteigen, the most characteristic mountain in Hardangervidda. 

Benedicte Maurseth, Hardanger fiddle player, composer and author, is an established and recognized performer. She has been the pupil of master-fiddler Knut Hamre for several decades and has toured extensively as a soloist both in Norway and internationally. She has collaborated with many of the foremost artists in a variety of genres such as Nils Økland, Marilyn Crispell, Rolf Lislevand, Jon Fosse and Anne Marit Jacobsen. Maurseth has several commissioned works for theater, film and music under her belt. For the work Tidekverv which premiered in 2017 she was given the NOPA music award and her song “Very full” for Marvel Studio for the TV-series Loki was recently ranked highly on the billboard-charts. Maurseth has written books, articles and essays in addition to recording several albums with Grappa Musikkforlag and ECM Records. 

1. Augnast

2. Benedicte Maurseth feat. Rolf-Erik Nystrøm - Heilo

3. Reinsdyrbjøller

4. Kollasj I

5. Eidfyrder

6. Hárr

7. Hreinn

8. Kollasj II

9. Snø over Sysendalen

Benedicte Maurseth: Hardanger fiddle

Håkon Mørch Stene: vibraphone, marimba, percussion, electric guitar, electronics

Mats Eilertsen: double bass, electronics

Guest appearances:

Jørgen Træen: electronics

Rolf-Erik Nystrøm: saxophone

Stein Urheim: langeleik, harmonica, electronics, samples, percussion

All music by Benedicte Maurseth (TONO) except “Augnast” by Benedicte Maurseth & Mats Eilertsen, “Reinsyrbjøller” by Mats Eilertsen & Håkon Mørch Stene, and “Kollasj I” & “Kollasj II” by Stein Urheim. All arrangements by the musicians.

Recorded by Christian Engfeldt at Paradiso Studio, Oslo, September 2020. Additional overdubs, editing and mixing by Jørgen Træen, Duper Luftgrotten Studio, Bergen, January 2021. Produced by Stein Urheim. Co produced by Benedicte Maurseth & Jørgen Træen

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Brev Sullivan & Blue Road Records Band Pay Tribute to Father and Mentor Ira Sullivan with "IRA THE TRIBUTE ALBUM" (February 25, 2022)

BREV SULLIVAN AND BLUE ROAD RECORDS BAND PAY TRIBUTE TO FATHER AND MENTOR IRA SULLIVAN WITH

IRA THE TRIBUTE ALBUM

Coming February 25, 2022

Although IRA SULLIVAN performed with jazz luminaries like Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Roland Kirk, and Art Blakey, his music is not as widely known among general audiences; however, as a master on the saxophone, flute and trumpet he had a reputation among his peers as an ou tstanding bebop soloist. Trumpeter Brad Goode called Sullivan one of the greatest soloists in the history of the music. A regular on the Chicago music scene, Sullivan moved to Miami to teach at the esteemed Frost School of Music. Although he continued to perform in the Miami area, he decided to limit his touring performances and instead chose to focus on teaching. He became one of the leading jazz educators in the U.S. mentoring several generations of up and coming musicians.

Sullivan passed away in 2020 at the age of 89, but his musical legacy lives on in a new recording project titled IRA THE TRIBUTE ALBUM by THE BLUE ROA D RECORDS BAND The band is the house band of Blue Road Record s Studio, a Miami institution founded in 2019 by MIRIAM STONE who plays acoustic and electric lead and rhythm guitar on the album.

Stone and her family came from Cuba in 1959 during the Cuban revolution and settled in Miami when she was very young. Her family was very musical. Her grandmother played classical piano, and her father, who played guitar and percussion, was friends with musicians like Tito Puente and Mongo Santamaría. Mongo and his bandmates would visit her home and jam until the early morning hours. Music had always been Stone’s passion, and in 2010, she began studying with Miami jazz guitarist Leo Quintero. It was a pivotal time in her life, and she began to write and record her own music, releasing her first two CDs, The Rainbow Album and Arcoíris. She and her husband, Howard Stone, opened Blue Road Records Studio in South Miami and began assembling musicians to record her music.

The Blue Road Records Band, which recorded the IRA THE TRIBUTE ALBUM is made up of some of the sterling musicians who have made a home in South Florida, including lead guitarist LEO QUINTERO, who hails from Venezuela, as does bass player JAVIER ESPINOZA. Also in the band are drummer and percussionist KEVIN ABANTO, who came to the U.S. from Peru, and keyboardist and sax player YAINER HORTA, another Cuban ex-patriot. The one native-born musician in the band is BREV SULLIVAN, the other lead guitarist and son of Ira Sullivan.

Brev Sullivan is proficient in multiple genres and currently tours with several rock groups. He was also the touring guitarist for his father’s band. He has been featured in Guitar Player Magazine and has appeared as a guest soloist with the Miami Symphony Orchestra.

Stone first heard Brev play guitar when he auditioned at Blue Road Records Studio. She was impressed by his mastery of the guitar, and he soon became a member of The Blue Road Records Band. Stone later heard Brev accompany his father and band in what was a memorable night of music at Gables Stage, a popular Miami jazz club.

Sullivan passed away while Stone and Brev were working together, and they decided to record a tribute album to Sullivan. Brev relates, “My father had so many families, not only his actual family, but also his touring family as well as his family of students. I wanted to make this album to not only preserve his legacy but also preserve the memory of those moments that are dear to me when I performed with him on stage.” Stone agrees and says, “I was privileged to have met Ira at one of his concerts. The band was exquisite, and Brev was with him. I felt that Ira and I had formed a personal connection. I knew making this album would be challenging because the music is so complex, but it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had as a musician.” Indeed, the music is complex because Brev brought his father’s charts to the recording sessions. A bebop player at heart, Sullivan embraced a younger generation of musicians, like Pat Metheny and Jaco Pastorius, whom he mentored and who learned from Sullivan’s iconocla tic approach to music. The charts reflect the later period of Sullivan’s life when his music touched on the sounds and harmonies of fusion.

Sullivan surely would have approved of the new direction of his music by the Blue Road Records Band. Brev was at the helm of the recording sessions, but each musician imbued the music with his or her own style and personality. The album opens with “I Get a Kick Out of You,” which was one of Sullivan’s favorites. The band plays it at a blistering tempo featuring a flamboyant drum solo by Abanto. “Monday’s Dance” was written by Sullivan. It’s a beautiful, soulful piece that Sullivan used to perform regularly with young musicians at a near-by church. ”Circumstantial” is another Sullivan composition. The tune features Brev, Quintero, and Abanto trading fours at lightning speed. Sullivan wrote “Multimedia” to capture the sounds he heard as he walked down the hallway while listening to all the music played by the students in their different practice rooms. The tune moves between fusion, rock, and jazz, showcasing Horta’s considerable chops on the tenor sax and Stone’s electric lead guitar.

“Icarus” is a departure from Sullivan’s usual bebop sound. The combination of three guitars, keyboards, and sax give the composition a rich, mystical, almost psychedelic vibe. “Ninevah” was released on Sullivan’s Horizons album. Brev says, “I think I loved how my father played the soprano more than any of the other instruments he played. For me, this song is almost like a rock song written by John Coltrane.”

“Our Delight” is the most standard tune on the album. When Sullivan originally recorded it, he played all four instruments. “The Little Train of Caipira” has a lovely melody that opens with classical guitar. Written by Heitor Villa-Lobos, the tune suggests a train chugging along through the countryside. “Espresso Bueno” is written by Brev and often performed by Sullivan. With its happy, Latin dance feel, the song has always been a crowd favorite in live performances. Sullivan was deeply religious and would close his sets with “Amazing Grace.” The band honors his memory with a stirring yet gentle interpretation featuring Brev as the sole guitarist on three tracks.

IRA THE TRIBUTE ALBUM is a fitting tribute to the iconoclastic multi-instrumentalist who has influenced so many lives through his teaching and music. Brev sums it up best, “All the musicians that worked with Ira regarded him as such a strong mentor in their lives and careers. While Miriam and her husband Howard were the only Blue Road musicians who had the chance to meet him, I know he would have loved that they took on the challenge of recording his music. I’m most grateful that the mentoring continues through his tunes.”

IRA THE TRIBUTE ALBUM is set for release on February 25, 2022 and will be available everywhere.

1. I Get a Kick Out of You 6:49

2. Monday’s Dance 7:01

3. Circumstantial 5:17

4. Multimedia 8:16

5. Icarus 7:10

6. Nineveh 8:20

7. Our Delight 6:34

8. Little Train of Caipira 6:18

9. Espresso Bueno 4:46

10. Amazing Grace 3:41

Brev Sullivan lead guitar

Leo Quintero lead guitar

Miriam Stone acoustic & electric guitar

Javier Espinoza bass

Yainer Horta keyboards & sax

Kevin Abanto drums & percussion

brevsullivanguitar.com

blueroadrecordsstudio.com

Avishai Cohen - Naked Truth (February 25, 2022 ECM)

There is a searching, yearning quality to Naked Truth, and a raw beauty and vulnerability in Avishai Cohen’s trumpet sound on his most improvisational ECM recording to date.  Very much music-of-the moment, found and shaped in the course of a remarkable recording session in the South of France, Naked Truth takes the form of an extemporaneous suite. For most of its length the Israeli trumpeter painstakingly leads the way, closely shadowed by his long-time comrades – pianist Yonathan Avishai, bassist Barak Mori and drummer Ziv Ravitz - who share an intuitive understanding, hyper alert to the music’s subtly-changing emphases.  At the album’s conclusion, Cohen recites “Departure”, a poem by Zelda Schneurson Mishkovsky, whose themes of renunciation, acceptance and letting go seem optimally-attuned to the mood of the music. Naked Truth was recorded at Studios La Buissonne in Pernes-les-Fontaines, in September 2021, and produced by Manfred Eicher.   

1. Naked Truth Part 1

2. Naked Truth Part 2

3. Naked Truth Part 3

4. Naked Truth Part 4

5. Naked Truth Part 5

6. Naked Truth Part 6

7. Naked Truth Part 7

8. Naked Truth Part 8

9. Naked Truth: Departure

Avishai Cohen: trumpet

Yonathan Avishai: piano

Barak Mori: double bass

Ziv Ravitz: drums

Will be released on February 25, 2022 on CD and digitally

Vinyl edition to be available in June

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Martin Wind / New York Bass Quartet - AIR (Four double bassists in Martin Wind's "tour de force") Available February 25, 2022 via Laika Records

Martin Wind presents the double bass in an entirely new way with his New York Bass Quartet album AIR

Available February 25, 2022 via Laika Records

Featuring bassists Wind, Gregg August, Jordan Frazier and Sam Suggs 

plus Matt Wilson, Lenny White and Gary Versace 

“... a tour de force.  Each of the quartet members are virtuosos on the double bass collaborating to present a fun, unique, and accessible program of eclectic music from J.S Bach to Paul McCartney to Martin Wind....this recording has raised the bar to a higher level for the 21st Century Double Bass community and music lovers, alike. BRAVO GENTLEMEN!  I love it!”

– jazz bassist/composer Rufus Reid

Air, the new album by bassist Martin Wind,  presents the double bass in an entirely new way: making it the center of the action. Wind, born in Flensburg, Germany, emigrated to New York a quarter of a century ago to seek his musical fortune in the world capital of jazz, and found it. Now, on Air, he introduces us to his New York Bass Quartet.

The idea of forming an all-bass ensemble came to Wind about ten years ago when he began teaching at Hofstra University. "For this group I wanted to gather students from different stylistic backgrounds and expose them to a wide repertoire of pieces - from Bach chorales to pop songs to jazz adaptations. And because I didn't want the material to be repetitive week after week, my students and I started writing arrangements," Wind recalls. 

On Air, Wind documents eight of these arrangements with the support of several of New York’s world-class musicians. They include Jordan Frazier (principal bass with the renowned Orpheus Chamber Orchestra), Gregg August (2020 Grammy nominee in the "Best Large Ensemble Jazz Recording" category), and Sam Suggs, who at 30 sounds "outrageously mature," as Wind puts it.

"I consider them the A-Team for this kind of a project. Thanks to their versatility and perfect bowing technique, I was able to explore the immense tonal possibilities of the instrument, as well as the entire scope between classical, rock and jazz."

Photo by Pete Coco

The result delivers numerous moments of surprise while covering a sonic range of over four octaves. On the title track "Air," the ensemble starts off measured and close to the original by Johann Sebastian Bach. “(Give Me Some) G-String” also seems similar at first, before completely spinning into a different direction. Here, drum legend Lenny White ("Return to Forever") and Gary Versace on the Hammond B3 ensure that the piece grooves mightily.  On the Weather Report anthem "Birdland," White again puts his stamp on the arrangement with his uncompromising backbeat.

With his Beatles medley, Martin Wind demonstrates why he’s been making a name for himself as an arranger, as well. He weaves "The Long and Winding Road," "Here, There and Everywhere," "She`s Leaving Home" and "Lady Madonna" into a polyphonic work of art. The starting point for Wind's adaptation of Charlie Haden’s “Silence” is a chord progression of only eight measures, from which Wind creates an eight-minute opus. "Starting with a musical cell and expanding it - that's something that particularly appeals to me," reveals Wind, who  n achieves a special coup with Air - both musically and in terms of personnel.

The liner notes by Ron Carter, who played bass for Miles Davis,  reflect respect and admiration: "Imagine an album on which four bassists and some guest musicians dare to play exceptionally difficult arrangements - and succeed thanks to their outstanding skills. Well - stop just imagining it. Because this album is the sounding proof that it can succeed."

1. Air [Quartet Version] (J.S.Bach) 2:55

2. [Give me some] G-String (Martin Wind) 7:15

3. Beatles Medley (Lennon /McCartney) 8:48

4. Birdland (Joe Zawinul) 6:02

5. Silence (Charlie Haden) 8:06

6. I'd Rather Eat (Martin Wind) 6:50

7. Tell Her You Saw Me (Pat Metheny) 4:17

8. Iceland Romance (Martin Wind) 6:14

9. Air [Trio Version] (J.S.Bach) 3:33

Martin Wind (upright bass)

Gregg August (upright bass)

Jordan Frazier (upright bass)

Sam Suggs (upright bass)

Special guests

Matt Wilson, drums & percussion

Lenny White, drums

Gerry Versacepiano, organ, accordion

Produced 2021 by Martin Wind. Executive produced 2021 by Peter Cronemeyer.

Recorded by David Kowalski at Teaneck Sound Studio in Teaneck, New Jersey on March 19 and 27, 2021.

Mixed by Tyler McDiarmid in April/ May 2021 in Astoria, New York.

Mastered by Gene Paul in May 2021 at G and J Audio, Union City, New Jersey.

Photos by Pete Coco, Garden City, New York.

Laika Records

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MARTIN WIND QUARTET

My Astorian Queen

November 12, 2021 – Laika Records 

Martin Wind • Scott Robinson • Bill Mays • Matt Wilson

in Republic of Jazz

Robert Glasper - Black Radio III (February 25, 2022 Loma Vista Recordings)

Ten years after the release of his seminal, GRAMMY-winning Black Radio, Robert Glasper has announced Black Radio III. The album is out February 25 via Loma Vista Recordings.

Arriving alongside the announcement is a new single, “Black Superhero,” featuring Killer Mike, BJ The Chicago Kid, and Big K.R.I.T. The official music video first premiered yesterday via broadcast channels BET Soul, BET Jams, MTVu, MTV Live, and Yo! MTV. Shot in Los Angeles and directed by award-winning director/filmmaker, Charlie Buhler, the video takes viewers through a series of vignettes that highlight real-life Black heroes who live in and work for their communities.

On creating the music video, Buhler says, “‘Black Superhero’ is a visual love letter to the Black community. It’s an ode to our strength, vibrancy, and joy. We have struggled, and yet we are still here, and not only are we here, but we are so much more than the adversity heaped upon us. I am grateful to Robert and the team at Loma Vista for trusting me with such a powerful and important song, and everyone who came together to help bring the concept to life. It was a true labor of love.”

Like its predecessors, the new studio album celebrates Black joy, love, and resilience and features Grammy-winning single “Better Than I Imagined” featuring H.E.R + Meshell Ndgeocello and “Shine” featuring D Smoke and Tiffany Gouché. Black Radio III’s guests also include Q-Tip, Jennifer Hudson, H.E.R. Yebba, Common, Ty Dolla $ign, Esperanza Spalding, Ant Clemons, India.Arie, and more.

Glasper mused on the project, sharing “I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of Black Radio than by releasing Black Radio 3. To debut a live performance of ‘Black Superhero’ on The Tonight Show with some of my own heroes is really special to me. Hopefully, it inspires more to come.”

Tune in live to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on January 17 for a special MLK Day performance from Robert Glasper, performing “Black Superhero” with Rapsody, BJ The Chicago Kid, Amir Sulaiman, and DJ Jazzy Jeff, backed by The Roots.

1. In Tune

2. Black Superhero

3. Shine

4. Why We Speak

5. Over

6. Better Than I Imagined

7. Everybody Wants To Rule The World

8. Everybody Love

9. It Don't Matter

10. Heaven's Here

11. Out Of My Hands

12. Forever

13. Bright Lights

2022, © 2022 Loma Vista Recordings.

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Dell Lillinger Westergaard & Maneri - MONUMENTS / 25 February 2022 on edition niehler werft (enw)

Monuments offers the exciting collaboration of the trio Dell Lillinger Westergard (DLW) and Mat Maneri. In 2015 the internationally acclaimed trio teamed up with the American viola virtuoso to investigate in a fascinating sound landscape. Maneri's unique style is informed by microtonal concepts and open compositions. It blends perfectly well with the innovative structural approach of DLW, while expanding the latter in its harmonic tonal space. Displaying ground-breaking views on and work with musical material, the recording at hand focuses on the commonality and the aspect of balance, especially between the different and contrasting instrument groupings and timbres.

In all cases of approaching compositional aspects, the musicians take their point of departure in questioning their concepts of a musical work over and over again. It is decisive, that the artists can never be sure exactly what defines modern genre types such as New Music, experimental music or Avantgarde. Instead each single composition should always open a path for new perspectives, options and procedures. Against this background, the compositional interspaces, the open structural and fragile cracks, the organizational fluctuation between action/sound/time levels establish the formal design of this at the sam time important and evocative recording: the differentiality and relationality of the work and its performers.

Since its formation in 2011, the trio Dell Lillinger Westergaard (DLW) have been researching energetic playing and structural composition in real time. Their complex interactions result in high energy materializing in different layers of sounds, relationscapes. Form comes into being through musical production. In this way the trio transcends the usual dichotomy of rhythm section vs. solo player.

Nominated for the German Jazz Prize 2021, the trio has released numerous productions and toured worldwide. Their double album „Grammar“ (released 2013 on gligg-records) demonstrates the trio’s specific structural approach to form-making from a variety of perspectives. The renowned German newspaper Frankfurter Rundschau called the band's work "Boulez in real-time". Organizationally and aesthetically, the setup of DLW works as a plug-in structure creating space for guests, who bring their specific character of playing into the band’s sound. One example is the celebrated cooperation with the late John Tchicai, documented on the record „The Traveller“. Released in 2012 on Jazzwerkstatt Berlin, the ground-breaking album received rave reviews and was on the shortlist of the German Recording Award. DLW teamed up with the experimental electronic artist Johannes Brecht for the recording „Boulez Materialism“, released on PLAIST in 2018. Further collaborations include the renowned pianists Tamara Stefanovich, Bob Degen and Søren Kjærgaard.

This publication is the second publication in the new retroactive series of the exclusive artist’s label edition niehler werft (enw). In 2015 Marko Birkner meticulously engineered the session at the Funkhaus-Studios while Gleb Zagrebin provided a retroactive and punctilious mastering of the recordings in 2021.

Tracklist CD

01 Monument 14 * 04:52

02 Monument 13 * 10:24

03 Void 6 00:35

04 Void 4 01:16

05 Monument 12 04:03

06 Monument 18* 11:20

07 Void 10 02:00

08 Void 1 * 00:54

09 Monument 20 10:21

10 Void 11 * 01:11

11 Void 8 01:43

12 Monument 15* 05:17

13 Void 9 * 01:04

14 Void 7 00:40

15 Monument 16* 08:32

Total time: 64:45 *= on vinyl

Christopher Dell – vibraphone

Christian Lillinger – drums

Jonas Westergaard – drums

Mat Maneri – viola

Recorded 15th of May

2015 by Marko Birkner

Mastered 10th of August

2021 by Gleb Zagrebin

All compositions and concept by

Dell Lillinger Westergaard & Maneri

© & ℗ 2021 Christopher Dell

enw 014

retroactive series

Design by Christopher Dell

Produced by enw and DLW

Dell Lilllinger Westergaard & Maneri MONUMENTS is released by the exclusive artist's label edition

niehlerwerft (enw) on

-180g Vinyl CD with inside out cover and inlaycard (LimitedEdition300)

-CD with 6page booklet (Limited Edition300)

-On digital platforms

Dell Lillinger Westergaard & Maneri - MONUMENTS / 25 February 2022 on edition niehler werft (enw)

(In the United States, it will be released on 03/11/2022)

edition niehler werft (enw)

Ron Jackson | "Standards and My Songs" | Available February 25

Seven-String Jazz Guitarist Ron Jackson Returns

with a Distinctive and Versatile

Sequel "Standards and My Songs"

Trio Album Features

Willie Jones III and Ben Wolfe

"Jackson is a master of the seven-string, which puts him in the ranks of a select few"

— JazzTimes

Coming out of the pandemic lockdown, distinctive and versatile jazz guitarist Ron Jackson re-emerges boldly with his latest solo album, Standards and My Songs, released on his own Roni Music label. The album spotlights Jackson's clean-burning, clean-toned guitar voice mostly in trio format with Willie Jones III and Ben Wolfe (drums and bass, respectively), and serves as a bookend sequel to his pre-pandemic 2019 outing, Standards and Other Songs, with a critical difference.

“It is a sequel,” Jackson states. “On the earlier album, I played standards, some pop songs and even a Drake song that I adapted to jazz. This one is, standards and my songs. I took a couple of hits like soft rock tune ‘Brandy’ and R&B tune ‘Secret Garden’ by Quincy Jones, and adapted them to jazz.”

Song choice is key to the success of the new album’s portrait of Jackson's broad musical aesthetic, with a program opening with a jazz-flavored arrangement of the 1972 Looking Glass hit “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” (one of two album tracks with cameos by organist Brian Ho) and, to close, a gorgeous solo version of the standard “Time After Time.” The latter showcases Jackson’s unique skill on the 7-string guitar, which the guitarist has been focusing on for a decade and is one of the instrument’s prime jazz proponents. Between those repertoire extremes comes a menu of diverse original tunes, creative new arrangements of Charlie Parker's “Moose the Mooche”—spiced up with a jazz/hip hop groove--and a 5/4 take on the standard “This Nearly Was Mine,” and more, adapted to and by Jackson's special touch.

As heard through his warm, unaffected hollow-body guitar sound, Jackson’s seminal influences include Wes Montgomery and George Benson, but he has listened to and studied with a range of other important guitarists on the jazz scene. Two of those lineage points—Bucky Pizzarelli and Pat Martino—passed away in the past two years and are paid tribute to on Jackson’s album. “This Nearly was Mine” nods respectfully to Pizzarelli, who strongly encouraged Jackson to take up the 7-string ten years ago.

Jackson’s radiant ballad “For Pat” pays homage to Martino, and is loosely modeled after Martino’s own ballad “Country Road.” Martino, Jackson comments, “taught me a lot and has obviously influenced some of my lines. There are so many things I learned from Pat, things I continue to work on.” 

As for the “My Songs” portion of program, Jackson was careful to sample the diversity of his interests when deciding on originals, from the calypso “Roundabout” (featuring trombonist Clark Gayton)—linking to Jackson’s past work with such St. Thomas-born artists as Ron Blake and Reuben Rogers-–to what he cites as the “Freddie Hubbard-inspired” tune “From Dusk to Dawn.” He leans into a post-bebop energy on his “Walk Fast,” and makes a soulful turn on “She is Love,” co-written with his wife, Michelle Etwaroo.

Looking back at his work, Jackson, whose vast resumé makes him a respected and well-traveled veteran in the jazz universe, asserts “I feel that it’s the best album I’ve done so far. I had to figure out a way to put the music together and there was a lot of pressure. I thought seriously about what tunes I wanted to put on there, a mixture in which half of it was my originals. I am very happy with the end result.”

Jackson points out, “my goal would be to have other guitarists pick up the instrument and for the listener, to be more aware of it.” This effort is shown on an album cover design that boldly states “7 STRING JAZZ GUITAR,” which draws your attention to the low “A” string of the Eastman guitar that he’s holding. 

Ron Jackson | Standards and My Songs

Release Date: February 25, 2022

For more information on Ron Jackson, please visit:

ronjacksonmusic.com | Facebook | Twitter

K.O.G (Kweku of Ghana) - Zone 6, Agege (February 25, 2022 Heavenly Sweetness)

Sounds and stories celebrating Africa, our nature, nurture and future, a connection of beautiful energy with rest of the world.

1. Intro

2. Mayedeen

3. Like a Tree

4. Shidaa

5. Hewale

6. Lord Knows Feat. Franz Von

7. Heritage

8. No Way Feat. Gyedu-Blay Ambolley

9. Ayinye

10. Adakatia

11. Ebenezer

12. Spirits

13. Immigration

14. Gbelemo

15. Yaa Yaa

Vocals : K.O.G

Drums : Theo Goss

Pass : Owen Burns

Keys : Jasper Green

Guitar : Ben Haskins, Tom Excell

Sax : Harry Fowler

Baritone sax : Joe Henwood

Percussions : K.O.G, Driss Yamdah, Tom Excell

Additional Vocals : Lizzie Berchie / Sunday Lendis

Producer : Tom Excell

A&R / Executive Producer : GUTS

Recording at Studio Yellow Arch and the Night Kitchen (Sheffield, UK)

Recording Engineer : David Haynes

Mixed at One Two Pass It (Bagnolet, France) by GUTS & Mr. GIB

Mastered at The Carvery (London, UK) by Franck Merritt

Album composed by Kweku Sackey, Tom Excell and the Band

Lyrics by K.O.G

Album cover picture : Mal Wichelow

Back cover picture : Roasted Kweku (Ghana)

Album Design : Playground.atelier (Portugal)

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Binker and Moses - Feeding The Machine (February 25, 2022 Gearbox Records)

After some years spent roaming the Valley of the Ultrablacks and exploring the Mountain of Forever, (where they narrowly avoided the lethal traps of The Voice of Besbunu), Binker and Moses are back with a new offering.

'Feeding The Machine' is their first studio album in five years, due for release on February 25th on all formats.

Recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios by legendary, GRAMMY-winning producer Hugh Padgham, the new record features honorary third member Max Luthert on tape loops and electronics, moving their sound into an entirely new dimension that crosses into ambient, minimalism and experimental electronic territories.

With the use of modular synths and sampling, traditional melody and song structures are left behind as the musicians are pushed creatively to respond and in turn, 'feed the machine'.

1. Asynchronous Intervals

2. Active-Multiple-Fetish-Overlord

3. Accelerometer Overdose

4. Feed Infinite

5. After The Machine Settles

6. Because Because

Binker Golding: soprano and tenor saxophones

Moses Boyd: drums

Max Luthert: live tape loops and electronic effects

All tracks composed by Binker Golding, Moses Boyd and Max Luthert

Recorded at Real World Studio, 29th-31st March 2021

Engineered and mixed by Hugh Padgham

Assisted by Oliver Middleton

Mastered and cut by Caspar Sutton-Jones and Darrel Sheinman at Gearbox Records

Mastered using all-valve Decca equalisation and Telefunken limiters. Lacquer discs cut on a Haeco Scully lathe with Westrex RA1700 series amps, Westrex 3DIIA cutting head. Monitored using Audio Note equipment

Produced by Darrel Sheinman and Hugh Padgham

Photography by Dan Medhurst

Graphic design by Alan Foulkes

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