Diego Rivera - Mestizo (February 11, 2022 Posi-Tone Records)

With a stunning mixture of grace and power, tenor saxophonist Diego Rivera transcends cultural boundaries to deliver an emphatic message of intelligence and inclusivity on his 2022 release "Mestizo." Critical listeners may appreciate these performances as a series of engaged discussions employing the repartee of context and contrast between the leading voices of the horns and the affectionate support and retort from their immaculate rhythm section of pianist Art Hirahara, bassist Boris Kozlov, and drummer Rudy Royston.

This assemblage of bright moments is also admirably enhanced by the presence of trumpet phenomenon Alex Sipiagin, who joins Rivera as his front line aide-de-cam, providing musical offerings of incisive intensity that steadily serve to escalate the entire proceeding unto another level. Nonetheless, if we overly focus on the interplay of elements, then we risk missing out on the point of the dialogue and mistake the medium for the message. Rivera's unmistakable talent as a songwriter is the real story, as he deftly transforms this dynamic quintet into a unified instrument and unleashes a powerful combination of swinging blasts juxtaposed with forays into the emotional parlance of subtle conversation.

From the opening salvo to the last hurrah, the melodic message of "Mestizo" moves effortlessly straightforward and affirms that Rivera is a shining star of unlimited brilliance to keep an eye on for many years to come.

1. Battle Fatigue

2. Rasquache

3. Teru

4. Bracero

5. Escapade

6. Canción De Cuna

7. Most From The Least

8. The Rose Window

9. La Raza Cósmica

10. Mestizo

Diego Rivera - tenor saxophone

Alex Sipiagin - trumpet, flugelhorn 6, 9

Art Hirahara - piano

Boris Kozlov - bass

Rudy Royston - drums, percussion 2, 4, 8

produced by Marc Free

engineered by Nick O'Toole

recorded September 16-17, 2021 & Teru on June 6, 2021, at Acoustic Recording, Brooklyn, NY

mixed & mastered at Woodland Studio, Lake Oswego, OR

photography by Anna Yatskevich

package design by Alex Koehler

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Nathan Borton - Each Step (January 21, 2022 Origin Records)

With a fat, warm tone threading through the jazz cymbal groove with poetic patience, guitarist Nathan Borton celebrates his Midwest musical inspirations - particularly Grant Green & Wes Montgomery - with blues-drenched lines & rhythms on this, his debut recording. Along with jazz masters Xavier Davis on piano, bassist Rodney Whitaker, drummer Keith Hall, and the front line of saxophonist Diego Rivera & bass trombonist Chris Glassman, we don't just hear a tribute to evergreen jazz guitar purism, but rather a complete, satisfying journey through the rich tradition of straight-ahead jazz. From the hard swinging "Milestones," or Tin Pan Alley classics such as "Just One of Those Things," through five originals from Borton and his mentor/producer Randy Napoleon, we discover a young talent with a deep wellspring of ideas and a penchant for surprising musical moments.

1 Each Step (Nathan Borton) 5:48

2 Just One of Those Things (Cole Porter) 5:34

3 The More I See You (Harry Warren and Mack Gordon) 5:24

4 Milestones (Miles Davis) 4:37

5 What Now? (Nathan Borton) 4:37

6 These Are the Things We Throw Away (Randy Napoleon) 5:10

7 Change (Nathan Borton) 6:56

8 Grantstand (Grant Green) 3:51

9 Grant's Groove (Nathan Borton) 4:22

Nathan Borton - Guitar

Xavier Davis - Piano

Rodney Whitaker - Bass

Keith Hall - Drums

Diego Rivera - Tenor Saxophone

Chris Glassman - Bass Trombone

Produced by Randy Napoleon

Recorded by Corey DeRushia at

Troubadour Recording Studios, Lansing, MI

Recorded on June 2-3 2021

Assistant Engineer: Jim Alfredson

Mixed by Nathan Borton, Lansing, MI

Mastered by JJ Golden Mastering, Ventura, CA

Photos by Jessica D. Cowels

Cover design & layout by John Bishop

Origin Records

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Blue Moods - Myth & Wisdom (January 2022 Posi-Tone Records)

All too often we encounter the sad reality that the songwriting of many influential jazz artists, who are regularly proclaimed as masters by the critics, languish in relative obscurity, while their compositions remain recondite, or at best, largely unfamiliar to a vast segment of contemporary audiences. In the hope of remedying this situation and creating new interest in these artists, Posi-Tone is initiating a series of “Blue Moods” releases. These introductory programs are focused on a single artist to re-present some of their vital works to a new group of listeners. 

This 2022 premier volume spotlights the compositions of Charles Mingus, and celebrates the “Myth & Wisdom” of his masterful musical artistry. These collaborative releases will feature the members of our musical repertory theatre company performing succinctly focused and interpretive reenactments to highlight some of the “great plays” of these under appreciated songwriters.

1. Better Get It In Your Soul 04:52

2. Nostalgia In Times Square 05:07

3. Tonight At Noon 04:31

4. Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love 05:50

5. Orange Was The Color Of Her Dress, Then Silk Blue 07:15

6. Peggy's Blue Skylight 05:06

7. Pussy Cat Dues 05:38

8. Pithecanthropus Erectus 07:53

9. Portrait 06:26

10. Reincarnation Of A Lovebird 07:52

Diego Rivera - tenor saxophone

Art Hirahara - piano

Boris Kozlov - bass

Joe Strasser - drums

David Kikoski - piano 5, 8, 9

Marc Free - producer

Nick O’Toole - engineer

recorded June 4-5, 2021 at Acoustic Recording, Brooklyn, NY

mixed & mastered at Woodland Studio, Lake Oswego, OR

photography by Anna Yatskevich

package design by Alex Koehler

PRE-ORDER

Diego Rivera - Indigenous (Posi-Tone Records 2021)

Bandleader and saxophonist extraordinaire Diego Rivera explores the "Indigenous" multi-cultural roots of our human family with his second release for Posi-Tone Records. With a program of exciting original compositions, a few tasty covers, and a special guest appearances by trumpet virtuoso Etienne Charles, this whole session swings swiftly into action and shines with bright moments from the get go.

 

Also on the date is an all-star rhythm section of pianist Helen Sung, bassist Boris Kozlov, and drummer Donald Edwards. With the deep emotionality of this musical offering, Diego Rivera has noticeably advanced his intention and expression up onto another level and the poignancy of these performances will entreat jazz enthusiasts everywhere to dig deeper into the "Indigenous" message with amazement and delight.

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