Willie Jones III - Fallen Heroes (2021 WJ3 Records)

Through Fallen Heroes, Jones celebrates his personal history with his musical heroes and the impact of each. “This new album is inspired by and dedicated to these soldiers of the music,” said Jones. “My father played with Ndugu, who became one of my earliest influences as a drummer, and I had the great fortune to work with Jimmy, Larry, and Roy, right up to the end of their lives.”

To document this celebration of music and spirit, Jones convened long-time colleagues who shared the stage with many of these masters alongside Jones throughout the years: trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, saxophonists Justin Robinson and Sherman Irby, trombonist Steve Davis, pianist George Cables, bassist Gerald Cannon, vocalist Renee Neufville; as well as emerging pianist Isaiah J. Thompson.

Collectively, the personnel on Fallen Heroes represents the continuum of jazz, and dedication to uphold the legacies of several acclaimed icons .

1. Something For Ndugu 03:58

2. Fallen Hero 03:39

3. C.T.A 04:42

4. Trust 03:56

5. Truthful Blues 06:19

6. Annika's Lullaby 08:36

7. To Wisdom The Prize 06:06

8. I've Just Seen Her 07:01

9. Jackin' For Change 05:20

Willie Jones III - Drums

Gerald Cannon - Bass

George Cables - Piano

Renee Neufville - Vocals

Steve Davis - Trombone

Isaiah J. Thompson - Piano

Justin Robinson - Saxophone

Sherman Irby - Saxophone

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Gerald Cannon - Combinations ((July 14, Woodneck Records)

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it jumpstarted the musical life of bassist Gerald Cannon.  Back in the 1960s when he was a 10-year-old growing up in Wisconsin, his father, gospel singer and guitarist Benjamin Cannon, held rehearsals in their basement. The young Cannon was forbidden from touching his father's instruments, but they were too enticing for a kid itching to dig into music. After a year of sneaking around, he was caught in the act by his dad.  Upon hearing his son play his guitar, the elder Cannon took his boy to the local music store and purchased him a full size Lake Placid Blue Fender Jazz Bass.

It was his Uncle George's low voice and unorthodox singing that drew Cannon to the bass in the first place, and he's been playing it ever since with artists including Dexter Gordon, Art Blakey, Jimmy Smith, Roy Hargrove, Chucho Valdez, Elvin Jones, Wynton Marsalis, Abbey Lincoln, and Joe Lovano. He currently tours with the McCoy Tyner Trio.

In this era of self-promotion, it's rare for an artist as gifted as Cannon to wait 14 years before releasing his second recording as a leader, but he certainly hasn't been idle. In the interim, he's practiced true artistic intersectionality, pursuing a multitude of styles, playing with world class musicians, and being a visual artist.

Cannon's artistic curiosity is reflected in the title of his anticipated sophomore record, Combinations (July 14, Woodneck Records). From the varying lineup of musicians, to the range of influences in his own compositions, the variety of styles on the album, and the multiple roles of bassist, composer, arranger, and producer Cannon himself plays, Combinations is apt on many levels.

An interview with Cannon could explore his colorful childhood growing up in a family of gospel musicians, his experiences playing with a long list of jazz legends, his reflections on the low end sound in jazz, and the insight he's gleaned on artistic exploration through pursuing dual paths as a musician and a painter.

NEWS RELEASE

Gerald Cannon Plays in a Remarkable Variety of Combinations on his

Long-Awaited Sophomore Release

The veteran bassist returns as a leader for the first time in more than a decade, mixing with Gary Bartz, Kenny Barron, Jeremy Pelt, Russell Malone and more

"It has been wonderful working with Gerald, I'm sure he will remain a force in the jazz world for years to come." - McCoy Tyner

"Gerald is dedicated to perfection in expressing his art. I have the greatest admiration and respect for him because every time I hear him, I hear something new." - Buster Williams

14 years after releasing his self-titled debut as a leader, bassist Gerald Cannon makes his long-overdue return with Combinations. Due out July 14 on Cannon's own Woodneck Records, the album makes up for lost time by mixing and matching a range of styles, moods and collaborators from across the spectrum of Cannon's far-reaching career.

In Cannon's virtuosic hands, Combinations carries a multitude of meanings. There's the obvious fact, first of all, that no two tracks on the album feature the same line-up of musicians, juggling ten of the bassist's closest collaborators in a variety of combinations. Then there's the diversity of sounds represented by the compositions (almost half of which were penned by Cannon himself): everything from simmering post-bop to boisterous funk, frantic modern jazz to elegant ballads, gospel to bossa nova. Then, as legendary bassist and Cannon's mentor Ron Carter points out in his liner notes, there's the many hats that Cannon wears, making him a combination of bassist, composer, arranger and producer.

"Not only did I want to do a record with a combination of my favorite musicians," Cannon explains, "but I wanted to do a record with a combination of different styles."

Cannon assembled the perfect line-up of musicians with which to realize that goal. The pool of artists from which he drew for the session includes saxophonists Gary Bartz, Sherman Irby and Steve Slagle, trumpeters Jeremy Pelt and Duane Eubanks, pianists Kenny Barron and Rick Germanson, guitarist Russell Malone and drummers Willie Jones III (who also co-produced the album) and Will Calhoun. Together with Cannon they combine and recombine in quintet, quartet, trio, duo and - in the bassist's memorable, heartfelt closing rendition of "Darn That Dream" - solo configurations.

"Everybody on this record is an honest musician," Cannon says. "They play their personalities."

The same could be said for Cannon, who has played with an impressive list of legendary musicians since arriving in New York City from his native Wisconsin more than thirty years ago. That encyclopedic lists includes his longtime tenure in the Roy Hargrove Group and the McCoy Tyner Trio, along with stints with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, the Cedar Walton Trio, and bands led by Elvin Jones, Dexter Gordon, Jimmy Smith, Joe Lovano, Monty Alexander and Stanley Turrentine, as well as playing with a host of legendary Cuban musicians.

Combinations comes out of the gate robustly swinging, with a tune by another early mentor, Slide Hampton. "Every Man is a King," which Cannon learned from a version by one of his bass heroes, Sam Jones, features a bold quintet with Gary Bartz and Jeremy Pelt out front, anchored by Cannon and his regular trio of Rick Germanson and Willie Jones III. That trio gets to shine on the classic ballad "How My Heart Sings," revealing fragility reminiscent of the classic Bill Evans Trio. Cannon's own ballad "A Thought" is highlighted by the sensitive touch of Kenny Barron, which sounds gorgeous in conversation with Sherman Irby's lithe alto.

Steve Slagle makes the most of his sole appearance with an unaccompanied intro to Duke Ellington's "Prelude to a Kiss," which is immediately contrasted by the frantic rhythms of Cannon's ode to his usually-packed home subway station, "Columbus Circle Stop." Cannon fell in love with authentic bossa nova while touring Brazil, and offers his own version in dedication to his late mother, "Amanda's Bossa." Sam Jones' influence returns with his composition "One for Amos," a feature for Cannon's thick, woody tone, while Bartz is the subject of the tribute "Gary's Tune." Also featuring Living Colour drummer Will Calhoun, with whom Cannon plays in a band honoring his former boss Elvin Jones, the tune is built on a soulful groove that Cannon wrote while reminiscing about his teenage years playing R&B in his parents' basement.

"Gary is a good friend and big brother," Cannon says. "The melody that I wrote for that tune had to do with a lot of things I hear him play with McCoy Tyner. Gary's a groovy cat, so soulful and complex at the same time. He's the consummate musician, and I like the fact that he's very true to his feelings about life and the world."

Growing up in the church, Cannon says that it was a rare Sunday that he wasn't either playing or hearing "How Great Thou Art." He recorded this captivating duo version with Russell Malone in honor of his later father, who led his own gospel group during Cannon's childhood. The title tune returns to a blistering quintet format, this time pairing Duane Eubanks with Bartz on the frontline.

That's a lot of combinations, but Cannon can add one more to his resumé: he is renowned as both a jazz bassist and a visual artist. Though he's long kept the two pursuits separate, not wanting to be thought of as a musician who dabbles in painting on the side, he's recently allowed his dual passions to cross paths more often. One of his colorful abstracts graces the inner sleeve of Combinations (alongside one by his gifted son, Gerald Cannon II), and he's begun to recognize how much influence each of the arts has on the other.

"Painting is like a bass solo," he says. "You start at one spot but you don't really know where it's going to end up. All you know is, on a canvas or on a chart, you've got four corners to finish it and at some point you've got to say who you are or what your emotions are at that particular time."

www.cannonmusicnart.com

Sebastián Chames - Pick Up The Phone (2015)

Sebastián Chames, piano

Jeremy Pelt, trumpet

Greg Tardy, tenor sax

Gerald Cannon, bass

Willie Jones III, drums

Tras “Primera Toma” (2008) y “Reconstrucción” (2013), el pianista hispano-argentino formado en Nueva York SEBASTIÁN CHAMES se confirma con “Pick Up The Phone”, su nuevo y espléndido trabajo, como uno de los pilares fundamentales del Nuevo Jazz hecho en España.

Grabado en Nueva York, al igual que su precedente “Reconstrucción” (para el que ya contó con una banda de auténtico lujo, formada por el trompetista Jeremy Pelt, Willie Jones III a las baquetas, Justin Robinson al Saxo alto y el desaparecido Dwayne Burno al contrabajo), SEBASTIÁN CHAMES vuelve a rodearse de un selectísimo grupo de instrumentistas de la más alta escuela del Hard Bop neoyorquino: repiten Jeremy Pelt (votado trompetista del año durante cinco años por la revista Downbeat) y el batería Willie Jones III (ex miembro del “Cedar Walton Quintet” y del “Roy Hargrove Quintet”, colaborador de Herbie Hancock, Sonny Rollins, Hank Jones…) a los que se unen para la ocasión Greg Tardy al Saxo tenor (miembro fijo de la banda de Andrew Hill en sus tres últimos discos y colaborador de Elvin Jones, Wynton Marsalis o Tom Harrell) y, al Contrabajo,  Gerald Cannon, uno de los instrumentistas más sólidos de la escena de NY (actualmente en el grupo de McCoy Tyner)

Un trabajo pasional y vibrante, que refleja, con clase y fiereza, el inmarchitable amor de su autor por la tradición Hard Bop en todas sus vertientes, y una decidida inclinación al riesgo que lo aleja del mero ejercicio de estilo. Un auténtico clásico contemporáneo que se presentará en directo en Nueva York, nada menos que en el legendario Smalls Jazz Club, junto a la banda titular del disco…

“Pick Up The Phone” se edita España bajo el sello Youkali Music (distribuído por Gran Sol) y estará disponible en plataformas digitales y tiendas a partir de mediados de Noviembre.

1. Pianist at the Park

2. Dwayne Deserves

3. Pick up the Phone

4. Cambio De Planes

5. Inspirado Aspirado

6. Nice Bop

7. Moonlight in Vermont

8. Captain Furillo

9. Dear Old Stockholm

BUY THIS ALBUM!!!

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Willie Jones III - Groundwork (2015)

Willie Jones III proudly honors the late Cedar Walton and Dwayne Burno, Jones’ former bandleader and band mate respectively, on Groundwork. For this seminal recording, Jones, who “never fails to assemble a strong crew” (NY Times) convenes living legends Buster Williams (bass) and Eddie Henderson (trumpet), virtuoso Eric Reed (piano) and rising stars Warren Wolf (vibes) and Stacy Dillard (saxophones). 

On this new recording, Jones explores the soulful side of jazz, performing re-imagined tunes by his former employer and great influence Cedar Walton, and debuting a tribute to Dwayne Burno composed by Eric Reed. This new collection also includes tunes by Buster Williams and more. 

Throughout his career, Willie Jones III has lent his supple rhythm and spirit to artists like Cedar Walton, Milt Jackson, Horace Silver, Sonny Rollins and Roy Hargrove. Today, he continues to prove to be one of jazz music’s most sought out bandleaders and producers, as he was named in Downbeat Critics’ Poll Drums and Producer categories. 

“Willie Jones III has deepened all the creative aspects of a musician, as a sideman, leader, composer and producer. A representative of cultured jazz, he has become indispensable.”

1. Git'cha Shout On

2. Hindsight

3. Dear Blue

4. Toku Do

5. Charity

6. Groundwork

7. New Boundary

8. Jamar

BUY THIS ALBUM!!!

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