As New York-based saxophonist and composer Jure Pukl enthuses, Doubtless is pretty much a family project/album – an exuberant, high-spirited double-tenor quartet with wife Melissa Aldana plus close friends Joe Sanders (double bass) and Greg Hutchinson (drums). Both saxophonists have multifarious musical interests between them – Pukl’s vibrant four-piece release, Hybrid with pianist Matija Dedić, released last year on Whirlwind; and Aldana’s four albums as leader have garnered a raft of reviews praising her indubitable invention. Yet here is a creative circle so organically conjoined that the entire session was captured inside three hours, live in the studio in Jure Pukl’s home country of Slovenia, on the back of workshops and tour schedules.
Spontaneity is key. “It’s very improvised – and every number sounds different at each gig,” says Pukl. “Joe can change things so much, including time signatures, so we have to react in the moment. But it’s great to switch the vibe – we go for it, and the audience feel it. Once we’ve checked out the pieces, we then purposely let them go; and I’ve found so much liberation in this – we all become transformers for where the music wants to take us.” It’s clearly an artistic marriage made in heaven: “I don’t know many saxophone couples who like to perform together; but with me and Melissa, it’s the opposite – it feels natural, we have a similar tenor vocabulary, and that energy unites us. So in this quartet we create harmony, counterpoint… and Joe has an amazing harmonic ability, too, alongside his and Greg’s deep sense of rhythm. There’s so much happening – the sound is incredibly full.” That drive is perceptible in an album whose extemporary freedom is complemented by attractive melodic hooks – from the flowering, canonic phrases of ebullient 'Doubtless 'to a more lyrical horn partnership in elegantly waltzing 'Doves', albeit with sparky drum-and-bass undercurrent. Ornette Coleman’s lesser-known 'InterSong' was a pleasing find for Pukl, his captivatingly intuitive explorations with Aldana widening into sizzling restlessness; and Joe Sanders’ 'Eliote' (for his newborn son) is full of leaping bass figures, perky rhythms and extended tenor intervals. Trio piece 'Compassion' – Pukl’s tender expression of the need for worldly tolerance – is contrasted with tumbling, bass-pliant Elsewhere and the swooning, almost delirious phrases of 'Mind and Soul' (Pukl seeking the fine line between artistic intellect and heart). Slow, Latin-tinged tenor-and-bass duo 'Where Are You Coming From?' reinterprets a classically-inspired number from Hybrid, whilst 'Bad Year Good Year'’s subtly Tijuana-style opening heralds deliciously cool, shared tenor improv against percussive fervor. The album title, Doubtless, reflects Pukl’s sure faith in this amiable though energized collaboration, as well as recalling a period of intensely personal emotion: “This record was born around the time my mom was seriously sick (she’s fine now); but I trusted the universe that her health, and this album, would all come together. When you have someone close who is ill, you learn to think differently, to let go and trust – and this also came out in the recording. I have realised how important it is to play with people you love and respect – they love you back, and it takes the music to a higher level. It’s magic being on the road with these guys. What we create is something that people – not just jazz audiences – connect with. This band brings together everything that we are, and it works. It’s kinda amazing!”
"Under it’s guise of artless, improvised freedom, this is highly sophisticated music, requiring an impressive level of virtuosity from all concerned."
Jazz Views
“An intense, artistic collaboration provoking organic and spontaneous exchanges... Reinventing, reinterpreting and rearranging... Masterful.”
Radio REC
Doubtless
Doves
Intersong
Elioté
Compassion
Elsewhere
The Mind And The Soul
Where Are You Coming From?
Bad Year - Good Year
Jure Pukl - tenor saxophone
Melissa Aldana - tenor saxophone
Joe Sanders - upright bass
Gregory Hutchinson - drums
Recorded at RSL Studios, Novo Mesto, Slovenia
(February 27th 2017)
Engineered by Matej Grobec
Mixed and mastered by David Stoller & Jure Pukl at
“I have been more than fortunate to have worked and played with so many of the greatest jazz flautist in the history of this music. Names such as Hubert Laws, James Moody, Joe Farrell, Lew Tabackin and Sam Rivers. Mayu is a not a good flute player but a great flute player. She not only has an extremely expressive sound that is her own but she also plays each solo with such intense emotion and drama that each solo on this 6 song debut CD will take you on a journey, guaranteed. Mayu gives us the opportunity to add a beautiful jazz flute recording to our collection that is on the highest level. It seems more and more that so many jazz musicians today are making recordings that all sound like each other’s recordings. Her compositions, great jazz flute playing and the great band that she has for this recording make this stand out in a much more unique fashion.” – Gerry Gibbs
“Chico Hamilton has been very responsible for discovering many fine jazz artists. Mayu has been added to that long list of Chico finds. I first met Mayu when Chico called me to do a few club performances and a recording that Mayu was on. That is when I became aware of her high musical skill. She plays many different types of flutes, all very in tune while expressing herself very well in her musical compositions. She also makes every solo meaningful as each note has a true importance. Mayu is on her way to become better known to a wider audience with her first CD ‘HOPE’ as a leader. She has surrounded herself with some very wonderful musicians and has composed a series of very nice musical compositions.” – Jimmy Owens, NEA Jazz Master
Flautist/composer Mayu Saeki’s debut recording, Hope (available on Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records, March 16), breathes and resonates with beauty and optimism. Hope tells the story of Saeki’s journey to NYC from her native Tokyo. There she left a complete life for an uncertain future in New York City. Shortly after arriving, armed only with extensive classical training and mentorship, determination and hope, not to mention an abundance of talent, the opportunity presented itself to be a part of Chico Hamilton’s group. She toured and recorded with Hamilton, appearing on several albums, including Revelation and Euphoric (both were released in 2011 from Joyous Shout! records), until his passing in 2013. His final recording, The Inquiring Mind (released posthumously in 2014) features her composition, “Hope”. During her time in Hamilton’s band, Ms. Saeki began composing and actively performing with her own trio in 2011, making her debut at Jazz at the Kitano with Aaron Goldberg on piano and Joe Sanders on bass, and leading her band on several Atlantic coastal tours. This was the beginning of the road that led Saeki to create this recording, Hope. Hope feels like the fifth or sixth offering from a veteran on the scene. Ms. Saeki certainly had an advantage, recording with Aaron Goldberg, Joe Sanders, John Davis and Nori Ochiai (a former student of Goldberg’s and a fine modern jazz pianist in his own right), but her self-assurance comes across without dubiety. Her solo on the title track bears a joyful swagger (immediately following a gem of a solo from Mr. Goldberg). Her playing, specifically the intro, solo & outro, on “Soshu-Yakyoku” are also moments to behold, as they encapsulate the sincerity and soul of this album. And, her band mates are on board completely, and given ample space to express their brilliance. Check out Joe Sanders’ truly breathtaking playing on “Do You Know”, and behold drummer John Davis’ brilliant, flowing solo over the vamp of the same tune. Goldberg is flawless throughout, but a highlight is his accompaniment and solo on the opening track, “Dilemma”. "Libertango" and “Oblivion” showcase Mayu’s classical training and her love for the music of Astor Piazzolla (with "Oblivion" displaying Mayu’s expertise on piccolo flute). Hope truly “offers the listener a glimpse into the musical heart of one of today’s great musicians. Mayu Saeki is a shining example of the hope we all can have when we combine passion, perseverance, and a strong voice. Mayu’s voice is a gorgeous flute sound that will surely inspire hope in everyone who hears it”. – Demarre McGill, Principal Flutist of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. More on Mayu Saeki: With nearly a decade of her musical career in New York City, Mayu Saeki, an alumni of Elizabeth University of Music, still keeps transforming herself, apparently with no limits. Her versatile and passionate style is deeply rooted in her early childhood classical training and mentorship with Sanae Nakayama, Keiji Oshiro, Kazukiyo Inoue, Pierre Yves Artaud, Alain Marion, and NEA jazz master, Chico Hamilton. Post-Chico Hamilton, and in addition to leading her own group more frequently, Saeki’s “sideman” career continues to grow with an all-female Irish music group, Four Celtic Voices, and Cosmos Sunshine’s Butterfly Effect (appearing on Butterfly Fight Effect, released in 2016, and their new album, Comes With The Fall, due out on March 9). In addition, Saeki has recently joined a project titled “Mark Gross with Strings”, led by Grammy award-winning jazz saxophonist, Mark Gross (also the liner note writer for Hope). Saeki also regularly performs with harpist/vocalist Erin Hill’s group.
“It was a pivotal moment to record my own album, and I’m very happy that I was able to deliver before I mark my tenth year being in New York. This album is reflections of my life, filled with passion and curiosity, love of music, and hopes that I never, ever let go of. Music has been with me since I was little. It has always been honest and keeps giving me hope for a better day. I wish that this HOPE, the feeling I have, is going to reach straight to your heart and sincerely hope your day is better tomorrow. I would like to dedicate this album to the memory of my father, Kazuo, and my mentor, Chico Hamilton, who left me invaluable experiences and precious memories”. – Mayu Saeki
Jure Pukl was awarded with the highest national award for Arts in Slovenia (Nagrada Prešernovega sklada 2015) and is one of the most profilic and creative saxophonists of the younger Slovene jazz generation. Pukl obtained university education abroad, he studied classical and jazz saxophone at the University in Vienna as well as at the Haag Conservatory of Music. Pukl then won a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music, where he pursued his studies with masters such as Joe Lovano and George Garzone. He completed his masters degree in music at the Graz Academy of Music. Throughout his studies Pukl performed and recorded extensively, being engaged in his own projects, as well as working with a number of great musicians such as Branford Marsalis, Dave Liebman, Esperanza Spalding, George Lewis, Vijay Iyer, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Damion Reid, Darius Jones, Doug Hammond, Gerald Cleaver, Adam Rogers, Melissa Aldana, Rodney Green, Charles Altura, Joe Sanders, Aaron Goldberg, Marcus Gilmore, Gregory Hutchinson, Johnathan Blake and orchestras like Big Band RTV Slovenia, European Jazz Orchestra, European Movement Jazz Orchestra, Vienna Saxophone Quartet, Nouvele Cousine and many others. He has been touring extensively throughout USA, Asia and Europe performing in venues such as Blue Note Milan, Smalls Jazz Club, The Jazz Gallery, Ronnie Scotts, The Vortex, Pizza Express, Porgy & Bess, Stadtgarten and festivals like Moers Jazz Festival, Vienna Jazz Festival, Pori Jazz Festival, Berlin Jazz Festival, Jazz a Vienne, Cairo Jazz Festival, to name a few. His music has won him many awards; among others the 2005 first Jury Prize and Best Composition Audience Award at the Jazzon International Music Workshop and Festival in Novo mesto, Slovenia. In his auctorial projects, such as the Virus quintet, Abstract Society or Sound Pictures (receive rave reviews, among others on the influential Downbeat, Jazzwise, Jazzpodium and Allaboutjazz Web portal) Pukl dedicates himself to modern interpretations of jazz. What he creates is a unique type of modern jazz, avantgarde, free jazz and impressionistic contemporary music performed with a great deal of knowledge and love, giving prominence to the interplay between band members. He already published 8 CD’s under his own name recieved rave reviews all over the globe. He is featured on more than 50 other projects as a sideman.
"Jure Pukl & Melissa Aldana play as one throughout and with the support of Joe Sanders and greg Hutchinson the music is rich with a passionate expression taht is timeless... Jure put together a beautiful recording taht flows like the wind"- Joe Lovano “Jure Pukl is a brilliant saxophonist who is forging an honest and original path in contemporary improvised music. His playing and compositions evoke a humanistic quality that is, full of expression and spirit. If a spirited, well defined, singular voice is what you’re looking for, Jure is the answer.”- Greg Osby “…Pukl combines the skill, soul, and appetite for adventure that has fuelled jazz evolution from the beginning, and he’s a rising star of a creative new generation that is energetically driving the music on into its second century.”- John Fordham | The Guardian
All music composed by Jure Pukl except Elsewhere composed by Melissa Aldana, Elioté by Joe Sanders and Intersong by Ornette Coleman.
Recorded at RSL Studio Novo mesto, Slovenia in March 2017. Mixed and mastered by David Stoller at the Samurai Hotel Recording Studio in Astoria, NY in September 2017.
“A naturally inquisitive musician whose credentials branch out beyond jazz. He’s a member of Kneebody, a postmillennial groove band with a sizable following, as well as an accomplished solo artist and producer. His next album, ‘What We Bring,’ due out on Motéma in September, will feature a lithe postbop quartet, with Gerald Clayton on piano, Joe Sanders on bass and Henry Cole on drums.” - Nate Chinen, The New York Times
“Those who wish to be called creative musicians should actually create music, and hardly no one has done that better recently than Ben Wendel . . .” - Gary Fukushima, LAWeekly
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Saxophonist/composer/bandleader/educator/catalyst Ben Wendel’s What We Bring, available September 9, 2016 on Motema Music (his 15th album as a leader or co-leader and his debut for Motema), is panegyrical, acknowledging the great legacy and lexicon that he has played and composed his way into. While composing the music for this album, it occurred to Wendel that the evolution of a musical genre, or artist, is a continuum that looks backwards and forwards at the same time. Wendel elaborated, “What We Bring refers to the experience, inspiration and shared wisdom that musicians collect and absorb throughout their lives, and how that is expressed through their art. All of the pieces on this album are dedicated to masters from the past, peers from the present and musicians of the future. In my opinion, nothing springs from a vacuum – all that we make is connected, influenced, and most importantly, indebted to what has been created before us and around us in the present day. This album expresses my continued acknowledgement and appreciation to all of those who have helped me along the path, both directly and indirectly.” Wendel added,
“I get the most joy when I find ways to express my love for the bravery of the people who came before me, for the people who are doing this music now, and for the people who will do this music in the future” (from the feature on Wendel by Ted Panken, DownBeat Magazine, June 2016).
What impresses most about Wendel is that he has gleaned from past masters, and his peers, far more than technique and chops to become an artist who embodies the importance of finding your own voice, and the pluck to follow your inner compass. This is fully revealed and represented on What We Bring, which opens majestically and powerfully with “Amian”, a subconscious, compositional reaction to listening to Coltrane’s “Naima” hundreds of times in his formative years. Like “Naima”, “Amian” possesses a melody that floats over a constant bass note, with shifting chord qualities, offering myriad moods and colors.
“Fall” and “Spring” are two pieces repurposed from Wendel’s acclaimed Seasons project of 2015, featured on NPR’s All Things Considered, and in The New York Times (www.npr.org/2015/07/28/427178381/saxophonist-ben-wendel-reimagines-tchaikovskys-the-seasons, www.nytimes.com/2016/01/22/arts/music/with-the-seasons-ben-wendel-redefines-the-musical-encounter.html). “They were originally written as duo pieces for the exceptional pianists Taylor Eigsti and Aaron Parks. I felt they would be great vehicles for the quartet and decided to arrange them for this album”, commented Wendel.
“Doubt” is one of two covers on the album (the other being the standard “Solar”, given a highly-entertaining, brainy, odd-meter face lift by Wendel & co.), by the indie-rock band Wye Oak. “I fell in love with their music years ago and this track is hauntingly beautiful in its mood and simplicity. What We Bring also refers to what we listen to, and at this point, most jazz musicians listen to a wide spectrum of music outside of our field. I wanted to showcase something that had moved me along the way”, said Wendel.
“Song Song” is dedicated to the great Ahmad Jamal, and was inspired by his famous composition, “Poinciana”. “I was on tour with nothing to do one evening and watching countless performances of ‘Poinciana’ on YouTube. There’s something incredibly meditative about the piece that I’ve always loved – the rhythm section’s commitment to playing one beautiful groove throughout the song – not doing anything more, and most importantly, not needing to. I recall waking up the following morning with the bass line for ‘Song Song’ looping in my head”, explained Wendel.
“Soli” rocks and swings and, like the rest of the album, displays the band’s ability to conduct complex maneuvers in complete harmony with one another (the term “big ears” comes to mind). A track like this will surely send fledgling musicians scurrying to the shed, and prompt listeners to quickly hit “repeat.” “Soli” is a pre-written passage played in unison by multiple instruments. You can hear this technique used in everything from classical music to big band music and Wendel has always loved the sound of it. “In fact, I’ve always had at least one piece on each album that highlights this approach. Though I don’t know how long this streak will continue, I can say this was perhaps the most challenging one I’ve written to date”, said Wendel.
One of the most emotive and gorgeous songs on What We Bring is “Austin”, “dedicated to the incredibly talented pianist Austin Peralta, who left this world much too soon. I played with Austin on ‘Endless Planets’, his final album. I was deeply saddened by Austin’s passing and also incredibly moved at his funeral by the outpouring of love from friends, family and musical peers. Many of his personal letters and writing were read at the ceremony. I was struck by the depth of his inner life – something he didn’t show the outer world very much. I didn’t get to see this side of him until it was too late. This was something I was thinking about as I wrote the piece,” stated Wendel.
On What We Bring, Wendel’s camaraderie with his fellow musicians, Gerald Clayton (piano), Joe Sanders (bass) and Henry Cole (drums) greatly informed his artistic choices and inspired him. He has stated (in a recent feature by Bob Weinberg, Jazziz Magazine, Spring 2016) that, “it’s hard to know where the music starts and the friendship ends”, and that, “all of these layers of understanding and all the coded information that’s embedded in how you play together, it’s so intermingled.”
More on Ben Wendel: GRAMMY-nominated saxophonist Ben Wendel was born in Vancouver, Canada and raised in Los Angeles. Currently living in Brooklyn, NY, he has enjoyed a varied career as a performer, composer and producer. Highlights include multiple domestic and international tours with artists such as Ignacio Berroa, Tigran Hamasyan, Antonio Sanchez, Gerald Clayton, Eric Harland, Taylor Eigsti, Snoop Dogg and the artist formerly known as Prince. Ben is a founding member of the GRAMMY-nominated group Kneebody, currently signed with Concord Records and Brainfeeder Music.
As a composer, he has received an ASCAP Jazz Composer Award, the 2008 and 2011 Chamber Music America “New Works Grant” and most recently was awarded the Victor Lynch-Staunton award by the Canada Council For The Arts. He also co-wrote the score for John Krasinski’s adaptation of David Foster Wallace’s “Brief Interviews With Hideous Men.”
Ben’s recent work includes producing and playing in jazz and many other genres, including the GRAMMY-nominated album “Life Forum” for pianist Gerald Clayton on Concord Records, the new Kneedelus album (Kneebody + Daedelus), released on Brainfeeder and given a rave 8.0 review from Pitchfork, appearing on Julia Holter’s new film score, and collaborating with her on a new non-jazz album he is co-creating with Daedelus (the album will feature artists such as Terrace Martin, Knower and Mark Guiliana), producing an album for Folk/Americana artist Darryl Holter (a BMI Woody Guthrie Fellowship Recipient), playing on Jimmy Chamberlin’s (drummer from Smashing Pumpkins) new instrumental album, and producing live concerts at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica, CA from 2008-2015, with the help of Quincy Jones and his production team. He also recently worked with conductor Kent Nagano in producing a series of concerts for the Festspiel Plus in Munich, Germany.
Ben is a former Adjunct Professor of Jazz Studies at USC and a current Adjunct at the New School in NYC. Educational outreach has been a constant in his career with over 250 masterclasses at various colleges, universities, high schools, and previous work with the LA Philharmonic Artist Program.
Ben has recorded for Sunnyside Records, Concord Records and Brainfeeder, with two solo albums under his belt, Simple Song (2009) and Frame (2012), a duo project with French-American pianist Dan Tepfer entitled Small Constructions (2013) and multiple Kneebody albums. His music video project, The Seasons, inspired by Tchaikovsky’s works of the same name, was released throughout 2015 and included guests such as Joshua Redman, Jeff Ballard, Mark Turner, Julian Lage and more. Ben’s third solo album What We Bring is planned for release in the Fall of 2016 on Motema Music.
Born in Naples (Italy) on March 5th 1989, Francesco Ciniglio started playing the drums at age 6 under the tutelage of Maestro Sergio Di Natale. As a teenager, while studying the drums, he also worked on learning foreign languages at high school, and travelled throughout Europe and South Africa as translator and interpreter for his school. In 2010 he moved to New York on a student visa, as an undergraduate student at the City College of New York – Jazz Department (CCNY). Here he had the opportunity to study with John Patitucci, Fred Hersch, Mike Holober, Dan Carillo and Scott Reeves, as well as taking private lessons with Gregory Hutchinson.
On January 2015, 1 year after graduating from college in 2014, Francesco moved to Rome and on March 2015 he recorded his first EP with Aaron Parks on piano and Joe Sanders on Upright Bass. The album, out on March 2016 with Fresh Sound New Talent, was recorded at the Bunker Studios, Brooklyn (NY) and it’s made of Francesco’s original compositions, together with jazz standards and free improvisations.
Since he started working as a professional musician, around the age of 18, he got to share the stage with some of the main jazz musicians active worldwide today. In March 2015 he toured Northern Europe with Aaron Parks’ “Little Big”, featuring Charles Altura on guitar and Anders Christensen on electric bass; then on May 15th 2015 he played with Joe Sanders’ Infinity Band at the Duc Des Lombards Jazz Club in Paris, featuring Logan Richardson on alto sax and Laurent Coq on piano; on November 5th 2015 he played with the Shai Maestro Trio, feat. Jorge Roeder on bass, at the Jazz & Blues Festival in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Other collaborations worth mentioning are: Dayna Stephens, Joel Frahm, Donny McCaslin, Scott Colley, Sheila Jordan, John Ellis, Peter Slavov, Mark Sherman, Vincent Gardner, Wayne Tucker, Melissa Aldana, Jure Pukl, Dida Pelled, Alex Claffy, Alan Hampton, Harish Raghavan, Ari Roland, Mike Karn, Cyrille Aimee, Stefano Di Battista, Rosario Giuliani, Alessandro Presti, Alessandro Lanzoni, Gabriele Evangelista and Daniele Tittarelli to mention some.
Now Francesco is a touring musician based in Rome. He’s a freelance jazz drummer, reference point for world touring artists.
01. Childhood Toy (Ciniglio) 2:03
02. Wood (Ciniglio) 6:23
03. What Did You Say? (Sanders-Ciniglio) 3:13
04. Edda (Shorter) 4:46
05. Duke Ellington Sound of Love (Mingus) 5:43
06. Dance of the Infidels (Powell) 7:56
07. Outer Space (Parks-Ciniglio) 5:34
08. New Super Mario (Parks-Ciniglio) 1:57
09. Now I Get It (Sanders-Ciniglio) 2:28
10. Ina (Ciniglio) 5:33
11. Put Away That Toy, Kid! (Ciniglio) 2:01
Total time: 47:00 min. approx.
Francesco Ciniglio (drums)
Aaron Parks (piano)
Joe Sanders (bass)
Recorded by Todd Carder at the Bunker Studios, Brooklyn, New York, March 17, 2015
Mixed & mastered by Dave Darlington at Bass Hit Recording
Luca Nostro | guitar, compositions and arrangements
Donny McCaslin | tenor sax
John Escreet | fender rhodes
Joe Sanders | bass
Tyshawn Sorey | drums
Esce nell’autunno 2015 Are You OK? il nuovo cd di Luca Nostro per Jando Music (in
associazione con Via Veneto Jazz).
Are you OK? è un disco di jazz contemporaneo registrato a New York da Luca Nostro con alcuni tra i più noti musicisti americani, molto attivi, sia
come leader che come sidemen, in formazioni considerate dal pubblico e dalla critica tra le più innovative nel panorama jazzistico statunitense e
mondiale: Donny McCaslin, John Escreet, Joe Sanders, Tyshawn Sorey.
La scena musicale newyorchese è continua fonte di ispirazione per Luca, la cui idea compositiva è quella di costruire strutture musicali movimentate e modulari in cui innestare temi brevi e incisivi, quasi pop. L’improvvisazione si sviluppa così su idee melodiche semplici e riff ritmici ripetuti concatenati in modo complesso attraverso l’interplay tra i musicisti.
La musica di Are you OK? è ispirata anche da alcune opere di Steve Reich, Frank Zappa, John Adams, Michele Tadini e Jacob TV che Luca ha suonato insieme al Parco della Musica Contemporanea Ensemble (PMCE) di cui fa parte da tre anni. Luca ha anche collaborato e registrato con Scott Coley, Antonio Sanchez e Mark Turner, per citarne alcuni.
La registrazione, il missaggio e il mastering sono stati fatti da Mike Marciano e Max Ross nello studio Systems Two di Brooklyn, uno degli studi più importanti per il jazz, dove hanno registrato, tra gli altri, Chick Corea, Clark Terry, Brandford Marsalis, Ravi Coltrane e molti altri.
