Giuseppe Paradiso & Meridian 71 - Parallel Dimensions (April 15 2022 Ubuntu Music)

Boston’s popular cross-cultural music project Meridian 71, led by the versatile Italian drummer and composer Giuseppe Paradiso, to release 3rd album Parallel Dimensions

Meridian 71 is a cross-cultural music project created and led by Giuseppe Paradiso since 2012. The project name comes from Boston’s longitude: the 71st meridian that passes precisely through the eastern part of the city. Parallel Dimensions (Ubuntu Music, drops April 15 2022) the band’s third album, features original compositions by Giuseppe and performances by an eclectic and multicultural ensemble of well-established Boston-based musicians. 

“Boston is the location where I met musicians from different parts of the globe. We are deeply connected and spoke the common language of music together”, reflects Paradiso. “It felt like I had known for a long time that at some point in my life I would have met musicians just like them, way before moving across the Atlantic in 2008. Meridian 71 became the creative laboratory and space to develop this music.”

Meridian 71 is more than a conceptual band; it’s a dynamic and ever-changing musical project with a revolving lineup and a driving vision to use music and sound to inspire, bridge cultures and create links within different traditions. 

Blending music genres that range from jazz and improvised music to Mediterranean and West African styles, Parallel Dimensions features Giuseppe on drums, percussion, electronics & vocals; Mark Zaleski on alto & soprano sax/clarinet; Utar Artun on piano & keys; Phil Sargent on electric guitar; James Hazlewood-Dale on upright, electric and fretless bass; and Malick Ngom on West African sabar drums, percussion and vocals.

The first single from Parallel Dimensions, the groove-heavy “Tony” (Feb 18) brings the cultures together in an instantly recognizable sense. Inspired by and written for the late Fela Kuti drummer Tony Allen, “Tony” is obviously informed by young Giuseppe checking out his family’s and friends’ African music records- but even better lessons in that vast genre come from the decade Giuseppe has spent drumming for a Nigerian church. “It’s very fun and enlightening to play in such a context, especially for a drummer, because you have to have a groove,” he says with a laugh. “It’s a learning experience, especially when you have to combine your drumming with the dancing of the people in the congregation- you have people moving with your rhythms, and that’s always a very deep and powerful experience for me. I have always been inspired by and learnt so much from the relationship between dance and percussion over the years.”

“Tony” opens with an overdriven bass line that sounds almost like it’s lifted straight from a Tony Allen tune, while Giuseppe’s muscular drumming patterns deftly underpin Wayne Shorter-ish harmonies and a lithe, flowing melody. One can hear the drums reacting to and pushing the soloists to new heights in this pure fusion of world & jazz. Capped by an energetic drum/percussion duet, “Tony” is an exciting and highly danceable tune that Tony Allen himself would have sounded right at home on.

The ‘interesting times’ that we as a society currently find ourselves in are reflected in Parallel Dimensions’ second single “Memories of the Future” (March 18). “I began composing “Memories of the Future” during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic in April 2020,” reflects Giuseppe. “This was a time when many events were unfolding uninterruptedly almost on a daily basis. It felt like everything was going to fall apart, and we were being bombarded with news. So imagine yourself in 15, 20 years, having these memories of being inundated with so much information every day. It’s a moment I wanted to capture.”

Classical sounding in its exposition, “Memories of the Future” is a studied contrast between tradition and modernity. Utar Arun’s delicate piano opening sets up Hazlewood-Dale’s bowed upright bass melody that blends effortlessly with the ensemble and creates a beautifully serene mood that evokes pre-pandemic recital hall concertizing. Just as you’re lulled into a sense of relaxation it all comes tumbling down into tense group improvisation, and those media voices break into our mood. Despite the return of the opening material, the world is never the same.  

Parallel Dimensions’ opening track, and the album’s focus track, is named for the Japanese philosophy of continuous change for the better. Kaizen (April 15) also signifies Giuseppe’s personal search through his mother’s Romani heritage, which he suspected was the reason that odd time signatures come naturally to him. “I’ve been doing a lot of research about the whole history of the Roma people, these nomads who started in India and went all the way to France. It’s so wide and deep, with so many different styles of music that came from generations of living in different countries,” muses Paradiso. “’Kaizen’ starts with this look at my roots, and moves along until over the course of the song we arrive at my present day reality.”

Evoking the Eastern origins of the Roma, Kaizen opens with a muezzin-like call over a drone- before quickly opening up into relentlessly shifting grooves roiling under a buoyant and playful melody, flawlessly performed by Zaleski and Sargent’s tight unison. After Artun and Sargent trade solos, the ensemble hurtles towards the future with only a brief glance back.

Although born of a pandemic Parallel Dimensions offers the feeling of hope and optimism that fills the human spirit. It’s a product of multiculturalism filtered through life in one of the oldest cities in America during a society altering pandemic that can be the salve that soothes the weary soul. A fusion of music, to be sure, but also a fusion of something intangible that makes us want to keep creating together in these ‘interesting times’. 

Parallel Dimensions will be released in digital and CD formats on April 15 2022 on the Ubuntu Music label, with distribution through The Orchard.

01 - Giuseppe Paradiso & Meridian 71 - Kaizen

02 - Giuseppe Paradiso & Meridian 71 - Memories Of The Future

03 - Giuseppe Paradiso & Meridian 71 - Joriki

04 - Giuseppe Paradiso & Meridian 71 - It's Only The Beginning

05 - Giuseppe Paradiso & Meridian 71 - Parallel Dimensions

06 - Giuseppe Paradiso & Meridian 71 - Tony

Mark Zaleski - alto and soprano sax, clarinet

Phil Sargent - electric guitar

Utar Artun - piano & keys

James Hazlewood-Dale - upright, electric and fretless bass

Malick Ngom - sabar drums and percussion (on track #1, #5 and #6), vocals on track #6

Giuseppe Paradiso - drum set, percussion and electronics (vocals on track #6)

Recording, editing and mixing engineer: Joel Edinberg.

Mastering engineer: Martina Abano.

Recorded at Q Divisions Studios in Somerville, MA (USA) on March 5, 2021, and at The Record Co. in Boston, MA (USA) on June 17-18, 2021.

Artwork and photos: Samantha Bruce.

Executive Producer: Martin Hummel.

www.giuseppe-paradiso.com    www.weareubuntumusic.com

Danny Fratina - Bb, in Isolation (January 2022)

Dealing with limitations of genre, performance behavior, and various modalities of forced minimalism, Bb, In Isolation, is an experiment in liminality, where conventionally presumed boundaries between sociality/isolation and composition/improvisation are put to test. The music only insists on a single unifying initial pitch class before giving space to each player to generate their own personal statement within the given parameters, albeit in overstatedly minimal terms.

The piece was performed by 12 musicians around the world, and, to emphasize the creative immediacy of improvisation, no compositional information was given to any musician in advance. The performance and recording began immediately after the sheet music was revealed. Inspired by the conditions imposed by the pandemic, and the new forms and formats of music-making it brought about, this piece explores the contingencies of isolated improvisation and social composition.

1. Allison, alto sax 00:18

2. Bardia, setar 03:17

3. Max, upright bass 02:31

4. Müge, piano 01:02

5. Yulia, flute 02:48

6. Ayşe, cello 03:58

7. Audrey, electric harp 02:18

8. Amy, percussion 01:35

9. Jake, electric guitar 00:24

10. Celia, viola 00:46

11. Mark, soprano sax 00:32

12. Sam, Bb trumpet 00:56

Allison Burik - alto sax

Bardia Hafizi - setar

Max Ridley - upright bass

Müge Hendekli - piano

Yulia Musayelyan - flute

Zeynep Ayşe Hatipoğlu - cello

Audrey Harrer - electric harp

Amy Salsgiver - percussion

Jake Hertzog - electric guitar

Celia Daggy - viola

Mark Zaleski - soprano sax

Sam Dechenne - Bb trumpet

Mixed and mastered by Can Murtezaoğlu

Artwork by İlkim Karakuş

PRE-ORDER

Mark Zaleski Band - Our Time Reimagining Dave Brubeck (Origin Records)

Our Time: Reimagining Dave Brubeck

Mark Zaleski Band

Origin Records

featuring Mark Zaleski (alto and soprano saxophone) Jon Bean (tenor saxophone), Glenn Zaleski (piano), Mark Cocheo (guitar), Danny Weller (bass), Oscar Suchanek (drums) + special guest Michael Mayo (vocals)

Zaleski, an early graduate of the prestigious Dave Brubeck Institute in California, credits Dave and Iola Brubeck for helping form him into the musician he is today. One particularly vibrant memory is from 2003, when Zaleski met the Brubecks, then in their 80’s, on only his second day on campus. “Regardless of Dave’s fame and stature, they welcomed us with open arms and big smiles. They couldn’t have been kinder, which calmed our nerves in a big way,” reflects Zaleski.  

Another standout moment from his time at the Brubeck Institute occurred at the Library of Congress, when Zaleski and bandmates were preparing for their first show with Dave and Christian McBride. “Dave listened to us play his “In Your Own Sweet Way” and we played it exactly the way it sounded on his recording.  We thought we were doing excellent work by studying the master doing things his way, but playing this tune like Dave did very much upset him. He insisted that if we were going to play his music, it’s imperative that we “find our own voice.” Only now, 16 years after I finished my time at the Brubeck Institute, I think I’m truly ready to take on that challenge.” 

Our Time: Reimagining Dave Brubeck goes far to celebrate Brubeck’s legacy and classic compositions with decidedly modern arrangements that reflect Zaleski’s singular, nuanced approach. Illuminating these selections is a seasoned ensemble with seamless interplay no doubt informed by the deep-rooted history between Zaleski and his musical compatriots. Mark and his brother Glenn Zaleski have played collaboratively for over twenty years while he and saxophonist Jon Bean have collaborated for ten. On Bean, Zaleski remarks that “we work together as if one mind is manipulating both of our musical voices.”

The album begins with the quintessential opening refrain of “Blue Rondo A La Turk” from Brubeck’s 1959 smash Time Out. “The first time I heard “Blue Rondo A La Turk”, it immediately opened up my ears to two distinctively “Brubeck-ian” ideals; the use of “odd” time signatures, and the fusion of American jazz with musical styles from other parts of the world,” shares Zaleski. In his take, he decided to use a variation on the original 9/8 meter under a cushion of electric guitar effects as a vehicle for improvisation before a brief, bright and classic 12-bar jazz blues form that Dave and Paul Desmond blow over in the original recording. Zaleski adds that in “true Mark Zaleski Band form, there is some harmonization on the melody as well.”

The album continues with “The Duke”, a 1955 Brubeck composition dedicated to Duke Ellington. Zaleski’s version honors the integrity of the composer’s brilliant melodies while featuring harmonies and solos that showcase the members of the ensemble. The piece features showstopping solos from both Zaleski brothers. “Softly, William, Softly” is a hidden gem from a lesser known album called Time In. The track features a sextet arrangement of a fugue-like introduction that Brubeck played with his trio while the solo sections showcase some of Zaleski’s blues and rock influences. The bandleader demonstrates his masterful facility on his instrument over a bluesy triple meter swing.

”They Say I Look Like God” was originally written for Louis Armstrong to sing in the scarcely performed jazz musical The Real Ambassadors. The tune was written as a critical satire of the State Department tours of the 1950s on which Brubeck and Louis Armstrong were fixtures. While these tours intended to improve the public image of the US in the light of criticism from the Soviet Union around racial inequality and racial tension, this poignant song discredits the notion that racial inequality was a thing of the past. “Even though we are long past segregation, this song has a shocking relevance in 2021 in light of harrowing, cold-blooded, accounts of racist acts here in the United States caught on camera in just the last few years.  While I’m sure the Brubecks knew very well that the release of this musical in 1962 would create some tension and discomfort amongst a portion of their followers, using their platform to promote peace and equity for all human-kind was their top priority.  I hope I can use my small platform and privilege to do the same with my art,” Zaleski reflects. 

With Our Time: Reimagining Dave Brubeck, Mark Zaleski captures Brubeck’s unbridled ingenuity, bringing these heralded classics into the present. To quote Zaleski: “How do you give something back to people who changed your life forever? Follow in their footsteps, honor their legacy, and do what you can to make their legacy continue to future generations.” This new offering does just that. 

Zaleski has released three earlier recorded works as a bandleader, has lended his supple, singular instrumental stylings to dozens of acclaimed albums as a sideman, and has performed with a diverse group of notable artists including Christian McBride, Ian Anderson, Louis Cole, Lake Street Dive, and Dave Brubeck. Additionally, Zaleski is a faculty member at Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory. 

1. Blue Rondo à la Turk 6:30

2. The Duke 7:05

3. Softly, William, Softly 8:16

4. Unsquare Dance 5:24

5. They Say I Look Like God 5:40

6. The Golden Horn 6:44

7. Fujiyama 5:37

Mark Zaleski - alto/soprano saxophone

Jon Bean - tenor saxophone

Glenn Zaleski - piano

Mark Cocheo - guitar

Danny Weller - upright/electric bass

Oscar Suchanek - drums

Michael Mayo - vocals (5)

Produced by Mark Zaleski

Recorded, mixed & mastered by Eric Kilburn

at Wellspring Sound, Acton, MA

Recorded on Aug. 24, 2020

Assistant Engineer: Matt Hayes

Photography by Greta DiGiorgio

Painting by Clivewa

Cover design & layout by John Bishop

PREORDER

Mark Zaleski Band - Days Months Years (2017)

Mark Zaleski's Hard-Swinging Days, Months, Years

The Mark Zaleski Band Returns After Nearly a Decade With Its Wide-Ranging, Hard-Swinging Second Album, Days, Months, Years

Bandleader/composer Zaleski pulls off the impressive feat of playing both saxophone and bass on the album, which features his long-running ensemble

CD Release Concerts

Thursday, October 5 - Scullers Jazz Club, Boston, MA 

Friday, October 6 - Smalls, NYC  

Saturday, October 7 - The Side Door, Old Lyme, CT

Sparks can fly from an initial meeting, but true chemistry only comes with time. That's true in jazz as it is in life, as can be heard by listening to the evolution of the music's great bands as they grow and evolve over time. Nearly a decade after their debut release, the Mark Zaleski Band returns with the fruits of their own long tenure together. On Days, Months, Years, due out October 6, 2017, the quintet (and sometime sextet) reveals the fruits that come from putting in the time, year after year, gig after gig.

While the Mark Zaleski Band has been together for 11 years, the relationships between the bandleader and some of his collaborators reach back even further - nearly a lifetime in the case of keyboardist Glenn Zaleski, Mark's younger brother and a gifted composer/bandleader in his own right. Tenor saxophonist Jon Bean has been Zaleski's best friend since the two met as students at Boston's New England Conservatory 12 years ago. Both guitarist Mark Cocheo and bassist Danny Weller (who is a regular part of the live band and appears on one track here) first crossed paths with Zaleski at that prestigious institution as well. In that company drummer Oscar Suchenek is the relative newcomer, joining four years ago after meeting Zaleski in the ranks of the acclaimed Either/Orchestra.

It takes the kind of telepathic communication that only comes with such longevity and chemistry to manage the album's most impressive feat. Zaleski does double duty in the band's line-up, part of both his namesake band's frontline, playing alto and soprano saxophone, as well as its rhythm section, playing bass on five of the six tracks. A lot of planning and some complicated logistics (not to mention a bit of studio acrobatics) were required, though as with the best magic the effort never shows in the final product. The music on Days, Months, Years is as lively, swinging and robust as if a sixth member - Zaleski clone or not - was playing along with them.

"Playing bass and saxophone for a jazz record is obviously kind of tricky," Zaleski admits. "I don't think I'd be able to pull it off with just any group of musicians. It requires the real life bond that everybody in this band has with each other."

While saxophone has been Zaleski's primary instrument since he first picked one up at 9 years old, he's maintained a lifelong flirtation with the bass. Growing up listening to classic and modern rock, the guitar loomed larger in his imagination than the clarinet that he played in the school band, which seemed to have little to do with the music of Led Zeppelin or Metallica. Even as he shifted his focus to jazz, Zaleski would sneak away from his sax shedding to play around with a friend's upright bass while studying at the Dave Brubeck Institute or NEC.

Seven or eight years ago, that tinkering became a little more serious as Zaleski finally invested in a bass of his own and quickly found himself in demand for gigs and recording sessions as a bassist. "What I thought was going to be a fun little hobby suddenly blew up," he recalls. "I always felt this organic connection to the bass, but it's now become a real part of my life that I couldn't let go of. Though it was kind of crazy, it seemed like the most accurate representation of myself as an artist had to do with bass playing as well as saxophone playing."

Days, Months, Years kicks off with the anthemic "Mark in the Park," which has become something of a theme song for the band. Over the course of its ten minutes, the band gets to show off nearly every facet of its sound, from bracing swing to lilting groove, modern jazz angularity and a rocking, funky backbeat. The first solo belongs to Zaleski's alto, over his own thick, Ray Brown-influenced bass line. Pulling that off required a bit of in-studio juggling and after-the-fact tracking, but the seams never show. "I didn't want anything to seem overproduced," Zaleski says. "I wanted to maintain the organic quality of the improvisational sections."

"Cerina," named for the street where the band used to practice in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood (not far from the park where "Mark in the Park" was written), begins with an unaccompanied duo improvisation between the two saxophonists that offers a glimpse of the deep friendship and understanding that Zaleski and Bean share. The rest of the band kicks in with a fiery, Latin-tinged rhythm, which later gives way to a more atmospheric section for Cocheo's entrancing solo.

The title track was penned by a younger Zaleski in a moment of career anxiety, its simmering intensity revealing of his frustration, though the song ultimately ends on a hopeful note, one that has since been paid off with the composer's success as both a musician and an educator. A funky arrangement of Thelonious Monk's "Epistrophy" follows, offering a glimpse of a well-known piece reimagined through Zaleski's own singular voice.

An elegiac ballad showcasing Zaleski's soprano playing, "Katie's Song" is a dedication to a close childhood friend who was killed far too young in a tragic car accident. Finally, the swaggering "Big Foot" offers a glimpse of the live Mark Zaleski Band experience, with regular bassist Danny Weller (who was busy attending to the birth of his child when the rest of the album was recorded) joining the fold. Zaleski's arrangement of the lesser-known Charlie Parker tune melds the original bebop sound with a burly blues feel.

A native of Boylston, Massachusetts, Zaleski has enjoyed a diverse career, playing with jazz greats like Christian McBride, Dave Brubeck, Antonio Sanchez and Dave Liebman, among others, while also working with singer Connie Francis and touring with rock legends Jethro Tull. At just 31, he's become one of the most in-demand educators in Boston, serving as chair of the Woodwind and Brass departments at Bard College's Longy School of Music and harmony professor at Berklee College of Music, and teaching ear training, lessons and ensembles at his alma mater, New England Conservatory. In addition to leading his own band, he's currently a member (on electric bass) of the long-running Either/Orchestra and Planet Radio, a funk/soul band that he co-founded.