Melissa Aldana - 12 Stars (March 4, 2022 Blue Note Records)

GRAMMY-nominated saxophonist and composer Melissa Aldana joins the Blue Note Records family with the release of 12 Stars, her debut album as a leader for the legendary label following her appearance on the acclaimed 2020 album by the collective ARTEMIS. The Brooklyn-based tenor player from Santiago, Chile has garnered international recognition for her visionary work as a band leader, as well as her deeply meditative interpretation of language and vocabulary. 12 Stars grapples with concepts of childrearing, familial forgiveness, acceptance, and self-love, and was inspired by her deep interest in tarot. The album was produced by guitarist Lage Lund, who also performs as part of a remarkable quintet with Sullivan Fortner on piano and Fender Rhodes, Kush Abadey on drums, and Pablo Menares on bass.

If the digital album is purchased, you will receive the full album via email on March 4th, 2022.

Standard digital downloads are delivered as MP3 44.1khz/24-bit audio files.

Please note, digital downloads are only available in the U.S. 

1. Falling

2. Intuition

3. Intro to Emilia

4. Emilia

5. The Bluest Eye

6. The Fool

7. Los Ojos de Chile

8. 12 Stars

Hi-Res Digital Disclaimer:

FLAC files do NOT work in iTunes/Apple Music players or on most portable music players without additional software. If you’re unfamiliar with FLAC files we suggest that you download the WAV files instead. More information on FLAC can be found here or here.

Melissa Aldana: Tenor Saxophone

Lage Lund: Guitars & Gizmos

Sullivan Fortner: Acoustic Piano; Rhodes 

Pablo Menares: Bass

Kush Abadey: Drums

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#melissaaldana #12stars #bluenote

PRE-ORDER

NEW RELEASE: Violinist Tomoko Omura to Release BRANCHES VOL. 2 on June 18, 2021 via Outside in Music

Outside In Music Announces Branches Vol. 2, The Eagerly-Awaited Second Installment of Celebrated Violinist Tomoko Omura’s Roots Series, Out June 18, 2021

“…a gifted composer and passionate instrumentalist.” – Strings Magazine

Outside in Music is thrilled to announce the release of Branches Vol. 2, the eagerly-awaited new installment in imaginative violinist-composer-arranger Tomoko Omura’s Roots series. A companion to last summer’s critically acclaimed Branches Vol. 1, this vibrant issue features six more of the Shizuoka-born artist’s original compositions inspired by Japanese folktales, and arrangements of Japanese popular songs. Accompanying Omura on this exploration of sound and culture is her working quintet made up of guitarist Jeff Miles, pianist Glenn Zaleski, bassist Pablo Menares and drummer Jay Sawyer.

In 2015, New York-based Tomoko Omura released Roots, a ten-track collection of well known Japanese songs rearranged for a modern jazz quintet. Since then, the violinist has made a concerted effort to intertwine her Japanese heritage with her virtuosic jazz artistry on each subsequent recording project. “There’s a promise inherent in contemporary music, and it goes something like this: with people from various backgrounds—culturally, ideologically, religiously, aesthetically—creating art, everyone can benefit from the exposure to new ideas,” remarked Downbeat Magazine’s Dave Cantor in his Editor’s Pick review of Omura’s initial Branches offering. On this riveting follow up, the synergy between the ensemble’s five members has been fortified by continual collaboration. Omura deepens her compelling tribute to Japan with evocative material that builds a causeway between deeply rooted tradition and contemporary invention.

Branches Vol. 2 is split evenly between Omura-penned compositions and folk songs, tallying three of each. The album begins with a stately march leading to a luscious passage of pizzicato violin, vocals and rhythmic underpinnings from Omura’s steadfast rhythm section. The piece is “Come Firefly”, a well known traditional Japanese folk tune.“Fireflies are magical creatures that have always fascinated me,” shared Omura. “My rendition of this folk song has a sci-fi element. I was imagining communication through lights by celestial beings.” Omura’s violin soars above overdriven guitar and discordant pianistic refrains on this surrealist celebration.

Omura’s original “Melancholy Of A Crane” offers a contrapuntal and wistful exploration inspired by the Japanese folktale “Tsuru no Ongaeshi” (The Crane’s Return of Favor) – a melancholy tale of a crane who returns a favor to a man. One can hear the flight of the swan in the gentle melodic musings of the violin over the rhythm section’s triple meter. “To-Ryan-Se” is another popular folk song that dates back to the Edo era (1603 – 1867). “Children sing this song like a game,” Omura described. “It is played by multiple children facing each other, and they form a bridge with their arms, while other children pass through the bridge while singing. At the end of the song, the bridge comes down and one child will be stuck inside the bridge. That’s the game!” Omura also hints at a haunting and yet wondrous meaning behind the song’s actual lyrics. This element is captured in Omura’s arrangement in the playfulness of the melody and the inherent sense of adventure it exudes. The melody features unison playing from Omura and Miles, which elicits a  response by Zaleski, echoing the game from which the material is derived. The piece features stunning solos from Omura, Zaleski and Miles.

Next up is “Bow’s Dance”, a folksong of the Ainu people, the indigenous people of Japan’s northernmost island Hokkaido and some of its nearby Russian territories. A close friend of Omura who extensively researched the Ainu introduced her to the great Ainu singer Umeka Ando. Ando’s interpretation of this song left its mark on Omura, and so she decided to include it here. 

“Tomie’s Blues” is Omura’s composition dedicated to her grandmother, Tomie Omura, who passed away several years ago. The artist remarks, “I was very close to her and we lived together for 18 years of my life. This song is 12 bars long, just like the typical blues form, but the melody is repeated multiple times with changing note durations expressing the elasticity of time.” The contemplative ballad features wonderful solos from Menares and Zaleski. 

The concluding track is“Urashima Suite”, the fantastical tale of a young boy’s adventure that encapsulates the bittersweet nature of the passage of time. Omura and Zaleski lead us on this wondrous journey through multiple tonalities, conjuring an array of emotions and experiences including imagery of the ocean and a place called “Dragon Palace” referenced in the original tale.

In a 2021 feature in Strings Magazine, Omura shared that her Roots project is ongoing, and something that she plans to continue exploring. She told journalist Greg Cahill: “It’s developing in a few interesting directions. Just like branches. I like storytelling in music that takes us somewhere else while listening. Also, for me, re-discovering the Japanese musical elements and using them in new ways is a fun thing to do. It’s still an ongoing project, and I’m already thinking about where it can go next.” 

Label: Outside in Music OiM2116

Track listing: 

Come Firefly 5:41 (Japanese Traditional/Tomoko Omura)

Melancholy Of A Crane 7:11 (Tomoko Omura)

To Ryan Se 6:44 (Japanese Traditional/Tomoko Omura)

Bow’s Dance 6:47 (Ainu Traditional/Tomoko Omura)

Tomie’s Blues 5:40 (Tomoko Omura)

Urashima Suite 6:38 (Tomoko Omura)

Tomoko Omura Website

Nicolás Vera / Pablo Menares / Félix Lecaros - La rueda del tiempo (DISCOS PENDIENTE 2016)

El trío del guitarrista Nicolás Vera, el bajista Pablo Menares y el baterista Félix Lecaros han estado tocando juntos en varias formaciones por más de 15 años, comenzando cuando eran adolescentes y llegaban a las jam sessions en el Club de Jazz de Santiago. Desde entonces, han completado la sección rítmica en innumerables proyectos, tanto en Santiago como en el extranjero, incluso después de que Menares y Lecaros se trasladaran a la ciudad de Nueva York en 2009 y 2012.

La rueda del tiempo, sin embargo, es su primer álbum como un trío. Durante años tuvieron la intención de grabar juntos, y cuando Vera visitó Nueva York en mayo de 2016, aprovecharon la oportunidad para grabar en Acoustic Recording en Brooklyn. El resultado es una mezcla de standards de jazz que han estado tocando juntos durante años, escritos por los grandes del jazz como Thelonious Monk y J.J. Johnson, así como piezas originales de Vera. 

Este registro es un inusual documento de fraternidad transcontinental, tres compatriotas de jazz que han crecido escuchando, tocando y estudiando juntos en sus diferentes viajes a través del continente americano. (Alex W. Rodriguez)

El disco

Grabado el 4 de mayo de 2016 por Michael Brorby en Acoustic Recording, Brooklyn, New York

Mezclado y masterizado por Katsuhiko Naito en Avatar Studios, New York City

Fotografía exterior: Gonzalo Cisterna Sandoval

Diseño: Cristián González S.

Video y fotografía estudio: Pablo Valle

La rueda del tiempo

DPCD43

2016 Discos Pendiente

Nicolás Vera, guitarra

Pablo Menares, contrabajo

Félix Lecaros, batería

Producido por Nicolás Vera, Pablo Menares y Félix Lecaros

Producción Ejecutiva: Pablo Menares, Nicolás Vera y Roberto Barahona

Con el apoyo de Red Educacional Camilo Henríquez

1. La rueda del tiempo (Nicolás Vera)

2. Eronel (Thelonious Monk)

3. Lament (J.J. Johnson)

4. Pasajero (Nicolás Vera)

5. Ugly beauty (Thelonious Monk)

6. El maravilloso mundo del silencio (Nicolás Vera

7. You've changed (Bill Carey / Carl Fischer)

8. Nobody else but me (Jerome Kern)

9. El silencio (Nicolás Vera / Pablo Menares / Félix Lecaros)

Presentación del disco:

9, 10 de enero 2017 @Thelonious - 9pm

12 de enero 2017 @Foro UDEC - Escuela de verano - 9.30pm

www.discospendiente.com 

www.nicoveranicovera.com

www.pablomenares.com

www.facebook.com/felixlecarosjazz

www.facebook.com/NicolasVera

Jure Pukl Quartet - Live At Thelonious (2016 DISCOS PENDIENTE)

The Jure Pukl Quartet’s music, led by the Slovenian saxophonist and recorded live at the legendary Thelonious jazz club in the bohemian Bellavista neighborhood of Santiago, is played as if there weren’t four musicians here, but just one—that’s how cohesive this group is.

That’s largely due to the fact that the saxophonist had worked with the rest of these musicians—with the exception of this project’s producer, guitarist Nicolas Vera—in New York. Pukl visits Chile frequently, where he has established himself on the local jazz scene.  “Jure Pukl Live at Thelonious” forms the latest part of the innovative catalog of the label Discos Pendiente. Welcome!

Jure Pukl, tenor sax / saxo tenor

Melissa Aldana, tenor sax / saxo tenor

Jure Pukl Quartet

feat. Nicolás Vera / Pablo Menares / Félix Lecaros

special guest. Melissa Aldana

Live at Thelonious

1. False Accusation

2. Up & Over

3. Sequence III / Enko Dunko

4. Compassion

5. La rueda del tiempo

6. Bizgo

Jure Pukl, tenor saxophone

Nicolás Vera, guitar

Pablo Menares, double bass

Félix Lecaros, drums

Melissa Aldana, tenor saxophone on Up & Over

All compositions writen by Jure Pukl except La rueda del tiempo by Nicolás Vera

Produced by Nicolás Vera

Executive Production: Discos Pendiente & Roberto Barahona

©2016 All rights reserved

Recorded live at Thelonious, lugar de jazz on the 12th of January 2016, Santiago - Chile

Rec engineer: Diego Bustamante

Rec assistant: Diego Valenzuela

Mix and Mastering: Gonzalo González - CHT Estudios

Photo: Ana María Lara

Design: Cristián González S.

Thanks:

Jure wants to thank his family for constant support, his love Chiqui, new chilean friends and family, Nathalie Proulx and Jorge Valero, Marcos Aldana and family, Roberto Barahona, Susana and Rosita and everybody at Punta de Choros, Sergio, Marco Reyes and Orquesta Huambaly. Biggest thank you goes to Nico Vera, Pablo Menares and Felix Lecaros - you all sound beautiful on this one as well as you are beautiful personalities. I hope we will do much more in the future. Thank you Discos Pendiente for making this happening.

Nos vemos perros!

Discos Pendiente wants to thank Erwin Díaz & Thelonious, José Tomás Vicuña, Pepe Hosiasson, Chalo González, Diego Bustamante, Diego Valenzuela, Cristián González, Claudia Varas, Ana María Lara, Diego Pequeño.

Jure Pukl plays Selmer saxophones and is a D'Addario Performing Artist and plays exclusively on Reserve No. 3 reeds, Marmaduke mouthpieces and accessories, Fred Lebayle mouthpieces, EGR Ligatures and his saxophone is keept in form by Jon Baltimore Music company.

Félix Lecaros plays Istanbul Mehmet cymbals exclusively.

BUY THIS ALBUM

La Resistencia - Eterno Retorno (2016 DISCOS PENDIENTE)

Segundo disco colaborativo del quinteto reunido bajo el nombre de La Resistencia, un elenco de jazzistas referenciales de la generación de 2000 y 2010, que en 2013 había estrenado la grabación del álbum La resistencia: Melissa Aldana (saxo tenor), Sebastián Jordán (trompeta), Nicolás Vera (guitarra), Pablo Menares (contrabajo) y Félix Lecaros (batería). Fue grabado en directo durante una actuación del conjunto en el club Thelonious, el 22 de enero de 2015.

Outstanding album by the quintet of trumpeter Sebastián Jordán, tenor saxophonist Melissa Aldana, guitarist Nicolás Vera, bassist Pablo Menares and drummer Félix Lecaros.  Melodies as thick as clouds and as limitless in the imagery their loveliness incites.  Recorded live at January 2015 performance at the Thelonious Jazz Club, the sounds from the crowd and the city bleed into the audio, which, in fact, just add to the personableness of the recording and the intimacy of the music.  

The up-tempo tunes are all you could ask for if you’re looking for a thrilling ride, but it’s when this ensemble patiently works through a tune that it bleeds all kinds of feel.  

Emotive and substantive and sincere… this straight-ahead modern jazz session is the kind of reminder that an old form of language can sound brand spanking new in the present day.

La Resistencia

Eterno Retorno (DPCD35)

en vivo en Thelonious

1. Autoatentado (Sebastián Jordán)

2. En otro lugar (Pablo Menares)

3. New song #7 (Nicolás Vera)

4. Pacífico (Nicolás Vera)

5. Sofía (Sebastián Jordán)

6. Bellavista (Nicolás Vera)

Sebastián Jordán, trompeta / trumpet

Melissa Aldana, saxo tenor / tenor sax

Nicolás Vera, guitarra / guitar

Pablo Menares, contrabajo / double bass

Félix Lecaros, batería / drums

Grabado en vivo en Thelonious el 22 de enero de 2015, Santiago de Chile /

Recorded live at Thelonious on the 22nd of January 2015, Santiago - Chile

Ingeniero de grabación / Rec engineer: Diego Bustamante

Asistente de grabación / Rec assistant: Waldo Arévalo

Mezcla y Masterización / Mix and Mastering: Gonzalo González - CHT Estudios

Fotografía / Photos: Francisco Gallardo

Diseño / Design: Cristián González S.

Producido por / Produced by Discos Pendiente

Producción Ejecutiva / Executive production: Discos Pendiente & HemisferioDerecho

Eterno Retorno es un disco del Catálogo Pendiente del Sur, realizado por

Discos Pendiente y Hemisferio Derecho, con el aporte del Fondo de la Música 2015

Eterno Retorno is a CD on the Pendiente del Sur Catalogue, produced

by Discos Pendiente and Hemisferio Derecho, with the support of the Fondo

de la Música (Chilean National Music Fund) 2015

©2015 Todos los derechos reservados / All rights reserved

BUY THIS ALBUM

Jure Pukl Quartet - Live at Thelonious (2016)

Source: Discos Pendiente

The Jure Pukl Quartet’s music, led by the Slovenian saxophonist and recorded live at the legendary Thelonious jazz club in the bohemian Bellavista neighborhood of Santiago, is played as if there weren’t four musicians here, but just one—that’s how cohesive this group is. That’s largely due to the fact that the saxophonist had worked with the rest of these musicians—with the exception of this project’s producer, guitarist Nicolas Vera—in New York. Pukl visits Chile frequently, where he has established himself on the local jazz scene.  “Jure Pukl Live at Thelonious” forms the latest part of the innovative catalog of the label Discos Pendiente. Welcome!

Live At Thelonious

Jure Pukl Quartet

DPCD 36

Abril de 2016

01. False Accusation

02. Up & Cover

03. Sequence III / Enko Dunko

04. Compassion

05. La Rueda del Tiempo

06. Bizgo

Jure Pukl, tenor sax / saxo tenor

Nicolás Vera, guitar / guitarra

Pablo Menares, double bass / contrabajo

Félix Lecaros, drums / batería

Special guest: Melissa Aldana, tenor sax / saxo tenor

Rec: Diego Bustamante

Rec assistant / Asistente: Diego Valenzuela

Mix - Mst: Chalo González - CHT Estudios

Design / Diseño: Cristián González S.

Photography / Fotografía: Ana María Lara

Produced by / Producción: Nicolás Vera

Executive Production / Producción Ejecutiva: Discos Pendiente & Roberto Barahona

Recorded live at Thelonious, lugar de jazz, on the 12th of january 2016

 Grabado en vivo en Thelonious, lugar de jazz, el 12 de enero de 2016, Santiago de Chile

BUY THIS ALBUM

Domi

Compassion