NEW RELEASE + NEWS: Bill O’Connell Announces New Album + GRAMMY® Nomination ('A Change is Gonna Come' - January 28, 2022 - Savant Records)

GRAMMYⓇ Nominated Pianist, Composer and Arranger Bill O’Connell Announces the Release of A Change Is Gonna Come, A Jazz Luminary’s Musings on a Fraught World, Out January 28, 2022 via Savant Records

Savant Records is pleased to announce the January 28, 2022 release of A Change is Gonna Come, the powerful new release from esteemed pianist, composer, arranger and newly-minted GRAMMYⓇ nominee Bill O’Connell. This particular moment in history is a fraught one; A Change Is Gonna Come brings that point home with impassioned music reacting to the rampant racial and political injustice and pandemic-fueled turmoil of the present moment. A Change is Gonna Come features O’Connell alongside bassist Lincoln Goines, drummer Steve Jordan, percussionist Pedrito Martinez, and special guest Craig Handy tenor and soprano saxophone.

Lauded for his boundless, uncompromising prowess in the realm of Latin jazz, O’Connell’s fruitful musical journey began in 1977 when O’Connell began his tenure as the keyboardist for the legendary Mongo Santamaria’s Latin jazz band. A departure from the clavé-driven Latin jazz pocket that so often permeates O’Connell’s work, the pianist is heard here displaying his remarkable facility in the straight-ahead jazz idiom. The release of A Change is Gonna Come comes as O’Connell is fresh off the heels of his thrilling GRAMMYⓇ nomination for ‘Best Arrangement (Instrumental or A Capella)’ for the song “Chopsticks” on Richard Barratta’s album Music in Film: The Reel Deal.

This impassioned release is intrinsically tied to the unique and trying times in which it was created. O’Connell remarks: “I look at recordings this way: each one is a snapshot of how I’m feeling at this particular time in my life... Each song reflects a different feeling at a particular moment.” The pianist and composer channels his frustration, anger and grief for the medical, racial, economic and political turmoil that plagues our country into electrifying compositions that feature the masterful interplay of this tightly-knit outfit of jazz notables.

It was while performing with Sonny Rollins that the pianist first crossed paths with renowned drummer Steve Jordan. “We had an immediate chemistry going, but it was short-lived—about a month. Ever since then we’ve been trying to get together on a project. I finally called him up and I said, ‘Steve, I think it’s time.’ So he was into it, and we finally got it together to do this, so I’m very pleased that he’s on the record,” O’Connell notes. Jordan, who recently joined The Rolling Stones in place of the late Charlie Watts, is the album's co-producer.

A more frequent presence on O’Connell’s dates is bassist Lincoln Goines, with whom he spent some thirty-odd years in flutist Dave Valentin’s rhythm section—before he became the pianist’s go-to bassist. “Lincoln and I have a long musical relationship, and I can’t say enough about what he brings to my music,” he says. “I love what he does on both acoustic and electric bass.” Guest saxophonist Craig Handy puts rich veins of both adventure and soul into O’Connell’s compositions, A Change is Gonna Come is the third album of O’Connell’s that features Handy. The pair first worked together in trombonist Conrad Herwig’s Latin Side big band… which is where O’Connell first encountered Pedrito Martinez, the record’s other guest. 

O’Connell stirs the grey-matter with thoughtful original compositions such as “A Prayer For Us”. The piece is a vulnerable, gospel-inspired number. “I didn’t write it out this way, but you could also think of it as ‘A Prayer for U.S.,’” O’Connell muses, looking back on episodes of turmoil that fell through his country like dominoes. His improvising on the tune’s gentle swing has a bittersweet cast; one isn’t sure whether to be sad or hopeful. Perhaps that’s appropriate, too. “Covid Blues” is a B-flat blues with a plaintive soprano line that captures the anxiety, the ennui, the claustrophobia we’ve all been cycling through. Yet in its playful three-way duel between O’Connell, Handy, and Jordan, it also has a glimmer of hope. “We have to remain optimistic in the crazy time we’re going through,” says O’Connell. “Sun For Sonny” is a tip-of-the-hat to the great Sonny Rollins who once employed each member of the trio. The calypso groove and “St. Thomas” quote in O’Connell’s melody was your answer. It’s also suitably (for a Rollins tribute) percussive—with Martinez returning and Goines switching to the electric bass—and suitably sunny and danceable. After Handy and O’Connell reinforce that feeling in their solos, Goines and Martinez double down on it with two rounds of upbeat funk.

“Moment’s Notice”, which opens the album, is filled with nuance, immediacy and harmonic intrigue. The group takes the classic piece into funk territory which O’Connell indicates is about not wasting valuable resources. “Steve Jordan is one of the greatest funk drummers on the earth. If I didn’t have him playing some funk in there, it’s almost a crime.” For their solos, however, O’Connell, Goines, and Jordan ease off the gas a bit; there’s still plenty of swing, but also plenty of space.” The Sam Cooke anthem for which this album is titled “A Change is Gonna Come” arrives in an arrangement that O’Connell first wrote years ago for Charles Fambrough. It’s charged with gospel but also a surprising delicacy: a vulnerable aspect that tempers the song’s built-in resolve. If anything, the issues the song grappled with 60 years ago have only intensified since. The pianist takes centerstage with a jubilant solo on “My Foolish Heart” which once again features Jordan’s brilliant funk drumming within a sublime arrangement by O’Connell. 

As jazz journalist Michael J. West remarks in the album’s liner notes “It’s what artists do: process the darker aspects of our lives and world into something beautiful and worth holding on to. If it’s true that a change is gonna come, it will be all of us who will have to make it. But it will be the gifts of people like Bill O’Connell who shine their lights on the path to that change.”

1. Moment's Notice 8:08

2. Loco-Motive 6:06

3. Covid Blues 5:08

4. A Change is Gonna Come 6:37

5. Sun for Sonny 4:21

6. Enough is Enough 7:51

7. Sweet Peanut 6:13

8. A Prayer for Us 7:10

9. Chaos 5:11

10. My Foolish Heart 4:40

Bill O'Connell – all arrangements, piano & Fender Rhodes

Craig Handy – tenor & soprano saxophone

Lincoln Goines – acoustic & electric bass

Steve Jordan – drums

Pedrito Martinez – percussion

Release date: January 28, 2022 - Savant Records (SCD 2197)

NEWS: Pianist Bill O’Connell Celebrates GRAMMY® Nomination for Composition “Chopsticks” on Richard Baratta’s Music in Film: The Reel Deal

“Chopsticks” is nominated for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella at the 64th GRAMMY® Awards

“Chopsticks,” the fourth track off of drummer Richard Baratta’s album Music in Film: The Reel Deal, which was released in September of 2020 on Savant Records, has received a GRAMMY® Nomination for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella. The song was arranged by the record’s music director, the masterful jazz pianist Bill O’Connell. The 64th annual GRAMMY® Awards will take place on January 31, 2022 in Los Angeles. 

Baratta, who has spent over three decades as a Hollywood film producer, celebrates the coalescence of his two artistic worlds of film and jazz on Music in Film, an assortment of songs notably used in major motion pictures such as Mrs. Doubtfire, Midnight Cowboy, Big and The Wizard of Oz. O’Connell’s killer Latin arrangement of the Euphemia Allen composition “Chopsticks” is a tribute to the classic Tom Hanks-Robert Loggia piano dance scene from the movie Big which Baratta also worked on. On the track, the band blazes through a bright-tempoed montuno, adding melodic and rhythmic intrigue to the classic piano piece.

“It’s always fun for me to conceptualize a song in a way that no one has ever heard it,” O’Connell shares. “That was my thought when Richard Baratta asked me if I could arrange “Chopsticks”… I surrounded the tune with a deep Latin vibe, a few new harmonies and melodies and the band gave a great performance. I am so appreciative of this Grammy nomination.” 

“For this album to be nominated for a Grammy… well that’s off the charts,” Baratta added. “‘Thrilled’ falls far short of describing my emotion.” 

Baratta’s dazzling work across so many artistic genres over the years has not gone unnoticed. He was recently interviewed by Jazziz Magazine to discuss his music portfolio and film production credits, which include the Academy Award nominated films The Irishman, Donnie Brasco, Joker and The Wolf of Wall Street. 

Pianist Bill O’Connell has enjoyed a 40-year long career as a leader, soloist, arranger, musical director, and accompanist for some of the most celebrated names in jazz and Latin music including Sonny Rollins, Chet Baker, Mongo Santamaria, Gato Barbieri, and Emily Remler. O’Connell is a four-time recipient of the “Jazz Writer of the Year” award from SESAC, the performing rights organization and is presently a member of the jazz faculty at Rutgers University. His upcoming album, A Change Is Gonna Come is slated for release on January 28, 2022 via Savant Records.

Richard Baratta and Bill O’Connell are represented by Redwood Entertainment.

Jim Snidero - Live at the Deer Head Inn (March 26, 2021 Savant)

As with many professions, it was a difficult thing to be a jazz musician during the pandemic year of 2020, but alto saxophonist Jim Snidero found himself in a unique situation: he was able to assemble a quartet for a feasible, safe, limited-audience gig at Pennsylvania's famed Deer Head Inn. Snidero and his colleagues relished the chance to commune with listeners, and one another, on the bandstand again at long last. Live at the Deer Head Inn is the result, and as Snidero remarks in the liner notes, "It just felt like the perfect opportunity to cut through the fog of this damn pandemic and mark this moment in time." The energy and excitement are palpable on this, as Snidero rallies his players and the audience in an exuberant set of what he calls "comfort music," beginning with a trenchant take on Charlie Parker's "Now's the Time" (with Bird's daughter, Kim Parker, in attendance to hear it). The depth of swing and interplay is evident in every measure, and Snidero's sound and phrasing reveal a disposition of his own, guided by a unique melodic and harmonic concept — qualities that have earned him recognition in the Downbeat and JazzTimes Critics Polls.

Band Intro by Denny Carrig

Now's the Time

Autumn Leaves

Intro to "Ol' Man River"

Ol' Man River

Bye Bye Blackbird

Idle Moments

Who Can I Turn To

My Old Flame

Yesterdays

Jim Snidero, alto saxophone

Orrin Evans, piano

Peter Washington, bass

Joe Farnsworth, drums

Pre-order

Pat Bianchi - In The Moment (SAVANT RECORDS November 2018)

Capable of everything from vibrato-laden intimate murmurings to sermonizing at a roaring volume, the jazz organ can sometimes be strangely dispiriting - like being stuck at a bar with a non-stop talker. Pat Bianchi will have none of that, eschewing all the clichés and displaying the instrument's versatility with a set list that ranges from Chick Corea to Patsy Cline to Monk and Billy Eckstine. 

For this, Bianchi's first recording on Savant, the leader has brought along a number of friends and colleagues including Pat Martino, Joe Locke, Carmen Intorre, Jr. the late, lamented Kevin Mahogany and others making for an extra-special debut recording.

Pat Bianchi (organ)

Paul Bollenback (guitar)

Byron Landham (drums)

With special guests:

Peter Bernstein (guitar)

Carmen Intorre Jr (drums)

Joe Locke (vibes)

Kevin Mahogany (vocal)

Pat Martino, (guitar)

1. Humpty Dumpty

2. Blue Gardenia

3. Don't You Worry 'bout A Thing

4. Mr. PM

5. Barracudas (General Assembly)

6. Crazy

7. No Expectations

8. I Want To Talk About You

9. Fall

10. Four In One

AVAILABLE TODAY + appearing tonight at Hasselblad (solo) & Monday at NuBlu 151 (trio) :: Tenor Saxophonist JD Allen Releases "LOVE STONE" :: Long Awaited Ballad Record on Savant/High Note June 15, 2018

RSVP for Hasselblad, 6.15, HERE

TICKETS FOR LPR Presents at NuBlu, JDA3, Monday, 6.18, HERE

+ JDA3 APPEARING ON WBGO THIS MONDAY, 6.18 *LIVE* ON WBGO’S AFTERNOON JAZZ WITH BILL DAUGHTERY AT 4PM– please TUNE IN!

“If you’d like to measure an improviser’s sincerity under a harsh light, ask him to play an entire album’s worth of ballads. Without quick tempos or ready-made energy to lighten the load, cracks reveal themselves quickly. But this tenor saxophonist has somehow managed to pull it off. He plays in a style guided closely by his antecedents — Ben Webster, Sonny Rollins, Branford Marsalis — but it’s personal and steadfast enough to establish its own convictions. At Nublu 151, Mr. Allen celebrates the release of “Love Stone” — nine ballads, mostly sourced from the back pages of the great American songbook — joined by the bassist Gregg August and the drummer Rudy Royston.” – GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO, NEW YORK TIMES CRITICS’ PICK (6.15)

“The first thing that comes to mind when you think of tenor saxophonist JD Allen may well be power — the full-toned, heavy-tread intensity he can bring to any musical setting. But on his new album, Love Stone, he seeks out beauty in the most straightforward form, with tenderness and low-flickering calm… it’s an all-ballads affair, but one with plenty of swirling intrigue underfoot….the smoke of his tone and the drawl of his phrasing, which remains rooted in melody.” – NATE CHINEN, WBGO’S TAKE FIVE

“The tenor saxophonist and composer JD Allen is at the zenith of the jazz saxophone scale, which isn’t difficult to understand when you hear him play. He has a big bold tone like Sonny Rollins that runs through your soul, and then you are hooked…“Love Stone” is a collection of ballads that gives him an extended opportunity to spread a little tenderness.” – RON SCOTT, THE AMSTERDAM NEWS

“…an abiding emotional inclusiveness to the album that allows listeners to feel unrestrictedly in on the affair.” – DEREK TAYLOR, DUSTED

“All those marvelously deep notes are imprinted on our minds, uttered with warm tones and infallible precision. They uplift the spirit...In a quietly revolutionary mode, JD deftly reimagines familiar tunes with a sharp, affective, and pragmatic vision. The pristine glow of his saxophone brings us back the joy of listening to these sweet old songs. Tradition has its place in the modern jazz and this impressive album is probably what your ears have been aching for.” – FELIPE FREITAS, JAZZTRAIL

“JD Allen plays Vanguard tenor; worthy of comparison to Sonny and Coltrane with Elvin at the Vanguard, the music that got to me as a teenager and has stayed with me ever since…JD’s concept, his sound and his execution took me there.” – BOB BLUMENTHAL, lauded jazz critic & author of Saxophone Colossus: A Portrait of Sonny Rollins

“… this beautiful and intensely interesting ballads album is an assured milestone in his career to date. There are patented JD-isms…proves again that it is one of the most highly accomplished small groups in contemporary jazz.” – REPUBLIC OF JAZZ

“Passion & Poetry….There was an emotional depth to Allen’s playing that transformed blues lines into poetry….melody counts mightily to him, whether written or improvised...grace and passion…” - Bill Beuttler, THE BOSTON GLOBE

“I wanted to play as avant garde as I, myself, could get in today’s dark times - by simply trying to play something beautiful.” – JD ALLEN

PROLIFIC, THOUGHTFUL TENOR SAXOPHONIST/COMPOSER JD ALLEN RELEASES LONG-AWAITED BALLAD RECORD “LOVE STONE” WITH HIS QUARTET ON SAVANT RECORDS JUNE 15, 2018

GORGEOUS COLLECTION OF RENEWED SIREN SONGS FEATURING LIBERTY ELLMAN ON GUITAR ALONGSIDE GREGG AUGUST ON BASS AND RUDY ROYSTON ON DRUMS,

THE VETERAN BANDMATES WHO HELPED SPARK A FLAME FOR PIANOLESS TRIO A DECADE AGO

JD’S SIGNATURE “LOVE TONE” PREVAILS AND IS GUIDED BY THE CONTINUUM OF HIS CLASSIC TRIO PLUS ONE

One of the most prolific, thoughtful and consistent tenor saxophonists gracing the scene today, JD Allen, will release his long-awaited Ballad record, LOVE STONE (or Loves Tone!), on the Savant Recording label, June 15, 2018. A gorgeous collection of ballads harkening back to yesteryear and played with the subtlety and grace that has become the JD Allen signature sound. His most selfless album to date, JD’s goal was to simply make “beautiful music in an ugly ass world.” His only requirement ton himself, was to “play pretty”.  With beauty in mind and at the forefront, this album is for the people and made especially for them in today’s crazy times. “I wanted to play as avant garde as I, myself, could get in today’s dark times by simply trying to play something beautiful.”

For a decade now, tenor saxophonist JD Allen has anchored his eponymous trio, supported by drummer Rudy Royston and bassist Gregg August. Allen’s ragged, searching tone is redolent of jazz’s blues heritage, and his playing reflects his pedigree as a grandson of the Delta, a son of Detroit, and a leader of modern jazz. The New York Times praised Allen’s “fearless approach to a formidable tradition.”

Love Stone features JDs long standing trio, known as “the three headed monster” (Burning Ambulance) plus special guest, guitarist Liberty Ellman (Henry Threadgill, Vijay Iyer) adding new colors to each ballad. The collection of ballads from the opening Tony  Bennett classic, Stranger in Paradise, to the American Folk music ballad originating from Appalachia, “Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies”, the album plays like a love letter to the listener that, in fact, JD included into his liner notes. His most personal statement to date, the artist wears his heart on his sleeve throughout this stunning collection.

“Originals didn’t feel like being original anymore,” explains JD Allen on why he took a departure to record a record filled with some of the most beautiful ballads ever written. “I had a desire to play like a singer and really incorporate some vocalist qualities into my playing this time. I really just wanted to try and play beautiful….no math and science….a great melody, great tone and instead of making a ‘musician’ record this time around, I decided to make this one FOR THE PEOPLE.”

“The spirit of serious jazz tenor saxophone endures in JD Allen.” – JAZZTIMES

JD has been featured on NPR’s Fresh Air, in The Atlantic, in The New York Times (on the blues) and hailed by one of JDs first champions, jazz critic Ben Ratliff as, “a tenor saxophonist with an enigmatic, elegant and hard-driving style,” JD Allen is one of the most thoughtful jazz saxophonists on the scene today. Winner of Downbeat, JazzTimes & NPR polls in categories including NPR’s Best Jazz of the Year, Tenor Saxophonist of the Year, Composer of the Year and Rising Star of the Year and JJA WINNER Short Form Jazz News Documentary, Mario Lathan, for VICTORY! – The Making of JD Allen’s Victory in 2012. “For roughly a decade, the tenor saxophonist J. D. Allen has accomplished what is now a rarity in jazz: He has held together a trio without reshuffling its personnel — deepening a collective language and sharpening his voice as an improviser” (The New York Times).  The Detroit natives apprenticeship has largely been in New York, where he has performed, recorded, and toured with legends running the gamut from Betty Carter and Lawrence D. “Butch” Morris to contemporaries Meshell Ndegeocello. Since making a strong impression in his early years in New York and serving an invaluable tenure with Betty Carter, JD has come a long way - now fully possessed of his own sound. JD has appeared on WNYC’S Leonard Lopate Show, NPR's Jazz Perspectives, WNYC's Soundcheck, WKCR's Musician's Show and festivals and venues worldwide including headlining at New York’s Village Vanguard, Newport, Saratoga and Summerstage/Charlie Parker Jazz Festivals, among others. At the request of saxophone colossus, Sonny Rollins and filmmaker Dick Fontaine, JD was invited to open up ceremonies for the screening of the lauded, “Sonny Rollins – Beyond The Notes” at The 2013 Woodstock Film Festival to great acclaim. JD also appeared in Fontaine’s documentary on Betty Carter some 20 years ago.  JD Allen performs regularly with his own trio and quartet, featuring guitarist Liberty Ellman.

JD ALLEN / BART BABINSKI Kick-Off Day In Celebration of *LOVE STONE* (6.15, Savant) at NYC's Hasselblad Experience Studio on 6.15 from 6-9pm *RSVP ONLY* + NUBLU 151 on 6.18 at 8pm & 10pm

Please join us for this very special evening on June 15th from 6-9pm at the new Hasselblad Experience Studio to celebrate the release of JD’s stunning collection of ballads, LOVE STONE along with the photographs and short film that were shot along with these siren songs, hitting the streets the morning of June 15 on Savant/High Records. Collector’s photos and CDs will be for sale with part of the proceeds going to help fuel the dreams of future photographers and musicians around the world; both charities of the artists and photographers choice will be announced ahead of the evening.

This event will lead us into our LPR presents NUBLU (151 Ave C) CD Celebration on Monday, June 18th at 8pm & 10pm. Doors at 7pm. This official NYC CD release event will feature JDs trio, “…the almost telepathic, three-headed machine, making some of the most exciting jazz around” (Burning Ambulance) with Gregg August on bass and Rudy Royston on drums.

Come and celebrate with us for a few nights kicking off at Hasselblad in NOHO with JDs gorgeous solo saxophone, short film/slide show premiere, collection of photos by photographer Bart Babinski, Love Stone CDs, light snacks, summer drinks, good vibes + good company on release day and then again on Monday, June 18th when LPR presents at NuBlu 151 two sets with the JD ALLEN TRIO featuring Gregg August & Rudy Royston.

**RSVP FOR JUNE 15TH ASAP** --- SEATING IS LIMITED

6.15 RSVP for HASSELBLAD EVENT: HERE

6.18 NUBLU/LPR PRESENTS Event Page

6.18 FACEBOOK EVENT - NUBLU/LPR Presents

JD Allen - Love Stone (SAVANT RECORDS June 15, 2018)

Tenor saxophonist JD Allen's output on Savant Records has been steady since his 2012 album The Matador and the Bull, and this beautiful and intensely interesting ballads album is an assured milestone in his career to date. There are patented JD-isms: that almost operatic-like swoon and smear of tone; deconstructed themes full of non-linearity and melodic asides arriving unforeseen. As in all of Allen's recordings, there is also a spare Chopin-like quality, with a shadowy, crepuscular character to much of the material. An album made up entirely of ballads requires a first-rate harmonic foundation and guitarist Liberty Ellman once again proves himself to be the most sensitive of accompanists, alternating between full harmonic richness and skittering, almost pointillistic lines which merely hint at the harmonies. The depth of Allen's timbre and phrasing is such that the absence of a keyboard is not really felt, and his quartet proves again that it is one of the most highly accomplished small groups in contemporary jazz.

1. Stranger in Paradise

2. Until the Real Thing Comes Along

3. Why Was I Born

4. You're My Thrill

5. Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies

6. Put on a Happy Face

7. Prisoner of Love

8. Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You)

9. Gone with the Wind

JD Allen, tenor saxophone

Liberty Ellman, guitar

Gregg August, bass

Rudy Royston, drums

Mike LeDonne and the Groover Quartet - From the Heart (SAVANT RECORDS 2018)

Joining Mike LeDonne and his Groover Quartet on 'From the Heart' is the great drummer Mike Clark. After collaborations with Herbie Hancock, Christian McBride, Nicholas Payton and others, Clark has influenced a generation of percussionists and brings his own unmistakable style to two of the tracks.

For three decades Mike LeDonne has been an exceptional avatar of the Hammond B3 organ. Forged by his impressive jazz apprenticeship, with the likes of Milt Jackson, George Coleman and Benny Golson, LeDonne comes from a long and distinguished line of masters of that instrument. And for eighteen years, he's lead the Groover Quartet his formidable foursome consisting of tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, guitarist Peter Bernstein and drummer Joe Farnsworth.

1 Someday 5:41

2 From the Heart 8:22

3 You'll Never Know What You Mean to Me 6:58

4 Here Comes the Doctor 7:34

5 Come Back Baby 9:04

6 Fun Day 6:29

7 You Send Me 6:06

8 Then Came You 6:24

Mike LeDonne (Hammond B-3 organ)

Eric Alexander (tenor saxophone)

Peter Bernstein (guitar)

Joe Farnsworth (drums)

Mike Clark (drums on "From the Heart" and "Here Comes the Doctor")

The Bill O'Connell Jazz Latin Quartet CD Release Tuesday, July 24 7:30 & 9:30 PM The Jazz Standard

The Bill O'Connell Jazz Latin Quartet

CD Release 

Tuesday, July 24th

7:30 & 9:30 pm

The Jazz Standard

116 E. 27th St.

New York, NY, 10016

Tickets & Info

Bill O'Connell-piano, Craig Handy-Sax,Lincoln Goines-bass and Cliff Almond-drums with special guests Andrea Brachfeld-flute and Dan Carillo-guitar

Bill O'Connell's pianism has always been known for it's razor-sharp rhythmic sense, clean articulation and phrasing which is as affectionate as it is unfussy. And although the idiom often demands fire and verve one must never lose sight of O'Connell's graceful dynamics which give his lines interesting twists and turns that dart and swerve with spontaneous freedom. With friends like Randy Brecker, Craig Handy, Conrad Herwig, Andrea Brachfeld and Dan Carillo on hand, Jazz Latin is more than a release, it is an event.

1. Obama Samba

2. Just One of Those Things

3. It's Ok

4. Footprints

5. Goodbye My Friend

6. Quicksand

7. Tip Toes

8. Puttin' on the Ritz

9. Mom's Song

10. Zingaro

11. What Is This

Bill O’Connell – piano and Fender Rhodes (tracks 3 & 6)

Lincoln Goines – electric bass

Robby Ameen – drums

Randy Brecker – flugelhorn (track 5)

Craig Handy – tenor saxophone (track 3)

Conrad Herwig – trombone (track 8)

Dan Carillo – guitar (tracks 5 & 9)

Andrea Brachfeld – flute (track 6)

Media Contact

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Jim Snidero & Jeremy Pelt - Jubilation!: Celebrating Cannonball Adderley (SAVANT RECORDS April 24, 2018)

Cannonball Adderley is considered to be one of the all-time greatest jazz musicians; one whose playing projected depth and command. But, he also possessed the rare ability to connect and uplift the listener, shouting out "joy" in every phrase. For his 90th birthday, "Jubilation!" celebrates the genius of Cannonball Adderley. Beloved veterans Jim Snidero (Downbeat critics' poll) and Jeremy Pelt create a formidable front line while David Hazeltine, Nat Reeves and Billy Drummond form an incomparable rhythm section. It's an all-star lineup celebrating a true jazz giant.

1. Party Time

2. Del Sasser

3. Wabash

4. Saudade

5. Stars Fell on Alabama

6. Sack O' Woe

7. Ball's 90th

8. Work Song

Danny Grissett - Remembrance (SAVANT RECORDS 2017)

Danny Grissett is definitely one of today's most exciting and respected pianists. For his first recording as a leader for Savant, Grissett and company offer a varied and interesting set-list which mixes jazz standards and some of the pianist's own compositions.

The go-to keyboard man for the likes of Tom Harrell, Jeremy Pelt, Wayne Escoffey and others, Grissett also finds time to lead his own groups and is a composer of considerable merit. A rare artist who grips and holds attention, Grissett handles the classics of the American songbook with an aplomb equal to the way he deals with the rather complex structures of his own intricate compositions. A gifted improviser with splendid technique, the pianist can also offer warmth and affection in melodic lines, the balance of fine taste, pungent swing and a jubilant approach inevitably generating audience cheer.

1. Woody'n You

2. Lament for Bobby

3. Prelude to a Kiss

4. Gallop's Gallop

5. Renatus

6. Just Enough

7. A Friend Indeed

8. Digital Big Foot

9. Detour Ahead

Danny Grissett (piano, Fender Rhodes)

Dayna Stephens (saxophones)

Vicente Archer (bass)

Bill Stewart (drums)

Jerry Bergonzi - Dog Star (SAVANT 2017)

Jerry Bergonzi has been making records for decades – yet lately, he seems to be finding an even fresher way forward – with a set like this that can grab us right from the very first note, and having us get excited all over again about his music! Bergonzi's tenor sound is tremendous – that raw tone that's been building up right from the start – but maybe the strongest element here is the group, which seems to have this soaring vision that's even more than the sum of its parts – driven on by this excellent presence on bass from Johnny Aman, whose dark notes really color the music, and open up the moodiest side of Bergonzi's music – alongside the excellent Carl Winther on piano, who wrote songs on the record alongside Jerry – plus Phil Grenadier on trumpet, and Anders Mogensen on drums. The trumpet/tenor pairing, quite familiar in jazz, somehow manages to find all these new places throughout – bursting out beautifully on titles that include "Pleiades", "Dog Star", "Darkness", "Live Stream", "Vertigo", and "Repor-Pa-Int".

1. Pleiades 9:56

2. Dog Star 5:27

3. Vertigo 5:59

4. Live Stream 5:51

5. Repore-Pa-int 10:37

6. Darkness 4:10

7. Separated 8:00

8. Darf 4:39

Jerry Bergonzi, tenor saxophone

Phil Grenadier, trumpet

Carl Winther, piano

Johnny Åman, bass

Anders Mogensen, drums

Giacomo Gates - What time is it (SAVANT RECORDS 2017)

Mike LeDonne Groover Quartet - That Feelin'' (2016) SAVANT RECORDS

Mike LeDonne's splendid Groover Quartet has earned a cozy groove for itself, somewhere between fresh from the oven and the halcyon days of organ combos led by Jimmy Smith, Charles Earland, Jimmy McGriff, Richard "Groove" Holmes, Shirley Scott, Don Patterson and others. While embracing their essential groundwork on the one hand, LeDonne moves steadily forward with the other, lending a more contemporary voice to what has been a popular staple of the jazz repertoire for well over half a century.

Far from alone in this pursuit, LeDonne is aided and abetted by a trio of eloquent trend-setters: long-time colleagues Eric Alexander on tenor sax, guitarist Peter Bernstein and drummer Joe Farnsworth. They are enhanced along the way by another modernist, alto saxophonist Vincent Herring, who adds warmth and color to "I'd Never Change a Thing About You," bassist Ray Brown's piquant "Gravy Blues" and LeDonne's fast-paced salute to alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson, "Sweet Papa Lou." Speaking of "I'd Never Change a Thing," the first of LeDonne's three original compositions, the charming wire-to-wire gallop was written for his daughter, Mary, who has multiple disabilities and for whom LeDonne founded the non-profit Disability Pride NYC. Read more  Jack Bowers / aaj

01. I'd Never Change A Thing About You (7:21)

02. That Feelin' (7:34)

03. La La Means I Love You (7:52)

04. Fly Little Bird Fly (4:26)

05. Gravy Blues (6:20)

06. Sweet Papa Lou (6:13)

07. At Last (5:09)

08. This Will Be An Everlasting Love (6:52)

09. A Lot Of Livin' To Do (7:48)

Mike LeDonne: Hammond B3 organ

Eric Alexander: tenor saxophone

Vincent Herring: alto saxophone (1, 5)

Peter Bernstein: guitar

Joe Farnsworth: drums

Jim Snidero - MD66 (2016) SAVANT RECORDS

Over the course of the past three decades alto saxophonist and composer Jim Snidero has been constantly pushing himself to explore new territories and expand his outlook. In 1989 his extraordinary album Blue Afternoon made its way into The Penguin Jazz Guide: The History of the Music in the 1001 Best Albums. 

Later on he made his mark in the sax-with-strings department, not only playing at the top of his game, but also composing and arranging all of the music on the project. Most recently he's impressed more than a few listeners with a spate of fine albums on Savant. 

On this his latest release, Snidero tackles open modal forms and uses his unfettered imagination as a portal into free(r) territory, and takes his soloing to the next level by working an inside/outside approach that's rooted in the structure and style of each song but radical enough to move in wildly unexpected directions. This is a musical promised land where revelations, whether subtle or seismic in nature, are guided by revolution.

Jim Snidero, alto saxophone

Alex Sipiagin, trumpet

Andy LaVerne, piano

Ugonna Okegwo, bass 

Rudy Royston, drums 

01. MD66  

02. Recursion  

03. Free Beauty  

04. Unified  

05. Who We've Known  

06. Un4Scene  

07. Blue in Green  

08. Purge