Cliff Brown - Cliff Brown Sessions from '93 (January 2022)

A great collection of talent was brewing in Los Angeles back in 1993. 43rd & Degnan was the address that hosted Billy Higgins' World Stage where so many musicians co-mingled and honed their craft. Among these spartans of Jazz was formed the young hard-bop revivalist quintet Black/Note. Guitarist Cliff Brown hung out and jammed with these and other musicians and the recordings represented here are the results of his associations.

Five originally penned compositions by Brown are represented along with four other compositions by Ricky Ford (Lady A), Wes Montgomery (S.O.S.), Dexter Gordon (Bonna Rue) and Sonny Rollins (Oleo).

1. In The Meantime 06:27

2. S.O.S. 06:27

3. D - Mob 04:27

4. Eye Awaken 05:13

5. Lady A 06:33

6. Bonna Rue 05:59

7. I Grew A Mull 06:42

8. Oleo 06:06

9. B's Blues 07:17

Guitar - Cliff Brown

Drums - Willie Jones III

Acoustic Bass - Marcus Shelby

Electric Bass - James Manning

Alto Saxophone - James Mahone

Piano - Frank Strazzeri, Ark Sano, Greg Kurstin

Keyboards, Production - Art Zamora

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Keith Loftis' new album 'ORIGINAL STATE' is out on July 23rd, 2021 via Long Tone Music

Jazz Saxophonist and Composer Keith Loftis Debuts New Album Original State via Long Tone Music, Due Out July 23, 2021

Long Tone Music is thrilled to announce the July 23, 2021 release of Original State the latest album by saxophonist and composer Keith Loftis. On his fourth album as a leader, the highly lyrical Loftis showcases both his virtuosic skill as a player and his adept compositional ability in the company of an ever so swinging all-star cast of New York’s finest consisting of pianist John Chin, bassist Eric Wheeler and drummer Willie Jones III. 

“The concept of Original State was to assemble a new quartet with the ability to walk in the door and breathe life into my compositions,” states Loftis. Recorded entirely acoustic as a unit in one room, this exceptional ensemble displays striking interplay and harmonious synergy with ease. The musicians were allowed the freedom to express and shape each composition on the spot, which allowed the group to move in new directions, capturing the spontaneity and looseness of the music which was vital in creating a sense of urgency. The resulting work is at once thoughtful, deliberate, robust and energetic and acts as a musical homecoming for the saxophonist, whose last album Simply, Loftis was released a decade ago. 

One of the album highlights is “Oak Cliff”, which kicks off with an eight-bar swinging drum solo from Willie Jones III. This uplifting medium swing was written for a long-time friend of Loftis: the late great  trumpeter Roy Hargrove. The tune was named for the Oak Cliff neighborhood in Dallas, Texas where Loftis and Hargrove grew up together. Another standout is “Brigitte’s Smile”, which was written for Loftis’ wife. Playful and dynamic, each musician is afforded an opportunity here to shine, as they each take to the sky on their respective solos. 

Another highlight is a retooling of the Isley Brothers’ classic “For The Love Of You” arranged by drummer Greg Searvance. A favorite of Loftis that is often performed on live gigs, this fiery waltz rises to life courtesy of what Loftis describes as “the Coltrane treatment.” “I wanted to produce a recording that felt and sounded like those that I grew up listening to,” says Loftis, pointing toward Wayne Shorter’s Ju-Ju and Speak No Evil and John Coltrane’s Crescent as markers. “When you hear those records, they immediately put a smile on your face and make you feel good.”

Original State was engineered by 2x Grammy winner Bassy Bob Brockmann, who has experienced a fruitful career with countless music greats. Upon moving to New York City in 1986, Brockmann took part in a number of Blue Note recording sessions, including five albums with the Tony Williams Quintet. “Recording Original State with Keith at the Yamaha Piano Salon in NYC was to me a similar experience to Tony’s records as far as style and playing. All of the players in Keith’s Quartet are of exceptional caliber and world class players,” said Brockmann, adding, “…Original State is a beautiful recording, and like many historic jazz recordings it represents a dynamic moment in time.”

Keith Loftis is thrilled to finally unveil his long-awaited new album to the world. “The last three years has been quite a journey in both life and music. I hope that listeners can feel the passion and energy that went into creating this project. It was such a joy assembling this new quartet and I hope this music will touch, move and inspire people,” reflects Loftis.

www.keithloftis.com

Willie Jones III - Fallen Heroes (2021 WJ3 Records)

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

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

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

1. Something For Ndugu 03:58

2. Fallen Hero 03:39

3. C.T.A 04:42

4. Trust 03:56

5. Truthful Blues 06:19

6. Annika's Lullaby 08:36

7. To Wisdom The Prize 06:06

8. I've Just Seen Her 07:01

9. Jackin' For Change 05:20

Willie Jones III - Drums

Gerald Cannon - Bass

George Cables - Piano

Renee Neufville - Vocals

Steve Davis - Trombone

Isaiah J. Thompson - Piano

Justin Robinson - Saxophone

Sherman Irby - Saxophone

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Allan Harris - The Genius of Eddie Jefferson (RESILIENCE MUSIC ALLIANCE 2018)

With his gruff, gravelly voice, his penchant for hep cat diction, and the serpentine bebop turns of his vocalese creations, the late Eddie Jefferson might not seem the ideal match for a classic romantic crooner like Allan Harris. The Brooklyn-born singer has previously paid homage to the songs of Billy Strayhorn and Nat King Cole, repertoire that seems like a more ideal fit.

Until embarking on the project that became The Genius of Eddie Jefferson, Harris would have agreed wholeheartedly with that assessment. “In my wildest dreams I never imagined I’d tackle Eddie Jefferson’s material,” he admits. “But once I started to sit down with his material and delve into what he was singing, it blew all of my stereotypes and prejudices out the window. How wrong I had been over the years not to give this incredible genius credit.”

Not only did Harris discover the depth of Jefferson’s estimable talents and innovations, but he found his own way into Jefferson’s idiosyncratic takes on the classic solos of jazz giants like Miles Davis, Dexter Gordon, Lester Young and Coleman Hawkins. The Genius of Eddie Jefferson, due out May 4 on Resilience Music Alliance, is an ideal blend of Harris’ rich, beguiling baritone and Jefferson’s bantering cool. The album follows Harris into adventurous new territory, at once embracing the challenge and making these bop classics as embracing and celebratory as his takes on jazz standards and swooning ballads.

Harris didn’t take the plunge alone. Though he’d previously covered Jefferson’s most famous piece, “Moody’s Mood For Love,” he needed to plunge deeply into the singer’s catalogue and methodology. Harris worked closely with pianist Eric Reed (Wynton Marsalis, Christian McBride) and GRAMMY® Award-winning producer Brian Bacchus (Gregory Porter) to immerse himself in the tricky contours of Jefferson’s work. “It was daunting,” Harris says. “Sometimes it seemed like I was taking a master class at MIT. But I wanted to grow as a jazz vocalist -- I’ve done the American Songbook. No one has really tackled a full project of Eddie Jefferson’s with the type of voice that I have, and I wanted to get it exact.”

It helps to have a band that can provide the ebullient swing and fierce chops that can drive the tunes that Jefferson built his creations upon, and Reed assembled an ideal one: bassist George DeLancey (Houston Person, Tia Fuller), drummer Willie Jones III (Roy Hargrove, Arturo Sandoval), and tenor saxophonist Ralph Moore (Kevin Eubanks, Freddie Hubbard). The band is joined by special guest saxophonist Richie Cole, who worked closely with Jefferson in the singer’s final years, up to the night of his tragic death outside Baker’s Keyboard Lounge in Detroit.

“To have Richie Cole there was a blessing from above,” says Harris. “His knowledge of what Eddie was doing was paramount because he was right there beside him. He not only gave me a pat on the back that was sorely needed, but he gave me a few pointers and a kind of permission to open things up a little bit to what I’m about.”

In his liner notes, writer and musician Greg Tate compares Jefferson to such pioneering hip-hop lyricists as KRS One and Public Enemy’s Chuck D, poets of the vernacular who could combine urban jargon and socially pointed messages. Harris agrees, saying, “Eddie Jefferson used the guise of his street language to create some really wonderful English literature on that stuff. Because his voice was so streetwise and rough, until you really listen to him in depth you don't understand that he was very erudite in his lyrical value. He didn't just rely on nursery rhyme rhythms and prose. He really dealt in some really hip street stuff.”

He also celebrated the jazz musicians whose work he was repurposing, often painting musical portraits of these legends through his lyrics, as on the album’s opening track, “So What.” Following the lines of Davis’ classic solo, he recounts a famous incident in which both the trumpeter and then-sideman John Coltrane left the stage mid-performance, deciding they needed a bit of extra rehearsal before resuming the show. Harris’ rendition is soulful and warm, vividly capturing the vintage nightclub atmosphere.

For all his protestations, Harris has no problem with bringing the grit and funky edge to Horace Silver’s “Sister Sadie” and “Filthy McNasty,” or tearing his way through a blistering Lester Young solo on “Lester’s Trip to the Moon.” At the same time, he brings a heartbreaking tenderness to the classic “Body and Soul” and a down-home blues to “Memphis.” He courses along with bop vitality on Dexter Gordon’s lively “Dexter Digs In” and Charlie Parker’s gymnastic runs on “Billy’s Bounce.” His romantic soul emerges on Duke Pearson’s lament “Jeannine,” while Cole’s “Waltz for a Rainy Bebop Evening” is a wistful reflection on the music’s rich legacy.

Despite his initial reluctance, taking on Jefferson’s oeuvre has made an indelible mark on Harris as a singer. “This has tainted me,” he says. “This feels so good, like reaching a high. Doing Eddie Jefferson’s music has taken me out of the arena of being just the guy singing jazz standards in front of a smoking band, to feeling like a part of the band. It would be hard now for me to turn back.”

1 So What 3:59

2 Sister Sadie 4:09

3 Dexter Digs In 3:31

4 Billy's Bounce 3:53

5 Body and Soul 4:30

6 Jeannine 4:18

7 Filthy McNasty 3:29

8 Lester's Trip to the Moon 3:51

9 Memphis 3:54

10 Waltz for a Rainy Bebop Evening 5:17

Steve Turre - The Very Thought of You (SMOKE SESSIONS RECORDS August 24, 2018)

Virtuoso Trombonist Steve Turre Displays

Brilliant Artistry with Heartfelt Ballads on New Release,

The Very Thought of You

Available August 24 via Smoke Sessions Records

on Double Vinyl LP, Deluxe 8-Panel

Gatefold CD Digipak, and Hi-Res Download

The thought of Steve Turre inevitably conjures the image of a dauntless virtuoso. Over the course of a remarkable career spanning more than five decades, Turre has proved time and time again that he’s one of the foremost masters of the trombone, able to steer his challenging instrument through breakneck turns and imaginative leaps at dizzying speed.

On The Very Thought Of You, Turre shows off a less celebrated side of his brilliant artistry: his moving, heartfelt way with a ballad. Luxuriating in timeless melodies and swathed in lush strings, Turre makes his horn sing with delicate lyricism and subtle beauty. Of course, the irrepressible trombonist can’t help but unleash his fiercely swinging side, peppering his ballad set with a few pulse-quickeners here and there.

Due out August 24, 2018 via Smoke Sessions Records, The Very Thought Of You features a stellar quartet ideal for a session that calls for a light touch combined with the soul-stirring depth of feeling that Turre brings to everything that he plays. Turre is joined by pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Buster Williams, and drummer Willie Jones III, supplemented on four of the pieces by a string octet conducted by veteran arranger Marty Sheller. An outstanding pair of guests, legendary tenor saxophonist George Coleman and guitar great Russell Malone, both lend their breathtaking mastery to the music as well.

“There’s a challenge to playing ballads on any instrument,” Turre admits. “It’s not about showing off; it’s about trying to play beautiful, to touch somebody with your sound and with your phrasing. The reason I wanted to do it is because I’ve never done it before. I’ve done so many records where I play fast and complicated. It was time to play ballads.”

Especially on the four immortal classics to which Sheller added strings – “Never Let Me Go,” “Shadow of Your Smile,” “Danny Boy,” and the title track – Turre likened his role to that of a singer, ceding the solo spotlight to his bandmates while focusing his own playing on the interpretation of the songs’ incredible melodies.

“I don’t know anybody on the trombone that can play faster than Curtis Fuller could,” Turre explains. “But when I first came to New York in 1973, I met Curtis and he told me that the hardest thing to do is to play simple and have it mean something. So my role wasn’t as the improviser; I was the singer, and my focus was to make the melody say something without over-embellishing it.”

It was some of the music’s most renowned vocalists that inspired Turre’s choice of standards on The Very Thought Of You. Nancy Wilson’s versions of the title tune and “Never Let Me Go” convinced the trombonist that he wanted to take on those melodies, while a live rendition of “The Shadow of Your Smile” so captivated him that he added it to the setlist. “Carmen McRae sang nothing but the melody and it was so astounding,” Turre recalls.

The Very Thought of You is not the first time that Turre has melded his voice with strings. On Lotus Flower (1999), he led a sextet where the frontline swapped sax and trumpet for Akua Dixon’s cello and Regina Carter’s violin. And on his 1997 self-titled album he teamed with Sheller – a longtime colleague on the Latin jazz scene – for a string arrangement of the Machito classic “Ayer Lo Vi Llorar” featuring the iconic Afro-Cuban singer Graciela. But the new album marks the first time that Turre has utilized strings in the traditional vein of classics like Clifford Brown with Strings or Nat King Cole’s elegant sound.

“With ballads, it’s not about playing loud and boisterous, it’s about playing with subtlety,” Turre says. “The strings help to bring that out. Plus, Marty Sheller’s writing was just sublime, so tasteful and lush and not overdone but complimentary to a T.”

After opening the album with a swooning “The Very Thought of You,” the band is joined by Malone for the first time on an up-tempo but laid-back romp through “September in the Rain.” Then Turre and Malone pair off for the trombonist’s intimate duet piece “No Regrets.” The song was originally written back in the ‘70s while Turre was playing bass in drummer Chico Hamilton’s band, where once a night the leader would take a break and leave Turre to play duo with guitarist Rodney Jones. On “Freedom Park, SA” Turre and Jones go head to head with a free improv sparked by a melody conceived by Turre while playing a festival in South Africa last year.

Turre contributes his own ballad to the proceedings with the wistful “Time Will Tell,” then nods to his late mentor J.J. Johnson (as well as his wife) on the trombone giant’s touching “Carolyn in the Morning.” Coleman’s heart-wrenching solo on “Never Let Me Go” is a highlight of the album, but Turre welcomes him back to let loose on a rip-roaring take on Charlie Parker’s “Yardbird Suite.”

The album concludes on a poignant note with the sentimental Irish ballad “Danny Boy,” a particularly meaningful choice for Turre. He fell in love with the song through Ben Webster’s version, but never played it until his brother-in-law, frail but still alert at 100 -years-old, made the request. On the opposite end of the age spectrum, Turre’s gentle but jaunty “Sachiko” is named for a baby whose smile touched his heart during a chance encounter in San Francisco.

There are countless musical moments that might come to mind at the thought of Steve Turre: his formative stint with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, his innovative collaborations with Rahsaan Roland Kirk, his tenures on the road with Ray Charles or Woody Shaw, his decades as a member of the Saturday Night Live band, his ground-breaking use of conch shells as musical instruments, countless collaborations with the greatest artists in jazz and popular music. With The Very Thought of You, Turre offers a beautifully vulnerable and lyrical side to that catalogue of memories.

1 The Very Thought of You 5:17

2 September in the Rain 6:15

3 No Regrets 4:31

4 Carolyn (In the Morning) 6:23

5 Never Let Me Go 6:05

6 Sachiko 6:17

7 Freedom Park, SA 4:13

8 The Shadow of Your Smile 3:29

9 Time Will Tell 5:27

10 Yardbird Suite 6:56

11 Danny Boy 3:51

Marius Beets - This Is Your Captain Speaking (MAXANTER RECORDS 2018)

Hypes come and go and boundaries are being crossed every time a Chinese tourist says cheese. It is easy to overlook that around the world real jazz albums also keep appearing with the regularity of the clock. Also in The Netherlands, which has a solid mainstream jazz scene, a great history of welcoming American musicians and, in the guise of Marius Beets, one of its most prominent bass players. Beets released This Is Your Captain Speaking on his Maxanter label. The album includes tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, pianist (and brother of Marius) Peter Beets, guitarist Joe Cohn and drummer Willie Jones III. They perform ten original compositions by bandleader Marius Beets.

So there’s the cream of the crop delivering high-level improvisation, swing and a healthy dose of blues, inspired by the catchy and challenging tunes of Marius Beets. Eric Alexander is a master of execution who loves to explore the sonic extremes of his instrument. His seemingly effortless integration of these idiosyncracies in his stories, in themselves an ongoing evaluation of the work of Alexander’s heroes like George Coleman and John Coltrane, is striking. He enlivens the boppish The End Of The Affair and the Latin-type line of Dextro Energy with hip twists and lurid fragments of scales. The ending of his remarkably crafty solo during This Is Your Captain Speaking, a clever, blues-based Horace Silver-ish tune, is a bossy bark that must’ve cracked up people in the studio.

62-year old Joe Cohn, the son of saxophonist Al Cohn, who uses a prickly yet full sound, is never short on ideas, which he strings together with staccato notes and supple single lines. He sets fire to Tafkamp Is Still On The Scene, a funky vamp that segues into a driving 4/4 section. The interaction of Marius and his brother Peter, internationally acclaimed pianist, is special, perhaps not surprising considering their life-long association. Emandem especially reveals their subtle interplay of bass lines.

The abundance of hard bop/post bop makes This Is Your Captain Speaking highly enjoyable. The funky ode to Cannonball Adderley, Brother Julian, boogaloo-based Moody’s Groove and The One And Only, an album highlight in the tradition of mid-sixties avant-leaning Blue Note point out the group’s versatile use of the mainstream jazz language. Besides, the group also plays sweet and light – El Capitano, Carpe Diem. The overall sound is, in fact, pleasantly light without becoming lightweight. The crisp and clear sound of the crackerjack drummer Willie Jones III’s ride cymbal underlines that particular canvas. It is a contemporary sound, but also has a foot in the past, the early 70s Muse/Strata-East ‘feel’ in particular. The album is recorded at the studio of Beets, who partakes in myriad musical activities beside bass playing.

You can count on Marius Beets, the bass player. He’s a tasteful, highly skilled accompanist with a tremendous bottom groove. Beets also delivers a number of melodic solos with sustained momentum. Not only did he write an album of superb tunes, he also picked a world-class crew. Not a trace of hesitation by these gentlemen. Dig those solo entrances, time and again! Those are a joy to listen to, as much as the excellent development of their stories.

Marius Beets (bass)

Eric Alexander (tenor saxophone)

Joe Cohn (guitar)

Peter Beets (piano)

Willie Jones III (drums)

Dextro Energy

Brother Julian

El Capitano

The One And Only

Emandem

Tafkamp Is Still On The Scene

Carpe Diem

This Is Your Captain Speaking

The End Of The Affair

Moody’s Groove

Check out album info and the website of Marius Beets here.

Marius Beets

MAXANTER RECORDS

Joey Alexander - Joey.Monk.Live! (MOTEMA MUSIC 2017)

In celebration of Thelonious Monk’s centennial, Joey Alexander performed at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Appel Room in June of 2017. The resulting live album, Joey.Monk.Live! captures Joey’s trio, with bassist Scott Colley and drummer Willie Jones III, exploring Monk’s music in imaginative and deeply-felt ways. In solo, duo and trio performances, Joey pays tribute to the pianist and composer who first made an impression on him and who still serves as a guiding inspiration.

1. Round Midnight

2. Evidence

3. Ugly Beauty

4. Rhythm-a-Ning

5. Epistrophy

6. Straight No Chaser

7. Pannonica

Joey Alexander: piano

Scott Colley: bass

Willie Jones III: drums

Sebastián Chames - Pick Up The Phone (2015)

Sebastián Chames, piano

Jeremy Pelt, trumpet

Greg Tardy, tenor sax

Gerald Cannon, bass

Willie Jones III, drums

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

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

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

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

1. Pianist at the Park

2. Dwayne Deserves

3. Pick up the Phone

4. Cambio De Planes

5. Inspirado Aspirado

6. Nice Bop

7. Moonlight in Vermont

8. Captain Furillo

9. Dear Old Stockholm

BUY THIS ALBUM!!!

Domi

Willie Jones III - Groundwork (2015)

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

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

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

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

1. Git'cha Shout On

2. Hindsight

3. Dear Blue

4. Toku Do

5. Charity

6. Groundwork

7. New Boundary

8. Jamar

BUY THIS ALBUM!!!

Domi