Mount Meander - Mount Meander (2016) CLEAN FEED RECORDS

Confirming that jazz is an universal language, here is a trans-national quartet featuring musicians from Germany, Latvia and Poland, in the two last cases living in Copenhagen. If you don’t recognize the names of these four representatives of a new generation of European musicians, namely Karlis Auzins, Lucas Leidinger, Tomo Jacobson and Thomas Sauerborn, certainly you’ll know some of those with whom they already established exciting partnerships: John Tchicai, Mat Maneri, Lotte Anker, Andrew D’Angelo, Adam Rudolph, Randy Peterson, Kresten Osgood, Sidsel Endresen and Frank Gratkowski. This gives you an idea of what to expect: music with an attitude, and the attitude is to function as one organism. Not a simple gathering of four individuals, but a complete being committed to intuitive and collective free improvisation. Does it mean this is non-idiomatic improvised music, to use the label invented by Derek Bailey? Not quite: the band Mount Meander uses musical idioms to tear down the borders between jazz, the avant-garde, world music, rock and pop, and precisely because this CD isn’t about genres. It’s all about unity, equality, trust and communication. Are you ready for them?

01. Sunsail, Pt. 1 8:34

02. Sunsail, Pt. 2 7:09

03. Sunsail, Pt. 3 3:34

04. Politeness Is God 3:44

05. Thrill 6:04

06. Motoric Animal 3:22

07. A Bird in the Hand? 6:47

08. Swung 7:34

09. Bow 7:51

Karlis Auzins | tenor & soprano saxophone

Lucas Leidinger | piano

Tomo Jacobson | double-bass

Thomas Sauerborn | drums

All compositions by Karlis Auzins, Lucas Leidinger, Tomo Jacobson & Thomas Sauerborn

Recording by Thomas Sauerborn at Monastic Studios, Copenhagen on 9th May 2015 | Mixing & Mastering by Christian Heck at Tonart Studio

Produced by Mount Meander | Executive production by Pedro Costa for Trem Azul | Photos by Malwa Grabowska

Reinier Baas - Smooth Jazz Apocalypse Live (2016)

Reinier Baas - Smooth Jazz Apocalypse LIVE (2016)

Reinier Baas - Smooth Jazz Apocalypse (CD 2014)

Smooth Jazz Apocalypse LIVE 

Recorded at the BIMhuis in Amsterdam on April 5th 2014 by Micha de Kanter. 

All compositions by Reinier Baas, except ‘Ballad’ and ‘Aneris’ by Harmen Fraanje. 

Ben van Gelder - alto saxophone 

Maarten Hogenhuis - alto saxophone 

Reinier Baas - guitar 

Sean Fasciani - bass 

Mark Schilders - drums 

+ 

Joris Roelofs - bass clarinet 

Harmen Fraanje - piano 

www.reinierbaas.com

Released August 3, 2016

Peter Danstrup - Sacrified (2016) ILK MUSIC

BEHIND THE MUSIC AND THE LYRICS ON SACRIFIED

The Project

From the beginning this project was an attempt to work with dogmas and stay focused on some important topics. One was to make a band with a reversed gender balance as a direct answer to the never-ending discussion about women and non-classical music. At least in Denmark this topic keeps popping up, so I thought I would write music for a band where women are the majority – aware that as long as I am the sole (male) composer, the experiment is not 100% valuable.

Another was to work with vocals and lyrics. This has been the biggest challenge for me in a long time. On top of that – I got inspired when visiting an Edvard Munch exhibition in Norway – the lyrics should be in English and be related to religion. At the museum, they quoted Munch for his personal ambition with his art, and it had a great influence on my construction of the dogmas. The quote is: There will be no more pictures of interiors, of people reading and women knitting. There will be pictures of real people who breathed, suffered, felt, loved… I will paint a series of such pictures. People should understand the significance, the power of it. They should remove their hats like they do in church. This gave me the inspiration to write in English and that religion in one way or the other should be in the centre of it all. This has of course nothing to do with Munch’s ambition, but I was keen on using obstacles and finding some topics that would not be easy.

I’ve never understood why Danish composers/songwriters address their (Danish) audience in a foreign language. By forcing myself to do the same thing I might find out about it. And yes: you can hide yourself behind a language.

I’ve never been a religious person, but I have met some very interesting priests in my life, all of them representing a just, human and surprisingly radical interpretation of faith: Love thy neighbour, turn the other cheek, help the poor, suppress your greed and egoism etc. Nowadays I hardly find it anymore, but I do hear so-called religious people use the same reasoning to harbour exactly the opposite: fear thy neighbour, don’t help those who need it, never turn the other cheek but fight back. If this music could stand up against this I would be happy.

The lyrics

Some of the lyrics are quotes more or less directly from the Bible, others are just related to religion.

In the Beginning, well… Genesis 1; The Angel Came to Mary Luke 1 26-38, The Birth of Jesus Foretold; Blessed are the Poor Luke 6, 20-26, Blessings and Woes; The Gates of Jericho Joshua 2 and 6, Rahab and the Spies and the Conquest of Jericho; The Tower of Babylon Genesis 11; Chasing After the Wind Ecclesiastes 1, 3, 7, Pleasures are Meaningless, A Time for Everything, Wisdom is meaningless. Other lyrics play with the thought of what would happen if Jesus actually returned to the Earth again. Angels are also covered both as messengers and lovers/friends. And the humorous I’m confessing deals with sin and forgiveness and the impossible task to live a perfect life.

The music

When I started on this project I found myself in a field where some of the giants of composition has been before and already has set standards that will be very hard to meet. Knowing that from early times artists had no other choice than to express themselves within the borders of religion (talk about dogmas…) 

I somehow felt a great responsibility and also a heavy challenge to move into the realm. So, apart from working with lyrics, the epic element in the music should support the message and somehow be the dynamic force of the sound. In this context I have been in contact with genres that I’ve never worked with before and the vocals and lyrics has a tendency to emphasize it. 

You can find elements of musical, marches, tango and even twist. Although the harmonic side of it all has a tendency towards a jazzier and - at times - dissonant expression I still feel that this music shows many new colours of my musical style.

The orchestra

After listening a lot to Henry Threadgill’s music I found that it would be interesting to work with a line-up with cello, tuba and flute. On top of that I would – for the first time – also use the piano in the band. So the first recordings were with a septet with bass and tuba along with the cello in the bottom and flute and vocals on top and with the piano connecting the different voices. 

The second recording session was set a time, where the tuba player was in Japan, so I added a French horn as this beautiful instrument covers both the bottom and the midrange. And at the final recordings I could use them both thus having a nice brassy sound. However, it is not an instrumentation that just blends naturally and I have been working with many different colourings and combination of sounds to explore the possibilities. And the question of female musicians? We have never paid attention to it in the band.

It is a somehow irrelevant parameter to use in evaluating the music, but it doesn’t mean that the topic itself is peripheral. I do hope we will hear more female musicians in the future and I also hope that recordings like this will help to encourage young women to play an instrument.

The Cover

At the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow I saw this astonishing Dali painting and found that it expressed an interesting new angle of a classical theme: the crucifixion. There is no blood, no spikes, no crown of thorns, instead it has a dreamy and utopian thing to it that I find covers my intensions. The cover is a detail from the upper part of the picture.

Shawn Baltazor - Lionsong (feat. Seamus Blake, Ben Monder, Sam Harris & Ben Street) 2016 FRESH SOUND NEW TALENT

Drummer/Composer Shawn Baltazor, originally from the California Bay Area, was exposed early on to it’s richly diverse musical environment. He began performing professionally at the age of 10 with musical groups ranging from Rock and Roll to Traditional New Orleans Jazz. Moving to the east coast in his late teens to pursue his studies, he attended the renown William Paterson University where he was featured in performances with legends Clark Terry, Slide Hampton, Wynton Marsalis, Joe Lovano, Kenny Garrett and more.

Baltazor has performed internationally at the Festival International des Musiques Noires d’Abidjan in Cote d’Ivoire, the Jazzablanca Festival in Cassablanca, Morocco and the Risonanze Festival in Venice, Italy. US performances include the Kennedy Center, JVC Jazz Festival, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Merkin Concert Hall as well as many of New York City’s Jazz clubs. He has composed multiple scores for the New York City-based Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company, having them performed by live chamber ensembles. As a performer and composer, his individual sound has been sought after more recently by a wide range of artists including Eric Reed, Kermit Driscoll and Grammy Nominee Darcy James Argue, with which he has premiered several works.

Shawn Baltazor Website

01. We’ve Been Expecting You 0:21

02. Folklore 7:47

03. Pathways 7:20

04. Nostalgia 3:56

05. Chance 5:39

06. With Each Breath 6:58

07. Momentum 9:34

08. A Beautiful Wind 6:04

09. Danse 6:39

10. Adrift 3:52

11. Fantasia 4:29

12. King of Kings 2:16

All songs written and arraged by Shawn Baltazor

Strings on #11 arranged by Julia Korodi

Seamus Blake (tenor & soprano sax)

Sam Harris (piano)

Ben Monder (guitars)

Ben Street (bass)

Shawn Baltazor (drums & percussion)

Christina Courtin (viola)

Clarice Jensen (cello)

Jacob Silver (double bass)

Shawn Conley (double bass on #1 & 12)

Julia Korodi (violin)

Peter Pejtsik (cello)

Bill Goodwin (triangle on #11)

Megan Conley (harp on #4)

Recorded at Peter Karl Studios, Brooklyn, New York January 2014

Mixed by Shawn Baltazor & Ben Rubin

Mastered by Gene Paul at G&J Audio

Artwork by Lorene Taurerewa

Design: Leonie Cicirello

Shirantha Beddage - Momentum (2016)

MOMENTUM – AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE SEPTEMBER 9, 2016

Following the success of his JUNO-nominated album Identity, baritone saxophonist Shirantha Beddage continues to deliver his brand of high-octane modern jazz on the new album, Momentum, featuring Will Kennedy of the Yellowjackets. 

For this new album, his third as a leader, his compositions reflect his childhood fascination with the physical sciences, as he explores the tension between oppositional forces in music and the world around us. 

The music is drawn from Beddage’s most diverse range of influences thus far, including New Orleans jazz, R&B, film music and folk songs, providing a musical landscape that is accessible, varied and complex.

It’s almost here!  My new album, Momentum, will be released worldwide on September 9, 2016.  The release of this album will be followed by several concerts in the Toronto area, with special guest Will Kennedy of the Yellowjackets.

September 22, 2016, 8pm: The Music Gallery (Toronto, ON) (Buy advance tickets here!)

September 25, 2016, 4pm: The Jazz Room (Kitchener-Waterloo, ON – special matinée show)

01. Pork Chop 07:18

02. Drag and Drop 08:07

03. Gravity 07:15

04. Centrifugal Force 08:03

05. Momentum 07:37

06. Axis of Rotation 02:36

07. Angle of Incidence 05:37

08. The Long Goodbye 06:45

Shirantha Beddage – Woodwinds and Keyboards

David Restivo – Piano and Keyboards

Mike Downes – Acoustic Bass

Rich Brown – Electric Bass

Mark Kelso – Drums

Will Kennedy – Drums

BUY THIS ALBUM

Joris Posthumus Group - Tokyo's Bad Boys (2016) CHALLENGE RECORDS

For this second album alto sax player Joris Posthumus travelled to Japan to tour and record with some great Japanese musicians. He met the band on a festival in 2011 while touring through China with the Dutch band State of Monc. A friendship stayed with Yuichiro Tokuda, also alto sax player and it was Yuichiro who asked him to coming tour in Japan and Korea in 2014. The lively jazz scene in Japan left Joris inspired to write new songs when he was back home. April 2015 Joris invited Yuichiro Tokuda to join him for a small club tour in Holland and Belgium to polish and fine tune the songs. Later that year the songs were recorded in Japan. Full diary of the tour and the recording can be read on his website.

The different approach between Japanese and Dutch jazz playing, more or less the neatly organised and mathematical versus flexible and four-four (times), were merged and all resulted in a bombing of speed and emotions.

01. Tokyo’s Bad Boys  08:23

02 Jamming in the Jungle  07:13

03. Mr. Amano  06:56

04. One Eyed Felix  05:15

05. Mazerunner  09:26

06. Torture of the Wakening  07:08

07. Sad Song  08:52

08. Jacob’s Blues  07:32

09. Jorogumo  07:38

Joris Posthumus – alto & soprano sax, compositions

Yuichiro Tokuda – alto sax

Yuki Nakae – tenor sax

Shunichi Yanagi – piano

Satoshi Tokuda – bass

Gaku Hasegawa – drums

Gordon Goodwin's Little Phat Band - An Elusive Man (2016)

Hello, and welcome to the website for everything BIG and PHAT!

If you are on this site, you may agree with me when I say "big bands rock!" This is a genre that I've loved since I was in middle school, and leading the the Grammy-winning Big Phat Band has been an honor and a joy.

And while we have no plans to stop, we are happy to present to you a new band, born out of the same musical philosophy as the Phat Band. But this band is smaller with more of a focus on highlighting the individual personalities of each member.

Interested?

We hope so! We are proud to present the debut recording of Gordon Goodwin's Little Phat Band. It's called An Elusive Man.

Want to hear it?

All you have to do is click here:

Thanks for stopping by and for helping us spread the word about The Big Phat Band and it's brand new cousin The Little Phat Band! —Gordon Goodwin

01. The LP Shuffle

02. Cot in the Act

03. Behind You

04. A Elusive Man

05. Samba Cya

06. Garaje Gato

07. I Know You

08. Walkin'

09. In A Sentimental Mood

10. Why We Can't Have Nice Things

Dominic J. Marshall & Friends - The Triolithic (2016) CHALLENGE RECORDS

"You can hear, not only in his playing, but also in his composing, little bits of Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk, right up there to Keith Jarrett and Brad Mehldau. You can hear his classical influences - the tricksy mathematical compositions of Bach for example. But he's also definitely inspired by the  rhythms and offbeat textures of hip-hop producers like J Dilla. He brings together a great heritage of the past, but also something very fresh and new, all the within the confines of a simple acoustic piano trio." (Jamie Cullum)

“proud of his influences but never overwhelmed by them: the result is refreshing and innovative.” (Bruce Lindsay – AllAboutJazz)

“not only a piano virtuoso, he also has an impeccable sense of timing, melodic elaboration and musicality.” (Luc van Gaans – HiFi)

“a soloist with a complete mastery of his instrument, as well as an overflowing imagination which creates a musical world both fascinating and surprising” (Mathilde Löffler – Jazzenzo)

“Dominic J Marshall trio has found both its own energy and its own authentic acoustic sound, and is an asset to the European jazz scene.” (Johan Bakker – Nederlands Dagblad)

“Marshall looks to be one for the future” (Selwyn Harris – Jazzwise)

“A musician with an unprecedented level of artistry which is full of influences” (Serge Juilen – Cultuurpodium)

“A prodigious pianist and composer” (Sean Smith – TokyoJazzNotes)

“a new piano star” (Hessel Fluitman – Jazzflits)

“Think J-Dilla or The Roots and you’re probably hitting the mark.” (JJ Wheeler – JazzBreakfast)

01. Devadatta (Intro)  00:50

02. Leaves’ Dance  09:16

03. White Nights  08:26

04. Free Palestine  08:27

05. Elephant Man  08:49

06. Ptah’s Vibration  12:13

07. 80 Campbell Road  10:28

08. Windermere  09:04

09. Family Chronicle  09:01

10. Deku Tree  06:54

11. Fictions  12:53

12. Blue Lotus  12:56

Dominic J. Marshall piano, fender rhodes, septavox, soft-synth, percussion overlays, clavichord, wurlitzer, bass programming, drum programming

Glenn Gaddum Jr. en Sam Vicary bass

Jamie Peet en Sam Gardner drums

Lars Dietrich alto sax

Sam Farley & Antonio Arnedo - Home (2016) MÚSICA CORRIENTE

Música Corriente se complace en anunciar el lanzamiento del disco “Home” del dúo conformado por Antonio Arnedo (saxofón) y Sam Farley (piano) el próximo sábado 3 de septiembre en nuestra sede, La Pascasia.

El lanzamiento en vinilo de “Home” llena de orgullo a nuestro sello disquero, ya que contar en nuestras filas y grabar un álbum con músicos de la talla de Arnedo y Farley enriquece nuestro catálogo y nos hace pensar que es sólo el comienzo de muchos proyectos con este valioso dúo.

Antonio Arnedo es el pionero y uno de los músicos más influyentes del jazz colombiano; tiene un lugar destacado en el panorama de la música colombiana contemporánea al ser el precursor de la exploración de viejos ritmos populares de las costas Pacifica y Atlántica, ritmos del interior andino, e incluso música de algunas comunidades indígenas, integrándolo todo con un concepto amplio del Jazz para lograr intensos gestos de libertad, como una pintura abstracta de los afectos colombianos.

Como líder de grupo, Arnedo cuenta con cuatro discos: Colombia (2000), Orígenes (1998), Encuentros (1997) y Travesía (1996) el cual celebró este año su aniversario número veinte, además de liderar el Colectivo Colombia y haber compuesto la música para los documentales Hombres Hicotea, El Día Taro y Bogotá Hoy. Ha participado también en innumerables producciones discográficas entre las que se destacan Macumbia de Francisco Zumaqué, Clásicos de la Provincia de Carlos Vives con el que da a conocer su nombre en distintos círculos artísticos, y un disco grabado con Cesar López llamado Vacío y Realidad.

Por su parte, el norteamericano Samuel Farley, quien se desempeña como coordinador del área de Jazz de la Universidad EAFIT de Medellín es un reconocido pianista egresado del prestigioso College-Conservatory of Music en la Universidad de Cincinnati, quien realizó su maestría en el 2004 en la universidad de Louisville y empezó sus estudios de doctorado en la Eastman School of Music en Nueva York en el año 2006.

En cuanto a su carrera profesional, Samuel participó en el 2005 con la famosa Glenn Miller Orchestra, en el 2007 tocó en el JVC International Jazz Festival con el Miles Brown Quintet y en este mismo año en el Rochester International Jazz Festival con la banda de Dave Rivello. En el 2007 también recibió la mención de honor en el concurso Kathleen T y Philip B. Philips, concurso en el cual recibió segundo puesto un año después. En Colombia ha presentado varios conciertos en la Universidad de EAFIT con los profesores de jazz de la misma institución. También trajo dos veces su grupo de los EEUU “Four Cities” que consiste de Chris Morrissey, Brandon Bernstein, y Daniel Dorff. Actualmente es integrante y compositor de la agrupación de Música Corriente METROPOLIZÓN.

“Home”, que fue grabado en video en el Teatro Pablo Tobón Uribe y en audio en la casa de Sam Farley – de ahí el nombre del disco- cuenta con tres temas de la autoría de Arnedo y tres de Farley y se grabó bajo la atenta supervisión del ingeniero de nuestro sello, Juan Diego Galvis de El Alto Estudio.

01. Home 8:15

02. Dibujo 5:44

03. Bambusillo 3:56

04. Frágil 6:17

05. Dim 7:20

06. Aria o Noma 4:19

Antonio Arnedo (sax)

Sam Farley (piano)

Jason Palmer - Beauty 'N' Numbers (The Sudoku Suite) 2016 SteepleChase Records

Trumpeter / Composer / Arranger / Educator / Actor, Jason Palmer is one of the most in demand musicians of his generation. This Fall Jason will be on tour in Portugal, Spain and will be featured on the East Coast Tour of The Miles Davis Experience 1949-1959, a Collaboration with Blue Note Records, managed by Cami Music, see "Schedule" for dates. This past summer Jason toured Austria, Germany and was featured in multiple festivals in the East Coast and Canada with the Grace Kelly Quintet, spent a week in residence with FLY at Langnau Jazz nights in Langnau Switzerland. 

Also in 2011 Jason is an awarded Fellow in composition for the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

Jason has worked with icons such as Roy Haynes, Herbie Hancock, Jimmy Smith (the organist), Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Kurt Rosenwinkel (first trumpeter ever hired by this highly acclaimed guitarist), Ravi Coltrane, Geri Allen, Patrice Rushen, Clarence Penn, Jeff Ballard, Kenny Barron, Phil Woods, Common (hip-hop icon), Roy Hargrove, and Lewis Nash.

Jason took 1st Place ($10,000 prize) in the 2009 Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition. The June 2007 issue of Downbeat Magazine cited Jason as one of the "Top 25 trumpeters of the Future".

In addition to performing on over a dozen albums as a sideman, Jason has recorded three albums under his own name and is currently a Steeplechase Records Recording artist. His debut recording entitled "Songbook" (Ayva Musica) features guest saxophonists Ravi Coltrane and Greg Osby. The record garnered rave reviews upon its' release and appeared on several "Best of 2008" lists including All Music Guide's list for best jazz album.

Jason is has toured the world extensively with Greg Osby, Grace Kelly's 5tet, Matana Robert's Mississippi Moonchile, The Round Trip Trio (France), as well as projects lead by bassist Michael Janisch, performing at major jazz festivals in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Finland, Croatia, Serbia, Bratislava, Canada, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, France, Malta, The Netherlands, and numerous clubs and major jazz festivals in the U.S. Jason's quintet has been leading the house band every weekend at Boston's historical Wally's Jazz Café for the past eleven years. His band was nominated as one of the "Best Jazz Act" by the Boston Phoenix in 2011. He has presented his band at the Tanglewood Jazz Fest, Sculler's Jazz Club, the Stone and the Jazz Gallery in NYC, the Studio in Hartford Ct, as well as numerous venues throughout New England.

The Massachusetts Cultural Council selected Jason as an Artist Fellow in Music Composition for 2011. In 2007 Jason Palmer was commissioned by the Festival of New Trumpet Music in NYC to premier a new work (based on a Sudoku game) for his quintet at the Jazz Standard.

In addition to a heavy performing schedule, Jason Palmer continues to maintain a busy schedule as an educator. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Ensembles at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. The '08-'09 school year also saw Jason commuting from Boston to New York City to serve on the faculty at the New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music. Jason has been teaching trumpet and directing ensembles in the Prep and SCE division at New England Conservatory for the past eleven years and has been the woodwind and brass director at the Mission Hill School for the past six years. He was faculty member at the Aquinas College Jazz Camp (Grand Rapids, MI, 2004-2010). Mr. Palmer has given master classes in Portugal, France, the UK, and Mexico.

Applying his trumpeting skills in a new medium, Jason is the lead actor in Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench, written and directed by Damien Chazelle. The movie received great reviews after premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2009. Since then the film has been screened at film festivals in Greece, Denmark, Austria, Australia, Bratislava, Martha's Vineyard (MA), Houston, Denver, Seattle, Los Angeles, Calgary (Canada), Minneapolis, Mill Valley (CA), was released in select theaters in North America and is released worldwide on DVD.

Recorded December 2015

01. Beauty 'N' Numbers 5:05

02. Obsessive 4:05

03. Compulsive 5:35

04. Disorder 7:18

05. Is 5:40

06. Now 6:36

07. Under 2:44

08. Control 4:56

09. Thanks 2:12

10. To The 2:08

11. Guidance 6:16

12. Of Fun and Games 5:39

13. So 6:13

14. If You Would 5:25

15. Allow Me To Be 5:08

16. In The Moment 0:45

Jason Palmer(tp)

Mike Moreno(g)

Edward Perez(b)

Lee Fish(ds)

Jason Palmer Website