Happy New Year 2017 from Cuneiform Records!

[Thor's Hammer at sunrise, Bryce Canyon National Park - Courtesy of National Park Service]

ALL of us at CUNEIFORM RECORDS

wish music lovers & creators &

EVERYONE

around the world

a Happy New Year 2017!

Dear friends in music;

LOOKING BACK: 2016 was a year of DIVISION and DIVISIVENESS
Social, economic, political, racial and religious differences served as flashpoints worldwide this past year. Anti-social commentary polluted the cyber world and hate crimes, terrorism and civil wars scarred the physical world, all poisoning social discourse and trust. During the US presidential campaign, public discourse sunk to the gutter, stoking further division.

BUT it was a year of GREAT MUSIC RELEASES
Despite the past year's distressing socio-political developments, 2016 proved to be a banner year for high-quality music at Cuneiform. We released 15 albums of adventurous, genre-defying jazz, rock, electronic & beyond music, nearly all of which appeared on numerous Best of 2016 lists around the world. Notably, Cuneiform's 2016 releases won slots on prominent BEST ALBUMS of YEAR lists in several different categories: in BEST JAZZ ALBUM, in BEST ROCK ALBUM, and in BEST LATIN MUSIC ALBUMS. To cite but a few examples, Bent Knee's Say So was #8 on POPMATTERS' BEST PROGRESSIVE ROCK & METAL FOR 2016, Sao Paulo Underground's Cantos Invisiveis was on NPR ALT-LATINO'S BEST LATIN MUSIC OF 2016, Wadada Leo Smith's America's National Parks appeared on the New York Times' and countless other Best Albums of the Year list. Numerous Cuneiform albums appeared on Best Jazz Albums of the Year lists. For instance, Thumbscrew (Mary Halvorson/Michael Formanek/Tomas Fujiwara) Convallaria; Ed Palermo Big Band's One Child Left Behind; and Gary Lucas’ Fleischerei Music from Max Fleischer Cartoons all appeared in Downbeat 's Best Albums of 2016, while The Claudia Quintet's Super Petite appeared in the Huffington Post's Best Jazz of 2016.

LOOKING FORWARD: May 2017 be a year of CONNECTION and COMMON GROUND

May the New Year renew our hope in the goodness of mankind, and bring healing to our planet’s ravaged social, political, and physical fabrics. We are one on this planet.

We can find hope for 2017, and inspiration for a brighter global future, in two 2016 Cuneiform albums that focus on finding common ground, connecting with humankind, and embracing and caring for our planet: Connection by Empirical, and America's National Parks, by Wadada Leo Smith.

Early in 2016, Cuneiform released an album by the British jazz quartet Empirical. Called Connection, the album's name, cover, and music says it all. Empirical connect with each other as humans and musicians, and they work to connect jazz tradition with its future in part by connecting busy working people with jazz music. In February 2016, Empirical pioneered a means to make music/culture/art fully and freely accessible to the general public, by opening a jazz pop-up lounge for a week in one of London’s busiest subway stations, as documented in the video below. (Additional pop-up jazz lounges are planned for 2017.) 2016 was a memorable year for Empirical, who also won two notable jazz awards: the 2016 APPJAG (Parliamentary) Jazz Award for “Jazz Ensemble of the Year” and the 2016 Urban Music Awards “Best Jazz Act”.

Towards the end of 2016, Cuneiform released Wadada Leo Smith's America's National Parks, a two-CD set honoring our nation's precious common property, America's shared public grounds. Its release coincided with the 100th Anniversary of the National Park Service, which oversees America's National Parks. The idea to establish national parks by setting aside the nation's most magnificent places as a shared heritage for everyman instead of privately reserving them was a radical and uniquely American innovation that spread worldwide. The concept captivated Smith. Smith’s work celebrates these public spaces, and advocates for expanding and preserving them for the future of our diverse Nation and of generations to come. These public lands are our national heritage, and whatever and whenever political, religious and/or social differences divide us – as they do now—it’s essential to remember that we literally, figuratively, and spiritually come together as One People on these truly Common Grounds.

2016 has been a stellar year for Wadada Leo Smith. He received several awards, including the 2016 Doris Duke Artist Award and the Hammer Museum's 2016 Mohn Award for Career Achievement, and an honorary doctorate from CalArts. He released an album with Vijay Iyer on ECM, called A Cosmic Rhythm with Each Stroke, which is appearing in countless Best of 2016 lists worldwide. America's National Parks is likewise appearing on countless Best of 2016 lists worldwide. To cite but a few: America's National Parks was named #1 Best Jazz Album of 2016 by The Quietus ; #1 on Dusted's Best of 2016; #2 on NPR Jazz Critics' Poll; #6 on Slates' Best Jazz Albums of 2016; and in The New York Time's Best Albums of 2016. 

IN GRATITUDE FOR THE PRESENT & OPTIMISM FOR THE FUTURE

Cuneiform would like to thank the journalists, editors, dj and other music professionals and music lovers who voted for our releases in the Best of Year polls; the music professionals who’ve supported us in 2016 in the press or on radio, and to all those who have purchased our music in any and all formats. We know that there is a lot of music and other concerns vying for your time, attention and finances; THANK YOU for the interest that you show in our label, our music and our artists.

If you'd like to see a comprehensive list of all our 2016 releases, scroll below.

We would also like to thank all of the musicians that we've worked with over the the past year; we're honored to have been able to release your superb music.

Working together with ALL of you - music fans, music professionals, and musicians - we can bring many positive things – including a lot of great music – to life in 2017. We’ve already scheduled some amazing jazz and rock releases for February 20917: new recordings by the Microscopic Septet (Been Up So Long It Looks Like Down to Me: The Micros Play the Blues); the Ed Palermo Big Band; Chicago/London Underground; and Thinking Plague. TOGETHER, all of us in the world of music CAN and WILL create a lot of GOOD. We thank you for continuing your very special CONNECTION with Cuneiform Records, a connection which we treasure.

Best regards

Joyce, Director of Publicity & Promo

for the Cuneiform Records Team

www.cuneiformrecords.com

www.twitter.com/cuneiformrecord

www.facebook.com/cuneiformrecords

Cuneiform's Year in Review 2016

Bent Knee

Say So

Genre: Rock / Indie Rock /

Art-Rock / Pop / Avant-Progressive

Release Date: 5/20/2016

"Leak Water"

stream: @SoundCloud / @Bandcamp / @YouTube

Deus Ex Machina

Devoto

Genre: Rock / Progressive / Fusion

Release Date: 6/24/2016

"Figli (Sons)"

stream: @SoundCloud / @Bandcamp / @YouTube

Richard Pinhas

& Barry Cleveland

[Featuring: Michael Manring & Celso Alberti]

Mu

Genre: Avant-Progressive / Art Rock / Experimental / Fourth World / Psychedelic

Release Date: 9/16/2016

"Zen/Unzen" [excerpt]

stream: @SoundCloud / @Bandcamp / @YouTube

Richard Pinhas /

Tatsuya Yoshida /

Masami Akita [Merzbow]

Process and Reality

Genre: Rock /  Electronic / Experimental / Noise

Release Date: 9/16/2016

"TVJ 33 (Core Track)" [excerpt]

stream: @SoundCloud / @Bandcamp / @YouTube

Rez Abbasi & Junction

Behind the Vibration

Genre: Jazz / Jazz-Rock /

Electric Jazz / Fusion

Release Date: 5/20/2016

"Self-Brewing"

stream: @SoundCloud / @Bandcamp / @YouTube

The Claudia Quintet

Super Petite

Genre: Jazz / Post-Jazz

Release Date: 6/24/2016

"JFK Beagle"

stream: @SoundCloud / @Bandcamp / @YouTube

Empirical

Connection

Genre: Jazz

Release Date: 2/5/2016

"The Two-Edged Sword"

stream: @SoundCloud / @Bandcamp / @YouTube

Ergo

As subtle as tomorrow

Genre: Jazz / Electronic / Minimalism

Release Date: 2/5/2016

"That never came"

stream: @SoundCloud / @Bandcamp / @YouTube

I.P.A.

I Just Did Say Something

Genre: Jazz

Release Date: 6/24/2016

"Sir William"

stream: @SoundCloud / @Bandcamp / @YouTube

Gary Lucas' Fleischerei

[featuring Sarah Stiles]

Music from Max Fleischer Cartoons

Genre: Jazz / Musical

Release Date: 2/5/2016

"The Broken Record"

stream: @SoundCloud / @Bandcamp / @YouTube

Naima

Bye

Genre: Jazz

Release Date: 1/22/2016

"Bye"

stream: @SoundCloud / @Bandcamp / @YouTube

The Ed Palermo Big Band

One Child Left Behind

Genre: Jazz / Big Band

Release Date: 1/22/2016

"Dirty White Bucks"

stream: @SoundCloud / @Bandcamp / @YouTube

São Paulo Underground

Cantos Invisíveis

Genre: Jazz / Tropicalia / Electronic / World / Psychedelic / Post-Jazz

Release Date: 10/16/2016

"Olhaluai"

stream: @SoundCloud / @Bandcamp / @YouTube

Wadada Leo Smith

America's National Parks

Release Date: 10/16/2016

"New Orleans: The National Culture Park USA 1718 [Excerpt]"

stream: @SoundCloud / @Bandcamp / @YouTube

Thumbscrew:

Mary Halvorson, Michael Formanek, Tomas Fujiwara

Convallaria

Genre: Jazz

Release Date: 5/20/2016

"Sampsonian Rhythms"

stream: @SoundCloud / @Bandcamp / @YouTube

This 15 song compilation album, Cuneiform Records: The Albums of 2016, features over 80 minutes of simply great and utterly creative music made by musicians from around the globe; selected from albums that Cuneiform Records released in 2016.


It is now available to stream or download at a price of YOUR OWN choosing via Cuneiform's Bandcamp page.

Follow Cuneiform Records on:

www.cuneiformrecords.com

www.twitter.com/cuneiformrecord

www.facebook.com/cuneiformrecords

www.soundcloud.com/cuneiformrecords

www.youtube.com/CuneiformRecords

CD RELEASE PARTY: You Are Cordially Invited - Kitano NYC 01.26.17 (KARI-ON PRODUCTIONS)

Audrey Silver - Very Early (KARI-ON PRODUCTIONS 2016)

CD Release Party

Jazz at Kitano

01.26.17/ 8pm and 10pm

New York, NY US

“Her voice is like pure sterling. Her phrasing is exquisite, her clarity and enunciation on par with the great Jo Stafford and her breath control – a talent so 

often, and so wrongfully, overlooked – rivals Sinatra’s..." 

-Christopher Loudon, JazzTimes.com 

“Audrey Silver has that rare quality of light infectious swing that lights up her tall willowy persona.”

-Mark Murphy, Jazz Vocalist 

“As beautiful as the instrumentals are, if Audrey’s voice has not 

captivated you, you better check your volume.”

-Stephanie Trotter, Celebrity Cafe

BIOGRAPHY BRIEF 

Audrey Silver is one of the most elegantly creative singers in jazz today. Known for her smooth, effortless sound, sensitive interpretations, satisfying swing, and unique approach to the American songbook, Audrey sings with a style that radiates her warm, generous personality, Jazztimes’ Christopher Loudon writes, “...her voice is like pure sterling. Her phrasing is exquisite, her clarity and enunciation on par with the great Jo Stafford and her breath control a talent so often, and so wrongfully, overlooked rivals Sinatra’s.”

Audrey’s steady stream of appearances including performances at the Tanglewood Jazz Festival and New York’s prestigious JVC Jazz Festival have made her more sought after than ever. Based in New York City, she regularly performs at numerous venues including 55 Bar, Cornelia Street Cafe and The Kitano. 

In October, 2016 Audrey released her third CD, Very Early. Included in the stellar line-up are two revered jazz musicians, Bruce Barth on piano and Lewis Nash on drums. The album offers a broad array of music from American Songbook standards, originals, to contemporary tunes and a French song all creatively arranged by singer, composer and Berklee professor, Steven Santoro.

Audrey received critical praise for her “vocal prowess” in her second album, Dream Awhile, which features many of the players that have worked with her in New York clubs throughout her career, including pianist Joe Barbato, bassist Joe Fitzgerald, guitarist Chris Bergson, and drummers Anthony Pinciotti and Todd Isler. The recording wowed critics, who lauded her thoughtful, charming, and uniquely personal interpretations of 11 lesser- known jazz standards. 

Audrey is a storyteller at heart, a performer who loves connecting with her audiences. She respects the power of lyrics, but is equally fascinated by how an artist can alter the mood, meaning and impact of a song through its arrangement. Audrey has an insatiable desire to learn, a vast repertoire, years of jazz piano studies, a well-developed ear for scat and improv, and a musically open mind. These elements combine to make Audrey a singer, bandleader and arranger who delights her audiences and fellow musicians. An avid researcher and broad listener, Audrey continuously adds to her distinctive musical vocabulary, and always surprises audiences with her delightfully original versions of jazz standards. Also inspired by the cabaret world, she enjoys sharing anecdotes between songs, offering an unusually friendly, intimate, and enlightening jazz atmosphere. 

Audrey started studying classical piano and cello as a young child, but deep down she alway wanted to be a singer. Audrey explored her love of jazz and popular song by spending hours absorbing the styles of Fred Astaire (she also studied tap) and singing along with the various Broadway musicals such as The Pajama Game and Guys and Dolls that comprised much of her father’s record collection. Audrey finally began to explore her vocal skills while studying at Brown University, where she founded the school’s first co-ed jazz a cappella group, The Higher Keys, for which she transcribed and arranged for the first time.

After graduation, her love of music led to employment in the marketing and A&R departments of CBS Masterworks (now SONY Classical) and then as the Director of Marketing for Chesky Records. She earned an MBA at Columbia Business School and worked as an account executive for advertising giant Ogilvy & Mather. But eventually her deep love for jazz drew her back to singing. 

In 1998, Audrey met Jon Raney (pianist and son of jazz great, Jimmy Raney). He encouraged her to pursue a career as a singer, and worked with her on a demo in 2000 alongside drummer Ronnie Zito (whose rhythmic skills drove the bands of Woody Herman and Bobby Darin) and bassist Jay Leonhart (a Judy Garland and Tony Bennett favorite). Audrey has also studied privately with vocal priestess Sheila Jordan, as well as Mark Murphy, Grammy nominee and four-time winner of the Downbeat Readers Poll for Male Jazz Singer of the Year. According to Murphy, Audrey “has that rare quality of light infectious swing that lights up her tall willowy persona.” 

Audrey’s eclectic background and tireless curiosity continue to inform her understated, intelligent style. Inspired by numerous jazz greats including Joe Williams, Anita O’Day, and Bill Evans, she’s also influenced by an array of musicians and styles, including pop diva Annie Lennox, Yoruban chant, the Brazilian jazz guitarist/composer Djavan, and the atonal explorations of classical composer Arnold Schoenberg. 

Ever the explorer, Audrey continues to expand her musical and creative horizons. She is currently working on numerous projects, including a show of her original songs, a recording of early jazz tunes, and a tribute to legendary vocalist Anita O’Day. Also driven by a desire to give back, Audrey regularly performs at senior and community centers throughout New York City, and acknowledges these programs have changed her as a musician and, interestingly, feels they have been among her best.

CD Description

The singing of Audrey Silver is a complete pleasure to the ear: warm, supple, effortless, serene and full of heart. Audrey is an admired presence on the New York jazz scene; and this album, her third, will show you why. Arranged by jazz singer and Berklee College of Music professor Steven Santoro, Very Early is a package of articulate stories about life. It reaches beyond standards to include songs by Sting, Israeli singer-songwriter Keren Ann, and Audrey herself, in collaboration with her song writing partner, composer Dominique Gagne.

Her pianist, Bruce Barth, whose discography includes fourteen albums of his own…is also a sensitive accompanist to jazz singers…Paul Beaudry, her highly respected bassist, and master drummer Lewis Nash fill out the most supportive rhythm section a singer could wish for…

[Very Early was a long time in the making]…Audrey doesn’t hide her key obstacle along the way: a fierce and prolonged struggle with clinical depression. “Almost everybody that I meet has had some experience with it or knows someone who has,” says Audrey. Hard as it was to persevere, she did until she found solutions. “I think making music is what kept me going,” she adds…

The freedom and ease of the new recordings suggest brighter days for Audrey. Jazz singing has certainly enabled her to spread her wings…Very Early is ultimately an expression of hard-earned endurance and positivity.” I want people to come away from it feeling better than they had before, she says.

Track & Time and Composer

1.Galileo (4:55)

Lyrics and Music by Declan O’Rourke and Seamus Cotter

2. Surrey with the Fringe on Top (5:15)

Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein, Music by Richard Rodgers

3.The Cold Wind’s Embrace (4:28)

Lyrics by Audrey Silver, Music by Audrey Silver & Dominique Gagne

4. Getting to Know You (6:25)

Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein, Music by Richard Rodgers

5. Goodbye New York (4:23)

Lyrics by Deborah Garrison, Music by Audrey Silver & Dominique Gagne

6. Until (4:59)

Lyrics and Music by Sting

7. Lemon Twist (4:30)

Lyrics and Music by Bobby Troup

8. Very Early (4:28)

Lyrics by Carol Hall, Music by Bill Evans

9. What’s with You (5:11)

Lyrics and Music by Mose Allison

10. Jardin D’Hiver (5:14)

Lyrics and Music by K. A. Zeidel and B. Biolay

11. Lucky to Be Me (4:29)

Lyrics by Betty Comden & Adolph Green, Music by Leonard Bernstein

12. When the World Was New (5:35)

Lyrics by Audrey Silver, Music by Audrey Silver & Dominique Gagne

Instrument - Player 

Audrey Silver - vocals

Bruce Barth - piano (all tracks except track 8)

Paul Beaudry - bass

Lewis Nash - drums (all tracks except track 8)

Alex Norris - trumpet (tracks 2, 3, 6 &10)

Gary Versace - accordion (tracks 6 & 12)

Ron Affif - guitar (track 9)

Tom Beckham - vibes (tracks 7, 8 and 12)

The Greg Hatza ORGANization - Diggin up My Roots (KARI-ON PRODUCTIONS January 6, 2017)

BUY THIS ALBUM

Jeff Rupert & Richard Drexler - Imagination (KARI-ON PRODUCTIONS 2017)

Beat The Winter Blues: Toots Thielemans European Quartet - 90 yrs (1 CD 1 DVD) CHALLENGE RECORDS 2017

Beat The Winter Blues

First of all we want to wish you a happy new year! What better way to start the year with the beautiful tunes of Toots Thielemans.

Toots Thielemans European Quartet - 90 yrs. (1 CD 1 DVD) 

Normal price € 19,95 Now € 9,95

His anniversary is honored in a very special manner: with the cd 90yrs and a special bonus DVD with a selection of unique material of his last concert in Japan.

This live CD, 90 yrs, contains unique and previously never issued recordings.

The tracks are recorded during the his latest tours around the globe.

© 2017 - NewArts International / Challenge Records Int.

Gary Smulyan Quartet - Royalty At Le Duc (SUNNYSIDE RECORDS February 2017)

The baritone saxophone went through a period of distinctive stylists. From Harry Carney and Gerry Mulligan to Cecil Payne and Leo Parker, the instrument has made a stamp on the jazz idiom, whether as a sentimental balladeer to the low voiced bebopper. Taking cues from all these stylists, bari specialist Gary Smulyan has definitely cemented himself at the top of a short list of players who have mastered the big horn. 

Smulyan’s expert service in the fantastic large ensembles of Thad Jones and Mel Lewis, Woody Herman, Dizzy Gillespie and the Village Vanguard Orchestra has made him a standout section player and soloist. A voice that is distinctive and also an important element to the given ensemble. 

It is a rare pleasure to hear Smulyan in a small ensemble performance, a setting where you can really hear his genius unabated. A terrific opportunity came about during the fall of 2016 as the saxophonist was on a tour through Europe. Smulyan invited producer Jacques Muyal to a gig in Lausanne, Switzerland, which Muyal wasn’t able to attend. Knowing that Smulyan would be in Paris shortly thereafter, Muyal reached out to the world-renowned club, Le Duc des Lombards, to secure permission to record. The subsequent Royalty at Le Duc presents the brilliant Smulyan in a setting that allows his music to truly blossom, live in a jazz club.

The European rhythm section that Smulyan assembled for the tour was composed of French pianist Olivier Hutman, Italian bassist Michel Rosciglione and Austrian drummer Bernd Reiter. The ensemble was more than capable of handling the diverse program of jazz classics, including Thad Jones’s “Thedia” and “Elusive,” Billy Strayhorn’s “The Star-crossed Lovers,” Pepper Adams’s “Cindy’s Tune,” Joe Henderson’s “Serenity,” Raksin and Mercer’s “Laura” and Johnny Green’s “Body & Soul.” 

Gary Smulyan’s Royalty at Le Duc was recorded by lucky happenstance. The recording also provides an exemplary instance of the depth of the bari saxophonist’s incredible artistry on the bandstand, aided by some of the best jazz musicians Europe has to offer.

1. Thedia

2. The Star-Crossed Lovers

3. Cindy's Tune

4. Serenity

5. Elusive

6. Laura

7. Body & Soul

8. Verdandi

Gary Smulyan - baritone saxophone 

Olivier Hutman - piano 

Michel Rosciglione - bass 

Bernd Reiter - drums

BUY THIS ALBUM

Jon De Lucia Group - As the River Sings (FRESH SOUND NEW TALENT January 2017)

New release on Fresh Sound New Talent in January 2017. All original music by Jon De Lucia with quartet. Recorded live to 2-inch tape with Greg Ruggiero on guitar, Chris Tordini on bass, and Tommy Crane on drums.

Liner notes by Dave Sumner:

It’s gotten to where Jon De Lucia can weave a melody between heartbeats. His sound, grown more expansive with time, shows its strength when coalescing into the softest voice. It’s a big reason why his every note is a solemn one, even when his alto sax is booming out a solo, and it’s the source of the quiet nobility that flows within the confluence of songs of a cheery demeanor and a focused intensity.

With his 2006 release Face No Face, De Lucia provided signs of what was to come. Songs cut from the same canvas upon which he paints renditions of Japanese folksongs speak to the pursuit of a zen-like existence on an album shaped by the forces of turbulence. But even within those challenging environs, De Lucia’s melodic interludes point to the emergence of a grace under fire.

It was years later and with a new ensemble that Jon De Lucia revealed what was only hinted at previously.

His Luce Trio led out with strong classical influences by embracing both Handel and Bach in the improvising-friendly medium of Baroque music. 

Recorded in the historic St Ann and the Holy Trinity church, the 2012 release Pieces, Vol.1

zeroed in on the reverential tones that he once merely dabbled in.

It’s an album of sheer beauty, and looking back, it’s almost blindingly obvious that De Lucia had discovered the sound most suited to him, a sensation not unlike the sun majestically appearing out from behind dark clouds.

But this wasn’t the pinnacle of De Lucia’s creative development. There was the matter of how to re-enter a straight-ahead jazz environment and adapt that approach so it thrives even when the post-bop skirmishes render the attainment of serenity a formidable endeavor.

De Lucia’s newest album, As the River Sings, is positive evidence that he’s advanced toward that end.

Greg Ruggiero’s electric guitar provokes the dancing flames on “Snake Creeps Down” and Tommy Crane’s drums instigate a punctuated chatter on “Festa,“ and yet the tone from De Lucia’s alto sax wills an undercurrent of peacefulness upon the boisterous tempo. And when De Lucia is the one inching the temperature up, it’s only as the shadow to bassist Chris Tordini’s brighter light on “Up Out.”

The melodic sighs of “Caterina” and the two-part “Sinus Suite” are the motions of flickering candlelight, tiny repetitions of emphasis and enchantment. That the heat rises on “Caterina” doesn’t magnify the flame, but acts as the necessary reminder that melodies, no matter how lovely, too, can burn. And “Stirring Curds” shows how a solemn ambiance is no obstacle to expressions of immaculate tunefulness. The melody twists and turns with a beguiling grace, and the rhythm section proceeds as if humming the tune under its breath.

And as has become De Lucia’s talent, the softest sounds on As the River Sings resonate with the greatest strength. Like a heartbeat.

Praise for Face no Face and the Luce Trio:

“Boston-based alto and soprano saxophonist De Lucia stitches together edgy improvising with surprise-filled writing that sounds both mysterious and eminently accessible.” -Bob Young, The Boston Herald

“De Lucia is refreshingly personal in his improvisations and the charts apparently are fairly flexible, leaving a lot of space for soloist and supporters to stretch out. Let’s hope the fresh air continues….” -Stu Vandermark, Cadence Magazine

“The alto saxophonist creates music that moves deliberately, with melodies that are as rich as they are gentle… This music, so finely created by Messrs. De Lucia, Ferreira and Tordini, shines with intelligence and spirit.” -Richard Kamins, Step Tempest Blog

“De Lucia imbues solemn austere music with a candle’s flickering warmth.” -Dave Sumner, birdistheworm.com

“This is a stunning recording. Adventurous, organic and an incredibly intimate performance that should cut a incredibly wide path for both jazz and classical music lovers.” -Brent Black, Critical Jazz

“An incredibly beautiful and interesting take on early music.” -Mark Saleski, somethingelsereviews

Jon De Lucia is a Brooklyn based saxophonist and composer.

Originally from Quincy, MA, Jon has become an integral part

of the New York scene. Predominantly a student of jazz, he

also has a deep interest in the folkloric music and instruments

of Cuba, Japan, Ireland and Italy, having performed on a

variety of ethnic flutes, drums and stringed instruments. Jon

has led his groups and played as a sideman in Boston, New

York and all over Japan with such musicians as Bill Crow,

Michael Kanan, David Tronzo, Bob Moses, John Lockwood,

Billy Mintz, Steve Little, Putter Smith and Thomas Morgan.

He leads the Jon De Lucia Group, and the baroque

improvising Luce Trio. In 2017 he will be publishing his first

article on Lester Young for the Jazz Research Journal, along

with a saxophone exercise book derived by the music of JS

Bach. He has released two records as a leader and continues to

compose, perform and teach privately in New York City.

O1. Opening

02. Caterina

03. Festa

04. Up Out

05. Snake Creeps Down

06. Blockhouse #1

07. KJ (for Charlie)

08. Sinus Suite A: Chickering

09. Sinus Suite B: Into The River

10. Seven Ate Three For You

11. St. Brendan’s Isle

12. Stirring Curds

All compositions by Jon De Lucia

Jon De Lucia - Alto Saxophone, Sruti Box, Alto

Clarinet, Clarinet, Flute

Greg Ruggiero - Electric Guitar

Chris Tordini - Acoustic Bass

Tommy Crane - Drums

Recorded live to 2 inch tape at Seaside Studios,

Brooklyn, NY July 21, 2014.

Engineer: Mitch Rackin

Mixed and Mastered by David Darlington of Bass Hit Studios.

Produced by Jon De Lucia and Jordi Pujol

BUY THIS ALBUM!!!

Happy New Year 2017 !