Trouble Kaze - June (2017)

With June French-Japanese Kaze up the ante

as the band expands both in size and scope

Kaze's original line-up (pianist Satoko Fujii, drummer Peter Orins, and trumpeters Natsuki Tamura and Christian Pruvost) are joined by two additional French nationals, pianist Sophie Agnel and drummer Didier Lasserre to form Trouble Kaze and venture further in free improvisation territory

CD to be released on March 3, 2017 on Circum-Disc

June introduces Trouble Kaze, the moniker chosen for the newly reshaped combo which adds a second pianist and drummer to the original line-up. "The band can be conceived either as a triple duo or a double trio, hence trouble," explains Peter Orins, who suggested the formation of both Kaze and Trouble Kaze. "Moreover, the word also underlines the ambiguity of the situation." The title of the album comes from the fact that the band was caught on June 20, 2016, which signaled the end of spring, the longest day of the year, and the summer solstice.

The five-part suite was recorded during the band's third performance at La Malterie in Lille, France, a venue that serves as an incubator for artists and also presents concerts. By that time, the sextet had already decided to change their modus operandi. Initially, Orins had envisioned having a road map that would structure the improvisation. By the second concert, they had already given up on that process. This explains why the music develops so organically, with spaces left to silence and minimalism, as the artists work on textures and create a sense of mystery-it is sometimes difficult to identify who is responsible for the otherworldly sounds that can be heard throughout the recording.

While the music is deeply steeped in abstraction, the musicians know when to inject a touch of humor or let their emotions run free. The second part ends with a slow crescendo while the third one concludes in a joyous chaos. The band make extensive use of extended techniques-a term that describes unconventional use of an instrument-including Pruvost's signature of a plastic tube to blow in his trumpet, with Orins and Lasserre in the roles of percussionists rather than drummers. Agnel and Lasserre perfectly blend with the other members of the band. "Very quickly, Christian and I thought about Sophie and Didier because we've known them and played with them for years," Orins says. "To get Sophie and Satoko to play together was very dear to me as well."

The recording will be released on March 3, 2017 via Circum-Disc's HeliX collection (LX009).

Fujii and Tamura originally met Orins in 2002 when the pianist's quartet shared a bill with the drummer's collective Impression in his hometown of Lille, France. Nearly a decade later they crossed paths again and Orins suggested a collaboration with Pruvost, inaugurating Kaze as a quartet with unusual instrumentation. As a quartet Kaze has released three acclaimed recordings: 2011's Rafale which earned a place on numerous best of the year lists as "a stunning achievement from note one" (NYC Jazz Record), 2013's "highly original" Tornado, and 2015's Uminari which the London Jazz News called "...bold, uncompromising music."  

From 2013 - late 2016, Satoko Fujii and husband Natsuki Tamura split their time between Tokyo and Berlin. During that time, they deepened their musical relationship with Orins and Pruvost who have now become their closest collaborators. The two Frenchmen were even invited to join Fujii's Orchestra Tokyo on their latest recording, Peace (Libra). Trouble Kaze also illustrates Satoko Fujii's desire to expand her horizons and develop new musical partnerships as witnessed recently with the debut album of her Orchestra Berlin (Ichigo Ichie, Libra) or a duo recording with bass player Joe Fonda (Duet, Long Song Records).

Orins and Pruvost are the pillars of Muzzix, a collective based in Lille and comprised of about 30 musicians. Recently, as members of Muzzix, they collaborated with another French collective called Dedalus to record Moondog (aka Louis Hardin): Round the World of Sound (New World Records), a work dedicated to the maverick composer.

Sophie Agnel and Didier Lasserre have built a solid reputation within the French free improvisation scene. Agnel is a 2014-18 member of the Orchestre National de Jazz (ONJ) and can be heard on the critically-acclaimed Europa-Rome (ONJ Records), while Lasserre has recently been delving into the duo format with performance artist Ly Thanh Tién, trumpeter Jean-Luc Cappozzo from the Globe Unity Orchestra, or legendary guitarist Raymond Boni.

Critics and fans alike hail pianist and composer Satoko Fujii as one of the most original voices in jazz today. In concert and on 80 albums as a leader or co-leader, she synthesizes jazz, contemporary classical, avant-rock and Japanese folk music into an innovative music instantly recognizable as hers alone. She has also established herself as one of the world's leading composers for large jazz ensembles, leading Cadence magazine to call her, "the Ellington of free jazz." Her ultimate goal: "I would love to make music that no one has heard before."


Trumpeter Natsuki Tamura is internationally recognized for his ability to blend a unique vocabulary of extended techniques with touching jazz lyricism. Since 2005, Tamura has focused on the intersection of European folk music and sound abstraction with Gato Libre, a group now featuring Tamura, Fujii on accordion and Yasuko Kaneko on trombone. In 2006 he co-founded the collaborative trio Junk Box with Fujii and drummer John  Hollenbeck.

www.satokofujii.com

Pianist Satoko Fujii SOLO recording "Invisible Hand" (2 CD)

Available February 10, 2017 on Cortez Sound

Pianist Satoko Fujii’s first live solo recording is an introspective gem

Invisible Hand was recorded in concert at the intimate Cortez jazz club in Mito, Japan

“Satoko Fujii is one of the most original pianists in free jazz…” – Steve Greenlee, Boston Globe

“There is beauty in these melodies, there is purpose in the rhythms and there are moments of sheer playfulness.” – Richard Kamins, Step Tempest 

Pianist Satoko Fujii’s new double CD of unaccompanied piano music, Invisible Hand is an event. Although she is a prolific composer and bandleader, Fujii has rarely recorded as a soloist. In fact, after more than 25 years on the international jazz scene during which she has recorded 79 CDs as a leader, co-leader, or sideman, this is only her fourth solo album. 

It all came about when Fujii received an unexpected invitation to play at the jazz club Cortez in Mito, a city about 120 miles northeast of Tokyo, which is not particularly well known for its jazz scene. Club owner Teruhiko Ito wanted to book her on the recommendation of a friend who had seen her perform with her Tobira quartet in Tokyo. Fujii first came with Kaze, the collective quartet of which she is a member, and the audience was so enthusiastic about the band that Ito invited her back to play solo. The warmth of her reception and the intimacy of the club inspired a stellar performance. Ito was so pleased by what he heard that he decided to inaugurate his own label, Cortez Sound, with the release of the date. 

For her first set, Fujii played completely improvised music, only the third time she had ever done that over the many years she’s been performing solo. “When I freely improvise, sometimes I decide ahead of time on a few things before I start playing,” she says. “For instance, I’ll pick the mood, tempo, length, structure, or some other element that I’ll use. But other times, I just sit down at the keyboard and see what happens.”

Unlike much of her often fiercely energetic large and small ensemble music, Fujii’s solos are generally quiet and spacious, lyrical, and introspective. “When I play solo, I have to go down into myself to hear my inner voice because there are no voices from other bandmates to interact with,” she says.

As followers of Fujii’s music might expect, her instincts as a composer help guide her improvisations, which develop organically with their own surprising logic and melodic coherence. “Thought” is a spare, lyrical improvisation composed of single note phrases and extended lines with only occasional left hand chord support. Fujii adds color and texture using dampened strings and the music slowly grows more rhapsodic before its recedes into silence. In contrast, “Increase” is built of short, nervous phrases that start and stop suddenly and lengthen into graceful, dissonant lines. Contrast between dense clusters of notes and untethered single note lines provide tension and release as the piece develops. “Hayese,” a Japanese word meaning “swift current” is an apt title for the rapid flow of ideas heard in the spontaneous creation. 

Second set improvisations include “Inori,” which begins with subdued playing inside the piano, evoking harp-like sonorities and abstract sounds that seem almost electronic. When Fujii switches to the keyboard, her heavily embellished melodies take on the characteristics of an “out there” Art Tatum. “Green Cab” is a tour de force of piano-wire improvisation with plinky-plunky textures and silky glissandos setting up a section of abstract boogie-woogie pianistics. The second set also includes one of her loveliest compositions, the gospel tinged “Gen Himmel” (the title track of her previous solo album), and the sweepingly narrative “Spring Storm,” the title track of the debut album by her New Trio.

Critics and fans alike hail pianist and composer Satoko Fujii as one of the most original voices in jazz today. She’s “a virtuoso piano improviser, an original composer and a bandleader who gets the best collaborators to deliver," says John Fordham in The Guardian. In concert and on more than 85 albums as a leader or co-leader, she synthesizes jazz, contemporary classical, avant-rock and Japanese folk music into an innovative music instantly recognizable as hers alone.

Over the years, Fujii has led some of the most consistently creative ensembles in modern improvised music, including The New Trio, Tobira, the ma-do quartet, the Min-Yoh Ensemble, and an electrifying avant-rock quartet featuring drummer Tatsuya Yoshida of The Ruins. She has also established herself as one of the world’s leading composers for large jazz ensembles, leading Cadence magazine to call her, “the Ellington of free jazz.” Her previous solo album, Gen Himmel (Libra) was praised by critic Francois Couture for “Strength, elegance, melodiousness that plays sharp contrasts with the atonal and angular aspects of her playing.

Short pieces establishing an intimate rapport with the listener without resorting to cheap tricks of seduction.” Her ultimate goal: “I would love to make music that no one has heard before.”

Over the years, Satoko Fujii has proved to be an exceptionally versatile, wide ranging, and often unpredictable composer, bandleader, and instrumentalist. Her solo playing highlights yet another side of her art, one that is introspective and melodic, but no less creative, surprising, and substantial.

How long ago was it? When I performed at the Kunuttel House jazz club in Tokyo with my quartet Tobira, Mr. Yaguchi, who was in the audience, came up to me after the show and said, “Please perform at Cortez in Mito.” Mr. Yaguchi is a close friend of the Cortez club owner, Mr. Ito. This was a wonderful and surprising offer. In the e-mail correspondence that followed, I learned Cortez had an upright piano. Unfortunately, since I play inside the piano strings, I could not have a concert there. When I explained this Mr. Ito said, “We are planning to get a grand piano, so we will let you know when we have one.” I was so surprised that they actually emailed me back when they got a grand piano, and I was so happy that they remembered!

That was perfect timing to perform with one of my projects, Kaze, which features Natsuki and two French musicians, Christian Pruvost and Peter Orins. The concert was set for January 2016. It was the first time I had visited Mito. On the day of the concert there was a snowstorm. I was amazed to see that people still came out to hear our music  passionate music lovers, the enthusiastic club owner Mr. Ito, the manager Mr. Fujie, and their close friend Mr. Yaguchi were all waiting for us. Kaze is a band that uses a lot of noise which imposes a sense of tension in the audience. It was like a dream to see people embrace this kind of music in Mito, which is not a big city, and to find a venue that can offer music in these wonderful circumstances. 

After the concert, Mr. Ito and Mr. Yaguchi took us to a Japanese style bar close to the hotel. I learned that they had been listening to my CDs and that they sometimes came to my concerts in Tokyo. I play music that I like, and I was so encouraged to learn that there were people enjoying our music in the city of Mito, which I had just visited for the first time! On the way to the hotel, I received another offer from Mr. Ito, this time to perform a solo concert in April 2016.

Playing solo is a little different from ensemble playing, because performing solo forces me to go deep into myself. The circumstances of Cortez and the enthusiasm there is reflected in the music. Supported by the audience, I was calm, facing myself, and breathing the air, picking notes one by one and weaving with them. The recording catches that irreplaceable time and meeting. 

Recently I have been hearing that people everywhere in the world are losing interest in music and culture, and the situation is getting worse and worse. However, around Cortez there are no signs of that. Instead, there is a strong, deep, and unequivocal enthusiasm for music.

I played total improvisation in the first set, mixed with some written pieces in the second set. I would be very happy if you feel the music that breathes in the moment and expresses its life-size.   
6/16/2016

Satoko Fujii

I sometimes don’t think I would know pianist Ms. Satoko Fujii if I didn’t work in this business. I remember her article in the magazine, “Out There” which I read a long time ago. 

I opened the café Cortez, where people can listen to jazz by playing analogue and CDs, and often chatted with visitors about jazz and audio systems. One day a local band asked if they could perform, and since then Cortez has been known as a live concert venue. Around one year later one of Cortez’s regulars, Mr. Yaguchi, asked me if I knew the piano player Ms. Satoko Fujii. I only knew her by name. We started talking about having her perform at Cortez. The music on her CD strongly touches my heart and the desire to host her in concert rose day by day. After acquiring a grand piano and expanding the venue, I could finally invite her to perform with the band Kaze.

After the show, I decided I would like to hear her solo. I also dreamed of making a CD from the solo concert as the first Cortez CD. Surprisingly, she accepted my offer. Everyone at Cortez was excited by the project. We prepared the equipment, the venue, the photos, and all the other things that we could enthusiastically put together to support Ms. Fujii’s wonderful playing. Her solo piano playing and the acoustics of the venue blended perfectly, and this exquisite sound was recorded without losing any of its beauty. Please open your heart to the sound of the piano, which transcends the typical instrumental piano sound and is absorbed in the space. 

I think this recording will show the world Ms. Fujii's rare ability to draw deep beauty, emotion, illusion, reality and view of the world from a very deep place in the human soul with her incredible piano sound.

As a person, Ms. Fujii possesses a gentle smile and friendly character that contrasts with her powerful persona in front of the piano. Now I’ve started traveling an endless trip with her.

This recording has been completed with the help of many people including Ms. Fujii. 

I really appreciate this. 
Thank you so much!

Teruhiko Ito, Cortez

www.satokofujii.com

Satoko Fujii Orchestra Tokyo - Peace (Tribute To Kelly Churko) LIBRA RECORDS 2017

Satoko Fujii Orchestra Tokyo releases fifth recording Peace

a deeply personal celebration of friends and colleagues

Featuring 15-member Orchestra Tokyo with

special guests Peter Orins and Christian Pruvost from KAZE

"Fujii is the Ellington of free jazz." - Bob Rusch, Cadence

"Fujii has become over the past 25 years simply one of the most important composers of our time: she gives new meaning to the term 'pan-stylistic." - Alan Young, Lucid Culture

With each new orchestra album, pianist-composer Satoko Fujii deepens and refines one of the most startling and singular concepts in large ensemble free jazz today. Peace (January 27, 2017, Libra Records), the fifth album with her 15-member Orchestra Tokyo, is no exception. A tribute to the late guitarist Kelly Churko, the recording features special guests drummer Peter Orins and trumpeter Christian Pruvost with whom Fujii and her husband Natsuki Tamura perform in the collective quartet KAZE. Together these friends and colleagues create one of the most personal of Fujii's 18 (!) big band albums.

"I always try to come up with a special concept for each recording project," Fujii says. "When we recorded Peace, KAZE was in Japan touring. The two French musicians are very different from the Japanese musicians in the orchestra, so I thought it might be interesting to see how they all could draw inspiration from one another. I wanted to bring their voices into my Tokyo orchestra to get some kind of creative chemical reaction. I like how it came out. I think it succeeded."

Besides introducing special guests to the orchestra, Fujii also wanted to pay tribute to one of her most beloved collaborators, Canadian guitarist Kelly Churko, who lived in Tokyo for more than a decade and was a member of the Orchestra Tokyo from 2009 and the First Meeting quartet (Churko appears on the orchestra's 2010 release, Zakopane and First Meeting's Cut the Rope CD.) "He was an amazing person and such a talented musician," Fujii says.

Fujii wrote "Peace" in Churko's memory. From the title, you might not expect the full throttle intensity and explosive energy of the composition. Fujii showcases the entire sax section in a pulsating, triple forte collective improvisation to open the piece and the energy level never drops as baritone saxophonist Ryuichi Yoshida delivers a roaring solo, alto saxophonist Kunihiro Izumi swoops and wails and the drummers engage in earth-shaking duet. As Fujii explains, "Kelly loved noise music and crazy heavy metal sometimes, but he was the guy who was very peaceful and loved peace."

Churko died of cancer in 2014, so the sprawling half-hour composition "2014" has a tie to the guitarist as well. Working on a large musical canvas, Fujii has plenty of space to explore different aspects of the orchestra, from extended melodies to massive orchestral chords to subtle orchestrations. Fujii deploys duo and trio combinations of improvisers to enrich the written material. First up are the special guests Pruvost and Orins, followed by trombonist Yasuyuki Takahashi and tenor saxophonist Masaya Kimura.

The energy level of the performance jumps suddenly as the drummers go at it together and then trumpeters Natuski Tamura and Toshihiro Koike chatter and soar before bright and bold full ensemble blasts. A trio improvisation with trumpeter Takao Watanabe, trombonist Haguregumo Nagamatsu and tenorist Kenichi Matsumoto unfolds over a funky beat before bassist Toshiki Nagata has the final say.

Tamura's "Jasper" opens serenely, with featured soprano saxophone soloist Sachi Hayasaka improvising almost a call to prayer. The music builds to an impressive full orchestra crescendo before retreating to the hushed drone that began the piece. "Jasper was a cat of our old friend's, Jane Wang in Boston," Fujii explains. "He was Natsuki's best friend. They could communicate somehow and enjoyed napping together."

The album closes with "Beguine Nummer Eins," a melodic dance number whose title is a legacy of Fujii and Tamura's years spent in Berlin. (They are now based back in Japan.) Trumpeter Yoshihito Fukumoto delivers a robust, lyrical performance.

Critics and fans alike hail pianist and composer Satoko Fujii as one of the most original voices in jazz today. She's "a virtuoso piano improviser, an original composer and a bandleader who gets the best collaborators to deliver," says John Fordham in The Guardian.

In concert and on more than 80 albums as a leader or co-leader, she synthesizes jazz, contemporary classical, avant-rock and Japanese folk music into an innovative music instantly recognizable as hers alone. Her most recent group, Satoko Fujii Tobira with trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, bassist Todd Nicholson, and drummer Takashi Itani, released their debut recording Yamiyo Ni Karasu in 2015. 

"There are pulse-pounding rhythms, vibrant tones and dark chords woven together into a multi-shaded tapestry of soundŠWhat an absolute pleasure to listen to Satoko Fujii." wrote Travis Rogers Jr. in The Jazz Owl. Over the years, Fujii has led some of the most consistently creative ensembles in modern improvised music, including the ma-do quartet, the Min-Yoh Ensemble, and an electrifying avant-rock quartet featuring drummer Tatsuya Yoshida of The Ruins. She has also established herself as one of the world's leading composers for large jazz ensembles, leading Cadence magazine to call her, "the Ellington of free jazz." Her ultimate goal: "I would love to make music that no one has heard before."

Although Fujii is renowned as a pianist, her keyboard playing is not heard on Peace. "For me, composing is one of the most delicious parts of being a musician," she says. "I compose the piece but the composition is more like the starting point for improvising. With my orchestra, conducting is my improvisation. I can arrange my compositions on the stage with a lot of inspiration from my bandmates' playing. I'm not playing piano as much with my orchestra now. Many times, I don't play at all. I am just too busy directing and cueing the band. My band is my instrument."

www.satokofujii.com

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Joe Fields, Legendary Jazz Label Owner

Joe Fields, Legendary Jazz Label Owner

Joe Fields, a driving force in the jazz music business for over 50 years, passed away on Wednesday, July 12, 2017.  He was 88 years old. 

Joe was born in Jersey City, N.J. in 1929 and raised in Brooklyn. He attended Pershing Jr. HS and Erasmus Hall and was a citywide athlete, winning the prestigious New York Journal American Lou Gehrig award.  Joe worked many jobs during his school years, including selling newspapers, pushing a rack in the Garment District, and driving a cab.  He played college football at Syracuse and the University of Bridgeport where he was captain of his team his senior year.  While attending Bridgeport, he met and married his wife of 66 years, Joan Nancy Boyd.

After graduating from college, Joe had several business ventures but found his calling in the music business.  In the late fifties, he began selling records to music stores in Brooklyn.  Joe was hired by London Records to pick singles for the United States market.  He worked for MGM, Verve, Prestige, and Sue Records before becoming the national sales manager at Buddha Records.  While at Buddha, Joe started their jazz division, Cobblestone Records.  He started his own record label when he acquired Cobblestone from Buddha and renamed it Muse Records.  From 1973 to 1996, Muse created nearly 30 years of successful jazz recordings featuring artists such as Pat Martino, Houston Person, Cedar Walton, Charlie Earland, Larry Coryell, Woody Shaw, and many others.  The label was nominated for various jazz music awards and won two Grammys.  During the mid 80’s Joe acquired both the Savoy and Landmark Records labels.  Savoy was a seminal jazz company with recordings by Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Dexter Gordon, and other influential stars of the early years of the Bebop era.  

In 1997, Joe, and his son Barney, launched HighNote and Savant Records.  This started another legacy that continues to this day.  Performers who have thrived on the label include such notable musicians as Kenny Burrell, Houston Person, Wallace Roney, Eric Alexander, Freddy Cole, Tom Harrell, Russell Malone, and others who continue to release new jazz recordings.

Joe was a founding member of the Police Boys Club Lacrosse program in Manhasset, New York.  He was one of the founders of the Manhasset Lacrosse “Day of Champions” where both college and high school teams continue to play in this yearly event. In recognition of his many contributions to lacrosse, Joe was one of the inaugural inductees in the Manhasset Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

Joe joined the Manhasset Gentleman Joggers at its inception in the 1960’s, running in everything from Sunday jogs and 5K’s to half marathons.  He enjoyed many years of friendly competition with a wide group of friends.

He is survived by his wife, Joan Nancy Fields, four children;  Christine Jenne (Richard), Suzanne Fields, Laura Tralongo, Barney Fields, grandchild Allison Passero (Julius), and a great grandson, Julius Passero III.

Funeral Arrangements

Sunday, July 16, 2017

3:00-5:00pm & 7:00-9:00pm

Fairchild & Sons Funeral Chapel

1570 Northern Blvd.

Manhassett, NY 11030

(516) 627 – 2000

Simon Millerd's Lessons and Fairy Tales, Featuring the Pablo Held Trio, to be Released on Songlines on August 4

Debut Album from  Montreal-Based Trumpeter Features the Pablo Held Trio

Young Montreal trumpeter-composer Simon Millerd has been playing serious jazz trumpet since his teens, but Lessons and Fairytales, which will be released by Songlines on August 4, is his first recording under his own name.

Millerd first performed with Germany’s acclaimed Pablo Held Trio in 2011.That performance greatly inspired the direction of Millerd’s own music going forward, but it was not until 2016 that they had the opportunity to play together again. The results are full of feeling and an authenticity that comes straight from the heart. Lessons and Fairy Tales is is the first documentation of their collaborative, evocative music-making, 

“The trio has been a major inspiration for my own musical direction," says Simon. They are so free, adventurous, interactive, united…I have applied some of their concepts to my own bands, for example they don’t play with a set list but instead have all their music memorized and can jump from any point in any piece to any other point at the drop of a hat. It keeps the music fresh, keeps you on your toes!”

When he learned that the trio was booked for a concert at the German Consulate in New York in the fall of 2016, Simon arranged for them to come to Montreal, where they joined him in the studio for his recording debut. Also featured on some tracks are the mostly wordless vocals of Montreal folk-jazz singer Emma Frank.

Check out the video for "Gnome Home"

Lessons and Fairytales is a very personal record, both in its content and its production. Almost every track includes one or more guest artists who are longtime friends and co-leaders with Simon of the Montreal band Nomad. And like Simon they are all graduates of the jazz program at McGill University and former students of Chris McCann, who Simon credits with reorienting his playing and his life. Simon notes that “Chris was my first teacher to talk at length about the importance of developing as a person, not just as a musician. Music became about the expression of emotion, the illustration of the complexity of how we feel. His lessons were life lessons, philosophy, inquiries into truth. He had a lot of practical advice too, how to practice very efficiently and ‘go deep’ by playing very slowly, how to avoid injury etc. My closest friends were almost all private students of his as well. There was a group of us that really took his stuff to heart. Some of us lived together and formed different bands – Nomad, Isis Giraldo’s Poetry Project, Chronicle Infinitas, Brilliant Ally and others.”

The sad, lovely “Quiet Now,” the first single off the album, was inspired by Simon and vocalist Emma Frank’s relationship and breakup after three years together. Simon muses: “I was just thinking about the double meaning of the title, how it’s quiet after all the fighting of a breakup (it’s quiet now), but it’s also an encouragement to relax or meditate (be quiet now).”

One way or another, all the pieces on the record reference a quest that began for Simon in his early 20s: “I stopped playing for three years after high school because I became very depressed and lost interest in everything. That experience led me to spirituality and the search for a meaning to all the suffering in the world. My music inevitably has become an expression of that, instead of this quest to be the best, impress people.”

“Coltrane and Wayne Shorter are definitely among my biggest influences [others include Icelandic bassist and electronic musician Skuli Sverrisson and Norwegian trumpeter Arve Henriksen]. It’s to Wayne and Trane that I go for relief. Their music is so powerful that it literally can take away my physical pain. It is interesting that they accomplish this in very different ways. Coltrane is very direct in his song titles and is almost always pointing towards the spiritual realm. With Wayne the song titles refer more to adventure, myths and so forth, only rarely alluding to his Buddhist roots.”


“Innocence is a big theme throughout this music, yes…We can look at another’s harmful actions and remember that they just don’t know that they’re doing something wrong and are under the influence of powerful delusions and illusions. A Course in Miracles refers to it more often as our sinlessness. We are forgiven when we realize that there is nothing to forgive. These kinds of ideas are expanded on emotionally, subconsciously informing the music.

The lessons seem to part the clouds for inspiration to come through, and the fairytales are more like little sparks igniting a collective movie that the band is creating together. Free improv is incorporated into these songs as a contrast. It’s a relief from the organized structure, and a chance for everyone to build something collectively. It takes a lot of trust and a lot of imagination and I think it brings out a lot of character and unity in the band, especially in the fairytales such as ‘Gnome Home’ and ‘Jonas and the Dragon’.”

INFO & BUY

Homenajes a Violeta en Argentina Centenario

Amigos/as: hermosas noticias para el centenario del nacimiento de Violeta. Desde que estoy en Argentina, cada año he hecho un espectáculo, un recuerdo, un homenaje a Violeta parra, porque así me surgía, porque mi canto partió desde su raíz. En su centenario empezamos los festejos. Carla Giannini

El Domingo 16 a las 20.30 en La Paila:

En nuestra querida casa La PAILA "Corre que ya te agarra Violeta Parra" Obra poético- teatral y musical con  décimas cartas, sus preciosas obras para guitarra, y un montón de canciones. Con Mauricio Gutiérrez  excelente guitarrista chileno, recién llegadito  con su  guitarra y su voz.

Después del concierto, todos los que quieran cantar a Violeta podrán hacerlo, solos o acompañados con nuestro cuatro y guitarra.

Por fin se está concretando este sueño maravilloso, un disco que es belleza pura; Se llamará "Después de vivir un siglo en Argentina" que desde hace mas de un año estamos grabando , con muchísimo esfuerzo.

Ahora necesitamos para lograr llegar al final de la ayuda de ustedes, nuestros amigos y de todos los que amen a Violeta, Lo lograremos si nos ayudan ingresando a IDEA.ME, un simple registro y la colaboración que puedan.

El disco se las voces de varias de las cantoras más representativas de Argentina: Mónica Abraham, Lorena Astudillo, Chiqui Ledesma, Norma Peralta, Paula Ferré, Dorita Chávez, Teresa Parodi y Carla Giannini (de Chile). Guitarras a cargo de: Pedro Furió, Leandro Cacioni y Osvaldo Burucuá quien ademas ejecutará las anticuecas y el actor Patricio Contreras recitará el poema Elegía para Cantar de Pablo Neruda, completando así una síntesis de la obra musical y poética de la creadora chilena. Serán invitados además de Chile Los Cantores que reflexionan, y la guitarra de Mauricio Gutiérrez.

NOS AYUDAN?

La manera de colaborar es: ingresan

"Después De Vivir Un Siglo" - Ideame

Jane Ira Bloom Wild Lines: Improvising Emily Dickinson + 2017 DownBeat Critics Poll Soprano Saxophonist Of The Year

New Release

Jane Ira Bloom

Wild Lines: Improvising Emily Dickinson 

Jane Ira Bloom (soprano saxophone)

Dawn Clement (piano)

Mark Helias (bass)

Bobby Previte (drums)

+ 2017 DownBeat Critics Poll

Soprano Saxophonist Of The Year

(2 CD Set Outline OTL 143)

Street Date: September 8, 2017

American original Jane Ira Bloom does it again. This time the 21st-century soprano saxophonist reimagines the poetry of 19th-century visionary Emily Dickinson in two different settings. Her new 2 Cd pack showcases her jazz quartet’s interpretation of Dickinson’s poetry and includes a second version for jazz quartet and spoken word featuring readings by popular stage & film actor Deborah Rush. After the success of her 2016 trio album release Early Americans, Bloom shifts gears with Wild Lines / Improvising Emily Dickinson (OTL143) showcasing her acclaimed quartet in dialogue with poetry in her seventeenth album and first foray into music and text. Her sound is like no other on the straight horn and she lets it fly with long-time band mates Dawn Clement (piano), Mark Helias (bass) & Bobby Previte (drums).

Adding the Emily Dickinson narrative to the ensemble on disc 2 is acclaimed actor Deborah Rush. Bloom composed Wild Lines when she was awarded a 2015 CMA/ Doris Duke New Jazz Works commission. She was inspired to musically reimagine Dickinson when she learned that the poet was a pianist and improviser herself, reconfirming what she’d always felt in the jazz-like quality of Dickinson’s phrasing. “I didn’t always understand her but I always felt Emily’s use of words mirrored the way a jazz musician uses notes.” Wild Lines’ premiere at the poet’s home in Amherst, MA was followed by performances at the Kennedy Center and the NYPL for the Performing Arts. The ensemble then headed into Avatar Studios to record in stereo and surround-sound with renowned audio engineer Jim Anderson. The album features fourteen Bloom originals inspired by fragments of Dickinson poetry and prose mined from both her collected works and envelope poems “The Gorgeous Nothings.” The album closes with a solo rendition of an American classic, Rodgers & Hart’s ”It’s Easy to Remember.” Artist Gina Werfel contributes a stunning motion painting for the CD’s cover image. Wild Lines / Improvising Emily Dickinson illuminates why jazz critic Brian Priestly called Jane Ira Bloom “the poet of the soprano saxophone.”

WINNER  2017 DOWNBEAT CRITICS POLL for SOPRANO SAX

 “music of great individuality and originality that could belong to no one else”

– Nick Lea, Jazzviews

Upcoming Live Appearance

JANE IRA BLOOM  

Wild Lines: Improvising Emily Dickinson

w/Dawn Clement, Dean Johnson,

Bobby Previte, & Deborah Rush

Fri, Aug 11 @ 8:00 pm

Buckley Recital Hall

Amherst College

53 College St

Amherst, MA

(413) 542-2034

tickets $18

News & Events | Jane Ira Bloom performance of "Wild Lines" | Amherst College

www.janeirabloom.com

National Press Campaign

Jim Eigo Jazz Promo Services

Ph: 845-986-1677 / jim@jazzpromoservices.com

www.jazzpromoservices.com

"Specializing in Media Campaigns for the music community, artists, labels, venues and events.”

Dave Stryker New Release Strykin' Ahead CD + Upcoming Live Appearances

Dave Stryker

New Release Strykin' Ahead 

Upcoming Live Appearances

Dave Stryker Strykin' Ahead

(Strikezone 8815)

Street Date: September 1, 2017

Dave Stryker –guitar

Steve Nelson –vibes

Jared Gold – organ

McClenty Hunter – drums

Dace Stryker is a 2017 DownBeat Critics Poll Finalist

Advance Praise For Strykin' Ahead

If you have chops like Dave’s; his musical sensibilities; his uncanny ability to put together interesting instrumentations; his skill at selecting just the right band mates to make Jazz with; wouldn’t you want to work all the time, too?

It becomes like anything you’re good at; you want to do it as often as possible but occasionally vary the context to keep it from getting stale.

– Steven Cerra Jazz Profiles

A real burner of a set, it feels like an artifact from the past, unreleased from Bluenote/Verve, but it’s modern, contemporary touches are well evident showing how a cat that’s been hitting all the right notes for all these years can’t make a false step now. - CHRIS SPECTOR, Midwest Record Editor and Publisher 

I give Dave and his talented crew a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, with an “EQ” (energy quotient) rating of 4.99 for this one… and keep in mind that you heard it here first… this one is BOUND for the awards.

- Dick Metcalf Improvijazzation Nation

A mainstream record of undignified beauty. - Vittorio Lo Conte Musiczoom

Artist: Dave Stryker

Title: Strykin’ Ahead

Label: Strikezone Records 8815

Artists Website: www.davestryker.com

Release Date: September 1, 2017

UPC Code: 88829560583 

Track listing, track times:

1 SHADOWBOXING Dave Stryker (D. Strike Music BMI) 5:59

2 FOOTPRINTS Wayne Shorter (Miyako Music BMI) 6:39

3 NEW YOU Dave Stryker (D.Strike Music BMI) 5:50

4 PASSION FLOWER Billy Strayhorn (Billy Strayhorn Songs Inc ASCAP)

5:33 5 STRYKIN’ AHEAD Dave Stryker (D. Strike Music BMI) 6:12

6 BLUES DOWN DEEP Dave Stryker (D. Strike Music BMI) 7:15

7 JOY SPRING Clifford Brown (Second Floor Music BMI) 8:12

8 WHO CAN I TURN TO Newley/ Bricusse (Musical Comedy Prod Inc BMI) 7:32

9 DONNA LEE Charlie Parker (Atlantic Music Corp BMI) 6:27

DAVE STRYKER guitar

STEVE NELSON vibraphone

JARED GOLD organ

McCLENTY HUNTER drums

The notion of moving forward by triangulating a space between creative and pragmatic imperatives is a consistent thread throughout Dave Stryker’s four decades in the jazz business, not least on Strykin’ Ahead, his 28th CD as a leader. Stryker augments his working trio of Jared Gold on organ and McClenty Hunter on drums with vibraphone player Steve Nelson, all on-board for a second go-round after their stellar contri- butions to last year’s Eight-Track II. Like the leader, Nelson is a preternaturally flexible and in-the-moment improviser with deep roots in the tradition who knows how to push the envelope without damaging the contents. Stryker internalized those imperatives on a 1984-1986 run with Brother Jack McDuff, and he received further invaluable training in the art of musical communication during a decade on the road with Stanley Turrentine, to whom he paid homage on the 2015 release Don’t Mess With Mister T.

In contrast to his Eight Track II conception of putting his spin on pop hits of his formative years, Stryker returns to his long-standing practice of presenting originals and reharmonized standards from the jazz and show music songbooks. "Shadowboxing" is a burning 14-bar minor blues; his well-considered chordal variations on Wayne Shorter's "Footprints" proceed to a simmering 5/4 figure. Next is "New You" (a stimulating Stryker contrafact of the oft-played "There Will Never Be Another You"). He personalizes Billy Strayhorn's "Passion Flower," set to Hunter's insinuating bossa-funk groove. The title track “Strykin’ Ahead” has a Cadillac-racing-down-the-freeway-feel; he imbues the lovely melody of "Who Can I Turn To" with the full measure of his plush, inviting tone.

That Stryker knows his Albert King is evident on the slow-drag “Blues Down Deep,” which evokes wee-hours third sets in the inner city grills and lounges of Stryker’s apprentice years. He knows his bebop, too. On Clifford Brown’s “Joy Spring,” the solo flights over Stryker’s “modernized” progressions transpire over Hunter’s drum-bass beats and crisp, medium-up four-on-the cymbal; on the chopbusting “Donna Lee,” all members springboard off a churchy vamp and Hunter’s funk-infused swing.

“I’ve always wanted to write vehicles that are fun and interesting to blow over,” Stryker says. “Trying to come up with a beautiful melody that lasts is very fulfilling. Writing is a big part of my voice in this music.” Stryker is too modest to say that his voice is also a big part of jazz, to which he’s devoted a career marked by consistent application of the values that he espouses. But that’s all right—I’ll say it for him. (edited liner notes from Ted Panken)

Produced by Dave Stryker
Executive Producer - Rick Simpson

Engineered and Mixed by Chris Sulit at Trading 8’s Studio, Paramus NJ on June 28, 2016

Upcoming Live Appearances

Sat July 29 – 8:00pm and 10:00pm

Dave Stryker Quartet

• Dave Stryker – guitar

• Jared Gold – organ

• Sylvia Cuenca-drums

• Special Guest

Trumpets

6 Depot Square | Montclair, NJ

Sun Aug 6 – Aug 12

Dave Stryker Clinician at Samba Meets Jazz Workshop

Samba Meets Jazz

College of the Atlantic / Bar Harbor Maine

Fri Aug 25 – 8:00pm

Dave Stryker Quintet w/ Eric Alexander and Steve Nelson

• Dave Stryker – guitar

• Eric Alexander – tenor sax

• Steve Nelson – vibraphone

• Jared Gold – organ

• Byron Landham – drums

Northwest Jazz Festival – Lewiston NY

Lewiston NY

Sat Aug 26 – 8:30pm – 10:30pm

Dave Stryker Quartet w/ Eric Alexander

• Dave Stryker – guitar

• Eric Alexander – tenor sax

• Jared Gold – organ

• Byron Landham – drums

Nighttown – Cleveland OH

12383 Cedar Rd, Cleveland, OH (216) 795-0550

Sept 3rd- The Falcon

Sept 9 -Trumpets

Sept 16- Jazz on Second Ave, Niewood CO

Sept 23- Sidedoor 

Sept 28- New Brunswick Hyatt

Oct 6- Jazz Kitchen, Indianapolis IN

Oct 20- Palace Theatre, Waterbury CT

www.davestryker.com

National Press Campaign

Jim Eigo Jazz Promo Services

Ph: 845-986-1677 / jim@jazzpromoservices.com

www.jazzpromoservices.com

"Specializing in Media Campaigns for the music community, artists, labels, venues and events.”

CONCERTOS PORTA-JAZZ: Sábado - Weird Beard

Sábado, 15 julho

19:00 & 22:00 

Sala Porta-Jazz

WEIRD BEARD

Florian Egli - saxofone

Dave Gisler - guitarra

Martina Berther - baixo eléctrico

Rico Baumann - bateria

Everything Moves (Intakt Records) é o álbum de estreia que o quarteto suíço apresentará na Sala Porta-Jazz.

Profundamente enraizada no jazz, a música de Weird Beard procura com independência estilística uma linguagem característica dentro do panorama contemporâneo, garantindo espaço para a espontaneidade e imprevisibilidade.

PRÓXIMOS CONCERTOS SALA PORTA-JAZZ

22 de Julho, 19:00 + 22:00
André Santos "Vitamina D"
André Santos - Guitarra
Tristan Renfrow - Bateria
Matt Adomeit - Contrabaixo

29 de Julho, 19:00 + 22:00
João Guimarães / Travis Reuter / Simon Jermyn / Allan Mednard
João Guimarães - saxofone
Travis Reuter - guitarra
Simon Jermyn - baixo eléctrico
Allan Mednard - bateria

Ulysses Owens, Jr. - Falling Forward (Spice of Life Records, August 4, 2017)

Drummer Ulysses Owens, Jr. is releasing his latest album entitled Falling Forward (Spice of Life Records) on August 4, 2017 (the record release concert will be held on August 9, 2017 at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola). The album marks his fourth project as a leader and features vibraphonist Joel Ross and bassist Reuben Rogers, with special guests, vocalist Vuyo Sotashe and pianist Stephen Feifke.

Widely regarded as one of the top jazz drummers of his generation, Ulysses Owens, Jr. (Joey Alexander, Kurt Elling, Wynton Marsalis, Christian McBride, Gregory Porter,) continues to broaden his portfolio of work, further establishing him as a noted bandleader, gifted composer, and arranger. The concept for his latest release stemmed from his desire to assemble a smaller group of musicians from whom he draws inspiration. That, in turn, led Owens to tap noted vibraphonist Joel Ross and in-demand bassist Reuben Rogers to join him to form the trio called THREE. He states, “I hadn’t recorded a solo album in a few years, and really desired to record a smaller group of players that inspired me. Within the trio context is musically and sonically where I feel very comfortable, but also where I feel like I can push and go in any direction with the right guys around me. Joel Ross is such a young talent and ball of fire musically, and Reuben Rogers is an anchor and has been a musical partner of mine for the last few years. I knew that with both of them, anything would be possible for me in this new phase of my career.”

The band’s first album, Falling Forward, showcases a varied repertoire ranging from classic standards to upbeat, funk-driven numbers, to more dulcet, emotive pieces. Of his musical selections, Owens states “I wanted to create a list of songs that would be accessible to the new jazz listener, but at the same time, could be appreciated by a true jazz fan. I also wish to bring more of this great music to a broader audience and hope people develop an affinity for the genre through this album. My only agenda is to make great music.” Owens feels that 'Falling Forward' aptly describes his current place in life and adds “I am at peace even in the midst of taking risks and finding balance in enjoying personal trials, because growth is born out of lack of comfort and challenging the weakest place within." When reflecting upon the album title’s deeper meaning he shares “Falling Forward comes from a speech that Denzel Washington gave to a graduating class where he explained the way to lead a more fulfilling life is not to look for a fallback plan, but to constantly keep challenging yourself to ‘Fall Forward’ and pursue your dreams whole-heartedly.”


Falling Forward was produced by Keith Witty with executive producer Tomoki Sassa, and was recorded in February 2017 at Big Orange Sheep Studios in Brooklyn, NY. The album will be available for sale on August 4, 2017 via leading digital music providers; it was released in Japan on May 24, 2017, and has already received rave reviews from Jazz Japan magazine and other top Japanese publications. For more information, visit www.ulyssesowensjr.com

www.are-group.net

"Falling Forward" by Ulysses Owens, Jr. from ARE GROUP on Vimeo.