Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Boneshaker (Williams, Nilssen-Love, Kessler) - Thinking Out Loud (TROST RECORDS 2017)



Boneshaker are Mars Williams (reeds, toy instruments), Paal Nilssen-Love (drums & percussion) and Kent Kessler (bass), three prolific powerhouse musicians, carrying among them a Grammy nomination and decades of experience with the top ensembles in the world. Thinking Out Loud is their third album.


1. Brain Freeze 14:12
2. Puffy Fluffy 06:01
3. Salty Fruity 16:11
4. Wabi Sabi 05:19


Playlist for Tom Ossana – The Thin Edge – October 25, 2017 MST 7:00 to 9:00p.m.


http://www.kzmu.org/listen.m3u ~ Use this link to access the show online.




Kinga Glyk – Dream (2017)


Kinga Głyk is 20 years old. She’s said to be the best Polish bass player of the new generation and a rising star of the Jazz Blues music. She began her adventure with music at the age of 12 playing in a family band called Głyk P.I.K. TRIO. Despite her young age she has already given a lot of concerts not only in Poland but also in countries such as Indonesia, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Portugal, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Ukraine.

In March 2015 she released her debut album „Rejestracja”. The CD has received positive reviews from Trójka – Polskie Radio and magazines like „Jazz Forum” and „Twój Blues”.

In an annual survey called JAZZ TOP and BLUES TOP she’s been nominated in the following categories: NEW HOPE, BASS GUITAR and DISCOVERY OF THE YEAR.

In February 2016 Kinga recorded LIVE her second authorial album „Happy Birthday”.

In June 2016 a video of Kinga performing Eric Clapton’s „Tears in heaven” has been posted by BASS PLAYER UNITED on Facebook reaching the amount of 20 million views.

Until now Kinga has performed with: Tim Garland, Nitai Hershkovits, Greg Hutchinson, Jnr Robinson, Bernard Maseli, Ruth Waldron, Natalia Niemen, Apostolis Anthimos, Leszek Winder, Paweł Tomaszewski, Grzegorz Kapołka, Joachim Mencel, Arek Skolik, Mateusz Otremba (Mate.O), Marek Dykta and Piotr Wyleżoł.

In October 2017 the latest studio album „Dream” has been released. The CD has been recorded in the company of the world’s most famous musicians such as Greg Hutchinson (drums), Tim Garland (saxophone), Nitai Hershkovits (grand piano). The album has been launched by one of the world’s most renowned music publishing companies WARNER MUSIC GROUP COMPANY. Concerts promoting the newest album will take place in countries like USA, Canada, Norway, France and many others.


01 Freedom
02 Difficult Choices
03 Dream
04 Song for Dad
05 Circle
06 Walking Baby
07 Tears in Heaven
08 Teen Town
09 Silence

Gregory Hutchinson - drums
Nitai Hershkovits - keys & piano
Tim Garland - sax & bass clarinet

Ranky Tanky - Ranky Tanky (2017)


Gullah people from the Sea Islands of South Carolina are the descendants of Africans captured along Africa’s rice coast. In the so-called new world, the enslaved toiled under the hot Carolina sun along the Atlantic coast. From this bondage came Gullah, a mixture of African and English styles. 

This culture has influences across America. Scholars estimate that a third of the people of African descent in this country are the children of those shackled ancestors who came through the port of Charleston.

Today, emerging from the heart of this still fertile cultural epicenter, these four Gullah descendants and one disciple have joined together to revive a heartland of American music born in their own backyards.


“Ranky Tanky, from Charleston, S.C., sings old Gullah songs — some of them sly moral lessons — in arrangements that connect their beat to a New Orleans lilt.” – New York Times

“The biggest surprise of [GlobalFEST], Ranky Tanky proved that exotic music can be both unfamiliar enough to be surprising, and yet familiar enough to provoke swinging hips and nodding heads. When it works, it’s the best of both worlds.” – Paste Magazine

“This group isn’t bound to any one particular musical genre, and it is grounded instead by an enigmatic, unshakeable and unspoiled tradition that’s long been hidden in plain sight.” – Jazziz Magazine

1. That's Alright 03:20
2. Turtle Dove 03:59
3. Been in the Storm 04:35
4. Ranky Tanky 02:15
5. O Death 04:20
6. Knee Bone 04:20
7. You Gotta Move 03:08
8. Watch That Star 03:38
9. Sink Em Low 04:11
10. Join the Band 03:15
11. Go the Sleep 02:59
12. You Better Mind 03:36
13. Goodbye Song 02:43


Produced by Quentin E. Baxter
Mixed and Mastered by Elliot Elsey at Truphonic Recording Studios Design and Layout by Marcus Amaker
Graphics by Ty Wilkins and Brian Steely
Photo by Reese Moore

Associate Producers: Jim and Judy Chitwood, Mary and Mason Holland, David and Jennifer Karr, Sylvia Gordon Woodall, Timothy Liptak DMD

All songs traditional, arranged by Ranky Tanky

Writers: John Clayton Ross (ASCAP), Kevin Maurice Hamilton (ASCAP), Quiana Parler (BMI), Charlton Singleton (BMI), Quentin E. Baxter (ASCAP)

Publishers: YalcMusic (ASCAP), Khamp (ASCAP), QuiOnyx Music (BMI), Singletone Music (BMI), BaxMuse Publishing (ASCAP)

Monday, October 23, 2017

Björn Meyer - Provenance (ECM 2017)

There is a distinguished tradition of solo bass albums on ECM, but Provenance is the first to be devoted to the electric bass guitar. Björn Meyer, Swedish-born and Swiss-based, has shaped a unique voice for his instrument inside the most diverse contexts, working alongside Persian harpist and singer Asita Hamidi, Swedish nyckelharpa player Johan Hedin, and Tunisian oud master Anouar Brahem. For a decade he was a member of Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin, in which his bass guitar was frequently the lead instrument.

His solo work is concerned with the experience of sound in acoustic spaces: “Even though the instrument is technically non-acoustic, the music is deeply influenced by the properties of the space where it is played. The many different ways in which acoustics affect my compositions and improvisations have always been sources of surprise and inspiration.

There is definitely a second member in this solo project – the room!” The participating room on Provenance is the highly responsive Auditorio Stello Molo RSI in Lugano, its rich acoustics helping to bring out all the fine detail in Meyer’s subtle playing.


1. Aldebaran
2. Provenance
3. Three Thirteen
4. Squizzle
5. Trails Crossing
6. Traces Of A Song
7. Pendulum
8. Banyan Waltz
9. Pulse
10. Dance
11. Garden Of Silence
12. Merry-Go-Round

Björn Meyer Bass Guitar [6-String Electric And Acoustic Bass Guitars]

Fredrik Kronkvist: Afro-Cuban Supreme (feat. Jason Marsalis, Eliel Lazo & Miriam Aïda) CONNECTIVE RECORDS 2017


Alto saxophone star Fredrik Kronkvist delivers his eclectic mix of Afro-Cuban rhythms and Coltrane inspired jazz and in an adventurous and colorful musical experience. New views on Latin-Jazz gives us an explosive rhythm fiesta that touches both body and soul.

Inspired by Dizzy Gillespie’s idea of bringing together people, music and rhythms from different continents and countries, the award-winning and Swedish Grammy nominated alto saxophonist Fredrik Kronkvist has created a diverse mix of Afro-Cuban rhythms and Coltrane-influenced jazz with his new group Afro-Cuban Supreme.

On the occasion of Dizzy’s 100-year anniversary in 2017 Fredrik Kronkvist releases the album Afro-Cuban Supreme with superstars Jason Marsalis(USA) on drums, conga virtuoso Eliel Lazo(CUB) and Miriam Aïda(MAR/SWE) on vocals.

The music ranges from legendary songs like A Night in Tunisia, Afro Blue and Manteca in eventful arrangements to exciting original compositions with contemporary approaches to timeless Latin Jazz.

1 Intro - Tierra Africana part I (feat. Eliel Lazo & Jason Marsalis) 2:30
2 A Love Supreme - Acknowledgement (feat. Eliel Lazo & Jason Marsalis) 5:29
3 A Night In Tunisia (feat. Eliel Lazo & Jason Marsalis) 5:46
4 Caravan (feat. Eliel Lazo & Jason Marsalis) 7:08
5 Conga Interlude (feat. Eliel Lazo & Jason Marsalis) [Interlude #1] 1:27
6 Afro Blue (feat. Eliel Lazo, Jason Marsalis & Miriam Aïda) 4:20
7 Satellite (feat. Eliel Lazo & Jason Marsalis) 5:38
8 Manteca (feat. Eliel Lazo & Jason Marsalis) 6:34
9 Naima (feat. Eliel Lazo, Jason Marsalis & Miriam Aïda) 6:04
10 Gillespiana (feat. Eliel Lazo & Jason Marsalis) 5:30
11 Be-Bop (feat. Eliel Lazo & Jason Marsalis) 4:24
12 Tierra Africana part II (feat. Eliel Lazo & Jason Marsalis) 1:53
13 On Green Dolphin Street (feat. Eliel Lazo & Jason Marsalis) 5:28
14 Yemaya (feat. Eliel Lazo & Jason Marsalis) 5:21
15 Prelude to Eternal Light (feat. Eliel Lazo & Jason Marsalis) [Interlude #5] 1:31
16 Eternal Light (feat. Eliel Lazo, Jason Marsalis & Miriam Aïda) 6:10
17 Outro - Acknowledgement (feat. Eliel Lazo & Jason Marsalis) 2:02

Fredrik Kronkvist – saxophones, flutes and bass clarinet
Miriam Aïda – vocals
Martin Sjöstedt – piano
Johnny Åman – bass
Eliel Lazo – congas
Jason Marsalis – drums


Dave Douglas - Little Giant Still Life (2017)


Little Giant Still Life is an exhilarating new album from trumpeter and composer Dave Douglas featuring five brass players and drums. Much of this music was inspired by the American painter Stuart Davis and the music explodes with the same bright colors and excitement of Davis’ works. 

Combining the acclaimed talents of brass ensemble The Westerlies – known for their work with Fleet Foxes, their repertoire of original compositions, and interpretations of the music of Wayne Horvitz – and the soulful young drummer Anwar Marshall (Fresh Cut Orchestra, Kurt Rosenwinkel), with Douglas’ inspired compositional vision, the album is full of grooving, swinging, lyrical new jazz. 

What makes Little Giant Still Life special is the communal music making that the six musicians are able to generate. The sextet unfurls a new view of jazz brass band music with sophistication and heart.


1. Champion 05:58
2. Arcade 04:33
3. Men and Machine 03:26
4. Little Giant Still Life 05:14
5. Percolator 04:10
6. Your Special Day 03:22
7. Bunting 02:39
8. Swing Landscape 07:16
9. The Front Page 05:36
10. Colonial Cubism 03:58
11. Codetta 03:32
12. Worlds Beyond the Sky 03:27


The Westerlies:
Riley Mulherkar, trumpet
Zubin Hensler, trumpet
Andy Clausen, trombone
Willem de Koch, trombone 

Anwar Marshall, drums

Production Credits:
Executive Producer: Dave Douglas
Recorded on December 6, 2016 at the Hotel Samurai
Engineered by Geoff Countryman
Mixed and mastered Tyler McDiarmid
Cover photo by Austin Nelson
Band photos by Russell Moore
Design by Lukas Frei

Thomas Fonnesbæk & Justin Kauflin - Synesthesia (STORYVILLE RECORDS 2017)



New project from jazz bassist and household name on the Danish jazz stage, Thomas Fonnesbæk, with American composer and pianist prodigy, Justin Kauflin. 

Fonnesbæk himself recalls the beginning of the new project like this:

“My first meeting with Justin Kauflin was in Copenhagen in the spring of 2015 at Jazzhouse Montmartre, together with his childhood friend and drummer, Billy Williams. When Montmartre's former music director Christian Brorsen introduced me to them, I immediately recognized how talented they were and that Justin's pianistic virtuosity and musicality would be a most treasured musical experience. 

Besides being a meeting between Justin and myself, it was a meeting of cultures with many similarities and many inspiring differences that we could express through sound in the universal language of music. We quickly discovered we also shared a neurological commonality in that we both have synesthesia, which in our case means seeing sounds as colors with our mind's eye. Synesthesia has also ended up being the title of this album.”


The young jazz superstar Justin Kauflin is a pianist, composer and producer. His international recognition proves its worth on this album: He is a precise and playful pianist, but always laid-back and elegant. His style mingles perfectly with the quieter Scandinavian Fonnesbæk and together, their understated approach makes a powerful statement in itself. It’s Kauflin’s simplicity and skill that impresses the listener, his eloquence on the piano never throwing the audience off, but always inviting them to sharpen their senses to the smallest of details. 

This is Fonnesbæk’s third duo album, recorded over the course of two days in beautiful surroundings in Sweden. Some of the original compositions were prepared in advance and some were improvised on the spot. It’s a rather untraditional jazz album in the sense that the bass takes the lead with only a piano as support. Nevertheless, the collaboration between just two instruments doesn’t lack any support, and rather Fonnesbæk & Kauflin create an ambience for thoughtfulness and sensitivity in a aerial soundscape that lets you appreciate every small detail.

Synesthesia
Lost
It's All Right With Me
For No One
Panic Attack
Waiting
Semiosis
Nigerian Marketplace
Skybound
Catwalk

Thomas Fonnesbæk: Double bass
Justin Kauflin: Piano


Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah - The Emancipation Procrastination (ROPEADOPE RECORDS 2017)

 


‘I’m not interested in harming anyone. I have a responsibility as an artist to create a space where people feel welcome. When I walk outside this hotel room, that is not the reality. There is a difference when music is made with love. When people come into my space they are going to feel that. We are trying to figure out a way to treat each other better. We are all responsible for healing each other.‘ (Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah).

Thus begins the final chapter of The Centennial Trilogy : three full length albums that reflect deeply on the history of Jazz. The third album - The Emancipation Procrastination - deals directly with the social and political issues of the day. Rather than descend into identity politics, Adjuah sees in New Orleans many disparate cultures in one space being underserved and exploited.