Miriam Ast & Victor Gutierrez - Secret Songs (MONS RECORDS 2018)

German jazz singer Miriam Ast and Spanish pianist Victor Gutierrez met just two years ago while studying for their masters at the Royal Academy of Music in London. It was an encounter that would become a key moment for both artists. Having played together just once, the two immediately discovered their common musical language. The Ast/Gutierrez Duo was born, and their success proves that they‘ve taken the right step! In May 2017, after working together for only a year, they won the „Best Vocalist Prize“ at the International Jazz Competition in Bucharest. They were also delighted by the constantly growing fan base at their concerts. In the same year, the duo launched a hugely successful crowdfunding campaign to finance their debut album Secret Songs, which Ast/Gutierrez are presenting here.

Secret Songs has become a very personal album. The two artists play mostly their own compositions, together with a few special arrangements of well-known jazz standards. Miriam Ast‘s vocals and Victor Gutierrez‘s piano playing enter into an intense musical dialogue that is characterized by warm and lyrical sounds, experimental and free-form passages, and virtuoso improvisations. Ast employs her voice like a true musical instrument, knowing when to caress and when to emphasise. Her brilliant scat singing is complemented on some pieces by the distinctive intonations of British saxophonist Stan Sulzmann, a player who also serves up nimble and impressive duets with the pianist Gutierrez.

A veteran of the British jazz scene, Stan Sulzmann has played with greats like Kenny Wheeler, Michael Brecker and Gil Evans. He is one of the duo‘s London instructors, and they have dedicated three compositions on the album to him. With his exciting improvisations and lively interactions with both vocals and piano, he has enriched the works enormously.

On all of these pieces, as well as those containing lyrics, Ast/Gutierrez focus on melody and harmony, telling stories of emotional intensity and urgency.

With their debut album Secret Songs, Miriam Ast and Victor Gutierrez have managed to bridge the gap between vibrant freshness and musical maturity. It‘s a huge success!

Reinberg - Old Friend (MONS RECORDS 2018)

Behind the name REINBERG – a conceptual fusion of Konstantin REINfeld and Christoph SpangenBERG – two young shooting stars of the German music scene can be found. Here they are presenting a very unusual duo programme, namely a combination of diatonic harmonica (Reinfeld) and piano (Spangenberg).

Two instruments could hardly be more different. In terms of size and the sheer volume which they can generate, harmonica and piano stand at opposite ends of any imaginary spectrum. But Reinfeld has long been regarded as one of the most important harmonica players in Europe, and Spangenberg has evolved from an internationally renowned sideman to become an insider tip on the German solo piano scene. And with this instrumental stroke of genius, the two prove that opposites do indeed attract, and that they can truly bloom together.

Their debut album Old Friend is a tribute to Toots Thielemans, who passed away in 2016. In addition to original compositions by each of the artists (“Fresh Start In Between” and “Where To Go”), the album focuses on the repertoire of the Belgian harmonica legend, who was still touring the world right up until his passing aged ninety-four.

Three of Toots’s compositions set out the reference points for this production. One of his works, very well-known outside the world of jazz, is the “Sesame Street Theme”. To this day it is still used as the theme tune for the famous children’s series. Then there is “Bluesette”, known throughout the world as a jazz standard and evergreen. And of course “Old Friend”, which Thielemans first released in 1975 on the eponymous album (Polydor).

REINBERG finish off their bow to the old master with significant favourites from Thielmanns’s repertoire. “Autumn Leaves” is one of the most well-known jazz standards of all time. “Over The Rainbow”, which was first immortalised by Toots on his 2006 recording One More for the Road. “Dindi”, a bossa nova by Antonio Carlos Jobim which Thielemans recorded with Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass. Then there is “Imagine”, a favourite melody from the world of pop which Thielemans played with the accordionist Sivuca, heard here in a completely new guise. Last but not least, “Honeysuckle Rose”, the bluesiest piece on this production, and with a sound closest to that which one generally associates with the diatonic harmonica (blues harp).

Though full of respect for the traditions and skills of their old master, REINBERG’s use of harmonica effects and synthesizers in their own compositions shows that their musical path is heading directly into the future!

Paul Heller Meets Roman Schwaller (MONS RECORDS 2018)

”This music touches me deeply. I can hear the brotherly passion.“

(Jimmy Heath)

You just need to listen to Paul Heller‘s new CD for a few seconds before you notice it; here are two people who fit together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. It‘s not just because they both play the same instrument, the tenor saxophone. No, it‘s something more than mere outward appearances. It‘s a long-standing friendship, a musical partnership, and a spiritual kinship. And they both pursue the one and the same goal. Paul Heller and Roman Schwaller just want to play. Simply playing. Uncompromising. Full of energetic commitment. Straight ahead!

Heller and Schwaller first met exactly twenty-five years ago, and numerous projects together have followed. The Swiss Schwaller (born in 1957) twice invited the Rhinelander Heller (born in 1971) to the musical meet up “Three Generations of Tenor Saxophone“ with Johnny Griffin (born in 1928).

The new album by these two representatives of the “younger“ generation is heavily influenced by the American saxophone legend, Johnny Griffin. Nevertheless, the nine tracks equally reflect both the history and current state of jazz. A few of the compositions are by Roman Schwaller, Thelonious Monk and Johnny Griffin. Five of the nine pieces were composed by Paul Heller, including the opener “Romanshorn“, which he dedicated to his mentor and musical role model Roman Schwaller (who was born in Romanshorn!).

Whether it be a ballad, mid-tempo or uptempo, what follows is a prime example of improvisation and interaction. In addition to Schwaller and Heller are the scintillating Martin Sasse (piano), Thomas Stabenow (bass) and Niklas Walter (drums). Here are three open-eared musicians who are happy to get themselves involved in this style of “playing“ again and again. It‘s not surprising that the tracks were recorded in the “classical“ style, and in the exact running order (with a maximum of two takes) as they are to be heard on the album.

Incidentally, aside from just listening to certain passages on the CD, it‘s definitely worthwhile to play it through in its entirety. That way you‘ll quickly understand what the saxophone legend Jimmy Heath meant when he said: “This music touches me deeply. I can hear the brotherly passion“.

Quartette Oblique - Quartette Oblique (SUNNYSIDE RECORDS October 12, 2018)

A true gauge of a musician’s ability is in how he or she interprets a piece of a genre’s canon. In the jazz world, there are decades’ worth of standards and classic repertoire that are ripe for adaptation. But the ability to excite and challenge listeners comes not only from technical prowess and musical recall, but from the specific approach to reinterpretation, which favors those who prefer a more adventurous approach.

Four such forward thinking musicians came together to create Quartette Oblique, an ensemble which, as their name suggests, approaches the music from a skewed but engaging angle. Brought together by drummer Michael Stephans, the group features saxophone great Dave Liebman, pianist extraordinaire Marc Copland and the stalwart Drew Gress on bass. Their new eponymously titled recording finds them at their most freewheeling in a live performance at the Deer Head Inn in Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania.

Stephans is a college professor, holding a Ph.D. and two Master’s degrees, and a writer of poetry and books on jazz. As an open-minded, progressive drummer, he has long been involved in the creative music scene, performing alongside such greats as Bob Brookmeyer, Joe Lovano, Bennie Maupin, Pharoah Sanders and Bob Dorough.

For Quartette Oblique, Stephans reached out to three brilliant, improvising musicians who he knew would trust their instincts and play collective music in an open and exploratory way. Copland is a pianist who Stephans appreciated for decades and who made perfect sense for the ensemble. Having been a longtime fan of woodwind master Dave Liebman, Stephans first worked with Liebman in 2004 and their relationship has truly blossomed. Gress was a perfect pick on bass, as his personal touch and beautiful sound have buoyed Stephans’s drums in a number of rhythm sections in the recent past.

The goal of the ensemble was to generate performances that represented the sum of the musicians’ highly disciplined and creative musical parts. Their collective knowledge and experience would provide a depth of feeling to their takes on classic jazz repertoire. The off-kilter manner in which they approach these pieces makes for some truly brilliant arrangements, most done without prior planning, on the spur of the moment. Fortunately for the jazz world, these pieces were recorded at the Quartette’s appearance at the Deer Head Inn on June 3, 2017.

The program begins with a haunting version of Miles Davis’s “Nardis,” featuring a searching tenor sax and churning rhythm section led by Stephans’s drum work. The late John Abercrombie’s “Vertigo” begins as an introspective piano feature, which concludes with a spry soprano solo from Liebman. A deconstructed version of Schwartz and Dietz’s “You and the Night and the Music” follows with some remarkable group interplay. Ellington’s “In a Sentimental Mood” receives an elegantly spare treatment that retains the essence of the composer’s gentle message.

Miles Davis’s “All Blues” sounds like an incredible reshuffling of the original with Liebman’s soprano leading to an almost surrealistic reimagining of the tune. Gress’s evocative “Vesper” is a lovely ballad and features the bassist on a distinctive solo flight. The program concludes with Davis’s classic “So What,” a tour de force in group interplay and improvisation with amazing contributions from all.

There is nothing straight-forward in the music of Michael Stephans’ s Quartette Oblique. With trailblazing musicians coming from different backgrounds and musical practices, the Quartette comes together in the spirit of improvisational communication, moving obliquely across dynamic musical landscapes to create a refreshingly unique set of performances that illuminate what jazz writer Whitney Balliett called “The Sound of Surprise.”

Andy Milne & Dapp Theory - The Seasons of Being (SUNNYSIDE RECORDS September 28, 2018)

An oft-repeated piece of musical lore states that the great composer/arranger Duke Ellington wrote music specifically for the individuals in his orchestra. His knowledge of their musical lineage, strengths and weaknesses allowed him to customize parts for each voice. Pianist and composer Andy Milne takes this principle a step further on his new recording, The Seasons of Being. Applying the principles of homeopathic diagnosis, Milne generates an optimized environment for improvisation for his long running Dapp Theory ensemble and a host of special guests.

After a challenging couple of years and some seismic life changes, Milne was able to channel his energy into some positive changes, including accepting a full-time teaching position at the University of Michigan. But it was his own battle with prostate cancer that led the pianist to explore homeopathic healing, as he felt it was important in his quest to become cancer free. His study of the subject led to a Chamber Music America commission to explore the effects of homeopathic techniques on composition for a chamber ensemble.

Milne’s idea stemmed from his experiences performing other composers’ music, and from observing other musicians perform his. In some cases, inspiration would come easily, whether because of the material or the musician’s temperament. Milne wondered if there could be a way to personalize the music to optimize engagement and benefits for all involved during performance.

Naturally, Milne turned to his primary musical outlet, his collaborative ensemble Dapp Theory, which the pianist has led for twenty years. The cohesion amassed from time invested can be heard in the group’s interplay and singular response to color, texture and mood. The latest iteration of the group includes woodwind specialist Aaron Kruziki, bassist Christopher Tordini, drummer Kenny Grohowski and wordsmith John Moon.

To augment Dapp Theory’s already expansive sound, Milne wanted to recruit a number of diverse and experienced special guests to be a part of his experiment, the unifying element being that they were all musicians he respected and wanted to work with further. He entrusted the duties to guitarist Ben Monder, trumpeter Ralph Alessi, vocalist La Tanya Hall, saxophonist Michael Attias and cellists Christopher Hoffman and Jody Redhage.

Milne’s positive experiences with homeopathy led him to ask how it could influence improvisation and lead to more emotionally meaningful interactions for the musicians playing his music. He hoped to find a way to create compositions that play to hidden aspects of his collaborator’s emotional profiles, namely, where they might feel most stimulated to broaden their range of expression.

To apply his method, Milne studied each musician to collect and learn their emotional responses. Many of these responses would never have been garnered through their personal or musical relationships. First, Milne subjected the individuals to a listening test of 15 short excerpts of a wide array of musical styles, asking them to share how the music did or didn’t resonate for them. Second, there was a questionnaire with a number of yes/no questions. With the assistance of homeopathic healer David Kramer, Milne then assessed their handwritten responses, looking for clues to their musical tastes and emotional lineage. Kramer identified individual pathologies based on their answers. Milne found it remarkable how close those characterizations were to the individuals’ traits. In some cases Kramer was able to describe physical attributes of certain musicians.

Walking Distance (ft. Jason Moran) - Freebird (SUNNYSIDE RECORDS September 21, 2018)

It’s almost trite to mention the indelible mark that saxophonist Charlie Parker left on the world of culture at large, and more specifically with the practitioners of jazz, the music that he redefined. In the years since his death, his music has been covered incessantly, which in many ways, has robbed the music of its essential vitality. One solution to this ubiquitous problem lies in the stunning invention of the NYC based quartet Walking Distance and their second album, Freebird, which features the resplendent piano playing of Jason Moran on a number of tracks.

As the title suggests, Freebird almost literally unbinds Parker’s repertoire from the dregs of boring, staid covers of his work and into something modern, contemporary, humorous and ebulliently bursting with vitality; so imaginative that one would be hard pressed to identify the source of inspiration in the first place. On Freebird, the listener is treated to a set of music, which covers a tremendous amount of musical territory, all with aplomb, irreverence and a distinctive group sound.

The quartet – comprised of alto saxophonist Caleb Curtis, tenor saxophonist/clarinetist Kenny Pexton, bassist Adam Coté, and drummer Shawn Baltazor – released their debut, Neighborhood, in 2015, which was acclaimed in Downbeat, AllAboutJazz and elsewhere. On that album, Walking Distance happened by chance upon the concept that would grow into Freebird. By displacing just one of the melodic phrases of Parker’s “Dewey Square,” their original interpretation “Dewey Circle” came alive and this concept was born. Freebird is the full realization of this idea.

Baltazor elaborates: “Each song is strictly based on a composition, or multiple compositions, by Charlie Parker. Literally. We would find a rule, and stick with it until it presented musical challenges that we’d have to figure out, rehearse them to an almost hypnotic degree. Then, not only did we have a new completely fresh sounding idea that was unmistakably be-bop, in its own deconstructed way, but through each process we developed a whole new concept for composition and improvisation in general.”

This relentless process of rehearsal – refining their group sound and approach, and redefining their source material – are both on full display on Freebird and, with the addition of Moran, the group is elevated to a higher plane. Baltzor explains: “Moran embodies so much of what we love about Charlie Parker: a sort of super-hip irreverence done at such a high level that no one can say shit.” Curtis expands upon that, saying: “Not only did he bring that fresh perspective, but he seamlessly integrated himself into the musical fabric of the band, surprising and inspiring us along the way. It was an incredible creative experience to have him on Freebird.”

Caleb Curtis – alto saxophone

Kenny Pexton – tenor saxophone

Adam Coté – bass

Shawn Baltazor – drums

Jason Moran – piano

Allison Miller & Carmen Staaf - Science Fair (SUNNYSIDE RECORDS September 21, 2018)

Scientists spend long hours investigating their passions, delving into the complex details of their research in pursuit of new knowledge. In a science fair, they demonstrate their findings, making them accessible and even fun. As a combustion reaction generates heat and light, a similar reaction happens between sound and movement. With the wonder of kids making a baking soda volcano, drummer Allison Miller and pianist Carmen Staaf combine bold musical concepts, tremendous collaborators, and a passion to challenge and explore into an eruption of energy on their fantastic new recording, Science Fair.

Miller is well-known in the jazz and pop worlds, having backed Natalie Merchant and Ani DiFranco, then going on to lead her own celebrated jazz ensembles, including Boom Tic Boom. Miller’s collaboration with Staaf began a few years ago. When Miller needed a piano substitute for the Reykjavik Jazz Festival in 2015, she called her friend, bassist Todd Sickafoose. He suggested Staaf, who had just finished her time at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance, and had recently impressed Sickafoose on a performance at the Blue Whale in Los Angeles.

The connection was made and a three-show trial by fire ensued. The connection between the two musicians was immediate. They found a kindred spirit in each other, as their musical orientations are straight ahead, rhythmically minded, and open to suggestion. The most important element was the level of trust they quickly developed, thus freeing them to tap into their creativity more fully and spur their musical dialog.

Miller and Staaf began to meet regularly. Their rehearsals led to collaborations in new ensemble configurations and with dancers. Dance and music for dance has been important for each of them. Miller grew up in a family enamored with movement and immersed herself in the Washington, DC youth dance scene. She went on to become musical director for a number of choreographers. Though not a dancer herself, Staaf has been drawn to music made for dancing, including Afro-Cuban, salsa, West African, and Indian vocal percussive music.

Miller and Staaf’s experiments began to take shape as a recording project. They both began to bring tunes to their weekly rehearsals, and tinkered with arrangements and different ensemble lineups. They eventually picked bassist Matt Penman to round out their core trio. He proved to be of a similar mindset, fun-loving and open-minded, not to mention a highly swinging accompanist. For a number of pieces, the trio is augmented by one or two horns, namely the gifted trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and the wonderful saxophonist Dayna Stephens.

Assembling all of the pieces for Science Fair was akin to a science experiment. Miller and Staaf even had their own “mad scientist” in producer Ben Goldberg, who helped put the final pieces together. The two leaders wanted to insure that the compositions would be diverse yet balanced; there are four compositions from each composer, though they worked together to shape the final arrangements. Similarly, the leaders wanted to have a diverse ensemble representing a cosmopolitan mix of genders and races, but, most importantly, all sharing a passion for self and group expression

Miho Hazama & Metropole Orkest Big Band - The Monk: Live At Bimhuis (SUNNYSIDE RECORDS August 31, 2018)

The best week of the young composer/arranger Miho Hazama’s life was a hectic one. In 2011, she was invited as one of eight arrangers from around the world to take part in the famed Metropole Orkest’s residency program, led by the legendary Vince Mendoza. There were master classes and rehearsals all week for arrangements the residents would write, in four days, to be performed by the Big Band conducted by Mendoza and featuring vocalist Roberta Gambarini. 

The trial by fire was exhilarating and made Hazama crave another chance to arrange for the world’s only jazz philharmonic orchestra. In 2017, Hazama got another chance to write for the Metropole Orkest Big Band when her project to arrange original pieces and orchestrate solo pieces by the pianist Thelonious Monk, in his centennial year, was selected for the orchestra. The results of the collaboration can be heard on the new recording, The Monk: Live at Bimhuis. 

The Tokyo born, New York based Hazama has made quite a name for herself as an arranger, composer and conductor. She has composed pieces for the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Siena Wind Orchestra and has arranged for artists and ensembles as diverse as the Danish Radio Big Band and Ryuichi Sakamoto. Hazama has also led and recorded with her own large ensemble, the m_unit. 

Since Hazama’s first foray with Metropole, the entity had gone private. The Big Band had remained extremely active and reached out to Hazama on a number of occasions to continue her work with them. In the summer of 2016, she visited Rotterdam to visit musical director Gert-Jan Blom; she proposed a project around the centennial of Monk’s birth. Blom thought it was a good idea but that it also had to be extra special, as there would be many similar projects in 2017. 

Hazama began to immerse herself in Monk’s music. Initially, she looked to the larger works, including Hall Overton’s arrangements for The Thelonious Monk Orchestra at Town Hall (1959) and Oliver Nelson’s from Monk’s Blues (1969). But it was Monk’s solo performances that began to capture her attention more and more. Hazama decided to orchestrate four recorded solo performances for the Big Band. She also arranged three of the idiosyncratic pianist’s fantastic compositions. 

Monk’s solo performances intrigued Hazama, as the performer thought compositionally as he played, developing the themes and advancing the harmonies. Hazama began by transcribing the solos and then broadened the scope of the pieces to allow for solos from the Big Band members, utilizing Monk’s frequent use of the two-beat stride sections. 

Blom and pianist Hans Vroomans were instrumental in planning, developing and implementing the arrangements and orchestrations. There was also ample time for rehearsal, so the pieces were solid for performance and the ensemble was able to translate Monk’s language into a large ensemble setting. With Hazama conducting, the Big Band then went on the road to Hilversum, Amsterdam (where the recording was made), Rotterdam and Den Bosch. 

The program has a perfect beginning with Hazama’s arrangement of “Thelonious,” in which she kept the arrangement simple by building its harmony around the tuning key tone of B-flat and continuing from there. Her orchestration of Monk’s performance of “Ruby My Dear” from Alone In San Francisco (1959) is an intriguing adaptation of his ascending melodic interpretation, led by clarinet and climaxing with trombone. Adding a little Latin blend to the program, Hazama’s arrangement of “Friday the 13th” is a dynamic toe tapper with some intriguing dramatic segments. The version of “Hackensack” that Hazama orchestrated comes from Monk’s first solo Paris performance in 1954 and shows how active Monk’s playing was early in his career, which allowed Hazama to exaggerate his dynamics in a dramatic way, from a quiet beginning to percussively loud. 

The orchestration of the pianist’s take on his collaborative piece with Bernard Hanighen and Cootie Williams, “’Round Midnight,” comes from Thelonious Himself (1957) and Hazama plays it simple allowing Vrooman space to create, which he does adding a beautiful cadenza and interlude. Appropriately, Hazama focuses on the rhythmic aspect of Monk and Kenny Clarke’s “Epistrophy” by taking the poly-rhythms of the original and creating a new rhythm modulation from the triplet feel to the swing of the theme. The recording concludes with a special orchestration of a 1969 solo from French television’s Jazz Portrait of “Crepuscule with Nellie,” an important piece from Monk’s repertoire, as it was a tribute to his wife. Like all the takes Monk ever recorded of the tune, this version has only the piano as a solo voice. 

It had long been Miho Hazama’s dream to work with the Metropole Orkest Big Band. The opportunity presented itself in a tribute to the great Thelonious Monk, which was masterfully performed and recorded in Amsterdam as The Monk : Live at Bimhuis.

Miho Hazama - conductor, arranger

Metropole Orkest Big Band

Marc Scholten - saxophone, clarinet

Paul van der Feen - saxophone, clarinet

Leo Janssen - saxophone, clarinet

Sjoerd Dijkhuizen - saxophone, clarinet

Max Boeree - saxophone, clarinet

Ray Bruinsma - trumpet

Martijn de Laat - trumpet

Nico Schepers - trumpet

Rik Mol - trumpet

Jan Oosting - trombone

Look Boudesteijn - trombone

Jan Bastian - trombone

Martin van den Berg - bass trombone

Marcel Serierse - drums

Aram Kersbergen - bass

Peter Tiehuis - guitar

Hans Vroomans - piano

1. Thelonious

2. Ruby My Dear

3. Friday The Thirteenth

4. Hackensack

5. 'Round Midnight

6. Epistrophy

7. Crepuscule With Nellie

Luciana Souza - The Book of Longing (SUNNYSIDE RECORDS August 24, 2018)

Stunning, provocative, impassioned, esoteric, beautiful and soulful - just a few of the many adjectives that can be used to describe Luciana Souza's remarkable new album, The Book Of Longing, set for release via Sunnyside Records on August 24th, 2018. Produced by veteran music executive Larry Klein and recorded at Village Recording Studios in Los Angeles, The Book Of Longing is a tour-de-force for the Grammy-nominated vocalist whose career continues to cross musical boundaries with unabashed curiosity and unbridled sheer delight. The release of The Book Of Longing will be accompanied by select tour dates across the globe. 

To put it simply, The Book Of Longing is a song cycle - a passionate melding of poetry by the likes of Leonard Cohen, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Emily Dickinson, Christina Rossetti and Luciana herself - set to beautiful string accompaniment - for which all of the music was written and arranged by Souza. But this album is anything but simple - and its treasure trove of tracks comb the depths of human emotion from start to finish. 

When describing the creative process behind the making of The Book Of Longing, Luciana was very concise as to how she approached the recording. "It became clear to me that I wanted this recording to be about words and how they make me feel. How a set of ideas can take me places, reveal things I didn’t know or even knew that I needed to know. As I started setting these poems I wanted the words to be heard, but not necessarily defined. To me, the string instruments offer the best canvas for these songs. Like the voice, the sound of plucked strings decay and brings on silence and more possibility for listening. Also, the idea of counterpoint between the voice and strings was essential to me. The music would have to be simple and unadorned. Thus began the process of editing and shedding layers of more complex harmony and melody in favor of the most basic and expressive of landscapes - it’s about the words, I reminded myself - simple triads moving directly, tonal melodies, no fuss or unnecessary activity or ornaments." 

Accompanying Luciana on the recording are Scott Colley on bass and Chico Pinheiro on guitar, and the album was recorded as a live project with percussion overdub. Added Souza, "Making music with Chico and Scott is a thing of wonder. They have bountiful hearts, incredibly able hands, and abundant musical intelligence. Larry's generous and curious guidance fostered our creativity and kept things transparent and honest. To all of them, I am eternally grateful."

Luciana Souza - voice & percussion

Chico Pinheiro - guitar

Scott Colley - bass

1. These Things

2. Daybreak

3. Alms

4. Night Song

5. Paris

6. The Book

7. Tonight

8. We Grow Accustomed To The Dark

9. A Life

10. Remember

Fred Hersch Trio - Heartsongs (Remastered) SUNNYSIDE RECORDS 2018

Hersch is a true musician with virtuosic gifts and a rare insight formed from close studies in both jazz and classical music, and by constant practice and just plain hard work. He also is intelligent, a quality that speaks eloquently through the architectonics of his music as well as in his conversation. His is a talent that has been distilled to essences which are now producing music at the cutting edge. Fred – a transition in reference that stems from a sense of knowing this unique individual – possesses an innate congeniality, honesty and willingness to share that is as refreshing, especially in this age of hype and hyperbole, as it is disarming. 

“This is the first album I’ve done with a working band,” Fred begins. “There was the album Horizons, with Marc Johnson and Joey Baron. But though we had played together with Toots Thielemans and in other rhythm section contexts, we never played as a trio. 

“Michael Formanek and Jeff Hirshfield are contemporaries, which is a very important thing to me because we grew up listening to the same music. We’ve been in New York about the same amount of time. We’ve done all the sideman gigs, some of them together: Michael has played with people like Freddie Hubbard, Eddie Henderson, Tony Williams, Herbie Mann. Attila Zoller and Dave Liebman. Jeff also has played with a lot of people including Jim Hall, Randy Brecker and Eliane Elias, Penny Wallace and numerous big bands. We’ve been jazz mercenaries’, as Jeff calls it. But, now this trio project is something that we’re doing for us! 

“While it’s not a co-op in the strict sense, it’s a big commitment for each of us, which I find flattering. For example, we don’t play anything that we all don’t feel good about. And we talk everything over. We trust, I think, each other’s judgement. We feel that this record is a good documentation of the work that we’ve done over the past year. So we’ll now be putting some of this material away and add other things involving different rhythms and influences coming from various world music sources, especially from Africa and South America.” 

Fred Hersch - piano

Michael Formanek - bass

Jeff Hirshfield - drums

1. The Man I Love 08:34

2. Fall 03:33

3. Lullabye 06:18

4. Free For Three 03:13

5. Heartsong 05:09

6. Infant Eyes 07:37

7. Beam Me Up 04:28

8. I Mean You 04:33

9. Evanessence 05:37

10. Rain Waltz 07:01

11. The Sphinx 03:43

Sunnyside Artists Live

Sunnyside Artists Live

Aug. 20 - Dan Tepfer Trio @ Bar LunAtico - Brooklyn, NY

Aug. 22 - Camila Meza @ Gwatson Gallery - Stonington, ME

Aug. 22 - Yuhan Su Quintet @ Bluebird - Brooklyn, NY

Aug. 25 - Camila Meza @ Hungry Brain - Chicago, IL

Sept. 1 - Duane Eubanks Quartet @ Cornelia St. Café - NYC

Sept. 1 - Roman Filiú Quartet @ The Cell Theater - NYC

Sept. 5 - Duane Eubanks Trio @ Rosemary & Vine - Rye, NY

Sept. 13 - Laszlo Gardony Quartet @ Regattabar - Cambridge, MA

Sept. 13-15 - Joey Calderazzo @ The Cotton Club - Tokyo, Japan

Sept. 16 - Jamie Baum Septet+ @ Roulette - Brooklyn, NY

Sept. 20 - Jamie Baum Septet+ @ Redwood Jazz Alliance - Arcata, CA

Sept. 20 - Dan Tepfer Acoustic Informatics @ Musique Aux Mines Festival - Paris, France

Sept. 20-21 - Benny Green @ Monterey Jazz Festival - Monterey, CA

Sept. 21 - Jamie Baum Septet+ @ Santa Clara University - Santa Clara, CA

Sept. 21 - Randy Ingram & Matt Brewer - Lifetime - Shizuoka, Japan

Sept. 21 - Cristina Pato Quartet @ Center for Faith and Life - Decorah, IA

Sept. 22 - Jamie Baum Septet+ @ Monterey Jazz Festival - Monterey, CA

Sept. 22 - Steve Cardenas Trio @ The Owl Music Parlor - Brooklyn, NY

Sept. 22 - Randy Ingram & Matt Brewer @ Pit Inn - Tokyo, Japan

Sept. 23 - Randy Ingram & Matt Brewer @ Yawata City Cultural Center - Kyoto, Japan

Sept. 24 - Jamie Baum Quartet @ Saddleback College - Mission Viejo, CA

Sept. 24 - Randy Ingram & Matt Brewer @ Le Club Jazz - Kyoto, Japan

Sept. 24 - Cristina Pato Quartet @ Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium - Athens, OH

Sept. 25 - Jamie Baum Quintet @ Blue Whale - Los Angeles, CA

Sept. 25 - Randy Ingram & Matt Brewer @ Star Eyes - Nagoya, Japan

Sept. 27 - Randy Ingram & Matt Brewer @ Frog - Tsukuba, Japan

Sept. 27-29 - Luciana Souza w/ The Yellowjackets @ Birdland - NYC

Sept. 28 - Randy Ingram & Matt Brewer @ Musashino Swing Hall - Tokyo, Japan

Sept. 29 - Christian Artmann @ Shapeshifter Lab - Brooklyn, NY - CD release for Our Story

Sept. 29 - Randy Ingram & Matt Brewer @ Body and Soul - Tokyo, Japan

Oct. 2 - Adam Nussbaum Lead Belly Project @ Sunset Jazz Club - Paris, France

Oct. 3 - Allison Miller & Carmen Staaf @ Jazz Standard - NYC - CD release for Science Fair

Oct. 3 - Adam Nussbaum Lead Belly Project @ Blue Note - Milan, Italy

Oct. 3 - Sara Serpa & Ran Blake @ Regattabar - Cambridge, MA

Oct. 4 - Walking Distance ft. Jason Moran @ Jazz Standard - NYC - CD releaes for Freebird

Oct. 4 - Adam Nussbaum Lead Belly Project @ Cri du Port - Marseille, France

Oct. 5 - John Raymond & Real Feels @ Cornelia St. Café - NYC

Oct. 6 - Christian Artmann @ The Buttonwood Tree - Middletown, CT - CD release for Our Story

Oct. 6 - Adam Nussbaum Lead Belly Project @ AMR - Geneva, Switzerland

Oct. 7 - Randy Ingram & Drew Gress @ Mezzrow - NYC

Oct. 8 - Adam Nussbaum Lead Belly Project @ Porty & Bess - Vienna, Austria

Oct. 9-10 - Adam Nussbaum Lead Belly Project @ Cafe Montmartre - Copenhagen, Denmark

Oct. 10 - Michael Leonhart Orchestra @ Jazz Standard - Residency!

Oct. 11 - Vinicius Cantuaria @ The Mansion at Strathmore - North Bethesda, MD

Oct. 11 - Adam Nussbaum Lead Belly Project @ A-Trane - Berlin, Germany

Oct. 11 - Cristina Pato @ Weis Center, Bucknell University - Lewisburg, PA

Oct. 12 - Adam Nussbaum Lead Belly Project @ Jazz Club Ferrara - Ferrara, Italy

Oct. 13 - Vinicius Cantuaria @ Arts Garage - Delray Beach, FL

Oct. 13 - Laszlo Gardony @ Amazing Things Arts Center - Framingham, MA

Oct. 14 - Harriet Tubman @ Ronnie Scott's - London, UK

Oct. 18 - Christian Artmann @ Jazz at Kitano - NYC - CD release for Our Story

Oct. 19 - Harriet Tubman @ Skopje International Jazz Festival - Skopje, Macedonia

Oct. 19 - Camila Meza @ BRIC JazzFest - Brooklyn, NY

Oct. 20 - Randy Ingram Trio @ Sam First - Los Angeles, CA

Oct. 21 - 9 Horses @ Good Shephard Church - Brooklyn, NY

Oct. 30 - Camille Bertault @ Jazz Standard - NYC

Don't forget the Mingus Big Band every Monday @ Jazz Standard in NYC!

Mikkel Ploug & Mark Turner - Faroe (SUNNYSIDE RECORDS 2018)

The actions of simplifying and scaling down can change the dynamics of even the longest relationships. After having toured with the great saxophonist Mark Turner for a decade, guitarist Mikkel Ploug has decided to record a duo album in order to present a new representation of their musical interaction in an intimate setting. Both musicians truly shine on the new recording, Faroe. 

After he finished his music studies at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague in 2005, the Danish guitarist visited New York to play some sessions and take some lessons with a number of musicians. Ploug had written some tricky music for jazz quartet that was inspired by Turner’s Dharma Days recording, among others. After presenting the compositions to a number of his peers and heroes, Ploug was encouraged to approach Turner with the music with the goal of playing and, perhaps, recording with him. 

Turner liked the pieces and was happy to join Ploug’s Group, along with bassist Jeppe Skovbakke and drummer Sean Carpio. The Group has toured regularly over the past decade all over Europe. Although Ploug continues to enjoy the energy that the quartet can provide, he felt that it was time to do something different. Something scaled down to allow for a more subtle interaction between Turner and himself. On a trip to the Faroe Islands, Ploug began writing and planning for a duo recording at his hotel. 

Ploug intended to keep the core dynamic he had established with Turner, but highlight their melodic and chordal movement without the rhythm section’s percussive bombardment. This allows Turner to remain in a calm and heady role, rather than having to maintain volume and intensity. Having fallen for Turner’s dry tone and creative storytelling, Ploug wanted to establish a broad carpet of guitarsound to support the saxophonist but also allow himself to stretch further and broaden the guitars musical function.  

Judy Niemack & Jim McNeely (feat. Danish Radio Big Band) - New York Stories (SUNNYSIDE RECORDS 2018)

New York City is the center of many worlds, the jazz world being one of them. Musicians have always felt the pull of the Big Apple. The depth of talent, competition, and energy have made the City the epicenter of growth in the music. Vocalist Judy Niemack’s improvisation teacher Warne Marsh told her that she had to go and, once she did, she never looked back.

Niemack’s experiences, and friendships created, in New York have shaped her career and life. One of the most important friendships turned out to be that of the great pianist, composer and arranger Jim McNeely. Niemack’s new recording with McNeely, New York Stories, shows the depth of their musical and personal affinity as they present pieces they arranged together over the years, and, finally, have recorded together, along with the Danish Radio Big Band. 

When Niemack first arrived in New York, she lived in the guest room of saxophonist Ted Brown on Long Island before finding an apartment in the Bronx. Niemack then began to jump headlong into the local scene.

One of the first musicians she met was McNeely, who could be heard in many groups across the City, including Stan Getz’s ensemble and the Vanguard Orchestra. He heard her perform alongside Marsh at the saxophonist’s Village Vanguard residency. They struck up a fast friendship. McNeely became a sort of big brother figure to Niemack, always looking out for her and her best interests.

McNeely would go on to be musical director and arranger for the WDR Big Band in Cologne, Germany. He was able to get Niemack invited to work on projects in 1993 and 2001. The first focused on the music of Thelonious Monk, while the other was focused on her lyrics on jazz compositions of various composers. For both projects, McNeely made sure that Niemack was involved in the arranging process. Aware of Niemack’s classical training, McNeely treated her voice as another instrument in the band, always making sure that she could handle his demands (she always said “yes”). Though the concerts were successes, the pieces were never recorded until now.

Niemack relocated to Europe in 1992 and has been teaching at the Jazz Institute of Berlin for a number of years. Colleague and trumpet player Gerard Presencer arranged for a project for Niemack and the Danish Radio Big Band in 2013. Because McNeely had led the Danish Radio Big Band from 1998 until 2002, taking the baton from the late, great Bob Brookmeyer, the Danes were only too happy to have McNeely collaborate on the project. The two old friends were finally able to record their beloved big band charts.

Jim McNeely - arranger, conductor

Judy Niemack - vocals

Anders Gustafsson - 1st trumpet

Christer Gustafsson - 2nd trumpet

Thomas Kjaergaard - 3rd trumpet

Mads La Cour - 4th trumpet

Lars Vissing - 5th trumpet

Vincent Nilsson - 1st trombone

Steen Nikolaj Hansen - 2nd trombone

Peter Jensen - 3rd trombone

Annette Saxe - 4th trombone

Jakob Munck Mortensen - 5th trombone

Nicolai Schultz - 1st alto sax

Peter Fuglsand - 2nd alto sax

Hans Ulrik - 1st tenor sax

Frederick Menzies - 2nd tenor sax

Anders Gaardmand - baritone sax

Per Gade - guitar

Nikolaj Bentzon - piano

Kaspar Vadsholt - bass

Søren Frost - drums

1. New York Stories 09:39

2. Suddenly (In Walked Bud) 06:58

3. Talk Awhile (It's Just Talk) 07:03

4. A Crazy Song To Sing (Misterioso) 11:19

5. I Should Have Told You Goodbye (Daahoud) 08:22

6. Straight Up To The Light (Talking To Myself) 09:21

7. Fragile 06:04

8. Round Midnight 09:04

9. It's Over Now (Well You Needn't) 06:41

Kobie Watkins Grouptet - Movement (ORIGIN RECORDS 2018)

Kobie Watkins Grouptet was started when over a conversation at a local restaurant in Rexburg Idaho, 3 guys got together and talked about inventions and trademark ideas.The sound of a band and the natural development of personnel.

Grouptet members are,  Kobie Watkins (Leader & Drummer), Justin Nielsen (Piano), Jonathan Armstrong (Saxophone), Ryan Nielsen (Trumpet), Aaron Miller (Bass)

“ Music makes me want to dance, we want you to feel the same”

In addition Kobie Watkins was the last touring and recording drummer with Sonny Rollins. 

Kobie has played and recorded with- jazz legend Sonny Rollins; Joe Lovano, Branford Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, Curtis Fuller, Bob Mintzer, John Patitucci, Arturo Sandoval, George Coleman, Ira Sullivan, Sonny Fortune, Roy Haynes; including Kurt Elling, Fred Anderson, Bobby Broom, Christian McBride, Roy Hargrove, Orbert Davis, Ken Chaney, Ron Perrillo, Bethany Pickens, Ryan Cohan, Jarrard Harris and James Austin.  Additionally, Gospel singer Kim Burrell, R&B and Neo Soul artists Julie Dexter, Javier, Kendra Ross, Chris Robinson, and many others. Kobie has toured extensively in Africa, Europe, Asia, Canada, South America and the United States. A discography is also included.

www.kobiewatkinsgrouptet.com