Stephan Thelen - Fractal Guitar 2 Remixes (December 2021 MoonJune Records)

24bit DIGITAL FILES

CD + LIMITED EDITION LP

From STEPHAN THELEN

Fractal Guitar 2 remains one of my own favorite albums, not just for musical reasons, but also because it was such an enjoyable working experience in which many of my musician friends sent me file after file after file of amazing and spellbinding music. In the end, there were so many tracks that ultimately did not make it to the album, but were simply too good to just let go of. A good example ist Andi Pupato’s Middle Eastern percussion track for my remix of 'Point of Inflection’ which wasn’t quite right for the main album, but set the stage for the very different vibe of the remix.

Also, while preparing the mixes for Fractal Guitar 2, it became clear that the extensive material for this album had the potential to be remixed and remodeled in many different ways. Knowing that some of my friends were excellent and creative remixers, I reached out to see who would be compelled to re-imagine the pieces. A big thank you to Bill Laswell, Jah Wobble, David Torn and Barry Cleveland for their incredible remix skills and musical imagination. In an e-mail written after hearing Bill Laswell’s remix, Barry wrote to me: „This is fascinating on multiple levels. A sort of master class, really …Even King Tubby would raise his eyebrows at that schnizzle.“ Of course, he’s right.

01 POINT OF INFLECTION (Stephan Thelen Remix)

David Torn: electric guitar, live looping

Jon Durant: fretless guitar, cloud guitar

Barry Cleveland: 6 &12-string guitars, bowed guitar, chopped guitar, fuzz orchestration

Markus Reuter: soundscapes

Tim Motzer: electric guitar

Andi Pupato: percussion

Andy Brugger: drums

Stephan Thelen: electric guitar, fender bass, granular synth, mix translation

Original Version written by Stephan Thelen and Barry Cleveland.

02 LADDER TO THE STARS (Jah Wobble Remix)

Henry Kaiser: electric guitar

Chris Muir: electric guitar, live looping

Markus Reuter: touch guitar U8, soundscapes

Jon Durant: filtered and sliced cloud guitar

Fabio Anile: electric piano

Andy West: bass guitar

Andi Pupato: percussion

Manuel Pasquinelli: drums

Jah Wobble: mix translation

Stephan Thelen: electric guitar, keyboards

Mix translation by Jah Wobble at Airtight Productions, Manchester,

England, July 2020. Engineering by Seadna McPhail.

Original Version written by Stephan Thelen and Fabio Anile..

03 CELESTIAL NAVIGATION (Stephan Thelen Remix)

Markus Reuter: touch guitar U8, soundscapes

Bill Walker: electric guitar, lap steel

Andi Pupato: percussion

Manuel Pasquinelli: drums

Stephan Thelen: fractal guitar, fender bass, e-bow, keyboards, mix translation

Original Version written by Stephan Thelen.

04 POINT OF INFLECTION (David Torn Mix)

David Torn: electric guitar, live looping, mix

Jon Durant: cloud guitar

Barry Cleveland: 6 &12-string guitars, bowed guitar, chopped guitar, fuzz orchestration

Markus Reuter: soundscapes

Andi Pupato: percussion

Andy Brugger: drums

Stephan Thelen: electric guitar, fender bass, granular synth

Mixed and Mastered by David Torn.

Original Version written by Stephan Thelen and Barry Cleveland.

05 MERCURY TRANSIT (Barry Cleveland Remix)

Barry Cleveland: 6 & 12-string guitars, bowed guitar, revox loops, zither, singing bowls, bowed cymbal, electronics, mix translation

Jon Durant: VCS3 guitar

Markus Reuter: soundscapes

Michael Manring: bass guitar

Andi Pupato: percussion

Andy Brugger: drums

Stephan Thelen: electric guitar, e-bow, keyboards

Mix translation by Barry Cleveland.

Mastered by David Torn.

Original Version written by Stephan Thelen.

06 POINT OF INFLECTION (Bill Laswell Mix Translation)

Bill Laswell: bass, electronics, mix translation

David Torn: electric guitar, live looping

Jon Durant: fretless guitar, cloud guitar

Barry Cleveland: 6 &12-string guitars, bowed guitar, chopped guitar, fuzz orchestration

Markus Reuter: soundscapes

Andi Pupato: percussion

Andy Brugger: drums

Stephan Thelen: electric guitar, fender bass, granular synth

Mix translation by Bill Laswell, Orange Music, West Orange, New Jersey, June 2020. Engineering, editing and processing by James Dellatacoma.

Original Version written by Stephan Thelen and Barry Cleveland.

All tracks written by Stephan Thelen except Ladder to the Stars

written by Stephan Thelen & Fabio Anile and Point of Inflection

written by Stephan Thelen & Barry Cleveland.

Recorded at various locations across Europe and North America

between November 2019 and July 2020.

Recording engineer at MegaSonic, Oakland, California: Jeremy Goody.

Andy Brugger’s drums recorded by Reto Muggli at Powerplay Sudio B,

Zürich, Switzerland. Manuel Pasquinelli’s drums recorded by Benno

Kaiser at his studio in Aarau, Switzerland.

Jah Wobble’s remix performed at Airtight Productions,

Manchester, England, July 2020. Engineering by Seadna McPhail.

Bill Laswell’s mix translation performed at

Orange Music, West Orange, New Jersey, June 2020.

Engineering, editing and processing by

James Dellatacoma.

David Torn appears courtesy of ECM Records.

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Anthony Wonsey - Lorraine’s Lullabies (2021 Cellar Live)

When I think of the phrase "it takes a village to raise a child," I often think of my music training and all of the great musicians and people I have come across throughout the years, starting with the great trumpeter Zilner Randolph, who was Louis Armstrong's musical director in the '40s. I was five years old when I met the master, and the piano lessons he gave me were really life lessons - I just did not realize it at the time. The village raising a child soon grew, and I entered high school, where Reginald Willis became my mentor. Because of this, I won a four-year scholarship to Berklee College of Music. Mulgrew Miller and James Williams as well as my peers and other members of the village became my teachers and mentors. Now, living in New York City since '95, I continue to be inspired in this great city by great musicians and great people. One of those great people is Lorraine Tiezzi, who is a real lover of this Black American art form. This album is about saying thank you to all the people in the village who continue to raise that child. Since the pandemic, it has really humbled me in many ways - this is my way of saying thank you. I bring you Lorraine's lullabies.

-Anthony Wonsey

New York City

Photo: Sergio Santillán

1. Sweet Lorraine 04:59

2. Giving Rise to Doubt 07:03

3. I Didn't Know What Time It Was 07:04

4. Little Mouse 07:33

5. Blues for Hiroshi 06:59

6. It Might As Well Be Spring 08:17

7. Blacker Black's Revenge 05:12

8. Avo's Blooze 04:13

9. Do You Remember Me 08:03

10. Melancholy Mind 06:44

Anthony Wonsey – piano

Dmitri Kolesnik – bass (2 – 7, 9)

Brandi Disterfheft – bass (8 & 10)

Chris Beck – drums (3 – 10)

Antoine Drye – trumpet (8, 9)

Zet Harris – tenor saxophone (8, 9), soprano saxophone (10)

Milton Suggs – voice (10)

Produced by Jeremy Pelt

Recorded at GB’s Juke Joint in Astoria, NY on January 24, 2021

Engineered by Glen Bluey

Mixed and mastered by Ian Hendrickson-Smith

Cover Art by Gerald Cannon (www.cannonmusicnart.com)

Photography by Carolin Rechberg

Design and layout by John Sellards

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Cory Weeds - With Strings: What Is There To Say? (2021 Cellar Live)

What a perfect time for Cory to give us this album, What is There To Say?, his 18th record as a leader. It's his most ambitious project to date and, in my opinion, his most impressive. Ever since Charlie Parker recorded his iconic Bird with Strings album, the saxophone-with-strings format has become a sort of Mount Everest for those saxophonists brave enough to take on the challenge. Cory has been climbing to increasingly greater heights for years now and he is clearly ready for this ''Everestine'' expedition. Listening to him interpret this carefully curated set of compositions, we really get to know him for the musician he has become: an expressive saxophonist with a unique and personal voice on his instrument. A visceral strength to his delivery on the tenor, while at times exposing a beautifully honest vulnerability as well.

Cory, as he is known to do, has surrounded himself with only the best company. Phil Dwyer's crafty lush string arrangements inspire Cory to search for new and ever more lyrical melodic lines while also giving him ample space to get lost exploring the nooks and crevasses of the music. Cory has compiled some real musical gems here including the somewhat obscure chestnut 1906 Ballad At Dawning (I Love You) while also contributing an eclectic trio of original compositions to round out an extremely enjoyable musical program.

1. At Dawning 05:44

2. Waltz For Someone Special 04:46

3. Alana Marie 06:33

4. I Wish You Love 06:35

5. The Phantom / The In Crowd 06:12

6. Love Is Wild 06:06

7. What Is There To Say? 05:58

8. There's A Boat Leavin' Soon For New York 06:54

Cory Weeds – tenor saxophone

Phil Dwyer – piano

John Lee – bass

Jesse Cahill – drums

Cam Wilson – violin (lead)

Llowyn Ball - violin

Elyse Jacobson - violin

Molly MacKinnon - violin

Jiten Beairsto- violin

Madeline Hocking- violin

Meredith Bates - violin

Andrea Siradze - violin

John Kastelic – viola

Genevieve MacKay - viola

Finn Manniche - cello

Doug Gorkoff – cello

Maggie Hasspacher - bass

All arrangements by Phil Dwyer

Executive Producer: Cory Weeds

Produced by Phil Dwyer and Cory Weeds

Recorded at The Armoury Studios in Vancouver, BC on Feburary 13, 20 and 21, 2021

Engineered by Sheldon Zaharko, assisted by Spencer Bleasdale and Ricardo Germain

Mixed by Sheldon Zaharko

Mastered by João Carvalho

Cover Art by Lori Popadiuk

Photography by Cory Weeds

Design and layout by Perry Chua

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Steven Feifke & Benny Benack III's SEASON’S SWINGIN’ GREETINGS is out via Cellar Music Group

Cellar Music Group Announces Release of Season’s Swingin’ Greetings – A Spirited Big Band Holiday Celebration Featuring Renowned Trumpeter and Vocalist Benny Benack III with Acclaimed Pianist, Arranger and Big Band Leader Steven Feifke

“There’s an attractive mixture of sincerity and humor to be found in the way this crew addresses the holidays, but don’t let the lightheartedness fool you: The musicianship is serious, and seriously on point.” 

—Dan Bilawksy, All About Jazz

Cellar Music Group is thrilled to announce the November 19, 2021 release of Season’s Swingin’ Greetings, a holiday album that celebrates the traditional big-band sound and hallmark compositions of yesteryear while also introducing brand-new pieces and arrangements to the holiday jazz pantheon. Acclaimed trumpeter and Vocalist Benny Benack III joins forces with heralded pianist and big-band leader Steven Feifke, marking the first release as co-leaders for these two close friends and long-time collaborators. This auspicious holiday recording sees the inimitable confluence of Feifke’s compositional/arranging prowess and Benack’s lyrical pen, yielding rousing arrangements of timeless holiday classics as well as original compositions written in the spirit of the season.

This Deluxe Edition package of Season’s Swingin’ Greetings is the culmination of a 3-year process, built on the vision of composing, recording and refining holiday jazz anthems for a new generation. With some tracks initially released as an EP for La Reserve back in 2019, Feifke and Benack utilized their time during the COVID-19 lockdown to continue to record additional tracks for the album, adding lush string arrangements and additional moments of levity and expert instrumental performance. Feifke recalls the exhilarating week leading up to the 2019 recording session, when Feifke and Benack were sharing a Manhattan apartment. “Benny would run down the hall, knock on my door and tell me that he finished the lead sheet for the next track right as I finished arranging and orchestrating the previous – it was a real tin-pan alley kind of atmosphere,” recalls Feifke. 

While Season’s Swingin’ Greetings marks Feifke and Benack’s first release as co-leaders, the two have a long and fruitful history of collaboration including on Feifke’s most recent critically-acclaimed release Kinetic, which featured Benack prominently alongside Feifke’s big-band. About that outing, Jack Bowers of All About Jazz notes, “for those who appreciate contemporary big bands whose guiding purpose is swing, Kinetic should furnish ample excitement and pleasure. If Herman, Basie and Buddy Rich were still around, it is reasonable to surmise that this is the path they would have followed.”

“Benny is such a brilliant lyricist. The stuff that he comes up with is nothing short of virtuosic – and so for me to be able to jump in and contribute my compositional and orchestrational voice is  fantastic. It’s  a really great match in terms of both of us complimenting each other’s artistic  skill-sets,” Feifke reflects.  

The co-leaders will release three singles including a October 29th release of “Sleighride”, the November 19th release of “Ma’oz Tzur” and the December 17th release of “When Christmas time Comes Around”. The classic “Sleighride” was co-arranged by Benack and Feifke. This sprightly arrangement demonstrates Benack’s lightning-fast facility on the trumpet, soaring over Feifke’s thoughtful harmonic refrains. Feifke displays his immense melodic acuity as well with a sublime solo. The triple-meter bridge and melodic playfulness from the duo sets the stage for a truly innovative release. “Ma’oz Tzur” is a modern arrangement of a traditional Jewish liturgical poem, the duo bring this Chanukah classic into present day with a 3/4 power-ballad feel within a marvelous big band and strings arrangement.

“When Christmas Time Comes Around” is a joint composition between Feifke (music) and Benack (lyrics), the two worked together to craft this holiday story and interpret it in song. “This album was filled with firsts”, Benack indicates, “this was the first time that I’d ever written lyrics for jointly-written piece”. “My Girlfriend is an Elf” is the album opener, a jubilant and comical vocal showcase for Benack. The vocalist notes “My Girlfriend is an Elf is a tune where the verse [setting up the premise that his girlfriend is an elf] came to me first.”

“My Wishlist is You” features a wonderful performance from vocalist Alita Moses alongside Benack. Benack composed and wrote the lyrics for this Christmas-themed waltz. Moses was also featured in a duet context on Benack’s recent critically-acclaimed album A lot of Livin’ to Do. The outfit returns to the Chanukah spirit for “The Dreidel Song”. Feifke’s arrangement harkens back to the spirit of the craps game in ‘Guys and Dolls’, fitting for a reimagining of a traditional song based on a gambling game.

“A Midnight Wish”, the album’s final track, is an original song co-written by Benack and several other fantastic new composers. The piece concludes the album on a lush, reflective note, showcasing Benack’s sultry vocals singing powerful and poignant lyrics underscored by the phenomenal Steven Feifke Big Band.

Aside from the two esteemed co-leaders, Season’s Swingin’ Greetings features an array of notable musicians throughout its tracks. Vibraphone great Warren Wolf takes a wonderful solo on the classic “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve”, Sasha Berliner is featured on “The Christmas Song”, acclaimed multireedist Alexa Tarantino is featured during a flute solo on “When Christmastime Comes Around”, saxophonist Sam Dillon is a featured soloist on “The Dreidel Song”, celebrated trombonist Javier Nero is a featured soloist on “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” and drummer TJ Reddick is featured on “Sleighride”.

Season’s Swingin’ Greetings captures the tremendous synergy and interplay between two close friends and collaborators dedicated to creating a perfect atmosphere in which to compliment one another. Benack notes “I consider the bond between a crooner and his arranger to be as sacred as it comes in the annals of Jazz music…Sinatra had Nelson Riddle, Mel Tormé had Marty Paich, and I’m grateful to have Steven Feifke’s pen providing the musical wind in my sails. I wouldn’t entrust my music and arrangements to just anyone, but with Steven we have complete trust in each other, and really share a similar vision for how we want to present this familiar format in a fresh, exciting way.” A modern-classic, Season’s Swingin’ Greetings celebrates the holiday music of multiple religions, and adorns each track with an infectiously jubilant energy fitting for the upcoming season.

1. My Girlfriend Is An Elf 03:55

2. I'll Be Home For Christmas 05:04

3. My Wishlist Is You 03:26

4. The Dreidel Song 04:04

5. What You Doing New Year's Eve 04:56

6. The Christmas Song 04:39

7. Sleigh Ride 03:40

8. When Christmas Time Comes Around 04:53

9. Ma'oz Tzur 04:49

10. A Midnight Wish 04:04

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Greg Amirault - News Blues (December 3, 2021)

Originally from Yarmouth Nova Scotia, guitarist Greg Amirault has been living and performing in Montreal for over 30 years. A long time faculty member of the jazz programs at McGill and Concordia University, Amirault is a past winner of the Grand Prix de Jazz at the Montreal International Jazz Festival and the Prix d’Opus. For decades, he has been a mainstay of the Montreal jazz scene, and one of Canada’s most notable guitarists.

News Blues is Amirault’s third recording as a leader. It features three of Canada’s finest jazz musicians: pianist (and Greg’s brother) Steve Amirault, bassist Adrian Vedady, and drummer Jim Doxas. This recording consists of nine tunes: seven of Greg Amirault’s original compositions, and two classic jazz standards.

This album offers a variety of moods and textures: there are straight ahead swingers like News Blues and Uninvited, more modern sounding pieces like Tribute Tune and Meeting the Master, and the folk influenced Song for Nova Scotia, an homage to Amirault’s birthplace. The recording also features two solo guitar arrangements of a couple of Amirault’s favourite jazz standards, the ballads If You Could See Me Now and Embraceable You.

These four musicians have been playing together in a variety of formations for over twenty years. This albums is a testament to the strong connection they’ve nurtured together.

“Ami raul t proves t o be a pat ient , lyr ical, straightforward improviser”

Peter Hum, Ottawa Citizen

1. News Blues 03:55

2. Tribute Tune 08:30

3. Sweet Way 06:19

4. Song for Nova Scotia 03:52

5. Uninvited 05:22

6. Meeting the Master 05:27

7. If You Could See Me Now 02:30

8. Reissued 05:49

9. Embraceable You 02:08

Greg Amirault - guitar

Steve Amirault - piano

Adrian Vedady - bass

Jim Doxas - drums

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Catalytic Sound: IT'S BANDCAMP FRIDAY!!

NEW RELEASES! • PRE ORDER NOW!!!

Ken Vandermark's "Momentum 5 - Stammer (Triptych)"

CD & Digital release + Audio Visual piece by Kim Alpert // Limited Edition of 500

Composer and reedist Ken Vandermark premiers an ambitious new large ensemble project featuring musicians drawn from across a wide swath of the current improvised and experimental music scenes. Called, "Momentum 5: Stammer (triptych)," it is the fifth installment in his ongoing Momentum series, and the first specifically organized to utilize visual materials. The composition is inspired in part by Alvin Lucier's piece, "I Am Sitting in a Room," and Tony Conrad's, "Film Feedback."

In addition to Vandermark, the ensemble features contributions from some of the most exciting musicians and artists working today: Kim Alpert (visuals), Tim Barnes (percussion), Katinka Kleijn (cello), Damon Locks (samples/electronics), Nick Macri (basses), Lou Mallozzi (recordings/electronics), claire rousay (percussion), and Mars Williams (saxophones/little instruments). "Stammer (triptych)" will be officially released  in a limited edition by Audiographic Records on December 10th, but pre-orders are being taken now at the following locations.

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Dave Rempis & Avreeayl Ra "Bennu"

Rippled-sky colored vinyl LP // Limited edition of 500

The winter of 2020 into 2021 was perhaps the darkest time for working musicians that most of them may ever know.  Earlier in 2020, when the COVID pandemic first hit, many of them found ways to stay active with online streams, and outdoor performances in the warmer months.  But by December 2020, that activity ended as the largest wave of the pandemic crashed upon the world, and most performance opportunities came to a halt.  It was one of the most chaotic periods in recent world history, particularly in the US, where the presidential election had just taken place, and where Black Lives Matters protestors were finally waking America up to the flagrant killings of innocent Black people by the police that have plagued this country for so long. Amongst all that, most musicians were left without a crucial means to process, reflect upon, and express their feelings and thoughts in the way they’ve dedicated their lives to doing.   So at this recording session in February 2021, saxophonist Dave Rempis and master drummer Avreeayl Ra both had a lot to say.

Rempis and Ra have worked together for about fifteen years.  Most regularly since 2012 in their trio with Joshua Abrams, which expanded into a quartet in 2016 with the addition of pianist Jim Baker.  That band is a real working unit, having performed dozens of gigs in Chicago and abroad, and releasing three critically-acclaimed records, also on Aerophonic: Aphelion (2014), Perihelion (2016), and Apsis (2019).  The diligent work these two improvisers have put in together in that context has slowly caramelized their rapport like a carbonnade.  And on Bennu, we get the unique opportunity to hear the pair’s very first duo outing, a long overdue head-to-head matchup.

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NEW ADDITIONS!

from Fred Lonberg-Holm, Dave Rempis & Christof Kurzmann

BACK IN STOCK!

Catalytic Quarterly Collection 5-8

In a very limited quantity of 25 hand-numbered sets, we present the first four issues of the Catalytic Quarterly collected in an envelope designed by our own Federico Peñalva. Get one while the stock lasts!

GET IT HERE!

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Sara Serpa 'Intimate Strangers' – Dec. 3 on Biophilia Records

Vocalist-composer Sara Serpa collaborates with Nigerian author Emmanuel Iduma on a stunning new album offering musical insight into the journeys and experiences of migrants, refugees, and displaced people

 

Intimate Strangers, due out December 3, 2021 via Biophilia Records, features vocalists Serpa, Aubrey Johnson and Sofía Rei with pianist Matt Mitchell and synth player Qasim Naqvi, creating vivid soundscapes for stories from Iduma’s book A Stranger’s Pose

"A fresh and riveting presence on the vocal-jazz landscape."

– Nate Chinen, JazzTimes

" Serpa possesses a preternatural cool, injecting weightless sophistication and melodic grace into everything she touches."

– Peter Margasak, Chicago Reader

 

Album release concert Tuesday, December 14 at National Jazz Museum, Harlem

There’s no better way to connect with the humanity of a stranger than to hear their stories and to share our own. On their poignant and striking new collaboration, Intimate Strangers, the extraordinary vocalist-composer Sara Serpa and the Nigerian writer Emmanuel Iduma traverse the African continent, sharing the author’s personal journey and collecting the tales of fellow travelers and migrants he meets along the way. Through Iduma’s insightful text and Serpa’s transcendent music, the lens widens to explore the struggles and emotions experienced by anyone who’s left their roots behind to seek the uncertain promise of a distant horizon.

 

Due out December 3, 2021 on Biophilia Records, Intimate Strangers draws from Iduma’s 2018 book A Stranger’s Pose, which recounts the writer’s travels through more than a dozen African cities, combining travelogue, memoir and meditations on migration and displacement. The album also continues a narrative that Serpa began with her 2020 release Recognition: Music For a Silent Film, which grappled with the legacy of Portuguese colonialism in Africa via her own family’s history. Intimate Strangers is, in a way, the mirror image of that project, gazing back at colonial powers from the vantage point of Africa itself.

“There were a lot of stories in Emmanuel’s book that really resonated with me,” Serpa explains. “While Recognition dealt with my country's past relationships with Africa, I felt like his book presents a much-needed perspective of what borders actually mean. Through his travels and encounters with so many people just trying to cross into Europe, Emmanuel raises all these questions about traveling, migrating and leaving your home behind.”

 

Commissioned by John Zorn, Intimate Strangers premiered at Brooklyn’s National Sawdust in November 2018 as a multi-media performance combining Serpa’s music, Iduma’s narration, and photographs  from the author’s book. In recorded form, Intimate Strangers remains evocative, conjuring mental images in the listener’s mind as vivid as that projected footage. It helps that Serpa gathered a stellar collection of musicians able to craft such bold imaginary landscapes: she is joined by fellow vocalists Sofía Rei and Aubrey Johnson (Rei is a bandmate from Zorn’s a cappella quartet Mycale; Johnson has been a collaborator since attending NEC with Serpa), along with pianist Matt Mitchell (Tim Berne, Dave Douglas) and modular synth player Qasim Naqvi (Dawn of Midi).

Iduma writes in the liner notes that, “My collaborative performance with Sara brought me closer to understanding how words worked in a pre-literate time, when writing was yet to be invented – when stories were passed from mouth to mouth, from memory to memory… Sara’s composition distills A Stranger’s Pose to its essential groove and vital ballad.”

 

“I am always inspired by Emmanuel’s insight and his writing,” adds Serpa. “We share a very deep mutual respect for each other's work. Of course, we come from different backgrounds, but we share the same concerns regarding humanity and hospitality. So we thought a lot about how to combine our art to convey this message and honor both our skillsets.”

photo by Da Pin Luo

The two were further bonded by shared grief, as both lost their fathers within a few months of each other. José Luis Serpa, who passed away just three days after the premiere of Intimate Strangers, provided the vibrant collage that graces the album’s cover art.

 

The album is itself a journey, beginning with Iduma’s self-reflections and continuing close to home with encounters in Nigeria. It soon ventures farther, over the Moroccan border and through the desert in Bamako, Mali. In the Senegalese town of Kidira the writer is reminded of his relatively privileged status when a passport means a world of difference between him and the unnamed stranger whose life briefly becomes linked to his own. The Morocco-based Cameroonian poet Onesiphore Nembe recites a piece in French, about things left behind – a mellifluous echo of past colonialism.

At journey’s end we cast our eyes back to its beginning. “For You I Must Become a Tree” poetically conveys the reflection of the migrant on the loves and home from which they’ve embarked, now far away but always heart-achingly close. “In the mind of the traveler, those who love you don't want you to go. So that person has to become a tree, which means having your roots in one place [with branches reaching far away].”

 

Serpa weaves a mesmerizing sonic tapestry from the sparse instrumentation and especially the stunning vocal harmonies, which serve at times as gorgeous atmosphere, at others as ethereal storytellers, still others as a lush Greek chorus. “The main character is always Emmanuel,” Serpa describes. “The singing voices are sometimes spirits, sometimes ghosts, sometimes witnesses and sometimes joining him as narrators.”

 

While Intimate Strangers tells Iduma’s story, and those he gathered along the road, it is no less personal a piece for Serpa. “As a migrant myself,” she says, “albeit a privileged migrant, I recognize the feeling of being a foreigner and a bit of an outsider. As a European and someone who has been following the news of the world’s various refugee crises, I feel that the book offers a human, crucial and urgent side to the stories that continuously happen at every border. That's what attracted me to it.”

1. First Song

2. Lokoja- Okenne

3. How Do You Know Where To Go?

4. Bamako

5. Lejam

6. The Poet (feat. Onesiphore Nembe)

7. God’s Time

8. Kidira

9. Le Bout Du Monde

10. Note to Nephew

11. In Due Course

12. Night

13. For You I Must Become a Tree

Sara Serpa – voice, composition

Emmanuel Iduma – text, spoken word

Sofía Rei - voice

Aubrey Johnson – voice

Matt Mitchell -piano

Qasim Naqvi – modular synth

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Jacqueline Kerrod's fearless solo album '17 Days in December’ (December 3, 2021 via Orenda Records)

17 Days in December, due out December 3, 2021 via Orenda Records, features an expansive set of solo harp improvisations culled from daily explorations

 

Kerrod’s diverse credits include work with Anthony Braxton, serving as principal harpist with NY City Opera, and performances with Anohni, Rufus Wainwright and Kanye West

 

"Kerrod is a fearless improviser and experimentalist, using extended techniques in a fashion that would sound like mistakes in less sure hands."

– Mike Eisenberg, Avant Music News

 

“[The] exceptionally virtuosic and sensitive harpist Jacqueline Kerrod… drew many different tonal colors from her instrument. ” 

– Timothy Hutto, Classical Source

“I sometimes think I should have picked a different instrument,” jokes South African-born harpist Jacqueline Kerrod.

Classically trained from the age of 9, Kerrod has had a vibrant and varied career as a freelancer in New York City. She has played principal harp with top orchestras and performed with elite chamber groups, contemporary music ensembles, and pop superstars like Anohni, Rufus Wainwright and Kanye West. But although she consistently worked at a very high level, these opportunities failed to provide an outlet for her own creative voice.

 

“Although I had dabbled in improvisation and writing my own music, it took a back seat as I continued my studies in the US and began my professional career in NYC. Even so, that little voice in my head was there, reminding me of the music I was really drawn to and my desire to make it myself.”

 

Kerrod’s journey of personal sonic discovery has now yielded her debut solo album, 17 Days in December, due out December 3, 2021 via Los Angeles-based Orenda Records. The album results from a month-long series of daily improvisations on acoustic and electric harp that Kerrod undertook in the basement of her home in Princeton at the height of the Covid-19 quarantine. But its origins date back long before the pandemic, to a six-year journey in a pop duo and the inspiration of working with master composer/improviser Anthony Braxton.

 

Kerrod was initially enlisted to play with the ensemble for Braxton’s opera “Trillium J.” That led to an invitation to join the saxophone innovator on the latest iteration of his musical system, ZIM Music – the results of which can be heard on his new 11-hour recording 12 Comp (ZIM) 2017. She later joined Braxton in duo performances in Europe and the US. Their performance from Bologna was released on the Italian label I dischi di Angelica in 2020. These opportunities became a plunge into the deep end of the improvised music realm for the harpist.

 

“I found it exciting and terrifying to be inside of those performances,” Kerrod recalls. “As a classical musician the process is so much about learning things perfectly and meticulously preparing so that you lessen the odds of messing up. I rarely felt free from needing to control the outcome. Playing with Braxton was such a shift because you have to be in the moment. That feeling of being able to move through unfamiliar territory and discover new things is such an adventure. I truly rediscovered my joy for music and my instrument.”

 

Prior to crossing paths with Braxton, Kerrod was immersed in the realm of new music with the likes of the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), the Argento Chamber Ensemble, Talea Ensemble, Wet Ink, Alarm Will Sound and Metropolis Chamber Ensemble; and she championed South African composers with more than a dozen works written for her. She also branched away from the classical world as half of the pop duo Addi & Jacq (with vocalist Addi McDaniel), where she developed her skills on the electric harp using guitar pedals and a looper, and with songwriting.

“Having all of these experiences with different genres and approaches opened up a whole new world of music to me,” Kerrod says. “Through them I started my listening journey into the world of free improvised music, free jazz, country blues, you name it! I realized that there are no boxes that one needs to climb into. You can and should always be yourself.”

 

Kerrod set up a basic studio at home to continue her evolution, but the lockdown accelerated the process and led to the experiments that comprise 17 Days in December. The harpist set out each day with no fixed agenda or any intention of releasing the results formally. She simply set a timer for 40 minutes, started recording, and let her ideas flow. There is no overdubbing or looping on the album, and no preparations on the harp. She used a screwdriver-like harp tool on one track (“December 5: Screwed”) a small glass bowl on another (“December 28: Glassy Fingers”) and a viola bow (December 29: Rust On Bow) and used delay, whammy and distortion/overdrive pedals on her electric harp. Two acoustic tracks (December 7: Gentle Jangle and December 2: Fluttering Alberti) use software effects in Ableton. Otherwise, the improvisations make use of the natural sounds possible with the unaltered harp..

 

The shimmering opening track, “December 1: Trill to Begin,” draws directly from one of Braxton’s twelve Language Musics. The trill was Kerrod’s solution to Braxton’s Long Sounds language, sustaining a drone despite the harp’s natural tendency for sonic decay. The warped menace of “December 21: Chatterbox” introduces the unusual sounds of her electric harp. Each day’s improv wrings rich discoveries from a different notion, from abstract memory of jazz on “December 9: An Impression” to agitated frenzy on “December 8: Sugar Up” to repurposed classical technique on “December 2: Fluttering Alberti.”

 

“In retrospect, these seventeen improvisations feel like a personal celebration,” Kerrod concludes. “At the time I felt like the top blew off and the music came tumbling out. I felt an incredible amount of joy, truth, warmth, clarity, and reverence for all the sounds – including those I was taught not to make! I want to continue reveling in that feeling, alone and with others, in whatever forms that may take.”

1. December 1: Trill to Begin

2. December 21: Chatterbox

3. December 7: Gentle Jangle

4. December 9: An Impression

5. December 8: Sugar Up

6. December 16: Glare

7. December 17: Strummed I

8. December 28: Glassy Fingers

9. December 14: Broken: In 3

10. December 2: Fluttering Alberti

11. December 4: Can-Can

12. December 29: Rust on Bow

13. December 30: Strummed II

14. December 5: Screwed

15. December 13: Sunday

16. December 22: Blips ‘n’ Blops

17. December 20: Sweet Dreams

Jacqueline Kerrod - Acoustic and Electric Harp

Recorded & produced by Jacqueline Kerrod

Mixed & additional sound production (tracks 2, 3, 7,12, 17) by Weston Olencki

Mastered by Ryan Streber

Cover Art by Eron Rauch

Design by Dan Rosenboom

Photo by Claudia Paul

Jacqueline Kerrod – 17 Days in December

Orenda Records – Orenda 0093 – Recorded Dec. 1-30, 2020

Release date December  3, 2021

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Andrea Keller / Wave Riders - Systems Over​-​Ride (December 3, 2021)

Systems Over-Ride is the new album from Melbourne-based pianist & composer Andrea Keller, featuring her latest musical venture, WAVE RIDERS. The quintet performs Andrea’s music with grit and spontaneity; bringing together her somewhat disparate fascinations of free jazz and doom metal, combined with potent harmonies and yearning melodies. Dichotomous relationships abound as she grapples to reconcile the brutal and the beautiful, all the while focussed on stripping back, and connecting, within acts of kindness, and solidarity.

Recorded between lockdowns 4 & 5 at Head Gap Studio in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, the album also features a set of specially commissioned remixes. Using improvised fragments from the studio session, Nicole Lizée (CAN), Bree van Reyk (SYD), Joe Talia, Philip Rex, and Theo Carbo (MEL) contribute an exhilarating set of pieces that draw threads from WAVE RIDERS and weave them into new territory and sound worlds.

1. Linger

2. Systems Over-Ride I

3. I Missed You So Much

4. Systems Over-Ride II

5. Systems Over-Ride III

6. Silver Leaves

7. For All The Wrong Reasons

8. Trio Repercussions

9. Systems Over-Ride IV

10. I'll Wave To You From The Car

11. Systems Over-Ride V

12. In Solidarity

Scott McConnachie – saxophones

Jack Richardson – guitar

Andrea Keller - piano

Mick Meagher – bass

Rama Parwata – drum set

Recorded on June 29 & 30, 2021

Recorded at Head Gap Studio, Preston, VIC Australia

Recorded, Mixed & Mastered by Lachlan Carrick

Designed by Luke Fraser/Ahr+

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ROPE - In the Moment / The Music of Charlie Haden (December 3, 2021 Hora Records)

Veteran Italian trio ROPE releases their newest record ‘In the Moment - The Music of Charlie Ha-den’ for HORA Records, an impassioned celebration of an iconic musician whose musical contributions spanned decades of creative jazz from the fifties to the present day.

A tribute to Charlie Haden's music must take into account the constantly evolving language of modern jazz: from Ornette Coleman's desperate lyricism to the militant protest music of the Liberation Music Orchestra, to some ot the most forward-looking piano trios in jazz history, Haden was a pivotal figure in numerous seminal bands which have shaped the music we know as jazz. ROPE sails these seas with love and respect, the musicians plainly at their ease as they explore each chapter of this timeless American music.

The moving voice of Petra Haden joins the trio in a memorable version of traditional song Shenandoah, a favorite of her father who recorded it in the final years of his incredible career.

1. Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing / Ramblin'

2. Bess You is My Woman Now

3. Sandino / Silence

4. Fiasco / In the Moment

5. Shenandoah (feat. Petra Haden)

6. La Pasionaria / Song for Che

7. Song for the Whales

8. Spiritual

9. In the Year of the Dragon *

10. See You at Per Tutti's / Vanguard Blues / Blues in Motion *

11. Once Around the Park *

* Does not appear on LP configuration

FABRIZIO PUGLISI piano

STEFANO SENNI bass

ZENO DE ROSSI drums, geometrikaos on Song for the Whales

featuring

PETRA HADEN vocals on Shenandoah

All compositions by Charlie Haden (Liberation Music Co., BMI) except Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing by James Weldon Johnson and John Rosamond Johnson (Public Domain), Ramblin’ by Ornette Coleman (Phrase Text Music ASCAP), Bess You Is My Woman Now by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin (Gershwin Publ. Corp.), Fiasco, In The Year of The Dragon, Once Around The Park by Paul Motian (Yazgol Music), Shenandoah (Traditional, Public Domain)

Produced by Rope and Hora Records

Recorded (January 17-18, 2021), mixed (May 13, 2021) and mastered (June 2021) at Duna Studio by Andrea Scardovi except vocals on Shenandoah, recorded by Petra Haden at her home in Los Angeles (January 2021)

Artwork by Francesco Chiacchio

Design by Zeno Brunetto

Photo by Barbara Rigon

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Lior Milliger Free Improv Trio (feat. Hilliard Greene & Joe Hertenstein) - Your Comfort Zone Will Kill You (December 3, 2021 577 Records)

Lior Milliger’s Free Improv Trio has been working, performing and recording in NYC’s Free improvised music scene for years, but Your Comfort Zone Will Kill You is their first album together. Though a largely improvisational project, the tracks present fully developed musical ideas that build plot, tension and story. In their interpretation, the musicians describe each sound and intensity—Hilliard Greene’s bass, Lior Milliger’s inquiring saxophone and Joe Hertenstein’s simmering drums—as competing, interacting characters. The album’s songs are diverse, ranging from delicate and balanced compositions towards escalating tensions, the same familiar instruments transforming themselves with delightful musicality. Hilliard Greene is also a longtime member of The Telepathic Band, which has multiple releases on 577 Records. Your Comfort Zone Will Kill You will be released digitally December 3, 2021.

1. ROUGH

2. Bending Traditions

3. Metamorphosis

4. No Gaps

5. Leaning on a Leash

6. Balanced Action

Lior Milliger - Tenor Saxophone

Hilliard Greene - Bass

Joe Hertenstein - Drums

Recorded and mixed by Jason LaFarge on September 12th 2019 at Seizure’s Palace Studios

Cover photo by: Lior Milliger

Design by Mark Smith

Orbit577 is part of 577 Records

Brooklyn, New York

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