Patrick Cornelius - While We're Still Young (2016)

Source & Label:

Genre: Contemporary Jazz

GAB's rating: ★★★★★

“While We’re Still Young is as close to a musical self-portrait as I’m capable of creating. It’s simultaneously a multi-generational tribute album, a gathering of close friends, and a starkly personal expression of who I am as an artist and individual.”
— Patrick Cornelius

While We’re Still Young is the sixth and latest album by the critically acclaimed, award-winning saxophonist and composer Patrick Cornelius ​which ​brings together seven of the most accomplished young artists in contemporary jazz in order to breathe life into a suite of new original music inspired by the universally-treasured poetry of English literary icon A. A. Milne.

Cornelius’ personal connection to the sweet, whimsical verses in the timeless collection When We Were Very Young spans several generations. Milne’s classic trove documenting the childhood exploits of his son Christopher Robin were read first by his grandmother to his mother as a baby, and then by his mother to him and his brothers in turn. At the birth of Patrick’s own first child, Isabella, the family’s copy of When We Were Very Young was passed down to him, so that he could continue the tradition. “From the very first time I started reading these poems to Isabella, I remember an instant desire to write music inspired by each individual vignette,” the composer recalls.

"Cornelius is a talent worth watching."
★★★★ Jazzwise Magazine

"Eight brilliant musicians... A cheerful celebration of life and youth with finely crafted arrangements leaving beautiful spaces for the soloists."
Culture Jazz (FR)

"Full of richly orchestrated music with elements of Duke Ellington, Gil Evans, Bach and Debussy."
Long Play Newsletter (blog PL)

This work shouldn't just be labelled "chamber jazz" since it's very much more than that. Like its elegant cover, it's actually a work of art."
★★★★ All About Jazz

"Accessible yet intricate themes, lyrically flowing music, great solos and gorgeous ensemble playing, this is an album you will want to play again and again! Highly recommended."

Fatea Magazine

"Cornelius has created a work of genuine substance, the writing often complex, multi-layered yet always adroit, deploying his resources well, the melodic moments often memorable, the solo excursions largely pleasing, the effect at times like a miniature Schneider ensemble."
★★★★ Jazzwise Magazine

"The way this octet shapes the solos as mere extensions of dynamic group play, of something very organic grown from the soil of ensemble communication, is arguably the album’s winning quality."

Bird Is The Worm

"This is a superb album. The writing is brilliant."

Bebop Spoken Here

"Sparky settings for [Cornelius'] own solos and those of a polished ensemble including pianist Gerald Clayton, trombonist Nick Vayenas, and guitarist Miles Okazaki... Debussy, Ellington and Charlie Parker audibly guide Cornelius here."
The Guardian

"An entire album peppered with goosebumps-inducing moments... Cornelius’s music and messages resonate broadly and vividly, reminding any listener of what’s most precious to us all."
Ottawa Citizen

"Much playfulness in the playing... An excellent listen."
The Jazz Breakfast

"His arrangements, intricate with secondary motifs and contrasting counterlines create vivid musical counterparts for Milne's imagery."
New York City Jazz Record

"The engaging music is performed by an octet of Cornelius's colleagues and nicely combines interesting ensembles with inspired ensembles."
Northern Echo

"This is vibrant, highly colourful music full of good compositional ideas and some great playing, with all members of the ensemble contributing strongly."
★★★★ The Jazz Mann

"A joy from beginning to end... Patrick Cornelius takes a giant step forward with this project."

 

 

1. Sand Between the Toes
2. Water Lilies
3. Jonathan Jo
4. The Invaders
5. Lines and Squares
6. Vespers

 

 

Patrick Cornelius - alto/soprano saxes, flute, compositions
Jason Palmer - trumpet
John Ellis - tenor saxophone, bass clarinet
Nick Vayenas - trombone
Miles Okazaki - guitar
Gerald Clayton - piano
Peter Slavov - bass
Kendrick Scott - drums 

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Vasil Hadzimanov Band featuring David Binney: Alive (2016)

Label:

Source: Allaboutjazz

Genre: Modern Creative / Jazz-rock

GAB's Rating: ★★★★★

Critical to the success of this live album by the VHB is the fact that this band is, at its core, a working band. If you have seen VHB live, you will recognize that this album faithfully relays both the showmanship and ingenious punch of this unit. Obviously, this installment of the VHB is a highly maneuverable vessel that is capable of executing a multitude of ideas, be it electronica, African, free jazz or rock ideas. The stage is the right place for this versatile band to record its music as even in a studio setting they need eye contact for the magic to occur.

Recorded during a tour throughout Serbia, Alive appropriately extends and distends jazz and various other forms. For a start, it avoids the Weather Report-styled arrangements which were typical of Hadžimanov's writing style. It opens with "Nocturnal Joy," a lengthy and thoughtful track which many sections make it unexpectedly very exciting. The first section is driven by pulsating keyboards, simple piano melodic lines and jungle beats which dimly have more in common with the band that Hadžimanov has played in parallel to VHB—Darkwood Dub than anything else. After an abrupt stop, there is an alto sax break where saxophonist Binney explores the far reaches of his instrument. This serves as an entrance into a more jovial and freer section.

"Zulu" is driven by a propulsive beat and a swirling African styled guitar. It's an exhilarating track even more so when Binney starts playing short, hypnotic, repetitive phrases. After a stormy start, the dynamics are slowed down and this section is driven by tribal drums, processed vocal chants and Binney's fierce soloing. Generally speaking, he has a galvanizing effect on the band and his saxophone shines like a beacon amidst the flurry of this ensemble work. All of this moves towards a dramatic ending in the form of a mesmerizing interplay between Hadzimanov and Binney. Both "Odlazim" and "Dolazim" are fluid tracks that are in constant motion and are more volatile in interplay. "Razbolje se Šimšir List" is a Bosnian folk song which the duo of Hadžimanov on acoustic piano and Binney on soprano sax has turned it into a lilting ballad.

The set closes with the lengthy "Otkriće snova," another electronic piece much in the manner of the opening song, but soon morphs into a fusion piece in the manner of "In a Silent Way." In recent years, Hadzimanov has experienced an upward trajectory as an educator, composer, pianist, and keyboardistr. As a result, his compositions are more mature and he has achieved a compositional excellence. He shines brightly both on stage and off, but he allows his band to shine too. His band is playing at the peak of its powers and he has a very balanced relationship with his sideman. What truly shines on this record are the compositions. Delicacy, dynamics, empathy, and a deep affinity is what emanates from these compositions. Alive is easily VHB's best album.  Nenad Georgievski

Nocturnal Joy

Zulu

Odlazim

Dolazim

Tovirafro

Razbolje Se Simsir List

Uaiya

Otkrice Snova

VASIL HADZIMANOV: piano, keyboards

DAVID BINNEY: alto sax

BRANKO TRIJIC: guitar

MIROSLAV TOVIRAC: bass guitar

BOJAN IVKOVIC: percussion, vocals

PEDJA MILUTINOVIC: drums

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Laszlo Gardony - Life In Real Time (2015) SUNNYSIDE RECORDS

present

Laszlo Gardony - Life In Real Time (2015)

Piano Master Laszlo Gardony Expands His Celebrated Trio With A Powerhouse Saxophone Triumvirate of Stan Strickland, Billy Pierce and Don Braden 

On Life In Real Time Coming July 7 on Sunnyside Records

Rather than an all-star blowing session, Life In Real Time introduces an ensemble that breathes, phrases and reacts as one, reveling in the knifepoint balance between structure and freedom afforded by Gardony’s arrangements and bandleading sensibility. Indeed, part of what makes the album so much more than the sum of its considerable parts is the rhythm section’s extraordinary rapport. Gardony’s long-running trio with bass master John Lockwood and drum maestro Yoron Israel has forged a soul-deep bandstand communion over the past 13 years, an almost telepathic bond captured on three critically acclaimed Sunnyside albums. The trio is directly responsible for the loose and limber feel of Life In Real Time, where three immediately recognizable saxophone stars “can feel free to be themselves in the music,” Gardony says.

And what horn players! Most conspicuously, the album marks the reemergence of the great Billy Pierce, a player who established himself as a commanding improviser during his years with drum legends Tony Williams and Art Blakey (who called Pierce “my best tenor player since Wayne Shorter.”) He sounds more formidable than ever with his thick, muscular sound and driving rhythmic attack. 

While Stan Strickland is best known as a startlingly inventive post-bop tenor saxophonist, he’s a polymathic creative force who also works as a singer, actor and art therapist. Gardony’s longtime friend and Berklee colleague, Strickland contributed memorably to the pianist’s 2011 Sunnyside album Signature Time with Lockwood and Israel. It was Israel who suggested adding Don Braden to the mix. The album’s only Berklee ringer (he’s the director of the Harvard Monday Night Jazz Band), Braden was in Wynton Marsalis’ band, has performed with Freddie Hubbard and Tony Williams, and is featured on some 20 albums as a leader.  

 “I hand-picked the musicians for this band,” Gardony explains. “Don was a great addition to the band, and it clicked so beautifully from the first. All of the bandmembers have had long careers and we’re committed to playing together as a beautiful and meaningful experience.”

Focusing on Gardony’s emotionally charged original compositions, the album opens with his rollicking “Bourbon Street Boogie,” which evokes the raucous, celebratory energy of New Orleans. Pierce takes the first solo, a rhythmic tour de force that makes a compelling case for him as one of jazz’s most under-documented masters. Israel introduces the relentlessly driving “Breakout” with a beautifully calibrated solo passage. The piece builds momentum through a series of tag-team solos until its ecstatically cathartic climax. 

Gardony puts on his arranger’s hat for a joyously funky version George Shearing’s standard “Lullaby of Birdland.” Braden takes a stutter-stepping solo that turns the melody inside out, and then Gardony gives a masterclass in groove, maintaining a rumbling ostinato throughout his solo with an undulating left-hand line doubled by Lockwood’s bass. Another highlight is the haunting version of the spiritual “Motherless Child,” a song he’s explored often as a member of violinist Matt Glaser’s celebrated jazz-meets-bluegrass band The Wayfaring Strangers. “After playing it with Matt many times I started to hear something, a reharmonization that’s partially inspired by the way that Richie Havens sang it at Woodstock,” Gardony says. “I thought it would be perfect for Stan’s bass clarinet. You can tell what song it is, but I wrote this long form and the melody crystallizes at the end.” 

Strickland’s bass clarinet is featured again on Gardony’s West African-derived ballad “New Song,” a tune introduced as a trio piece on the album Dig Deep. With its meditative, cyclical feel, the ravishing melody calls out for lyrics. The album closes with “Out On Top,” another piece from Dig Deep that gains momentum as it hurtles toward a deliriously celebratory all-horns-on-deck conclusion. This was one set that clearly left the audience wanting more (in fact, there’s a bonus track from the concert available on iTunes). 

Born in Hungary, Laszlo Gardony displayed an early aptitude for the piano. By five he had started improvising, devising little tunes inspired by the blues, pop and classical music he heard around the house. Immersed in the European classical tradition while growing up, he was drawn to progressive rock as a teenager, and spent countless hours improvising blues-based music at the piano. He investigated gospel and studied jazz, a passion that soon overshadowed his classical pursuits. “We had jazz and African music classes at the Conservatory,” Gardony recalls. “There were some very knowledgeable people and a lot of records. When it came to jazz it was a tiny community, but very inspiring.”    

After graduating from the Bela Bartok Conservatory and the Science University of Budapest, he became one of Europe’s most sought after accompanists and released his first albums as a leader. Possessing a powerful sense of swing, a strong feel for the blues and a firm command of post-bop vocabulary, he gained invaluable insight by sharing festival stages with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and Abdullah Ibrahim, among others. 

A full scholarship to Berklee brought him to America in 1983, and a faculty position at the school upon graduation kept him stateside. He made his US recording debut with the acclaimed 1988 album The Secret (Antilles) featuring Czech bass great Miroslav Vitous and drummer Ian Froman, but it was his 1st place win the following year at the Great American Jazz Piano Competition that catapulted him into the national spotlight. He seized the moment with 1989’s brilliant release The Legend of Tsumi (Antilles), a trio session with bassist Dave Holland and drummer Bob Moses. “Being with Dave and Miroslav was such an education,” Gardony says. “If you really immerse yourself in those moments, it can change you, whether it’s one concert or a week-long gig.”   

In many circles Gardony is best known as a master of the trio format. He introduced his present band with Israel and Lockwood on the 2003 Sunnyside album Ever Before Ever After, and it’s gained recognition as one of the finest working bands in jazz. But he’s equally impressive alone at the piano, the format he first explored on 1993’s acclaimed Changed Standards and returned to again on his last album, 2013’s Clarity (both on Sunnyside). After the probing introspection of a solo recital it seems fitting that Gardony returns with a bandstand bash that captures some of jazz’s most eloquent raconteurs inspiring each other to ever more vivid tales. In short, Life In Real Time is jazz that’s the real deal.  

www.lgjazz.com

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Black Art Jazz Collective - Presented by the Side Door Jazz Club (2016)

Source & Label:

Genre: Post-bop

GAB's Rating: ★★★★★

It is easy to misconstrue a name, especially when it is so obviously tied to politics and racial identity. Born during an important period of Black identity in the arts in the early 2010s, Black Art Jazz Collective brings together an accomplished ensemble of young African American musicians who felt that it was necessary to celebrate Black culture in a positive way. The focus on camaraderie between members who grew up playing music together comes through in their music.

The Collective was co-founded by drummer Johnathan Blake, saxophonist Wayne Escoffery and trumpeter Jeremy Pelt. All graduating from esteemed music programs in the Northeast at the same time, the three quickly became ingrained in the New York jazz scene as leaders and invaluable members of ensembles led by legends like Tom Harrell, Bobby Hutcherson, Wayne Shorter and Ron Carter.

The first addition the trio made was the great bassist Dwayne Burno, an individual who really espoused professionalism and dedication to his friends. Being older than the others, Burno’s influence and attention made an impact on all of them. The ensemble also featured trombonist James Burton III (an adherent of the school of Curtis Fuller and J.J. Johnson and another Jackie McLean alum) and the great pianist/composer Xavier Davis.

The Black Art Jazz Collective’s first performance was at Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola in April 2013 with Burno. His passing in the following December was a shock and upset the jazz world, not to mention the Collective. It would prove to be a challenge to find a replacement for Burno. It wasn’t until Pelt recommended Vincente Archer that the group found a perfect replacement, one who had connections to all the members and who was influenced by Burno. 

A great opportunity came by way of Ken Kitchings and Jan Mullen of The Side Door Jazz Club in Old Lyme, Connecticut, namely a two-night gig and an opportunity to record with the venue’s new recording equipment. Kitchings and Mullen had expressed their love of the group and felt that it would be a perfect fit for their debut recording project. The resulting album Black Art Jazz Collective Presented By The Side Door Jazz Club is a tremendous example of the ensemble’s incredible drive, swagger and cohesiveness.

The program begins with Escoffery’s dedication to W.E.B. DuBois, “Double Consciousness,” an intriguingly varied piece with verve. Written during the 2012 election campaign of Barack Obama, Escoffery’s expertly written and arranged “Awaiting Change” is followed by Pelt’s lushly played ballad, “Essence of Beauty.” Davis’s “Salvador Da Bahia” is an energetic Latin piece with some incredible solo spots.

Burton’s “Going Somewhere” is a bright and powerful tribute to Sojourner Truth, while Davis’s “No Small Change” is a subtle but powerful tribute to President Obama. The ensemble’s ‘all killer, no filler’ take on Burno’s “Devil Eyes” will raise some heart rates. The set finishes with the lone live recording, Blake’s sparkling tribute to saxophone great Joe Henderson, “The Shadower.”

Black Art Jazz Collective came together during an interesting time, one of finding new strength and identity within America’s true art form, an African American art form, jazz. This allstar ensemble was able to come together as peers and brothers and, with the help of the wonderful leadership of The Side Door, was able to create a fantastic document of authentic and expertly wrought music on Black Art Jazz Collective Presented By The Side Door Jazz Club.

1. Double Consciousness (Inspired By W.E.B. DuBois) 07:31
2. Awaiting Change (Inspired By Barack Obama)
3. Essence of Beauty
4. Salvador Da Bahia
5. Going Somewhere (Inspired By Sojourner Truth) 08:25
6. No Small Change (Inspired By Barack Obama)
7. Devil Eyes
8. The Shadower (Inspired By Joe Henderson)

Wayne Escoffery - tenor saxophone
Jeremy Pelt - trumpet
James Burton III - trombone
Xavier Davis - piano
Vicente Archer - bass
Johnathan Blake - drums

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July–Dec 2016: Pianist Laszlo Gardony performs in NYC, Boston, Tokyo and more

Internationally Renowned Pianist Laszlo Gardony 

July–December Concert Schedule

Performances in NYC, Boston, Tokyo, and more

Gardony’s 2015 release Life In Real Time earned extensive critical acclaim, including One of the Ten Best Albums of 2015 in the Boston Globe:

“Gardony adds a vivacious live performance to his impressive discography with Life In Real Time… The album mixes inventive originals with fresh, exciting takes on standards, maintaining a thread of inspired improvisation and calibrated group interplay throughout.” – DownBeat, Editors’ Picks

“...these eight tracks contain more than enough musical riches to keep the ears happy and keep the toes tapping.”  – Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz

“...varied, exuberant, post-bop heaven.” – Jon Garelick, Boston Globe

Internationally renowned pianist Laszlo Gardony is featured in an host of concerts in New York, Boston, Tokyo and beyond between July and December 2016.  The Hungarian-born, Boston-based pianist/arranger/composer will perform in duo concerts with saxophonist Marco Pignataro and with pianist Chihiro Yamanaka, as well as with his own trio, quartet and sextet.  The Laszlo Gardony Sextet is featured in his 2015 release, Life In Real Time, which garnered critical acclaim and was a DownBeat Editor’s Pick.  Concert details are listed below:

Saturday, July 16 – Berkshires Jazz Summer 2016, presented by the Pittsfield Jazz Festival 

8 p.m. – Taft Recital Hall, Berkshire Music School, 30 Wendell Ave., Pittsfield, MA

Tickets: $25 advance/$30 door

Laszlo Gardony Quartet, with Don Braden (sax); Yoron Israel (drums); John Lockwood (bass)

http://berkshiresjazz.org/upcmng/

Saturday, September 24 – Beantown Jazz Festival, Boston, MA

Free and open to the public

The Laszlo Gardony Sextet with Bill Pierce (sax), Lance Bryant (sax), Stan Strickland (reeds, vocals), Yoron Israel (drums), John Lockwood (bass)

https://www.berklee.edu/beantownjazz

October 17-22 – Concerts in China, traveling with the Berklee Global Institute delegation

With saxophonist Marco Pignataro

Saturday, October 29 – Amazing Things Arts Center, 160 Hollis St., Framingham

8:00 p.m.

Tickets: $20; $18 student/senior; $17 member

The Laszlo Gardony Trio with John Lockwood (bass) and Yoron Israel (drums)

http://amazingthings.org/

508-405-2787

Friday, November 18 – Bar Harbor Jazz Festival

8 p.m. – Criterion Theatre, 35 Cottage St., Bar Harbor, ME

Tickets: $15-20

(207) 288-0829

http://www.criteriontheatre.org/cal/

The Laszlo Gardony Trio with John Lockwood (bass) and Yoron Israel (drums)

Sunday, November 20 – Highland Jazz

2 p.m. – Newton South High School Auditorium, 140 Brandeis Rd., Newton Centre, MA

Tickets: $18 advance; $20 door; $17 senior; $10 student

http://highlandjazz.org/

The Laszlo Gardony Sextet with Bill Pierce (sax), Stan Strickland (reeds, vocals), Marco Pignataro (sax), Yoron Israel (drums), John Lockwood (bass)

December 17-22 – Tokyo, JAPAN

Further details TBA

Two-piano concert with pianist Chihiro Yamanaka

Over the past quarter century Gardony has gained widespread acclaim for a series of inspired albums documenting his trio and his riveting solo recitals. The most recent recording in his treasure-laden discography is 2015’s Life In Real Time, a thrilling live album recorded at the Berklee Performance Center at Boston’s Berklee College of Music (where most of the ensemble is on faculty). The CD was named by the Boston Globe as one the ten best jazz albums of 2015 and earned wide critical acclaim.

Born in Hungary, Laszlo Gardony displayed an early aptitude for the piano. By five he had started improvising, devising little tunes inspired by the blues, pop and classical music he heard around the house. Immersed in the European classical tradition while growing up, he was drawn to progressive rock as a teenager, and spent countless hours improvising blues-based music at the piano. He investigated gospel and studied jazz, a passion that soon overshadowed his classical pursuits. “We had jazz and African music classes at the Conservatory,” Gardony recalls. “There were some very knowledgeable people and a lot of records. When it came to jazz it was a tiny community, but very inspiring.”    

After graduating from the Béla Bartók Conservatory and the Science University of Budapest, he became one of Europe’s most sought after accompanists and released his first albums as a leader. Possessing a powerful sense of swing, a strong feel for the blues and a firm command of post-bop vocabulary, he gained invaluable insight by sharing festival stages with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and Abdullah Ibrahim, among others.

A full scholarship to Berklee brought him to America in 1983, and a faculty position at the school upon graduation kept him stateside. He made his US recording debut with the acclaimed 1988 album The Secret (Antilles) featuring Czech bass great Miroslav Vitous and drummer Ian Froman, but it was his 1st place win the following year at the Great American Jazz Piano Competition that catapulted him into the national spotlight. He seized the moment with 1989’s brilliant release The Legend of Tsumi (Antilles), a trio session with bassist Dave Holland and drummer Bob Moses. “Being with Dave and Miroslav was such an education,” Gardony says. “If you really immerse yourself in those moments, it can change you, whether it’s one concert or a week-long gig.”   

In many circles Gardony is best known as a master of the trio format. He introduced his present band with Israel and Lockwood on the 2003 Sunnyside album Ever Before Ever After, and it’s gained recognition as one of the finest working bands in jazz. But he’s equally impressive alone at the piano, the format he first explored on 1993’s acclaimed Changed Standards and returned to again on his last album, 2013’s Clarity (both on Sunnyside). After the probing introspection of a solo recital it seems fitting that Gardony returns with a bandstand bash that captures some of jazz’s most eloquent raconteurs inspiring each other to ever more vivid tales. In short, Life In Real Time is jazz that’s the real deal.

www.lgjazz.com

NEWVELLE RECORDS releases Noah Preminger's "Some Other Time"

Newvelle Records has just released Noah Preminger's Some Other Time, a new ballad record featuring Ben Monder, John Patitucci and Billy Hart!

We are a vinyl only, membership driven label that launched in March with Frank Kimbrough’s Meantime. In April we released Jack DeJohnette’s first solo piano record, Return.  We are extremely proud to present this latest recording of Noah’s, backed by a world-class band.

Artwork by legendary French photographer Bernard Plossu

The eclectic array of songs on Some Other Time includes choice standards ("My Little Brown Book," "A Ghost of A Chance"), Noah's originals, some Bob Dylan and a piece by the turn-of-the-century Paraguayan composer, Agustín Barrios Mangore.  

We are looking forward to hearing what people think of this one. 

John Patitucci, Noah Preminger, Ben Monder and Billy Hart – ©WIlliam Semeraro

“Mr. Preminger designs a different kind of sound for each note, an individual destiny and story.” — The New York Times

Preminger, just 30 years old, has recorded numerous critically acclaimed albums and is currently listed as #2 among Rising Star tenor saxophonists in the annual DownBeat Critics Poll.  Earlier this year Noah released Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground, his continued exploration of the Mississippi Delta Blues, in praise of which Ed Enright of DownBeat wrote: "This is storytelling at its very best, and the sincere personal spin Preminger places on the repertoire makes it that much more intense and compelling."

Noah Preminger – ©Jimmy Katz

An exclusive video of Noah and the band recording his original composition “Semenzato”

Please come see what we at Newvelle Records are all about at: 

www.newvelle-records.com

Frank Kimbrough: Meantime

“One of the better-sounding recordings I’ve heard in some time. The perspective is up front and personal – in a good way – and the recording oozes texture and tonal truth…” – The Audio Beat 

“This is surely among the best recorded albums I have heard, but not in a clinical way. Turn it up, close your eyes, and the band is in the room, such is the dynamic range, accuracy and richness of the sound.” – The Sydney Morning Herald

Jack DeJohnette: Return

"The crystalline acoustics feature crisp pedal sustain, and the high register notes are almost piercing in their clarity. This is contemplative music, highly percussive, rhythmic, with deeply felt emotion.” – Audiophile Audition

“…the sound is extraordinary. As his lyrical peregrinations of rediscovery unwrap hidden layers from well-travelled pieces such as Lydia, lovingly dedicated to his wife, and Silver Hollow, celebrating his home in upstate New York, there is an extra depth and warmth to the sound quality that surpasses even the expectation that vinyl brings with it.” – London Jazz News

Coming soon:  A trio record from jazz great Don Friedman;  Ben Allison featuring Ted Nash and Steve Cardenas; and Leo Genovese, featuring Esperanza Spaulding and Jack DeJohnette.

Jeff Fuller & Friends - New CD Shoreline Blues + CD Release Events (2016) JAZZ PROMO SERVICES

Jeff Fuller & Friends

“Shoreline Blues”

(QDR130)

Street Date: August 5, 2016

Jeff Fuller, acoustic bass

Darren Litzie, piano

Ben Bilello, drums

CD is available on

The history of the jazz piano/bass/drums trio is an encyclopedia of many volumes and entries. Remarkable bassist/composer Jeff Fuller’s new CD Shoreline Blues is an outstanding new contribution to that storied legacy, building upon the foundation he laid with his acclaimed 2015 release The Call From Within. The trio – called Jeff Fuller & Friends – was established in 2014 with pianist Darren Litzie and drummer Ben Bilello, and over that time has established that special level of synergy that results in seemingly telepathic interplay.  That empathy is in full evidence on every track of Shoreline Blues.

Jeff formed the trio “to perform new, original music which re-invents timeless jazz styles with new vision and creativity” and indeed they succeed wonderfully.  Individually these three men have performed with a veritable who’s who of both contemporary and legendary jazz. Together they form an entity unto itself under the strong, embracing vision of its award-winning leader, whose resumé includes long stints with Lou Donaldson and Paquito D'Rivera. It is somewhat unusual for a bassist to lead a trio like this, but that emphasis sets an ideal canvas for the type of interactive communication and creative development that is so essential for great jazz expression.

Though rooted in the traditional trio approach, the results here are utterly contemporary – inventive, adventurous and looking toward the future, not simply honoring the past. The sense of spontaneity that comes from intense listening provides vital life and substance to the music. Even during solos it never feels as though the other members are just supporting, but rather are fully involved in the creative process as one.

The Call From Within featured Jeff’s compositions in a palette that included Brazilian, ballad and bebop stylings. Shoreline Blues again features his eclectic compositions, along with two new pieces by Litzie, a pair of unaccompanied bass performances on some jazz classics and a full-throttle straightforward take on another. Swing, bop, Afro-Caribbean, Brazilian and free-time are among the styles invoked here, all blended perfectly into a unified soundscape.

The two solo bass performances are fascinating takes on jazz classics – virtuosic, but not simply for its own sake. The first blends Charlie Parker’s Ornithology, in a properly swinging groove, with a rubato take on How High the Moon, the standard from which Bird created it. On Sonny Rollins’ Oleo, Jeff’s delightfully woody solo is accompanied by his percussive tapping on the bass, ideally complementing the solo. On these, as well as on the entire album, Jeff’s solos are brilliant – highly lyrical, vividly articulate, resonant and rhythmic; fully engaged in the musical context and thrust of each piece.

He switches to bass guitar on two of his originals, both with an infectious Afro-Caribbean flair. Angola opens the album on a radiant note, blending Cuban and Brazilian rhythms with joyous swing, and marked by a sizzling bass guitar solo. Friday the 13th is a jaunty swinger with a more traditional Brazilian samba rhythm, featuring a vibrant Litzie solo and another spirited bass guitar turn.

Three other Fuller compositions are also included. Think on This – a contrefact over the old tune, Imagination – swings in an easy groove off its conversational melodic line and is marked by a terrific piano solo. Expansion, noteworthy for its use of outwardly moving polytonal harmonies, is a gentle excursion, its theme stated by piano over deliciously bent bass notes, with another pair of fine solos by Darren and Jeff, closing with a sprightly trading of fours with Ben. Hail, Bop! is not the roaring bop-fest that might be expected, but rather an alluringly buoyant variation on Stella By Starlight that features a rich, chord-driven solo by Litzie and a warmly lyrical offering from Fuller.

The two compositions by the pianist show him as a complementary composer of depth and vision. The title track is nicely grooved and syncopated with tantalizing suspensions in the theme and in Jeff’s playing. Bilello’s solo over walking bass and teasing piano is highly lyrical in the manner of Max Roach and Joe Chambers.  The probing, darkly suspended harmonies of Finding the Path set the tone for an excursion into adventurous waters that demands – and powerfully receives – extraordinary collective interplay.

Blues-based bebop in the traditional mold is the setting for the Parker classic Billie’s Bounce that closes out this splendid album with nimbly swinging solos by Darren and Jeff, driven robustly by Ben.

Impeccable musicianship, consummate group interplay, marvelous compositions and a constant aura of richly imaginative creativity make Shoreline Blues a must have.

Summer CD Release Tour!

Jeff Fuller & Friends celebrates the release of their second CD, “Shoreline Blues” featuring the amazing trio from their 2014 release “The Call From Within” -- Darren Litzie on piano, Ben Bilello on drums, and Jeff Fuller on both upright and electric bass. The CD contains ten tracks featuring originals in the bop, swing and Afro-Caribbean vein, as well as two unaccompanied solo bass pieces.  The CD Release Tour kicks off as follows  - all events are free.

·       Sunday, July 17th, from 6:30 – 8:30 pm, at Ayuthai, 2279 Post Road, Guilford.  Appearing on Joe Cardinale’s wonderful Sunday night series.  Call 203-453-2988 for info and reservations (recommended).

·       Saturday, August 6th, from 6:30-9:30 pm, at Fornarelli's Ristorante, 99 Orange Street, New Haven, 203-745-5677.  Fine Italian dining and a friendly, conducive atmosphere make this a nice night spot for listening in downtown New Haven!

·       Monday, August 8th, at 6 pm, at the Hartford Monday Night Jazz Series, opening for Noah Preminger.  The nation’s longest-running free jazz concert series, returns to downtown Hartford’s Bushnell Park for its 49th consecutive season.

Thanks and Stay Cool!

Jeff Fuller

www.jefffuller.net

www.sambeleza.com

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