Thursday, March 8, 2018

Introducing Chris Platt: Chris Platt Trio - Sky Glow (Friday, March 9th, 2018)


The album Sky Glow is a culmination of the various artistic influences that inspire and drive Toronto-based jazz guitarist Chris Platt.

The album features a collection of original compositions by Platt inspired by the incredible works of Billy Strayhorn and Guinga, among many others.

Sky Glow is a continuation of the long standing tradition of the guitar trio. A major influence on Platt’s playing comes from groups that put the guitar at the forefront, where the responsibility of both the melodies and harmonies land on the guitarist to creatively navigate. Echoes of trios led by Ed Bickert, Lenny Breau, and Jimi Hendrix can be heard here, with all three instruments collaborating to create more than the sum of its parts.

A large part of the sound of the album was the guitars Chris played. For the majority of the project, the warm, woody sound of the traditional ‘jazz-box’ (or archtop) guitar gives a nod to tradition, while dawning a new guitar sound that brings clarity and freshness.



The other guitar used on “Platter” and as a rhythm track on “No More” was a Tele style guitar by the same luthier. The Tele bring a familiar sound that has permeated genres since the early 1950’s.


With these sounds, Sky Glow brings a new feel to a genre steeped in tradition.


Sky Glow will be officially released internationally on Friday, March 9th, 2018.





Emilio Teubal Trio - Memorias de Otro Tiempo (2018)


"When someone asks you what will be considered the classic albums of this modern jazz age in fifty years time, you should point to this recording (Musica para un Dragon Dormido) as one of them. As near to perfection as you can get” — David Sumer- Bird is the Worn

“In fact it is very possible that Emilio Teubal may have emerged as one of the most outstanding musicians from Argentina, with this record that will surely mark him as one of the deepest thinkers as well as one of the most “Painterly” pianists in modern music” — Raul Da Gama. LatinJazz Network


NY based Argentine Pianist and Composer Emilio Teubal 4th album as a band leader “Memorias de Otro Tiempo” (memories from another time). After three critically acclaimed records featuring large ensembles with a strong emphasis on improvisation, Emilio’s latest project is a small chamber group consisting on piano, spanish guitar and clarinet. The music, written especially for this ensemble, draws from a wide variety of musical styles that are part of his cultural background: Latin-American Folk music, Tango music, Jazz, Free improvisation, Classical music and some hints of Middle Eastern music. The Emilio Teubal trio features fellow Argentine musicians Ivan Barenboim on clarinets, Federico Diaz on guitar and Emilio Teubal on piano and compositions

"The core of this new record is a fourth movement suite called "Memorias de Otro tiempo" that later turned into the title of the album. This suite was composed between mid-2015 and 2016, and is the result of the emotional turmoil that meant loosing my mother while being far away from my home country, and "far away" temporarily from the moment I left Argentina almost 20 years ago". 

1. Norma 07:06
2. Guashington (la casita de mis viejos) 05:13
3. Memorias de Otro Tiempo 04:52
4. April 7th 05:48
5. Playing 04:52
6. La Inquieta 03:31
7. Un Ciego Desacuerdo 07:02
8. En el Dia de los Muertos (an American Tragedy) 06:29
9. El Orzuelo 03:47

Federico Diaz: guitar
Ivan Barenboim: soprano and bass clarinet

All music composed and arranged by Emilio Teubal (BMI)
Recorded, Mixed and Mastered by Luis Bacque at BACQUE RECORDING ENGiNEERING between May and June 2017
Artwork by Alex Rearick

The Manhattan Transfer - The Junction (BMG March 30, 2018)


The Manhattan Transfer has been making memorable music for decades. The jazz vocal group, launched by Tim Hauser in 1969 (Hauser died in 2014), now features Alan Paul, Janis Siegel, Cheryl Bentyne, and newest member Trist Curless, who joined the band following the passing of Hauser. The group, currently in the middle of their tour, believes that Curless adds another facet to their legendary music, one that celebrates the past and embraces future possibilities.

March 30 marks the release of the group’s first studio album in ten years, The Junction, dedicated to the memory of Hauser. Says Paul about the project, “The concept of The Junction is that this is a special meeting place, a junction of merging our four-and-a-half-decade musical legacy with something new. It wasn’t exactly a seamless transition because Tim is irreplaceable, and he and Trist are very different singers. We weren’t looking to replace Tim’s unique personality, but found in Trist someone who could add a new element to the group, and take care of the bottom of the quartet with his true bass.”

For Curless, the mission was the same. Notes the bass vocalist and co-writer of The Junction, “My personal desire was that the album would sound like The Manhattan Transfer, keeping what they’ve done, but bringing a new energy that would come naturally with my strengths as an artist becoming a part of theirs.”

1 Cantaloop (Flip Out!) 4:43
2 Swing Balboa (Down on Riverside)
3 The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul
4 Blues For Harry Bosch
5 Shake Ya Boogie (Galactic Vocal Version)
6 Sometimes I Do
7 Ugly Man
8 The Junction
9 Tequila / The Way Of The Booze
10 Paradise Within (Paradise Found)

David K. Mathews - The Fantasy Vocal Sessions, Vol. 1 Standards (2018)


The Fantasy Vocal Sessions, Vol. 1 is Mathews' collection of standards from the great American songbook performed in a typical small group jazz setting - a concept that sprouted from his long tenure as pianist/organist for the legendary Queen of Rhythm & Blues, Etta James. The original idea was to capture James in the studio with a stripped-down rhythm section. But due to her decline in health, they were never able to record the sessions. Fast forward nearly a decade and seed of that concept has come to fruition featuring multiple vocalists that Mathews has collaborated with over the years, including rock legend Steve Miller, Maria Muldaur of “Midnight At The Oasis” fame, long-time Santana vocalist Tony Lindsay, Amikaeyla, jazz vocal phenom Kenny Washington, and a host of others.

Saxophonist Wayne de Silva is featured on many tracks, and the rhythm section is anchored by veteran east coast drummer Akira Tana, bassist Peter Barshay, and beloved S.F. Bay Area guitarists Jim Nichols and Carl Lockett.

1 I Want to Talk About You (by David K. Mathews featuring Nicolas Bearde) 5:15
2 Alfie (by David K. Mathews featuring Amikaeyla) 5:33
3 Blue Skies (by David K. Mathews featuring Steve Miller) 5:23
4 Oh Papa (by David K. Mathews featuring Maria Muldaur) 5:39
5 Ruby (by David K. Mathews featuring Glenn Walters) 6:20
6 Smile (by David K. Mathews featuring Nicolas Bearde) 4:30
7 When Sunny Gets Blue (by David K. Mathews featuring Tony Lindsay) 8:08
8 Lover Man (by David K. Mathews featuring Maria Muldaur) 7:46
9 Lush Life (by David K. Mathews featuring Kenny Washington) 5:29
10 The More I See You (by David K. Mathews featuring Frank Jackson) 3:38
11 We'll Be Together Again (by David K. Mathews featuring Reni Simon) 6:59
12 Skylark (by David K. Mathews featuring Glenn Walters) 5:57
13 In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning (by David K. Mathews featuring John Laslo) 3:41

Fabio Marziali Quintet - Windows and Light (2018)


Fabio Marziali is an Italian Alto Sax player currently living in Amsterdam. Named one of the most promising Italian jazz musicians on the scene at the moment. His new release “Windows and Light” is his fifth album as a leader and presents nine original tracks composed by Marziali.

Windows and Light features a quintet with Jonathan Kreisberg on guitar and a rhythm section comprising of Glenn Zaleski – piano,  Matt Clohesy – double bass and Colin Stranahan on drums.

The first thing that comes to mind when you press play is the exceptional sound that Marziali has developed on the Alto,  sweet where need be and growling where appropriate.  Marziali provides the perfect counterbalance for Jonathan Kreisberg, who in my mind,  is equally the star of this show.

While there is no solo room to speak of provided to the rhythm section they are omnipresent and consistently tight throughout the album providing a solid basis for Marziali and Kreisberg. The third track on the album, “October”,  is a prime example of how this quintet functions as fully integrated whole.

This album is largely a high energy affair with the exception of tracks like “Ancient Ruins” and “A safe place” providing a quiet resting place. The albums opening track, “Underground Tale” sets the tone for the album with it’s unisono theme giving way to a superbly constructed solo by Kreisberg before passing the ball to Marziali. On this track and indeed the entire album,  Marziali shows his command of the instrument while exploring the full range that the Alto sax provides.

Closing out the album is “True friend”,  a slightly more pop oriented track featuring an interesting rhythm track with piano and acoustic guitar fitting seamlessly together. On top of this we have once again the melody played in unison giving way to solo’s by guest guitarist Marcel Liu and Marziali.

Personal highlights of this album include Kreisberg’s solo on ‘October’ and Marziali’s solo on the lilting ballad “Ancient Ruins’. The arrangements are strong ensuring a great balance between the arranged and improvised sections.

This album is not produced to be put on as background music, it commands your attention from start to finish. The performances are exceptional as is the quality of the recording. This album is highly recommended.

1. Underground tale
2. Ancient Ruins
3. October Seven
4. Windows and lights
5. A safe place
6. Unexpected Event
7. Illusionary Event
8. Falling Spirit
9. True friend (Marcel Liu on solo guitar)

Jonathan Kreisberg, Guitar
Glenn Zaleski, Piano
Matt Clohesy, Double Bass
Colin Stranahan Drums


Nat Birchall - Cosmic Language (JAZZMAN RECORDS 2018)


Cosmic Language sees the UK-based saxophonist, composer and arranger return to Jazzman Records with a cross-cultural approach: an exploration of the parallel musical paths of jazz and Indian ragas. Here he takes influence from spiritual jazz forebears such as Alice Coltrane and Yusef Lateef and introduces the Indian harmonium to his band, where it takes the place of the piano. Making new connections to realise his transcendental ambitions, it's a logical next step in making music as spiritual cleanser. 

The idea for the album was spawned from a one-off performance at a meditation centre, the Maharishi Golden Dome in West Lancashire. Seeking to bring a band set-up that was fitting to the quiet-minded setting, Birchall brought the harmonium with him. A small pump organ, it's an instrument he'd been in possession of for many years but hadn't previously used in his music. Building on the spiritual context of that show, and the associations of that instrument, it led naturally to the musical approach undertaken on the album. 

Both the album and the show which preceded it were recorded with the same tight-knit group of players which have featured on Birchall's previous albums. All members of the group are part of the same like minded circle of Manchester-oriented jazz musicians, sharing stages and acquaintances with the likes of Matthew Halsall (a longtime collaborator with Birchall) and GoGo Penguin. 

Birchall has always channeled wide-ranging ideas into music that's simple to understand, and this album is no exception. Album opener 'Man From Varanasi' is an ode to Bismillah Khan, one of Birchall's heroes of Indian music who hailed from the northern Indian city named in the title. It also sees him taking cues from the Indian raga tradition which, as with most other traditional Indian music, is a foundation which underpinned Khan's music. 

Crucially, the ragas tap into the idea of of music as a means of spiritual release. As Birchall explains, The whole act of making music is a spiritual experience. It's during performance and when playing music that I look for a kind of truth. It's with music where I find myself feel closest to attaining that 'enlightened' kind of feeling. On rare occasions I've actually felt as though I was listening to the music being played rather than being involved in making it, almost like an out-of-body experience. 

This natural feeling comes from Birchall's attitude toward jazz music. He sees it as an essential part of day-to-day life: instead of brightly-lit, occasional entertainment in lugubrious concert halls, he considers it an everyday, vital source of inspiration. At a moment where jazz-influenced music is undergoing creative renewal and wider appreciation, it's an important perspective that's found resonance elsewhere. His experiences and the world around him are filtered through his music, and he looks to have his music – be it live or on record – absorbed in the same quotidian way. To me, it's an integral part of society, an everyday thing, he says. You should hear the music every day. 


1. Man From Varanasi
2. Humility
3. A Prayer For
4. Dervish

Bass – Michael Bardon
Drums, Percussion – Andy Hay
Harmonium – Adam Fairhall
Tenor Saxophone, Percussion – Nat Birchall

Various Artists - Spiritual Jazz 8: Japan pt. 1 (JAZZMAN RECORDS 2018)


Our latest examination of Esoteric, Modal & Progressive Jazz of the 20th Century has taken us to Japan. The liberating force of jazz has been created and felt all around the world, but few nations on earth embraced the jazz message with the passion and intensity of Japan. From the dawn of the jazz age to the present day, Japanese audiences have been renowned tastemakers, enthusiasts and champions of the music – in the 1980s, Japan was the biggest per capita market in the world for jazz records, and it has even been said that Japanese jazz fans kept the jazz record industry alive through the lean years of the 1970s, when the music fell from commercial favour in the land of its birth.

But while the jazz aficionados of Japan are celebrated as sophisticated fans and consumers of the music, comparatively little is known outside Japan of the remarkable and abundant music produced by generations of Japanese jazz musicians. Numerous Japanese jazzers have found enormous success on the international stage – Toshiko Akiyoshi, Sadao Watanabe, Teramasu Hino, and many others are household names among jazz listeners all over the world, and with good reason. But if such global figures are put aside, the stunning heritage of Japanese jazz remains poorly understood outside Japan. As a result, the work of many celebrated Japanese jazumen has remained largely unknown to international audiences, and the extraordinary scope and depth of Japanese jazz has not been widely recognised. 

Compiled for the Spiritual Jazz series in collaboration with the celebrated collector and DJ Yusuke Ogawa (Deep Jazz Reality, Tokyo), this 2CD/twin set of double LPs aims to correct that omission by uncovering the uniquely deep sound of esoteric, modal and progressive jazz from Japan – music of the heart, soul and Japanese spirit! 

Our extensive liner notes extend onto printed inners, and are in both Japanese and English.

1. Mitsuaki Kanno - Kumo No Ito
2. Tadao Hayashi - My Favorite Things
3. Minoru Muraoka - Positive and Negative
4. Takeo Moriyama - East Plants
5. Koichi Matsukaze - Under Construction
6. Sadao Watanebe & Charlie Mariano - Ragam Sinthubairavi
7. Shungo Sawada - Footprint
8. New Direction for the Arts - Sun in the East

Various Artists - Spiritual Jazz 8: Japan pt. 2 (JAZZMAN RECORDS 2018)


Our latest examination of Esoteric, Modal & Progressive Jazz of the 20th Century has taken us to Japan. The liberating force of jazz has been created and felt all around the world, but few nations on earth embraced the jazz message with the passion and intensity of Japan. From the dawn of the jazz age to the present day, Japanese audiences have been renowned tastemakers, enthusiasts and champions of the music – in the 1980s, Japan was the biggest per capita market in the world for jazz records, and it has even been said that Japanese jazz fans kept the jazz record industry alive through the lean years of the 1970s, when the music fell from commercial favour in the land of its birth. 

But while the jazz aficionados of Japan are celebrated as sophisticated fans and consumers of the music, comparatively little is known outside Japan of the remarkable and abundant music produced by generations of Japanese jazz musicians. Numerous Japanese jazzers have found enormous success on the international stage – Toshiko Akiyoshi, Sadao Watanabe, Teramasu Hino, and many others are household names among jazz listeners all over the world, and with good reason. But if such global figures are put aside, the stunning heritage of Japanese jazz remains poorly understood outside Japan. As a result, the work of many celebrated Japanese jazumen has remained largely unknown to international audiences, and the extraordinary scope and depth of Japanese jazz has not been widely recognised. 

Compiled for the Spiritual Jazz series in collaboration with the celebrated collector and DJ Yusuke Ogawa (Deep Jazz Reality, Tokyo), this 2CD/twin set of double LPs aims to correct that omission by uncovering the uniquely deep sound of esoteric, modal and progressive jazz from Japan – music of the heart, soul and Japanese spirit! 

Each 2LP set comes complete with OBI strip and thick, textured sleeve. Our extensive liner notes extend onto printed inners, and are in both Japanese and English.

1. Four Units - Scarborough Fair
2. Tohru Aizawa - Sacrament
3. Keitaro Miho - Kikazaru
4. Tee & Company - Spanish Flower
5. Takeo Moriyama - Watarase
6. Kiyoshi Sugimoto - Babylonia Wind
7. Toshiko Akiyoshi - Kisarazu Zinku
8. Yoshio Ikeda - Whispering Weeds

Paraguaii estreiam novo single e apresentam tour europeia com 30 datas


O novo single de Paraguaii chama-se She Kills Everyone e estreou ontem em exclusivo na VICE. O novo videoclipe é a história de uma rapariga de 14 anos que luta com as suas frustrações e obsessões, o aborrecimento e os ciúmes de ser adolescente. Com o sonho de se tornar a melhor bailarina da sua turma e talvez assim mudar a sua vida, vê-se forçada a abandonar o seu objectivo quando se lesiona e é obrigada a enfrentar o seu fracasso, dando assim os seus primeiros passos em direcção a uma precoce idade adulta. She Kills Everyone é o terceiro single que a banda vimaranense retira do seu último disco lançado em 2017, Dream About The Things You Never Do.


A curta-metragem foi realizada e produzida por Mário Macedo e Sebastian Søgård, do 73collective, coletivo de arte que abarca diversas formas artísticas como a pintura, fotografia, filme, música, poesia e moda.

O tema serve de mote para uma tour com trinta datas que levará o colectivo ao Lisboa Dance Festival, ao Festival Saídos da Caixa e conta ainda com 19 datas internacionais, entre Espanha, França e Suiça. 

Em 2018 os Paraguaii continuam a apresentar a tour "Dream About The Things you Never do".

Tour 2018:

9 Mar | CAE | Portalegre
10 Mar | Lisboa Dance Festival | Lisboa
11 Mar | Bang Venue | Torres Vedras
24 Mar | Festival Colossal | Santo Tirso
5 Abr | A anunciar 
6 Abr | Hostel des Arts | Amarante
12 Abr | Novo Labranza | Pontevedra (ES)
13 Abr | A anunciar
14 Abr | Sala Niagara | Santander (ES)
17 Abr | Guet à Pinte | Nantes (FR)
18 Abr | T'es Rock Coco | Angers (FR)
19 Abr | L'International | Paris (FR)
20 Abr | Espace El Doggo | Limoges (FR)
21 Abr | The Message | Troyes (FR)
24 Abr | Collectif Odl | Mulhouse (FR)
25 Abr | Cafete | Berna (CH)
26 Abr | Peniche Loupika | Lyon (FR)
27 Abr | A anunciar
28 Abr | La Sitgetana | Sitges (FR)
29 Abr | Allez Viens | Bouleternère (FR)
30 Abr | Fàbrica Ctretze  | La Pobla de Segur (ES)
1 Mai | El Cau | Tarragona (ES)
3 Mai | Lupita Bar | Tudela (ES)
4 Mai  Clavicémbalo | Lugo (ES)
5 Mai | Pub Gatos | Melide (ES)
8 Mai | A anunciar
15 Jun | Festival Saídos da Caixa | Caldas da Rainha
15 Set | Muscarium#4 Festival de Artes Performativas | Agualva, Cacém


1. Ancient Gurl 04:05
2. Straight or Gay 04:17
3. Dream About The Things You Never Do 05:25
4. Free And Wild 04:08
5. She Kills Everyone 04:08
6. Karma is a Bitch 04:33
7. She Was a Boy 04:10
8. Van Halen 03:30

Fabien Mary - Left Arm Blues (and Other NYC Stories) JAZZ&PEOPLE MUSIC March 16, 2018



C’est l’histoire d’une chute qui finit en bras cassé à New York. Ou comment Fabien Mary a transformé son immobilisation forcée en frénésie d’écriture. À la tête d’un octet qui réunit la fine fleur des boppers français, le trompettiste signe Left Arm Blues (and Other New York Stories), un album inspiré par ses expériences dans la Grosse Pomme. Huit morceaux en forme d’évocation, et un standard, tous superbement arrangés, reflets des espoirs et des aspirations d’un jazzman en phase avec une ville qui ne dort jamais et swingue toujours. 

The story behind this album is a broken arm in New York. Or how trumpet player Fabien Mary transcended his forced immobilization by composing ‘Left Arm Blues’, an album of originals that refect the hopes from a young jazzman in a city that never sleeps and always swings !

1. Don’t Look Back
2. Quercus Robur
3. Song For Milie
4. Left Arm Blues
5. Dark ‘n’ Stormy
6. Walk on the Highline
7. Autumn Mélodie
8. You Make It Feel so Fun
9. All the Things You Are

Toutes les compositions sont de Fabien Mary (sauf n° 9 par Jerome Kern)

Fabien Mary - trompette, arrangements
Pierrick Pedron - saxophone alto
David Sauzay - saxophone ténor, flûte
Thomas Savy - saxophone baryton
Jerry Edwards - trombone
Hugo Lippi - guitare
Fabien Marcoz - contrebasse
Mourad Benhammou - batterie

Enregistré au Studio de Meudon le 21 mars 2017 par Julien Bassères

Frank Wagner - Floating Holiday (April 6th 2018)


Floating Holiday is the exciting new album from NYC-based bassist Frank Wagner.  The title is a reflection on a painting by Magritte and it describes both the weightlessness of a character in the painting, as well as the peaceful feeling Wagner gets when he is playing music.   

“Floating Holiday is primarily a collection of tunes I wrote during my formative years while studying at Berklee College of Music in Boston. It also includes some tunes I recently wrote in 2016. This project is the fulfillment of my desire to reexamine my earlier tunes and to reshape their existing harmonies and rhythms. In this way, I was able to merge the past with the present as well as to deliver an interesting palette of colours for the listener to experience.” 

Frank Wagner was born in Levittown, New York.  Graduating in 1980, Frank attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, studying jazz bass with Steve Swallow and Ron McClure as well as classical music with William Curtis from the Boston Philharmonic and Walter Botti of the New York Philharmonic. He has performed all over the world in a host of musical settings including all star jazz bands, Broadway shows, national tours, recording sessions, cabaret, society bands, and classical orchestras. Some of the big bands Frank has toured with are Buddy Rich, Larry Elgart's Manhattan Swing Orchestra, Glenn Miller and Clem Derosa's All Stars. 

Floating Holiday will be officially released worldwide on Friday, April 6th 2018