Thursday, September 30, 2021

Sun on a Tree - The Cool of the Afternoon

De quel bois se chauffe Sun on a Tree? De groove et de poésie. Le trio passe d’une ballade pop à un conte oriental, d’une métrique bancale au doux déhanchement d’une gazelle, d’un rugissement saturé au rebond rapide d’une baguette sur la cymbale ride. Même quand l’électricité s’en mêle, le résultat est coloré, et l’énergie solaire.

1. The Cool of the Afternoon 03:57
2. Broken Pearl (avec Yael Miller) 07:37
3. Cravin' 04:26
4. Gazela 04:43
5. Baba Marta 05:38
6. À la nuit mourante (avec Yael Miller) 03:39
7. Eyn Shem 08:25
8. Amargo en la Rambla 06:35
9. Jordanism 04:04
10. Try This 07:11
11. À Delphes 04:33
12. Étrange réalité 04:46
13. Eyn Shem (avec Yael Miller) 05:19
14. À la nuit mourante 03:40

Yann Emery - contrebasse
Nicolas Lambert - guitare
Samuel Jakubec - batterie

Yael Miller - voix

Compositions : Yann Emery (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14),
Nicolas Lambert (5, 8, 9, 11), Jérôme Gloppe (7, 13),
Jordan Anastassov (5, 9), Samuel Jakubec (10).
Textes : Yael Miller (2, 7), Yann Emery (6)
Enregistrement : Stéphane Loup et Johi Vergères (roystone.ch)
Enregistrement voix : Frank Sanvoisin (baffstudio.com)
Mixage : Stéphane Metraux
Mastering : Christian Guggenbühl
Design : Sebastiàn Bravo (bravoguerrero.com)

Jeff Miles - The Periphery of Knowing

1. The Overture 05:41
2. Moya 08:04
3. Aeryn Mourns 09:18
4. Crystal Spire 07:04
5. Cellar Door 04:37
6. Aenea 08:25
7. Usul - The Base of the Pillar 08:29
8. Thearle's Festival 08:38
9. Vesak 07:09

Jeff Miles\ Electric Guitar, Synth Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Synthesizers, Violin, Percussion, Vocals
Steve Brickman\ Synthesizers, Acoustic Piano, Percussion, Vocals
Kyle Wilson\ Tenor Saxophone
Curtis Macdonald\ Alto Saxophone
Julian Shore\ Acoustic Piano
Zach Lapidus\ Synthesizers
Ben Monder\ Guitar (Track 7, 9)
Danny Weller\ Acoustic Bass
Rodrigo Recabarren\ Drums (Track 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9)
Peter Kronreif\ Drums (Track 1, 5, 7, 8)
Rogerio Boccato\ Percussion
Alessandra Levy\ Vocals

Produced by Jeff Miles
Recorded by Michael Perez-Cisneros March 2014
Mixed by Matt LaPoint
Mastered by Scott Hull
Edited by Joshua Kwassman
Artwork by Jaime Zuverza
Additional Recording by Steve Brickman and Zach Lapidus
Vocal Arrangements by Steve Brickman and Jeff Miles
“The Overture” Arranged by Jeff Miles and Julian Shore

Mark de Clive Lowe and Cosmic Vibrations - 'OLBAP' reimagined by Mark de Clive Lowe (Spiritmuse Records)

Spiritmuse records is celebrating the one year anniversary of the universally loved spiritual jazz opus, ‘Pathways & Passages’, by legendary vocalist Dwight Trible, and LA jazz supergroup, Cosmic Vibrations. To mark the occasion they are proud to release a special remix of album highlight “OLBAP”, reworked with true love and care into a broken beat masterpiece by the electronic jazz pioneer and pianist, Mark De Clive Lowe.

Mark de Clive-Lowe magically balances virtuoso piano playing with addictive synth grooves and live remixing flair. He left his home in New Zealand at an early age, finding himself at the center of London’s underground music scene, “joining-the-dots” between jazz and electronic music. Becoming a leading figure of the burgeoning broken beat and wider electronic jazz scenes, MdCL was championed by the likes of Gilles Peterson and revolutionised the live potential of underground sound, before moving to LA in 2008.

Cosmic Vibrations is a supergroup of heavyweight musicians with a vast combined experience, an ensemble of 6 souls, all based in LA, who approach improvisation full of spirit and without ego. As Kevin Le Gendre put it for Jazzwise, “this is a west coast supergroup whose members have the kind of credits that cover a huge swathe of black music history: Dizzy Gillespie, Horace Silver, Ramsey Lewis, Minnie Riperton and Nicole Mitchell, to name but some. That wealth of experience is priceless, and any one of the 11 songs on offer thus carries the kind of gravitas that takes Cosmic Vibrations beyond the potential cliché of ‘deep jazz’ and into the realm of deep meditation.”

Fronted by Dwight Trible, undoubtedly the most acclaimed and in-demand vocalist currently working in the realms of spiritual jazz, the band has been performing steadily over the last four years, building a reputation in LA and further afield for their mesmerising performances. ‘Pathways & Passages’ marked the first time that their transcendental sound had been recorded and publicly released.

This remix marks a perfect inter-generational meeting of LA’s long vibrant music scene. Dwight’s central role in LA is difficult to miss, from directing the Horace Tapscott Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra and leading the incredible Build An Ark ensemble alongside Carlos Niño, to forming the deep jazz supergroup, Cosmic Vibrations. Likewise, since moving to LA, Mark has united a multi-generational who’s who of LA and the world’s most respected jazz, soul, hip hop and electronic artists at his much loved CHURCH club night, and earned the role of Founding Artist in Residence for La Ceiba Festival.

The “OLBAP” remix is due for release on September 28. It marks the perfect step in Trible and MdCL’s musical relationship, since the latter contributed played piano on Trible’s acclaimed “Mothership” album, alongside Kamasi Washington, Carlos Niño and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson.

OLBAP is from the debut album by Cosmic Vibrations ft Dwight Trible 'Pathways & Passages'.

1. OLBAP reimagined by Mark de Clive Lowe 05:22
2. OLBAP by Cosmic Vibrations 09:32

COSMIC VIBRATIONS
Dwight Trible voice /kalimba
John B Williams acoustic bass
Derf Reklaw congas / percussion / flute
Pablo Calogero tenor sax / bass clarinet / woodwinds / flutes
Christopher Garcia - indigenous percussion
Breeze Smith - drums / percussion / loops

Tatsuhisa Yamamoto - Agrro pan (SUPERPANG)

1. Agrro pan 34:45

Recorded at Studio ZOT, Hoshi to Niji no recording studio, Amorphone in January - July 2021.

Guitar: Riki Hidaka
Field recording: Marty Holoubek
Mastering: Jim O'Rourke

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Mohannad Nasser - Al Hamra

Al Hamra is a musical journey that started at the moment I left Syria. The name of the album reflects a hidden intersection between two places that influenced me: Al Hamra street in Beirut, Lebanon, The symbol of pluralism and diversity, and Al Hamra castle in Granada, Spain, which is one of the most magnificent representations of the arabic cultural influence in Spain and Europe.

The music is based on three main musical directions, The Arabic music, expressed by the Oud, the Arabic lyrics and traditional music elements. The flamenco music brought by the grand flutist Jorge Pardo, the distinguished name in the flamenco scene, and the percussionist Sergio Martinez who twists the flamenco with groovy vibes, The Jazz music, introduced by the delicate pianist Albert Sanz through his rich harmonics, and the unique double bassist Masa Kamaguchi. 

1. Al Hamra 05:39
2. Sacromonte 05:09
3. Schengen 06:28
4. Moonless Night 06:44
5. Sonbati 06:19
6. Dabke in Jaffa 05:04
7. Ajebto Menka 06:20
8. Badwen Jazz 03:27
9. Huzzam Taksim 03:36

Mohannad Nasser: Oud & Voice & Composition
Jorge Pardo: Flute
Albert Sanz: Piano & Keys
Sergio Martinez: Percussion
Masa Kamaguchi: Double Bass

Matt Ulery to Issue First Live Recording – ‘Delicate Charms Live at the Green Mill’ on October 6

Celebrated Bassist and Composer Matt Ulery Announces the Release of His First Live Record, Delicate Charms Live at the Green Mill 

Out October 6th on Woolgathering – Release Show/Residency Kickoff at the Hungry Brain on October 6th

Woolgathering Records is thrilled to announce the October 6th release of bassist and composer Matt Ulery’s Delicate Charms Live at the Green Mill. This recording captures an electrifying evening of live music from Ulery’s Delicate Charms ensemble, performing at the legendary Chicago institution The Green Mill. Following the ensemble’s eponymous release in October of 2019, 2021’s Delicate Charms Live at the Green Mill presents six brand new Ulery compositions interpreted by five masterful musicians that when assembled, create a deeply adept ensemble unparalleled in interplay and dynamic sensibility. Profoundly reflective of the time-period in which the album was recorded, the exultant energy heard here captures an eagerly-awaited evening of live music – a hungrily anticipated night of freedom and creative expression after a disorienting period of imposed solitude due to the global health crisis. In addition, the travel restrictions of the time imposed some changes in the ensemble’s personnel – Ulery is joined here by pianist Paul Bedal, drummer Quin Kirchner, alto saxophonist Greg Ward, and trumpeter James Davis. On the night of release, Ulery will kick off the first outing of his new weekly residency at The Hungry Brain with an album release celebration. Details can be found HERE
Photo by Sandy Morris

Ulery reflects: “Just as Chicago was starting to open up in April/May 2021, it seemed like the only live music happening inside was at some of the jazz clubs. The Green Mill was operating with a seated only capacity. While braving the elements, we were all so hungry for live music in a room together, so it was no surprise that the vibe in the room was tangible…We couldn’t imagine replicating the energy in a studio that was created and felt that weekend at the Mill. ” The band played six sets from 8pm to midnight each night for two nights, as Dave Jemilo, the proprietor of the Green Mill, mixed live sound. Performing new material written by Ulery within the year, Delicate Charms Live at the Green Mill documents the most spirited takes of the ensemble’s first impressions of these striking compositions. 

The composer explains, “The tunes on this record have long, dynamic forms requiring intense engagement of the musicians at play. I wanted to create something new (to me) that has the composure of chamber music while having the agility through these forms only potent improvisers can bring to the flow… These guys absolutely crushed the new material, all the ink and all the dynamic improvisation that is always woven throughout this music.”

From the album’s very first refrains, the ensemble strikes an acute balance between harmonic intensity, thoughtful nuance and soulful delivery. Ulery’s orchestral genius is apparent when one notes the sheer range of timbre and dynamics that he pulls out of a single quintet – pieces like “We Are Just at the Limit” and “That Hideous Strength” seem to center heavily around the piano while “Oceans Away” and “The Arrival” are driven by the ensemble’s steadfast horn section. “Consumer of Time” makes ample use of Ulery’s stellar bass playing, before evolving into a true ensemble piece. These changes in density make for a diverse and exciting listening experience.

This live release acts as a vibrant follow-up to Ulery’s 2019 release Delicate Charms which garnered international acclaim. Hrayr Attarian of Chicago Jazz Magazine noted “The mellifluous and intricate Delicate Charms is thought-provoking and charmingly sophisticated. It is novel, complex yet accessible, which, together with its singular style, are the makings of an instant classic.” Michael Ambrosino wrote, for 33Third: Best of 2019, “By the end of the album you’ll realize this is Matt Ulery’s harmonic world, and we just live in it.” Delicate Charms Live at the Green Mill transports listeners into Ulery’s immersive harmonic world within the stirring, irreplaceable atmosphere of a live performance.

1. We Are Just At The Limit 07:05
2. Oceans Away 11:07
3. The Arrival 14:43
4. Undertow 08:58
5. That Hideous Strength 07:15
6. Consumer Of Time 13:36

Greg Ward | alto saxophone
James Davis | trumpet
Paul Bedal | piano
Quin Kirchner | drums
Matt Ulery | double bass and compositions

Monday, September 27, 2021

Filip Żółtowski Quartet - Humanity

The Humanity album is an attempt to connect two separate worlds. The world of electronics algorithm and awakening, and the world of nature, beauty and inner peace. The album is a story about the fact that you can and even have to find a balance between these two worlds. The musicians try to fully absorb into a given composition, which has a great effect on the emotions of the listeners.

We recommend you to fully absorb our album to be able to fully feel these emotions.

1. Waltz, please 07:43
2. Unhumanization 05:53
3. Questions with no answers 05:55
4. Equilibrium 05:56
5. Multitasking doesn't exist 07:14
6. Meditation 03:26
7. Painful rainbow 04:55
8. Dzień i noc (feat. Natalia Capelik-Muianga) 05:39

Trumpet- Filip Żółtowski
Saxophone- Szymon Zawodny
Keys, Piano, Moog- Wojciech Wojda
Drums- Mikołaj Stańko
Natalia Capelik-Muianga- vocals (8."Dzień i noc)

Compositions: Filip Żółtowski
Arrangments: Filip Żółtowski Quartet

Lyrics:
6. "Meditation"- excerpt from the book "21 Lessons for 21st Century"- Yuval Noah Harrari
8. "Dzień i noc"- Natalia Capelik-Muianga

Recorded in Custom34 Studio
Sound Engineer: Piotr Łukaszewski
Mix& Mastering: Paul Rutschka
Illustration& Cover design: Stefan Głośnik
Production: Filip Żółtowski
Publischer: Stankoffamusic Krystyna Stańko
Distribution: Soliton

All rights reserved.Unauthorised copying, reproduction, hiring, lending, public performance and broadcasting prohibited.

Bill McBirnie & Bruce Jones - Forever

Several months into the pandemic, Bruce and I decided to work on our third Extreme Flute recording project, because we were both looking for something to do musically, and we also needed to maintain a sense of musical belonging in what had become very challenging circumstances, for all of us.

Of course, with COVID protocols in place, we had no choice but to tackle this project remotely, which meant we had to exchange sound files, back-and-forth, back-and-forth, throughout the entire process. So it felt as though this was taking us...forever!...

Nonetheless, it was a genuinely satisfying endeavour. Bruce’s compositions have always been a draw for me, because they are diverse, and inevitably infused with a Brazilian spirit. So we sorted through his current—and past—works, picking tunes that had a more relaxed vibe in the hope that this repertoire might resonate with our equally COVID-distressed family, friends, fans and followers. My wife, Svetlana, had a big hand in the final selection of tunes...so one of the new ones is dedicated to her!...

Bruce is a multi-talented vocalist, instrumentalist and engineer whom I have respected and admired for many years. In fact, when I first heard Bruce play with his band, Da, at the Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival about 30 years ago, I said to my friends at the time, “I want to be in this band!”...And soon enough, I was!...

So I have been playing and recording with Bruce from the very beginning of my career as a freelance flutist.

In keeping with our earlier Extreme Flute projects, Bruce laid down the bed tracks, I overdubbed my flute lines and improvs, and then we mixed the tracks. However, what makes this Extreme Flute project different—and a genuine treat as well—was having bassist, Robin Latimer, record with us. She displayed outstanding workmanship and provided a solid foundation for this most recent incarnation of Extreme Flute.

Finally, Bruce and I would like to convey our continuing gratitude to Canada’s premier jazz station, Jazz.FM91, for including music from both of our earlier Extreme Flute albums (Desvio and Grain of Sand) in their spin cycle for what is now close to two decades.

And so even if it felt like it would take us forever to finish, FOREVER is finally here...and now!...

Bill McBirnie

1. Criole Blessing (Saravá Criola)
2. Song For Svetlana (Um Choro Para Svetlana)
3. This Passion (Está Paixão)
4. It's The Time (Saber Se Amar)
5. Forever (Eternamente)
6. Dreams And Light (Canta Canção)
7. Full Moon Blue Wolf (Lua Cheia Lobo Azul) - Bonus Vocal Track

Bill McBirnie – flute & alto flute (all tracks)
Bruce Jones – guitar, percussion & synths (all tracks); vocal (track 7 only)
Robin Latimer – electric bass (all tracks except track 2)

Compositions – Bruce Jones (SOCAN)

Produced by – Bill McBirnie & Bruce Jones
Recorded at – Da Da Music Productions & Extreme Flute Studio, Toronto, Ontario
Engineered by – Bruce Jones
Edited & Mixed by – Bill McBirnie & Bruce Jones
Mastered by – Pacy Shulman at Hilo Studio, Toronto, Ontario
Cover Image by – Tim Moore (Collingwood Stream, 1993)
Layout, Design & Manufacturing by – Staci Patten, Accurate Audio, Toronto, Ontario

Bill is a Designated Hayes Artist. On this recording, he plays several Wm. S. Haynes flutes and, in addition, an Armstrong alto flute.

Sverre Gjørvad - Time To Illuminate Earth (Losen Records)

Ah to move the fingertips slightly over the keys to build a palace in the sky.

Ah to scratch the skins with the sticks and break the ice of the river, crackling and rushing to devour and destroy.

Ah to break through the monotony of silent space with a billowing boom from the bellows of the bass and swoon.

Ah to ride the noise that has no name and call it a guitar that clouds the crispness of the Arctic autumn air.

Ah to tell these stories of elements that rule and swallow our lives – so enviously cyclical, indestructible, constant.

Fire
Water
Air
Earth

The burning, flowing, bright and constant.

Ah to break and build and crash through space of sound.

Ah the silence. The value of a comma in a story. The value of the breath in the telling. The golden thread itself that stitches with an invisible hand.

Ah to relish in the darkness and the levity – caressing nature itself without reproach, without demands, within oneself.

Ah to give this sound to nature – an offering, a sacrifice, a breathless short story told with bold rhythm and a soft touch.

Transformation is the core of Sverre Gjørvad´s compositions. The nature that is transformed through sound, sound that is transformed by reconstruction of time and melody, melody that transforms into stories.

There is a highly cinematic approach to compositions all through the three elemental albums that Gjørvad has created in the past three years. With him a constant trio: Herborg Rundberg, piano; Kristian Svalestad Olstad, guitar; and Dag Okstad, bass. All engaged in this work with nature and storytelling in their own unique, and boundary breaking way.

On this particular album there is also a contribution from Embrik Snerte, bassoon on two of the songs. The woodwind brings both an eeriness and a lightness to the stories that are told.

And maybe somewhat of a slavic sentimentality. But then again, that is in the ear of this listener.

As is much of the experience with Sverre Gjørvad´s compositions – what you bring along as a listener matters profoundly.

It inspires the power of your own imagination.

Maja Sojtaric, music critic
Tromsø, Norway.

 1 All of a Sudden

2 Skårjage

3 The Neighbourhood Pond

4 Never Ever

5 Dismantle

6 Massively Uncomfortable Rock (c´est la vie)

7 Jordi Roca y Laia Costa

8 Swedish Braids

9 Searching Hometowns


Sverre Gjørvad drums

Herborg Rundberg piano

Kristian Svalestad Olstad guitar

Dag Okstad bass

Embrik Snerte bassoon on tracks 1 and 9


All compositions by Sverre Gjørvad, except track 1 by Andy Partridge.

Recorded July 26-29, 2021 by Kristian Svalestad Olstad at

Kysten Studio, Tromsø, Norway

Mixed September 2021 by Kristian Svalestad Olstad at

Room 225, Tromsø.

Mastered September 13, 2021 by Morten Lund at

Lund´s Lyd, Oslo, Norway

Produced by Sverre Gjørvad

Executive producer Odd Gjelsnes

All photos by Knut Åserud

Cover design by design holtmann

PREORDER

Offshore Drills - Subway Raga EP

1. Subway Raga 04:28
2. Subway Raga (Ambient Version) 06:43
3. Subway Raga (Ar☽e☿r Remix) 06:37
4. Subway Raga - FULL EP 17:28

1: Subway Raga (Original Version)
2: Subway Raga (Offshore Drills Ambient Remix)
3: Subway Raga (Ar☽e☿r Remix)

Thomas Desjardin : Kalimba, Bass, Synths, Percussions, Guitar
Amine Benhammou : Guitar
Matthieu Bosshart : Machines

Mixed by Thomas Desjardin - Mastered by Mathieu Bosshardt
Artwork by Thomas Desjardin

MMMΔ - Roto Vildblomma (Improved Sequence)

CROW WITH NO MOUTH (US) Anyone seeking engulfment in the throb and thrum of the low- end frequencies- and sometimes nothing else will do- look no further than Roto Vildblomma, released in May 2010 on Dimitris Kariofilis' Antifrost label. Kariofilis, a.k.a., ILIOS, meshes his oscillators with the seething drawn strings of cellist Nikos Veliotis and contrabassist Costantino Kinakos, a.k.a., Coti K. Following the brief, anthemic first track, we are immersed in tremors and troubled waters that push the air [and your innards] around, unrelieved save for a motoric development on the fourth track, an acceleration, as oxymoronic as that sounds, of Mohammad's pervasive gravitas. Celllist Veliotis has become, in my recent, overlapping listening spheres, a somewhat ubiquitous presence. He brings the swot and strum of his cello to another trio offering this year, the stellar Cooper Fields.

He is half of the excellent duo Texturizer, with Coti K, whose two releases on Antifrost are well worth searching for. He is part of the imminent Looper release, with saxophonist Martin Kuchen and percussionist Ingar Zach, yet another trio that investigates long-form throb and shimmer. And on Roto Vildblomma, he is one third of the grounding gestalt field this trio achieves, with only occasional glimpses of the discrete parts of the instrumental whole. Veliotis has gradually developed his approach with the BACHbow, the creation of a fellow cellist that extends the arco possibilities, enabling him to draw across as many strings as he wishes. Mohammad create a nearly seamless garment, satisfyingly replete with the frayed, loose ends such harmonically close, pitch-based drone works reveal.

Another reviewer referenced the "religious" aura of their sound; while I think I hear what he was referring to, I would suggest a different coloration- ceremonial. For what rite this sort of low-end strum might be created, who knows? I do know the two individuals I have heard from who have caught Mohammad's sound in live performance report the experience is overwhelmingly powerful. Mohammad have dedicated their collective efforts to the subtle striations of the low-end strings, and Roto Vildblomma is, for me, without a dull or stray moment. It is fantastic to hear some of the new music coming from Greece and, to date, when any of the members of Mohammad are involved, there is reason to anticipate it with high expectations. 

1. Vildblomma
2. Lamane Kradoj
3. Skóra
4. Letzten Tränen
5. Luminus Vuori

Max Agnas (feat. Salvador Sobral & Nils Agnas) - The More I Let the World In

Max Agnas is a jazz pianist based in Stockholm, Sweden. His fourth album in his own name called "The More I Let the World In" comes out on the 26th of September featuring Salvador Sobral & Nils Agnas.

In the album, Max does quite the opposite of trying to blend genres, which is so often done. Max locks himself in with pure, core ideas and starts to dig deeper and deeper with what he already has.

1. Like the sun rises and the fog melts away
2. More I let the world in, less I take in it
3. A Lisbon song
4. Last moment for a moon
5. Call me medieval
6. Fragments
7. O Nosso Abrigo
8. Mattias where are you
9. Story of a boy
10. Ok for us
11. When it gets red
12. Birds

Gate Check - Places

This album is a collection of original music in 8 parts, which takes you on a musical journey to some of my favorite destinations.

1. Fjord
2. Indian Rocks
3. Sighisoara
4. South Shore Bluff
5. Highlands
6. Bywater
7. Run Away Bay/The Rockies

Darren Sterud - Trombone
Chris Rottmayer - Keyboards/Piano
Ben Ferris - Bass/Pedals
Matthew Endres - Drums and Cymbals

Jose Ignacio Santos - Fuera de Cauce

Fuera de Cauce represents the “culmination” of one of the most important events of my life in the past few years, finishing my studies at Berklee College of Music. It also represents a challenge that I had for myself ever since I got into Berklee, which was to compose everything I was going to play in my Senior Recital. And it was, in fact, a really hard challenge because I double majored in Film Scoring and Performance and had a lot of different projects to finish. That without counting that it was all while Corona was at its worst.

So, Fuera de Cauce it’s a selection of three of the pieces I did for my last recital at Berklee College of Music.

1. Blurred Mirror 09:04
2. Depalote 08:10
3. Fuera de Cauce 09:13

Blurred Mirror

Clarinet & T Sax, Jose Ignacio Santos

Guitar, João Perrusi
Piano, Joy Shechter
Bass, Aubrey Situmorang
Drums, Cristián Tamblay

Depalote

Sop Sax & Clarinet, Jose Ignacio Santos
Alto Saxophone, Rafael Suncar
Tenor Saxophone, Edmar Colón

Guitar, Diego Ureña
Keys, Camila Cortina Bello
Bass, Gerson Lazo-Quiroga
Drums, Helen De La Rosa

Fuera de Cauce

Clarinet and Saxophones, Jose Ignacio Santos
Flute, Kristalis Sotomayor Matos

Guitar, João Perrusi
Piano, Nikolai Mishchenko
Bass, Aubrey Situmorang
Percussion, Juan P. Tello
Dominican Percussion, José Otoniel Nicolás
Drums, Helen De La Rosa

Violín, Bengisu Gokce
Violín, Emily Gelineau
Viola, Louisa Byron
Cello, Ya-Hsuan Yu

Mixing Engineers: Jm Ferreiras & Jose Abner Cabrera
Mastering Engineer: Alexander Wright

Ivo Perelman - Brass & Ivory Tales (Fundacja Słuchaj)

Great saxophonist, improviser Ivo Perelman celebrates its 60th birthday this year. Brass & Ivory tales - 9 CDs box-set is a gift for this phenomenal musician, great human being, and marvelous artist. Nine studio sessions with nine top and most creative pianists like Dave Burrell, Marilyn Crispell, Aruan Ortiz, Sylvie Courvoisier, Angelica Sanchez, Aaron Parks, Agusti Fernandez, Craig Taborn, and Vijay Iyer in a beautiful box with liner notes from Grammy Award Winner writer Neil Tesser

IVO PERELMAN - BRASS & IVORY TALES

CD 1: Tale One with Dave Burrell
CD 2: Tale Two with Marilyn Crispell
CD 3: Tale Three with Aruán Ortiz
CD 4: Tale Four with Aaron Parks
CD 5: Tale Five with Sylvie Courvoisier
CD 6: Tale Six with Agustí Fernández
CD 7: Tale Seven with Craig Taborn
CD 8: Tale Eight with Angelica Sanchez
CD 9: Tale Nine with Vijay Iyer

CD1: Tale One - Ivo Perelman with Dave Burrell

01. Chapter One 37.09
02. Chapter Two 20.02
Total Time: 57.11

Ivo Perelman – tenor saxophone
Dave Burell – piano
Ivo Perelman ivomusic/ ASCAP, Dave Burrell Lanikai Sounds Publ. Company (BMI)
Recorded January 2020

CD2: Tale Two – Ivo Perelman with Marilyn Crispell

1. Chapter One 6.56
2. Chapter Two 5.12
3. Chapter Three 7.46
4. Chapter Four 2.55
5. Chapter Five 5.23
6. Chapter Six 3.23
7. Chapter Seven 6.35
8. Chapter Eight 7.41
9. Chapter Nine 6.51
Total Time: 52.42

Ivo Perelman – tenor saxophone
Marilyn Crispell – piano
Ivo Perelman ivomusic/ ASCAP, Marilyn Crispell Crispell Publishing/BMI
Recorded March 2014

CD3: Tale Three – Ivo Perelman with Aruán Ortiz

1. Chapter One 9.25
2. Chapter Two 3.21
3. Chapter Three 4.02
4. Chapter Four 11.01
5. Chapter Five 10.36
6. Chapter Six 10.15
7. Chapter Seven 7.02
Total Time: 55.40

Ivo Perelman – tenor saxophone
Aruán Ortiz – piano
Ivo Perelman ivomusic/ ASCAP, Aruan Ortiz Naurazitro Music/SESAC
Recorded December 2017

CD4: Tale Four – Ivo Perelman with Aaron Parks

1. Chapter One 19.14
2. Chapter Two 10.16
3. Chapter Three 10.12
Total Time: 39.42

Ivo Perelman – tenor saxophone
Aaron Parks – piano
Ivo Perelman ivomusic/ ASCAP, Aaron Parks Invisible Cinema Music (BMI)
Recorded March 2020

CD5 Tale Five – Ivo Pereleman with Sylvie Courvoisier

1. Chapter One 3.32
2. Chapter Two 3.04
3. Chapter Three 5.04
4. Chapter Four 5.45
5. Chapter Five 4.33
6. Chapter Six 5.28
7. Chapter Seven 5.29
8. Chapter Eight 7.41
9. Chapter Nive 2.39
10. Chapter Ten 5.17
11. Chapter Eleven 5.55
Total Time: 54.26

Ivo Perelman – tenor saxophone
Sylvie Courvoisier – piano
Ivo Perelman ivomusic/ ASCAP, Sylvie Courvoisier Sylvie COURVOISIER MUSIC ASCAP 560146375
Recorded March 2018

CD6 Tale Six – Ivo Perelman with Agustí Fernández

1. Chapter One 8.45
2. Chapter Two 6.11
3. Chapter Three 8.28
4. Chapter Four 4.02
5. Chapter Five 5.28
6. Chapter Six 7.21
7. Chapter Seven 6.23
8. Chapter Eight 2.11
9. Chapter Nine 5.02
Total Time: 54.10

Ivo Perelman – tenor saxophone
Agustí Fernández– piano
Ivo Perelman ivomusic/ ASCAP, Agustí Fernández SGAE (Sociedad General de Autores de España)
Recorded July 2017

CD7 Tale Seven – Ivo Perelman with Craig Taborn

1. Chapter One 26.20
2. Chapter Two 4.40
3. Chapter Three 5.22
4. Chapter Four 19.52
5. Chapter Five 8.37
Total Time: 65.01

Ivo Perelman – tenor saxophone
Craig Taborn – piano
Ivo Perelman ivomusic/ ASCAP, Craig Taborn LightMadeLighter Publishing BMI
Recorded June 2021

CD8 Tale Eight – Ivo Perelman with Angelica Sanchez

1. Chapter One 3.35
2. Chapter Two 3.04
3. Chapter Three 5.47
4. Chapter Four 7.40
5. Chapter Five 8.18
6. Chapter Six 8.33
7. Chapter Seven 6.38
8. Chapter Eight 7.45
9. Chapter Nine 9.51
Total Time: 61.29

Ivo Perelman – tenor saxophone
Angelica Sanchez – piano
Ivo Perelman ivomusic/ ASCAP, Angelica Sanchez Sancha Music/ Sesac
Recorded June 2021

CD9 Tale Nine – Ivo Perelman with Vijay Iyer

1. Chapter One 17.10
2. Chapter Two 3.36
3. Chapter Three 25.27
4. Chapter Four 14.26
5. Chapter Five 2.28
Total Time: 63.16

Ivo Perelman – tenor saxophone
Vijay Iyer – piano
Ivo Perelman ivomusic/ ASCAP, Vijay Iyer Sonocentric Publishing (ASCAP) administered by Kobalt Music
Recorded May 2021

Brandon Goldberg - In Good Time (feat. Ralph Peterson)

Celebrated Young Pianist and Bandleader Brandon Goldberg Announces
His Compelling Sophomore Release In Good Time, Featuring An All-Star 
Quintet Including Late Jazz Luminary Ralph Peterson

Pianist, composer and bandleader Brandon Goldberg is thrilled to announce the release of his second album, In Good Time. A follow-up to 2019’s critically-acclaimed LET’S PLAY!, Goldberg approaches In Good Time with a refined, seasoned sensibility and is joined by a top-shelf quintet through five original compositions and five smartly arranged jazz standards. Showcasing Goldberg’s pianistic prowess and stunning compositional facility, the album features the 15 year old instrumentalist in a powerhouse trio with late drum giant Ralph Peterson and heralded bassist Luques Curtis, filled out by a supple horn section made up of saxophonist Stacy Dillard and trumpeter Josh Evans. Trumpeter Antoine Drye makes an appearance on the album’s closing track for a duo performance with the bandleader. In Good Time will be available on all platforms on September 17, 2021. 

Three years ago, when pianist Brandon Goldberg was 12, he turned heads with his accomplished debut project LET’S PLAY!, a compelling trio recital with upper-echelon jazz veterans Ben Wolfe on bass and Donald Edwards on drums on which he functioned as a musical peer in an equilateral triangle. Now, fully in command of his materials, Goldberg spotlights considerable instrumental faculty while presenting a program that gives each member ample space to express individualism while also fulfilling collective imperatives. The pieces convey a broad range of emotional and timbral flavors through Goldberg’s sophisticated refraction of a long timeline of improvisatory dialects and compositional strategies culled from a century of Jazz, Black American Music, and American Songbook expression. 

“I really love Brandon,” says jazz saxophonist Donald Harrison. “He will be one of our most important musicians and he has always been a gentleman. It makes me happy to see him grow up before my very eyes. He is a family member to me.” 
Goldberg displays an impeccable synergy with the incomparable rhythm section made up of Luques Curtis and drum legend Ralph Peterson. Here, the late drummer exudes a characteristic energy, soulfulness, and focus which is reciprocated and amplified by Goldberg. Devastatingly, the master drummer and educator would pass three months after the completion of the album, after his fierce six-year battle with cancer. “Ralph was pure intensity,” Goldberg said in May after In Good Time was fully sequenced and mastered. “If you reached a point where you got comfortable, he’d play something completely unexpected to put you on edge.” Aside from the notes and tones, Goldberg added, Peterson “had something to do with everything in this project.” Their relationship began in 2018 at the Litchfield Jazz Festival when pianist Orrin Evans – a Goldberg advocate since teaching him two years earlier at Litchfield Jazz Camp – introduced them. “Ralph gave me his card and said, ‘Dial it, don’t file it,’” Goldberg continued, “Once we got serious and I started writing, we talked about once a week,” Goldberg recalled. “But even before, any time I needed help with music… he said he wanted to tell me what not to do, but not what I should be doing, because he never wanted to get in the way of what I wanted. That’s how he was, and he said that’s how Art Blakey was with him.”

Peterson’s signature raspy voice begins the record in a voicemail that he sent the young bandleader prior to the album’s conception, setting the stage with a heartfelt reminder of the late drummer’s tenacity and dedication to the legacy of jazz. The voicemail fades and the listener hears Goldberg’s unwavering voice count the group off, echoing the urgency of Peterson’s voicemail, Goldberg is ready to get down-to-business and the bright-tempoed swing of Goldberg’s original composition “Authority” reflects just that. This sprightly ensemble-piece harkens back to the hard-bop sensibilities of the Jazz Messengers and includes masterful solos from Goldberg, Dillard and Evans. Goldberg demonstrates his gift for melodic invention on his originals “Circles” and “Time”. The former, titled for its repeating theme, features Dillard’s lyric, soaring soprano saxophone atop Peterson’s undulating, authoritative brushstrokes. The latter begins as a ballad, poignantly stated by Evans. Curtis’ lyric meditation follows, then Evans uncorks an improvisation that resolves on the head, whereupon the tempo transitions to medium-bright (Peterson percolates again on brushes) for another inspired Dillard declamation.
Luques Curtis, Josh Evans, Ralph Peterson, Brandon Goldberg, Stacy Dillard by John Abbott

Goldberg’s interpretations of classic jazz compositions demonstrate the young players ability to tip-the-hat to the composer of the piece while also bringing something new to the table. “Monk’s Dream” captures the idiosyncrasy of the composition while Goldberg also explores its harmonic richness with adept vertical playing that outlines the changes tastefully and tells a cohesive story. The piece also features an iconic, fiery solo from Peterson, bringing the tune back to its head. Goldberg further channels the sonic palette of late ’60s Miles on “Stella By Starlight,” which he addresses on Fender Rhodes, dressing up the old chestnut with fresh melodic variations and a 6/8 feel. A stately duo of Sondheim’s “Send In The Clowns” with gold-toned trumpeter Antoine Drye acts as the pianist’s encore. Goldberg leaves the audience on a tender note, providing a nuanced grace to the conclusion of an album which will surely cement Goldberg’s stature as a preeminent fixture in the scope of jazz.

JazzTimes writer Ken Franckling notes “He understands the basics and nuances of making jazz – and swings like mad in the great company of his trio mates.”

Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Ron Carter and Jack DeJohnette - "Skyline" via 5Passion

GRAMMY Award Winning Pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba Teams Up with Jazz Legends Ron Carter and Jack DeJohnette on Skyline, New Album via 5Passion

Pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba is thrilled to announce the release of Skyline, his eighth album on 5Passion Records and the first in a planned trilogy of piano trio albums for the label Rubalcaba co-founded in 2010.

Rubalcaba — raised and educated in Havana, where he played professionally as both a drummer and a pianist before emigrating first to the Dominican Republic in 1991 and then to Miami in 1996 — tells celebrated jazz journalist Ted Panken in Skyline’s liner notes that early gigs with the giants of the artform like bassist Ron Carter and drummer Jack DeJohnette turned out to be his, “real school, [his] portal to a different relationship with American musicians and American music.” So when Rubalcaba had a new trio project in mind, one rife with Afro-Cuban rhythms but informed by years studying what musical conversation between musicians should sound and feel like, he knew he needed sidemen who could pull off both elements with equal parts feel and erudition. 

Carter and DeJohnette had to round out this trio. 

“No matter what music you put in their hands,” Rubalcaba tells Panken in the liners, “at the end they convert that music into something personal. That to me has an amazing value.

“But at the same time they understand their function at every moment…. Ron and Jack know how to keep their sound, their spirit, while fulfilling at a very high level your request as a producer or musical director or composer. They combine a special talent and a strong personality with a high level of consciousness of responsibility—everything together.”
While there’s never any doubt Rubalcaba is the lead sonic architect here, it’s evident on all nine cuts, as Panken notes, that he “didn’t want this to be a “Gonzalo record per se; he wanted to create a conversation from multiple points of view.” New perspectives are applied to the familiar, as each musician offers up a pair of his own previously recorded tunes to the trio’s (re)interpretive lens. For an illustration of the group’s methodology, take Carter’s “Gypsy,” a tune originally released on 1979’s Parade with Chick Corea (piano), Tony Williams (drums), and Joe Henderson (tenor sax). After a newly constructed preface, Carter reprises a walking bass line that calls to mind the original—though this version is at a slightly more relaxed tempo. Less frenetic and in ways steadier and more self-assured, this one retains the original’s probing, prodding and exploratory nature. If Parade’s was a showcase for Henderson, Skyline’s version is a showcase for Rubalcaba, as he plays both Joe Henderson’s lead lines and Chick Corea’s comping lines. The latter third of the tune spotlights DeJohnette and, secondarily, Carter—before Rubalcaba returns for one last lightning run. It closes with a sparse, contemplative dialogue that hits like a deep, awakening stretch—the musical manifestation of end-stage savasana. 

Hypnotic and wistfully circular, “A Quiet Place” is the other contribution from Carter’s seemingly infinite catalogue. It holds special meaning because DeJohnette also played on the first incarnation, from 1978’s A Song for You. But perhaps more meaningfully, this one speaks to the risks Rubalcaba—who’s always had the insane facility to play at breakneck speeds—took to develop as both a player and composer. “I put myself in contact with different spaces and musical visions,” he tells Panken in the liners. “Even where you are not totally comfortable with [different] ideas, you can always learn. Life is a palette with many tastes and flavors and colors and moments.” Carter’s playing makes the visceral richness of this piece possible; his framing allows Rubalcaba to plumb not just depths of feeling but also to communicate the kind of breadth of emotion that separates really good art from everything else.

The first of DeJohnette’s offerings is “Silver Hollow,” a tune the drummer recorded first in 1978 with his New Directions group, then 13 years later, with Rubalcaba, on the latter’s The Blessing. Deliberate and inherently narrative, this one tells a story, but that story’s construction is left to the imagination of the listener—almost as if the musicians leave it to you to choose your own noirish adventure. Then there’s “Ahmad the Terrible,” inspired by DeJohnette’s formative years in Chicago, when, as a young gigging pianist—that’s right, Rubalcaba isn’t the only multi-instrumentalist here—he learned by watching Ahmad Jamal at his fabled Second City haunts. Presented almost scenically, like a theatrical number, this one displays the combination packages—the sweetness and muscly melodicism, the tension and release, the insouciance and the sober weightiness—for which Jamal is so beloved. 

Rubalcaba sources his original offerings from a pair of his ’90s releases for Blue Note. “Promenade” is the first, a most appropriate selection that originally appeared on 1998’s Inner Voyage as a dedication to Ron Carter. No doubt the hope was that, one day, Carter himself would be able to play this one. That day has come, and the result proves worth the wait. Rubalcaba and DeJohnette both take turns out front, but, mostly here, they accompany Carter, whose ideas are many, never superfluous, and always expressed with an elegant authority that need not be explicitly stated. With “Siempre Maria,” Skyline’s penultimate tune, Rubalcaba presents a comprehensive harmonic and structural overhaul of the ballad/bolero that originally appeared on 1992’s Suite 4 Y 20. It’s both meandering and focused, as though Rubalcaba and co. are hard at work at deciphering that foundational Latin American mystery, amor.
Behind the scenes with Gonzalo, Ron and Jack, courtesy of 5Passion

Two Cuban standards occupy coveted slots; “Lágrimas Negras,” a bolero from the ’20s, opens the album, and “Novia Mia” sits square in the middle of Skyline’s nine tracks. On the former, Carter hops out front early, soloing with a series of playful, referential riffs, which includes a memorable nod to Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King.” On the latter, Rubalcaba bears his soul, with a capacious solo rendition of this iconic Cuban ballad that lends credence to the old cliché that the space between notes can communicate just as much as the notes themselves.

The bluesy closer, “RonJackRuba,” testifies to the notion that it takes a little luck to make a great record. This one’s the product of a spontaneous collective improvisation that the trio didn’t even know was being recorded. The engineer Jim Anderson had left the room to tend to a tech issue but had the good sense to keep the tape rolling. “One of us played a note, and then we followed that sound, that line, and continued playing for seven minutes,” recalled Rubalcaba. “We didn’t know Jim was recording until we stopped and he told us.”

Over nine tracks presented, what Panken astutely dubs, “an equilateral triangle aesthetic,” a fusion of distinct personalities and sensibilities from three master musicians who know when to speak and when to listen. Skyline, he says, continuing to unspool this thread, is “an immersive album that is unique in Rubalcaba’s discography for its unendingly dialogical quality, in which no topic, idea or motif is off-limits to kinetic, soulful investigation.”

Skyline will be available on all platforms

Mark Zaleski Band - Our Time Reimagining Dave Brubeck (Origin Records)

Our Time: Reimagining Dave Brubeck
Mark Zaleski Band


featuring Mark Zaleski (alto and soprano saxophone) Jon Bean (tenor saxophone), Glenn Zaleski (piano), Mark Cocheo (guitar), Danny Weller (bass), Oscar Suchanek (drums) + special guest Michael Mayo (vocals)

Zaleski, an early graduate of the prestigious Dave Brubeck Institute in California, credits Dave and Iola Brubeck for helping form him into the musician he is today. One particularly vibrant memory is from 2003, when Zaleski met the Brubecks, then in their 80’s, on only his second day on campus. “Regardless of Dave’s fame and stature, they welcomed us with open arms and big smiles. They couldn’t have been kinder, which calmed our nerves in a big way,” reflects Zaleski.  

Another standout moment from his time at the Brubeck Institute occurred at the Library of Congress, when Zaleski and bandmates were preparing for their first show with Dave and Christian McBride. “Dave listened to us play his “In Your Own Sweet Way” and we played it exactly the way it sounded on his recording.  We thought we were doing excellent work by studying the master doing things his way, but playing this tune like Dave did very much upset him. He insisted that if we were going to play his music, it’s imperative that we “find our own voice.” Only now, 16 years after I finished my time at the Brubeck Institute, I think I’m truly ready to take on that challenge.” 

Our Time: Reimagining Dave Brubeck goes far to celebrate Brubeck’s legacy and classic compositions with decidedly modern arrangements that reflect Zaleski’s singular, nuanced approach. Illuminating these selections is a seasoned ensemble with seamless interplay no doubt informed by the deep-rooted history between Zaleski and his musical compatriots. Mark and his brother Glenn Zaleski have played collaboratively for over twenty years while he and saxophonist Jon Bean have collaborated for ten. On Bean, Zaleski remarks that “we work together as if one mind is manipulating both of our musical voices.”

The album begins with the quintessential opening refrain of “Blue Rondo A La Turk” from Brubeck’s 1959 smash Time Out. “The first time I heard “Blue Rondo A La Turk”, it immediately opened up my ears to two distinctively “Brubeck-ian” ideals; the use of “odd” time signatures, and the fusion of American jazz with musical styles from other parts of the world,” shares Zaleski. In his take, he decided to use a variation on the original 9/8 meter under a cushion of electric guitar effects as a vehicle for improvisation before a brief, bright and classic 12-bar jazz blues form that Dave and Paul Desmond blow over in the original recording. Zaleski adds that in “true Mark Zaleski Band form, there is some harmonization on the melody as well.”
The album continues with “The Duke”, a 1955 Brubeck composition dedicated to Duke Ellington. Zaleski’s version honors the integrity of the composer’s brilliant melodies while featuring harmonies and solos that showcase the members of the ensemble. The piece features showstopping solos from both Zaleski brothers. “Softly, William, Softly” is a hidden gem from a lesser known album called Time In. The track features a sextet arrangement of a fugue-like introduction that Brubeck played with his trio while the solo sections showcase some of Zaleski’s blues and rock influences. The bandleader demonstrates his masterful facility on his instrument over a bluesy triple meter swing.

”They Say I Look Like God” was originally written for Louis Armstrong to sing in the scarcely performed jazz musical The Real Ambassadors. The tune was written as a critical satire of the State Department tours of the 1950s on which Brubeck and Louis Armstrong were fixtures. While these tours intended to improve the public image of the US in the light of criticism from the Soviet Union around racial inequality and racial tension, this poignant song discredits the notion that racial inequality was a thing of the past. “Even though we are long past segregation, this song has a shocking relevance in 2021 in light of harrowing, cold-blooded, accounts of racist acts here in the United States caught on camera in just the last few years.  While I’m sure the Brubecks knew very well that the release of this musical in 1962 would create some tension and discomfort amongst a portion of their followers, using their platform to promote peace and equity for all human-kind was their top priority.  I hope I can use my small platform and privilege to do the same with my art,” Zaleski reflects. 

With Our Time: Reimagining Dave Brubeck, Mark Zaleski captures Brubeck’s unbridled ingenuity, bringing these heralded classics into the present. To quote Zaleski: “How do you give something back to people who changed your life forever? Follow in their footsteps, honor their legacy, and do what you can to make their legacy continue to future generations.” This new offering does just that. 

Zaleski has released three earlier recorded works as a bandleader, has lended his supple, singular instrumental stylings to dozens of acclaimed albums as a sideman, and has performed with a diverse group of notable artists including Christian McBride, Ian Anderson, Louis Cole, Lake Street Dive, and Dave Brubeck. Additionally, Zaleski is a faculty member at Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory. 

1. Blue Rondo à la Turk 6:30
2. The Duke 7:05
3. Softly, William, Softly 8:16
4. Unsquare Dance 5:24
5. They Say I Look Like God 5:40
6. The Golden Horn 6:44
7. Fujiyama 5:37

Mark Zaleski - alto/soprano saxophone
Jon Bean - tenor saxophone
Glenn Zaleski - piano
Mark Cocheo - guitar
Danny Weller - upright/electric bass
Oscar Suchanek - drums
Michael Mayo - vocals (5)

Produced by Mark Zaleski
Recorded, mixed & mastered by Eric Kilburn
at Wellspring Sound, Acton, MA
Recorded on Aug. 24, 2020
Assistant Engineer: Matt Hayes
Photography by Greta DiGiorgio
Painting by Clivewa
Cover design & layout by John Bishop