Falkner Evans' piano solo album Invisible Words – Aug 13, 2021 via Consolidated Artists Productions

Pianist/Composer Falkner Evans paints a loving musical portrait of his wife Linda in the aftermath of her tragic death

 

Invisible Words, due out August 13 via Consolidated Artists Productions, marks Evans’ solo piano debut with a tender and adoring reflection on a passionate, vibrant life

 

“Falkner is… a warm-toned jazz pianist who respects both harmony and melody with a sound that sometimes recalls the great Bill Evans, yet his style is distinctively personal.” – George W. Carroll, eJazzNews

 

“[Evans] makes you listen carefully to discover the complexities that he configures beneath his music’s attractive but subdued surface.” –Thomas Conrad, JazzTimes

In his liner notes to the heartbreakingly gorgeous Invisible Words, pianist/composer Falkner Evans refers to the solo outing as “a record I never planned to make.” Evans’ plans were tragically upended, however, on May 19th, 2020, when his wife Linda took her own life.

 

Due out August 13, 2021 via Consolidated Artists Productions (CAP), Invisible Words is both Evans’ celebration of Linda’s life and an integral part of the healing process he’s been undergoing since her untimely passing. Composing the album’s music became the means by which Evans returned to the piano after three and a half months spent unable to even approach the keyboard. The result, he explains, is not meant as a tribute to but a “snapshot” of his beloved wife through his own lens.

 

“I was trying to capture the spirit of who Linda was,” Evans says. “She had a very childlike spirit and a real curiosity about life. And she was incredibly intelligent. We were together for almost 30 years and I knew her better than anybody. So this has been something of a catharsis for me and something that I'm really proud that I was able to do.”

 

Always an artist who preferred the collaborative process of playing with a group of like-minded fellow musicians, Evans had never even considered recording a solo album prior to Linda’s death. His most recent release, 2020’s Marbles, featured a stellar seven-piece band including saxophonists Michael Blake and Ted Nash, vibraphonist Steve Nelson, and frequent collaborators Ron Horton (trumpet), Belden Bullock (bass) and Matt Wilson (drums). His intention was to reconvene that band for a follow-up recording. That all changed as Evans’ life did that day in May, and on what would have been Linda’s birthday in January he stepped into Samurai Studio in Queens with Grammy-winning engineer Michael Marciano to record his first solo date.

 

Falkner and Linda had met in 1991, while he was playing a weekly Sunday night solo gig at an Upper East Side restaurant shortly after the Tulsa, Oklahoma native’s move to New York City. “I sat down at one of the bar stools and struck up a conversation with a woman who happened to be Linda’s best friend,” Evans remembers. “She introduced us and insisted that she chaperone every date. We were eventually able to have a date by ourselves, and we dated for six years and were married for 22.”

 

The marriage was a happy one, though Linda struggled throughout her life with depression. That battle came to an end last May, likely exacerbated by the isolation induced by the pandemic.

 

Devastated by his loss, Evans needed to escape the Greenwich Village apartment he and Linda had shared for more than two decades. He spent a week staying with his brother-in-law in Auburn, Massachusetts, at a beautiful home bordered by woods where he could spend his days by the swimming pool. Alone in the house one rainy afternoon, he ventured into the basement where a battered old upright piano sat.

“It was a real piece of you-know-what, but it was still a piano,” he recalls. “I thought I’d try going downstairs to see what I could do with it. I came up with the first three tunes on the record, and I liked what I heard. When I finally came back upstairs I just said to myself, ‘This is not only something I want to do, this is now something I have to do. I had been languishing and felt rudderless, and I thought this could be a way to get my ass in gear and make something positive out of a situation that was pretty horrific and unimaginable.”

 

Though she never exhibited publicly, Linda, a teacher of Latin American fiction, was also a dedicated visual artist whose work graces the album’s artwork. It was while packing up her studio that Evans chanced upon the handwritten quote that gives the album and its opening track their name: “Music is the invisible word, made visible through sound.”

 

“When I discovered this quote, I knew she didn't make it up because it has quotation marks around it.  Linda was a voracious reader, so I was sure she found it in something that she read. Regardless of where it came from, I just thought it was a really lovely quote.”

 

As it turns out, the line appears to be a slight misquote from British author Kate Mosse, who wrote in her 2007 novel Sepulchre, “Music is the invisible world, made visible through sound.” But it’s not the author, or even the error, that’s important to Evans; it’s the fact that the idea resonated with Linda, and through her with him. It also provided the title for a second composition, the lyrical “Made Visible.”

 

The tender “You’re Next, Ladybug” is named for a fond memory from one of the couple’s many trips to the local library, where the librarian called Linda to the counter with a cute reference to her penchant for wearing red. “Brightest Light” is simply a reference to Evans’ enduring picture of his wife; the adoring, shimmering tune is essayed without improvisation but imbued with profound emotion.

 

“Breathing Altered Air” is a phrase borrowed from Evans’ therapist, who used the phrase to describe a step in the grieving process, when some degree of normality resumes, albeit irrevocably changed. Evans wrote “Lucia’s Happy Heart” for his wife in 2006, referencing her Italian heritage and the couple’s love of traveling the country. Finally, “The Hope Card” hints at Linda’s interest in Buddhism.

 

Moving on from such a life-altering event takes time – a lifetime, often. Evans describes his grieving as an ongoing process, one in which Invisible Words has played a vital healing role. “I'm proud of myself that I was able to do this,” he says. “And it has been a big step in seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. A year later it's still pretty surreal. But I'm able now to move forward, and doing this album was a big part of that.” 

01 Invisible Words 06:31

02 You're Next, Ladybugb 06:34

03 Brightest Light 02:24

04 Breathing Altered Air 06:28

05 Made Visible 05:56

06 Lucia's Happy Heart 08:57

07 The Hope Card 06:00

08 Invisible Words For Linda 02:14

Falkner Evans Website

Introducing Jonathan Bauer Sings & Plays (Friday, August 13th 2021 on Slammin Media)

Multitalented trumpeter, singer and composer Jonathan Bauer - most notably from the Grammy award-winning New Orleans Jazz Orchestra - returns with his highly anticipated sophomore release, Sings & Plays.

A distinctive new musician on the rise, Bauer has been widely celebrated for his dark and buttery trumpet sound, often mistaken for that of the mellower flugelhorn. As a singer, his voice is filled with an earnest joy, instantly connecting with all audiences. Along with an A-list cast of some of New Orleans’ most swinging musicians, Sings & Plays is dripping with energy from the city they call home. Early listeners have described the new album’s aesthetic as "New Orleans meets Chet Baker."

Part of this album was recorded in January of 2020, just before to the onset of the COVID pandemic. In spite of all of the uncertainty they faced, Bauer and his band were determined to keep Sings & Plays from being shelved. Ultimately, the losses and obstacles of the last year bred new depths of appreciation for the music and each other, making this project all the more special.

Sings & Plays will be released worldwide on Friday, August 13th 2021 on Slammin Media.

1. Days of Wine and Roses 5:20

2. It Could Happen To You 6:06

3. Exactly Like You 5:04

4. Love is Here to Stay 5:15

5. Just Friends 3:07

6. September in the Rain 6:00

7. Doodlin’ 4:56

Jonathan Bauer - Trumpet, Voice

Alexander Geddes - Tenor Sax, Flute

Mike Clement - Guitar

Ryan Hanseler - Piano

Alex Dyring - Upright Bass

Gerald Watkins Jr. - Drums

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John Ellis / Adam Levy / Glenn Patscha - Say It Quiet (August 13, 2021 Sunnyside Records)

Decades of friendship and the crossing of paths in the music industry does not necessarily guarantee opportunities for intimate, meaningful collaboration. Professional musicians know that the balance between making a living and pursuing dream projects usually tilts toward whatever keeps a roof over one’s head. But every so often, the chance to get a project together that is musically and emotionally rewarding comes about. Such opportunities must be grabbed.

The collaborative recording, Say It Quiet, by longtime friends John Ellis, Adam Levy, and Glenn Patscha is the result of taking advantage of such an opportunity. These three brilliant, busy musicians take the time to put together a gorgeously crafted collection of songs chosen to showcase their sympathetic personalities and musical approaches.

The Canadian born and Nova Scotia based Patscha was already working professionally before relocating to New Orleans to study with the late, great Ellis Marsalis. Patscha became one of the stalwart jazz pianists on the scene, where he met the future woodwind ace, John Ellis, who came from North Carolina. It wasn’t long before Patscha looked to the world of rock and pop music to make a living, leaving the jazz scene to record and tour with the likes of Marianne Faithful, Levon Helm, Sheryl Crow, and Bonnie Raitt.

In the meantime, Ellis established himself as one of the most in demand woodwind players in New York in the fields of jazz and pop music. Through an introduction by Charlie Hunter, Ellis met guitarist and Californian Adam Levy, who has toured and recorded with both Norah Jones and with Tracy Chapman. At the same time, Patscha had created his band Ollabelle and would cross paths with Levy at Jones’s beloved Living Room residency in New York City or the Carriage House in Boston, striking up a friendly bond.

Regular contact allowed the three to consider possible musical alliances, but it was a chance performance with Patscha as a part of Ellis’s Double Wide band that led to a revelation for the keyboardist. Having just beaten cancer, Patscha reexamined what his musical goals were and reunited with aspirations in jazz and instrumental music, having missed playing in such an open fashion with Ellis. Levy was a natural choice to be included in the project, as their musical styles and affiliations crossed over in many ways, though the three had never previously recorded all together. It was apparent to them that they would have infinite abilities to explore the possibilities in the music but it was their capacity to squeeze the soul out of the music that made the teaming so essential.

Once the three united, they decided to bring together material in a sort of potluck dinner style, with each member suggesting music they would like to play. Because of their strong pop and jazz roots, they were not overly concerned with labels for the music. The group knew that they wanted to remain instrumental only, allowing their instruments to be their voices and define the textures of the music.

In a perfect world, the group would have found a way to have a residency in a local venue and develop material as members brought new pieces in from week to week. Levy was in Los Angeles at the time and much of their initial brainstorming came from text conversations, proposing tunes and ways to arrange them. Their book kept growing and growing until a recording was inevitable.

Ellis, Levy, and Patscha convened together with bassist Chris Morrissey and drummer Dan Rieser during May 2019 at Brooklyn Recording. They brought in an eclectic collection of originals and choice cuts from some favorite composers. Using their studio time to their advantage, the group put their producing chops, honed from decades of studio time, to work, putting elements into songs that called for it, whether through layering of parts or through overdubbing. The studio’s wealth of instruments and Ellis’s own arsenal of woodwinds, including saxophones, clarinets, and flute, provided a vast palette of sounds for the ensemble to construct their own aural world from.

The recording begins with Patscha’s “Bahia,” a homage to legendary singer Milton Nascimento that shows the depth of the keyboardist’s appreciation for Brazilian music from his early forays to ultimately performing at the well-known Bourbon Street club in Sao Paulo. Stevie Wonder’s “If It’s Magic” was arranged by Ellis, whose melancholy clarinet, combined with Levy’s acoustic guitar, find beauty in the song’s simplicity. Levy brought in Abdullah Ibrahim’s “Barakaat,” a piece with intriguing movement that slowly reveals itself over the steadiness of Morrissey and Rieser’s beat. Patscha and Ellis brought in a favorite of their mentor, Ellis Marsalis, the brilliant James Black written blues, “Magnolia Triangle.”

Patscha wrote “Eleanor” for his dearly departed mother, a woman who was restless but quiet, an essence he captured in the piece and heightened by the warm but constant sound of his Oberheim synthesizer. Inspired by Grant Green and Herbie Hancock’s tension building rendition, Levy suggested “Motherless Child” to provide an opportunity for the group to set their teeth into one of Rieser’s propulsive grooves. The group comes together perfectly on Randy Newman’s “Let’s Burn Down the Cornfield,” a simple tune that Patscha had always loved.

Ellis’s glorious “Better Angels” takes its name from a line from Abraham Lincoln’s first inaugural address, a gospel-tinged musical reminder of how relevant that message remains today. Ellis’s bittersweet “Dogwood” was a tune he could never find a home for but with this ensemble, and guest Stefan Bauer’s lush vibes work, the piece truly blossoms. The recording concludes with Patscha’s “Portage La Prairie,” a sauntering blues that takes its name from a Manitoba town where Patscha had one of his first (and most harrowing) professional gigs.

Recording together for the first time, John Ellis, Adam Levy, and Glenn Patscha have created a singular recording with Say It Quiet, a record that utilizes the trio’s full musical potential across genres to create an unassuming, instrumental album of pure music. 

1. Bahia

2. If It's Magic

3. Barakaat

4. Magnolia Triangle

5. Eleanor

6. Motherless Child

7. Let's Burn Down the Cornfield

8. Better Angels

9. Dogwood

10. Portage La Prairie

John Ellis - tenor saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet & alto flute

Adam Levy - electric & acoustic guitars

Glenn Patscha - piano, organ & keyboards

Chris Morrissey - bass

Dan Rieser - drums

Stefan Bauer - vibraphone (2, 9, 10)

Erin Donovan - vibraphone (1)

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Sean Gibbs - When Can I See You Again? (August 13, 2021 Ubuntu Music)

This album is a collection of music written in the year 2020. It’s largely about celebrating the human connections that I’d sometimes taken for granted, many of which became sorely missed with the pandemic. It was an immense privilege to record these pieces with some of my favourite musicians, big thanks to them and everyone else who made it possible.

1. Internal Conflict

2. Happy Hour

3. Mary

4. The Grand Parade

5. That’s Your Lot

6. Camperdown

7. When Can I See You Again?

Sean Gibbs: Trumpet

Riley Stone-Lonergan: Tenor Saxophone

Rob Brockway: Piano

Calum Gourlay: Bass

Jay Davis: Drums

All compositions by Sean Gibbs

Produced by Sean Gibbs

Executive Producer: Martin Hummel

Tracks 1-3 recorded at Sansom Studios on 9th March 2020

Tracks 4-7 recorded at Sansom Studios on 22nd November 2020

Recorded and mixed by Olly Sansom

Mastered by Peter Beckmann

Design by Tyrone Stoddart

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Contemporary Jazz Pianist/Keyboardist Dan Siegel Returns with New Album “Faraway Place” on Aug. 13th, 2021

Dan Siegel Returns on His Twenty-Second Recording

as a Bandleader with Faraway Place

Album Features Eric Marienthal,

Lee Thornburg, Allen Hinds, Brian Bromberg,

Abraham Laboriel, Dwyane “Smitty” Smith,

Lenny Castro, and Rogerio Jardim

While the coronavirus wreaked havoc to a deadly extreme, the pandemic era with its heightened quarantine measures proved to swing a double-edge sword for musicians. Many were silenced, suffering the liability of limited-to-no opportunities to perform. But on the other hand, the disease aroused many to be creative in their artistic expression. Veteran contemporary jazz pianist/keyboardist Dan Siegel took that difficult challenge during the social distancing desert to remotely assemble a group to deliver his eclectic album Faraway Place on his DSM label. It’s comprised of 11 originals that range from straight-up lyrical beauties to accordion-tinged grooves, to a baroque-like number with strings and horns. Remarkably, this is Siegel’s 22nd recording as a leader.

“This is a different kind of album because of the pandemic,” says the Irvine, California-based composer and bandleader. “After writing the music in isolation, everything, with a few exceptions, was recorded separately by musicians in their home studios.” says Siegel. All of the tracks were demoed and developed rhythmically by drummers Vinnie Colaiuta, Steve Gadd at East West Studios in LA. “Those were the only sessions that I was present at,” Siegel says. “They set the music into motion with their drums. Then I sent what they did to the musicians I wanted to use and asked them to lay their parts down. What they sent back was so musical and really well-played. It only required a few modifications. I also went into the studio to record piano, and I rented an accordion for four tunes. I used contrast on the arrangements. They started sparse but then built with layers in the mix, always keeping in mind the song underneath it all. The way I see it is that I’m a composer first and I perform piano second” says Siegel.

Also joining Siegel on the album are saxophonist Eric Marienthal, trumpeter/trombonist Lee Thornburg, guitarist Allen Hinds, acoustic bassist Brian Bromberg, electric bassists Abraham Laboriel and Dwyane “Smitty” Smith, percussionist Lenny Castro, and on two tracks Brazilian vocalist Rogerio Jardim.

The recording of Faraway Place was arduous at stretches. The genesis of the title track speaks volumes on the omnipresent ordeal. “It was all about being in a faraway place removed from reality,” Siegel says. “It’s been a pretty tough year and a half. There were times when I thought about leaving planet earth to escape all the nonsense and craziness and then to top it off, the pandemic” says Siegel. The tune started out as an improvisation that he played into his recorder as he was walking. It opens on a reflective note then moves into a swing. He transcribed it and handed it off to Colaiuta. “Vinnie got the essence of the song on the first take. How did he know where this song was going? I was so moved. It was as if he knew this tune his entire life. I asked him about the details he played into the song and he said, ‘Sometimes the music tells me what to play.’ This is my favorite tune on the album. It’s so spontaneous” Siegel says.

Faraway Place is something of a trilogy. There are songs that are more accessible, Siegel says. The lead-off tune “Old School,” started out with a soulful Ramsey Lewis vibe twisted together with Lee Morgan’s “Sidewinder” hit that he made into a lyrical tune with his piano bathed in a horn wash. ”I went for a retro sound that takes left turns harmonically,” he says. His original concept for the catchy number “Tried and True” came from his love for Steely Dan. “I’d had been walking a lot and was listening to Steely Dan on Spotify,” he says noting that’s not recognizable in the tune that has its own beat and hooks. The grooved “Curves Ahead” speeds with a backbeat dance-floor spin that is nonetheless “a classic example of high-calories harmony.” He adds that Lenny Castro improvised a cowbell stroke on every quarter note to fully color the piece. “Looking Up” has an indelible melody that accentuates a degree of happiness in life.

The second part of the album has a more straight-ahead jazz tone, similar to his past recordings. “These tunes started out ECM-like with more of a groove,” he says, then cites four songs: the organ-fueled “Tried and True,” the accordion-tinted “Something You Said,” the sweet “Bluebird” with Jardim taking a soaring flight of wordless vocals, and the end song, “Once Again,” that moves from relaxed percussion to playful piano runs.

The third tier of the trilogy features two songs that bring a unique vitality to Faraway Place—something that Siegel admits won’t be commercial radio-friendly but certainly may turn heads and opens ears. “Some Time Ago” is supported by Hinds’ strummed guitar and Siegel’s accordion flavors that fully opens with a hymn choir (Siegel, Hinds and Tom McCauley). “It certainly is an out-there tune like a chapter in a book of poetry,” Siegel says. “Your Smile” was an unnamed composition that Siegel was struggling to complete. “Originally it sounded like Vivaldi,” he says. “It was piano, guitar and bass with every bar and every beat different. It was hard to play with its shifting tonalities. But then my engineer reminded me that I had been thinking of orchestrating the tune.” Siegel wrote parts for strings (violin and cello) and horns (English horn and bassoon). Then Jardim added in wordless vocals. The baroque quality of the performance makes it a wonderful standout. “I titled it ‘Your Smile’ based on Rogerio’s voice reminding me of someone smiling when the sun comes out.” Siegel says.

With all the distractions and isolation, Dan Siegel acknowledges that Faraway Place was difficult to finish. “I questioned myself, yet I felt a burden of the times. I kept writing, working on music from different angles, creating what I didn’t even know what it was. But I knew I needed to get this music out, even with those tunes that come from left field. I got through it all, even though it wasn’t easy, and I’m pleased with what we came up with.” Siegel says.

1. "Old School"

2. "Sentimental Story"

3. "Tried and True"

4. "Something You Said"

5. "Curves Ahead"

6. "Faraway Place"

7. "Some Time Ago"

8. "Bluebird"

9. "Your Smile"

10. "Looking Up" 

11. "Once Again"

Dan Siegel | Piano, Keyboards, Accordion

Allen Hinds | Guitar 

Brian Bromberg| | Acoustic Bass

Abraham Laboriel | Electric Bass (3, 7, 10), Dwayne “Smitty” Smith | Electric Bass (5)

Vinnie Colaiuta | Drums

Steve Gadd | Drums (2, 9)

Omari Williams | Drums (5)

Lenny Castro | Percussion

Lee Thornburg | Trumpet, Trombone

Eric Marienthal | Saxophone

Rogerio Jardim | Vocal (8, 9)

Charlie Bisharat | Violin

Jacob Braun | Cello

Chris Bieth | English Horn

Damian Montano | Bassoon

Tom McCauley | Hymn Choir

Allen Hinds | Hymn Choir

Dan Siegel | Hymn Choir (7)

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For more information on Dan Siegel, please visit:

dansiegelmusic.com | Facebook | Twitter

Tony Coe & John Horler - Dancing in the Dark (August 13, 2021 Gearbox Records)

Piano and clarinet duo albums are few and far between within the jazz canon. In the case of Dancing in the Dark, versatile horn player Tony Coe chose to stick to the clarinet as his saxophone case was too heavy, or so that's how pianist John Horler recounts it. Our performance in question takes place at St Michael's Church, Appleby in 2007 as part of the annual Appleby Jazz Festival. The setting is warm and intimate as is the church acoustic, a perfect backdrop for the varied repertoire of standards and original compositions performed.

Coe and Horler dance their way through Bill Evans' 'Person I Knew' and Cole Porter's 'Night and Day' as well as Horler's own 'Piece for Poppy', dedicated to his partner Wendy, and Coe's contrafact to Autumn Leaves, titled 'Some Other Autumn'. Both players push and pull the well-known melodies to suit the moment yet maintain complete synergy with one another, with Horler's Bill Tatum-esque chord voicings and meandering lyrical interludes giving platform to Coe's resounding, cadenza-like improvisations.

Coe recounts this as "one of my very best performances, which would not have been possible without a partner who is one of the finest jazz pianists in the world." The respect from Horler is mutual, with him noting, "Tony was such a great player that it took sometime for me to realise that I could play a bit too..."

Their trust in each other, in the music, and in the moment, rings true with this live performance 'Dancing in the Dark', which finally sees the light of day on LP, CD, and Digital.

1. Re: Person I Knew

2. Night and Day

3. Body and Soul

4. Some Other Autumn

5. Piece for Poppy

6. Dancing in the Dark

7. Around in Three

8. Blue Monk

Tony Coe: clarinet

John Horler: piano

Recorded at St Michael's Church, Appleby, Thursday 26th July 2007

Produced, Engineered, and Mixed by Andy Cleyndert

Mastered and cut by Caspar Sutton-Jones and Darrel Sheinman

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Joe Alterman - The Upside Of Down (Live at Birdland) August 13, 2021 Ropeadope Records

Atlanta native Joe Alterman expresses a certain upbeat naivete, with a broad smile and bright eyes that make you feel welcome. One would not guess that this is a man hailed by greats; Ramsey Lewis describes his piano playing as ‘a joy to behold’, Les McCann states ‘As a man and musician he is already a giant’. Journalist Nat Hentoff championed three of Alterman’s albums, as well as his writing (Joe wrote liner notes to three Wynton Marsalis/JALC albums, calling one of Joe’s columns “one of the very best pieces on the essence of jazz, the spirit of jazz, that I’ve ever read, and I’m not exaggerating.”

Joe Alterman began at NYU with a BA and Masters in Jazz Piano, followed by performances with Houston Person, Les McCann, Dick Gregory, and Ramsey Lewis. Downbeat describes his sound as ‘ rooted in the blues, and with a touch reminiscent of the great pianists of the 1950s—Red Garland, Ahmad Jamal, Bill Evans. It is clear Joe hits all of the necessary points for Jazz critics and fans alike.

But there is more to the story, of course. The twenty-first century has thus far seen yet another transition for this thing called Jazz. In one moment we see the push and pull between tradition and progression, and in another we see Pop and Hip-Hop musicians emulating and sampling. In Joe Alterman we find none of this struggle; the music just sounds good. Our conscious faculties are instantly disabled as we tap our feet, feeling the intent and joy of his playing. An old classic is new when you feel good in the moment.

This fresh and joyful intent is captured on Joe Alterman’s new release The Upside Of Down. Taken from two live shows at Birdland in November 2019 and February 2020, the album reminds us of a not-too-distant time when we gathered and danced. Joined by Nathaniel Schroeder on bass and Marlon Patton on drums, Alterman cruises gently and delightedly through timeless selections from Less McCann, Oscar Peterson, Henry Mancini and more, with some of his compositions in the mix. 

1. The Smudge

2. Pretty Eyes, Pretty Smile

3. Ose Shalom

4. Time After Time

5. The First Night Home

6. Pure Imagination

7. The Last Time I Saw You

8. Funny Girl

9. The Upside Of Down

10. Days Of Wine And Roses

11. Don't Forget To Love Yourself

12. Gus Gus

Joe Alterman - Piano

Nathaniel Schroeder - Bass

Marlon Patton - Drums

Recorded at Birdland on 11/14/2019 and 2/21-22/2020 by Rob Polanco & Taylor Ryan

Engineered, Mixed and Masted by Gopal Swamy

Photography by Fran Kaufman

Graphic Design by Beryl Firestone Memberg

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Billy Test Trio - Coming Down Roses (August 13, 2021)

1. All of You

2. Spinning

3. Fate

4. Hardly

5. Empty Spaces

6. Coming Down Roses

7. The Prince

8. Mother's Day With Freud

9. Belonging

Billy Test - Piano

Evan Gregor - Bass

Ian Froman - Drums

Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Paul Wickliffe, Skyline Productions

Recorded at Charlestown Road Studio, Hampton, NJ. February 22, 2020

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Adam Meckler Orchestra - Music for the Water Walkway (August 13, 2021 Shifting Paradigm Records)

Music for the Water Walkway is a new three-song EP by the Adam Meckler Orchestra. Commissioned by the Rozsa Center for Performing Arts, the music was composed to accompany a geo-tagging app called “Listen,” in which the music is tagged to specific points on the canal path in Houghton, Michigan. As you walk the path using the Listen app, the music unfolds around you. The canal path features the stunning beauty of the Upper Peninsula, which served as the primary inspiration behind the compositions. Originally commissioned by Austin High School in MN, “Inspiration” features winding dueling solos between Meckler on flugelhorn, and long-time collaborator saxophonist Nelson Devereaux. The title track of the album is a 2-minute loop written for the Listen app that features guest soloists Lucia Sarmiento on Alto Saxophone, and Omar Abdulkarim on Trumpet.

1. Upper Peninsula Palace

2. Inspiration

3. Music for the Water Walkway

Adam Meckler: Trumpet/Flugelhorn and compositions

Scott Agster: Trombones

Lauren Husting: Bass Trombone track 1

Nelson Devereaux: Alto and Tenor Saxophones

Aaron Hedenstrom: Baritone Saxophone

Lucia Sarmiento: Alto solo track 3

Omar Abdulkarim: Trumpet solo track 3

Steven Hobert: Piano and Accordion

Graydon Peterson: Bass

Pete James-Johnson: Drums

Produced by Adam Meckler

Mixed by Jason McGlone

Mastered by Adam Tucker at Signaturetone Recording

Art by Jamie Breiwick at Bside Graphics

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Hannah Barstow - Beneath (August 13, 2021)

Beneath is an exciting new release from Hannah Barstow, a Toronto-based pianist and vocalist with a distinct artistic voice, both as a composer and a performer. Featuring saxophonist Mike Murley, bassist Reknee Irene Harrett and drummer Keith Barstow, the album contains haunting performances of Hannah’s original songs and arrangements. The motivic melodies, intricate harmonies and intimate lyrics are reminiscent of Jobim compositions, among other jazz standards, but with a modern perspective. Hannah’s unique technique of intertwining the piano and her voice, both in the performance of melodies and in improvisation, is a fresh sound that adds depth to the performances.

1. Beneath

2. When You Are Here

3. It Isn't There

4. September Song

5. Tell Me What You Feel

6. I Was You

7. Love Never Can Lose

8. In the Moonlight

9. Foolish Things

10. You'll Know

11. Love to Have You Near Me

12. For Now (It Has to Be Enough)

Hannah Barstow - piano & voice

Mike Murley - saxophones

Reknee Irene Harrett - bass

Keith Barstow - drums

Robert Diack - producer

Darren McGill - engineer

Jon Bartel - mixing

Tom Upjohn - mastering

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Adrian Iaies - Las Tardecitas de Minton's (double) August 13, 2021

"Las Tardecitas de Minton`s is probably the key recording of Adrian Iaies. it gave to the pianist it's first latin grammy nomination as "best jazz recording of the year in a pool shared with Chico O'Farrill, Lalo Schiffrin and Michel Camilo.

The repertoire includes an emblematic piano/bandoneon arrangement of Monk's "Round midnight" and the classic jazz song "You & the night & the music", in addition of some Carlos Gardel tunes and a lot of originals.

Las Tardecitas de Minton´s was choosen jazz album of 1999 by Clarin Newspaper.

1. Chiquilín de bachín (Piazzolla/Ferrer) 07:01

2. El patrón de la vereda (iaies) 06:33

3. Vida mia (Hnos. Fresedo) 04:31

4. Amores de estudiante (Gardel/Le Pera/Batistella) 04:38

5. You & the night & the music (Dietz/Schwartz) 06:42

6. Round midnight (T.Monk) 03:24

7. Sur (Troilo/Manzi) 05:20

8. De tal palo, tal astilla (Iaies) 06:54

9. Adios muchachos (Gardel/Vedani) 08:01

10. Vals de la 81th & Columbus (iaies) 05:57

11. Cafetín de Buenos Aires (Mores) 06:10

12. Naranjo en flor (Hnos.Esposito) 09:06

13. Las tardecitas de Minton's (Iaies) 02:14

14. Juarez el casamentero (Iaies) 07:40

15. Nunca tuvo novio (Bardi/Cadícamo) 05:05

16. Valsecito para una rubia tremenda (iaies) 04:22

17. El dia que me quieras (Gardel/Le Pera) 05:07

18. Volver (Gardel/Le Pera) 03:17

ADRIAN IAIES, piano

PACO WEHT, acoustic bass

OSCAR GIUNTA, Drums & percussion.

GABRIEL RIVANO, bandoneón

QUINTINO CINALLI, Percussion (7)

GUILLERMO DELGADO, double bass (1, 8,9)

En SUDAMERICA: también podés adquirir este disco digital a travès de MERCADO PAGO utilizando este LINK.

En caso de comprar a través de Mercado Pago, por favor enviar comprobante a 20misas.records@gmail.com así podemos enviarte el Link de descarga en el formato que prefieras (mp3, Aiff, wav, flac).

Pre-order