Friday, October 15, 2021

'Brian Lynch Songbook Vol.1: Bus Stop Serenade' is out October 15, 2021 via Hollistic MusicWorks

MULTI-GRAMMY® Award-winner Brian Lynch Reclaims And Updates His
Catalogue
on Brian Lynch Songbook Vol. 1: Bus Stop Serenade, Album Out October
15 on Hollistic MusicWorks

The all-star quintet will celebrate the album release at the legendary Deer Head
Inn on October 22 and famed NYC Jazz club Smalls on October 23

MULTI-GRAMMY® Award-winning trumpeter Brian Lynch is proud to announce the upcoming release of Brian Lynch Songbook Vol. 1: Bus Stop Serenade, his new recording on Hollistic MusicWorks due out October 15, 2021. The first in a series of “Songbooks” intended to reclaim the many original compositions that Lynch has recorded for other labels throughout his distinguished career as a recording artist, Bus Stop Serenade focuses on music originally composed between the mid 1990s through the mid 2000s, configured here for the classic quintet formation of Lynch on trumpet and flugelhorn along with longtime front line partner Jim Snidero on alto saxophone, the redoubtable creative Orrin Evans on piano, stalwart virtuoso Boris Kozlov on bass and the swingingly inventive Donald Edwards on drums. 

This quintet will be celebrating Bus Stop Serenade’s release with two very special club appearances on Friday, October 22 at the famed Deer Head Inn in Delaware Water Gap, PA, and on Saturday, October 23 at the famed Smalls Jazz Club in New York City  Lynch states: “The Deer Head Inn has a quite special place in my heart, having played there so many times with the great Phil Woods (the Quintet’s last album was recorded live there) and with my own groups. Having recorded this album in the Poconos (Red Rock Studio in Saylorsburg, PA), and having “prepped” the music on a gig at the Deer Head before the record date, playing for the release at The Deer Head is like coming home. Smalls is another special venue for me, where I’ve played often over the years with my own bands and always have enjoyed hanging out in the atmosphere of one of the most authentic jazz clubs left on the planet. Presenting the music from the album at these two sacred spaces is a perfect launch for this record.”

What provoked Lynch to re-record his old material? Brian explains: “I’m quite attached to all the tunes that I’ve written over the years, and have often felt that they would benefit from a little attention in the form of new versions that would introduce them to contemporary listeners who may not be familiar with my earlier work. Also, I seem to have become quite stubborn in recent years about invoking artistic self-determination for myself at every opportunity, and having masters of my complete catalogue in my possession has become a bit of an obsession. Accordingly, I have embarked on a quest to re-record for my own label Hollistic MusicWorks every single original tune of mine that was recorded on other labels between the beginnings of my recording career in the 1980s up to the last album I recorded outside HMW in 2010.  I will be releasing a series of “Songbook” albums, of which Bus Stop Serenade is the first volume, updating this body of work for a new generation of listeners as well as for those familiar with the original versions. I think, actually I KNOW, that these remakes will reflect favorably on the years that have passed and bear the most exacting scrutiny as both compositions and performances!”

Well put, and it is certainly evident that “invoking artistic self-determination” has reaped benefits for Lynch ever since his first fully self-produced and fully owned recording project, the breakout Grammy® Award winning The Brian Lynch-Eddie Palmieri Project: Simpático was released 15 years ago. The ambit of Lynch’s independent and artist-owned label Hollistic MusicWorks has been distinguished by many triumphs, including a 5-star Downbeat review for the label’s first release, Unsung Heroes; critical acclaim for Questioned Answer, which first introduced new piano star Emmet Cohen to wider recognition; a Grammy nomination (one of the very first for a independent artist-owned label) in 2016 for Madera Latino, celebrating the music of Woody Shaw with an all-star cast of trumpeters and Latin jazz aces; and most recently, Lynch’s second Grammy Award for 2019’s magisterial The Omni-American Book Club, his first big band album and a project inspired both by Brian’s love of reading and his lifelong passion for social justice.
The rewards of revisiting Lynch’s past oevure on this new album are plentiful. Whether the quintet is burning on swingers like 24/7, Keep Your Circle Small, or On The Dot, hitting a Afro-Caribbean groove on such numbers as Afinque or Clairevoyance, or getting pensive and deep on the delicate Before The First Cup, Lynch and his all-star quintet bring a level of virtuosity, nuance and just pure vibe to these songs only hinted at in their original recordings. Jim Snidero’s probing alto sax stylings bring a new dimension to compositions recorded originally in quartet form, such as Charles Tolliver (a salute to the iconic trumpeter/composer) and the title track, Bus Stop Serenade. And the stellar work in solo and accompaniment of pianist Orrin Evans, bassist Boris Kozlov, and drummer Donald Edwards, along with the fearsome swing these three generate, transform all they touch into musical gold, notably Woody Shaw, a Lynch classic from the turn of the millennium and also a highlight of The Omni-American Book Club in big band form. 

As always, Lynch’s trumpet and flugelhorn never fails to excite, delight, and edify the listener, whether aficionado or causal newcomer to his sound. Brian’s exacting dedication to excellence on his chosen instrument, along with his oceanic comprehension of the many idioms that comprise his musical territory - and a good dose of a natural soul deepened by life, experience and loss - has resulted in his remaining at the top of the heap of today’s trumpeters and indeed, as he experiences it: “…playing the best that I ever have in my life at this point!”

A special note about the recording process and the resultant track list for this album, as Brian relates in his liner notes: “We cut this album in a single day in Kent and Lois Heckman’s beautiful Red Rock Studio out in the Poconos, after a warmup gig the night before at the famed Deer Head Inn. In order to get through all the material in time for the rhythm section to drive back to the city for their Saturday night gigs (boy, could we use some of those now), things had to move quickly. There wasn’t generally time for more than two takes of anything - a “warmup” first take that allowed us to get comfortable with the tune (we sometimes stretched out more on those) and then a second pass for the record. When I reviewed the session for mixing, to my surprise I found that so many of those first takes were special, along with the “real” takes being so outstanding, that it was exceedingly hard to make a choice. So I decided to include them all! On some tunes there's a shorter “radio-friendly” and a longer “stretching out” version, and on other tunes the two takes are more or less uniform in length. I’ve organized the album itself as two “takes” of the program (“The Express Route” and “The Alternate Route”), with Keep Your Circle Small (the only tune represented as a single take) as the bridge between the two programs.” These “routes” correspond to each CD on the 2 CD physical version of the album; all tracks in both routes are included on the digital release.

A special aspect of Bus Stop Serenade is the design for both digital and CD presentations of this album. The unique line drawings of Robin D. Williams, executed using her signature “blind drawing” technique, and the contemporary yet classic package design from Jamie Breiwick combine to delight the eye every bit much as Bus Stop Serenade’s music delights the ear. For those who love artistry in both sight and sound, Bus Stop will be also released in a special edition, limited to 100 copies box set, featuring reproductions of Williams’ artwork from the album suitable for framing and a deluxe booklet to accompany the two CDs. 

Brian Lynch looks forward confidently to a positive reception of his “new wine, old bottles” project and the success of its first volume. Brian states: “This album will appeal to anyone who wants to experience through sound the bracing immediacy of gifted improvisers in flight, conversing with both the distinctive musical frames I’ve provided them and with each other. Whether on your device, in your car, or even sitting in your special listening room, Bus Stop Serenade will provide a satisfying musical journey worth taking, on either express or alternate routes.”

“THE EXPRESS ROUTE”
1. 24-7 5:50
2. AFINIQUE 7:12
3. ON THE DOT 5:06
4. BUS STOP SERENADE 7:26
5. CLAIREVOYANCE 9:17
6. WOODY SHAW 6:29
7. BEFORE THE FIRST CUP 8:45
8. CHARLES TOLLIVER 8:39
9. KEEP YOUR CIRCLE SMALL 6:01

“THE ALTERNATE ROUTE”
10. ON THE DOT take 1 / 5:25
11. CHARLES TOLLIVER take 1 / 8:44
12. BEFORE THE FIRST CUP take 1 / 8:39
13. WOODY SHAW take 1 / 10:15
14. CLAIREVOYANCE take 2 / 9:13
15. BUS STOP SERENADE take 1 / 8:37
16. AFINIQUE take 1 / 7:04
17. 24-7 take 1 / 9:32

Brian Lynch, trumpet, flugelhorn
Jim Snidero, alto saxophone
Orrins Evans, piano
Boris Kozlov, bass
Donald Edwards, drums

All music composed by Brian Lynch (Hollistic Music - BMI)

Michael Eckroth’s PLENA (f/ John Fedchock & Brian Lynch) is out October 15, 2021 via Truth Revolution Records

Pianist and Composer Michael Eckroth Presents New Album Plena, due out October 15, 2021 via Truth Revolution Records

Featuring Special Guests John Fedchock and Brian Lynch

“A modern renaissance musician with the kind of insights into the music that will surprise you.” 

Raul DaGama / Latin Jazz Network

Truth Revolution Records is proud to announce the October 15, 2021 release of Plena, a new album by renowned pianist and composer Michael Eckroth. On this eight-track collection of original music, Eckroth has assembled a brilliantly cohesive set that maintains a firm relationship with the foundations of Afro-Latin jazz while actively seeking new avenues of expression. “I was looking to create music that was lyrical, modern, and true to its Afro-Latin roots, but never purist in its approach,” he shares. The resulting work is a mesmerizing Latin jazz set that embraces a wide variety of musical lineages. 

Equally at home playing straight ahead jazz, Latin jazz, and a plethora of Latin American and Caribbean styles, the Phoenix, Arizona-native has enjoyed a fruitful career as a bandleader and sideman. A GRAMMY nominated artist, Eckroth’s releases have been received with universal praise and his skills as a pianist and keyboardist have made him a regular fixture on the New York jazz scene commanding the attention of such staple names as John Scofield and Sheena Easton. Recently, Eckroth gained further acclaim as the co-founder of Orquesta Akokán, one of the most invigorating Cuban mambo bands in recent history; their self-titled 2018 release featuring Eckroth’s arrangements went on to receive a Grammy nomination for Best Tropical Latin Album. 

Eckroth comes to the fore on Plena, his first full-length release as a leader since 2015’s well-received Piano + Rhythm. The musicians on Plena, which is named in relation to the folkloric music from Puerto Rico, prove to be important contributors exemplified by galvanizing performances by bassist Alex “Apolo” Ayala, drummer Joel Mateo and ubiquitous percussionist Mauricio Herrera. Together, these world-class musicians command attention from the opening moments of “And So It Goes”, laying a solid foundation for Eckroth to let loose. The veteran saxophonist Peter Brainin is a fresh secondary solo voice, laying down a mesmerizing soprano saxophone performance on “Superspreader”, a tune that at times recalls the very best of Hermeto Pascoal’s output. 

The music on Plena relies heavily on the superimposition of disparate harmonic and melodic elements with the rhythms of bomba and plena. The title track “Plena” features the ensemble playing a melancholic melody over a slow but effervescent plena rhythm with the percussion section augmented to a great effect by Carlos “Carly” Maldonado. A standout moment is a lyrical solo by bassist Ayala who navigates the harmony with strong melodicism and inviting tone. 
Alex ‘Apollo’ Ayala, Mike Eckroth, Mauricio Herrera and Joel Mateo

The track serves as a blueprint of sorts for the entire project. Eckroth explains: “I’ve felt inspired to incorporate the bomba and plena rhythms of Puerto Rico in this band’s music, partially because of what Joel and Alex bring to the table, and partially as a way to expand the rhythmic repertoire of the group.” A central element to the recording, the role of the percussion in the compositions has been comprehensively considered. “There is a deliberate dialogue between the percussion of Carly Maldonado and the compositional elements I’ve presented, as well as references evident in the playing style of the other musicians,” Eckroth illustrates. 

Firmly in the jazz tradition, “Invernadero” is a post-modern contrafact over the changes of the standard “What Is This Thing Called Love”, showcasing the dynamic rhythm section in bassist Edward Perez, drummer Juan Felipe Mayorga, and percussionist Samuel Torres

The undeniably cool “Soul Cha” features seasoned trombonist John Fedchock blends seamlessly with Brainin on the head, and then shines on a short but masterfully crafted solo. The Grammy-winning trumpeter Brian Lynch lends his distinct voice on “Exotic Particles”,  a composition that would be equally at home on a 60’s Blue Note record – or a classic Latin jazz LP. 

Throughout the album, Eckroth demonstrates a keen aesthetic sense in blending folk traditions with modern jazz compositions. “Like much of Latin jazz, this is a fusionistic approach, as I’m not attempting to recreate folkloric playing styles,” the bandleader shares. “This is carving out an individualistic path, all with respect to the creators of these varied folkloric and jazz forms.” The experience and mastery of Eckroth and his cohorts make Plena a delight to listen to, and a worthy addition to the bandleader’s already stellar discography.

1 And So It Goes 3:15
2 Summer Of Love and Discontent 6:10
3 Superspreader 7:01
4 Plena 4:46
5 Invernadero 5:55
6 Soul Cha 5:44
7 Exotic Particles 2:56
8 Rain Song 5:44

All music by Michael Eckroth

James Brandon Lewis Quartet with Aruán Ortiz, Brad Jones and Chad Taylor - Code of Being (October 15, 2021 Intakt Records)

The charismatic saxophonist and composer James Brandon Lewis is the musician of the moment in the broad field of contemporary jazz. With Code of Being, James Brandon Lewis now presents his second album. The debut CD Molecular, which Lewis recorded with his quartet in 2020 just a few months before Lockdown, was roundly acclaimed as one of the most exciting releases in 2020 (Intakt CD 350). Code of Being is a powerful work consisting of eight compositions by James Brandon Lewis. Beautiful melodies are responsible for the magic of the songs. 

The four exceptional musicians, each with personalities of their own, create an urgent ensem ble sound, moving through a broad palette of sound-colours, rhythms and moods, charged with energy. With a profound sense for lyrical melodies, tonal concision and dynamics, the quartet develop a spirited interplay, reacting to the tiniest atmospheric oscillations on the sound and groove level. “This is captivating music which it is hard to resist, especially the melodies with their thematic beauty.," writes Florian Keller in the liner notes.
1. Resonance
2. Archimedean
3. Every Atom Glows
4. Per 4
5. Code of Being
6. Where is Hella
7. Per 5
8. Tessera

James Brandon Lewis: Tenor Saxophone
Aruán Ortiz: Piano
Brad Jones: Bass
Chad Taylor: Drums

All compositions by James Brandon Lewis (James Brandon Lewis Music/ascap).

Recorded on May 16 and 17 2021 by Michael Brändli at Hardstudios Winterthur. Mixed and mastered in July 2021 by Michael Brändli at Hardstudios Winterthur, Switzerland.
Cover art and graphic design: Paul Bieri, Berlin.
Photo: Palma Fiacco, unerhört!-Festival Special Edition, Rote Fabrik, Zürich, May 15, 2021.
Liner notes: Florian Keller.
Produced and published by Intakt Records.

Fitz Gore & The Talismen - Soundnitia (October 15, 2021 Sonorama Records)

This is the first ever reissue of the lost debut LP by Jamaican tenor saxophone player Fitz Gore and his experimental group The Talismen from 1975. The work was originally released on Gore’s GorBra label and delivers an introspective, sensitive form of Spiritual Jazz. Recorded live in West Germany, the personnel are “Shepherd” Fitz Gore with Ulrich Kurth (Piano), Gérard Ebbo (Bass), Philippe Zobda-Quitman (Drums) and Lamont Hampton (Congas). The LP includes versions of John Coltrane’s “Dahomey Dance“ and the Horace Silver classic ‘Song For My Father“. The reissue was carefully remastered in 2021 and features the original cover design with a two page insert of the original notes, completed by the inclusion of Fitz`s poem “Sketches of Pain“.

Original Sleeve Notes by Eberhard Gockel (1975)

"Soundnitia" is the cipher under which the experimental group "The Talismen" constituted in 1974 and made its presence known on the Jazz scene with the first LP. The initiator and spiritus rector of the avant-garde ensemble is the saxophonist Fitz Gore, a "stormer of the valves" and unknown to the augurs of the jazz scene. As a saxophonist and a newcomer, he documents with his ultra-hard sound. Fukara (Swahili) is a clear affinity to the school of "hard blowing" tenor players. In the 1960’s Fitz managed various bands. Firstly, in the south of France, then Paris, which took part in Galas, concerts and film productions, where he made a name for himself primarily as an interpreter of spirituals and Negro folk songs.

Fitz Gore, born on 16th August 1935 in Kingston, Jamaica, has been making music since the age of six. As a member of the school choir, he studied the diatonics of the Gregorian chant and played classical Hawaiian guitar. His favourite composers include Duke Ellington, Sonny Rollins, Richard Wagner and Gil Evans. While establishing himself in the music business, he worked as an actor and writer. Like Charlie Parker before him, for whom the poetics of the Persian lyricist Omar Chajjam was a spiritual leitmotif, the man from Jamaica is a committed poet. The International Book Exchange presented a part of his literary oeuvre.

Fitz Gore draws his ideational impulses from biblical texts, especially from the Psalms of David. Dreams of a new paradise are articulated in his arrangements and compositions. He says, " The music - Soudnitia - has a spiritual fulcrum, which must act or foist with its compelling leverage(s), a form of panacea. To heal, as to vehicle sanctified pastus, hope and joy, to mankind". "Healing" became the code word of the "Talismen”.

Technically and stylistically, Fitz Gore's improvisations are reminiscent of the musical language of Sonny Rollins and Colerman Hawkins, but John Coltrane, Ben Webster, Sonny Grey, Johnny Griffin, Wilton Gaynair and Jo Maka were not without influence. Fitz Gore and pianist Ulrich Kurth began their collaboration in Autumn 1973, performing together for the first time in January 1974 at the Winterfest of Bonn University followed by a guest performance in Strasbourg. In the Autumn of the same year, Fitz Gore engaged two of his former partners, the French bassist Gérard Ebbo and the Martinique-born drummer Philippe Zobda-Quitman and staged the first concert with this quartet in a monastery near Bonn under the lemma "The Talismen".

In the spring of 1975, the American percussionist Lamont Hampton joined the Talismen collective and brought with him a bundle of new musical impulses. The Jazz Studio of the Bonn "Collegium Musicum" served as the experimental laboratory, where they discussed and rehearsed in endless nightly séances. This resulted in the live recording of the concert from June 14th 1975. This became the LP and seems like the product of an alchemist's kitchen. Whether "Toxon" or "Panacee" depends on the dosage. For it is "the dose that makes it, that something is a poison", teaches Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, known as Paracelsus.

The Musicians:

Ulrich Kurth (Piano) was born on 29.09.1953 in Kaltenkirchen near Hamburg and received eight years of classical piano lessons, most recently at the Cologne Conservatory. As a second and third instrument, he plays the guitar and the flute. Besides Ludwig van Beethoven, his favourite composers include modern classics such as Maurice Ravel, Béla Bartok and Olivier Messiaen. At the age of eighteen, he came to jazz via rock music. Musically he was influenced by Fitz Gore, stylistically by Thelonious Monk, Mal Waldron, Bill Evans and Irvin Rochlin.

Gérard Ebbo, "Prof. Dr. Splüm”, (Bass) was born on 27.11.1942, "in the middle of the last useless war" in Casablanca, Morroco. His favourite bass players are Oscar Pettiford, Ray Brown, Paul Chambers and Charlie Mingus. He is closely associated with the black musicians from the Nuer tribe, who were deported from Sudan to Morocco. As a member of the "Talismen", Gérard Ebbo not only guarantees the crucial rhythmic and harmonic basis, but also provides fundamental impulses for musical coordination.

Philippe Zobda-Quitman (Drums) was born on 08.08.1947 in Martinique. He has been making music since early childhood and later worked as a musician and dancer in France. His musical idols are Alan Dawson and Elvin Jones.

Lamont Hampton (Conga Drums) was born on 07.08.1951 in Indianapolis. He studied with Carlos Santa Cruz and was significantly influenced by the Afro-Cuban drumming style of Chano Pozo.

Singing songs, blasé hymns,
Singing OUR SONGS
Surely echoes hear waves, hear from our strains
In the harvest of T-I-M-E
Since we disharmonise/
Should we not SLUMBER CHORUS
in dischord?
--- MORE PRACTISE??

(from „SKETCHES OF PAIN/ Hymn To a Heart“ by Fitz Gore) 

Concert performance - recorded June 14, 1975 in Arnsberg, West Germany

Fitz Gore (Tenor Sax), Ulrich Kurth (Piano), Gérard Ebbo (Bass),
Philippe Zobda-Quitman (Drums), Lamont Hampton (Congas),
Guest: Dousty Santos (A Go Go) on „Mariella` Amor“

Produced by Fitz Gore and Gisela Braasch, shepherd & spoken words: Fitz Gore, co-leadership: Ulrich Kurth and Gérard Ebbo, cover design: Gisela Braasch

In memory of Fitz Gore,
mastered 2021 by Roskow Kretschmann at Audiomoto, vinyl cut at SST,
producer for reissue: Ekkehart Fleischhammer,
reproduction of original cover design by Gisela Gore:
Patrick Haase aka rab.bit. thanks to Gisela Gore and Fabian Stephenson.

1. Theme - The Man With The Horn
2. Song For My Father
3. My Foolish Heart 09:15
4. Mariella` Amor
5. Dahomey Dance
6. Theme

Fred Frith Trio with Lotte Anker and Susana Santos Silva - Road (October 15, 2021 Intakt Records)

Fred Frith is a multi-instrumentalist and a shrewd outsider who walks the line between rock and jazz, improvisation and composition, and hereby presents a breathtaking live double CD with his long-time Bay Area trio. CD1 documents an inspiring trio concert by these extraordinarily creative musicians at Stadthalle Köln as part of Week- End Fest 2019. CD2 features the trio with guests Lotte Anker and Susana Santos Silva. Both musicians have a long history with the trio – Lotte Anker has played with the trio in San Francisco and New York, and Susana Santos Silva joined them for performances in Brazil in 2018, while both have joined the trio to tour the U.S. East Coast and Europe in 2019. Lotte Anker and Susana Santos Silva fire up the trio. And in turn the trio’s inspiration has an effect on Lotte and Susana which feeds back into the group. This creates a unique collective sound that delivers an infectious live energy.

1. Lost Weekend 1
2. Lost Weekend 2
3. Lost Weekend 3
4. Lost Weekend 4
5. Lost Weekend 5
6. Lost Weekend 6
7. Lost Weekend 7
8. Color of Heat
9. The Trees Speak
10. Sinking In
11. Color of Heart

CD 1 (Tracks 1-7)
Fred Frith: Electric Guitar, Voice
Jason Hoopes: Electric Bass
Jordan Glenn: Drums

CD 2 (Tracks 8-11)
Fred Frith: Electric Guitar, Voice
Jason Hoopes: Electric Bass
Jordan Glenn: Drums
Lotte Anker: Saxophones (Tracks 9+10)
Susana Santos Silva: Trumpet (Tracks 8+11)

All music by Fred Frith Trio (CD 1); Fred Frith Trio, Susana Santos Silva, Intakt Records
Lotte Anker (CD 2).
Mixed and compiled at Guerrilla Recordings, Oakland, CA, on May 12, 2021. Mastered at Headless Buddha, Oakland, CA, on July 23, 2021. Creative engineer: Myles Boisen.
Cover art and photo: Heike Liss.
Graphic design: Fiona Ryan.
Produced by Fred Frith and Intakt Records.
Published by Intakt Records.

Ohad Talmor Trio with Dan Weiss and Miles Okazaki - Mise En Place (October 15, 2021 Intakt Records)

Saxophonist and composer Ohad Talmor follows up his album Long Forms with the Ohad Talmor Newsreel Sextet (Intakt CD 341) – a trio recording with his closest musical friends in Brooklyn: guitarist Miles Okazaki and drummer Dan Weiss. Ohad Talmor is the very definition of a cosmopolitan artist, holding three passports – American, Swiss and Israeli – while being based in the polyglot borough of Brooklyn, New York. Although mentored by the late, great altoist Lee Konitz, Talmor has musical obsessions that range far and wide. From iconic tenor saxophonists like Sonny Rollins and Wayne Shorter to such disparate European composers as Bruckner and Ligeti to theintricacies of Hindustani classical music. 

Talmor has taken this album’s title, Mise en Place, from a French phrase often used to refer to the preparation and organization of all ingredients and implements ahead of cooking although, more pertinently, it’s also a colloquial French term for rhythmic accuracy in jazz. A fluent, precise “time feel” is a prime trait of his trio with Okazaki and Weiss. The trio plays as one, lithe and muscular. “Despite the technical demands of these pieces,” Talmor says, “our goal is to eschew stock licks, to really listen, to really improvise – to always be in the moment with the music.”
1. Kamali
2. Mixo Mode 19
3. Shymal Bose Chakradar
4. Pairs
5. Theme and Variations
6. Wise One
7. Rupak Tukra
8. Back of the Plane
9. After the Rain

Ohad Talmor: Tenor Sax
Miles Okazaki: Guitar
Dan Weiss: Drums

Compositions by Ohad Talmor (SUISA) except “Wise One” and “After the Rain” by John Coltrane (Jowcol BMI).

Recorded January 8, 2020, at SEEDS, Brooklyn, NY. Mixed and
mastered by Katsuhiko Naito, Brooklyn, August 2021.
Cover art: AvikArt Design.
Graphic design: Jonas Schoder.
Liner notes: Bradley Bambarger.
Produced by Ohad Talmor and Intakt Records, Patrik Landolt, Anja Illmaier, Florian Keller.
Published by Intakt Records.

Chris Maddock Quartet - The Hunt (October 15, 2021 Ubuntu Music)

The band's debut release through Ubuntu Music, 'The Hunt' is a contemporary, groovy take on the classic Hammond Organ-driven rhythm section, featuring the original compositions and arrangements of saxophonist and bandleader Chris Maddock.

1. Emily
2. The Hunt
3. Song of Myself
4. At Least He Never Walked

All compositions by Chris Maddock apart from Track 01 Emily (Mercer/Mandel)

Chris Maddock: alto and tenor saxophones
Liam Dunachie: Hammond organ
Tobie Carpenter: Guitar
Edward Richardson: Drums
Daniel Casimir: Double Bass (track 4 only)

Recorded by Lester Salmins at The Bunker, March 2020
Mixed by John Prestage
Mastered by Cicely Balston at AIR Studios

Artwork by Daniel Strange

Producer: Martin Hummel

Anat Cohen - Reconvexo (October 15, 2021 Anzic Records)

In their second duo album, following the Grammy-nominated release Outra Coisa: The Music for Moacir Santos, Brazilian 7-string guitar player Gonçalves and New York-based clarinetist Cohen turn their attention to music from the Música Popular Brasileira (MPB) songbook.

Artists responded to the forced isolation brought about by the 2020 pandemic in various way across the globe. In Brazil, superstars such as Caetano Veloso, Milton Nascimento and Gilberto Gil shared performances from their homes, sharing their hit songs intimately with their fans, from one living room to another. Performing in this new format further strengthened the already deep impact these melodies and lyrics had on Brazilian culture.

Among those fans were Anat Cohen and Marcello Gonçalves, quarantined in Rio. As Marcello puts it: “I've been dreaming of Anat singing those words through her clarinet, imagining how her unique way of interpreting melodies would powerfully convey the message of the lyrics to anyone familiar with them, even when played instrumentally.” When listening to these quarantine-time performances “each one of these concerts reminded me of songs that I could play with Anat, so this project made even more sense to be done at this moment.”

And against the backdrop of a country and a world turning inward, distilling the importance of music in the lives of so many, the duo set out to record an album inspired by the beauty of Brazil, and the spirit of its people. The result is at once intimate and virtuosic, mournful and hopeful, soaked with the feeling expressed uniquely in the Portuguese language as saudade – bittersweet, at once deeply happy and sad, and full of emotion. 

1. Reconvexo
2. Ânima
3. O que é que a baiana tem?
4. Andar com Fé
5. Maria Maria
6. Correnteza
7. Paula e Bebeto
8. El Diablo Suelto video
9. Never Dreamed You’d Leave in Summer

Mixed by Brian Montgomery, New York, May 2021
Mastered by Mark Wilder, Battery Studios, New York, June 2021
Artworks by Ernesto Neto (Cover: Horizonte de eventos, 2001 / Inside: Acontece no horizonte de eventos. O jardim, 2001)

Design by Liliane Kemper
Cover photo by Mark Ritchie (Archivo fotográfico CGAC, Santiago de Compostela) / Inside photo by Vicente de Mello

Produced by Anat Cohen, Marcello Gonçalves & Oded Lev-Ari

Shannon Gunn - "On A Mountain" (Friday, October 15th 2021 on Cellar Live)

On July 31st 2020, the world lost a brilliant vocalist and composer. Shannon Gunn had been a fixture on the Canadian jazz scene for decades up until her untimely passing. Her reputation as a musician’s musician ensured a particular kind of reverence from her fans, fellow artists and several generations of students. Although her work was well known to her enthusiastic live audiences, she had never released an album of her own. On A Mountain, recorded in 2002, should go a long way toward filling this gap and allowing the world to get a rare glimpse of this compelling artist at the top of her form.

Shannon grew up in Vancouver where she studied classical piano. As her musical direction shifted to jazz she developed a successful singing career in Western Canada. She subsequently moved to Toronto where she drew the attention of many of that city’s top musicians. Shannon’s work as an educator had always paralleled her performing career. She was as gifted a teacher as she was a singer and made a huge impact on the many students who crossed her path in both cities.

Shannon’s singing demonstrated incredible facility and expressiveness, as well as a deep awareness of the musical interplay in a band. She honed a highly personal style that hearkened to the great jazz singers yet was unquestionably her own. Renee Rosnes, who served as pianist and producer for this recording, comments, “Shannon had a vulnerability that came through in her singing which translated to an emotional, truthful rendering of the lyric.”
The choice of material and musicians are a reflection of Shannon’s impeccable taste and high standards. Rosnes brought a wealth of experience and a long association with the singer: “My friendship with Shannon goes back to my late teens when we both lived in Vancouver. We shared many memories together on and off the stage. She was smart, talented, beautiful, humble, empathetic and genuine: a person who communicated from her heart with no pretense.”

Along with Rosnes, this this group contains many of the world’s top jazz musicians, all of whom were ideally suited to communicating Shannon’s vision. Swainson says, “Those qualities of empathy, honesty and courage were all there in her music. She was a fantastic musician.” Adds Turner, "I always loved playing gigs with Shannon because she would always have new material, beautiful, sometimes complex arrangements.”


1. From You (S. Gunn) 6:19
2. Carla’s Blues (C. Bley, N. Winstone) 5:35
3. In The Moment (R. Rosnes, S. Brown) 6:00
4. Wild Is Love (R. Rasch, D. Wayne) 6:42
5. I’ve Grown Accustomed To His Face (F. Loewe, A.J. Lerner) 3:32
6. On A Mountain 4:55
7. A Felicidade (A.C. Jobim, V de Moraes) 4:28
8. Mean Joe (S. Gunn) 4:53
9. Everything I Love (C. Porter) 4:41

All arrangements by Renee Rosnes, except 2 by Brian
Dickinson and 8 by Brad Turner

Shannon Gunn - Vocals
Renee Rosnes - Piano
Neil Swainson - Bass
Billy Drummond - Drums
Brad Turner - Trumpet (2-4, 6, 8)
Pat Labarbera - Tenor Saxophone (2, 4, 6, 8, 9)
Rick Lazar - Percussion (7)

Montréal Jazz Trio - Montréal Jazz Trio (October 15, 2021 ODD SOUND)

Montreal Jazz Trio’s self-titled recording is modern jazz piano trio playing at its finest. This exciting new album was recorded in November of 2020 at the storied recording studio Boutique de Son in Pointe Claire, Quebec, and is being released by the Montréal label ODD SOUND. The group features three of Montreal’s finest musicians: Steve Amirault on piano, Adrian Vedady on acoustic bass, and Jim Doxas on drums. This recording was self-produced by the trio and mixed by Doxas.

This nine track record is a mix of memorable originals and deft arrangements of well known jazz standards. Amirault is the main contributor with four originals, including the contrafacts All Those Lovely Things (based on Jerome Kern’s All The Things You Are) and Nowhere (based on the famous standard Out Of Nowhere), both of which showcase his singular approach to harmony. Highlights include arrangements of the classics Takin’ a Chance on Love and Take the “A” Train, as well as Wray, Vedady’s swinging tribute to the late great Canadian jazz pianist Wray Downes. Amirault’s stirring composition Empathy serves as a call for peace during turbulent times. This music is fresh, swinging, creative, and innovative. 

Montréal Jazz Trio will be released worldwide on  Friday, October 15th 2021 on ODD SOUND
The trio will be celebrating the release with a concert in Montréal at Dièse Onze on October 2nd

1. All Those Lovely Things (S. Amirault) 5:33
2. My One and Only Love (R. Mellin, G. Wood) 8:10
3. Empathy (S. Amirault) 5:32
4. Take The “A” Train (D. Ellington, B. Strayhorn) 6:39
5. Takin’ a Chance On Love (V. Duke, L. Latouche) 8:12
6. Nowhere (S. Amirault) 6:07
7. Wray (A. Vedady) 7:32
8. Soho Dreams (S. Amirault) 8:42
9. Answer Me My Love (F. Rauch, G. Winkler, C. Sigman) 5:13

Steve Amirault - Piano
Adrian Vedady - Bass
Jim Doxas - Drums

Steph Richards - Zephyr (October 15, 2021)

"A virtuoso of otherworldly trumpet sound" (Jazz Times), Steph Richards takes takes a literally transformative experience (Richards was six and a half months pregnant during the session) and shapes a concise, visceral album both in concept and in practice, exploring a more immediate connection between her body and her work. "This record expresses the idea of breathing one breath for two bodies -- moving through the world with two distinct pulses happening at the same time". Alongside pianist Joshua White, Richards found inspiration in her embodied self instead of attempting to sideline it on Zephyr’s three suites, which amount to an intense 38 minutes of forcefully original sound.

For most of her career as one of the most acclaimed improvisers working in jazz’s avant-garde, trumpeter, composer and bandleader Steph Richards worked hard to make sure that her music was considered on its own terms, rather than — as is so often the case in jazz and music as a whole — in the context of her gender.

But when she went into the studio to record her upcoming album Zephyr in 2019, Richards was six-and-a-half months pregnant. That literally transformative experience shaped the concise, visceral album both in concept and in practice, forcing the thoughtful, cerebral artist to explore a more immediate connection between her body and her work.

“I was experiencing my own metamorphosis, and thinking about the idea of breathing one breath for two bodies — moving through the world with two distinct pulses happening at the same time,” Richards explains. “It brought this a whole other color to my sound precisely because I had a different physical ability. Our bodies are full of potential, and that's something that I had never fully investigated. ”

The first suite, “Sacred Sea,” features Richards playing her trumpet in water throughout. She’s been refining that technique since 2008, but here it takes on new meaning as Richards plays on the idea that her in utero child was, in a sense, breathing underwater. One of its movements, “Anza,” is named for her daughter, whose breath can be heard on that track; other movements are named for gods/goddesses of water and wind.

“What I love about water is that it's vulnerable and unstable — you can never know exactly what sound you're going to make,” Richards explains.

As a whole, the resulting record is one of the trumpeter’s most intimate to date, both in its duo orchestration and in its tactile, focused expression.

By expressing the rootedness and inspiration she felt during her pregnancy in abstraction, Richards hopes that her listeners will hear the universality of that experience — the beauty and richness of creation — instead of its ties to any particular gender. “Your humanity is visibly evident when you're pregnant,” she says. “I hope this record reveals a sonic element to this new experience of humanity." 

1. Sacred Sea: Zephyr
2. Sacred Sea: Anza
3. Sacred Sea: Amphitrite
4. Sacred Sea: Nixie
5. Sacred Sea
6. Sequoia: Cicada
7. Sequoia
8. Sequoia: Heeyyookkee
9. Northern Lights: Aurora I
10. Northern Lights: Aurora II
11. Northern Lights: Aurora III
12. Northern Lights: Aurora IV

Steph Richards (trumpet, flugelhorn, resonating water vessels)
Joshua White (piano, preparations, percussion)

Recording, Mixing and Mastering Engineer: Andrew Munsey
Artwork and Design: Michael Ramey
Executive Producer: Kevin Reilly
Produced by Andrew Munsey & Steph Richards

Recorded at Studio A, Warren Music Center, UCSD, 2019.

The Ed Palermo Big Band - I've Got News For You: The Music of Edgar Winter (October 15, 2021)

The ED PALERMO BIG BAND Delivers an Entrancing Tribute to Legendary Texas Blues/Jazz Multi-Instrumentalist EDGAR WINTER
with
I’VE GOT NEWS FOR YOU: THE MUSIC OF EDGAR WINTER

An Instrumental and Vocal Tour de Force, the Sky Cat Records Release Features Palermo’s Swaggering 17-Piece Jazz Orchestra Joyfully Conjuring a Soul-filled, Blues-Drenched Sound

Guest Artists Include Guitarists Robben Ford and Jimmy Leahy, Violinist Katie Jacoby, and Vocalists Kimberly Davis, Keith Anthony Fluitt, Vanesse Thomas, Chrissi Poland, Deb Lyons, Carlos Murguía, and Rob Paparozzi

For acclaimed jazz big band leader, arranger, composer and saxophonist Ed Palermo, Edgar Winter wasn’t just a gateway drug to jazz. To a youth raised on New Jersey's shore, the music of the Texan multi-instrumental star was a mind-expanding key that unlocked the overlapping realms of blues, jazz and rock. There’s a straight line between Palermo’s teenage immersion in Winter’s music and the emergence decades later of his big band, which has earned international renown for its authentically warped arrangements of Frank Zappa’s music. Palermo has long included Winter material in the band’s wide-ranging book, but his new album on the Sky Cat Records, I’ve Got News For You: The Music of Edgar Winter, is his first dedicated to his early inspiration. Slated for release on Oct. 15, 2021, the album is almost indecently fun, as if someone crossed the New Testament Count Basie Orchestra’s book with a Zappa-designed R&B revue.

With his adventurous spirit and talent-packed big band, Palermo is ideally placed to celebrate a singular artist who, Winter himself acknowledges, “is primarily thought of as a rocker,” known for virtuosic scorchers like “Frankenstein,” an instrumental tune that was “almost a precursor of heavy metal and fusion,” Winter said. “But I also love jazz and classical and if there's one common thread that runs through all my music, it is blues."

Palermo was a budding high school saxophonist with little interest in jazz when he experienced an epiphany listening to the first albums by Beaumont, Texas blues guitarist Johnny Winter, who featured his younger brother Edgar on keyboards, vocals, and most importantly alto sax. “The saxophone playing really blew my mind,” Palermo says. “He’s playing the most killing bebop, fast and smooth. I knew then I wanted to play like that. To this day my main influences are Cannonball, Phil Woods and Edgar Winter, and David Sanborn too.”

The album opens with a blast of boogie, “I Hate Everybody,” a song from Johnny Winter’s 1969 album Second Winter. The track features some stellar work by well-traveled rock guitarist Jimmy Leahey and soul-stirring vocals from Carlos Murguía, a singer best known for his work with an array of Latin music superstars. On “Tobacco Road,” a standout track on Edgar’s 1970 debut album Entrance, Palermo showcases guitar legend Robben Ford and the great Kimberly Davis, whose powerhouse performances throughout the project reveal several different sides of the longtime vocalist for Niles Rodgers’ pioneering disco/rock band Chic.

“The hardest part about this album was figuring out who was going to sing,” Palermo said. “On Entrance, Edgar’s singing is astounding. Me and Steve Jankowski realized we need singers who can make the songs their own. Kim Davis is one of my favorites, and she nailed it.”

A forthright rocker delivered with swagger and confidence by vocalist Chrissi Poland, a longtime member of Sam & Dave soul legend Sam Moore’s band, “A Different Game” is another gem from Entrance. She’s matched in intensity by a violin solo by Katie Jacoby, who’s been touring lately with The Who. While the song never made it into Winter’s working repertoire, this rendition should put it back into circulation. And for vocal magic, it’s hard to beat Keith Anthony Fluitt on the ballad “Dying To Live,” a devastating indictment of humanity delivered with the sweet soul crooning of a master whose credits include Ashford & Simpson, Quincy Jones, and Michael Jackson.

As an arranger, Palermo has found inspiration reconfiguring the rock canon for his big band, and he’s got plenty to work with in Winter’s discography. His version of “Peace Pipe,” another tune from Entrance, transforms a solo where Winter scats a unison line along with his organ and arranges it for five saxophones. That’s Barbara Cifelli romping on the baritone sax and Ted Kooshian raising hell on the organ. Palermo takes a turn in the spotlight on “All Out,” a jaunty but harmonically treacherous piece “that Winter told me he envisioned as a theme for Johnny Carson introducing some guest,” Palermo said.
The album’s tour de force is Palermo’s arrangement of “Winter’s Dream,” the suite that takes up the first side of Entrance. The seven movements go from strength to strength, starting and concluding with the enviably versatile Deb Lyons on the album’s title track and its reprise. Other highlights include an imploring Fluitt taking “Where Have You Gone” deep into the pews, and a headlong sprint through “Fire and Ice” evidences much more of the former than the latter. “It’s the song that caught my ear as a kid,” Palermo said. “He plays so fast. It’s a great jazz/rock tune, and more than any other song it changed my life.”

The album closes with a pair of songs, “You Are My Sunshine” and “I’ve Got News For You,” that embody the dualities that bedevil American society: black and white, urban and rural, country and soul. Both pieces were show-stoppers for Winter, and in the hands of an albino white bluesman, polar phenomena are integrated into one irresistible celebration. Palermo based his arrangement of “Sunshine” on a version he heard Winter play in the early 1970s at a concert he recorded on a little reel to reel rig.

“Edgar gets on the piano and says here’s a song done a lot of ways, and he starts playing these very sophisticated chords, very Mose Allison,” Palermo said. “The band kicks in after the verse with these unbelievable emotional chord changes and he’s singing the hell out of it.”

Vanesse Thomas, the daughter of Rufus Thomas and Aretha Franklin’s favorite backup vocalist, is more than equal to the task, offering a performance for the ages. And she’s equally effective on the closer, “I've Got News For You,” a tune indelibly associated with Ray Charles. If Brother Ray got married to Betty Carter after they waxed “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” the couple may have ended up like Thomas and Rob Paparozzi, who bicker and accuse each other of stepping out on a hilarious duet. It’s a fittingly unexpected conclusion for a tribute to an artist who confounds categorization.

Winter has been part of Palermo’s music since the beginning, literally. On his first big band album, 1982’s Papier Mache, he connected with Winter through drummer Terry Silverlight “and got Edgar to take a couple of solos” on the title track, Palermo said. “As the years went by periodically I’d arrange other songs of his and I’d send them to him and he was always complimentary. ‘All Out,’ that’s an obscure song from Jasmine Nightdream, and he was touched that I would take a song that wasn’t a hit. These are deep cuts. I’ve known him for close to 40 years.”

Clearly, Palermo is no Johnny-come-lately to the genius of Edgar Winter. But 2021’s I’ve Got News For You: The Music of Edgar Winter should serve as a wake-up call to music fans who’ve been sleeping on Winter’s treasure-laden discography. It should also alert fans of big band music to Ed Palermo’s expansive, exceptional and often surprising discography. With this outstanding big band blues tribute – the result of decades of admiration for Winter’s music, and decades of experience leading and arranging music for his stellar musicians – Ed Palermo sets himself apart as one of the most vital bandleaders and versatile arrangers in 21st century big band jazz.

One of the news worthy messages behind I’ve Got News for You is that contemporary big band jazz is one of American music's most vibrant, inclusive, significant and delightfully entertaining forms, able to evolve and embrace all popular genres to create hybrid American music that is simultaneously rooted in the tradition and startling, refreshingly new. Another notice implicit in I’ve Got News for You: The Music of Edgar Winter: we should watch where the romantic visionary arranger Ed Palermo leads big band music next. 

1. I Hate Everybody
2. Tobacco Road
3. Peace Pipe
4. All Out
5. A Different Game
6. Dying to Live
7. Jump Right Out
8. Entrance
9. Where Have You Gone
10. Rise to Fall
11. Fire and Ice
12. Hung Up
13. Back in the Blues
14. Re-Entrance
15. You Are My Sunshine
16. I've Got News For You

Scrimshire - Nothing Feels Like Everything (October 15, 2021 Albert's Favourites)

So many of us head back out into the world post-lockdown, with a different perspective on the overpowering nature of it.

Nothing Feels Like Everything, looks deeply at how the absence of something can be just as overwhelming, whether the absence of physical contact, the absence of love, the absence of empathy and respect.

This album uses gentleness beside power and cacophony to recreate the vast swings of emotion experienced in isolation. When nothing can be too much, while at the same time, all we want.

The sixth studio album from Scrimshire is an atmospheric and emotional experience. Moments of swirling orchestral energy perfectly countered by quiet, meditative calm.

With only four vocal contributions on this record, it is his most instrumental exploration to date, with moving string arrangements alongside delicate synthesiser soaked rhythms. And those few vocal contributions are captivating. From the opening explosion of UK jazz and soul legend Cleveland Watkiss, with a powerfully clear call on behalf of the marginalised and oppressed in society to the deeply intimate and supportive incantations of Ursula Rucker. No word is wasted here.

The record still carries on a tradition of collaboration on Scrimshire albums with contributions from Jessica Lauren, Idris Rahman (Soothsayers, Wildflower, Ill Considered), Nat Birchall, Huw Marc Bennett, Miryam Solomon, Emanative and recent Albert's Favourites signing Pie Eye Collective.

"Throughout lockdown I've been writing so much, and when I released Believers Vol. 1 back in November, I'd wanted to bring people something that captured the warmth and hopefulness I think we needed in spite of deep political and cultural turmoil. But there were obviously very low moments, socially and personally and I was capturing those too. This album holds more of those times of loss and being lost, of solitary contemplation and meditation, of yearning, of anxiety. More than I've experienced before, the collaborations came through long and beautiful phone conversations, developing friendships with new people, rekindling and supporting older relationships, taking time and giving each other time, care and space to create. It's what makes this album special to me."
Scrimshire

1. The Pile (feat. Cleveland Watkiss)
2. Heron (feat. Miryam Solomon)
3. In Circles (feat. Idris Rahman)
4. I Hear You, I See You (feat. Nat Birchall, Faye Houston)
5. Within Without (feat. Jessica Lauren, Huw Marc Bennett, Emanative)
6. Boldly (feat. Ursula Rucker)
7. Morning Affirmation
8. Love in Dreams (feat. Idris Rahman)
9. Discussion (feat. Pie Eye Collective)

Contributions by Ursula Rucker, Cleveland Watkiss, Miryam Solomon, Faye Houston, Jessica Lauren, Emanative, Chris Boot, Bev Lee Harling, Frank Moon, Huw Marc Bennett, Pie Eye Collective, Idris Rahman, Daudi Matsiko, Vince Vela and Philip Harper

Mixed by Adam Scrimshire
Mastered by Walter Coelho
Artwork by Adam Scrimshire
Back cover and label design by Jonny Drop
Digital distribution by Believe Digital
Vinyl distribution by Prime Direct Distribution

escribir: haikus (October 15, 2021 Isla Desierta)

escribir:, grupo liderado por Juan Saidón, presenta su segundo álbum de música original, haikus. Con este trabajo, escribir: se convierte en el primer grupo en editar dos álbumes a través de Isla Desierta Discos.

haikus es una investigación sobre las posibilidades musicales que propone el imaginario planteado por el haiku (género literario japonés), a través de la mirada del artista urbano contemporáneo. De este proceso resultan ocho composiciones originales en las que priman una fuerte presencia melódica, el uso del espacio sonoro y la economía de recursos.

Esta exploración toma algunos elementos constitutivos de este género literario (la naturaleza, el despojo y lo breve) para anclarse estéticamente en la tradición improvisatoria propia del jazz y la canción instrumental contemporánea.

haikus marca una profundización en el trabajo iniciado con el primer disco de este proyecto, escribir: (IDD002, 2019). En esta oportunidad la formación original de dos guitarras eléctricas y batería se expande incorporando contrabajo, clarinete soprano y clarinete bajo, para dar lugar a nuevos arreglos y posibilidades tímbricas.

1. tiembla apenas
2. en la luz que encendemos
3. la nieve
4. las tijeras
5. una montaña sin nombre
6. a pesar de la niebla (dúo)
7. en los ojos de los peces
8. una nube de vez en cuando
9. a pesar de la niebla (trío)

juan saidón: guitarra eléctrica (l)
tomás cabado: guitarra eléctrica (r)
leila chab: clarinete soprano
patricio böttcher: clarinete bajo
julián mekler: contrabajo
manuel tirso rubio carreras: batería

todos los temas compuestos por juan saidón excepto “en los ojos de los peces” compuesto por juan saidón y tomás cabado.

arreglos por tomás cabado y juan saidón

grabado por luciano vitale torres en febrero 2021
mezclado y masterizado por juan belvis en agosto 2021
realizado en estudio “la casita de mis viejos”
foto de tapa por carolina battaglini
diseño de tapa por julián mekler
edición y prensa por isla desierta discos

David Ornette Cherry - Organic Nation Listening Club (The Continual) October 15, 2021 Spiritmuse Records

When I play I think of how the phrases move as a dance, or something in nature like a bird or a shooting star.” – Don Cherry

The new album by ‘Cosmic Nomad’ David Ornette Cherry in his father’s tradition, the legendary jazz innovator Don Cherry. This a mosaic of healing soundscapes blending spiritual jazz, leftfield electronica, Eastern & native, indigenous sounds into musical parallels that transport the listener through doorways of ancient pathways to futurist crossroads.

David Ornette Cherry talks about vision and approach and Don Cherry’s remarkable influence as an artist : “When I started my musical journey, my father, Don Cherry, took me under his wings. “To be an Artist/ Musician is a commitment, you must learn the music… own the music you create... and give it back. You must have a vision.”

"When I play I think of how the phrases move as a dance, or something in nature like a bird or a shooting star.” – Don Cherry

The new album by ‘Cosmic Nomad’ David Ornette Cherry in his father’s tradition, the legendary jazz innovator Don Cherry. This a mosaic of healing soundscapes blending spiritual jazz, leftfield electronica, Eastern & native, indigenous sounds into musical parallels that transport the listener through doorways of ancient pathways to futurist crossroads.

This is a phenomenal, unique album, bringing together multi-genre funky, earthy Indigenous sounds, organic soundscapes and cosmic melodies that transport to a higher level where the Ancestors weave their magic and join the cosmic dance!

David Ornette Cherry talks about vision and approach and Don Cherry’s remarkable influence as an artist : “When I started my musical journey, my father, Don Cherry, took me under his wings. “To be an Artist/ Musician is a commitment, you must learn the music… own the music you create... and give it back. You must have a vision.”

“In my world, the piano, the keyboard, sounds of nature and numerous instruments of traditional peoples and those who reside in urban society, touch and effect each other with a calming and symbiotic fervour. I compose with the idea that all exist in a world of harmonies which mirror life evolving away from the chaotic (to the positive). There's not just a co-existence but a melding of forms to produce a single musical expression.” - David Ornette Cherry

"Invisible forces of David Ornette Cherry’s musicality are framed by his latest offering. Delicately balanced and perfectly paired with a palette of delicious grandiloquence--sounds summon the discerning ear to bathe in the light of ancestral voices. Notes reverently layered, his fingers unfold a pastiche of dancers in fluid movements of shadow and light that sonder across the polished foundation of his musical ark. In the Continual, Cherry unveils his creative genius that resonates, merging assonance, dissonance in musical parallels that work to woo--to transport the listener through doorways of a legendary Alhambra to a futurist crossroads where the Highlander’s war pipes bid us join in the revelry--we heed the funky call." - DJ Watson

"David Cherry was born into a cosmic-centered family I say this having known both Don and Carletta Cherry his parents as well as his sister, violinist Jan Cherry. In ‘Organic Nation Listening Club (the Continual)’, David continues his work which is represented in organic grooves/Organic Nation bending and reshaping genres to suit his artistic and musical vision. The voices, the sitar and percussions embody the essence of the simplicity of complexity without the banality that some minimalism slips into. For those who have ears, David and the Organic Nation are a force to reckon with." - Tom Porter 

1. So & So & So and So
2. Parallel Experience
3. Ancestors Are Calling
4. Cultural Workers (The Continual)
5. The Frame of Creativity
6. Eagle Play
7. Hidden Sounds
8. Najour
9. Cosmic Nomad

David Ornette Cherry – vocal, soundscapes, douss’n gouni, percussions, electronic percussions, piano, keyboards
Crystal Blackcreek Carlisle – spiritual message, vocals
Gemi Taylor – guitar
Joe Janiga – African banjo
John L. Price – drums, dun dun, pahkagudu, timpani
Kenichi Iwasa – muted trumpet, Don Cherry’s instrument blue reeds
Nadene Rasmussen – viola
Naima Karlsson – electric piano
Ollie Elder Jr – acoustic bass, electric bass
Paul Simms – trumpet
Ralph Jones III – Vietnamese flute, Norwegian flute
Renato Caranto – sax
Tyson McVey – vocal soundscapes

All compositions by David Ornette Cherry
Mastered by Frank Merritt at The Carvery Studio
Art and Art Direction by Nep Sidhu