Friday, November 5, 2021

Jon Raskin Quartet - Singing Songs As One (November 5, 2021)

This was the last concert at NIR Studios in Oakland, California that was live-streamed to sfSound Radio. We were joined by a new member to the quartet, John Shiurba, playing electric guitar. We were already in the studio recording Open Box, my collaboration with the Poet Carla Harryman, for the Tzadik label. That recording involved lots of different overdubbing strategies for improvisors and some those concepts were incorporated in this performance.

We upped the ante and tried the ideas in real time for the broadcast. On several of the pieces Eli Crews, the engineer, was setup to replay a solo or group improvisation so the next grouping in the concert could play along. Some of the pieces included four passes. Tracks 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8 make use of these strategies so listen and see if you can figure out what they are.
1. sing call chatter and screech 02:42
2. the ubiquitous nature of sound 02:14
3. interspecific communication 1 02:55
4. configuration and positioning 09:54
5. singing songs as one 04:21
6. interspecific communication 2 02:51
7. variation and specification 06:24
8. transferal of memes 05:37
9. membrana tympaniformis interna 02:57

Recorded: NIR Studios, Oakland CA April 18, 2009
Engineer: Eli Crews
Mixing: Eli Crews
Mastering: Patrick Hill, Earth Tone Recording
Editing: Jon Raskin
Photo: Jon Raskin
Art Design: Jon Bafus
Temescal Records 108

Aron Ottignon - So Hold Still (November 5, 2021)

Aron Ottignon originally composed ‘So Hold Still’ ten years ago on a one-hundred-year-old piano in the suburbs of Paris. At the time, New Zealand-born jazz pianist, composer and producer found himself conflicted over love, location and purpose. Within free-flowing musical figures, he found catharsis in the bittersweetness of good times that have almost passed. Over the following years, he toured with the French art-pop artist WoodKid, co-wrote with the idiosyncratic Belgian singer/rapper Stromae, released music through Blue Note France, and relocated to Berlin in Germany.

When the global pandemic set in at the start of 2020, Aron found himself revisiting ‘So Hold Still’ and realised he had something further to say with it. He enlisted the efforts of a cast of collaborators, including London-based New Zealand drummer Myele Manzanza and Senegalese percussionist Bakane Seck to help him extrapolate it into a twelve and a half minute border-crossing jazz-fusion odyssey.

On remix duties Aron enlisted two of his favourite contemporary electronic music producers, fellow Berlin dweller Glenn Astro, and from back home in New Zealand, Surly. While Glenn takes the opportunity to reimagine it with a bubbling, digi-boogie bounce, Surly opts for the double-time shuffle and skip of soulful 2-step and broken beat.
1. So Hold Still 12:28
2. So Hold Still - Surly Remix 05:41
3. So Hold Still - Glenn Astro Remix 04:23
4. So Hold Still - Solo Live 03:36
5. So Hold Still - Radio 03:49

Composers: Aron Ottignon, Ilan Kidron, Glenn Astro (Track 03), Surly (Track 03)
Drums: Myele Manzanza
Bass: Eden Ottignon
Percussion: Bahkane Seck
Steel Drums: Samuel Dubois
Piano, Synths & Production: Aron ottignon Marimba DX7: Moussa Ngom
Vocals: Ilan Kidron, Jade McRae, Pete Simpson

Mix: Rusty Santos
Mastered: Moomin
Recorded: Urban Trout Studio
Artwork : Gomez

MEGA - Evolution (November 5, 2021)

1. Opener 05:33
2. Roshi 06:30
3. Vash 05:16
4. Working Man 06:10

Electric Bass - Gianni Moreno
Drums & Cymbals - Adam Szulczewski
Keyboards & Trumpet - Keenan Asbridge
Electric Guitar - Tom Kean
Tenor Saxophone - Mike Schmidt

Recorded Live by Paulie Philippone at Ghost Hit Recording
Overdubs recorded by Paulie Philippone at Funkhaus
Mixed by Paulie Philippone
Mastered by Mike Moschetto
Artwork by Krista Adams

Julien Fillion - Julien Fillion (November 5, 2021)

1. Glitch 07:19
2. Hope 04:37
3. Running out of breath I 01:38
4. Running out of breath II 02:41
5. The light 03:57
6. Interlude 02:15
7. Race against the clock 06:01
8. Sad song 05:48
9. Loophole 06:14
10. Bike Ride 06:03
11. Delight 01:30

Julien Fillion, Saxophones, synthétiseur, rhodes, basse électrique, guitare baryton
Al Bourgeois, Drums
Philippe Brochu-Pelletier, Saxophone
Noam Guerrier Freud, Drums
Jonathan Arseneau, Textures

Compositions & arrangements, Julien Fillion
Réalisation, David G Pelletier & Julien Fillion
Mix, Maxime Phillip
Mastering, Richard Addison/Trillium sound

Pochette, Jonathan Arseneau & Alexandre Minus Couture
Graphisme, Alexandre Minus Couture

Echoes | Lasting | Available November 5 via Unit Records

COMING THIS FRIDAY:

Young Jazz Collective Echoes
Blends Futuristic Electronica with Jazz Improvisation
on their Third album Lasting

Available November 5 via Unit Records

Set for a November 5th release, Lasting is the third album by the up-and-coming group of young jazz musicians Echoes. Reedist Max Bessesen, percussionist Matt DiBiase, Drummer Chase Kuesel, and bassist Evan Levine make up the leaderless collective, whose sound blends futuristic electronica with jazz improvisation, while dabbing with electronic instruments, loops, and triggers for an additional layer of intricacy. Members show off their personal styles throughout, with each composing two of the tracks that make up the album.

The album opens with “Jam Fest,” as an opening drum groove leads to an anthemic, and occasionally wry, melody. “This is a tongue-in-cheek piece for a good time,” says Bessesen, who penned the composition. The gravelly saxophone sound carries on throughout the track, complimented by smooth melodic flourishes in the vibraphone. The track boldly introduces the listener to the electronica fusion that follows on the record. 

Immediately welcomed by a synth keyboard, “Taylor” integrates the band’s diverse interests into the formal structure of the song. The composition works around an adaptation of a beatboxing performance by Taylor McFerrin, which Kuesel adeptly translates to the drum kit. The band uses a sample from Taylor’s performance to cue different sections in real time, leading to an exciting, unpredictable listening experience. 

The sequence of “Off Switch” and “Flipbook” that follows provides a representative example of the diverse emotional landscapes the band is able to convey with their compositions. In response to his composition “Off Switch,” DiBiase says, “At first the bass solo is content, but it gradually grows into glitchy darkness and requires a reset of the intro piano motif.” After being brought to this glitchy darkness, “Flipbook” brings back a sense of joy, as DiBiase describes the piece as “syncopated and playful,” with a melody meant to “paint the story of an animated cartoon character.” 

Evan Levine titled the track “Asbury” after his hometown of Asbury Park, NJ. “This tune takes a lot of the group’s rock influences and uses layers to create a powerful groove with a sweet, relaxed melody skating over the top of it. Think about drinking a beer on the beach – it’s hot outside, but the water is cold,” says Levine. This track has an easy- going feel as it builds itself a story through the layers of piano, drums, percussion, with sax fading in and out.
“Wasted” could be thrown into any romantic film and fit perfectly. Bessen tells the story of “Relationships, nights, sobriety... all wasted away and explored in this heartfelt, off-kilter, ballad.” These stories are told through the slow, contemplative movement of the piano and the soft complimenting instrumentals.

“Attics” and “Lasting” are the final two tracks of the band’s third offering. “Attics” returns the band to a grooving, hypnotic soundscape, as Bessesen’s solo takes flight before the song ends with lush arpeggios from DiBiase’s vibraphone. “Lasting” provides a meditative end to the record, as a soaring saxophone melody takes shape over a repeated ostinato in the keyboards. The song ends with a cycle of ethereal suspended chords, meant to “convey a sense of openness – a value that the band hopes to maintain as they move into the future together.” says Kuesel.
 
Taken as a whole, Lasting finds an ensemble equally interested in joyful interplay and melancholic reflection. It is a strong and compelling effort, and an important document from an ensemble that is poised to refine its unique voice on the international stage for years to come. 

Echoes is
Max Bessesen (sax)
Matt DiBiase (vibes)
Evan Levine (bass/guitar)
Chase Kuesel (drums)

Helen Sung Releases Solo Piano Video for "Feed The Fire"

New Tour Dates Announced

November 9 | The Django (w. Mingus Big Band) | New York, NY
November 17 - 19 | Brazosport College (w. T.S. Monk Sextet) | Lake Jackson, TX
November 20 | Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club (w. Warren Wolf) | Portsmouth, NH
November 28 | Kalisz International Jazz Piano Festival (Quartet+ feat. Atom String Quartet) | Kalisz, Poland
December 3 | New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (w. Rutgers University Jazz Ensemble) | New Brunswick, NJ
January 5 | JEN Annual Conference | Dallas, TX
January 16 - February 5 | European Tour; Full Dates TBA

+ Forthcoming U.S. Spring Tour To Be Announced

Pianist/composer and 2021 Guggenheim Fellow Helen Sung celebrates the work of influential women composers on her latest album Quartet+, crafting new arrangements of tunes by Geri Allen, Carla Bley, Mary Lou Williams, Marian McPartland and Toshiko Akiyoshi while carrying the tradition forward with her own stunning new works. Co-produced by violin master Regina Carter, the album pairs Sung’s quartet with the strings of the GRAMMY® Award-winning Harlem Quartet in an inventive meld of jazz and classical influences.
 
Available now on Sunnyside Records, Quartet+ was conceived and produced during the Covid-19 pandemic and made possible by a grant from the NYC Women’s Fund for Media, Music and Theatre with additional support from the Aaron Copland Fund for Music and the Queens Arts Council. It allows Sung, who also studied classical violin, to realize a long-held dream of writing for strings while maintaining the improvisatory spark of her stellar quartet, featuring saxophonist and flutist John Ellis, bassist David Wong, and drummer Kendrick Scott.
 
Sung crossed paths with the acclaimed Harlem Quartet during a cross-genre performance with clarinetist Eddie Daniels at Jazz at Lincoln Center in 2018. She immediately approached the musicians after the show to suggest a collaboration. The opportunity came with the NYC Women’s Fund grant, which also gave the project a direction Sung had not previously ventured into with her own music, following on work undertaken with Terri Lyne Carrington’s Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice and Roxy Coss’ Women In Jazz Organization.
 
“In the past I tried to avoid the whole ‘women in jazz’ thing because I felt music should speak for itself,” she says. “But as I've gotten older, I’ve begun to feel that’s not the most complete way to deal with it. So I’m starting to grapple with the issues, and will do my best to approach things with honesty and candor.”

It’s hardly the first time she’s explored the work of the composers represented on Quartet+, however. In 2007 she won the Kennedy Center’s Mary Lou Williams Jazz Piano Competition and has since paid tribute to the history-spanning pianist at Harlem Stage and on NPR. She was a guest on Marian McPartland’s revered Piano Jazz in 2006 and has performed in tributes to Geri Allen in the wake of Allen’s untimely death in 2017. Allen’s “Feed the Fire” begins the album in dramatic fashion, with a striking new counter melody added to the original’s blistering rhythms.

Despite the stresses of the pandemic, Sung is enjoying a particularly fruitful period, with several fascinating projects in the works aside from the release of Quartet+. She’ll apply her 2021 Guggenheim Fellowship to a multi-movement piece for big band slated for completion in 2022. With a Chamber Music America Digital Residency grant, she’s producing a series of events this year using the tragic recent attacks on the AAPI community as a catalyst for interdisciplinary events with her quartet and a poet, a DJ and an installation artist. Sung also received a New Music USA 2021 Music Creator Development Fund grant for a collaborative project with dancer and neuro-rehabilitation researcher Miriam King to create a dance program with original music for dementia/Alzheimer’s patients. Sung remarks, “If I’ve learned anything this past year and a half, it’s to not take anything for granted, be it people, relationships, opportunities…so I’m jumping in with arms wide open. I want to swallow life whole!”

Sat. Nov. 6 – Jazz at Princeton University presents Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Hero Trio

Jazz at Princeton University presents Rudresh Mahanthappa’s internationally acclaimed Hero Trio in concert
with Princeton’s Small Group I on Saturday, November 6, 2021

Other events for the fall season include performances by student groups led by Jazz at Princeton faculty members Mahanthappa, Trineice Robinson-Martin, Matthew Parrish and Darcy James Argue
 
“Mahanthappa is “making truly some of the most original jazz out there at the moment."
– Brian Zimmerman, Jazziz
 
“The riveting cry of his alto saxophone is one of the most recognizable sounds in jazz.” 
– Thomas Conrad, Stereophile

Jazz at Princeton University, helmed by trailblazing saxophonist/composer Rudresh Mahanthappa, returns to live performances on Saturday, November 6 with a concert featuring Mahanthappa’s internationally renowned Hero Trio performing with Princeton’s Small Group I. Other concerts this season include performances by student groups led by faculty members Mahanthappa, Trineice Robinson-Martin, Matthew Parrish and Darcy James Argue. The concerts are free and open to the vaccinated public. For information, go to https://music.princeton.edu/calendar.
 
“Interfacing with the community via concerts by our renowned faculty and accomplished students has always been an important aspect of Jazz at Princeton,” says Mahanthappa. “I’m excited that we are able to bring it back and offer audiences the joy of attending live performances for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic.”
 
Fall performances include:
 
Saturday, November 6, 2021 – Jazz Small Group I and Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Hero Trio 
8 pm, Richardson Auditorium, Alexander Hall.  Free and open to the public. For tickets and information, call 609-258-9220 or log on to https://music.princeton.edu/events/jazz-small-group-i-rudresh-mahanthappa‘s-hero-trio-concert

One of the top ensembles in jazz, Mahanthappa’s Hero Trio features the saxophone icon with bassist François Moutin and drummer Rudy Royston. Their album Hero Trio, released in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, earned wide acclaim including top spots as one of the best albums of the year in outlets and publications including NPR, Paste, DownBeat, JazzTimes, Jazziz, Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe, and Denver Post. Robert Baird of Qobuz calls the album “a near perfect mix of buoyancy and mastery, a welcome revelation.” John Murph of DownBeat writes: “These tributes burst with so much interpretive ingenuity, sparkling friction and caffeinated improvisational interplay that they demand considerable replay.” Jason Bivins wrote in Dusted that Hero Trio offers “a genuinely expansive, and often thrilling, ride through songs from Mahanthappa’s personal pantheon.…In a year of precious little joy, this is quite simply a jewel of a jazz record.”  

Wednesday, December 1 – Jazz Small Group I led by Rudresh Mahanthappa
7:30 pm, Taplin Auditorium, Fine Hall. Free and open to the public. For information, call 609-258-9220 or log on to https://music.princeton.edu/events/jazz-small-group-i-concert
 
Mahanthappa leads Princeton’s premiere small jazz ensemble in an energizing and beautiful evening of music.

Thursday, December 2 – Jazz Vocal Collective led by Trineice Robinson-Martin
7:30 pm, Taplin Auditorium, Fine Hall. Free and open to the public. For information, call 609-258-9220 or log on to https://music.princeton.edu/events/jazz-vocal-collective-3
 
Jazz at Princeton University’s Jazz Vocal Collective (JVC), Princeton University's elite small jazz ensemble that features solo voice, will join director Dr. Trineice Robinson-Martin and showcase their original arrangements of classic and contemporary jazz compositions. 
 
Internationally recognized as one of the leading educators in gospel and soul voice training, Dr. Trineice Robinson-Martin specializes in vocal pedagogy and performance practices for contemporary music styles (jazz, pop, gospel, R&B, country, rock, music theater). As the creator of Soul Ingredients®, a methodology for nurturing vocal freedom and authentic musical interpretation and expression, Dr. Robinson-Martin regularly travels nationally and internationally teaching voice, lecturing and giving workshops. She also performs internationally and recently released All Or Nothing, her highly acclaimed debut album as a leader.
 
Saturday, December 4 – Small Groups X & Z led by Matthew Parrish
7:30 pm, Taplin Auditorium, Fine Hall. Free and open to the public. For information, call 609-258-9220 or log on to https://music.princeton.edu/events/jazz-small-groups-x-z
 
The Princeton University Jazz Ensembles X & Z perform under the direction of master bassist Matthew Parrish. Group X evokes the small group tradition of the Art Blakey groups of the 50’s and 60's where improvisation and inspiring interaction are key. The group performs as a septet with several featured trio performances. Group Z is new this year, created in response to the expanding number of excellent student musicians participating in Princeton’s jazz program.   
 
Matthew Parrish is a sought-after performer, arranger, composer, producer, and instructor. Matthew’s warmth in his playing and loyalty to delivering heartfelt, passionate works is apparent in every note, every tune, and every interaction with his fellow musicians. Born in central California, Matthew has performed and recorded with top names in jazz including Regina Carter, Wynton Marsalis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Paquito D’Rivera, Clark Terry, Etta Jones, Orrin Evans, Clark Terry, Dr. Jonnie Smith, Savion Glover, Bill Charlap, Houston Person, and many others. He has recorded over sixty works, including his debut CD Circles (2000) and his most recent recordings with Karine Aguiar.  
 
Monday, December 6 – Small Group A led by Rudresh Mahanthappa
7:30 pm, Taplin Auditorium, Fine Hall. Free and open to the public. For information, call 609-258-9220 or log on to https://music.princeton.edu/events/jazz-small-group
 
Jazz at Princeton University's Small Group A, directed by Rudresh Mahanthappa, presents an evening of jazz at its most intimate in a showcase of improvisation and inspiring interaction. 
 
Friday, December 10 – Creative Large Ensemble – Led by Darcy James Argue
8 pm, Richardson Auditorium, Alexander Hall.  Free and open to the public. For tickets and information, call 609-258-9220 or log on to https://music.princeton.edu/events/jazz-creative-large-ensemble-fall-concert
 
Hear Jazz at Princeton University’s Creative Large Ensemble led by Darcy James Argue in their first live performance since the start of the pandemic. The ensemble continues to redefine the big band in an innovative program encompassing classic and contemporary repertoire.
 
Vancouver-born, Brooklyn-based composer and bandleader Darcy James Argue has toured nationally and internationally with his 18-piece ensemble, Secret Society. Argue made his mark with his critically acclaimed 2009 debut Infernal Machines. 2013 saw the release of Brooklyn Babylon, which, like Infernal Machines before it, earned the group nominations for both GRAMMY and JUNO Awards. His most recent recording, Real Enemies, released in the fall of 2016, earned a third consecutive GRAMMY nomination. Secret Society maintains a busy touring schedule, with European, Canadian, and South American tours and four appearances at the Newport Jazz Festival. Argue has also toured Australia and New Zealand leading the Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra. He has led performances of his music by the WDR Big Band, the Danish Radio Big Band, the Frankfurt Radio Big Band, the Cologne Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, the Big Band Palácio das Artes, and the West Point Jazz Knights. Argue has composed works for chamber duo and string quartet, art songs for Newspeak, and created arrangements for the Atlanta Symphony. In 2015, Argue was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in Music Composition and a Doris Duke Artist Award. He has received commissions from the Fromm Music Foundation, the Jazz Gallery, the Manhattan New Music Project, the Jerome Foundation, and BAM, as well as ensembles including the Danish Radio Big Band, the Hard Rubber Orchestra, the West Point Jazz Knights, and the Orquestra Jazz de Matosinhos. He is the recipient of grants and fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts, New Music USA, the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Composers Now, the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the MacDowell Colony.
 
Jazz at Princeton University under the direction of Rudresh Mahanthappa serves to promote this uniquely American music as a contemporary and relevant art form. Our goals are to convey the vast musical and social history of jazz, establish a strong theoretical and stylistic foundation with regard to improvisation and composition, and emphasize the development of individual expression and creativity. Offerings of this program include academic course work, performing ensembles, master classes, private study, and independent projects. Students also have the opportunity to participate in academic courses from the music department curriculum that encourage the study of the historical, social, theoretical, stylistic, and creative issues that pertain to the jazz idiom.
Hailed by Pitchfork as “jaw-dropping… one of the finest saxophonists going,” alto saxophonist, composer and educator Rudresh Mahanthappa is widely known as one of the premier voices in jazz of the 21st century. He has over a dozen albums to his credit, including the acclaimed Bird Calls, which topped many critics’ best-of-year lists for 2015 and was hailed by PopMatters as “complex, rhythmically vital, free in spirit while still criss-crossed with mutating structures.” His most recent release, Hero Trio, was considered to be one of the best jazz albums of 2020 by critics and fans alike.  Rudresh has been named alto saxophonist of the year for nine of the last eleven years running in Downbeat Magazine’s International Critics’ Polls (2011-2013, 2015-2018, 2020-1), and for five consecutive years by the Jazz Journalists’ Association (2009-2013) and again in 2016. He won alto saxophonist of the year in the 2015-2018 & 2020 JazzTimes Magazine Critics’ Polls and was named the Village Voice’s "Best Jazz Artist" in 2015.  He has also received the Guggenheim Fellowship and the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, among other honors, and is currently the Anthony H. P. Lee ’79 Director of Jazz at Princeton University.
 
Born in Trieste, Italy to Indian émigrés in 1971, Mahanthappa was brought up in Boulder, Colorado and gained proficiency playing everything from current pop to Dixieland. He went on to studies at North Texas, Berklee and DePaul University (as well as the Stanford Jazz Workshop) and came to settle in Chicago. Soon after moving to New York in 1997 he formed his own quartet featuring pianist Vijay Iyer. The band recorded an enduring sequence of albums, Black Water, Mother Tongue and Codebook, each highlighting Mahanthappa’s inventive methodologies and deeply personal approach to composition. He and Iyer also formed the duo Raw Materials.
 
Coming deeper into contact with the Carnatic music of his parents’ native southern India, Mahanthappa partnered in 2008 with fellow altoist Kadri Gopalnath and the Dakshina Ensemble for Kinsmen, garnering wide acclaim. Apti, the first outing by Mahanthappa’s Indo-Pak Coalition (with Pakistani-born Rez Abbasi on guitar and Dan Weiss on tabla), saw release the same year; Agrima followed nine years later and considerably expanded the trio’s sonic ambitions.  In 2020, Rudresh released Hero Trio, an album of “covers” paying tribute to his musical heroes.  He also co-led a project celebrating the centenary of Charlie Parker with the blessing of the Parker estate. 
 
Mahanthappa has also worked with Jack DeJohnette, Mark Dresser, Danilo Pérez, Arturo O’Farrill’s Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, the collaborative trios MSG and Mauger, the co-led quintet Dual Identity with fellow altoist Steve Lehman, and another co-led quintet with fellow altoist and Chicago stalwart Bunky Green (Apex). His exploratory guitar-driven quartets on Samdhi and Gamak featured David Gilmore and Dave “Fuze” Fiuczynski, respectively. In 2015 he was commissioned by Ragamala Dance to create Song of the Jasmine for dancers and a hybrid jazz/South Indian ensemble. He was also commissioned by the PRISM Saxophone Quartet to compose a chamber piece, “I Will Not Apologize for My Tone Tonight,” which can be heard on the quartet’s 2015 double-disc release Heritage/Evolution, Volume 1.
 
Mahanthappa is a Yamaha artist and uses Vandoren reeds exclusively.

Jorge Rossy / Robert Landfermann / Jeff Ballard - Puerta (November 5, 2021 ECM)

Jorge Rossy turns to vibraphone and marimba and delivers a trio set filled with momentous originals for his ECM leader-debut. Marked by their immediate melodic appeal, the vibraphonist’s lines are in lively interplay with his colleagues, Robert Landfermann on bass and Jeff Ballard on drums. After Jorge’s recent contribution on drums to Jakob Bro’s trio with trumpeter Arve Henriksen on Uma Elmo, the present line-up sees him focusing on his own music. On Puerta the Spaniard shines as he navigates a programme that proves him as much an eloquent composer as a powerful melodic voice.
1 POST-CATHOLIC WALTZ (Jorge Rossy) 06:15
2 TAÍNOS (Jorge Rossy) 06:07
3 ADAGIO (Jorge Rossy) 04:47
4 MAYBE TUESDAY (Jorge Rossy) 08:01
5 CARGOLS (Chris Cheek) 04:34
6 SCILLA E CARIDDI (Jorge Rossy) 05:43
7 PUERTA (Jorge Rossy) 03:54
8 S.T. (Jorge Rossy) 05:54
9 VENTANA (Jorge Rossy) 04:21
10 ADIÓS (Jorge Rossy) 04:35

Jorge Rossy   Vibraphone and Marimba
Robert Landfermann   Double Bass
Jeff Ballard   Drums and Percussion


CONCERTS

January 06 Jorge Rossy/Robert Landfermann/Jeff Ballard Porgy & Bess Vienna Austria
January 07 Jorge Rossy/Robert Landfermann/Jeff Ballard Woippy, Atrium Metz France
January 08 Jorge Rossy/Robert Landfermann/Jeff Ballard Sunside Club Paris France
January 09 Jorge Rossy/Robert Landfermann/Jeff Ballard Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club London United Kingdom
January 11 Jorge Rossy/Robert Landfermann/Jeff Ballard Fasching Stockholm Sweden
January 12 Jorge Rossy/Robert Landfermann/Jeff Ballard Zig Zag Jazz Club Berlin Germany
January 13 Jorge Rossy/Robert Landfermann/Jeff Ballard Kofferfabrik Fürth Germany
January 14 Jorge Rossy/Robert Landfermann/Jeff Ballard Domicil Dortmund Germany
January 15 Jorge Rossy/Robert Landfermann/Jeff Ballard Lantaren/Venster Rotterdam Netherlands
January 16 Jorge Rossy/Robert Landfermann/Jeff Ballard Bimhuis Amsterdam Netherlands
November 18 Jakob Bro/Arve Henriksen/Jorge Rossy Festival Bielsko Biala Poland
January 18 Jakob Bro/Arve Henriksen/Jorge Rossy Fossé des Treize Strasbourg France
January 19 Jakob Bro/Arve Henriksen/Jorge Rossy Bee-Flat-Turnhalle Bern Switzerland
January 20 Jakob Bro/Arve Henriksen/Jorge Rossy Flagey Brussels Belgium
January 21 Jakob Bro/Arve Henriksen/ orge Rossy De Roma Antwerp Belgium
January 22 Jakob Bro/Arve Henriksen/Jorge Rossy Bilderhaus Gschwend Germany
February 24 Jakob Bro/Arve Henriksen/Jorge Rossy Domicil Dortmund Germany
February 25 Jakob Bro/Arve Henriksen/Jorge Rossy Bimhuis Amsterdam Netherlands
February 26 Jakob Bro/Arve Henriksen/Jorge Rossy Cultural Center of Echternach Echternach Luxembourg
March 15 Jakob Bro/Arve Henriksen/Jorge Rossy Bijloke Gent Belgium
March 18 Jakob Bro/Arve Henriksen/Jorge Rossy Bergamo Jazz Festival Bergamo Italy

NEW RELEASE: Tenor Saxophonist Asaf Yuria's EXORCISMS is out November 5, 2021 via Jojo Records


Jojo Records is pleased to announce the November 5, 2021 release of Exorcisms, a new album from exciting Israeli saxophonist Asaf Yuria. Yuria draws seamlessly from the proud jazz combo tradition of Art Blakey and Lee Morgan on a sophomore effort ripe with inventive horn arrangements and captivating solo work. Here he assembles a cast of New York’s finest including trumpeter Josh Evans and trombonist Jonathan Voltzok who join Yuria on frontline duties. Pianist Jeremy Manasia, bassist Ben Meigners and the fiery contributions of drummer Jason Brown provide lithe accompaniment from the backline.

Born in Tel Aviv, Israel in 1985, Yuria was raised on the recordings of John Coltrane, Charlie Parker and countless others. By high school, he’d advanced to play alongside some of the top musicians in the capital’s close-knit jazz scene. However, the bright lights of New York City were always an aspiration for the young Yuria. He eventually moved to the US to follow his dreams, spending thirteen successful years playing in jazz clubs, jam sessions and music festivals around the world. 

Yuria soon enrolled at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in the late 2000’s where he came under the influence of close mentor Billy Harper, as well as George Cables, Reggie Workman, Billy Hart and Charles Tolliver. Over the past five years, Yuria has been a key part of countryman and world-renowned bassist Omer Atival’s quintet. In 2018, Yuria released his debut album, Papa Wawa. Nowadays, Yuria finds himself back in Tel Aviv.

“I’m looking for those unexplainable moments,” Yuria says of Exorcisms, which expands the personnel of his previous release from five to a chunky six-piece. On the album’s mysterious title, Yuria offers an explanation to dispel the definition found on the album notes [def: to free from or rid of evil spirits or other harmful elements by works of spell and magical formulas]: “I’m looking for that mysterious condition in which the listeners and the musicians are immersed in the present moment.” Yuria’s musical outlook deals with the abstract possibilities of music, allowing a clear route to a personal connection with listeners: “When people are present in the moment, then the music can really touch them.”
The album features a set of compositions dreamed up after his successful debut, tailored specifically to this band. “My priority is for each player to be able to use his voice most comfortably and as beautifully as possible, and to try to create the most compelling compositions I can. I work as intuitively as possible – it’s the idea of finding your individual voice through the study of the tradition,” he muses.

Exorcisms begins with “The Bell Ringers”, a busy straight-ahead swinger where lines gather momentum until they just about take off. It’s dedicated to his bandmates – the lineup has changed very little since the groups’ inception – as Yuria explains the strong relationships he found. “We all have different bells inside of us,” he explains – bells that ring when something clicks. “My bandmates ring that bell for me!” “Lotus Moon” is a chance for Yuria to take us on a groovier journey, flitting between Latin 8s and high-energy swing. “Wise Eyes” (for Yuria’s mother) is lushly scored but with a grit at its core; title track “Exorcisms” compliments and concludes the opener – another heavy swinger, featuring a rip-roaring solo from the constantly inventive Manasia. 

“Out of the Mist” emerges from the second having, where Yuria reveals a tender sensibility. “Bright Night Light Flight” really rocks, as Brown leads the track away from the brightness and towards something altogether more emotive. “Mindful Breath” is reminiscent of the Art Blakey Messengers’ charts of old, opening with chattering horn lines deep in conversation. Solos fly around the band, but the key to the track is mindfulness – “learning to breathe mindfully is good for the music, and also for life,” says Yuria.

“The expression of study has to come out through the prism of my life experience and ideas,” he reflects. Yuria is bold with his goals, which shine through his highly intuitive charts steeped in detailed knowledge of great masters of the past.

1 The Bell Ringers
2 Lotus Moon
3 Wise Eyes
4 Exorcisms
5 Out From The Mist
6 Bright Night, Light Flight
7 Mindful Breath

Romero Lubambo & Rafael Piccolotto Chamber Orchestra - Live at Dizzy's (November 5, 2021 Sunnyside Records)

The music that Romero Lubambo creates is bursting with emotion and technically brilliant. He has become an expert at squeezing meaningful nuance and feeling from his guitar, a true exemplar of his native Brazil’s saudade. On his new recording, Live at Dizzy’s, Lubambo experiences a first as he teams up with arranger Rafael Piccolotto to present his music with the more expansive color and texture palette of a chamber jazz orchestra.

The Rio de Janeiro born Lubambo has carved a place for himself in the pantheon of jazz guitarists. His expertise with the Brazilian flavors of samba and bossa nova have made him the go to performer for the genres and as an accompanist for vocalists, including Astrud Gilberto, Dianne Reeves, and Luciana Souza. These collaborations have allowed Lubambo to play in a wide variety of settings, from duos to soloing with symphony orchestras.

One of Lubambo’s longtime dreams was to perform his music with strings and a large ensemble. Growing up hearing the expansive recordings of his hero Wes Montgomery had put the sound of a solo guitarist leading a large ensemble in Lubambo’s head. But Lubambo wanted to try to apply the musical language of Brazilian music in a similar context.

The guitarist became aware of countryman, composer/arranger Rafael Piccolotto De Lima a few years ago. Originally from Campinas, Brazil, Piccolotto has been based in New York City since finishing his studies at the University of Miami. His talents as a classical and jazz composer and arranger led to a number of impressive affiliations, including the Metropol Orkest and the Los Angeles Symphonic Jazz Orchestra, along with a Latin Grammy nomination.

Impressed with Piccolotto’s work, Lubambo reached out to suggest a collaboration, which Piccolotto readily accepted. The guitarist provided a number of pieces from his catalog for the young arranger to adapt to a chamber jazz orchestra that would feature four string players, four horn players, and a full rhythm section. Together they chose the pieces they thought would work best for the ensemble. An easy-going relationship developed between Lubambo and Piccolotto, allowing for a comfortable environment for creation.

After a long development process, Lubambo reached out to Jazz @ Lincoln Center to see if they would be interested in hosting the project. He was awarded four nights at Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola where the ensemble would perform re-arranged works for a live audience and be able to capture that special live performance energy with the aid of Lincoln Center recording engineer Rob Macomber.

One of the most important elements for Lubambo was to ensure that there would be a Brazilian rhythm section to hold the music together and provide that special Brazilian swing. He enlisted some of the best that New York City offers, including accordionist Victor Gonçalves, pianist Helio Alves, bassist Itaiguara Brandão, and drummer Mauricio Zottarelli. Lubambo made sure that Brandão performed on electric bass so that the music would really have a rhythmic punch, a practice that Brazilian bandleaders have continued from the example of the late, great Elis Regina.
The strings and woodwinds were assembled by Piccolotto and were musicians he has known and worked with for some time. His familiarity with the musicians allowed him to customize parts to the individual performers.

Most of the pieces that were recorded during the series of performances in January 2019 had been previously recorded by Lubambo. The careful study and reinterpretation by Piccolotto allowed these pieces to blossom anew.

The recording begins with Lubambo’s swinging “Lukinha;” Piccolotto’s breezy yet punchy arrangement allowing for some dynamic solos from the leader along with bassist Brandão and saxophonist Alejandro Aviles. The guitar introduces his “Bachião” solo, building with Gonçalves’s accordion and Zottarelli’s insistent drumming, culminating in brilliant solos from saxist Livio Almeida and Lubambo. The lusciously arranged “Pro Romero” was written for the leader by his friend, the prolific Brazilian composer Debora Gurgel. Lubambo’s heartwarming “By the Stream” features his wife, vocalist Pamela Driggs, inviting their young daughter to enjoy playful family time in their backyard stream.

The pace picks up on Lubambo’s “Frevo Camarada,” an effervescent rhythmic workout that highlights the guitarist’s touch, a blistering accordion, and Hadar Noiberg’s dynamic flute work. Piccolotto’s tricky “Samba de Proveta” is a tribute to Brazilian sax master Nailor “Proveta” Azevedo, a welcome challenge to Lubambo and the ensemble. Bobby Troup’s “Route 66” was chosen by Lubambo because of its emotional tie to his first journey with his wife, Driggs.

Lubambo’s introspective “Paquito In Bremen” is a tribute to his friend, Cuban woodwind master Paquito D’Rivera, in a quietly winding ballad. Piccolotto’s arrangement of João Bosco’s “Pret-à-porter de Tafeta” owes a bit to “Proveta” Azevedo’s big band arrangement of the tune, this scaled down version still packing a punch. The recording concludes with Lubambo’s tribute to his father, “Pro Flavio,” a Baião style piece that showcases Aviles on flute and Zottarelli’s percussion mastery.

Romero Lubambo and Rafael Piccolotto’s wonderful collaboration on Live at Dizzy’s provides a perfect example of both musicians doing what they do best. Lubambo provides a master’s touch on his instrument while the arranger helps re-imagine the guitarist’s pieces in a new and enlivening sound world with his chamber jazz orchestra. 

1. Lukinha
2. Bachião
3. Pro Romero
4. By The Stream
5. Frevo Camarada
6. Samba De Proveta
7. Route 66
8. Paquito In Bremen
9. Prêt-à-Porter de Tafetá
10. Pro Flavio

Rafael Piccolotto de Lima - arranger & conductor
Romero Lubambo - acoustic & electric guitars
Vitor Gonçalves - accordion
Helio Alvés - piano
Itaiguara Brandão - drums
Hadar Noiberg - flute & piccolo
Alejandro Aviles - alto sax, flute & alto flute
Livio Almeida - tenor sax & clarinet
Stuart Mack - trumpet & flugelhorn
Patti Kilroy - violin 1
Delaney Stockli - violin 2
Amanda Díaz - viola
Eric Allen - cello
Pamela Driggs - vocals

Flutist and Composer Alex Hamburger's Debut AND SHE SPOKE due out November 5, 2021

DC Artist and Composer Alex Hamburger memorializes strong, unrelenting women on debut record And She Spoke, due out on November 5, 2021

Flutist-composer and singer Alex Hamburger threads generations of voices through her debut release And She Spoke, due out on November 5. Focused on sharing women’s stories — from poets and  activists to composers and songwriters — the album offers original music and fresh interpretations of enduring works. Exploring pieces from Geri Allen, Maya Angelou, Mary Lou Williams, Joni Mitchell and her own grandmother, poet and activist Ana Maria R. Codas, Hamburger creates a highly orchestrated, textural experience that unfolds in thoughtful sequence. 

In her liner notes, Hamburger describes the experience of conceiving and recording And She Spoke as “standing on the shoulders of giants.” She credits her own pathway through the music to the women — and, in particular, the Black women — who came before her. “These women made it so women like me could have a voice,” she says. “Women like Terri Lyne [Carrington] and Mary Lou Williams paved the way.” 

Recorded in a single day at JazzCampus Studio in Basel, Switzerland, And She Spoke features quartet members José Luiz Martins on piano and Rhodes, Chase Kuesel on drums and Hamburger’s mentor-turned-colleague Doug Weiss on bass. “Playing with Doug is always a lesson,” says the DC artist. “He’s just so solid and grounding yet so interactive — a part of this big swirling thing. What he brought to the music was really his experiences — who he is. Having someone from his generation who’s been around  and played around — even the way he talks about music — you can feel all that when  you play with him.” 

Cool clarity from recording and mixing engineer Patrik Zosso serves the music’s precision and tonal colors, and Hamburger’s overall aesthetic for the recording. “Patrik heard the music and knew what it needed,” she says. The two mixed together remotely, sending each other notes and tracks. “We didn’t have that ‘sitting down moment,’ but he was really patient.” 
Alex Hamburger by Joji Bronner and Emma Lurye

“A lot of how we view music, on a very visceral level, is through texture,” says Hamburger. She and Martins match and reflect each other’s melodic development  against spontaneity, particularly on their stark, haunting arrangement of Mitchell’s “Last Chance Lost” that leads into Beatles classic “Across the Universe,” as well as on  Allen’s “Unconditional Love.” Foundational buoyancy enhances the record’s  exploration of texture, nuanced and elemental. “Waking in the City,” Hamburger’s response to Angelou’s “Awaking in New York,” delivers a mood-casting drone that  rapidly gains momentum. The artist’s channel-driving, reflexive energy on “Burning the Letters,” the flutist-composer’s tribute to Sylvia Plath, and serve a strong, lyrical  statement on Hamburger’s arrangement of Williams’ “What’s Your Story Morning Glory.”  

“People outside of certain circles maybe don’t know as much about who Geri was and what she’s done for the music,” says Hamburger. “I just love the way she wrote. I love the way she played and the way she conceptualized music. I had to include her in this project. She’s one of those women who broke the boundary and said, ‘Fuck this. I’m gonna play. Get out of my way.’”  

Rich transitions abound throughout “It Comes Unadorned,” Hamburger’s arrangement  of Toni Morrison’s vivid verse. But the artist-composer’s most personal gesture  memorializes the revolutionary life of her grandmother who fought for academic  integrity under the Stroessner dictatorship in Paraguay. “I was blown away by her  poems and stories,” says Hamburger, “by this art that I was connected to and how  amazing it was and how much it resonated with me. She was the starting point [for this  project].” 

Through Hamburger’s skilled arrangements and creative interpretations of existing  literary works, And She Spoke tells a series of stories that share an arc of resistance, grace  and grit. “It’s been a journey for sure,” she says. “That day in the studio was everything  I had worked on for so long. And it’s a dream come true.” 

Track listing:

1. Waking in the City (music by Alex Hamburger and lyrics by Maya Angelou)
2. La Desesperación es la Pasión Verdaderamente Humana (music by Alex Hamburger and lyrics by Ana Maria R. Codas)
3. Unconditional Love (by Geri Allen)
4. It Comes Unadorned (music by Alex Hamburger and lyrics by Toni Morrison)
5. What's Your Story Morning Glory (by Mary Lou Williams)
6. Last Chance Lost (by Joni Mitchell and arranged by Alex Hamburger)
7. Across the Universe (by Lennon McCartney and arranged by José Luiz Martins)
8. Burning the Letters (by Alex Hamburger)

Alex Hamburger: Voice, Flute and Compositions
José Luiz Martins: Piano, Rhodes, Arrangement
Doug Weiss: Bass
Chase Kuesel: Drums

Produced by José Luiz Martins and Alex Hamburger
Engineered, Mixed and Mastered by Patrik Zosso
Recorded at the JazzCampus Studio at the FHNW in Basel, Switzerland November 2019

Liner notes by Emma Lurye and Alex Hamburger
Album art and design by allison anne

© & ℗ Alex Hamburger 2021. All rights of the producer and of the owner of the work reproduced are reserved. Unauthorized copying, hiring, lending, public performance and broadcasting of this recording prohibited.
“Waking in New York” Copyright © Alex Hamburger (BMI) and Caged Bird Legacy (ASCAP)
“It Comes Unadorned” reprinted with permission of the Estate of Chloe A. Morrison

Damani Phillips - No More Apologies (November 5, 2021 Openmind Records)

No More Apologies represents the realization of a longstanding musical dream that began with the recording of my 2010 album “The String Theory”. The reality of working with strings in a jazz context is that the composer/arranger is limited in the musical directions that can be explored. The classical training typical among string players prepares them to play well in that tradition, but customarily leaves them ill-equipped to address the syncopation essential to jazz and other styles derived from African American music culture. This means that jazz composers must either “write around” these weaknesses or learn to accept poorly interpreted syncopation. The latter is the epitome of the phrase “fitting a square peg into a round hole,” resulting in music that is rigid, sounds forced and lacks the characteristic groove that is ever-present in Black music.

What would happen if I could find a string section that could legitimately handle swing? What might be possible with strings that negotiate hip hop and funk syncopation in a natural, unforced way? What if I could find a string section that could be an active contributor to a syncopated groove rather than a harmonic layer that floats atop of it? Are these things even possible?! No More Apologies provided the chance to get answers to these musical questions that I’ve been asking myself for the past 12 years.

Best described as an album of Black music rather than a “jazz” album in the traditional sense, No More Apologies is the result of a risky, yet rewarding, musical experiment. A twist of fate brought me together with a one-of-a-kind string section with a uniquely refined understanding of Black music. Without the need to worry about the rhythmic limitations of a typical string group, the music on this album was allowed to go in whatever direction it needed to go.

The end result is a stylistic journey through the swingin’, funky, syncopated side of the musical tracks that is difficult to find duplicated in the jazz world. With the help of a stellar jazz rhythm section, No More Apologies is a one of a kind project that embraces the power and reach of music that grooves beautifully. A project of substantial music that grooves hard while remaining down to earth—all the things that great jazz music should strive to be! Kick back, turn up the volume and enjoy the musical ride! 
1. So In Love (A Nod to Cannon) 06:52
2. Sunset's Last Embrace (Remix) 06:03
3. Corcovado (M.J. Version) 07:44
4. Hymn (for Trayvon) 05:55
5. Midnight Sun (Remix) 08:13
6. But Beautiful (+ Bonus Track) 14:01

Damani Phillips — Sax, Scat vocals
William Menefield — Piano / Rhodes
Brandon Meeks — Bass
Cassius Goens — Drums

Violin: Sylvia de la Cerna, Lucinda Ali Landing, Edith Yokley, Zara Zaharieva
Viola: Chuck Bontrager, Adjedmaa Ali
Cello: Tahirah Whittington, Najette Abouelhadi

Mark Lewandowski - Under One Sky (November 5, 2021)

Under One Sky is an exploration of both place and self. A musical accompaniment to Lewandowski’s period of transition in his relocation from London to New York City in 2017.  “My aim for this record is to express my feelings, experiences and growth as I float between two major cities and scenes. Both have mighty rivers, both are bustling metropolises, both have imposing skylines and indeed both have strong musical heartbeats, which although moving to a different rhythm, foster creativity through both tradition and individualism. My music is made up of a combination of these two great cities and the sounds that live within them. In this sense, whether I’m in New York or London, I truly feel that I am under one sky’. 

Following the success of his critically acclaimed 2017 debut album, ‘Waller’ (released shortly before his departure to the US), ‘Under One Sky’ sees Lewandowski revisit the piano trio, which he considers his “favourite vehicle for improvising”, in a markedly different  setting than his reimagining of the music of one of the early innovators of the genre - Thomas ‘Fats’ Waller.  Consisting of 11 original compositions, this is Lewandowski’s first recorded statement of his own music. In this album, he proves to be a composer of great skill, conjuring architecturally intricate, crystalline compositions reminiscent of both the Manhattan and City of London skylines. “My aim as a composer is, through the use of form, melody and harmony, to provide an expansive jumping off point from fairly limited information.”

He continues “I try to consolidate all of my ideas into one page of manuscript” a lesson he learned from a semester studying composition with Dave Douglas at the Juilliard School. “For me, clarity of line and melodic narrative are very important. The trio allows the intimacy for all three instruments to weave in and out of each other. To capture this I often have figures and motifs that pervade my compositions.  It’s truly a three way commentary”.

This aspect of Lewandowski’s music becomes clear upon listening to the cyclical ‘Licks’, in which his skill as a gifted and melodious soloist also shines through. The snake-like ‘Provavus’ twists and turns as the instruments rise and fall in counterpoint, demonstrating the virtuosity of his two collaborators, Pianist Addison Frei and drummer Kush Abadey. 

Frei, a classmate of Mark’s from their time as members of the prestigious Artist Diploma ensemble at Juilliard demonstrates masterful pacing, touch and colour. Himself a gifted composer, he illuminates Lewandowski’s compositions from behind the keyboard. Washington DC born Kush Abadey has fast established himself as one of the first call drummers on the international jazz scene, performing with a diverse range of musicians such as Melissa Aldana, Ravi Coltrane and Dee Dee Bridgewater.  Here, he and Lewandowski weave a tapestry of textures both complex and sparse, always maintaining and exhibiting their broad knowledge of the jazz tradition.  Lewandowski’s reverence for this tradition and the history of the music has been a point of admiration from musicians, critics and listeners alike. Indeed the last time he performed on British soil was as a member of the trumpeter, composer and cultural ambassador Wynton Marsalis’ quartet.
This relationship with Wynton as well as other master musicians (recently including drummer, composer and Blue Note Records staple, Joe Chambers) and also his period of extended study with the great bassist Henry Grimes have all helped develop Lewandowski’s multifarious approach to both bass playing and composition.  As have his stints in the trios of celebrated pianists on both sides of the pond. In the UK, as a member of eclectic and imaginative MOBO award winning pianist Zoe Rahman’s trio and in NYC as a member of the beloved New York City institution Johnny O’Neals trio. These vastly different experiences have shaped Mark’s approach in a myriad of ways. As he puts it “with Zoe I learned about exploring identity, place and finding my voice in the music. Mixing and matching smells, sounds tastes and colours from everywhere and every experience in one’s life.

About being musically honest and personally authentic. With Johnny I learned about discipline, the roles of the instruments. A love for the art of song. Of being an accompanist. His beautiful phrasing and voicings taught me a lot too.  And of course it taught me to swing. To swing really really hard. No matter the style of the music, the groove of the music or the setting, being able to swing is invaluable. You can always tell when someone doesn’t know how to do that.” This respect for his elders is obvious by the two dedications on the album - tributes to two trail blazing pianists. “Andrew Hill and Paul Bley embody the spirit of jazz. A watertight knowledge of the music’s tradition twinned with a searching for one’s individual voice through the process of composition, both written and spontaneous. This is why I wanted to honor them on this album”. 

Although the music on this album evokes urban experiences in bustling world cities, the record opens exuding stillness and space. The opening track ‘3459 Miles’ (the distance between London and New York) is an almost pastoral overture to the album. Of this Lewandowski comments “Of course London and New York are separated by great space, both physically and also culturally.  Different time zones, cultural norms, accents and attitudes. The album’s opening is my way of capturing the feeling that that space gives me. Excitement mixed with a feeling of nostalgia. When I was in London I used to look at the map of the world imagining how I’d feel across the other side of the Atlantic.

Well now I know”.  Similarly his beautiful ballad ‘The Same Moon’ captures the composer’s feelings during a 3 year long-distance relationship with his now wife (luckily they are now reunited in their Manhattan apartment). “I used to sit outside really late at night or really early in the evening gazing at the moon. It might sound overly poetic, but I imagined my wife looking at the same moon all those many miles away”.  The piece features an extended solo by the bassist, caressing the strings and highlighting the sweet melodious tone which has become his signature. 

An album full of poise, sophisticated writing, playful interplay and subtlety Mark Lewandowski makes a poignant  impression as both composer and bassist. It is a beautiful document of his blossoming style as he weighs up the influence of both his chosen new home and his native homeland. 

1. Introduction (3459 Miles)
2. Licks
3. Provavus
4. For Paul Bley
5. The Same Moon
6. Islands
7. Very Well
8. Queen of the Orchids
9. For Andrew Hill
10. Skyline
11. Under One Sky

All Compositions by Mark Lewandowski

Recorded at Acoustic Recording, Brooklyn, NY (Jun, 2021)
Recorded by Michael Brorby (Brooklyn, NY)
Mixed and Mastered by Alex Bonney (London)
Produced by Mark Lewandowski
Assistant Producers - Addison Frei & Kush Abadey
Executive Producer - Mark Lewandowski
Original artwork by Naomi Allen
Design by Kassandra Charalampi