Marta Sanchez - SAAM (Spanish American Art Museum) February 25, 2022 Whirlwind Recordings

Marta Sanchez’s creative voice is strikingly original – circling rhythms, elaborate forms and criss-crossing counterpoint distinguishes her sonic signature on the crowded New York contemporary music scene. Following three critically acclaimed quintet releases, the Madrid-born pianist-composer presents SAAM (Spanish American Art Museum) on Whirlwind Recordings, an album driven by emotional candour and boundary-pushing compositions.

A talented cast realises her knotty, technical writing – frontline partners Alex Lore and Roman Filiu meet Sanchez, Rashaan Carter andAllan Mednard on backline duties.

SAAM riffs on the Smithsonian American Art Museum, on an album that’s an exhibition of Sanchez’s life in musical form: “It’s made up of all the elements of society from both countries [Spain and America] that impact my life and make me who I am.” Matters internal and external are realised in musical expositions of complex feelings. The pieces took shape in lockdown, as Sanchez exchanged fortnightly composition tasks with a pen- pal. “Those compositions express all the phases I was going through at that time. I was reflecting super deeply on what’s important, and how we might give some sense to life.”

Most of the album draws on those precisely realised emotions. The colouristic, texturally driven opener ‘The Unconquerable Areas’ describes parts of herself “that are still vulnerable. These weak parts of myself; even though I’ve been dealing with them for a long time, they’re still there.” Similarly reflective is ‘Dear Worthiness’, a “sad ballad that reflects on my self worth” – it features beautifully lithe melodies, but melancholy is never far away. ‘SAAM’ cuts through that smoothness, in a jagged, Schoenberg- inspired outburst full of intense feelings and dense clusters, built around an essential pain.

A different form of pain features in ‘The Eternal Stillness’ – mournful sighs and cries emanate from the saxophones, as layered textures shift underneath. Then something very different comes along – ‘Marivi’, featuring Ambrose Akinmusire and Camila Meza, offers a warm tribute to Sanchez’s mother, who died during lockdown. “I tell her things I could never tell her,” says Sanchez of the lyrics. “I loved my mum but it was really hard to tell her the deep things.”

‘If You Could Create It’ strikes a lighter tone, with cascading torrents of tenor sax sound, before ‘The Hard Balance’ offers reflection, both musically and personally – the track is finely balanced on an intricate polyrhythm, that reflects the difficulties of maintaining a work-life balance. ‘December 11th’ is the day Sanchez’s mother died, a personal tribute featuring an extended, heartfelt piano solo.

The album concludes with ‘When Dreaming is Only’, the most complex tune on the album; insistent piano rhythms and duelling saxophones give way to a band texture that’s bustling, brimming with energy. “Sometimes I just take the vibe, compose the atmosphere, and sometimes I focus on something super specific.” Sanchez’s ability to tap into emotional expression through detailed instrumental music is without parallel – this collage of moods and feelings is testament to that.

1. The Unconquered Vulnerable Areas

2. Dear Worthiness

3. SAAM (Spanish American Art Museum)

4. The Eternal Stillness

5. Marivi

6. If You Could Create It

7. The Hard Balance

8. December 11th

9. When Dreaming Is The Only

Alex LoRe - alto saxophone

Roman Filiu - tenor saxophone

Marta Sanchez - piano

Rashaan Carter - bass

Allan Mednard - drums

Camila Meza - voice and guitar (5)

Ambrose Akinmusire - trumpet (5)

Charlotte Greve - synths (5)

Recorded by Chris Allen at Sear Sound

(March 15/16, 2021)

Mixed by Dave Darlington

Mastered by Dave Darlington

Produced by Marta Sanchez

Executive Producer - Michael Janisch

Liner Notes - Michael Formanek

Photography by Kimberley M Wang

Graphic Design by Dave Bush

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Tigran Hamasyan - StandArt (April 29, 2022 Nonesuch Records)

Nonesuch Records releases pianist and composer Tigran Hamasyan’s StandArt —his first album of American standards— on April 29, 2022. StandArt includes songs from the 1920s through the 1950s, by Richard Rodgers, Charlie Parker, Jerome Kern, David Raksin, and others; it also includes a piece Hamasyan improvised with his bandmates —bassist Matt Brewer and drummer Justin Brown —and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, who is featured on two of the album’s tracks. Other special guests include saxophonist and label-mate Joshua Redman on Charlie Parker’s “Big Foot,” as well as saxophonist Mark Turner on Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein’s “All the Things You Are.” Produced by Hamasyan and recorded last spring in Los Angeles, StandArt is Hamasyan’s first release of American music, having previously only released original compositions and traditional Armenian music.

1. De-Dah

2. I Didn't Know What Time It Was

3. Tigran Hamasyan, Mark Turner - All the Things You Are (feat. Mark Turner)

4. Tigran Hamasyan, Joshua Redman - Big Foot (feat. Joshua Redman)

5. When a Woman Loves a Man

6. Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise

7. Tigran Hamasyan, Ambrose Akinmusire - I Should Care (feat. Ambrose Akinmusire)

8. Tigran Hamasyan, Ambrose Akinmusire - Invasion During an Operetta (feat. Ambrose Akinmusire)

9. Laura

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Walter Smith III - Still Casual (July 23, 2021 Whirlwind Recordings)

When Walter Smith III released his fourth album Still Casual in 2014, people listened, and the album was heralded as one of the top releases of the year. Now, fans of the saxophonist and composer can experience the tenorist’s wide-ranging release in a fresh new format on Vinyl *for the first time* on this special 2xLP, 180 gram limited edition printing in gatefold artwork.

Smith’s discography is pleasingly joined-up. As In Common 2 follows In Common, Still Casual references his 2006 solo debut Casually Introducing. The title might be another one of Smith’s trademark riffs, but the album is as committed to exploration as any other. Over the course of ten original tracks, Smith covers a swathe of musical and emotional ground.

The players assembled for Still Casual speak volumes for the quality of Smith’s company. Trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire joins Smith for explosive soloing on ‘Fing Fast’ and ‘Something New’. In Common co-convenor Matthew Stevens provides reflective harmonic support and muted solo colours alongside the understated backings of Taylor Eigsti. Together, Harish Raghavan and Kendrick Scott provide moments of tension and intrigue from the backline, adding suitable punch to the opener ‘Foretold You’.

Chronologically, the album precedes the In Common projects, and comes right as Smith hits his stride as a composer and arranger. From the elaborate (‘About 360’, ‘Processional’) to the personal (‘Greene’ is dedicated to saxophonist Jimmy Greene, whose daughter was killed in the Sandy Hook school shootings in 2012), Smith shines across fast-flowing vernacular and reflective, tender tones. Still Casual showcases a group stretching themselves in a way that never seems hurried, delving into a powerful collective energy to test their limits instead.

1. Foretold You (Preview Only) 00:48

2. Kaleidoscope (Preview Only) 00:47

3. Something New (Preview Only) 01:15

4. Apollo (Preview Only) 01:25

5. Greene (Preview Only) 02:53

6. Processional (Preview Only) 01:19

7. Fing Fast (Preview Only) 01:19

8. July (Preview Only) 01:19

9. About 360 (Preview Only) 01:19

10. Goodnight Now (Preview Only) 01:19

Walter Smith III - tenor saxophone

Taylor Eigsti - piano

Matthew Stevens - guitar

Harish Raghavan - bass

Kendrick Scott - drums

Ambrose Akinmusire - trumpet

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Jen Shyu & Jade Tongue - Zero Grasses: Ritual for the Losses (April 2, 2021 Pi Recordings)

Jen Shyu is a groundbreaking, multilingual vocalist, composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, dancer, 2016 Doris Duke Artist, and was voted 2017 Downbeat Critics Poll Rising Star Female Vocalist. Shyu is widely regarded for her virtuosic singing and riveting stage presence, carving out her own beyond-category space in the art world.

1. Living's a Gift | Part 1: Springtime

2. Living's a Gift | Part 2: Everything for Granted

3. Living's a Gift | Part 3: My Unsolved Regrets

4. Living's a Gift | Part 4: Joyful

5. Lament for Breonna Taylor

6. The Human Color

7. A Cure for the Heart's Longing

8. Body of Tears

9. When I Have Power

10. Finally She Emerges

11. Display Under the Moon | 月下の陣

12. Father Slipped Into Eternal Dream

13. With Eyes Closed You See All

14. Life As You Envision

Jen Shyu: Composition, vocals, percussion, piano, Taiwanese moon lute, Japanese biwa

Ambrose Akinmusire: trumpet

Mat Maneri: viola

Thomas Morgan: bass

Dan Weiss: drums

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Nov. 17: Trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire in world premiere at Princeton University

Jazz at Princeton University presents renowned trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire in world premiere of Slightly Left of Sorrow's Song

on Saturday, November 17

Work was commissioned by Jazz at Princeton University

in honor of the 150th anniversary of W.E.B. DuBois’ birth

Jazz at Princeton University presents guest artist and Blue Note Records trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire in the world premiere of Slightly Left of Sorrow's Song, commissioned by Jazz at Princeton University to commemorate the 150th anniversary of W.E.B. DuBois' birth. Akinmusire will perform the 8-movement suite with the school's Small Group I under the leadership of saxophonist and program director Rudresh Mahanthappa.

The concert takes place at 8 p.m. on Saturday, November 17 at Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall. Tickets are $15, $5 students.  For information call 609-258-9220 or visit at https://music.princeton.edu/events/ambrose-akinmusire-jazz-small-group-i

Born and raised in Oakland, California, Ambrose Akinmusire, “a thrilling young trumpeter and astute bandleader [with a] unique spark in his playing” (The New Yorker), was a member of the Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble when he caught the attention of saxophonist Steve Coleman. Akinmusire was asked to join Coleman’s Five Elements, embarking on a European tour when he was just a 19-year-old student at the Manhattan School of Music. After returning to the West Coast to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Southern California, Akinmusire went on to attend the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz in Los Angeles, where he studied with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Terence Blanchard. In 2007 he won the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, decided by a panel of judges that included Blanchard, Quincy Jones, Herb Alpert, Hugh Masekela, Clark Terry, and Roy Hargrove. That year Akinmusire also won the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition and released his debut album Prelude…To Cora on the Fresh Sound label.

He moved back to New York and began performing with artists including Vijay Iyer, Aaron Parks, Esperanza Spalding, and Jason Moran. It was during this time that he first caught the attention of another discerning listener, Bruce Lundvall, President of Blue Note Records. Akinmusire’s Blue Note debut When the Heart Emerges Glistening was released in 2011 to rave reviews. The Los Angeles Times praised his “chameleonic tone that can sigh, flutter or soar,” adding that “Akinmusire sounds less like a rising star than one that was already at great heights and just waiting to be discovered.” DownBeat described his playing as “spectacular and not at all shy—muscular, driving, with a forward sound, pliant phrasing and a penchant for intervallic leaps,” concluding that “clearly something very special and personal is at work here, a vision of jazz that’s bigger than camps, broader and more intellectually restless than blowing sessions.” His new recording is his fourth Blue Note release, Origami Harvest, a groundbreaking work that features the Mivos Quartet, rapper Kool A.D., drummer Marcus Gilmore, pianist Sam Harris, and saxophonist Walter Smith III.

Akinmusire has paradoxically situated himself in both the center and periphery of jazz, most recently emerging in classical and hip hop circles. He’s on a perpetual quest for new paradigms, masterfully weaving inspiration from other genres, arts, and life in general into compositions that are as poetic and graceful as they are bold and unflinching. His unorthodox approach to sound and composition make him a regular on critics polls and have earned him grants and commissions from the Doris Duke Foundation, the MAP Fund, the Kennedy Center, the Berlin Jazz Festival, and Monterey Jazz. Motivated primarily by the spiritual and practical value of art, Akinmusire wants to remove the wall of erudition surrounding his music. He aspires to create richly textured emotional landscapes that tell the stories of the community, record the time, and change the standard. While committed to continuing the lineage of black invention and innovation, he manages to honor tradition without being stifled by it.

This year’s exciting programming also features guest artists including world renowned vocalist Nnenna Freelon (February 16, 2019) and Terri Lyne Carrington (May 11, 2019), and the first ever outdoor jazz festival. “With the contribution of so many of jazz's most articulate voices – both as guest artists and ensemble leaders – we are thrilled to offer performances that will engage, inspire and entertain students, educators and the community at large,” says Mahanthappa.

Jazz at Princeton’s six major student ensembles include the Creative Large Ensemble directed by Darcy James Argue, Small Groups I and A directed by Mahanthappa, Small Group X directed by Matthew Parrish, the Jazz Vocal Collective directed by Trineice Robinson-Martin, and the Vocal Improvisation Ensemble directed by Jay Clayton.

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. They 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.” Rudresh has been named alto saxophonist of the year for seven of eight years running in DownBeat Magazine’s International Critics’ Polls (2011-2013, 2015-2018), 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 2015-2017 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.

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. 

Ambrose Akinmusire - Origami Harvest (BLUE NOTE 2018)

Ambrose Akinmusire's challenging fourth album for Blue Note (and sixth overall), 2018's Origami Harvest, is an ambitious work that finds the trumpeter blending seemingly disparate elements -- including spoken word, classical chamber music, free improvisation, and hip-hop rhythms -- into a textured if often laborious mix. The album was born out of a commission for curators Judd Greenstein of Manhattan's Ecstatic Music Festival and Kate Nordstrum of St. Paul's Liquid Music Series. They dared Akinmusire to bring to fruition his "craziest idea," and he did, crafting what are best described as evocative soundscapes. Helping to fill out these soundscapes are fellow Bay Area native rapper Victor Vazquez (aka Kool A.D.), Brooklyn-based Mivos Quartet, pianist Sam Harris, and drummer Marcus Gilmore. For jazz listeners, or for those who liked Akinmusire's previous albums like 2017's live A Rift in Decorum, Origami Harvest may be a frustrating experience. While there are moments of inventive soloing here, they are rare. More often, as in the opening "A Blooming Bloodfruit in a Hoodie," Akinmusire works to punctuate A.D.'s spoken word sections, fluttering and sparring with delicate urgency underneath the rapper before finally launching into his own synth and drum-backed solos late in the track. In fact, he barely plays any trumpet on "Americana/The Garden Waits..." and "Particle/Spectra," the latter of which showcases a soulful vocal from LMBRCK_T.

Nonetheless, both songs are deeply layered and cinematically constructed, moving from ruminative classical chamber sections to spacy funk midsections before finally pulling back into restrained string endings. All of this is thoughtfully composed, and there are brilliant moments that definitely grab your attention. Particularly compelling is "Miracle and Streetfight," in which Akinmusire's trumpet surfs against the dissonance of Mivos Quartet's sharp string waves as A.D. lays down his laconic invective. Equally engrossing is Akinmusire's fiery opening volley on "The Lingering Velocity of the Dead's Ambitions," in which he squawks and moans with tight-eyed intensity as Mivos Quartet play a buzzing crunch of sustained bass notes and piercing accents. There is much to admire on Origami Harvest, including Akinmusire's scoring for Mivos Quartet, who offer a vibrant harmonic counterpoint to his trumpet playing. Similarly, Harris and Gilmore offer their own layered asides, with Gilmore dropping into circular trap-style beats throughout and Harris shifting from warm piano to unearthly synthesizer as needed. That said, the spotlight given to A.D. deters somewhat from the more interesting musical juxtapositions. The rapper is featured on at least half of the tracks here, a fact that lends Origami Harvest the overall feeling of being more of an avant-garde spoken word album than an instrumental jazz album. Furthermore, whether it's A.D.'s flat delivery or the way he often seems to float over the music, disconnected from the underlying structure, his presence threatens to test one's patience. Origami Harvest may not work for everybody, but for those who take the time to explore the unexpected bends and folds in Akinmusire's construction, a wealth of discoveries can be found.

a blooming bloodfruit in a hoodie

miracle and streetfight

Americana / the garden waits for you to match her wildness

Particle/ spectra

Free, White, and 21

The lingering velocity of the dead’s ambitions

Camilla Battaglia - EMIT: RotatoR TeneT (DODICILUNE / IRD)

La cantante e compositrice Camilla Battaglia pubblica il suo secondo album dal titolo “EMIT: RotatoR TeneT”, in uscita l’8 ottobre 2018 per l’etichetta Dodicilune con il sostegno del MiBAC e di SIAE, nell’ambito dell’iniziativa “Sillumina – Copia privata per i giovani, per la cultura”, distribuzione Ird.

Dopo l’esordio di “Tomorrow-2 more Rows of Tomorrow”, questo nuovo progetto celebra in musica il concetto di “tempo” attraverso la lente della scienza e della filosofia.

Ad accompagnare Camilla ci sono Michele Tino al sax alto, Andrea Lombardini al basso elettrico e Bernando Guerra alla batteria, con la partecipazione di Ambrose Akinmusire alla tromba.

La gestazione di questa ultima, e audace, fatica discografica è durata circa due anni. Complici Copenaghen e Berlino, due città dove Camilla ha vissuto e che hanno contribuito a influenzare profondamente, non solo il suo percorso umano e artistico ma anche la sua intera opera.

In “EMIT: RotatoR TeneT”, Camilla Battaglia attinge apertamente dalla scienza, dalla letteratura e dalla filosofia. Diversi, infatti, sono stati i suoi punti di riferimento: le poesie di Sylvia Plath, le lettere contenute nelle premesse di ‘Essere e Tempo’ di Heidegger, i numeri corrispondenti alle consonanti tra le parole proclamate dal demone ne ‘La gaia scienza’ di Nietzsche e, infine, le immagini efficaci di Carlo Rovelli ne ‘L’ordine del tempo’.

"Questo bacino immenso di ispirazione - dichiara Camilla - mi ha spinto a declinare in musica il cuore di tutte queste ricerche e speculazioni, attraverso l’intreccio di cellule ritmiche e melodiche, in cui si perde la percezione comune del tempo scandita da prima, ora, dopo."

Camilla Battaglia, dunque, si interroga sullo scorrere del tempo, seguendo un processo analitico in cui la musica è dettata anche da teorie che dimostrano l’esistenza di innumerevoli realtà discontinue, che convivono in tempi e spazi diversi.

Il risultato finale è un concept album, un’opera totale, in cui il messaggio è chiaro fin dall’inizio. Il titolo del disco, e il suo inverso (“teneT rotatoR: TIME”), definiscono insieme la natura dell’album stesso che, appunto, inizia, finisce e ricomincia di nuovo.

"Stavo cercando un titolo che rappresentasse la circolarità del tempo. Sono arrivata presto a 'Rotator' e 'Tenet' - afferma Camilla Battaglia - due parole palindrome che significano rispettivamente 'rotatorio' e 'principio-origine', e in seguito ho pensato che l'inversione della parola chiave 'time' (tempo), ovvero 'emit', significasse proprio promulgazione o enunciato."

La musica che dà vita alle otto tracce dell’album è un’e perfetta tra regole scritte e improvvisazione sviluppatasi in maniera naturale, sperimentando tecniche compositive in cui tutto si lascia guidare costantemente dall’idea originaria. Una sensazione di immaginario spaesamento permette, a chi ascolta, di perdersi e ritrovarsi contemporaneamente all’interno di un apparente caos, in cui la percezione del tempo svanisce, per lasciare spazio solo agli eventi che accadono.

"The album it’s the result of experimentation with compositional techniques that mainly include the serial use of letters and numbers combined with a personal interest and passion for the concept of Time (in science, philosophy, but obviously also related to the vehicle of music).  The scientific researches that demonstrate the existence of innumerable discontinuous realities that coexist in different times and spaces are represented by independent rhythmic and melodic cells (polymetries, polyrhythms and polypulsations) dialoguing with each other as part of a whole mechanism that moves in cycles.

The compositions are linear, including palindrome lines.  The purpose of the musical expression is to lose the sense of temporal positioning to which we are accustomed: before-now-later. This is why the album could almost be thought of as a suite, rather than a collection of songs, where the beginning and the conclusion are indissolubly mixed."

Camilla Battaglia, vocals/piano/kaosspad

Michele Tino, alto sax

Andrea Lombardini, el. bass

Bernardo Guerra, drums

featuring

Ambrose Akinmusire, trumpet (2, 5, 6)

01 EMIT: Rotator Tenet

02 Be still in motion

03 Same Difference

04 Event

05 Crossing the water

06 You don’t exist I

07 You don’t exist II

08 teneT rotator: TIME

Produced by Gabriele Rampino for Dodicilune edizioni, Italy

Label manager Maurizio Bizzochetti (www.dodicilune.it)

Recorded 17 to 19 April, 10 July 2018 by Antonio Nappo at Q Recording Studio/Indiehub, Milan, Italy

Mixed August 2018 by Antonio Nappo at Q Recording Studio, Milan, Italy

Mastered August 2018 by Pietro Caramelli at Energy Mastering, Milan, Italy

Photos by Erica Mela Magagnato

Wolfgang Muthspiel / Ambrose Akinmusire / Brad Mehldau /Larry Grenadier / Eric Harland - Where The River Goes (ECM 2018)

Where The River Goes carries the story forward from Wolfgang Muthspiel’s highly-acclaimed Rising Grace recording of 2016, reuniting the Austrian guitarist with Brad Mehldau, Ambrose Akinmusire and Larry Grenadier, heavy talents all, and bringing in the great Eric Harland on drums. Much more than an “all-star” gathering, the group plays as an ensemble with its own distinct identity, evident both in the interpretation of Muthspiel’s pieces and in the collective playing.  The album, recorded at Studios La Buissonne in February 2018, and produced by Manfred Eicher, features six compositions by Wolfgang Muthspiel and one by Brad Mehldau, plus group improvisation. It is issued in both CD and vinyl formats. Wolfgang Muthspiel plays music from Where The River Goes on tour this autumn with concerts at major venues in Germany, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland and Estonia.

Wolfgang Muthspiel   Guitar

Ambrose Akinmusire   Trumpet

Brad Mehldau   Piano

Larry Grenadier   Double Bass

Eric Harland   Drums

1 WHERE THE RIVER GOES (Wolfgang Muthspiel) 07:42

2 FOR DJANGO (Wolfgang Muthspiel) 07:15

3 DESCENDANTS (Wolfgang Muthspiel) 05:32

4 CLEARING (Wolfgang Muthspiel, Brad Mehldau, Ambrose Akinmusire, Larry Grenadier, Eric Harland) 07:26

5 BUENOS AIRES (Wolfgang Muthspiel) 03:37

6 ONE DAY MY PRINCE WAS GONE (Wolfgang Muthspiel) 05:31

7 BLUESHEAD (Brad Mehldau) 07:41

8 PANORAMA (Wolfgang Muthspiel) 03:27

NYC CD Release Gigs for Miller / Staaf & Walking Distance! (SUNNYSIDE RECORDS 2018)

Two CD Release Gigs at NYC's Jazz Standard!

Allison Miller & Carmen Staaf - Science Fair!

on Wednesday, Oct. 3rd!

Tickets: 7:30 & 9:30

Scientists spend long hours investigating their passions, delving into the complex details of their research in pursuit of new knowledge. In a science fair, they demonstrate their findings, making them accessible and even fun. As a combustion reaction generates heat and light, a similar reaction happens between sound and movement. With the wonder of kids making a baking soda volcano, drummer Allison Miller and pianist Carmen Staaf combine bold musical concepts, tremendous collaborators, and a passion to challenge and explore into an eruption of energy on their fantastic new recording, Science Fair.

Miller and Staaf’s experiments began to take shape as a recording project. They both began to bring tunes to their weekly rehearsals, and tinkered with arrangements and different ensemble lineups. They eventually picked bassist Matt Penman to round out their core trio. He proved to be of a similar mindset, fun-loving and open-minded, not to mention a highly swinging accompanist. For a number of pieces, the trio is augmented by one or two horns, namely the gifted trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and the wonderful saxophonist Dayna Stephens.

Ambrose Akinmusire - trumpet (1 & 5)

Dayne Stephens - tenor saxophone (1, 2, 5 & 6)

Carmen Staaf - piano

Matt Penman - bass

Allison Miller - drums & percussion

1. What?! 08:18

2. Symmetry 07:37

3. Ready Steady 06:07

4. MLW 04:50

5. Weightless 10:08

6. Nobody's Human 06:01

7. West of the Moon 05:52

8. Skyway Intro 02:13

9. Skyway 04:03

Mary Halvorson - Code Girl (FIREHOUSE 12 RECORDS 2018)

Code Girl is the latest project of guitarist and composer Mary Halvorson, and her first project for which she has composed both lyrics and music. The band has already been described as “...a bold experiment in song form” by The New York Times. Deftly interpreted by Amirtha Kidambi (vocals), Ambrose Akinmusire (trumpet), Michael Formanek (bass) and Tomas Fujiwara (drums), the music synthesizes influences of jazz, folk and improvisation to create an original take on songwriting. The debut album will be released on Firehouse 12 Records March 2018.

“Halvorson has set her sights high with Code Girl. It is the first time she has worked with a vocalist, not to mention writing lyrics for another member of an ensemble. The group exhibited some characteristic features of a Halvorson ensemble—tight associations between members where each musician develops their voice, responds directly and confidently with each other, connects at multiple points simultaneously. Meanwhile, the compositions also brew a rare cohesion that never feels forced and draws each member toward their greatest potential. Trumpet and voice mixed quite profoundly, at times, and the vocal styling of Kidambi—drawing from a broad range of influences ranging from the Carnatic tradition to old blues—created a haunting and emotionally rich panorama of colors, shapes, and images that made for both tangible and abstract consumption by the attentive audience.”

Mary Halvorson, guitar

Amirtha Kidambi, vocals

Ambrose Akinmusire, trumpet

Michael Formanek, bass

Tomas Fujiwara, drums

Laila Biali - Laila Biali (ACT MUSIC 2018)

„She is an exciting and unique talent and I admire her greatly“ Sting

Pop, jazz, Canada. To see how well these three go together, is not just a matter of looking back into the past. Canadian artists of our time such as Michael Bublé and Diana Krall have followed in the footsteps of legends such as Joni Mitchell. Whereas these genres of music have sometimes been seen as at loggerheads, in the land of the maple leaf they get along together just fine.

Laila Biali, born in Vancouver, has her place in this tradition - and yet she is never just imitating anybody else. The singer-pianist has won several prizes, and not only in her native country. DOWNBEAT magazine included her music in its albums of the year. Spinner magazine admired her ability to bring traditional jazz and contemporary pop together naturally, and to create a compelling blend from them. Her sixth album – which is also her ACT debut, represents the culmination of everything she has done until now.

“I have been in search of my artistic voice ever since my first album,” the classically trained pianist explains. “I have experimented with so many genres. Everything felt right to me, but it never really encompassed the totality of who I am. LAILA BIALI unites all the facets of me as an artist: pianist, singer. arranger, composer, a devotee of jazz and of other genres. With this album I feel I have truly arrived.”

Biali gained her first experience on the big stage as a backing vocalist for Sting, which was also where she met several members of her band. She met her drummer - and future husband - Ben Wittman, however, on tour with Paula Cole. “Ben plays a unique mix of percussion and drums, she says. “His grooves are deep and rootsy - a perfect complement to the faster, funky grooves of Larnell Lewis." Like trumpeter Mike "Maz" Maher, Lewis is a member of the mega-successful fusion band Snarky Puppy, for whom nothing is musically off-limits.

These three, together with top-flight people such as Lisa Fischer, long-time singer on Rolling-Stones tours, and multi-award-winning jazz trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, form a powerful backing band for Laila Biali's joyously colourful ACT debut. Sam Yahel, who was organist in the seminal Joshua Redman Elastic Band, completes the illustrious circle of guests on the album.

The spirited “Got To Love” is the entry point into the album, with its funky handclaps and gutsy organ riffs, an ecstatic mood that Biali then tempers with the Latininflected "We Go". An intense cover version of Coldplay's "Yellow" is the first of three songs by others which the singer has added into the mix with her own compositions: "I have always enjoyed arranging songs," says Biali, who now lives with her family in Toronto. “At concerts we have often gone with the flow of what audiences want. Coldplay, Randy Newman and David Bowie were always our favourites.” Newman's "I Think It's Going To Rain Today" shows Biali's sensitive, introverted side. Alone at the piano she creates a real tingle factor, while "Let's Dance" is a remarkable, soulful Bowie cover.

The cheerful, ear-wormish song “Wind” is based on a poem written by the singer decades ago. "I struggled with the lyrics for a long time, they never seemed to fit properly. I even asked Sting to help me! In the end it was some verses by the Persian mystic poet Rumi that enabled me to complete it."

Laila Biali has her own concept of jazz, in which soul, indie-rock, blues and pop all have their place. The album LAILA BIALI is wonderfully catchy, but can’t be pigeonholed into any of the standard mainstream radio formats. There is sophistication, but it eschews the seriousness of high culture. This ACT debut album sparkles with exuberant playfulness and beautifully crafted variety. And the singer´s own verdict: “This album feels like a homecoming.”

1 Got To Love ( Laila Biali) 03:14

2 We Go ( Laila Biali) 05:17

3 Satellite ( Laila Biali) 05:06

4 Yellow ( Chris Martin / Jonny Buckland / Guy Berryman / Will Champion & Andre Benz) 04:43

5 Refugee ( Laila Biali) 05:26

6 Dolores Angel ( Laila Biali) 04:36

7 Queen of Hearts ( Laila Biali) 04:54

8 Serenbe ( Laila Biali) 04:22

9 Code Breaking ( Laila Biali) 04:46

10 I Think It´s Going To Rain Today ( Randy Newman) 03:38

11 Wind (Rumi Poem) ( Laila Biali) 05:22

12 Let´s Dance ( David Bowie)

Laila Biali / vocals, piano, keys

George Koller / bass

Larnell Lewis / drums (01, 02, 04, 08, 09, 11, 12)

Ben Wittman / drums (03, 05, 06, 07), percussion

Ambrose Akinmusire / trumpet (03, 05)

Mike “Maz” Maher / trumpet (02, 08, 09, 11)

Sam Yahel / organ (01, 02, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 12)

Glenn Patscha / organ (solo on 02), keys (12)

Lisa Fischer / vocals (01, 02, 05, 06, 07, 08)

Jo Lawry / vocals (all tracks except 09)

Carlos Ricketts / vocals (01, 02, 06, 07)

All songs written and arranged by Laila Biali, except: Yellow by Coldplay: Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman, Will Champion & Andre Benz I Think It’s Going To Rain Today by Randy Newman Let’s Dance by David Bowie

Produced by Ben Wittman & Laila Biali

Recorded at Revolution Recording (Toronto),

Wittman Productions (Toronto), Mission Sound (Brooklyn),

Vibramonk Studios (Brooklyn), Fantasy Studios (San Francisco)

& Pod Noise Studio (New York City), March - October, 2016

Mixed by Tim Abraham

Mastered by João Carvalho

Photography by Rockie Nolan