John Patitucci and Andy James | An Evening With John Patitucci & Andy James (November 5, 2021 Le Coq Records)

AVAILABLE NOW via LE COQ RECORDS



VOCALIST ANDY JAMES AND

BASS MASTER JOHN PATITUCCI TEAM UP TO CRAFT

AN INTIMATE EVENING OF JAZZ STANDARDS AND

POP CLASSICS BACKED BY AN ALL-STAR ENSEMBLE

AN EVENING WITH JOHN PATITUCCI & ANDY JAMES,

DUE OUT NOVEMBER 5 ON LE COQ RECORDS,

FEATURES ARRANGEMENTS BY

BILL CUNLIFFE AND CONTRIBUTIONS BY

CHRIS POTTER, RICK MARGITZA, TERELL STAFFORD,

JOHN BEASLEY, VINNIE COLAIUTA AND MORE

On An Evening with John Patitucci & Andy James, two gifted performers join forces to conjure an intimate evening of captivating music. At a time when jazz aficionados around the world have been starved for musical experiences, the album recreates the sultry atmosphere of a candlelight nightclub as some of the most revered musicians in modern jazz perform classic standards.

Due out November 5 via Le Coq Records, An Evening with John Patitucci & Andy James features nearly 90 minutes of scintillating music featuring an incomparable ensemble. In addition to James’ mesmerizing vocals and Patitucci’s bass mastery, the album boasts arrangements by piano great Bill Cunliffe for an ensemble that includes saxophonists Chris Potter and Rick Margitza, trumpeter Terell Stafford, guitarists Chico Pinheiro and Jake Langley, keyboardists John Beasley and Jon Cowherd, percussionist Alex Acuña, drummers Vinnie Colaiuta, Marcus Gilmore and Marvin “Smitty” Smith, along with powerful horn and string sections.

“I wanted people to just sit back and enjoy a listening experience of serene pleasure,” declares James. “John and I tried to create something easy to listen to that would leave people feeling good afterwards. I recorded the album in anticipation that people wouldn’t something too complicated at this time we all find ourselves in.”

Jazz singing and Flamenco dance have been parallel passions throughout Andy James’ life. Flamenco took prominence during what she now refers to as “act one” of her artistic life. She became renowned as a world-class Flamenco dancer, enjoying a successful career dancing with husband and partner Piero Pata in Madrid.

For “act two,” James relocated to the U.S. and focused on her singing career, renewing collaborations with the great jazz musicians who had crossed her path while they traveled through Europe. She and Pata launched Le Coq Records, releasing a series of albums ranging in style from the elegance of the female jazz swing tradition to vintage R&B to the post-bop urgency of the classic Blue Note era. 

An estimable professional family has quickly found a home at the label, with Patitucci, Acuña and Cunliffe playing key roles on a number of releases and several musicians making recurring appearances from one recording to the next. On An Evening With…, Patitucci proves an ideal partner for James, bringing his revered tone and musical vision to the project and convening the ideal musicians for each piece.

“When choosing personnel for any project,” Patitucci explains, “I try to find the greatest musicians that I have longstanding relationships with, in order to have the opportunity to get more deeply into the music at hand.”

Over the course of a career lasting four decades, Patitucci has forged essential collaborations with some of the most acclaimed artists in jazz and beyond, most notably long-lasting partnerships with iconic saxophonist Wayne Shorter and the late Chick Corea. 

Speaking of James, Patitucci says, “Andy is a very generous and flexible collaborator. She has a great love for the Great American Songbook. When she sings, her phrasing is reminiscent of so many of the great singers that I grew up listening to. The style that she sings in provides the opportunity to write arrangements for larger orchestrations.”

James returns the compliment. “John is very important to my whole performance. Without John’s playing I would have been restricted in the way I could sing and approach every song in the album. John Patitucci brings a deep sound that allows me the freedom to sing with a lot of mood or feeling in my voice. He gives me a lot of space to create a meaningful performance.”

From the intoxicatingly lush opener “Autumn in New York,” with Patitucci’s robust bass matched by a fervent tenor solo by Potter, to the last-call balladry of “Angel Eyes” that closes the set, An Evening with John Patitucci & Andy James features countless classic songs along with a few surprises, including the smoldering James and Pata-penned love song “Burn for Love.”

As she did on her previous release, Tu Amor, James reaches into her Latin influences on “Besame Mucho.” In addition to a number of well-known jazz standards James stretches the American Songbook to encompass great pop and rock classics like The Beatles’ “Blackbird” and James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain.”

The choices certainly inspire passionate playing from James and Patitucci’s guests, with standouts including Rick Margitza’s soaring solo on “Fire and Rain,” Terell Stafford’s heart-wrenching take on “Moonlight in Vermont,” and the soulful playing of Potter and John Beasley on the Gerry Goffin/Carole King favorite “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow.”

“The songs came naturally,” James explains. “I just wanted to sing some beautiful songs. The mood I had in mind when choosing these songs was one of love – I just wanted people to find love with each other again after the era of Covid!”

1. John Patitucci, Chris Potter, Vinnie Colaiuta - “Autumn In New York” feat. John Patitucci & Chris Potter 04:23

2. Marvin “Smitty” Smith, John Patitucci, Bill Cunliffe, John Beasley, Chris Potter - “Besame Mucho” feat. Chris Potter 07:07

3. Chris Potter, Vinnie Colaiuta, John Patitucci, Dan Higgins, Michael Dease, Alex Acuña - “I Love You And Don't You Forget It” feat. Chris Potter 03:08

4. Jon Cowherd, Chris Potter, Marcus Gilmore, Alex Acuña, John Patitucci, Chicho Pinero, Jon Cowherd, - “To Dream As One” - feat. Jon Cowherd & Chris Potter 05:07

5. Terell Stafford, Vinnie Coliauta, John Patitucci, Bill Cunliffe - “Moonlight In Vermont” feat. Terell Stafford 04:40

6. Vinnie Colaiuta, John Patitucci, Alex Acuña, Bill Cunliffe - “Day Dream” feat John Patitucci 05:09

7. John Patitucci, Marvin Smitty Smith, Alex Acuña, Bill Cunliffe, John Beasley, Charlie Bisharat - “Blackbird“ feat John Patitucci 05:46

8. Vinnie Coliauta,Terell Stafford, John Patitucci, John Beasley, Alex Acuña, Terell Stafford, - “When I'm With You” feat. Terell Stafford 03:19

9. Chris Potter, John Beasley, John Patitucci, Marvin “Smitty” Smith, Alex Acuña, - “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” feat. Chris Potter & John Beasley 06:05

10. Terell Stafford, Marvin “Smitty” Smith, John Patitucci, Terell Stafford, Alex Acuña, Bill Cunliffe - “Unchain My Heart” feat. Terell Stafford 04:12

11. Rick Margitza, Vinnie Coliauta, John Patitucci, John Beasley, Alex Acuña, Jon Cowherd - “Fire & Rain” feat. Rick Margitza 06:22

12. Chris Porter, Vinnie Coliauta, John Patitucci - "Burn For Love” feat. Chris Porter 04:19

13. John Patitucci, John Beasley, Rick Margitza, Charles McNeal, Alex Acuña, Vinnie Colaiuta - “Some Other Time” feat. Rick Margitza & Charles McNeal 05:30

14. Vinnie Colaiuta, Bill Cunliffe, John Patitucci, - “Laura” feat. John Patitucci 04:26

15. “More Than You Know” feat. Chris Potter 04:00

16. John Beasley, John Patitucci, Bill Cunliffe, Jake Langley - “My Heart Belongs To Daddy” feat. John Patitucci & John Beasley 05:02

17. Vinnie Colaiuta, Alex Acuña, John Patitucci, Bill Cunliffe, Charlie Bisharat - “Angel Eyes” 04:03

PREORDER

Tommy Ward | From This Moment On | Available July 16th via Le Coq Records

Le Coq Records Presents the New EP

by Acclaimed 25 year-old Vocalist and

Next-Generation Crooner Tommy Ward

From This Moment On, Features Classic Standards

Given New Life by Ward’s Enticing Vocals

and an All-Star ensemble including John Patitucci,

Bill Cunliffe and Marvin “Smitty” Smith

At just 25 years old, singer Tommy Ward is already a veteran entertainer. Born in Houston and raised in Las Vegas, he found himself working alongside seasoned performers by the time he was 16, while at 17 he and his band became one of the youngest opening acts in Vegas history. He’s also garnered more than 10 million views on social media, finding a modern audience for his vintage sound. No less a music industry icon than Quincy Jones took the young singer under his wing, hailing Ward as “the epitome of great music.”

With his new EP, From This Moment On, Ward sets forth on a new chapter. Due out July 16 via Le Coq Records, the vocalist that many have compared to Frank Sinatra and Michael Bublé asserts himself as a torchbearer for the legendary crooners and musicians who have inspired him, while carrying their timeless sound forward for a new generation of listeners.

“This EP feels like the first real statement piece that I’ll be able to share with people without any limitations whatsoever,” Ward says. “It's a great first step that opens a new doorway. This is who I am and where I am in my life at this moment, and everything that follows after this is going to be different. I think it's optimistic, it's hopeful, and it's a wonderful marker in my evolution.”

From This Moment On features five classic songs given new life by Ward’s heartfelt interpretations. He’s aided by the stellar contributions of an ensemble of master musicians – many of whom have become key members of the Le Coq Records family since the label’s recent launch – including bassists John Patitucci and Chris Colangelo, drummers Marvin “Smitty” Smith and Ray Brinker, guitarists Larry Koonse and Jake Langley, and pianist Bill Cunliffe, who also penned a tender arrangement of “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered” featuring Ward himself at the keyboard.

“Le Coq is one of the few labels out there who are truly passionate about the music,” says Ward, now based in Atlanta, GA. “It's been an incredible collaborative effort to work with them. They're making the next generation of jazz records, so to be on that cutting edge with them is more than alluring, it's an honor. I think they’re going to be a huge game changer in the business and I couldn’t be happier to be a part of it.”

Though only one of the album’s songs was released in Ward’s lifetime (Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love” came out in 1997, when Ward was two years old), his strong connection to these vintage standards shines through in his performances. The music of classic crooners like Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Dean Martin provided the soundtrack to his childhood, both at home and via their vital role in establishing Las Vegas as one of the country’s entertainment capitals. His love for the music was ultimately cemented through the influence of Michael Bublé.

The Cole Porter tune that gives the EP its name, “ From This Moment On,” opens the proceedings with that powerhouse big band sound, transporting listeners to the Vegas Strip with its exhilarating blend of virtuoso musicianship and neon-lit glamour. Another Porter classic, “Just One of Those Things” opens at a pulse-quickening simmer before exploding into a lively big band swing propelled by Smith’s muscular drumming. The finale, “The Way You Look Tonight,” strips away the orchestral glitz to reveal Ward alone at the piano, captivating with just his sultry vocal.

Growing up in Vegas, show business never seemed like an unattainable goal for Ward as it does for so many nascent artists; it’s simply his home city’s local industry. “It’s pretty surreal,” he laughs. “Vegas is definitely all that you think it is, but it’s so much more.” 

As much as Ward looks back with respect and admiration at the forebears who have set him on this path, From This Moment On is essentially a forward-looking collection of music. Which is perfect for a point in time when we all hope to move on into a brighter future. “Everything about this music feels right and positive, and I'm excited to share that with people. The artist's job is to convey emotion and make an audience feel something, hopefully this EP helps turn the page past this crazy year on to something a lot more positive and productive and hopeful.” Tommy Ward concludes.

For more information on Le Coq Records, please visit:

lecoqrecords.com | Facebook | Instagram

Pre-order

Le Coq Records | LIVE in Las Vegas (June 27th, 2021)

Italian American Club

2333 E Sahara Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89104 

Date.  June 27th, 2021 

Time. Dinner 6:30 PM, Show 8 pm

Price of the show. $65.00 (For Dinner and Show)

The Las Vegas based Le Coq Records will present a coterie of celebrated artists who participated in the label’s initial four releases for the first time in a live public setting to be held Sunday, June 27 at the Italian American club. Billed as An Evening with Andy James and John Patitucci, and her All-Star Band, the label showcase will also feature: Chris Potter, Terell Stafford, Alex Acuña, Marcus Gilmore, Michael Dees, Jon Cowherd, Bill Cunliffe, and Jake Langley.

“After a year of lockdown and the vaccine finally circulating, we felt it was time to get moving from a live performance standpoint,” states label Co-President and Founder, Piero Pata. “We will gather in a safe environment under CDC guidelines where we can control and re-enforce public health and safety protocol. We have many recording ideas to envisage on upcoming sessions surrounding the Las Vegas event and are excited to release music from this inspiring group of musicians in the near future” concludes Pata.

If you can’t attend in-person, this event will be recorded live and broadcasted at a later date. Most everything will be produced in house by Le Coq’s management team. Co-President Andy James and John Patitucci will handle the structure and order of the show. CEO Josh Connolly (Studio A Las Vegas) oversees sound and recording with the aid of his Studio A Las Vegas staff, and Digital Marketing Manager Santiago Interiano of Epic Nights Media will handle video, lighting, editing and future broadcast distribution. Backline, such as piano, B3 Organ, Fender Rhodes, keyboards, drums, and percussion will be supplied from Studio A Las Vegas where much of the recorded music from the first four albums was produced.

For more information on Le Coq Records, please visit:

lecoqrecords.com | Facebook | Instagram

John Patitucci / Vinnie Colaiuta / Bill Cunliffe - TRIO (2021 Le Coq Records)

Pianist Bill Cunliffe, Bassist John Patitucci

and Drummer Vinnie Colaiuta

Convene as a Trio for the First Time Ever on the

Spirited, Swinging New Album Trio

Three veteran jazz virtuosos join forces for the first time as pianist Bill Cunliffe, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta for a high-spirited, vigorously swinging standards session titled, simply, Trio – after all, with three names like those on the marquee, no further embellishment is needed.

Trio, due out February 19, 2021 via Le Coq Records, came together spontaneously, making the exhilarating chemistry and dynamic interplay all the more remarkable. Cunliffe has become something of a house arranger and musical director for many of the newly-launched imprint’s projects, and Patitucci and Colaiuta have quickly become part of the Le Coq family. It was at label founder/producer Piero Pata’s urging that the trio let loose in Hollywood’s storied Capitol Studios without a script.

“Piero surprised us as we were working on some other projects with him,” Patitucci recalls. “He had the idea for us to do this trio record. It was very impromptu, like in the Blue Note record era, where you basically do a record in a day. We had a lot of fun and it was really relaxed.”

“I was like a kid in a candy store,” gushes Cunliffe. “It was pretty challenging because it just three guys in a room. But it was a lot of fun, because these are two master musicians whose work I’ve loved for years.”

A GRAMMY® Award-winning arranger, Cunliffe typically embarks on a project with far more preparation. Since beginning his career as pianist and arranger with the Buddy Rich Big Band, Cunliffe has worked with such luminaries as Frank Sinatra, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Benny Golson and James Moody, while establishing himself as a renowned solo artist and bandleader with more than a dozen albums under his name. All of which made this recording a daunting but ultimately thrilling experience – in the making as much as in the listening.

“I like jazz music that has shape,” Cunliffe explains, “that has a beginning, middle and end, and drama. Usually I craft those elements in my arrangements. John and Vinnie are able to create those qualities on the spot.”

Patitucci may be best known for his long and meaningful associations with Chick Corea and Wayne Shorter, but he’s worked with a who’s who of artists in and outside of jazz. With Corea he came to prominence as a member of the pianist’s Akoustic and Elektric Bands; for the last two decades he’s been a member of the Wayne Shorter Quartet alongside pianist Danilo Pérez and drummer Brian Blade, perhaps the most revered small band in jazz today. But he’s also played throughout the world with Herbie Hancock, Stan Getz, Pat Metheny, Wynton Marsalis, Joshua Redman, Michael Brecker, McCoy Tyner, Nancy Wilson, Sting, Aaron Neville, Natalie Cole, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Astrud and Joao Gilberto, and many more.

Colaiuta has also bridged the worlds of jazz and pop throughout his career. He rose to fame playing with Frank Zappa, Joni Mitchell and Sting, while touring with jazz greats from Herbie Hancock to Chick Corea. He’s also a prolific first-call studio drummer whose work graces recordings by Leonard Cohen, Barbra Streisand, James Taylor, Billy Joel and countless others.

Patitucci and Colaiuta are no strangers to one another, of course. Colaiuta is one of three drummers on the bassist’s self-titled debut album on GRP from 1987; they’ve crossed paths scores of times over the intervening decades, including as a version of Chick Corea’s Akoustic Band that recorded Live From the Blue Note Tokyo in 1996. Cunliffe has worked with both of them at various times as well, but Trio marks the first time they’ve been able to interact as a trio.

“Both John and Vinnie have spent a lot time in different aspects of the pop world,” Cunliffe says. “But they both grew up in jazz like I did. They’re both stone cold jazz guys.”

“Working with Bill Cunliffe,” Colaiuta says, “you can always expect – at the very least –amazing skill and professionalism, some deep swinging, and a big bucket of fun!”

The tone for the session is set with the trio’s sprightly take on George Shearing’s “Conception.” Introduced by a brisk solo shot by Colaiuta, the tune sparks, nimble, graceful solos from all three members, all clearly in upbeat spirits. It’s followed by a swooning version of David Raksin’s classic theme from “Laura,” a more winsomely romantic interpretation than the noir-tinged usual.

They then delve into the repertoire of Patitucci’s longtime bosses for a steely plunge into Wayne Shorter’s “Anna Maria” and a graceful rendition of Chick Corea’s “The One Step,” on which the bassist speaks with eloquent lyricism. Colaiuta’s rifle-crack rhythm sets the pace for a blistering run through the Miles Davis favorite “7 Steps To Heaven,” while the drummer’s lush, whispering brushwork conjures a cloud-soft foundation for Cunliffe to ruminate nostalgically on the classic ballad “Good Morning Heartache.”

The camaraderie that the three locked into so quickly and (seemingly) easily is playfully evident on their loose, celebratory spin on the well-worn standard “My Shining Hour,” while their taut link-up braces a slyly grooving rethink of Thelonious Monk’s “We See.” The album concludes on a wistful note, with a tender but lively “Just In Time.”

The mix of standards and songs familiar to the trio’s members was not only a practical consideration given the impromptu nature of the session, Cunliffe explains; it was key to capturing such brilliantly conversational playing. “Except for ‘The One Step,’ we did all of the tunes from memory, without using any music at all. That means we were able to look at each other, hear each other, challenge each other and react to each other in the moment. It felt very organic and was so much fun. Vinnie and John really lifted me and made me play better than I ever could.

1. Conception 05:25

2. Laura 03:30

3. Ana Maria 05:18

4. The One Step 05:53

5. 7 Steps to Heaven 04:45

6. Good Morning Heartache 05:28

7. My Shining Hour 05:27

8. We See 04:16

9. Just In Time 08:19

John Patitucci on Bass

Vinnie Colaiuta on Drums

Bill Cunliffe on Piano

Pre-order

Hendrik Meurkens & Bill Cunliffe - Cabin in the Sky (June 1, 2018)

Hendrik Meurkens and Bill Cunliffe’s new duo album will be released this month. Stay tuned for more news!

hendrikmeurkens.com

Bill Cunliffe's irreverent and gleeful BACHanalia (June 2, 2017)

Pianist/Composer/Arranger Bill Cunliffe Revels in the Melding of Classical and Jazz on New Big Band Album, out June 2, 2017

BACHanalia turns classics by Bach, Prokofiev and Manuel de Falla into briskly swinging jazz featuring Denise Donatelli, Terell Stafford, Joe La Barbera and Bob Sheppard

"Bravo, Bill Cunliffe! You successfully blend your love for the classical world with everything else you embrace. The result is a collection of colors that draw me in from the downbeat to the last fermata." - John Clayton

"Bill Cunliffe is an incredible pianist and unique big band composer/arranger. He combines varied elements in a way that gives his music a sound and feel all its own.He is one of the main voices in the big band genre today." - Bob Mintzer

When composer Gunther Schuller began hybridizing jazz and classical music 60 years ago, he famously coined the term "Third Stream" to describe the results. In 2010, pianist, composer and Grammy-winning arranger Bill Cunliffe wrote a Grammy-nominated concerto for trumpet and orchestra that put his own twist on the merger, calling it fourth stream La Banda. Now, with his newest album, BACHanalia, Cunliffe boldly crosses the streams, mashing together classical repertoire and big band jazz with swinging abandon and irreverent glee.

BACHanalia, out June 2 on Cunliffe's own Metre Records label, obviously tips its hat to a towering figure in the history of music, Johann Sebastian Bach. But it also suggests that audiences are in for a musical bacchanal, an evening of merrymaking and revelry (level of debauchery left to the listener's discretion) that would be temperamentally suited to Cunliffe's raucous, gleam-in-the-eye style. The arrangements spotlight the pianist's gift for transforming a wide range of material into rollicking charts that are as bracingly fun to listen to as they are packed with creative ideas and sparkling wit - all skills learned through working with such legends as Buddy Rich, Frank Sinatra, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard and James Moody.

"I was always a wannabe classical pianist," says Cunliffe, modestly downplaying the years of classical training that preceded his college-age immersion in jazz, inspired by hearing Oscar Peterson for the first time. "These days, stylistic differences aren't viewed in quite the same way they used to be. Big band jazz is more intricately written, so it's moving toward European music; and modern classical music uses more indeterminacy, like jazz. And players now can do everything."

Taking a classic big band approach to such revered classical masters as Bach, Sergei Prokofiev and Manuel de Falla, an arranger could get weighed down shouldering the burden of two immense traditions. But Cunliffe's approach is never less than buoyant, juggling those traditions with agile spontaneity and a luxuriant sonic palette. The album, which commingles those reimagined classical pieces with jazz standards and a Latin-tinged original composition, is made even more compelling by the invigorating musicianship of a stellar large ensemble that teams virtuosic L.A. veterans with enthusiastic and skilled younger players, striking an ideal balance of technical excellence and infectious energy.

In addition, Cunliffe invites special guests to enliven the proceedings: Three-time Grammy nominee Denise Donatelli adds evocative wordless vocals to several tracks as well as a seductive interpretation of a Cole Porter classic; trumpeter Terell Stafford, who has played with the bandleader in the Clayton Brothers band and taught alongside him at Philadelphia's Temple University, takes a breathtakingly vulnerable solo turn on "Blame It On My Youth"; saxophonist Bob Sheppard offers a thrilling soprano workout on Cunliffe's "Afluencia"; and the incomparable drummer Joe La Barbera anchors the band throughout with the exhilarating propulsion that Cunliffe insists is central to any music he makes.

"It's got to swing," he states simply. "That rhythmic engine is so important. It brings people together. The structures of classical music lend themselves extremely well to large group jazz improvisation, but you've got to find rhythms that are readily translatable. Bach has always had that pulse. The Russian stuff - Shostakovich, Prokofiev - always feels like bebop to me."

The sound of La Barbera's brushes opens the album, setting the gentle but upbeat tone for "Sleepers Wake." Cunliffe's take on the beloved Bach cantata lets Donatelli's glowing vocalise carry the melody, joined at times by sax, guitar, trumpet, or Cunliffe's piano. A similar setting is given to the Baroque melodic twists and turns of "Solfeggietto," by the great composer's son Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. Donatelli's voice blends into the surging swells of Falla's "The Three-Cornered Hat," which Cunliffe originally arranged at the behest of legendary "Tonight Show" bandleader Doc Severinsen.

An orchestral din leads into the sultry Cuban accents of Cunliffe's own "Afluencia," originally written for and recorded by his Latin band, Imaginación. Sheppard reprises his soloist role from the group's self-titled 2005 recording. Besides that piece, the album deviates from the classical theme on the overcast version of "Blame It On My Youth" and, to close, "I've Got You Under My Skin."

The rich, complex harmonies of Prokofiev's Third Piano Concerto caught Cunliffe's ear from the first time he heard the piece. Here he transforms it into a lively samba highlighted by his own adventurous solo as well as a hypnotic run by saxophonist Rob Lockart, a former Eastman School of Music classmate. The final classically inspired piece is "Goldberg Contraption," which uses Glenn Gould's acclaimed recordings of Bach's Goldberg Variations as a touchstone before veering off in some wild and eclectic directions. The title pays winking homage to cartoonist Rube Goldberg, whose whimsical devices went to ridiculous extremes to achieve simple goals, using a hodgepodge of found items. Cunliffe approached the composition similarly, patchworking a parodic fugue with New Orleans brass and simmering bebop, with the tongues that aren't playing instruments planted firmly in cheeks.

"I think music should be, among other things, funny," Cunliffe says. "I think that musicians - and people in general - who don't laugh at themselves are missing the boat." More often, though, the fun of Cunliffe's music comes from the joy of the players and from the pianist himself, who exults in recomposing his pieces on the bandstand. "I love being able to conduct the ensemble and break things apart at times. It's never the same twice."

www.billcunliffe.com