Jerome Jennings - The Beast (2021)

Drummer Jerome Jennings, takes the lead in this swinging, soulful sextet. The brass is heavy with trumpet/flugelhorn player Sean Jones, trombonist Dion Tucker, and tenor saxophonist Howard Wiley. McBride is present on his bass as well as fellow Trio pianist Christian Sands. Four of the nine tracks are composed by Jennings himself, with the others from the pens of Ben Webster, Freddie Hubbard, Don Ray & Gene de Paul, Vincent Brantley & Rick Timas, and Jon Burr. Scatting vocalist Jazzmeia Horn appears on You Don't Know What Love Is.

The title track, The Beast, stems from his incident of "driving while being Black" and the photography and text on the album packaging support his outrage. The music of the album, however, is full of love and respect of his craft. Educated at Rutgers and Julliard, Jennings further developed his skills with many esteemed jazz artists; he worked with Sonny Rollins for three years, and his schedule is filled with educational and diverse performance gigs. Jennings drum work is evident in Cool It Now, with Vernel Fournier's Poinciana beats.

The album is cheerful with nice grooves and shuffles, but there is also some side excursions: McBride's solo is the entry to Hubbard's hot and furious piece, The Core; Cammy's Smile is a slow, sweet ballad for the daughter of Jennings' late friend drummer Tony Reedus that has wah-wah muted trumpet; and then there is The Beast, a drama with snare drum introduction, driving, trombone siren, jittery and staggering solos. The final track, New Beginnings, begins with waving chime percussion and harmonious brass; it includes a spoken sampling of a #blacklivesmatter protest speech, which reminds me of Gil Scott-Heron and his early 1970s releases. This debut album is thoroughly satisfying in arrangements and compositions, balance, sonority, and grooves. 

1. Love The Drums - Jon Burr 5:15

2. Cool It Now - Vincent Brantley, Rick Timas 8:48

3. Ice Cream Dreams - Jerome Jennings 5:16

4. You Don’t Know What Love Is - Don Raye (lyrics) and Gene de Paul 6:31

5. Did You Call Her Today - Ben Webster 7:43

6. The Core - Freddie Hubbard 10:09

7. Cammy’s Smile - Jerome Jennings 7:10

8. The Beast - Jerome Jennings 4:58

9. New Beginnings - Jerome Jennings 6:44

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE TUNES

LOVE THE DRUMS - Props to my friend, bassist and composer Jon Burr, for writing this tune with me in mind. The title says it all. Not only do I love the drums, I also love to play shuffle grooves.

COOL IT NOW - "Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky, and Mike..." one of the most important influential R&B vocal groups: New Edition! Actually, this was the first musical group my parents took my brother and me to see at a very popular music hall in northeast Ohio called The Front Row (it no longer exists). Side note: respect to Johnny Gill (who wasn't in the group yet when we saw NE).

ICE CREAM DREAMS - Between the months of May and August there is one tune that puts a smile on every kid's face on most every block in this country. "The Ice Cream Man is coming!!!" The Mister Softee theme is the most ubiquitous tunes I heard while living in Brooklyn, NY. It has a catchy and infectious ring, but most importantly it makes kids happy and laugh. I would see kids joyfully running to the ice cream truck outside of my window.

YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT LOVE IS- This is a classic standard by Don Raye/Gene de Paul. We are all in search of affirmation and love. This arrangement is by Curtis Fuller. I replaced the top trumpet voice with the fantastic vocalist, Jazzmeia Horn.

DID YOU CALL HER TODAY - This swinger is from the pen of Ben Webster. My mom and I have always been really close. Once I moved to the east coast we became even tighter. I suspect it was because of the distance. I tried my best to call her everyday to let her know I was alive and well. This tune is dedicated to her and her constant support.

THE CORE - This is one of my favorite tunes. Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers recorded this on one of my all time favorite records "Free For All." Freddie Hubbard wrote this tune commemorating the Congress Of Racial Equality (CORE). The CORE organization played a pivotal role for African Americans during our struggle for Civil Rights during the 1950s and 60s. Its stated mission was "to bring about equality for all people regardless of race, creed, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or ethnic background." Many jazz musicians performed at CORE benefits during the 1960's.

CAMMY'S SMILE - When I moved to the east coast in fall of 2002 I was blessed to befriend drum great Tony Reedus. The next year he invited me to his place for Thanksgiving. His then fiancée (they later married in 2006), Niecy Grice, treated me like family from day one. They soon had a child, a beautiful girl named Cameron. In November of 2008, Tony unexpectedly passed away. Needless to say this was a very sad time for the family, and our music community was hit hard by the loss of one of the great ones. The year that Cameron Reedus lost her father, she was only five years old. Little Cammy's consistent upbeat attitude and smile was a great source of encouragement. This entire tune represents a conversation between Cammy (the muted trombone) and Reedus (the tenor saxophone).

THE BEAST - This tune was inspired by a troubling encounter with a Mercer County (NJ) police officer. Mom advised me to "put the emotion you felt in a song." Everything that happens in this piece is significant. The drum roll at the beginning represents me driving. It slows down as I pull over to the side of the road. The horns represent me and the rhythm section represents the officers cutting me off as I try to explain what I'm doing in that particular neighborhood at 2am.

NEW BEGINNINGS - This is a piece that I composed with the encouragement of my friend and mentor, Victor Lewis. The title represents a dual meaning: the beginning melody is stated by all of the horns while at the 'B section' each band member passes each phrase around creating a new sound or new beginning before we all unite for the climactic last 8 bars before the last 'A section.' I only hope to show that as individuals we can accomplish amazing things, but together we can do even more. Educator, activist, and actor Jesse Williams gave a courageous speech this year at the 2016 BET Awards. I've included excerpts of it at the end of the piece. I believe that it’s time for a new beginning in our country as well.

Jerome Jenning - drums, percussion on track 9

Sean Jones - trumpet, flugelhorn on track 2

Howard Wiley - tenor sax

Dion Tucker - trombone

Christian Sands - piano

Christian McBride - bass

Jazzmela Horn - vocals on track 4

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Dan Wilson - Vessels of Wood and Earth (April 23, 2021 Mack Avenue Records)

Guitarist/Composer Dan Wilson Calls Attention to the

Beauty of Often Ignored Structural Foundations

of Music and Life with Debut Label Release

Vessels of Wood and Earth, Due April 23,

Marks Second Release on Christian McBride’s Mack Avenue Music Group Imprint, Brother Mister Productions

Wilson Joined by Christian Sands, Marco Panascia,

Jeff “Tain” Watts, and Guest Vocalist Joy Brown

In today’s society, perception over reality influences everyday life. Grand offerings of seemingly luxurious lifestyles flood social channels, offering a glimpse of false security and achievement that rarely lie on a strong foundation. Just as a beautiful house is finished with vessels of silver and gold, underneath lies wood and earth.

On his marvelous new album, Vessels of Wood and Earth, guitarist/composer Dan Wilson takes the title to mean that we as a society tend to look at the shiny exteriors that attract us in an instant, rather than appreciate the less readily apparent structures that actually support the house. Through 11 joyfully dynamic compositions ranging from takes on classic songs from Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Ted Daffan mixed with a nod to the spiritual master John Coltrane as well as five original compositions, Wilson builds a foundation rooted as much in tradition as it is in moving the music irresistibly forward into the modern world.

That structural integrity was front of mind when Wilson set out to craft his label debut for bassist/composer Christian McBride’s new imprint Brother Mister Productions — the label’s second release. “In 2014, I was Artist-in-Residence at the Tri-C Jazz Festival in Cleveland, Ohio,” reflects McBride. “I was involved in numerous performances and outreach events over the course of maybe four days. Terri Pontremoli, director of the festival, has been one of my closest confidants and collaborators over the course of 20-plus years. One thing she had never done during the course of our friendship was the old, ‘I got someone you need to hear’ bit. For that reason, when she did it that year, I was quite surprised. The person she wanted me to hear was guitarist Dan Wilson. When I got to Mahall’s that night and heard him playing solo guitar, I was quite impressed. He was coming straight from that Montgomery/Benson/Burrell/Martino bag that Terri knew I would like. After it was over, I knew that I’d just met someone I should have met a long time before. Dan Wilson is an absolute monster! He has an enviable technique that comes so seemingly easy to him and his pocket is very deep. Now it’s my honor to introduce you to him as a Brother Mister artist. In the words of Terri, "I got someone you need to hear."

Joined by pianist Christian Sands, bassist Marco Panascia, drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts and guest vocalist Joy Brown, the virtuosic guitarist’s broad musical roots inspired by Motown, gospel and jazz tradition result in a remarkable feel for arrangements. Wilson’s musical explorations allow the band to elevate each passage, aided by his fluid and melodic expression.

Due out April 23, the vividly expressionist recording finds Wilson in the purest of creative strides. “I try to elicit the same kind of visceral response to the music that I get in my gut while making it,” comments Wilson. “I want to convey the joy I get out of making the music.” That joy is deeply rooted in his musical beginnings in the church community, where he was quickly immersed in the rich gospel tradition. But at home, he was exposed to a wealth of music from his father, who played drums and bass, and his mother, a gifted singer.

“My parents loved Motown,” states Wilson. “My father only played at church, never at home, but my mother’s influence on me was amplified by her knowledge of standards and incredible memory for recalling lyrics and God-given natural talents as a singer.” Wilson’s parents exposed him to the great singers like Dinah Washington, Gloria Lynn, Sarah Vaughan, and Ella Fitzgerald, which he credits for his arioso approach to solos.

This strong sense of familial leadership continued when Wilson’s uncle introduced him to the world of jazz through the music of Wes Montgomery and his duets with jazz organist Jimmy Smith. “I was maybe 14 or 15,” Wilson reflects, “and my uncle took me into his basement and played me Wes and Jimmy and I was like, ‘Oh, this is it for me. I want to do that! I just want to do that forever.”

Wilson’s career took him on an exploratory journey into those foundations laid down by the guitar/organ tradition, eventually leading to an invitation to perform with jazz great Joey DeFrancesco’s quartet with which Wilson went on to earn a GRAMMY® Award nomination for DeFrancesco’s Project Freedom album (Mack Avenue Records, 2017). This collaboration allowed the guitarist to insert his own dialect into the musical prowess and respect that DeFrancesco had earned throughout his journey. Wilson had been playing with DeFrancesco for a few years when he met bassist, composer, arranger, Christian McBride. “It was just like the first time I met Joey – magic. We played three tunes and from note one, it was like ‘Yeah, we were born to play together.’” From there, Wilson went on to tour with McBride’s trio Tip City, eventually leading McBride to serve as producer on Vessels of Wood and Earth and release the album on his newly formed imprint Brother Mister Productions through Mack Avenue Music Group.

“He’s the same as a producer as he is as a person – what you see is what you get,” laughs Wilson. “Christian understands what it means to be both a bandleader and sideman, so he’s got that unique musical perspective. I’m grateful to experience both the shock and the honor of being on Christian’s label.”

1. The Rhythm Section

2. Bird of Beauty

3. The Reconstruction Beat

4. Vessels of Wood and Earth

5. Who Shot John

6. fter the Rain/Save the Children

7. Inner City Blues

8. Juneteenth

9. Cry Me a River

10. James

11. Born to Lose

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Christian Sands - Facing Dragons (MACK AVENUE RECORDS September 21, 2018)

Christian Sands Returns with

New Studio Album Facing Dragons,

Available September 21 on Mack Avenue Records

Album Features Marcus Strickland,

Keyon Harrold, Yasushi Nakamura, Jerome Jennings,

Caio Afiune, Cristian Rivera, & Roberto Quintero

Not yet 30, Christian Sands is currently one of the most in-demand pianists working in jazz. In the last few years he has toured around the world as a bandleader and recently appeared as a sideman on records by Christian McBride and Gregory Porter. After the one-two punch of Reach and Reach Further – EP, Sands’ dynamic 2017 Mack Avenue debut and his live/unreleased studio tracks EP follow-up released earlier this year, Facing Dragons is Sands’ return to the recording studio with an indestructible band and an unwavering allegiance to the groove.

“I like the freedom of the trio format,” says Sands. “It’s more dramatic to me. It’s a smaller entity but with a big personality. I can fit it into different situations dynamically, compositionally.” Opening track “Rebel Music” features Sands’ wide-ranging scope at its most elegant, nimbly jetting through single unison lines and bright block chords. Here and throughout the record he is joined by bassist Yasushi Nakamura and drummer Jerome Jennings, the band that Sands has been relentlessly touring with. The two sensitive accompanists are locked in sync, joined occasionally by a powerhouse pair of horns, a sinewy guitarist and a fiery pair of percussionists.

Saxophonist Marcus Strickland strikes first on the hard swinging “Fight for Freedom,” unleashing a throaty cry over the churning band. “Marcus Strickland brings a certain fire to the band,” says Sands. “Especially on this track. He’s got a rich and deep tone, so it was perfect for the earthy theme of the song.” Trumpeter Keyon Harrold shares the frontline with Strickland, playing in effortless harmony on the melody before getting a little solo space near the tune’s close.

Harrold takes centerstage later on “Frankenstein,” a churning meditation reminiscent of Herbie Hancock’s seafaring journeys of the 1960s. Sands is spacious in support and patient on his solo, the tune an energetic workout for all involved.

Earlier this year Sands was named creative ambassador to The Erroll Garner Jazz Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to the legacy of the late great pianist Erroll Garner. After inheriting the position from the late Geri Allen – one of Sands’ mentors – he is a natural fit for the role. Sands has that same affable understanding of the audience as he recognizes their innate desire to be entertained as well as enlightened. He tackles the Beatles’ “Yesterday” with a soulful saunter. “Pop music is essential in jazz. It’s new melodies, it’s new stories, or same stories told in different ways. Jazz is about storytelling and pop music has a unique story to tell.”

Sands has yet to bring his band to Venezuela but when he gets there, he’ll be more than ready for the infectious polyrhythms found on the shores of Choroni Beach. On “Sangueo Soul,” Sands bounces above the churning South American rhythms, with Caio Afiune doubling the piano lines on guitar. It alternates between the two sounds, blending them at will, a sprightly dash of octaves on the piano cross paths with intergalactic vibrations. The tune is impossible to resist as a battery of rhythm pushes Sands’ piano into a righteous jaunt; clear the dancefloor. Percussionist Cristian Rivera appeared on Sands’ Mack Avenue Records debut, and the two formed a tight bond over a decade ago in Bobby Sanabria’s Afro Cuban Big Band. Percussionist Roberto Quintero, a native Venezuelan, brings the fire and authenticity to the party.

“Samba da Vela” appears later, continuing the South American travelogue with a trip to Brazil. Guitarist Caio Afiune first played with Sands’ brother Ryan, a drummer who studied at the New England Conservatory. Afiune has been playing with the pianist for over a year now, finding his voice in the tight-knit ensemble. His solo is an energetic but controlled centerpiece of the performance but becomes even more effervescent when he heads to church. 

“Church music is key in not just my sound but most jazz musicians I look up to. It’s a culture that most of us have gone through so it’s embedded in what we do,” says Sands. “Jazz can be a religious experience and for me my playing is my gift to God.” Sands began formal lessons at the age of four but picked up his sense of swing and soul at church well before that. “Sunday Mornings” is Sands tribute to the beginning of the week. He employs soulful clusters of chords and a lackadaisical slide off the beat, aided and embedded by an oscillating organ. The transition to a backyard reggae groove is hip, propelled by Afiune’s scratchy accents.

The lilting “Her Song” features bassist Nakamura. “Yasushi has a great bass sound, great facility and is always easy to work with, which is why he’s still in so many other bands today besides mine,” says Sands. Regardless of Nakamura’s schedule, he is fully committed to Sands’ vision of a rhythm section, a noble accent to the sound, unobtrusive but always present. Jennings is equally sensitive. “What I love about Romey” says Sands, “is the soulful intellect he brings to the instrument. There are layers to what he does and that comes from study and practice and also just being him – a true soul brother.”

The album closes with “Rhodes to Meditation” featuring an electrified Sands drifting into the ether. “The Fender Rhodes adds a different tone to my imagination. It makes me hear and play different.” Sands evokes a spectral world without borders, drifting off like a satellite towards the next adventure. “Like all of my albums, I want people to feel connected through a story that I’m telling. On this record, I want to remind people to always push forward and move in positivity.”

McClenty Hunter Jr. - The Groove Hunter (STRIKEZONE RECORDS May 4, 2018)

McClenty Hunter Jr s groove has been a big part of the New York scene for the last ten years. He began his career in Maryland playing gospel under Darin Atwater of Soulful Symphony. He attended Howard University (studying under drum great Grady Tate), and went on to earn his Masters at Juilliard (under Carl Allen). McClenty was a member of Kenny Garrett s Grammy nominated Quintet for three years, while performing with Lou Donaldson, Eric Reed, Curtis Fuller, and Javon Jackson, among many others.

Producer/Guitarist Dave Stryker: From my own perspective, from the first gig we played together, no matter what the groove, Mac has always made it feel good, and he s been rock-solid driving my trio for 8 years now. He s one of the best drummers on the scene.

With The Groove Hunter , McClenty emerges as a leader of his own date, featuring a heavy cast which includes Eddie Henderson, Donald Harrison, Stacy Dillard, Eric Reed, Christian Sands, Dave Stryker, Corcoran Holt, and Eric Wheeler. Besides his great playing throughout, which brings out the best in everyone, McClenty s composing skills are featured on the various moods of Autumn, My Love, I Remember When and Give Thanks. He also puts his stamp on Herbie Nichol s Blue Chopsticks , Wayne Shorter s The Big Push, and a burning version of John Coltrane s Countdown featuring Donald Harrison. McClenty has one of the best shuffle grooves out there, as he shows on Stevie Wonder s That Girl. Hunter s tribute to his mentor Grady Tate, Sack Full of Dreams (a hit for Grady as vocalist) features his signature brush pocket..

With his debut recording, McClenty Hunter Jr., has shown what most of us have realized for a long time, that he is The Groove Hunter . Along with his composing and musical vision only great things lie ahead.

1. Blue Chopsticks

2. The Big Push

3. Autumn

4. That Girl

5. My Love

6. Sack Full of Dreams

7. I Remember When

8. Countdown

9. Give Thanks

McClenty Hunter Jr. - drums

Eddie Henderson - trumpet (2)

Donald Harrison - alto sax (2,8)

Stacy Dillard - tenor sax (2,3,5,9)

Eric Reed - piano (1,2,3,5,8,9)

Christian Sands - piano, fender rhodes (4,6,7)

Dave Stryker - guitar (4,6)

Corcoran Holt - bass (1,2,3,5,8,9)

Eric Wheeler -bass (4,6,7)

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Christian Sands - Reach (MACK AVENUE RECORDS 2017)

With his debut Mack Avenue Records recording, REACH, singularly talented pianist and five-time Grammy® Award nominee Christian Sands is stretching into exciting progressive territory as he breaks new ground traversing from the straight-ahead zone into fresh-sounding music influenced by a range of styles, from Afro-Cuban rhythms to hip-hop beats to dirty blues with an edge. That's impressive for a youngster who is just 27. "The collection here is about reaching new ideas and reaching new music," he says. "I'm reaching from past recordings to bring in the future, which is really all about finding myself. It's a chance to express my experience."

REACH becomes one more milestone in Sands' auspicious career that stretches back to his New Haven, Connecticut upbringing. Beginning music classes and composing his first piece at age five, he quickly became a professional by ten. Sands was well-prepared to attend such prestigious schools as the Neighborhood Music School and the Educational Center for the Arts in New Haven (he later received bachelor's and master's degrees from the Manhattan School of Music).

1) Armando's Song  

2) Song Of The Rainbow People  

3) Pointing West  

4) Freefall  

5) Oyeme!

6) Bud's Tune  

7) Reaching For The Sun  

8) Use Me  

9) Gangstalude 

10) Somewhere Out There

Christian Sands - piano

Marcus Strickland - saxophone, bass clarinet

Gilad Hekelsman - guitar

Marcus Baylor - drums

Christian McBride - bass

Yasushi Nakamura - bass