Benjamín Schnake Ensemble - The Joy of Playing (October 22, 2021)

Musician, multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger. Originally from Santiago, Chile and currently located in New York City. Inspired by different styles, my music combines elements of latin American folk, Andean music, jazz, classical music, among others, following my goose bumps in an endless search for beauty and expression in sound.

1. Marisol

2. The Joy of Playing

3. Fragment

4. She's Gone

5. Ajú 06:05

6. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat

7. Lakitas

Dave Pietro – alto sax (tracks 1, 4)

Sunhyun Yoo – alto sax, soprano sax (tracks 2, 3, 6)

Tim Struven – tenor sax (tracks 1, 2, 4, 6)

John Blevins – trumpet (tracks 1, 2, 4, 6)

Eric Quinn – trombone (tracks 1, 2, 4, 6)

Jennifer Wharton – bass trombone (tracks 1, 2, 4, 6)

Ammon Swinbank – flute (track 7)

Benjamín Schnake – nylon-string guitar, electric guitar, mandolin

Santiago Leibson – piano

Gui Duvignau – bass

Paul Shaw – drums

Produced by Benjamín Schnake G.

Recorded by Hai Li and assisted by Peter Fedak at Dolan Studios in Manhattan, New York, on February 2, 2019

Edited by Benjamín Schnake G. and Brian Montgomery

Mixed by Brian Montgomery

Mastered by Fred Kevorkian

Composed by Benjamín Schnake G. © ℗ 2021 Benjamín Schnake G., except “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” composed by Charles Mingus, Adams Avenue / Flying Red Rhino / Jazz Workshop Inc / The Mingus Music Werkshop (BMI), arrangement by Benjamín Schnake G., and “Ajú” from the Chilean Folklore, arrangement by Benjamín Schnake G.

Photography by May Meng

Recording session photography by Alex Cherney

Photography of Ammon Swinbank by Charlotte Ryckeboer

Design by Jamie Breiwick B Side Graphics

PREORDER

Dave Pietro - Hypersphere

Dave Pietro is an A-list reed player who works in the finest jazz orchestras (Maria Schneider, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Ryan Truesdell). He has released eight of his own albums since 1996. With the last two, New Road: Iowa Memoirs and Hypersphere, he has emerged as a leader of importance.

Both records feature trumpeter Alex Sipiagin, keyboardist Gary Versace, bassist Johannes Weidenmueller, drummer Johnathan Blake, and percussionist Rogério Bocatto. Hypersphere adds trombonist Ryan Keberle. Versace, Blake, and Keberle are Pietro's colleagues in Schneider's band. Like Schneider, he uses superior players to bring his inspired compositions and well-crafted arrangements to life.

Pietro's charts achieve remarkable breadth and depth from a three-horn front line. The three-part counterpoint of "Kakistocracy" crashes and careens. On the title track, shifting meters and key centers suggest how unsettled our present moment feels. But Pietro also blends melodic color and harmonic texture to make affirmations, like "Gina," a love song for his wife.

Once a composition has established its emotional domain, Pietro releases it for elaboration by the band's exceptional soloists, starting with himself. On his primary instrument, alto saxophone, his outbreaks of singing, piercing, passionate lyricism embody complex messages. On "Boulder Snowfall," inspired by a winter landscape, Pietro's enormous improvisation grows turbulent. Even if he had not told us in liner notes that he was thinking of modern man's precarious relationship to nature, we would have felt it. — Thomas Conrad (stereophile.com)

1. Kakistocracy 07:45

2. Boulder Snowfall 07:00

3. Gina 06:02

4. Hypersphere 06:20

5. Incandescent 07:12

6. Quantum Entanglement 04:52

7. Tales of Mendacity 07:07

8. Orison 05:35

Dave Pietro: saxophones, flute, compositions, arrangements

Dave Pietro Website

bandcamp

Minji Kim, Drew Gress & Jongkuk Kim - Every Moment (2018)

Minji is a pianist, composer, and an instructor who was born in South Korea. She pursued bachelor’s degree at Berklee College of Music with a Jazz Performance Award, Berklee Achievement Scholarship, and Berklee International Grant. She studied with many brilliant professors including Joanne Brackeen, Alain Mallet, and Ed Tomassi. Minji is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Jazz Performance at New York University while working as an adjunct instructor at NYU. She has recorded/performed with many recognizable musicians including Drew Gress, Alan Ferber, Alex Sipiagin, David Pietro (will perform with Lenny Pickett  on April 27th and Brad Shepik in July). She has released her first debut album, “Every Moment”, on February 2018 under her own recording label with Drew Gress on bass and Jongkuk Kim on drums (featured by Alex Sipiagin on trumpet, Dave Pietro on alto sax, and Alan Ferber on trombone). Minji currently is performing at various places and building her musical experiences with many musicians, such as Blue Note, Club Bonafide, ShapeShifter Lab,Tomi Jazz, Loewe Theatre, and James Dolan Studio. She will have her first abroad tour in Costa Rica (“Costa Rica Tour & Clinic) in July 2018 with NYU Group (featured by Brad Shepik).

1. A Big Tree (feat. Alan Ferber) Minji Kim, Drew Gress & Jongkuk Kim 6:04

2. Light River (feat. Alex Sipiagin & Dave Pietro) Minji Kim, Drew Gress & Jongkuk Kim 7:09

3. Db Minji Kim, Drew Gress & Jongkuk Kim 4:53

4. April 29th (feat. Alex Sipiagin, Dave Pietro, Alan Ferber & Songyi Jeon) Minji Kim, Drew Gress & Jongkuk Kim 6:25

5. Na-Bi Minji Kim & Jongkuk Kim 5:18

6. The Moment (feat. Alex Sipiagin) Minji Kim, Drew Gress & Jongkuk Kim 5:24

7. Yearning Minji Kim & Drew Gress 5:18

Minji Kim on piano

Drew Gress on bass

Jongkuk Kim on drums

Alex Sipiagin on Trumpet (Track 2, 4, 6)

Dave Pietro on Alto Saxophone (Track 2, 4)

Alan Ferber on Trombone (Track 1, 4)

Songyi Jeon on Vocal (Track 4)