Fergus McCreadie - Forest Floor (April 8, 2022 Edition Records)

Scottish pianist Fergus McCreadie returns with a brand new studio album ‘Forest Floor’ that follows the highly acclaimed Cairn, released in January 2021. Building on the superlative reaction to Cairn, Forest Floor develops similar traits and characteristics but imbued with even greater maturity, interaction and vision. The Scottish folk influences developed in Cairn remain central and define Fergus’ and the trio’s sound.

1. Law Hill

2. The Unfurrowed Field

3. Morning Moon

4. Landslide

5. Forest Floor

6. The Ridge

7. White Water

8. Glade

Fergus McCreadie - Piano

David Bowden - Double Bass

Stephen Henderson - Drums

Produced by Fergus McCreadie

Executive producer Dave Stapleton

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Marquis Hill - New Gospel Revisited (March 18, 2022 Edition Records)

New Gospel Revisited is the new album from the fearless and formidable American composer and trumpeter Marquis Hill. A live recording that revisits and reinterprets his debut 2012 album New Gospel, this time round employing a band of super-heavyweight musicians including Walter Smith III, Joel Ross, James Francies, Kendrick Scott and Harish Raghavan. Marquis Hill’s rise over the last few years has been striking and there’s no letting up. Since winning the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute Jazz Composition award he has demonstrated full command of his art and built a reputation for synthesizing what he describes as the essential elements of the Africa-American creative heritage including contemporary and classic jazz, hip-hop, R&B, house and neo-soul. Now, his sights are set even higher. New Gospel Revisited, is an extraordinary live recording that reimagines his debut as a leader with a new band, a new focus and a sharpened ear as a bandleader, composer and performer. The set is breathtakingly good with a band that sounds as inventive and creative as it reads on paper.

“… New Gospel was my debut album and my first completed production. To revisit this music in a fresh way, with a new band has been uniquely invigorating —and hugely rewarding.”

Marquis Hill

1. Intro (Live) 1.44

2. Law & Order (Live) 14.11

3. Walter Speaks (Feat. Walter Smith III) 2.16

4. The Believer (Live) 9.17

5. Oracle (Feat. Kendrick Scott) 2.1

6. New Gospel (Live) 6.04

7. Lullaby (Feat. Joel Ross) 3.21

8. Autumn (Live) 9.44

9. New Paths (Live) 2.24

10. A Portrait Of Fola (Live) 10.42

11. Perpetual (Feat. Harish Raghavan) 1.27

12. The Thump (Live) 8.03

13. Farewell (Feat. James Francies) 4.56

Marquis Hill - Trumpet

Walter Smith III - Tenor Sax

Joel Ross - Vibraphone

James Francies - Piano

Harish Raghavan - Bass

Kendrick Scott -Drums

Music composed by Marquis Hill - ASCAP (MHILLMUSIC)

Recorded live at Constellation, Chicago IL, by Anthony Gravino, 8th December 2019

Mixed by Dave Vettraino, 2019 in Chicago IL

Mastered by David Allen, 2019 in Chicago IL

Album Artwork by Oli Bentley, Split

Portrait Photograph by Chollette

Astrophotography — ‘The Butterfly Nebula’ by Gabe Shaughnessy

James Francies & Joel Ross appear courtesy of Blue Note Records

Produced by Marquis Hill

Executive producers Bryan Farina and Dave Stapleton

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Phronesis - Alive (LP Deluxe Version) March 11, 2022 Edition Records

Jasper Høiby's Phronesis, widely recognised as one of the finest piano trios in Europe, will release a limited edition vinyl pressing of their groundbreaking 2010 album ‘Alive’ in March 2022.

Over the last two decades, Phronesis forged a reputation for spell-binding live performances, capturing the imaginations of audiences worldwide. Years of performing, touring and recording gave this trio a matchless rapport that inspired an ever-flowing stream of pioneering new music.

The group’s first album on Edition Records and their first live recording, it was ‘Alive’ that truly catapulted the trio onto the international stage.  Flawless in execution, and driven by some of the most infectious and compelling music written in recent years, this extraordinary recording became one of the most talked-about live piano trio releases.  It was awarded Album of the Year in 2010 by both Mojo and Jazzwise and was voted Jazzwise Magazine’ No.1 Jazz Album of the last 5 years in 2015. It won endless plaudits and praise for its irresistible excitement, skillful flair and expansive compositional craft, and prompted extensive international touring across the world.

At the centre of the band’s sound was bassist and founder Jasper Høiby, the charismatic and dynamic player and composer, and a musician who has been central in shaping the story of Edition Records as a label. On ‘Alive,’ Jasper is joined by Ivo Neame on keys and Mark Guiliana on drums, standing in for Anton Eger on this one-off live recording.

To celebrate over a decade since the album first dropped, ‘Alive’ will be released on vinyl for the first time ever in March 2022 with brand new artwork and liner notes specially written by Jasper.

Get your orders in early – this special edition vinyl album is a must-have collector’s item for fans of the group.

1. Untitled #1 02:14

2. Blue Inspiration 11:05

3. French 08:35

4. Eight Hours 05:32

5. Abraham's New Gift 10:07

6. Rue Cinq Diamants 06:09

7. Happy Notes 10:08

8. Love Song 14:06

9. Untitled#2 07:14

10. Smoking the Camel 13:52

Jasper Høiby  Double Bass

Ivo Neame  Piano

Mark Guiliana  Drums

Details

– Each Vinyl will be packaged in a double album gatefold

– Each LP will be pressed on Ocean Blue Coloured Vinyl

– The first 200 copies sold on the Edition Store will be numbered

– The Deluxe Vinyl package will include sheet music of all 10 tracks as a PDF download

Available as limited edition vinyl, with online-only exclusives, as well as on WAV and MP3

VARIATIONS & PRE ORDER NOW

Mark Lockheart - Dreamers (January 28, 2022 Edition Records)

PLEASE NOTE: VINYL IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE DELIVERED UNTIL 13TH MAY - ALL OTHER FORMATS WILL BE RELEASED 28TH JANUARY

Dreamers is the new project from the legendary British saxophonist and composer Mark Lockheart featuring Elliot Galvin (Dinosaur, Elliot Galvin Trio), Tom Herbert (Polar Bear, The Invisible) and Dave Smith (Robert Plant). Stylistically free and psychedelic in nature, the release of Dreamers signals a new trajectory for the musician who has already featured on a wide ranging and diverse catalogue of albums including Radiohead's Kid A. As a founding member of Loose Tubes and Polar Bear, Mark Lockheart has always remained ahead of the curve and has constantly explored new directions in his own music. Dreamers epitomises this adaptation and evolution, allowing the music to speak beyond the boundaries of genre and predictability. Mark has created an album which is direct and unpretentious but also surprising and unexpected.

As Mark explains: “The grooves, the sonics and the musical character of each piece are all hugely important. The process of writing music for these musicians led me into a new sound world that's very different from anything I’d done before”.

“I wanted this music to be unfussy and direct, but also unpredictable and surprising. The writing happened quickly for this album - my only intention being not to be restricted by style or genre. Of course there are influences and with hindsight I can hear many of them, John Zorn, Burt Bacharach, Ellington and  Kraftwerk are all here, not sure how, perhaps they were all in one of my dreams!”

Since 2009’s quintet album In Deep, Mark has become one of the Edition family, releasing a string of critically acclaimed albums under his own name, with the group Malija and with Edition artists including Slowly Rolling Camera, Jasper Hoiby and Laura Jurd. Mark has continued to work with classical artists (a collaboration that began with his group Perfect Houseplants in the 1990s (the Orlando Consort, Andrew Manze and Pamela Thorby) continued with theatrical and operatic work with Mark Anthony Turnage in the 2000s and his English Renaissance music record Salvator Mundi recorded at Temple church in London with organist Roger Sayer in 2019. 

1. Dreamers

2. Weird Weather

3. Jagdish

4. King of the World (Jagdish reprise)

5. Gangster Rat

6. Nature V Nurture

7. Fluorescences

8. Marmalade Skies

9. Mirage

10. Sixteen

11. Dream Weaver

12. Mingle Tingle

Music composed by Mark Lockheart except tracks 4 and 9 written by Mark Lockheart, Elliot Galvin, Tom Herbert & Dave Smith

Produced by Mark Lockheart

Executive producer Dave Stapleton

Recorded at the Fish Factory, London December 3rd-5th 2020 by Sonny Johns

Mixed by Alex Bonney

Mastered by Peter Beckmann at Technology Works

Special thanks to: Matt Calvert, Olivia Maguire, Rita and Daisy Lockheart, Steve Baker

Dave Smith would like to thank Istanbul Agop cymbals

This album is dedicated to John Ashton Thomas

Album artwork by Oli Bentley, Split

Photos by Dave Stapleton

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Chris Morrissey - Impact Winter Formal (December 2021 Edition Records)

Described by Chicago Reader as “casually clearing the way for one potential path for jazz to progress into the future”, Chris Morrisey is a musician with an uncanny ability to blend styles and genres. Informed as much by alternative music of the 90s like Elliot Smith and Bjork as contemporary Jazz of that era, it was the presence of Happy Apple, the hyper original punk Jazz group from Minnesota (Dave King, Michael Lewis and Erik Fratzke) that installed his sense of what was possible in music.

This new set of work, his fifth record as a leader, represents his most authentic blend of all his influences in one melting pot. Here’s a musician as adept as a singer-songwriter as an improvising Jazz musician and composer.

With Impact Winter Formal, he gives up on straddling two genre worlds and instead has both feet firmly planted in a totally new one that is personal and looking-forward, complex but immediate, tuneful and inspiring. The result is brilliant, engaging and emotive featuring some of the most interesting and creative contemporary musicians in New York including Philip Dizack, Ryan Ferreira, Dan Rieser, Jon Cowherd, Josh Dion, Grey McMurray and Jason Rigby.

1. Don't Look so Serious 05:02

2. The Indigos 07:38

3. Ode to All Night 06:47

4. It's Cruel That It Ends 06:00

Chris Morrissey - Bass and Singing

Philip Dizack - Trumpet

Ryan Ferreira - Guitar

Dan Rieser - Drums

Jon Cowherd - Piano

except on THE INDIGOS, which is Chris Morrissey, Bass and Singing - Philip Dizack, Trumpet - Josh Dion, Drums - Grey McMurray, Guitar - Jason Rigby, Saxophone

All songs by Chris Morrissey (chris morrissey music, bmi)

Recorded at The Bunker Studio in Brooklyn, New York between February 2019 and April 2021

Recorded and co-produced by John Davis

Mixed by John Davis at The Bunker Studio in April 2021

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Kurt Elling - SuperBlue (October 8, 2021 Edition Records)

After scoring his second GRAMMY Award (and 14th nomination) in March 2021, the protean vocalist Kurt Elling hangs an unexpected left turn with SuperBlue for Edition Records. It’s a torrent of roisterous funk, indelible beats and all-too-current lyrics that boasts the talents of producer-guitarist Charlie Hunter and two stars of the hip-hop generation: drummer Corey Fonville and bassist-keyboardist DJ Harrison (both of the genre-hopping band Butcher Brown). Elling has always been a master of grooves, ranging from bebop to pure pop and progressive jazz to neo-soul, but he’s never filled an album with grooves quite like these.

Thanks to newly sprung melody and lyrics from Elling, along with Hunter & co.’s fresh grooves, SuperBlue features all-new songs, innovative takes on compositions from jazz lions Wayne Shorter and Freddie Hubbard, and a raw and stripped-down treatment of “The Seed,” a still-dynamic, decades-old riff on immortality written by Cody Chestnutt. There is even a slamming new version of a Tom Waits tune.

Elling has never made an album like this – and he’s never made any album in the way that SuperBlue took shape. To this day, he has yet to meet the members of Butcher Brown in person: with travel confined by the COVID-19 pandemic, their collaboration happened across a distance of roughly 1,000 miles, with Hunter acting as go-between. In their Virginia studio, Fonville and Harrison met with Hunter to hammer out an assortment of grooves and colors; at his home in Chicago, Elling took the rhythm tracks and determined whether they called for new melodic narratives or were better suited to existing compositions. Once the groundwork was complete, Elling and Hunter got together at a converted horse barn in Urbana, Illinois, where they recorded the vocal and solo guitar tracks and mixed it all down.

For all that, Fonville considers this “one of the most organic sessions” he’s ever done, with a surprising lack of hassle or fuss. “The seeds were planted a while ago,” Elling says, “and then the pandemic got [Charlie and me] both stuck at home. The time inside was the hothouse for something new to grow. Finally, the seeds busted open and grew into this crazy, weird COVID flower.”

The writing process gave Elling the chance to return to several of his now-familiar passions, such as the Beat Generation, current politics and the interpolation of contemplative poetry into already transcendent ballads. But even these touchstones buzz with the fresh energy of contemporary jazz-funk fusion.

Speaking about Fonville and Harrison, Elling is grateful. “For those gifted young cats to give me the trust, and to vibe with me and be so enthusiastic about this project, is a great compliment. It’s enlivening and even rejuvenating in the truest sense of the word. I haven’t been paying as much attention to the groove-oriented stuff that younger cats have been developing, except in a cursory fashion – not because I don’t like it, but because I’ve been focused for so long on learning from cats like Prez and Wayne and Dexter Gordon. I feel like Joe Square-Britches coming into this stuff.”

That’s far from how the Butcher Brown musicians see Elling, widely acclaimed as the pre-eminent male vocalist in jazz. “I’ve loved Kurt’s music since high school,” says the 30-year-old Fonville, who co-produced the album. “I mean, he’s a legend at this point. I obviously knew him more as a straight-ahead vocalist, but I felt like he would feel at home with us – partly because our music is so rooted in the blues and Kurt already has a lot of blues in his music. And I was super happy at the fact that he trusted us enough to really steer things in this direction.”

Elling also placed his trust in the production expertise of Charlie Hunter to bridge the worlds of Elling and Butcher Brown; in fact, with his unassailable cred in both the jazz and groove camps, Hunter is perhaps the only musician who could have done so. “Between the records he’s made with cats like D’Angelo and John Mayer and A Tribe Called Quest, Charlie is a made guy in that world, just as he has the respect of jazz people” says Elling, who first met Hunter when both were signed to Blue Note Records in the late 1990s. They struck up an immediate rapport, leading to Elling’s guest appearance on Hunter’s album Songs From the Analog Playground; more recently, during the pandemic shutdown, they worked on some highly funkified videos for the weekly webcast Elling hosted during 2020.

As Hunter explains, “We both really thought that making those vids was a lot of fun, and when Kurt decided he wanted to make a whole record like that, he asked me to produce it. We shot some ideas back and forth and then I brought up Butcher Brown, because these guys have a great community and a great collective sound.” Hunter initially had no plans to bring his guitars to the sessions, but Elling insisted that he play on the date as well as produce. Hunter gladly gave in. “It was great working with Corey and DJ,” he says now – especially because the project didn’t call for any long guitar solos. “I’m much happier when I’m just grooving and laying in the cut, you know?”

On SuperBlue, those grooves are generous and bountiful and the mix is phat and vibrant, creating springboards for some of the most vivid tracks of Elling’s career. The new rhythmic playground shows off Elling’s still-broadening vocal prowess. The arrangements extend the singer’s already remarkable range and expand his role as a gifted storyteller, adept at both hipster humor and soul-shattering pathos.

For the former, go directly to “Can’t Make It With Your Brain,” a hilarious spear to the heart of conspiracy disinformation, wrapped in a dance-club scenario. For the latter, there’s his reprise of the Carla Bley composition “Endless Lawns,” which previously appeared on his album The Questions, and which carries a breathtaking Elling lyric, highlighted by a Judith Minty poem that clarifies the song’s ethereal beauty.

Elling’s serpentine lyrics combine with the psychedelic production to make Super Blue, Freddie Hubbard’s late-70s fusion gem, the latest addition to his portrait gallery of jazz classics. On ”Sassy,” the band freshens the dance rhythms that the Manhattan Transfer used in their 1991 tribute to Sarah Vaughan. Then Elling switches gears on “Where to Find It,” transforming Wayne Shorter’s rapturous “Aung San Suu Kyi” into a Buddhist meditation, with the assistance of Charles Twichell’s haunting poem “Animal Languages.”

Among the originals, Elling honors the centennial of Jack Kerouac – with asides to David Amram and Mose Allison – on Dharma Bums, an affectionate view of On the Road that crashes headlong into Circus, a prose poem from the Beats’ direct descendant Tom Waits. Waits recorded this offbeat narrative against a spooky big-top dirge; Elling intones it against a slam-dance funk groove that recasts the piece from a 50s pulp-noir paperback cover to a neon panel by Ed Paschke. And “Manic Panic Epiphanic” lifts the spirit with a message of hope – falsetto harmonies from the Bee Gees book – at a time when the world needs it most.

The universal accolades for Elling don’t always mention his relentless, career-long, search for new vistas. He’s recorded an album of global love songs (Passion World) and transformed the Christmas tradition (The Beautiful Day); he’s written lyrics to jazz classics, staked out 1960s-70s rock-n-roll (on 1619 Broadway), and entered into a galvanic partnership, on disc and on tour, with Branford Marsalis’s quartet. He earned his first GRAMMY for updating the historic collaboration between John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (Dedicated to You), and his most recent statuette for Secrets Make the Best Stories, his Latin-inspired project with modern piano giant Danilo Perez.

With SuperBlue, Elling continues on this path of bold collaboration – within the confines of worldwide lockdown – to map out a strikingly new direction, on a project guaranteed to gain new listeners and stretch the ears of his devoted admirers. 

1. SuperBlue

2. Sassy

3. Manic Panic Epiphanic

4. Where To Find It

5. Can't Make it With Your Brain

6. The Seed

7. Dharma Bums

8. Circus

9. Endless Lawns

10. This Is How We Do

Kurt Elling: Voice

Charlie Hunter: Hybrid Guitar

DJ Harrison: Keyboards

Corey Fonville: Drums, Percussion

Produced by Charlie Hunter and Kurt Elling

Co-Produced by DJ Harrison and Corey Fonville

Executive Producers Bryan Farina & Dave Stapleton

Instrumental Tracking by DJ Harrison at Jellowstone RVA. 10/19/20-10/21/20 & 11/22/20-11/24/20

Vocal Tracking by Anthony Gravino at High Cross Sound 2/1/21-2/13/21

Mixed by Anthony Gravino

Mastered by Dave McNair Mastering

PREORDER

Miho Hazama - Imaginary Visions (September 24, 2021 Edition Records)

Imaginary Visions is the visionary new album from Grammy-nominated conductor and composer Miho Hazama, featuring The Danish Radio Big Band – one of the leading jazz ensembles in Europe.

For Miho, this album represents a new era as part of a growing and blossoming international career.

“This is a significant milestone-moment for me. Since I have a classical music background, my brain sound has been more symphonic. However, The Danish Radio Big Band changed my perspective. They are so open and enthusiastic to new music. They can play diverse music with organic flow. I am extremely excited to work on this album”

One might expect Miho to struggle with identity: a Japanese musician working in New York and Europe, a classically trained composer with a love of jazz and modern composition, but in fact she doesn’t think about identity – working with people and with music she likes is the important thing.

However the need to “make everything comfortable between people”, to balance the cultural values and musical demands of her work, feeds into her identity as a composer working in these different cultural and musical environments. Her ability to balance her own musical interests with outfits as different as the Metropole Orkest, The Danish Radio Big Band and her New York ‘chamber group’ m_unit symbolises her ability to square the identity circle.

“I live for music”, she says. “My hobby is to go to music shows, I always listen to music, I like to talk about music. Doing something that I like for myself and hoping that this is inspiring and encouraging to others”, this is Miho’s creed.

In 2019, Miho took up a post as the chief conductor of Danish Radio Big Band (DRBB) following in the footsteps of Thad Jones, Bob Brookmeyer and Jim McNeely (all early influences on Miho’s composing). Imaginary Visions is the first album with the DRBB to feature her compositions exclusively, and so is a career defining statement of her huge talent.

“These compositions are hugely inspired by DRBB members; their tone color, character of playing, strength, uniqueness and authenticity. Also, these are secretly inspired by compositions from the former chief conductors (music directors) of DRBB, such as Thad Jones, Bob Brookmeyer and JimMcNeely. Studying their compositions definitely made me remember their ways of harmony construction, music vibes, forms, rhythmic motives, orchestrations and composition/harmonization ideas. It’s not obvious “copy and paste”, but it is more of my way to explore and digest these master-composers’ ideas.” 

1. I Said Cool, You Said... What?

2. Your Scenery Story

3. Mingle-Mangle Goody Bag

4. Home

5. Mimi's March

6. On That Side

7. Green

Miho Hazama (Composer, Conductor)

Danish Radio Big Band

Peter Fuglsang (Alto saxophone, Soprano saxophone, Clarinet, Flute)

Nicolai Schultz (Alto saxophone, Piccolo, Flute, Alto flute)

Hans Ulrik (Tenor saxophone, Soprano saxophone, Clarinet)

Karl-Martin Almqvist (Tenor saxophone, Soprano saxophone, Clarinet)

Anders Gaardmand (Baritone saxophone, Bass clarinet, Flute)

Trumpet and Flugelhorn:

Dave Vreuls

Robin Rombouts

Thomas Kjærgaard

Mads la Cour

Mårten Lundgren

Trombone:

Peter Dahlgren

Petter Hängsel

Vincent Nilsson

Bass Trombone:

Annette Saxe

Bass trombone and Tuba:

Jakob Munk Mortensen

Per Gade (Guitar)

Henrik Gunde (Piano)

Kaspar Vadsholt (Upright bass)

Søren Frost (Drums)

Album artwork by Oli Bentley, Split

Photos by Nicolas Koch Futtrup

Søren Frost plays Yamaha drums, Istanbul Mehmet cymbals, Evans drumheads and Vic Firth sticks

Produced by Miho Hazama

Executive Producer: Dave Stapleton for Edition Records, Birger Carlsen for Danish Radio Big Band, Hiroaki G Muramatsu for JamRice Inc.

Recording & Editing engineer: Lars C. Bruun

Recording director: Morten Büchert

Mixed on April 6th-8th, 2021 at Sear Sound NYC, New York, NY, USA

Mixing engineer: Chris Allen

Assistant engineer: Steven Sacco

Mastered on April 20th, 2021 at Sterling Sound, Edgewater, NJ, USA

Mastering engineer: Greg Calbi & Steve Fallone

Photography: Agnete Schlichtkrull, Nicolas Koch Futtrup

Pre-order

Nate Smith - Kinfolk 2: See the Birds (September 17, 2021 Edition Records)

Kinfolk 2: See the Birds is the highly anticipated follow up to the 2017 Grammy-nominated album Kinfolk: Postcards From Everywhere. Featuring the diverse and all-star talents of Brittany Howard, Amma Whatt, Joel Ross, Kokayi, Michael Mayo, Regina Carter, Stokley and Vernon Reid, Kinfolk 2: See the Birds is the inspired and emphatic album that exemplifies Nate’s artistry as one of the most exciting, dynamic and innovative drummer-composers of his generation, adept across multi-genres and styles. Taking inspiration from his teenage years spent absorbing the diverse and eclectic riches of Prince, Michael Jackson and Living Colour. Kinfolk 2: See the Birds is a multi-faceted jewel and is set to be one of the most significant albums of 2021.

Four years after drummer, composer, and bandleader Nate Smith released his Grammy-nominated debut, he’s releasing its thematic follow-up, Kinfolk 2: See The Birds. In the interim, he’s released two other projects: 2020’s R&B-laden EP, Light and Shadow, and 2018’s breakbeat solo drums LP, Pocket Change.

Smith sees Kinfolk as a trilogy that charts his evolution as musician. The first record touched upon his childhood in Chesapeake, Virginia, and the music that he absorbed in his home. Kinfolk 2 continues that narrative, offering an impressionistic portrait of his teenage years when he made the decision to become a musician. During this time, he was checking out a lot of music associated with the Black Rock Coalition such as Living Colour, Fishbone, and 24-7 Spyz, in addition to other pioneering acts such as Bad Brains, King’s X, Prince, and Sting. Smith was also listening to a lot of hip-hop as well as the emerging neo-soul that flowered in the 1990s.

Kinfolk 2 is no throwback album, however. Smith reconciles his influences from his teen years with the modern jazz sensibilities that he’s demonstrated with not just his solo material but as a sideman with a roster of jazz titans that includes guitarist Pat Metheny, bassist Dave Holland, and saxophonists Ravi Coltrane and Chris Potter.

In fact, Smith cites his long tenure with Potter’s Underground band for being an incubator for him to develop his distinguishable drumming approach, which often combines crisp, funky, head-nodding grooves with flinty modern jazz interactive improvisation. 

1. Altitude ft. Joel Ross & Michael Mayo

2. Square Wheel ft. Kokayi & Michael Mayo

3. Band Room Freestyle ft. Kokayi

4. Street Lamp

5. Don't Let Me Get Away ft. Stokley

6. Collision ft. Regina Carter

7. Meditation: Prelude

8. Rambo: The Vigilante ft. Vernon Reid

9. I Burn For You ft. Amma Whatt

10. See The Birds ft. Joel Ross & Michael Mayo

11. Fly (For Mike) ft. Brittany Howard

Brad Allen Williams - guitar

Fima Ephron - bass

Jaleel Shaw - saxophone

Jon Cowherd - piano, rhodes, hammond B-3 organ

Nate Smith - drums, keyboards, percussion

Featuring:

Amma Whatt - vocals on “I Burn For You”

Brittany Howard - vocals on “Fly (for Mike)”

Joel Ross - vibraphone on “Altitude” and “See The Birds”

Kokayi - vocals on “Square Wheel” and “Band Room Freestyle”

Michael Mayo - vocals on “Square Wheel”, “Altitude” and “See The Birds”

Regina Carter - violin on “Collision”

Stokley - vocals on “Don’t Let Me Get Away”

Vernon Reid - guitar on “Rambo: The Vigilante”

Strings on “Don’t Let Me Get Away” arranged by Nate Smith and played by:

Juliette Jones - violin

Monique Brooks-Roberts - violin

Jarvis Benson - viola

Malcolm Parson - cello

Rootstock Republic, LLC - contractor

All songs composed by Nate Smith (Penelope’s Boudoir ASCAP) except:

“Square Wheel” written by Nate Smith, C. Walker, Michael Mayo (Penelope’s Boudoir ASCAP/Pho13 Myuzik SESAC/Michael Mayo Music ASCAP)

“Band Room Freestyle” written by Nate Smith and C. Walker (Penelope’s Boudoir ASCAP/Pho13 Myuzik SESAC)

“Don’t Let Me Get Away” written by Nate Smith and Amma Whatt Agyapon (Penelope’s Boudoir ASCAP/Amma King’s Daughter Music BMI)

“I Burn For You” written by Sting

“See The Birds” written by Nate Smith and Michael Mayo (Penelope’s Boudoir ASCAP/Michael Mayo Music ASCAP)

“Fly (for Mike)” written by Nate Smith and Brittany Howard

Produced by Nate Smith

Executive producer Dave Stapleton

Mixed by Adrian Olsen at Montrose Recording, Richmond, VA

Mastered by Alex De Turk at Bunker Studios, BK

Recorded by Chris Allen at Sear Sound, NYC and Aaron Nevezie and Todd Carder at Bunker Studios, Brooklyn. Additional recording by Dan Davis at Brown Owl Studios, Nashville and Adrian Olsen at Montrose Recording, Richmond, VA. Additional overdubs and editing by Nate Smith at The Crib, Nashville.

Cover and Insert photography by Laura Hanifin. Album artwork by Oli Bentley, Split

Nate Smith plays Ludwig drums, Zildjian cymbals, Evans drum heads and Vic Firth sticks.

Michael Mayo appears courtesy of Mack Avenue/Artistry Records. Joel Ross appears courtesy of Blue Note Records

Pre-order

pettereldh - Projekt Drums vol. 1 (September 3, 2021 Edition Records)

Drums vol. 1” which embraces his love of heavy beats, psychedelic sounds and musical collaboration. This first volume is made of six diverse tracks from some of the most exciting drummers working on the scene today: Savannah Harris, Eric Harland, Nate Wood, James Maddren, Gard Nilssen and Richard Spaven.

The music is hard-hitting and mesmerising, it’s full of complexity and sonority but at the heart are the drums: the beat and groove alongside a kaleidoscope of sounds and effects. The arrangements include a total of sixteen instrumental collaborators comprising harpists, french horn and marimba players and a plethora of keyboards and unique synths. It’s original and highly engaging. No single listen will do it justice!

Over the years, Petter has been garnering praise for his versatility and the diversity of his work. He’s worked with the Dutch producer Jameszoo, including a remix for his latest record on the Brainfeeder label, he’s produced albums for Otis Sandsjö/Y-Otis and ex-Phronesis drummer Anton Eger and he leads the raucous collective Koma Saxo that features another innovative drummer, Christian Lillinger. Alongside this, he’s also regarded as one of Europe’s leading bassists having recorded with Django Bates (ECM), Kit Downes (ENEMY), Lucia Cadotsch Speak Low and Gard Nilssen Acoustic Unity. However, this new album marks a new chapter in his career, cementing his identity as a producer first and foremost. 

1. LORIMER feat. Savannah Harris

2. HAWK MOUNTAIN feat. Eric Harland

3. GOODS YARD feat. Richard Spaven

4. GREEN STREET feat. Nate Wood

5. GIMSØY feat. Gard Nilssen

6. EAST CROYDON feat. James Maddren

Mixed by Petter Eldh at Koma Industries, Berlin, 2020

Mastered by Martin Ruch at CONTROL ROOM BERLIN, October/November 2020

Lacquer cut by Sidney Claire Meyer at Emil Berliner Studios, Berlin, December 2020

Music composed by Petter Eldh except Green Street, by Petter Eldh and Otis Sandsjö

Produced by Petter Eldh

Executive producer Dave Stapleton

Synths used at Koma Industries:

Korg Poly6, Moog Matriarch, Moog Grandmother,

Oberheim SEM-2, Make Noise, MPC 1000.

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Slowly Rolling Camera - Where the Streets Lead (July 23, 2021 Edition Records)

Where the Streets Lead is the new album from Slowly Rolling Camera, following on from their acclaimed 2018 album, Juniper. Colliding the worlds of jazz, trip-hop and cinematic soundscapes, their music blends strong melodies, big grooves and surprising turns of phrase, infused with expansive emotional gravitas. With this album, recorded throughout 2020, the music takes on a greater scale which includes an 8-piece string section and a list of world-class guests including Mark Lockheart, Jasper Høiby, Verneri Pohjola, Chris Potter and Sachal Vasandani, as well as the band’s regular guitarist Stuart McCallum.

This is an album about opportunity, about embracing unknowns and seeing what life throws at you. It’s a reflection on searching for balance, a sense of purpose and identity in everyday life. For the core group of Dave Stapleton, Deri Roberts and Elliot Bennett, it’s a unified take on the journey and the influences that have shaped them all individually and as a collective.

Where the Streets Lead is emphatic in its purpose to communicate the joy of collaboration and to communicate through an audio-sensory landscape their vision of the world. There is a boldness and simplicity in its conception balanced with the attention to detail in its production. With Juniper, their new pathway was set. Where the Streets Lead, is a natural progression and development of the bands’ exploration.

1. You Are the Truth 04:39

2. Where the Streets Lead 05:43

3. Lost Orbits 04:44

4. The Afternoon of Human Life 07:03

5. Widest Possible Aperture 05:55

6. Illuminate 04:30

7. Feels Like Fiction 06:58

8. A Force for Good 06:38

Dave Stapleton Fender Rhodes, Piano, Prophet, Moog

Elliot Bennett Drums

Deri Roberts Sound Design & Production

Mark Lockheart Soprano and Tenor Saxophone

Stuart McCallum Guitar

Jasper Høiby Double Bass

Verneri Pohjola Trumpet

Chris Potter Tenor Saxophone (The Afternoon of Human Life)

Sachal Vasandani Vocals

Jon Visanji violin

Jenni Curiel violin

James Toll violin

Victoria Stapleton violin

Linda Kidwell viola

Rob Tuson viola

Phil Daish-Handy cello

Lionel Handy cello

String arrangements by Dave Stapleton

Recorded remotely at various locations

Vocals on Illuminate recorded at Sear Studios, NYC on Sunday 17th January 2021 by Jeremy Loucas

Strings recorded by Andy Allan at Turner Sims, Southampton in August 2020

Mixed by Deri Roberts in January and February 2021

Mastered by Donal Whelan at Hafod Mastering in Feb 2021

Photography by Dave Stapleton

Artwork by Oli Bentley, Split Design

All music by Dave Stapleton except Illuminate by Dave Stapleton and Sachal Vasandani

Lyrics on Illuminate by Sachal Vasandani

All music published by E2 Music Publishing

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Daniel Herskedal - Harbour (July 2021 Edition Records)

Daniel Herskedal is the epitome of brilliance – an esteemed composer of beautifully lyrical, rhythmically charged music and a world-class performer and technically proficient on an instrument he has made uniquely his own.

Coming off the back of winning a Spellemann Award (Norwegian Grammy) for his 2020 solo album ‘Call for Winter’, Daniel Herskedal’s new album that will cement his position as one the most exciting, prolific and inspiring musicians of his generation in Europe.

Harbour, his sixth album on Edition, reunites his long term collaborators, pianist Eyolf Dale and Andreas Helge Norbakken: a band that gets stronger and stronger with each release. Their joint sonority and musical depth is overwhelming, full of awe-inspiring melodies soaring over a bed-rock of rhythmical precision laid down by Dale and Norbakken. The production, thanks to the contribution from engineer August Wanngren, takes Daniel’s sound a step further, with more pronounced and richer subtleties evident in the vast sonic array created by these three instruments. It’s a wonder that this range of sounds are produced by just three musicians.

The Norwegian landscape has always played a vital role in Daniel’s music – natural, bold, vast but with a sense of minimalism in the space and wild openness. His discography also demonstrates a sense of journeying and worldwide influences. Each of his albums with this ensemble displays the inspiration of travelling and the journey, navigated through Daniel’s own imaginary world landscapes, from the tracks Moon Coming on Slow Eastbound Train (2015) to Hijaz Train Station on The Roc (2017) and Chatham Dockyard on Voyage (2018).

Harbour’s inspiration comes from a sense of being close to the sea and taking shelter from the storms and wild elements. The album was recorded at Ocean Sound Recordings, which sits on an island on the rugged Norwegian coastline in December 2020. The music evokes that feeling of warmth and protection when sheltered from the weather and the sea.

Daniel has proved he has the facility, vision and musicianship to push the boundaries of his instrument, technically and sonically, further than anyone before. Harbour is the result of a consummate musician perfecting his craft and musicianship over many years. Truly spellbinding! 

1. The Mariner’s Cross 03:14

2. Ice-free 03:08

3. The Lighthouse On The Horizon 07:19

4. Hunters Point Drydocks 04:31

5. Arriving at Ellis Island 03:49

6. Dancing Dhow Deckhands 05:55

7. Like A Ship in The Harbour 04:10

8. The White Lion Docks in Point Comfort 04:03

9. Port of Call 03:53

10. The Beaches of Lesbos 05:10

Music composed by Daniel Herskedal

Produced by Daniel Herskedal and August Wanngren

Executive producer Dave Stapleton

Recorded by Henning Svoren, Ocean Sound Recordings, December 4-6 2020

Mixed by August Wanngren at Virkeligheden, Copenhagen, February 1-8 2021

Mastered by Thomas Eberger at Stockholm Mastering 9-11 February 2021

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Chris Potter Circuits Trio - Sunrise Reprise (14 May, 2021 Edition Records)

One of the most prolific improvisers of his generation returns with the follow up to his 2019 Circuits album: a powerful and cathartic record featuring keyboardist James Francies and drummer Eric Harland.

In Sept 2020, a small window emerged from the restrictions and saw an opportunity to record ‘Sunrise Reprise’ with his Circuits trio. It was the first time anyone in the group had recorded with other musicians in months, and for prolific musicians such as these, it resulted in an outpouring of collective creativity, energy, and spirit.

The session was a huge release from the build-up of tension over the previous months, as Chris explains; “All of a sudden we’re in the studio. It felt such a release, a sense of freedom to create and to express ourselves collectively. It’s this, that has been the central part of this album – it’s about the trio, our shared energy, reflecting our own thoughts and feelings from all that’s going on in the world. Eric, James, and I really needed to PLAY, to try to put into music all the intense feelings of the previous few months. The close bond we had developed playing this music together on the road led to what we felt as a cathartic musical experience in the studio, documented in one very special evening”. Chris Potter

1. Sunrise and Joshua Trees 5.41

2. Southbound 8.17

3. Serpentine 11.10

4. The Peanut 5.11

5. Nowhere, Now Here/Sunrise Reprise 24.27

Chris Potter - tenor and soprano saxophones, clarinets, flutes, sampler/keyboard

James Francies - piano, keyboards

Eric Harland - drums

Music composed by Chris Potter - Chris Potter Music (BMI)

Produced by Chris Potter

Executive producers Dave Stapleton and Louise Holland

Recorded by Josh Giunta at GSI Studios 19th September 2020

Mixed by Christopher Allen at Sear Sound 28th & 29th September 2020

Mastered by Huntley Miller at HM Mastering

Artwork design by Oli Bentley, Split

Photos by Dave Stapleton

Chris Potter plays D’Addario Jazz Select reeds, RS Berkeley flutes and Selmer saxophones.

James Francies is a Yamaha Artist, endorses Korg Keyboards and is an IWC Brand Ambassador. James Francies appears courtesy of Blue Note Records.

Eric Harland plays Sakae drums, Remo drumheads, Vic Firth sticks and Zildjian cymbals

Pre-Order Now!! Available as Limited Edition Coloured & Numbered Vinyl and CD

Formats Available:

– The first 200 LPs will be numbered

– All LP copies will be coloured

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Sachal Vasandani - Midnight Shelter (23 April 2021 Edition Records)

Up close and personal re-workings of classics by outstanding songwriters Bob Dylan, Nick Drake, Lennon/McCartney and others, alongside spellbinding memorable originals.

Recorded in 2020, this music captures a moment in time, one of uncertainty and reflection. Originating from a shared desire to create after months in isolation, it’s a powerfully inspiring and deeply authentic album, expressing a want and a need to connect. As Sachal explains: “I met up with my friend and neighbor Romain Collin in the park near my house. After sharing our stories, we agreed we should play – just get together and play. We didn’t set out to make a record, but getting together in the studio gave me a chance to work through the anxiety and anger I’d kept inside throughout the spring and summer.”

With a warm, compelling sound, ‘Midnight Shelter’ imaginatively reworks well-loved music by Bob Dylan, Nick Drake, Lennon/McCartney and other outstanding songwriters, alongside spellbinding sensitive originals, uniquely expressed. The healing power of music and collaboration is overwhelmingly evident here.

Romain Collin: “In this time of isolation, being able to spontaneously create music with Sachal was so refreshing. He’s such a versatile musician, and putting together a repertoire of songs that we could re-imagine in an intimate way in the studio felt special to us. I hope this music keeps people in good company.”

This music is complete in its artistry and freedom. The combination of Sachal’s deeply expressive vocals and the pianism and sensitivity of Romain’s playing is a perfect union. Each heartfelt breath is palpable, arousing intense feeling, demanding attention and drawing the listener in. These are sounds you wake up with in your head.

These have been particularly trying times for performing musicians, many of whom have lost that avenue of expression alongside their livelihoods. Yet there has not been a time in recent memory in which musical creativity and communication have played such an essential role in revealing the dark and shedding the light on life’s uncertainties.

This warm, intimate and honest album serves as a reminder of the anguish that 2020 represented for many, but also looks to the promise and optimism of a brighter future.

1. Summer No School 4.17

2. Before You Go 4.41

3. Adore You 3.29

4. River Man 3.31

5. Great Ocean Road 4.07

6. Throw It Away 4.41

7. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right 3.18

8. Love Away 3.08

9. Blackbird 2.46

10. Dance Cadaverous 4.55

11. One Last Try 3.25

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Dave Holland - Another Land (May 28, 2021 Edition Records)

One of the most versatile and prolific bassist/composers in jazz history returns with a new all-star trio of jazz heavyweights, featuring guitarist Kevin Eubanks and drummer Obed Calvaire, and a power-packed set.

Another Land is the new album from the all-star trio featuring Dave Holland, Kevin Eubanks and Obed Calvaire and a power-packed set of originals. This is a potent studio set of fluid themes developed by the band and forged in the furnace of live performance. During the live shows that preceded the recording of Another Land, Dave explains “we were doing a continuous set, once we started we very rarely stopped, we just kept going,”. The Guardian described the shows as a “blues-fuelled inferno summoning the spirit of Hendrix”.

Throughout his career, Dave Holland has established a reputation for making his bands a proving ground for promising young instrumentalists, but his latest trio is a true all-star assemblage of jazz heavyweights, all established bandleaders and composers, each representing the world standard on their instrument. Released on limited edition double vinyl, CD and hi-res download, this is a power-packed set that reunites Dave with the guitar work of Kevin Eubanks, whose searing, soulful approach was last heard on Dare 2 as part of the Prism project. Eubanks was also key to the muscular quartet that recorded Holland’s seminal 1990 ECM release Extensions, and this new band is yet another example of Holland’s brilliance at building ensembles that are greater than the sum of their formidable parts.

1. Grave Walker 7.00

2. Another Land 9.19

3. Gentle Warrior 8.46

4. 20 20 8.24

5. Quiet Fire 4.39

6. Mashup 6.36

7. Passing Time 8.08

8. The Village 8.48

9. Bring It Back Home 6.00

Dave Holland - Bass and Bass Guitar

Kevin Eubanks - Guitar

Obed Calvaire - Drums

Dave Holland uses Michael Tobias Design Bass Guitars, Thomastik-Infeld Bass Strings, LaBella Bass Guitar Strings and Gallien-Krueger Speakers and Amplifiers.

Kevin Eubanks uses Gallien-Krueger Amplifiers, Ernie Ball Strings and Morley Pedals

Obed Calvaire uses Zildjian cymbals, Vic Firth sticks, Meinl percussion and Yamaha drums

Recorded by Chris Allen at Sear Sound, 10th-11th September 2020

Assistant Engineer – Steven Sacco

Mixed at Sear Sound, NYC 18th - 20th August 2020

Mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound 7th September 2020

The album will be available on CD, Limited Edition Coloured Double Vinyl  and hi-res download – the first 200 LPs will also be numbered and include a signed postcard.

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Fergus McCreadie - Cairn (2021 Edition Records)

The Scottish wunderkind pianist’s second album, ​Cairn,​ looks set to establish his global presence as a composer, pianist and bandleader with its freshness of sound and originality. Rooted in the Scottish tradition and inspired by Scottish landscapes, ​Cairn​ combines contemporary, jazz and classical influences in​ a profound, mesmerising and compelling way. Fergus works with established trio of bassist David Bowden and drummer Stephen Henderson; Cairn​ is a testament to their instrumental command, originality and communication. In October 2020 Fergus was awarded Best Instrumentalist at the Scottish Jazz Awards.

1. North 04:45

2. Cairn 07:33

3. Across Flatlands 04:46

4. The Stones of Brodgar 05:30

5. Jig 08:29

6. Tide 05:56

7. Tree Climbing 07:16

8. An Old Friend 09:06

9. Cliffside 07:42

All compositions by Fergus McCreadie and arranged by the trio

Fergus McCreadie - Piano

David Bowden - Double Bass

Stephen Henderson - Drums

Recorded at QuietMoney Studios, Hastings, 7 & 8 January 2020

Mixed by James McMillan at QuietMoney Studios, Hastings

Mastered by Michael Scherchen at The Mix Factory, London

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Gretchen Parlato - Flor (March 2021 Edition Records)

“There is a story to tell, now.”

Gretchen Parlato has returned, not only to the recording industry but to herself, with her new Brazilian-inspired project, Flor. Portuguese for “flower”, Flor is the artistic embodiment of the GRAMMY®-nominated singer’s deep dive into motherhood over the last six years, a metamorphic interval of space that allowed Parlato to discover the fullness of her essence through a new lens. In this season of epiphany, Parlato reaps her most personal harvest yet, which she refers to as, “a blossoming, an opening, an offering, a return.”

A gorgeous synthesis of original material, American popular music, European classical music, and Brazilian standards, Flor exemplifies the many ways in which motherhood has reconnected Parlato to her own inner child, revisiting the enchantment of falling in love with music for the first time, particularly the various Brazilian genres she became enamored with as a young teenager. “This is music that I’ve always wanted to honor,” says Parlato. “What I’m trying to find isn’t outside of myself. It’s not out of reach, it’s actually that internal revealing of what already exists.”

1. É Preciso Perdoar 05:56

2. Sweet Love (featuring Gerald Clayton) 04:11

3. Magnus (featuring Magnus, Thaddeus, and Ashley Thompson) 04:10

4. Rosa 04:32

5. What Does a Lion Say? 05:55

6. Roy Allan (featuring Airto Moreira) 04:11

7. Wonderful (featuring Gerald Clayton and Mark Guiliana) 06:02

8. Cello Suite No. 1, BWV 1007 : Minuet I / II 05:45

9. No Plan (featuring Mark Guiliana) 05:57

Gretchen Parlato -Voice

Marcel Camargo - Guitar and Musical Direction

Artyom Manukyan - Cello

Léo Costa - Drums and Percussion

Guest Personnel

Mark Guiliana - Drums

Gerald Clayton - Piano

Airto Moreira - Voice and Percussion

Produced by Gretchen Parlato

Co-Produced by Marcel Camargo and Léo Costa

Executive Producer Dave Stapleton

Engineered and Edited by John Davis at The Bunker Studio

Assistant Engineer: Alex Conroy

Mixed by Helik Hadar at Hadar Studio

Mastered by Felipe Tichauer at Red Traxx Mastering

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